Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Caribbean American Heritage Month. It is a great time to celebrate the contributions of Caribbean Americans to this country.

It is a culture known for delicious food and drinks, such as Jamaican jerk chicken and the Cuban mojito, which is a drink that is wonderfully tasty. Caribbean artists brought influential music to America, such as reggae and calypso.

Some of our greatest Americans have Caribbean roots. Alexander Hamilton, America's first Treasury Secretary, was born in the Caribbean. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell was the son of Jamaican immigrants. Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to Congress and run for President, was the daughter of an immigrant from Barbados.

Today, Caribbean Americans are making a difference across the country, and we celebrate all of them this month.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.

Last week, we passed that bill to raise America's debt ceiling and to avoid an economic catastrophe. The failure to pay our bills would have led to millions of lost jobs and possibly another Great Depression.

The bill protects the healthcare of millions of Americans, including veterans. It invests in education and childcare for American families. It protects student debt relief and supports our country's move to a clean energy economy.

I praise President Biden for his work to raise the debt ceiling, and I thank the Members of Congress from both parties who voted for this bill.

We have a responsibility to protect Americans, and we succeeded in doing so with this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss Speaker McCarthy's

irresponsibility with the debt ceiling negotiations. It is very dangerous to play games with the American economy.

While Speaker McCarthy haggles over the debt ceiling, millions of Americans are wondering if they are going to have a job after next week. The stock market is wondering if this is going to lead to a recession or a depression.

Speaker McCarthy does not feel these concerns are important. He thinks they can wait. They cannot wait.

America's bills are coming due, and now we need to pay them and pay them now. This is not the time to relax and enjoy the weekend like Speaker McCarthy wants to do.

This is the time to roll up our sleeves and do the work we were elected to do and increase the debt ceiling to help Americans nationwide.

Madam Speaker, I hope the American public is watching this because this will be the moment when your benefits will be cut, and veterans' benefits will be cut. Remember who was not here on this day.

Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding to me.

Madam Chair, I will follow up with the last two colleagues of mine, the gentlewoman from California and the previous speaker.

We cannot have what happened in the 1980s and 1990s of the scapegoating of communities with the heinous drug epidemic.

It is interesting that now that fentanyl is impacting certain communities, it is now a health issue. In the 1980s and 1990s when there was a crack epidemic in urban communities, Nancy Reagan told us: ``Just say no.'' But here we are now, in this day and age, and now it is a major issue. Why?

Because it is impacting other communities that people tend to care more about--their communities. What we are seeing now in minority communities was going on 20 years ago and we were screaming: Please, help. Please, let's stop this scourge.

What we did was say: No, those people that are abusing those drugs are criminals. Let's lock them up--mass incarceration.

Now, in this day and age with fentanyl, it is a health issue when the same thing was happening then is happening now. I don't know how one is a criminal act and now we need to have compassion. We do because this country is suffering. Our young people are dying. It is just unreal the scourge that this drug is.

We have to remember that fentanyl is such a powerful opioid. It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Two milligrams, or the size of five grains of salt, can cause a possible overdose. We need to do something. Our young people are screaming out. They are crying. They are dying.

We cannot blame it all on the southern border. Time and time again, we have data that shows that 90 percent of the fentanyl is coming through ports of entry by American citizens. We need to address that. We need to talk about it.

Madam Chair, the HALT Fentanyl Act is not the way to go, but we need to come together and do something as this plague is ruining our future.

I have seen it in my community. Others have seen it now in their communities. We must come together with reasonable legislation. This is just another possible situation that starts mass incarceration once again. I know I don't want to see in your community what that did to mine over the past 20 years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the benefits of President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan for the Black community.

Today, American families struggle with the high costs of higher education. These financial burdens are even worse in Black communities.

Black college graduates owe $25,000 more in student debt on average than White graduates, and they owe 12.5 percent more than they borrowed 4 years after graduating.

President Biden's plan would forgive $10,000 to $20,000 of student loan debt for eligible students. It would cut the loan balance for Black graduates nearly in half, and it would erase the debt for 25 percent of Black borrowers.

It is a great first step, but we must do more. We must increase debt forgiveness for students targeted by predatory for-profit colleges regardless, and we must create interest-free Federal student loans to lower the financial burdens of college.

These actions would help millions of Black graduates pay off their loans and get a fresh start.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the dangers of fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a powerful opioid that is 50 times more potent than morphine. Two milligrams, or the size of five grains of salt, can cause a possible overdose. Fentanyl is so dangerous that illegal drug makers must wear hazmat suits to avoid contact with the drug. It needs to be stopped, but H.R. 467, the HALT Fentanyl Act, is not the bill to stop it.

The bill would make it easier to arrest and imprison users of the drug, and that would be a major problem in Black communities nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control said Black Americans died from fentanyl overdoses at much higher rates than any other community.

We do not need another bill to put more Black Americans in prison; we need a bill that criminalizes the drug without criminalizing the drug user.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise the life and career of golfer Renee Powell and discuss why she deserves a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In 1967, Renee Powell became just the second African American to play on the LPGA tour and competed in more than 250 professional tournaments.

