Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, today I am pleased to be joined by my colleagues on the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Ranking Member Frank Lucas, and the Research and Technology Subcommittee Chairwoman and Ranking Member, Haley Stevens and Michael Waltz, in introducing the National Science Foundation for the Future Act.

Established in 1950, the National Science Foundation (NSF) was born out of hard-earned lessons about the powerful role of science in securing an allied victory in World War II. Propelled by his wartime experience leading the Office of Scientific Research and Development, Vannevar Bush championed the creation of NSF and postwar federal support for science, making the argument that ``advances in science when put to practical use mean more jobs, higher wages, shorter hours, more abundant crops, more leisure for recreation, for study, for learning how to live without the deadening drudgery which has been the burden of the common man for ages past. Advances in science will also bring higher standards of living, will lead to the prevention or cure of diseases, will promote conservation of our limited national resources, and will assure means of defense against aggression.''

That was a lofty vision. One, I am proud to say, the Foundation has largely lived up to throughout its existence. Over the past 70 years, NSF has played a critical role in supporting fundamental research, education, and infrastructure at colleges, universities, and other institutions throughout the country. NSF funding has enabled numerous breakthrough discoveries that have transformed the daily lives of the American people--from the internet, lithium batteries, and GPS to weather radar, MRI technology, and DNA analysis--just to name a few.

One of the aims of this bill is to empower the agency to do more of what it does best. Years of modest budget growth have resulted in low proposal success rates and stagnant grant sizes. Researchers and peer- reviewers alike are more conservative in this funding environment, feeling pressure to deliver results rather than take big risks. Researchers are also struggling to support graduate students and postdocs and are bogged down preparing multiple grant proposals to increase their chances of being funded. This is no way for the world's leading scientific enterprise to function. And if we continue on this path, we will cede our scientific leadership, and with it the advantages of developing new industries and setting the global norms for emerging technologies. This bill authorizes a significant increase in the agency's budget. Funding for the current portfolio of activities is increased by nearly $2 billion in year one and grows at an average annual rate of 6 percent, setting the agency on a path to double its budget in 9 years.

This bill also pushes the Foundation to continue to evolve. While it is undeniable that the Foundation has a legacy of scientific achievements that have delivered enormous benefits to society, it is important to acknowledge that those benefits have not always been widely shared. Some segments of the public have been left behind by the traditional approach to science and innovation. This bill promotes increased accountability to the public through improvements to the implementation of the Broader Impacts review criterion and a new requirement for researchers to describe the ethical and societal implications of their work. The bill also expands public access to data resulting from NSF-funded research and promotes increased vigilance against threats to research security and integrity.

The bill funds centers that will connect NSF STEM education innovations to school districts and teachers, so more students can benefit. It encourages universities to collaborate with the private sector to better align undergraduate STEM education with workforce needs. It raises the bar for mentoring and training of graduate students and postdocs and establishes a pilot program to strengthen the research capacity of emerging research institutions, including minority serving institutions.

Finally, this bill establishes a new directorate to promote a solutions-driven approach to research. A central goal of the Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions (SES) is to be more strategic and inclusive in the nature of research collaborations, including by connecting researchers with potential users or beneficiaries of their research from the priority-setting stage through the translation of an innovation into practice. While industry has an important seat at this table, so do local governments and communities that might be affected by the research. The SES Directorate will enable the Foundation to take big risks and experiment with new approaches to accelerate use-inspired and translational research to address society's major challenges, including climate change and environmental sustainability, global competitiveness in critical technologies, cybersecurity, national security, STEM education and workforce, and social and economic inequality.

To fully realize the potential of science to benefit society, we must fund more research on the questions that matter to the American people. We also must ensure this research is, in the words of Vannevar Bush, ``put to practical use.'' Our competitiveness with China and other nations drives much of the national discourse around innovation because our economic and national security depend on our leadership in science and technology. However, competitiveness with China will not be possible if we do not unleash our nation's STEM talent on the full range challenges we face. Surely the COVID-19 pandemic has laid that bare for all of us. And the fact is, researchers and students are inspired by finding solutions, whether they be scientific or societal challenges. In this bill, we seek to inspire.

