Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, let me just acknowledge my colleagues from the freshman class, the gentlewoman from Ohio and the gentlewoman from Illinois, for anchoring this hour, When Women Succeed, America Succeeds.

I now am one of two members of the freshman class that has not had the opportunity to anchor this hour. Mr. Horsford and Mr. Jeffries have done such an exceptional job in that. As Mr. Jeffries pointed out, Mrs. Beatty is always ready for the challenge and has demonstrated and, as was mentioned earlier, has stepped up to the plate and hit the ground running in the Halls of Congress and has demonstrated her leadership on numerous occasions.

With that, Mr. Speaker, let me just say that we know we have made great progress in this country closing the gender wage gap; but women still, as it has been stated, and we need to continue to let it resonate, earn just 77 cents on every dollar a man earns for the same work. And for women of color, unfortunately, naturally, I am not surprised, the gap is even wider, with women of color earning just 64 cents for every dollar that a man makes.

In New Jersey, the gap has even grown worse. In just 1 year, women in New Jersey earn, on an average, $13,000 less than their male counterparts. Now, that is shocking. That is absolutely incredible that the gap, the margin is that wide, because over the course of that woman's lifetime, that adds up to more than $434,000.

Now, what could a family over their lifetime do with another $435,000? Probably could own a nicer home, send all their children to college, live in a manner in which all Americans deserve to live in.

What we have is working poor. $434,000--that is a significant amount of money over the course of someone's life. That is not the America that I was raised to believe in. The home of the free, the land of the brave. Equality is always discussed, but there are always underlying factors in why those words are not lived up to for some people-- particularly in this case, women.

Mr. Speaker, we live in the 21st century. Women now make up more than half of our workforce. As President Obama said last week in his State of the Union Address, paying women less is just plain wrong. In 2014, it is an embarrassment, and we all agree with him in that respect.

This gross gender pay inequality doesn't hurt just women. It hurts families, and it hurts our local economy as well. I don't know in my case of a husband who is happy that his wife is working that hard and making 77 percent of what she deserves to make. Any way you look at it, it is lost revenue coming into the home, and it could make such a difference on small things--vacations, education, groceries, food, sustenance to make it through the week, the month, the year.

On top of that, a woman shouldn't have to feel like she may lose her job if she takes time off to care for her sick children. Now this is something that I know all too well, Mr. Speaker. I know that my wife and I were very fortunate to have the FMLA while we were raising our triplets, you see, because one would get sick, then the next one would get sick, then the next one would get sick, then I would get sick, then my wife would get sick, and it would start all over again. There is no way either one of us could care for them while worrying about whether she is going to have a job to return to, but still today, too many women have to choose between being employed and caring for their families. It is just not right, and it is just not fair.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, in the greatest nation on Earth, no one who puts in a 40-hour workweek should be living in poverty, ever. They are playing by the rules. They are getting up every day, working hard, two and three jobs sometimes, and still not making ends meet. No one in this Nation that plays by the rules should find themselves in that condition. In this country, it is just not about having a job, but it is about having a good job.

More than two-thirds of minimum wage earners are women. We owe it to them to pay them a wage that they could actually live on and provide for their families because we know, Mr. Speaker, in many cases, that woman is the wage earner in the home, the only wage earner in the home, and to have them find themselves in that condition is unfathomable in the 21st century.

I was very encouraged by the President's actions to raise the wage for new government workers. It makes sense. It makes sense in this day and age to have a living wage, something you can take care of your family on. Congress needs to follow that example.

There are many things that this Congress could do to ensure that women succeed. Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, pass the Family Act, and raise the minimum wage for all. All of these

measures have been blocked by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, but the success of women in America cannot and should not be bipartisan as an issue.

We must put our political differences aside and show this country that we care and we understand. We owe it to our mothers, we owe it to our wives, and we owe it to our daughters to provide them with the quality of life that they deserve.

So I implore my fellow Americans that are watching this tonight, whether your Member is a Democrat or a Republican, to see where they stand on this issue, to check how they are voting in your interests, and if they are not voting in your interests, then you should remove them. Because when women succeed, America succeeds.

I yield back.

