Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mrs. Frankie Hardaway. Frankie was a community-oriented woman who led a fulfilling life and broke barriers in her career.

Frankie was born on March 29, 1934, in Augusta, GA to Alonso and Alma Gadley. She moved to Philadelphia, PA with her family in 1942. Frankie graduated from West Philadelphia High School in 1953 and became a Practical Nurse. She married Lucius Hardaway in 1956 and together they had three sons.

In 1977, Frankie joined Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) as a trolley operator. In 1982, she completed a month-long training program and became the company's first female train operator. SEPTA described her as a ``legend'', she was a trailblazer in her field. She faced many obstacles during her training period. She handled them with dignity and class and became a well-respected peer amongst the train-operator community. Mrs. Hardaway retired form SEPTA in 1999 having held a groundbreaking career. She understood that being the first in her field would be difficult but an important task to ensure opportunities for those who would follow.

Outside of her career with SEPTA, Frankie was an established businesswoman who owned a dry-cleaning business with her husband, she was a seamstress and worked for the Internal Revenue Service performing data entry tasks. In her spare time, Frankie loved to read and stay active and engaged in the community.

Frankie passed away on November 10, 2022, peacefully at home surrounded by family. She was a loving matriarch, friend and relative who exuded a generous spirit and devotion to others. The 3rd Congressional District of Pennsylvania mourns with her family and extends our sincere appreciation to her accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, the State Trade Expansion Program Improvement Act.

This bill would reauthorize STEP for 4 more years and improve it in several ways, including creating a standardized application process and collecting performance metrics.

As a member of both the Small Business Committee and the Ways and Means Committee, I see trade as a tool in the economic toolbox to help small businesses expand and grow.

Since 2011, STEP has been assisting small businesses with export development through the use of grants and introduction into the international marketplace.

Trade helps to create and support jobs, which is good for the economy, community, and families in Pennsylvania. Over 1.5 million jobs were supported by international trade in 2019, which accounted for 20 percent of all jobs in the State.

Further, in 2020, nearly 15,000 companies exported goods from Pennsylvania of which 88 percent were small-and medium-sized enterprises.

Coming from the city of Philadelphia, where nearly half of the population is African American, I am especially interested in finding ways to improve minority entrepreneurship.

Many minority businesses and small businesses have a competitive advantage in conducting international business due to their cultural connections. It is important, and I thank the chair for showing the leadership to at least have this discussion.

STEP has helped minority entrepreneurs gain access to the international marketplace, which allows their businesses to grow and thrive.

I was excited to see that STEP awarded my home State of Pennsylvania a $400,000 grant in 2022. This will go a long way to supporting small businesses across the State.

STEP needs to be reauthorized and improved. I am asking my colleagues to support it. I thank the chairperson and my colleagues on the other side for making this a bipartisan effort and a collective interest.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate BoricuActivatEd on 5 years of training the next generation of advocates.

BoricuActivatEd founded by a former Congressional staffer, Jennice Fuentes, is a civic engagement non-profit working with adults of all ages, other non-profits and community organizations from coast to coast to help empower communities of color. In fact, what they do is very simple and straightforward: they help people know how to speak to elected officials just like us. Most of our constituents may even be intimidated at the prospect of approaching our staff, our offices and each one of us in Congress. But BoricuActivatEd, deconstructs the process for our communities. They help folks understand the ABCs of how to engage with elected officials with the respect and authority and command of the request that is needed.

BoricuActivatEd works with everyone who cares about building a better and more democratic society, from high school students to retirees. This year, for the second year in a row, BoricuActivatEd continued its series of trainings for high school students at the Esperanza Academy Charter School in Philadelphia, where my Chief of Staff was able to meet with some of these students and see firsthand how powerful the BoricuActivatEd training can be.

BoricuActivatEd is changing lives and our democracy for the better. Congratulations on 5 years. We are looking forward to many more.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Norman Arthur Johanson, a gifted and esteemed surgeon, with over 44 years of experience in the field of medicine, specializing in orthopedic surgery in Philadelphia, PA.