Over a year of bipartisan collaboration and numerous conversations with a wide range of stakeholders, thought leaders, and policy experts has resulted in the bill we are introducing today. I want to thank the many individuals who took the time to engage with Committee staff and share their perspectives. Their efforts have improved the bill immeasurably. This is a well-vetted bill, but it is by no means the final product. I am committed to a transparent and deliberative process for moving this bill forward. I look forward to continuing to engage with the stakeholder community and with my Committee colleagues through hearings and a markup.

Finally, I want to thank Majority Leader Schumer for his leadership in championing an infusion of funding and a bold new vision for the future of NSF. While our approaches to establishing a new directorate differ, we share the same goal. We must dramatically accelerate progress in research and development in this country. I look forward to partnering with Senator Schumer and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in this effort.

Madam Speaker, on Friday, March 19, 2021, I could not be present for rollcall vote 97, due to a previous commitment to serve as a panelist during the United Nations 65th Commission on the Status of Women parallel event titled ``Women's Full and Effective Participation and Decision-Making in Public Life, as well as the Elimination of Violence, for Achieving Gender Equality and the Empowerment of All Women and Girls.''

Had I been present, I would have cast the following vote: ``yes'' on rollcall vote 97.

members recorded pursuant to house resolution 8, 117th congress

Allred (Davids (KS))

Axne (Stevens)

Barragan (Beyer)

Bera (Aguilar)

Bishop (GA) (Butterfield)

Blumenauer (Beyer)

Bourdeaux (Clark (MA))

Boyle, Brendan F. (Jeffries)

Buchanan (Gimenez)

Bucshon (Walorski)

Bush (Clark (MA))

Cardenas (Gomez)

Cleaver (Davids (KS))

DeSaulnier (Matsui)

DesJarlais (Fleischmann)

Gaetz (Waltz)

Garbarino (Joyce (OH))

Gonzalez, Vicente (Gomez)

Grijalva (Garcia (IL))

Hastings (Butterfield)

Kahele (Mrvan)

Kim (NJ) (Davids (KS))

Kirkpatrick (Stanton)

Langevin (Lynch)

Lawson (FL) (Evans)

Lieu (Beyer)

Lowenthal (Beyer)

McEachin (Wexton)

Meng (Clark (MA))

Mfume (Brown)

Moore (WI) (Beyer)

Moulton (Underwood)

Napolitano (Correa)

Payne (Pallone)

Peters (Kildee)

Pingree (Cicilline)

Porter (Wexton)

Rodgers (WA) (Joyce (PA))

Rush (Underwood)

Schneider (Aguilar)

Sherrill (Pallone)

Sires (Pallone)

Slotkin (Stevens)

Smith (WA) (Courtney)

Timmons (Steube)

Vargas (Correa)

Wasserman Schultz (Soto)

Watson Coleman (Pallone)

Williams (GA) (Jacobs (CA))

Wilson (FL) (Hayes)

Madam Speaker, today I am pleased to introduce the MSI STEM Achievement Act, which is cosponsored by Mr. Waltz.

There is no denying the fact that our success as a nation is closely tied to our capacity to build and sustain a highly-skilled workforce, one that is equipped to take on the pressing challenges of the 21st century and to maintain our leadership in the global economy.

Today we are facing grave challenges on many fronts. We are battling a deadly pandemic and a severe economic downturn. We are racing to find sustainable sources of energy and working to mitigate the destructive impacts of climate change. We are fighting against attempts to undermine our democracy by threats both foreign and domestic. Our future prosperity and security are further threatened as competitors like China outpace our investment in scientific research and make rapid advances in critical technologies like advanced communications, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence.

To solve these problems, we need a cadre of trained scientists and engineers pushing the boundaries of what we know and what we can achieve. We need computer scientists and economists, biologists and mathematicians, engineers, chemists, and social scientists. So far, we have gotten by with a STEM workforce that does not represent the diversity of our nation. However, that is not a sustainable path forward.

Compared with their proportions in the U.S. population, members of racial and ethnic minority groups are significantly underrepresented among STEM degree earners. Less than 25 percent of all bachelor's degrees and 9 percent of doctorates in STEM are earned by underrepresented minority students. Despite representing 18 percent of the U.S. population, just 9 percent of bachelor's degrees in mathematics and physics are earned by Hispanics. In nearly all STEM fields, the proportion of STEM bachelor's degrees earned by Black students has either stagnated or declined since 1996. Black students earned only 4.8 percent of bachelor's degrees in engineering in 1996. Today, that share is 3.9 percent. In the past two decades, representation of Black students among bachelor's degree earners in computer science has fallen from 9.9 percent to 8.7 percent.