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by thanking the dynamic duo of the CBC's freshman class, Mr. Horsford and Mr. Jeffries, for their tireless leadership in the 113th Congress, and now the Second Session of the 113th Congress. They have demonstrated that they have hit the

ground running and understand the issues that are important to the people of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, the gap between the rich and poor in this country has really become staggering, and that gap is increasing every single day. Nowhere is that more true than in my home State of New Jersey. The number of wealthy families has doubled. Meanwhile, the poorest income brackets have increased sharply. In my district alone, more than a quarter of the people live in poverty, and this is likely really underestimated due to the high cost of living in New Jersey.

Not only is there a growing gap, but unemployment is high, the minimum wage is stagnant, and there is a lack of opportunity throughout this Nation for people to find the jobs that they need to have their families live in the manner in which they should. This, in the richest country in the world, the greatest Nation in the world, is absolutely unacceptable. All of these contribute to growing income inequality.

The gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) was correct. We are not saying that everyone should have the same standard of living or the same salary or income, but the opportunity to rise to those salaries and incomes is the issue of today.

One thing that the Congress can do to help lessen this inequality is to extend unemployment insurance right away.

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting how some of this issue is couched in: maybe people just don't want to get up and look for a job, and if they take that menial job, then what is the problem? The problem is: you can't feed your children; you can't buy the clothes they need to go to school; you can't educate them. Therein lies the problem.

We are in a time now where there are more than 1 million long-term unemployed who literally have been left out in the cold.

You see, Mr. Speaker, I know what it is like to be unemployed. I know what it is like to be down on your luck. At one time, a company that I worked for for a decade, which I thought would be my career, I would retire from there, get the gold watch, the proverbial gold watch, well, Mr. Speaker, it didn't work out that way. The company closed its doors and I found myself unemployed, going down to the Unemployment Office to get the paperwork needed, and trekking across my community to attempt to get a job.

That is the other thing that people don't understand about this, Mr. Speaker. You see, you can't just sit around and not look for a job in order to collect unemployment insurance.

That it has not been extended is almost a crime because, you see, some of these people have paid into this system for 5 and 10 and 20 years, and now that they need it, we are saying to those people that have played by the rules and done the things that we said they should do, that it is over for you.

I know what it is like not to have a paycheck, to go paycheck to paycheck. Now, I was fortunate. In my situation, I was able to move back home. But what I understand, Mr. Speaker, is that everyone does not have that opportunity. So I will continue to fight for what is right and what this Nation should stand for.

Take it from me, being unemployed, out looking for a job, is hard work, and it wears on you mentally and emotionally, because a job isn't just a paycheck. It is not just about one's livelihood. A job defines your purpose in life.

The hundreds of thousands of unemployed in New Jersey remain hopeful and optimistic that, if they keep working hard, they keep playing by the rules, they will be rewarded one day and find their new purpose in life. We must fulfill that promise that we have made to them. The faces of the unemployed, of those living in poverty in New Jersey are numerous and diverse.

Mr. Speaker, there is another dynamic. We have the dynamic of people who have great qualifications not being able to find a job because it is an employer's market. And, apparently, the bottom line is what is the most important thing for people. To lose a percentage on their gains or the percentage of income they make for their shareholders is the most important thing. So they are willing to let people lose their income to keep those numbers where they are.

There are middle-aged workers who, after decades at a company they have loved, find themselves unemployed. There are young people with college and master's degrees, as I said, who did everything right but can't seem to find a job no matter how qualified they are.

So I am asking my friends on both sides of the aisle to look at the faces of the long-term unemployed, to look at the faces of minimum wage workers, to look at the faces of the men and women and children living in poverty. I am asking my friends on both sides of the aisle to leave behind their political agendas and move forward with a human agenda, because, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Speaker, there is no reason that, in the greatest Nation on the face of the Earth, we have these issues to the degree that we do.

So I just want to close by saying that there are people in this Nation that play by the rules. There are people in this Nation that have done everything that we have asked them to do. So it is our obligation in this Nation, as its leaders, to find those opportunities for people to live and continue the type of life they have had in the American way.

I am just here to say that I will continue to fight for the less fortunate because I will not turn my back on any American that wants to play by the rules and have done what we have said in this Nation you need to do. The land of the free and the home of the brave--that still should mean something.

Mr. Speaker, last week, we marked the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson's war on poverty, which began to pave the way for many of the programs that provided basic human dignities that every American deserves.

Fifty years ago, this Congress began to work together on a war against poverty. Unfortunately, today, some of my Republican colleagues have led a different kind of war. Instead of a war to eliminate poverty, it has grown into a shameful war against those living in poverty. These attacks are numerous, from slashing nutrition assistance to cutting unemployment insurance to attacking Social Security, Medicare, and attempting to dismantle health care.