By all accounts, Dr. Johanson was an even better husband, father, colleague, friend and faith leader.

In 2000, Dr. Johanson assumed the position of Chairman of Orthopedics at Hahnemann University Hospital, where he worked until the hospital closed in 2019. There, he became a beloved surgeon to thousands of patients and mentor to hundreds of residents and medical students. Patients, administrators and understudies described Dr. Johanson as a technically gifted surgeon with a compassionate bedside manner and down-to-earth demeanor, despite being named Philadelphia Magazine ``Best of Philadelphia'' for orthopedic surgery for more than a decade and winning numerous awards, such as the: T. Campbell Thompson Prize in Orthopedic Surgery from Cornell University Medical College; Lewis Wagner Award for Best Paper by a resident and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Hospital for Special Surgery; and Sir John Charnley Award from the Philadelphia Arthritis Foundation.

According to those that worked closely with him, Dr. Johanson was one of the most technically gifted surgeons they had ever seen--machine- like, in fact. According to former residents Ross Green and Kevin Denehy, in 2014 a salesman from a company selling robotic systems for knee replacements once called on Hahnemann. During the sales visit, the rep asked him to do a manual one to demonstrate how much more precise the robot was than a human. Dr. Johanson ``nailed every cut within a degree,'' recalled Denehy. ``The rep threw up his hands and said he couldn't sell him the robot--because he was better.'' He had been selling the robot for several years and had never seen anything like it.

Today, we mourn the passing of Dr. Norman Arthur Johanson.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an influential member of the Philadelphia community, a leader and staunch advocate for employee rights. In 1989, Mr. Herman Wooden was elected to the position of Secretary Treasurer of Local 1776, making him the first African American constitutional officer and the chief financial officer of the union. Mr. Wooden held that position for 17 years, until his retirement in 2006. Mr. Wooden dedicated his life and career to improving the lives of working families.

Mr. Herman Mack Wooden was born on ay 31, 1945, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the son of the late James Wooden and Josephine Pierce. Herman was educated in the Philadelphia public school system. He graduated from Simon Gratz High School and completed some college courses. Herman enlisted in the Army in September 1963. He was honorably discharged as a Sergeant in January 1966.

Mr. Wooden began his career with United Food Workers (UFCW) 1357, now Local 1776, in 1966 working as a clerk at the Wine & Spirit Shoppes, formerly known as the State Liquor Stores in Philadelphia, PA. While working as a clerk, he became heavily involved in the organizing effort to unionize the State store employees across the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

In addition to working as a clerk, Mr. Wooden worked at the Philadelphia Parking Authority which ultimately led to him serving as Chair of the Philadelphia Parking Authority. Focusing on his passion, in 1971, Herman's effort to unionize state liquor store, pharmacy and supermarket employees was successful. He was very instrumental to the success of these industry workers campaigning to join Local 1357.

In 1975, Mr. Wooden was hired as a full-time staff member of Local 1357 as an organizer/representative. During his long career with the union, he held numerous positions that included Organizer, Representative, Political Representative and Lobbyist, Lead Representative, Servicing Director, and Executive Assistant to the President just to name a few. Furthermore, with all those positions, Herman continued to advocate for the rights of all working people and championed more diversity and inclusion in the labor movement. As noted above, in 1989, Mr. Wooden was elected to the position of Secretary Treasurer of Local 1776. In appreciation of his years of service and contribution to laborers' rights, Mr. Wooden was recognized by the Senate of Pennsylvania.

In retirement, Mr. Wooden continued his work as a board member for the UFCW Minority Coalition, United Latinos, and Women's Network. These are all constituency groups, with the UFCW, that advocate for more diversity and inclusion in the labor movement; which are two areas that were very important to Herman throughout his entire life. He continued to assist in the efforts to protect the jobs of those same liquor store union members, that he originally helped organize over 50 years ago, right up until his last days. Herman Wooden was a real-life example of what it meant to be a trade unionist.