The challenges we face today demand a dramatic expansion of the STEM workforce, one that is inclusive of talented students of all races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Fortunately, the nation's minority serving institutions (MSIs) have paved the way with proven approaches for the recruitment and retention of students from marginalized groups in STEM studies. The National Academy of Sciences released a report in 2018 highlighting the outsized contributions made by MSIs, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). For instance, HBCUs make up only 3 percent of the nation's colleges and universities, but graduate 28 percent of African American students earning bachelor's degrees in the physical sciences, 26 percent in mathematics, and 25 percent in the biological sciences. However, these institutions have been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis and more investment and targeted outreach is needed to enable MSIs to fully realize their potential to contribute to the STEM workforce.

The bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to compile an inventory of competitive funding programs at Federal science agencies targeted to MSIs and recommend steps for agencies to increase the participation and the rate of success of MSIs in these programs. The National Science Foundation is directed to support research to better understand the contributions of MSIs, disseminate and scale up successful models, and identify effective approaches to building the STEM education and research capacity of under-resourced MSIs. The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is directed to issue policy guidance to Federal science agencies for outreach to raise awareness of funding opportunities and provide guidance on competing for funding. OSTP is also directed to develop a strategic plan to increase the capacity of MSIs to compete for federal research and STEM education funding.

Our STEM skills shortage is holding us back. As Chairwoman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology I am determined to change that situation. The way I see it, we have two possible futures: one in which we rise to the moment and leverage all of our human capital, and one in which our capacity for innovation and our standing in the world continue to erode. I know which future I want to see happen, and I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6, the DREAM and PROMISE Act of 2021. This timely legislation would finally provide a solution to the millions of immigrants who have faced uncertainty on their legal status for too long as a result of this country's broken immigration system.

When I was young and our family had the opportunity to travel to go see family or to see the country, I did not have a say in where we went or how long we stayed there. I was a child. Simply put, this was not my decision. Similarly, the children of undocumented immigrants who were brought to our country did not have a say on where their parents were bringing them, or how long they would be staying here. They were innocent children.

And while we've debated for over two decades on meaningful immigration reform, these individuals have had the opportunity to grow up with our children and families, attend the same schools and universities, have families of their own, and make immeasurable contributions to our communities. DREAMERs have been able to live the American Dream in every way but one--on paper.

The legislation that we are debating today not only provides a pathway to legalization and citizenship for these individuals but also to those who fled political unrest and natural disasters in their home countries. Currently protected under TPS (Temporary Protected Status), these individuals face the same uncertainty about their futures as DREAMERs. And like DREAMERs, they too have been in our country for decades and play a critical role in the success of our communities.

DREAM and PROMISE Act of 2021 is widely popular--supported by a majority of Americans--and, notably, bipartisan. It is backed by business leaders, labor unions, and educators alike. Some of its advocates are my constituents, who have told their stories and inspired me with their commitment and unwavering dedication to their work, their families, our community in North Texas, and to the country they call home, the United States of America.

Madam Speaker, I strongly believe that we must act now and pass legislation to offer a common-sense and logical solution to our broader immigration issues. The DREAM and PROMISE Act would take a meaningful step towards that goal and would lay out a path in which we could do that, which is why I urge my colleagues to support it and look forward to the Senate's immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my strong support for H.J. Res. 17, a resolution removing the time limit for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Women in the United States make extraordinary contributions to our workforce and communities--and even more so in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, unfortunately, we remain unprotected under the law from discrimination. This long-overdue legislation will enshrine in our Constitution the principle of women's equality and explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sex.

The Equal Rights Amendment states simply: ``equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.'' And in this simple text is guaranteed the following:

Avenues of legal recourse for people who face sex-based discrimination,

Prompting of Supreme Court to consider cases of sex discrimination with rigorous standards, and

The power for Congress to enact laws that ensure sex equality in all aspects of life.

It is for these reasons, and many others not listed, that we must act to remove the arbitrary time limit for ratification and codify this Amendment.

As a member of the Democratic Women's Caucus, I am steadfast in my commitment to advancing women's rights both in my district and across the nation. My tenure in Congress has been in part defined by my advocacy on behalf of women and their successes--but I stand on the shoulders of generations of heroines fighting for equality. It is in their honor that I support this legislation today.