Fighting the war on poverty should not be a Democratic or a Republican idea. Not only are we all in this together, but poverty does not discriminate between political parties. According to the Brookings Institution, there are more than 21 million people living in poverty who live in Republican congressional districts. Equally, there are over 21 million people living in poverty in Democratic congressional districts. So the burden is on both parties, equally, to recommit ourselves to creating solutions.

The gap between the rich and poor is wide, and it is growing at an alarming rate. Nowhere is this more true than in my home State of New Jersey. In my district alone, the number of households at the top 1 percent have doubled, while the poverty rate has grown to 28 percent.

This is no way for the world's greatest country to lead. We can do better. And we must do better. We must return to the values that have, and always will, make this country great.

We must make investments in education and job training, because how can a man find work if he does not have the skills to enter the workforce?

We must make investments in nutrition assistance, because how can a child learn if he or she is too hungry to focus?

We must make investments in health care, because how can a mother provide for her children if she can't afford to pay her medical bills?

And most importantly, we must make investments in our fellow Americans, to provide them with the opportunities to fulfill their own potential.

My colleagues focus a discouraging amount of energy on cutting the very safety net programs that have lifted millions out of poverty, both in our urban centers and our rural areas. But these programs work. Without our safety net programs, poverty numbers would be double.

So although there is still much more to do, we have come a long way. Turning our backs on the millions of Americans living in poverty is simply not an option. Nothing is more important to the people I represent in New Jersey than having a decent job that pays a decent wage.

My Republican colleagues are kidding themselves if they think these people are lazy or content. Believe me, no one is content living in poverty. No one. These people want to work. They want economic security. And more than anything, they want to create a better life, not only for themselves, but for their children, so that they can forever be free from the clutches of generational poverty.

So, Mr. Speaker, we must remember that the war on poverty declared 50 years ago is an unconditional one. As President Lyndon Baines Johnson said:

Our aim is not only to relieve the symptom of poverty, but

to cure it and, above all, to prevent it.

Congress must renew this commitment by extending unemployment insurance, strengthening Social Security and Medicare, raising the minimum wage, investing in education, and, above all, creating jobs.

Let's work together so that one day we can say that we have won the ultimate war of our time--the war on poverty.

Mr. Speaker, before I start, let me thank the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford) for his leadership through the first session of the 113th Congress and into the second session of the 113th Congress. I am honored to be one of the freshmen--actually the ranking freshman in the CBC, if I can take that liberty--but the gentleman from Nevada and the gentleman from New York have distinguished themselves in the leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus in the first session of the 113th Congress, and I am honored to serve with them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today for the 90,000 New Jerseyans who lost their unemployment insurance on December 28 and the 89,000 more New Jerseyans set to lose unemployment benefits in the first half of the new year.

The people back in my district can't understand how out of touch some of my Republican colleagues have become to think that cutting off this assistance will force the unemployed to get a job. Well, I have news for my colleagues: these people are not lazy, quite the opposite. These people are out every single day searching desperately for work, but the fact of the matter is there just aren't enough jobs for the amount of people unemployed.

It is up to Congress to pass a jobs bill to put these people back to work, but this Congress has not done that. Until that time comes, we have a moral obligation to help our fellow Americans out and give them the economic security that they need to put food on the table, to keep a roof over their head, and to pay their bills so that they have the ability to continue to look for a job.

Mr. Speaker, it is called insurance for a reason. These people have paid into this fund, and they must be actively searching for work to receive this critical lifeline. They might have paid into the system for 5, 10, and even 20 years to receive this assistance, and now we talk about cutting them off.

They are filled with anxiety as they compete against hundreds of others for a job. I know, I have heard their stories.

A young man by the name of Adam, an arts teacher from Montclair, New Jersey, who holds a master's degree from Columbia University, recently lost his job--through no fault of his own--because of funding cuts in education. Despite his best efforts, he, like so many others, has been unable to find work. With every passing day, anxiety for the well-being of Adam's family grows. Through no fault of his own, he finds himself in this predicament.

Another young man from my district, Jeffrey from Bloomfield, New Jersey, is now gainfully employed, but was fortunate enough to have unemployment when he lost his job. When he hit hard times during the recession, Jeffrey was thankful that he had at least some money coming in to make ends meet. In his letter to me Jeffrey wrote:

I am concerned for my friends and neighbors who might not

have been so lucky, who will be devastated by the sudden loss

of income. The ability to pay for a roof over one's head and

basic living expenses may seem a small measure of dignity,

but it means the world to someone who has lost their job that

they have devoted years of their life to.

