Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the impending government shutdown.

Since 1980, there have been at least 14 times when the government was shut down. All of them were initiated by the Republicans. The last major one in 2018 cost our country $3 billion in lost economic activity.

Now, Speaker McCarthy has the country on a collision course with another one. Even the Senate Republicans have a bipartisan bill to help prevent a shutdown, but Speaker McCarthy will not even consider it.

This shutdown will stop paychecks for millions of Americans. It will stop law enforcement from preventing fentanyl from entering our communities, and it will make our borders weaker.

I do not know what the Republicans think that they will win with a government shutdown, but I do know that it is American people who will lose, and voters will remember this action in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote for rollcall No. 402 due to an unforeseen circumstance. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the dangerous Republican budget cuts and how they will hurt American families, damage education, and threaten our communities.

They will force Border Patrol agencies to fire 800 agents and make our country less secure.

They will remove 40,000 teachers from classrooms and affect the education of 33.5 million students.

They will deny 55,000 American workers the money they earned on the job.

They will take 4,000 law enforcement officers off our streets and make our neighborhoods less safe.

In addition, these cuts will take food out of the mouths of millions of American children and seniors.

If they do not get their way, Republicans will shut down the government and hurt more Americans, including our veterans. Clearly, this behavior does not represent a party working for the American people.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss the need for the Freight Rail Workforce Health and Safety Act.

I introduced this bill to give our critical railroad workers 7 days of paid sick leave. It would allow them to care for their health and the health of family members without using their vacation time. It is a benefit enjoyed by millions of American workers every single day. Yet, for some reason, railroad companies have refused to provide it to railroad workers, but they do provide it to railroad management.

Our railroad workers should have the right to paid sick leave. They risked their health and safety to keep food and medicine on store shelves during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This bill would allow them to take care of their health without worrying about their income, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support it.

We have it here in the Congress, our staff has it here in the Congress. The railroad workers need it as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss how the extreme MAGA Republicans are plotting a government shutdown and forcing a partisan impeachment inquiry.

While my Democratic colleagues and I are putting people over politics to help working Americans, the extreme MAGA Republicans are doing nothing to make life better for average Americans. They are pushing an unpopular agenda of cuts to healthcare, childcare, education, and public safety. They want to allow dangerous people to own guns, and they want to limit voting so only their supporters can vote. They want to take away rights for women and minorities that are protected in the Constitution. Even Senate and moderate Republicans oppose their plans.

These extreme Republicans make our country weaker and hurt American families. They need to serve the American people and stop this reckless pursuit of a radical agenda.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Jeremias Castillo, this year's $25,000 National Honor Society Scholarship winner.

Castillo, a senior at Technology High School in Newark, was chosen from a pool of 13,000 applicants. He won because his commitment to enacting positive change in the country's healthcare system is what he is all about.

When his father passed away, Jeremias witnessed the health disparities that affect underrepresented groups, so he decided to do something about it.

He volunteered weekly at a local medical center, he collected medical supplies from the Newark Department of Health and Welfare, and he spoke about his passion to improve healthcare at a symposium that reached more than 3.6 million people.

Jeremias will use this scholarship to study neuroscience and political science at Harvard University, and he will continue to help create more equitable healthcare systems in America.

Again, I congratulate Jeremias for his dedication to his family, his community, and his country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss how my fellow Democrats and I are putting people over politics.

We are lowering the cost of lifesaving prescription medication such as insulin to $35 for all Americans, and we have capped that for seniors, as well.

We are increasing the American middle class with more than 13.5 million jobs created since President Biden took office and supporting policies that help American families.

We are providing clean drinking water and high-speed internet to more American homes every single day, and we are fighting to protect a woman's right to make her own health choices.

In addition, we are working to make communities safer and defend our freedoms across the world. For example, my Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act would use Federal grants to buy guns back from gun owners and get them off the streets.

I am proud to belong to the Democratic Party because it supports the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the lack of leadership from the House Republicans.

Today, we should be discussing how to fund our government and prevent devastating service shutdowns for millions of Americans. Instead, Republicans want to waste taxpayer dollars on a pointless impeachment inquiry. Even House Republicans say there is no evidence for it.

Instead, they should look to President Biden as an example of true leadership. His policies brought the economy back after the COVID-19 shutdown. They are repairing and rebuilding roads and bridges nationwide. They are making America more energy independent, and they are protecting American technology around the world.

Let us get back to doing the work of the American people and stop using taxpayer dollars for revenge politics and unpopular political agendas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank President Biden for helping me provide $7 billion for the Hudson River tunnel project. The Hudson River tunnel project is the most important infrastructure project in the country.

Every day, more than 200,000 people travel through the Hudson River tunnel between New Jersey and New York. If it were to suffer a safety shutdown, it could cost America $100 million in lost economic activity.

The current tunnel is 113 years old, and it needs to be upgraded to avoid future shutdowns. The Hudson River tunnel project will repair the current tunnel, and it would build a new tunnel next to it to improve travel throughout the Northeast corridor.