Today, we mourn the passing of Mr. Herman Wooden which occurred on July 22, 2022.

Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

I rise today to offer my amendment, No. 461, to reauthorize the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program. This program was established through the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act passed by Congress bipartisanly in 2016.

This program provides invaluable support, through technical and grant assistance, to projects in the Delaware River Basin.

One recipient among many of these grants is the Delaware River Basin Commission, the interstate agency that coordinated efforts to protect the Delaware River. This commission, which is made up of State Governors as well as the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' North Atlantic Division, has been a major player in protecting the health and safety of over 7 million Americans spread over 13,000 square miles since 1961.

The commission utilizes grants administered through the program for a variety of projects, including protecting local fish habitats and maintaining fish species populations in the Delaware River. These projects serve both an environmental purpose to protect our local wildlife but also our local industries reliant on access to a healthy and safe waterway, and they indirectly support millions of dollars in local economies.

Reauthorizing the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act allows the U.S. Army Corps, as well as other interstate agencies, environmental nonprofits, and local governments, to fund the necessary environmental protection and conservation efforts needed to keep our citizens safe and healthy.

In my home city of Philadelphia, the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund was providing funds to multiple agencies to install green stormwater controls, restore degraded trail corridors, and build a new park to connect underserved neighborhoods to recreational opportunities on the Delaware River.

This amendment not only protects our environment, but it protects our economies, our livelihoods, our health, and our safety.

In line with the bipartisan infrastructure bill that Congress passed last year, this amendment will also allow the Secretary of the Interior to waive cost-share requirements for the most disadvantaged communities. That is rural and urban. This will help low-income communities, and it is important to understand what that means to our local environment.

The Delaware River Basin Conservation Act was passed in 2016 with bipartisan support. I urge my colleagues to join in supporting the passage of this amendment and reauthorizing this necessary environmental program.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat what I said. This was passed bipartisanly in 2016, the very same year I came in, Mr. Speaker.

I shared with you that it is about the people, and at the end of the day, that is what we are here for.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 50th anniversary of the Pell Grant Program.

In 1972, Congress amended the Higher Education Act by creating the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant to provide direct financial aid to low-income students so they could have the same access to higher education and opportunity for success as their higher income peers.

The program was later named the Pell grant for its original sponsor, Senator Pell, Democrat from Rhode Island. The original bill was signed into law by Republican President Richard Nixon, and the program has maintained this original bipartisan support over the last 50 years.

To date, more than 80 million students have received a Pell grant to go to college since the program was created. Currently, nearly 7 million students are going to college with a Pell grant, or about 40 percent of undergraduate students. In my district in the great city of Philadelphia, nearly 22,000 students receive $90.5 million to pursue their higher education goals.

The Federal investment in Pell grants is targeted to students with demonstrated financial need, students whose families have incomes of $40,000 or less. The investment pays off by increasing college completion and economic mobility.

On the 50-year anniversary of the Pell Grant Program, I encourage the United States to celebrate national Pell grant day by recognizing the current students and successful graduates who have benefited from the program by telling their student success stories and encouraging the same access for future students, demonstrating the importance of what the Pell grant has meant.

The Pell grant is significant to the future of this country, and it is important that we all stand up for this program that has been valuable to our young people for the future, no matter what side of the aisle we are on.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to cosponsor this bill, which is led by my Ways and Means Committee colleague from Oregon.

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund has been a lifeline for small businesses in Philadelphia and across the country. We provided $28 billion to help more than 100,000 restaurants. Unfortunately, the need has been far greater than the initial funding.

This bill would extend the lifeline with another $42 billion to help our neighborhood restaurants and the people they employ as the pandemic continues.

Restaurants are part of our small business backbone that help to keep our communities together and our neighbors employed.

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Madam Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, Philadelphians have been asking for help even before the pandemic, help with things like childcare, the cost of prescription drugs, housing, and jobs.