So I urge my Republican colleagues and the leadership to listen to people like Adam and Jeffrey, to understand this is not about people who are lazy or who are sitting around or who are just biding time and taking in a stipend that they haven't paid into or deserve. These are Americans, your friends, your neighbors, people we all know, relatives, that find themselves in this situation. We must do something for them. We must continue to make sure that they can meet their needs on a minimum basis to keep them afloat until they can find a job. So I urge the Republican House leadership to listen to people like them.

Mr. Speaker, we need to put a bill on the floor that extends unemployment insurance right away; otherwise each and every week my Republican colleagues delay, more than 3,400 more New Jerseyans are kicked off unemployment and find themselves in devastating circumstances.

It is unconscionable, it is unacceptable, and we must as the Congress of the United States of America do something about it.

Mr. Speaker, today I come to the floor to honor the life and legacy of an icon, poet Amiri Baraka, who died yesterday in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, at the age of 79.

Born during a time when racial tensions were at their peak, Amiri Baraka used poetry to empower and enlighten. He eventually founded the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and '70s in Newark and around the country, and received countless awards for his contributions to the arts.

My father and he attended high school together, and I will never forget, as a youngster, hearing Amiri Baraka's poetry and recognizing the power his written words had over a person, regardless of race, age, or gender.

Amiri Baraka was not only a poet, he was an activist. In 1969, he organized the Black and Puerto Rican Convention, which brought those communities together at a time when it looked bleak. He also was one of the main organizers and the keynote speaker of the 1972 Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana. His profound words were influential as many searched for meaning in some of the most troubling struggles of our time, like civil rights, war, oppression, and poverty.

My heartfelt condolences go out to the entire Baraka family, including my former colleague, Newark City Council Member Ras Baraka, and his brother Amiri Baraka, whom I have come very close to over the course of the past 4 or 5 years. To their mother, who has brought me in as almost a son as well, my deepest sympathy. I know where you are. I have been there just a short while ago. But let it be known, today the Nation is in deep mourning at his passing.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of over 90,000 unemployed New Jerseyans at the risk of losing their unemployment benefits on December 28 if Congress fails to act before the end of the year.

Despite what my colleagues on the other side think, unemployment insurance helps during hard times, and people forget that we are still recovering from the worst recession since the Great Depression.

Patrick, a carpenter from Rahway, New Jersey, struggles to find employment through no fault of his own. His family will not be able to afford their mortgage if this critical lifeline is cut.

Malene from Maplewood, New Jersey, is an educated professional, but has been unable to find work since February. In her letter, she wrote:

When do my elected officials start caring for me and the

millions of other people struggling to survive--not living,

but scraping by?

Vote to extend the unemployment benefits which equate to hope for many families in the new year. I urge the House leadership to address this looming expiration of the unemployment benefits for millions of Americans before leaving this year.

Mr. Speaker, Nelson Mandela, as we know, was a hero for social justice and a model of leadership for me and leaders around the globe. Born during the years of apartheid, he was a resilient democratic leader, a peacemaker, and inspiring fighter for racial equality.

As it has been stated and is a well-known fact, Mr. Mandela spent 27 years in prison. Let's look at that time in a little more detail.

He was jailed as a young man, with two young children, one of them being only 3 years old. He wasn't able to touch her again for 27 years. While in prison, his mother passes away and his first-born son dies in a tragic car accident, never being able to say good-bye. Also, during that time, his wife was subjected to both physical and mental abuse. She was locked up in prison for 16 months in solitary confinement.

So how does a person after all that strife and all that grief come out of prison and talk about reconciliation?

President Mandela never let his 27 years in prison deter him from doing what he knew was right by ending apartheid and bringing democracy to the country that he loved. Even in the face of extreme diversity, he has proven that, with a noble cause and internal will, one person can change the tide of oppression. One person can change an entire country and, in turn, the entire world.

Although I did not have the pleasure of meeting President Mandela, he has always been a role model to me. Likewise, he was an inspiration to my father, the late Congressman Donald Payne, who toiled on the continent of Africa for equal rights and humanity for all people, and especially in South Africa.