Also, Powell was an international ambassador for the game of golf. She was a member of the British PGA, won a tournament in Australia, and taught golf to African heads of state.

In 1977, she was the first woman ever to play in a men's professional golf tournament. In 2017, Powell was elected to the PGA American Hall of Fame. However, she was more than an exceptional golfer.

Powell designed golf apparel for the famous British department store Harrods. Today, she runs Clearview H.O.P.E., a rehabilitation program for female war veterans.

Renee Powell is an American icon and a civil rights pioneer, and she deserves to be recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for the opportunity to speak tonight in this Special Order, and the gentleman from Illinois, for showing great leadership in what is a wholesome and honorable responsibility to lead these Special Order hours.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our fallen African-American veterans in the week before Memorial Day and discuss what the Honoring our PACT Act will do to help all surviving veterans.

Almost 200,000 Black Americans died while fighting to protect U.S. freedoms. They fought in every major U.S. conflict, from the Revolutionary War to the Iraq war. In fact, the first person to die in the Revolutionary War, our war for freedom, was Crispus Attucks, an African American.

The names of the regiments are emblazoned in American history, names like the Buffalo Soldiers, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the Harlem Hellfighters. In my district, they continue to make a difference in local industry and local politics.

Black soldiers are America's forgotten heroes. They fought in foreign wars to protect our Nation, then they fought oppression, racism, and hatred when they returned home--not welcomed in the restaurants, not welcomed in the hotels, not welcomed to drink from certain fountains, but fought far and wide away from this Nation.

They deserve more than the usual ``thanks for your service'' they receive across the country, and I am proud to support a law that helps them get more support.

The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, or the Honoring our PACT Act, could be the largest veterans' healthcare and benefits expansion in American history.

The Honoring our PACT Act expands and extends eligibility for Veterans Administration healthcare to veterans who have suffered toxic exposure, and it does the same for veterans of the Vietnam war, Gulf war, and other post-9/11 conflicts that we have engaged in. That means five million veterans could be eligible for benefits, thanks to this act.

Also, the Honoring our PACT Act adds more than 20 health conditions to the list of eligibility for VA health benefits, such as exposure to Agent Orange, burn pits, and other toxins. It requires the VA to provide toxic exposure screening to every veteran enrolled in the VA healthcare system.

But local veterans and advocates are excited about more than these benefits. They are telling district veterans that the Honoring our PACT Act will allow them to get physicals in order to find service-related ailments and disabilities. These physicals could allow more eligible veterans to enroll in VA healthcare and help them register as an American veteran for health-related or other benefits nationwide.

But the VA has to do a better job in contacting veterans to encourage them to participate. Some veterans in my district said the VA has a version of the notorious don't ask, don't tell policy. They say, if you don't ask the VA about the benefits directly, they won't let you know, and that seems to be a theme that runs across the Federal Government.

There are so many projects and plans and opportunities for people across this Nation, just everyday, normal Americans, but if you don't know the right question to ask, the information is not forthcoming.

Now, nobody will mislead you, but you have to ask the right question and then they are forthcoming with the information. That has to change.

As we honor our Nation's fallen heroes, we must do more to support veterans and other American heroes. That way, our dedication to the men and women who protect our country and keep us safe will be more than words. It will be a direct action. I am just delighted to be here to raise this issue.

There shouldn't have to be an acknowledgment separately of African- American veterans, but this country, in some ways, has forgotten them and so we have to raise the issue. We don't want it. We want to be a part of the collective of this great Nation, but there are so many instances where the contributions of this population are left out. So we are here to make sure it is clear, and to correct the history.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise the work of President Biden to make our communities safer.

First, the American Rescue Plan provided $350 billion for States and cities to help Americans. Funding from this plan has been used to hire more police officers and first responders.

Second, President Biden's work led to the bipartisan efforts to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. His work expanded background checks for gun purchases, funded crisis intervention, and protected victims from domestic violence.

In addition, President Biden has cracked down on illegal gun sales and the production of ghost guns to keep them off of our streets. He continues to provide necessary funding for police officers and other law enforcement officials, and he has made unprecedented investments in community-based crime prevention initiatives.

As a Congressman committed to reducing gun violence, I applaud President Biden's successful efforts to make our country safer.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss H. Res. 114. The resolution would expel a Member of Congress who faces 13 Federal charges, such as stealing public funds and lying on Federal disclosure forms. In addition, this Member has lied about his education, employment history, and even his ethnic heritage.

This resolution is about more than one Member of Congress. It is about more than the typical political party play that poisons this Chamber.

It is about what is expected from a Member of Congress. It is about ethics, morality, and character. It is an opportunity to restore faith in the United States' Congress. Finally, it is an opportunity to show the country that there are consequences to actions.

Many of us have children, and we tell our children that telling the truth matters. Now we have a chance to support our words with action and declare that such behavior will not be tolerated in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the Colorectal Cancer Payment Fairness Act. It is a bill that I reintroduced today to include more colorectal screenings. Everyone knows that cancer screenings save lives.