I worked diligently to get the funds for the Hudson River tunnel and the entire Gateway Program. The $7 billion grant is the largest Federal transportation grant in American history.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to work with a President that understands the importance of the Hudson River tunnel project and what it will do for American prosperity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of a great American, and I want to say at this point in time: Well done, thy good and faithful servant.

I rise to recognize the Keeper of the Mace for the United States House of Representatives on this day, Joyce Hamlett, who has been a caretaker, a defender, a person who has kept this House in order, a person who knows the rules better than most Members and has also been a friend.

She has helped me with doctors, talked to me when I have been in bad shape, and kept me warm out in the hall. She is a consummate servant for this House.

For 35 years, she has given her life to the United States House of Representatives. I am deeply moved on this day, which is why I did my 1 minute from here, so I could address her and look her way and say: Well done, thy good and faithful servant.

There is no one who is more serious about the business of this House than Joyce Hamlett. She will be missed.

I know it is bittersweet for her, as well. I know she can't wait till she leaves, but as she thinks about it, it is not a happy day.

Let me wish her continued success. She has earned this retirement. She has earned this retirement, working with the Members that she has probably had come through this House. God bless her. I thank her, and may the Lord keep her.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, or CFATS, program is a vital national security program whereby DHS works with the Nation's highest risk chemical facilities to make sure they are secure against an attack by a terrorist or other bad actor.

Since 2007, CFATS has helped thousands of facilities strengthen their security posture and reduce on-site risks, sometimes lowering their risk profile so much that they are no longer subject to regulation.

This program has been so effective that in the 15 years since it was established, the number of high-risk facilities has dropped by half, from more than 7,000 to fewer than 3,500.

Once more, CFATS-regulated facilities are some of the program's most avid supporters. That is because the regulations are flexible, nonprescriptive, and focused on outcomes rather than micromanaging security decisions or imposing one-size-fits-all requirements.

Still, the CFATS statutory authority will lapse a few days from now if Congress does not act. We cannot let that happen. CFATS is far from perfect. The program suffers from longstanding, well-documented issues that need to be fixed in legislation. However, H.R. 4470 makes no effort to address them.

In committee, I joined with my Democratic colleagues to offer 10 modest, targeted amendments that sought to improve information sharing with first responders, training for inspectors, and our understanding of potential weaknesses in the program.

We had hoped that our Republican colleagues might have adopted at least a few of these modest measures. Unfortunately, they did not, but not because they disagreed with the substance. They did so, they said, out of fear that any change might complicate reauthorization in the Senate.

It is a shame that it took so long for the committee to act on a reauthorization, especially since it is just a date-change bill.

When Democrats took the gavel in 2019, CFATS was just a few weeks away from sunsetting. We had a short-term extension bill on the floor within a few days and immediately got to work on legislation to improve the program, not just extend it.

I was, however, heartened to hear many of my Republican colleagues acknowledge the longstanding issues with the program and express support for many of the amendments that we offered. We also appreciate that at the markup the chairman committed to standing up a bipartisan working group within the committee to get these changes enacted into law.

I hope that once we get this date-change bill done, our committee will get to work on making the program better in short order.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, while H.R. 4470 is not the CFATS reauthorization bill I had hoped for, it is absolutely necessary that we pass it for one simple reason: It will prevent CFATS' statutory authority from lapsing and will allow the program to keep working to protect chemical facilities from terrorist attacks.

I am pleased that, in the course of debate in committee, the chairman has committed to work with the committee Democrats on a more fulsome reauthorization bill. I look forward to starting that work in short order.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, to help carry out its many missions, the Department of

Homeland Security has increasingly come to rely on unmanned aircraft systems, or drones.

DHS utilizes these eyes in the sky to make timely assessments about the extent of damage caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters in instances where the Federal Emergency Management Agency cannot easily deploy personnel to affected areas.

The Coast Guard uses drones to enhance its ability to collect and disseminate information on maritime hazards and threats. In remote parts of the land border, DHS uses them to detect and prevent illicit smuggling activities.

Many unmanned aircraft systems in the marketplace today are manufactured in nations considered foreign adversaries. As such, there are legitimate security concerns about the integrity of the data drones collect.

Recent reports suggest that Chinese-manufactured drones might be compromised and used to send sensitive information to the Chinese Government.

In response to security concerns, the Departments of the Interior and Defense have taken steps to limit their use of foreign-made drones.

H.R. 1501, the Unmanned Aerial Security Act, would direct the Department of Homeland Security to take similar protective measures.

It would prohibit DHS from purchasing or using drone systems manufactured in a foreign country that is deemed to be an adversary by either the intelligence community's annual threat assessment or the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Importantly, H.R. 1501 allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive the prohibition in certain circumstances, such as the national interest of the United States or for research or intelligence purposes.

Finally, the bill requires DHS to report to Congress on information related to drones, including the results of any threat assessments conducted.

H.R. 1501 has bipartisan support and was reported out of the Homeland Security Committee by voice vote.

Madam Speaker, I commend my colleague from Mississippi (Mr. Guest) for introducing this bill that seeks to ensure the integrity and security of the drone systems that the Department of Homeland Security operates.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, our communities look to our first responders to keep us safe. They are our hometown heroes, and it is a local and national tragedy whenever a first responder loses their life in the line of duty.