So I am thankful for his tireless years of service and for being an example to true leadership. My condolences and prayers go out to the Mandela family and to the country of South Africa

as the entire world mourns such a great loss.

Although Madiba is gone, his work and the imprint he has made on this world will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, for millions of Americans, the dream of access to affordable health care is becoming a reality, thanks to the Affordable Care Act.

In New Jersey, 2.2 million people have already gained access to free preventative care. Premiums will be 20 percent lower in 2014. Seniors on Medicare already received a 50 percent savings on prescription drugs, and more than 70,000 young adults in New Jersey are able to see a doctor because they can stay on their parents' insurance.

Sadly, though, out of purely selfish political motivation, my Republican colleagues are obsessed with making this law fail and are working overtime to take away the benefits millions of people are already enjoying. I challenge my Republican colleagues to channel that same energy into making the law work so that millions can get the lifesaving care that they deserve.

Look around your districts. How many of your constituents could benefit from access to lifesaving health care, to free cancer screenings and reduced prescription drug costs? They don't need a 47th, 48th, or 49th vote to repeal the law. They need the affordable, quality care that the ACA provides. And they are counting on their leaders to make it work, not to work against them to make it fail.

Mr. Speaker, this madness has got to stop. Yesterday, I heard from a local homeless shelter in Irvington, New Jersey, that is struggling to provide for the overwhelming number of homeless new mothers. These are new mothers who can't feed their babies now that their WIC benefits have been cut off.

Because of the government shutdown, homeless shelters across New Jersey are running low on baby formula, diapers, and the food they need to feed these mothers and their newborn babies. This kind of story is shameful, and it is happening all over New Jersey.

The pain I see in my district is very real, and it could get a whole lot worse. If we choose not to pay our bills on time, 1\1/2\ million people in New Jersey may not get their Social Security checks; 50,000 disabled veterans in New Jersey may not get their medical bills paid.

Congress has two simple jobs right now: one, to open the government; and, two, to pay our bills on time.

These are nonnegotiable. The Republican Tea Party shouldn't hold this country hostage.

Let's get to fixing America's problems again instead of creating them.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from New York and the gentleman from Nevada for having this Special Order tonight, and also our tireless and fearless leader, the Honorable Marcia Fudge, chairwoman of the CBC.

``Insane,'' ``catastrophic,'' ``chaotic,'' ``a nuclear bomb''--these are just some of the words our top economists and business leaders have used to describe what will happen to our economy if Congress chooses not to pay our bills on time.

The last time we flirted with not paying our bills on time, the economy flew into a tailspin, the markets plummeted, consumer confidence took a nosedive, our credit rating was downgraded, and our economic recovery came to a screeching halt. That was when we only got close to a default. If we actually defaulted, the short-and long-term consequences would be unimaginable.

So, if this is the case, then how did we even get ourselves here again? The answer is simple. An extreme group of the Republican Party, the Tea Party, is so obsessed with defunding the Affordable Care Act that they are even willing to shut down the government and hold the full faith and credit of the United States hostage.

Now, what does that mean, the ``full faith and credit?'' Mr. Speaker, when I hear that, it makes me think about what this Nation has meant to the world, about what this Nation has done for its people--the full faith and credit of the United States. I wouldn't want that on my conscience, that I was part of this body when it defaulted, because that is what you will be remembered for. You were here during the darkest time in this Nation's history.

It is irresponsible that a small group would hold the American economy hostage simply because they don't like one Presidential policy, or the man.

The Affordable Care Act is already the law. Even now that the government is closed because of the Republican shutdown, the law is going into effect as we speak.

So I urge my reasonable colleagues on the other side to listen to the American people, because the people in my district are still hurting from the economic recession. They don't need a manufactured crisis on top of it.

Mr. Speaker, comprehensive immigration reform is long overdue. The leadership the President, the Senate, and the Democrats in this body have shown has been tremendous.

Yes, we must provide a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million living in the shadows. Yes, we must provide the promise of the American Dream for the millions of youngsters brought here through no fault of their own; and, yes, we must ensure that this immigration

bill is a comprehensive immigration bill, open and accessible to all.

Diversity visas are one of the few ways and paths that those from Africa and the Caribbean have to become American citizens.

In many African countries, whole cities gather to hear the results of the diversity visa lottery. What's more, immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean typically are more educated, with the ability to contribute to our economy right away.

If we are going to have true comprehensive immigration reform, then we must keep the diversity visa lottery intact at its current levels because our diversity is what makes this Nation great.