Philadelphia, I have heard you. I am proud to vote for the Build Back Better Act and the infrastructure bill this week.

Most of all, today, we make history. We make history because we are doing something for the American public. And it is important to remember, Build Back Better sends a message to every single American that we are on their side.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to first thank my colleague from the great State of Texas for yielding. Since I have been here, I have watched her relentless passion for Black people, and she has not let anybody stand in the way, and I am proud to stand with her and also the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Chairwoman Beatty. She, too, has led this Caucus, and I am honored to be here just to add my voice to this discussion this evening.

President Biden's Build Back Better framework would bring down costs that have held back families in Pennsylvania for decades. It would do this by cutting taxes and making childcare, home care, education, healthcare, and housing more affordable.

Let me repeat that, Mr. Speaker. President Biden's Build Back Better framework would bring down the costs that have held back families in Pennsylvania for decades. It would do this by cutting taxes and making childcare, home care, education, healthcare, and housing more affordable. These investments will provide new learning opportunities for children, help parents--and especially working parents--make ends meet, and it positions the economy for a stronger growth for years to come.

As the Congresswoman said from the great State of Texas: This is transformational. And that is why I am happy to be a part of this discussion. The framework will create good-paying jobs for Pennsylvanians, combat climate change, give our kids cleaner air and water, and make America the leader in global innovation and 21st century manufacturing, which means jobs and opportunities, which means a sense of hope and optimism.

Mr. Speaker, this is a moment for all of us and we must not sit back. And the Congressional Black Caucus, by what is taking place here, is demonstrating that it is there. As the late John Lewis used to say: If you see something, do something. And the Congressional Black Caucus is following that lead.

We all recognize, as the late John Lewis used to say: If you think things haven't changed, just walk in my shoes.

I want to focus tonight on childcare, which is so vital to our families and putting our economy back on track. It is a major reason why many Americans have not been able to go back to work. In Pennsylvania, the average yearly cost of childcare centers for a toddler is over $11,000. That means a Pennsylvania family with two young children, on average, spends 22 percent of their income on childcare for 1 year.

The lack of affordable options also contributes to the 15 percent gender gap in workforce participation between mothers and fathers; 15 percent. That is outrageous. That should not be accepted.

The Build Back Better framework is the way to go. President Biden has shown the kind of leadership and vision that is necessary. That is why the Congressional Black Caucus stands so proudly to join this effort with the rest of our colleagues who are ready to lead.

This is just that kind of moment. We want to be at the right place at the right time. The building back framework would enable Pennsylvanians to provide access to childcare for more than 737,000 young children ages 0 to 5 per year from families earning under 2.5 times the State median income. I want to repeat that. The building back framework would enable Pennsylvania to provide access to childcare for more than 700,000 young children ages 0 to 5 per year from families earning under 2.5 times the median income, and it would ensure these families would pay no more than 7 percent of their income on high-quality childcare.

This is something that is extremely important. This is something, when the President talks about building back better, it puts us all in the right position. It is something that needs to happen. It is something that is long overdue. We in the Congressional Black Caucus are prepared to join with the President and to send a message that building back better is in the interest of America.

The President realizes that. He understood a long time ago about the needs that we have. So I compliment him in joining with our chairperson and joining with our colleague from the great State of Texas and their leadership, and all of us joining with him tonight to show that we are prepared to help lead this battle; that no one can do it by themselves, but we need to be prepared.

We made a promise to build back better after the pandemic and this framework would do just that. Mr. Speaker, this is an opportunity for all of us. This is an opportunity for us to stand tall, to raise the issue about building back better. We all recognize this. This entire package, Build Back Better and the infrastructure package together, will make a huge difference in our economy.

It is something that we all have worked on and we all understand the importance of it. So I share with you as one member of this Caucus, proudly of the Congressional Black Caucus, proudly of Pennsylvania, proudly a citizen of the United States, that I am ready for this. And I thank my colleague Sheila Jackson Lee for her leadership and all that she has done.