I urge my colleagues to support H.J. Res. 17.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The legislation will provide much needed relief to both individuals and communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic will leave an indelible scar on our nation.

It will also be remembered as a time of remarkable achievement.

I rise today specifically to talk about the achievements of scientists and engineers across the nation who jumped into action from the earliest days of the pandemic.

Biologists, physicists, computer scientists, engineers, social scientists . . . there were few fields that did not contribute.

The vaccines would not have been possible without expertise from many fields.

While they achieved so much, many scientific and technological questions remain that will be essential to our long-term recovery.

I am proud that this legislation includes $750 million in funding through the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology for additional research related to COVID-19.

I also acknowledge that this is not enough, and I will continue to advocate for research recovery funding to ensure we do not suffer irreversible loss to our science and innovation capacity.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 842, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021, or the PRO Act.

For too long, wealthy corporations and employers have dictated the stability and success of working and middle-class Americans--often without their best interests in mind. The PRO Act seeks to combat this injustice by providing increased opportunities for workers to organize, holding employers accountable for violations of workers' rights, and securing free, fair, and safe union elections.

The timing of the vote on this legislation is crucial. We have watched as the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the existing inequalities in our economy. The rich have gotten richer, while the employees on the front lines have faced harsh conditions, risks to their health, and a minimal, at best, increase in pay. It is therefore critical that these workers be able to exercise their right to organize a union so that they can advocate as one for higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions.

As a dues-paying, active member of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), I have seen firsthand the important role that unions play in empowering workers across the country. And I will continue to be a strong advocate for workers' rights--because our country is only as strong as our workers.

Madam Speaker, a strong middle class is essential to a strong economy. That is why I am proud to support the PRO Act and would encourage its immediate consideration in the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, 56 years ago, our beloved colleague, the late Congressman John Lewis, and hundreds of other heroes marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

We now know this infamous day in American history as Bloody Sunday.

These warriors of justice were brutally harassed, beaten, and murdered by Alabama State Troopers and county citizens, all fellow Americans.

But it was because of their courage on that day, because of their unwavering commitment to finishing that march that inspired President Lyndon Johnson to sign into law the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

And it was because of their continued advocacy that the Voting Rights Act was reauthorized in 1970, 1975, 1982, 1992, and again in 2006.

When I was chair of the CBC in the 107th Congress, we worked diligently in a bicameral fashion to protect voting rights in this country.

I teamed up with former Senators Tom Daschle, Chris Dodd, and our current Senator Dick Durbin, to pass the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

Specifically, this bill was signed into law by President Bush on October 29, 2002.

Help America Vote provided funds to our States to improve voting equipment and train workers at polling places.

But even with all of the policy work to level the playing field, why are we still advocating for our right to vote in 2021?

The answer is that there has been a widening gap of epic proportions between the ideals of the Voting Rights Act and the harsh reality that many

Black and Brown Americans face; that is, blatant and recognizable acts of voter suppression.

Some of the ways it manifests itself is through partisan gerrymandering, obstructive voter I.D. laws, felony disenfranchisement, just to name a few.

But, today, we have doors of opportunity open, and we still must refer back to Bloody Sunday and to John Lewis's leadership. Take this Special Order hour, hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus, and in the memory of John, as a prime example of our progress.

Mr. Speaker, it is in that spirit that I call upon Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. We must eliminate that type of discrimination, and we must protect and preserve widespread voting access for all Americans.

I thank Congresswoman Beatty and Congresswoman Sewell for hosting this Special Order tonight on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus. It is time.

My last question is: How long?

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Dr. Irby Hunter, Sr., who transitioned on February 24, 2021. It is with sorrow that I mourn his passing, but with great joy that I remember his rich legacy.

Dr. Hunter was born in Lindale, Texas on July 12, 1940 to Oliver and Malissa Hunter, the fourth of six children. He excelled in school and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Texas College and a Master of Science in Chemistry from Tuskegee Institute in 1963. Thereafter, he continued his education at the The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry, where he earned his doctorate degree in dental surgery as only the second African American to earn a degree from this institution.