I would like to thank the gentleman from Nevada for chairing this hour tonight.

And just as I reflect, Mr. Speaker, on the comments made by those fifth graders, well, I'm glad I'm in tune with them because, you see, through this whole ordeal, I have spoken about people who have narrow agendas, where they're only thinking of themselves and not the totality of the common good in the United States. Because, you see, it's disingenuous and hypocritical to one day vote for a shutdown of the government and the next day show up at the World War II Memorial and stand with the veterans saying this is horrendous what has happened. You can't have it both ways.

I did not vote for a shutdown of the government, so maybe I should have been there at the World War II Memorial, saying the things that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have been saying as they voted to shut down the memorial.

I want to share a story with you from a young lady in my district just a day or two ago. She's a young mother in Newark, New Jersey. I represent the people of that town. She went to the young fathers program at Rutgers University with her 2-year-old daughter. Due to the government shutdown, this young mother no longer is receiving her WIC benefits. And in desperation, she is reaching out to anyone and everyone for help, as her child literally starves from lack of nutrition assistance. She doesn't know where to go or who to turn to. She feels totally alone. She doesn't know how she'll feed her child or how she'll make ends meet.

This story breaks my heart, and, unfortunately, she is not alone. There are millions of pregnant women and new mothers just like her across the country who don't know how they'll feed their child. And what breaks my heart even more is knowing that Congress has the power to open this government tonight. The votes are here, Mr. Speaker. Let's pass a clean CR.

Make no mistake, this is a Republican government shutdown. The extreme faction got exactly what they wanted. Well, I ask you, did the American people get exactly what they wanted? The people I represent didn't. Families across New Jersey's Tenth Congressional District who won't get the Hurricane Sandy relief that they were counting on didn't. Veterans who put their lives on the line for this country didn't. Low- income children kicked off of Head Start didn't. The 31,000 furloughed Federal workers in New Jersey didn't. The 9 million women, infants, and youngsters who rely on the WIC program certainly didn't.

So I ask, Who are my Republican colleagues listening to? Whose interests are they representing? Instead of reopening the entire government for everyone, House Republicans hold the country hostage with their piecemeal approach, picking winners and losers,

choosing which parts of the government are worthy of opening. We must open the entire government and do what we can to do it today.

Mr. Speaker, 200 Democrats have signed a petition to bring a bill to the floor that would open the government today, and more than 20 Republicans have said they would also vote for the bill. So we have the votes. The question is, why won't Speaker Boehner bring the bill to the floor, one that he knows will pass, one that would reopen the government today? Because it's not too much to ask Members of Congress to do their job. It's not too much to ask to reopen the government and pay our bills on time. The people I represent have to do their jobs and pay their bills on time every single day. Why can't the leaders of this Nation do the same?

With every day that goes by, the more we drive up the costs for the American people, the more we threaten the stability of our Nation's economy. We cannot keep the government closed, and we cannot default on our debt. So I strongly urge my Republican colleagues to stand up for the American people, bring a bill to the floor that would reopen the government today, and let's start doing the job expected of us and continue to move our country forward, not punish the American people by moving it backwards.

Mr. Speaker, our democracy is supposed to be the example for the world. But the example we have set with this Republican government shutdown is beyond shameful.

Some of my Republican colleagues are actually celebrating this shutdown, saying: ``This is exactly what they wanted.'' Who are they listening to? It certainly isn't the American people.

I fear the survivors of Hurricane Sandy, who have lost everything, will be left without the relief they need. That the 31,000 Federal workers in New Jersey on furlough will wonder how they will make ends meet. I worry about the veterans who have fought for this country but have come home to broken promises. And the more than 9 million women, infants, and children who will be cut from WIC, the nutritional assistance they need to survive.

We cannot choose winners and losers in this fight. I urge my Republican colleagues to act responsibly. Bring a clean CR to the floor and let's start working for the American people again, because they shouldn't have to suffer for the Republicans' inability to govern any longer.

Mr. Speaker, I'm not one to go on and on about a lot of statistics, but as we debate the nutrition bill, there is one that struck a chord with me. One in four, yes, one in four children go to bed hungry every night. And I'm not talking about in Africa, China, or India. I'm talking about one in four children who live right here in the United States going to sleep without adequate nutrition.

For me and the 1 million New Jerseyans on SNAP, this is a complete and total outrage. We live in the greatest country on Earth, yet 17 million children in this country do not get the nutrition they need.