My bill provides Medicare beneficiaries with complete coverage for cancer treatments performed during routine screenings by the end of this year.

Right now screenings are covered but treatments are not, so patients can wake up after the procedure with a surprise medical bill upwards of $2,000.

Colorectal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers that we have, but it has one of the highest survival rates, if detected and treated early.

Too many Americans put off routine cancer screenings because they feel fine and worry about coverage. That can be a life-threatening decision.

This issue is very personal to me. I lost my father, the honorable and respected Congressman Donald Payne, Sr., to colorectal cancer in 2012. I don't want other families to lose their fathers and loved ones because they did not get screened regularly.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Olympic gold medalist Tori Bowie.

Bowie was born on August 27, 1990, in Sand Hill, Mississippi. Her extraordinary track and field talents were apparent very early. In high school, Bowie won five individual State titles in sprints and the long jump, as well as three State relay titles.

At the University of Southern Mississippi, she was a two-time NCAA Division I long jump champion before she switched to sprints full time.

At the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, Bowie's dedication to sprints paid off. She won the silver medal in the 100-meter dash, a bronze medal in the 200-meter dash, and a gold medal as part of the U.S. women's 4x100 relay team.

Her passing on May 2 was an American tragedy. Thanks to her tremendous track and field success, Bowie will be remembered as one of the greatest athletes in American history.

I raise that to say what a great and very distinguished career, but Ms. Bowie committed suicide. A young lady with all those accomplishments still found it necessary to take her life.

Madam Speaker, we need to find out what is going on with our children and their lives that such an accomplished person would decide to end her life by her own hands.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the Secure the Border Act.

A few years ago, Americans were horrified to see pictures and videos of immigrant children in cages. But the MAGA Republicans thought this policy was a great idea.

Thankfully, the Biden administration ended this cruel and inhumane practice, but these same MAGA Republicans want to bring it back. They want to punish children because their parents want to become U.S. citizens.

This bill would remove all the protections for immigrant children at the border, and it allows them to be detained in cages in Federal facilities indefinitely.

The Statue of Liberty, the symbol of America, tells the world that our country is open to all people. It invites them to come here and fulfill their dreams.

However, this anti-American bill represents the opposite, and it is an embarrassment and shameful that it was introduced at all.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, Mr. Thompson, for the opportunity to speak here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2. During the nearly 17 hours that the Committee on Homeland Security met to consider the border bill offered by Mr. Green, Democrats offered more than 40 amendments in order to remedy significant shortcomings in the bill.

In an effort to offer new provisions to bolster operations at Customs and Border Protection and build up the fiscal year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Act, which is what was supposed to be going on, working on the budget that night, under Democratic leadership, they provide over $17 billion to CBP to not only enhance port of entry operations but also increase funding to the U.S. Border Patrol by 17 percent.

All of the amendments were rejected by the committee Republicans. Instead of working with Democrats to provide bipartisan solutions to fix our broken immigration system, H.R. 2 is just a far-right, MAGA- style immigration bill advanced by Republicans that would tear at the fabric of American values and drastically limit asylum opportunities while doing nothing to create an orderly system.

The xenophobia bill filed in this space of religious values that Republicans claim to live by, at best, H.R. 2 is a deeply distrustful effort to exploit irregular migration at the southwest border, which is expected to intensify with the termination of title 42 health restrictions.

To make political points with Donald Trump and his devoted, extreme MAGA base, the hardworking civil servants who work to keep our border secure deserve so much better.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Republicans who support detaining and deporting more migrants to take a look at section 115(c), division A. If enacted, it would prohibit DHS from contracting with any nongovernmental organizations to transport or shelter ``inadmissible aliens.'' This language would prevent ICE from being able to contract with private companies that facilitate deportations or provide detention space, because they want a nongovernmental organization to do it.

Now, for the life of me, here we are again. You can't have it both ways. You want all of this deportation to happen, but now you are limiting the organization from doing it.

Mr. Speaker, just one last point.

Ironically, it seems that the child deportation act may actually undermine the MAGA extreme deportation agenda.

Listening to my colleague, the ranking member from Mississippi, we have already torn children and babies away from their families. Now, it appears that we won't even help women who might be pregnant in this endeavor. I mean, how far do you want to go?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the unnecessary debt ceiling crisis.

The MAGA Republicans want to hold the American economy hostage to

their political agenda. They want to force cruel cuts to the budget to hurt working-class Americans--all for cheap political points.

If enacted, their budget would deny healthcare to millions of Americans and lay off thousands of teachers and emergency medical personnel. It would take away food from children and seniors.

MAGA Republicans do not think the lives of children and seniors are important. They would rather give tax dollars to billionaires and help them take tax write-offs on private jets, et cetera.

Thankfully, House Democrats are putting people over politics to solve real problems.

President Biden's budget supports children, seniors, and American workers. It will create new jobs and lower costs to help families. It is the budget America needs right now.