Dr. Hunter launched his dental practice in Dallas, dedicating his career to consistently focusing on the health and healing of his patients. Throughout his robust career, he served as the President and Chairman of the Board of the Gulf State Dental Association for three terms. Other noteworthy leadership roles included President and Chairman of the M.C. Cooper Dental Society, and affiliation with the Dallas County Dental Society, the Texas Dental Association, and the American Dental Association. Along with his impressive career, Dr. Hunter was consistently engaged with his community, serving on the founding Board of Directors of the Sunbelt National Bank. Furthermore, he was President, Ball Chair, and Chaplain of the Cotillion Idlewild Club; a loyal donor to the YMCA Mooreland Branch; and a regular volunteer at several Dallas area schools. He remained closely affiliated with is alma mater, Texas College, serving on the Trustee Board of Directors and regularly attending a host of Texas College events.

Known for his approachable and kind demeanor, Dr. Hunter was a loving husband of 58 years, dedicated father of two, and respected community member. Beyond his passion for his career and community, he will be remembered for encouraging the young people in his life to dedicate themselves to their studies as they pay it forward.

Dr. Hunter is preceded in death by his parents, brother, Dr. Oliver Hunter, Jr, and sisters, Ruth Byrdsong, Faye Stull, and Rosalind McClellan. He leaves behind his devoted wife, Staphalene; daughter, Constance Hunter Wilson; son, Dr. Irby Hunter, Jr.; sister, Nancy

Curtis; grandchildren Cecily, Clarke, Camille, Chad, Peyton, Irby III, and Thomas; a host nieces and nephews; and the dedicated medical team at the East Illinois Clinic in Dallas.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives join me in expressing my condolences to the loved ones of Dr. Irby Hunter, Sr. His loss will be felt by many, including myself. But I find hope in knowing that his legacy will live on for years to come.

Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the National Gun Violence Research Act.

As Chairwoman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, I am committed to elevating the voice of science in the consequential deliberations taking place in this body. In our efforts to develop fair, effective, and sustainable policy solutions to the challenges facing the American people, we must ensure we are drawing from a strong base of evidence. My fellow Committee Members and I are dedicated to ensuring that the U.S. scientific enterprise is equipped with the resources it needs to derive that evidence. As the COVID-19 crisis has clearly demonstrated, there are enormous benefits to having a thriving research ecosystem in place that is poised to respond when called upon.

Gun violence is a threat to our national welfare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report reviewing the latest gun mortality data last month entitled A Public Health Crisis Decades in the Making. And the numbers are stark. For the past three years in a row, nearly 40,000 people were killed by guns in the United States. The vast majority of these deaths, 86 percent, were males. Tragically, one in ten were children and teens. Put another way, guns were the leading cause of deaths for Americans age 1 to 24. After years of slow, but steady decline, gun homicides are on the rise, accounting for one third of gun deaths in 2019. Black men are more than 20 times as likely as White men to be victims of firearm homicide. The majority of firearm deaths are suicides. The rate of suicide fatalities has steadily increased over the past decade, with white men more than twice as likely to die by firearm suicide than non-white men.

And the stressors associated with the COVID-19 crisis have not helped. Early research suggests that the rate of gun violence

has risen dramatically during the pandemic, with factors such as increased unemployment, increased alcohol consumption, and increased firearm purchases potentially playing a role.

The fact is that gun violence is rampant in our society and lives will continue to be lost unless we act decisively to stem this tide. I commend my colleagues in the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force for their leadership in advancing the policy discussions surrounding this issue. I was thrilled to see the appropriations committees approve $25 million for the CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support gun violence research, finally putting an end to the de facto ban on federal funding for this important area of study.

We are heading in the right direction, but there is much more to be done. We must take a bold, comprehensive approach to grow the field of gun violence research. We need to attract more students to careers in gun violence research and support interdisciplinary collaboration to connect experts in public health with those in criminology and the social and behavioral sciences. We need to support the translation of research into effective policy interventions. We need better coordination among key agencies like the CDC, NIH, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, and the Department of Justice.

The National Gun Violence Research Act takes a whole-of-government approach to addressing the paucity of federal funding for research on gun violence by directing the President to establish a six-year National Gun Violence Research Program. To carry out the program, funding is authorized for the National Science Foundation ($15 M), the National Institute of Standards and Technology ($1 M), the Department of Health and Human Services ($25 M), and the Department of Justice ($3 M) to conduct or support gun violence research. In addition to awarding individual research grants, the National Science Foundation is directed to establish a much-needed national center for violence research to encourage multidisciplinary collaboration and train the next generation of gun violence researchers. Research enabled by this legislation will improve our understanding of gun violence so we can advance effective solutions and save lives.