Last year alone, SNAP lifted 4 million people out of poverty. The bill on the floor this week, which would cut SNAP by nearly $40 billion, will only ensure that these people are pushed right back into poverty.

That's why I strongly oppose the nutrition assistance bill; and I urge my colleagues to examine their conscience and remember that, when they cast their vote, they are casting their vote for or against one in four children who still go to bed at night hungry.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from New York for that kind introduction and for his consistent leadership on the CBC's Special Order hours. Tonight's topic is ``African Americans and the Labor Movement.'' It is an American story.

Historically, union members have played a critical role in the civil rights struggles of the past, and the involvement continues today. When Dr. Martin Luther King was jailed for civil disobedience, it was unions and union members who came to the legal and financial aid of Dr. King. African American workers have played a pivotal role in strengthening our unions and our economy. The path to the middle class for African Americans has always been through union jobs. What we see is an erosion of that dream. People's ways of life--what they're used to, the levels at which they're used to living--are eroding. It is because there is an attack on organized labor in this country, for there are forces within this Nation

that are eroding the quality of life for hundreds and thousands of Americans throughout this Nation.

So I am really here to say and to point out to this august body that labor has been the pathway for many Americans--not just for African Americans, but for people of all walks of life--to live the American Dream. To own a home, to feed their children, to send them to school, to take care of their parents, to have health care, job security has all been through labor. We stand here today and count the countless number of times that the labor movement has been there for us in America. This is a kinship that you can expect from a fellow union member.

I have been in two unions in my lifetime. Yes, I'm a Member of Congress today, but there have been times in my life during which I've worked hourly jobs, and it was because of the unions I was able to get a living wage and have the resources to raise my family. So I don't come to you, preaching to you, not knowing how it is to have to get up every morning and punch a clock and look for overtime and hope that you can get it in order to increase the wages that you bring home. The reasons to support unions are clear. Union workers are more likely to have health insurance and are more likely to have pension plans. Receiving this preventative care now helps lower health care costs later.

Let me also say something about the Affordable Care Act at this point in time. It is a great piece of legislation. It will go down in history just as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid have changed this country, because I can see the goal line. It's going to take some time to get there, and, yes, it will have to be tweaked and looked at and changed in some areas; but it is a monumental piece of legislation that is going to change health care in this Nation for millions of people who have never had health care. To my fellow Americans, that lowers the costs for all of you, because you pay for people who do not have health care.

So now you will have millions of Americans paying into their own system which lowers the cost for you.

Today, labor unions are still at the forefront of improving equality in the workplace. Right now in New Jersey, we're fighting to raise the minimum wage. Despite overwhelming support by the people of New Jersey, the Governor of New Jersey vetoed a bill that would have raised the minimum wage to $8.25. But our workers will not be deterred. This November, New Jerseyans will have the chance to right that ship at the ballot box and raise the minimum wage for millions of workers.

In Jersey City, the second largest city in the State, in my district, it is expected the city will require paid sick leave to all workers. This is important to our workers and to our economy because it has been proven that paid sick leave reduces turnover, increases productivity, and lowers health care costs for all.

I spoke about my experience in labor. I worked for a manufacturing firm as a young man of 20 or so. It was a business that manufactured computer forms. It was the only African American company of its kind in the United States of America at that time, and I was proud to work there because my vocation was printing in school. So I was very glad to go there and work in that atmosphere.

But as a 20-year-old does sometimes when you're young and you make mistakes, I was fired by that company. The owner of the company that fired me was my uncle. My father was the hearing officer against me, and my grandfather was a witness against me.

Let me say that no one knows how important it is to be represented, because the union got my job back. In spite of everything that I was up against, the union got my job back. I stand here to let you know I understand what it is to be represented firsthand.

Mr. Speaker, the people of this country and this great State of New Jersey deserve a wage that they can live on.

Several months ago, colleagues of mine in the Congressional Black Caucus took the SNAP challenge and we lived on what a person would have to live on for a day and try to make ends meet and eat. It was an eye- opening experience. I had two bottles of water, a microwave macaroni and cheese, and a half a can of tuna fish is what I had for a day. So if we think people are living well on $4.17 a day, then you have another thought coming.

People need to have a living wage. We know what it costs to live in this Nation. We will continue as the CBC, as a group, to voice our opinion and be heard on these issues that impact our districts, our States, and our Nation.