Earlier this month, two brave Newark firefighters, Augusto Acabou and Wayne Brooks, Jr., lost their lives fighting a shipboard fire in the Port of Newark.

That blaze also injured five of their courageous colleagues.

I believe it is critical for first responders to be prepared by having the

tools and equipment necessary to execute their mission safely and efficiently.

Congress supports first responders through DHS homeland security grant programs. However, communities cannot use such funding to purchase novel, state-of-the-art equipment because it is not on FEMA's authorized equipment list.

This equipment is rendered ineligible not because it is inferior. It is ineligible because it is so innovative that it does not meet or exceed the consensus standards that FEMA relies upon.

I first introduced this bill in the 114th Congress to require FEMA to establish an accessible and transparent process for such equipment to be evaluated. The House approved this legislation three times already. Each time it stalled in the Senate. Nevertheless, today I feel very confident that the fourth time is the charm. With the support of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, I am hopeful that this bill will get action in the Senate.

With that, Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in sending a strong message to the Senate with a decisive ``yea'' vote on this bill.

Our first responders are always there to help us. Now it is time to help them with the most modern equipment available to do their jobs.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3254, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, in closing, we owe it to our hometown heroes to give them access to the necessary tools to carry out their missions safely and effectively.

H.R. 3254 would allow communities to use DHS grant funding to purchase advanced lifesaving technology such as systems to track firefighters in burning buildings or wildland fires.

It was cosponsored by the gentleman from Alabama, Representative Strong, and endorsed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs. The House approved the First Responder Access to Innovative Technologies Act in the 114th, 115th, and 116th Congresses. It is time for us to come together to get this bill enacted.

Madam Speaker, this is very timely legislation. I am sure that people saw the tragedy that we had in Newark, New Jersey, in my district where we lost two firefighters fighting a fire on a ship in the Port of Newark. They needed this type of equipment.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Trevor Baptiste, an all-star, two-time world champion lacrosse player.

Trevor is a professional lacrosse player for the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League and the Atlas Lacrosse Club of the Premier Lacrosse League.

He was born and grew up in Newark, New Jersey, before becoming a lacrosse star at the University of Denver.

In his 4 years there, Trevor was a four-time, first-team all-American and a national champion. After college, Trevor won two world championships with the United States men's national team, and he has been an all-star every year as a professional.

His specialty is winning face-offs. In college, he owns the national record for face-offs won and the highest winning percentage. For Team USA, he has the highest face-off winning percentage in team history.

Trevor Baptiste is an exceptional lacrosse player, and I am proud to highlight him on the House floor today.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for the opportunity to speak tonight on an issue that paralyzes this Nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss and address our country's gun violence epidemic and promote the commonsense solutions from House Democrats that would save lives nationwide.

This year, our country has suffered more than 400 mass shootings and mass murders--400--and gun violence has killed or injured more than 40,000 Americans. This number includes more than 3,500 children or teens. In America, gun violence happens in grocery stores, elementary schools, college campuses, and private homes. That is a national tragedy that demands immediate action.

My bill, the Safer Neighborhoods Gun Buyback Act, would use Federal grants to get guns out of the hands of criminals. It would reduce gun violence and make communities safer, and it is one solution of many in Congress that we have offered to date.

House Democrats have introduced or will introduce at least 54 bills to reduce gun violence across the country. If passed, they would make gun owners and dealers accountable for their weapons. They would keep weapons out of the hands of criminals, and they would help law enforcement officials catch criminals who use guns to commit crimes.

For example, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2023 would require that every sale of a firearm include a background check. It is supported by 90 percent of Democrats and Republicans in Congress.

The Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2023 would provide the time necessary to conduct an effective background check on gun owners.

The Assault Weapons Ban of 2023 would stop the sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of assault weapons. These are weapons of war and need to be removed from our streets.

The Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act of 2023 would ban bump stocks in the same manner as assault weapons. Bump stocks are designed to increase the firing rate of guns. It makes dangerous guns more lethal. They have no place in a civil society, Madam Speaker.

Ethan's Law is a bill that would set Federal standards for safe gun storage. It would decrease the chance of a family member dying from the use of an unsecured firearm.

The Pause for Gun Safety Act would require a 7-day waiting period before gun purchasers can possess their weapons.

The Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act of 2023 would require photo identification before the purchase of gun ammunition online.

The Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2023 would establish an Office of Gun Violence Prevention in the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Policy. This bill would allow the country to finally create a national gun violence prevention strategy.

The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act would remove the dubious legal protections for gun manufacturers and possibly make

them liable for the harms and damage they inflict on communities across this country.

The Ammunition Identification Act would require ammunition to have serial numbers. Then law enforcement officials could use those numbers to catch possible criminals based on gun ownership.

The Untraceable Firearms Act of 2023 would regulate the production and sale of ghost guns. These guns are made in secret and cannot be traced, and they are a threat to every community in America.

These bills represent commonsense solutions that Americans want to protect their families and loved ones from gun violence. We need to act on my bill and the others like it to create a safer country. The longer we wait, the more lives we lose, and one day it could come to your door.