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, March 3, 2021, I was not able to make the recorded vote below. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 56.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to affirm my support as an original cosponsor for H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021.

This is not a new issue. But one that we continue to revisit over. And over. And over.

Madam Speaker, how many times will my Republican colleagues affirm that Black Lives Matter as the blood of Black Lives cry out from American cities and streets?

Despite what my Republican colleagues are purporting, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act will not defund the police.

But what it will do is bring us one step closer to justice by: banning chokeholds; prohibiting no-knock warrants; ending the qualified immunity doctrine that is a barrier to holding police officers accountable for wrongful conduct; Combatting racial profiling; Mandating there be data collection of these incidences for tracking, including body cameras and dashboard cameras; and; establishing new standards for policing.

George Floyd's death should not be in vain. And as a mother of a black son. Grandmother to three black grandsons, I do not want to have to worry about their safety when they encounter the police who are sworn to protect and serve. Not be the judge, jury, and onsite executioner.

Black lives matter, Madam Speaker, and it is past time that the laws of our nation reflect it. That is why I am urging my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill. It goes without saying that I strongly encourage its immediate consideration and passage in the Senate.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to affirm my support for H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021.

Last summer, in the wake of George Floyd's horrific murder, people in communities sweeping the nation and the world took to the streets to express anger born of despair. His death was not an isolated incident-- but another in a long, tragic pattern of injustices committed against the Black community at the hands of law enforcement. And each incident, however severe, serves as a sobering reminder of the systemic racism still woven into the fabric of our institutions.

For many, the death of George Floyd is merely an eye-opening introduction to the harsh, unequal application of justice unfairly meted on the Black community. But for us, this is nothing new. Many decades ago, I remember having the conversation with my parents about how to act during a police encounter. Fast forward to a newer generation, I was forced to have that same conversation with my son-- but it does not stop there. As my son raised his three sons, he too had to repeat this morbid discussion with my grandsons. For far too long, for too many generations, we have tolerated and suffered the consequences of racism in our way of life. But at this moment, in the wake of so much pain and grief, Congress has a moral responsibility to meet the calls for bold and transformative change.

As such to support federal policies to address this ongoing issue, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. This proposed legislation would: ban the use of no-knock warrants and deadly chokeholds; limit the transfer of military-grade equipment to police departments; and, most importantly, put into place several reforms to make it easier to hold police officers accountable for misconduct. If enacted, the Justice in Policing Act will be a critical first--but necessary first--step on the path towards racial reconciliation.

It is important to note that this legislation alone cannot right the wrongs of the past, nor will it guarantee the total prevention of injustices in the future. Rather, we must empower our communities to reimagine public safety in an equitable manner. This means reinvesting--not defunding--police department resources to prioritize community-based safety efforts. Further, I am pleased that the Justice in Policing Act supports this proposal by providing public safety innovation grants for localities to reassess current practices.

To those who called, wrote, and visited my offices to relay your support for this bill, know that my vote today lends action to your voices. You have inspired me with your dedicated and tireless advocacy for justice, and it is because of you that I am optimistic for the success of our individual and collective cause.

Black lives matter, Madam Speaker, and it is past time that the laws of our nation reflect it. That is why I am urging my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill. It goes sans saying that I strongly encourage its immediate consideration and passage in the Senate.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and in strong support of this rule.

Madam Speaker, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit our shores a year ago, researchers across the Nation and across many fields of science and engineering jumped into action. The Nation's STEM talent redirected brainpower and resources to combatting the pandemic. And thanks in large part to

these efforts, we now have some positive news about our fight against

Madam Speaker, as dean of the Texas Congressional delegation, I rise to express my condolences on the passing of Congressman Ron Wright of Arlington. In his death, Congress has lost a statesman, Texas has lost a dedicated Representative, and I have lost a dear friend.

Congressman Wright was an energetic and bright presence in our delegation. He had a passion for public service, and was willing to work with anyone, regardless of party or politics, to get things done.

He leaves behind a legacy that will inspire future generations of Texans to commit themselves to public service. Though his presence will certainly be missed, we will find comfort in knowing that his memory will always be with us.

Madam Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), my colleague and ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Madam Speaker, I ask that we all rise for a moment of silence.