As I have watched her, even though she hasn't noticed it, she has been in the forefront. She hasn't missed a fight, and I am glad to be a part of every effort.

So with the Congressional Black Caucus I stand proudly on the President's Building Back Better framework, and I am ready to vote for it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a renown and trailblazing entrepreneur from Philadelphia, Benjamin Bynum, Sr., a savvy businessman, and former United States Marine who died on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at the age of 93.

Benjamin Louis Bynum, Sr. was born in Lexington, South Carolina on April 6, 1923. He was one of five brothers and five sisters. During World War II, he was a member of the Montford Point Marines, making him among the first African Americans to join the U.S. Marines Corps.

Mr. Bynum was also a long-time businessman that operated some of the most popular; restaurants, jazz, and blues venues in the city of Philadelphia. Venues including--the Cadillac Club, which became known for booking well-known entertainers such as Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Kenny Gamble, Count Basie, George Benson, Fats Domino, Woody Herman, Bill Paul, and the Stylistics. As a matter of fact, Bill Paul's first album was called ``Feeling Good at the Cadillac Club,'' paying homage to the venue.

His venues were known for providing an upscale environment and terrific cuisine.

A cultural hub that was often frequented by black professionals and famous people. Which gave it a national reputation and following. Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, who worked as a disc jockey under the name ``Mixmaster Mike'', at a Bynum establishment, credits Mr. Bynum in influencing him into getting in politics. Nutter said he got lessons in diplomacy, hospitality, and government while working there. He proclaimed, ``I would never have been in public service if not for Ben Bynum.''

Additionally, Mr. Bynum raised his sons to be business savvy and great restauranteurs. They are successful entrepreneurs in their own right. He was super proud of his children and their careers, declaring ``This is the seed that I planted.'' Mr. Bynum was a hard worker that often stressed that he would never retire. He worked well into his 90's. He could often be detected working the door at his sons' restaurants.

As evidenced by his extraordinary life and career, Benjamin Bynum, Sr. served his nation in the military and was a trailblazing entrepreneur. He was a model citizen and proud Philadelphian. The 3rd Congressional District of Pennsylvania extends gratitude to Mr. Bynum for his dedicated support and service to the people and the city of Philadelphia. I offer sincere condolences to his family; to his brother, Jimmy, his sons Robert and Benjamin Jr., his daughters Antoinette, Benita, and Denee, nine grandchildren, seven great- grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild, his partner, Thelma and friends on his passing.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the chairwoman for her leadership of the Black Caucus for this opportunity, and I would like to thank my colleague from the great State of New York for his leadership and what he has done.

After listening to the mother, as the chairwoman said, I don't think it could have been expressed better. She did a fanatic job.

Madam Speaker, in my home State of Pennsylvania, Republican majorities in the legislature are trying to stay in power by restricting people's right to vote. For 7 years, Governor Wolf's veto has protected voting rights, so they are trying to amend the State constitution to bypass him.

We are seeing these types of voting suppression plans moving forward in several States as well as plans to override the votes after the votes have been cast.

To those who want to suppress votes or throw out vote counts, why are you so afraid of the voters?

Let me repeat that: Why are you afraid of the voters?

Fortunately, Congress can still act. The House has acted twice. We have passed the For the People Act almost 8 months ago on March 3, and we have passed the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in August. Now the eyes of the Nation are on the Senate.

Will the Senators let the filibuster gut the sacred right to vote?

Personally, I would support an end to the filibuster but, I don't get to vote on Senate rules.

According to the Brookings Institute analysis, there are 161 exceptions to the filibuster already. Let me repeat that: 161 exceptions to the filibuster. Everything from executive branch and judicial appointments to budget reconciliation, to fast-track trade agreements, to military base closures and arms sales, but not for voting rights. There are 161 exceptions. Madam Speaker, you heard me just describe to you those exceptions.

At a bare minimum, Senators who support voting rights need to create exception number 162 to the filibuster--a voting rights exception. The right to vote is the foundation of our democracy. The right to vote is the foundation of our democracy.

Make that exception to the filibuster. Save our democracy.

It is important to understand just at this moment, this is a moment in history. This is a moment. I had the pleasure of serving with the late John Lewis on the Ways and Means Committee. And I watched him when I was growing up as he walked across the bridge. I was 10 years old. He demonstrated to all of us in this country what it means to be the conscience; very similar to Congresswoman Joyce Beatty leading the Congressional Black Caucus. The Congressional Black Caucus is the conscience of this Congress, and we stand here today to add our voices to make sure that people understand that we are in this fight, we were determined in every way that you can think of, Madam Speaker, to fight for that exception on the filibuster. We want to be clear and concise and let people know that we are not accepting this. This is something that is unacceptable. We must have the right to vote.

Madam Speaker, I proudly rise in strong support of this bill. We have to pay our bills and uphold the full faith and credit of the United States. My constituents in Philadelphia don't get a choice. They have to pay their bills. Congress must do the same.

We are working together to finalize legislation to advance the Build Back Better agenda that we share with President Biden. As we do that, we must remember we are elected to govern. Let me repeat that. We are elected to govern.

Yes, the Senate needs to act, but we also must be responsible in this House. We are responsible for protecting the recovering economy against the threat

of severe financial damage. This will clear the way to focus on bold opportunities to support American families.

Madam Speaker, I call on my colleagues to act responsibly and join me by voting ``yes'', ``yes'' to avoid the first-ever default in the Nation's debt.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an influential and dedicated gentleman from Philadelphia, Anthony J. Wong, a devoted public servant, and former Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector who died on September 8, 2021 at the age of 93.

Anthony J. Wong was born in Philadelphia on April 17, 1928 and was the only child of Chinese immigrants who owned a restaurant in Chinatown. After high school, he joined the Army and served in the World War II Occupation Forces in Europe. He also served in the Korean War. In the Army, he served in counterintelligence, as interrogator, a translator, and in the military police.

Inspector Wong dedicated his life and career to this country and to the city of Philadelphia. He joined the Philadelphia Police Department in 1953 after serving in the U.S. Army. At that time, he was the sole Chinese American officer on the force. He retired from the police force in 2003 as the highest-ranking officer of Asian American descent.

While in the Philadelphia Police Department, Mr. Wong served in several units, including in narcotics, vice enforcement, and patrol. He twice led the Training Bureau and commanded the Community Relations Division and the Patrol Bureau, which encompassed emergency planning. His last assignment was as Commanding Officer of the Police Training Bureau at the Police Academy.

Mr. Wong was well rounded and highly respected by many. A man with many talents, he spoke multiple languages. He attended the University of Vienna in Austria, the Fels Institute of Local and State Government at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Universal School of Languages and Translation Bureau.

Additionally, Mr. Wong was a college adjunct professor. He taught criminal justice, criminal investigation, and laws and procedures at the Community College of Philadelphia. He was fluent in German and used his skills to help Jewish concentration camp survivors who relocated to Philadelphia.

Furthermore, he was very active in his community. He was a founding member of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp. (PCDC), which was founded in 1969 after the Chinatown community in Philadelphia began fighting plans to demolish Holy Redeemer Catholic Church and School to build the Vine Street Expressway. Although he was a police captain and could not partake in the street protests, he attended meetings and offered his expertise. He was also on the board of the On Lok House, an apartment building for low-income senior citizens. According to Cecilia Moy Yep, the PCDC founder, Mr. Wong was ``very faithful to Chinatown. He was active in the meetings, particularly on the On Lok House. That was his baby.''

As evidenced by his historic career Anthony J. Wong, dedicated his life to advocating and improving the lives of others. He was a model public servant. The 3rd Congressional District of Pennsylvania extends gratitude to Mr. Wong for his dedicated support and service to the Chinatown community and the city of Philadelphia. And offer sincere condolences to his family and friends on his passing.