Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Richard ``Dick'' Overheim. Dick worked at the U.S Department of Agriculture in the Agricultural Marketing Service for 38 years. He passed away peacefully of natural causes on September 24, 2023, at his residence in the District of Columbia.

During the Korean War, Dick served with the 14th Regiment (Golden Dragons) and the 25th Infantry (Tropic Lightning) from 1953 through 1955. He earned the National Defense Service, Good Conduct, United Nations Service and Korean Service Medals.

After his military service, Dick used the GI Bill to attend Gannon College (now Gannon University) in Erie, Pennsylvania. Earning his degree in Business and minoring in Marketing, he later earned his master's degree in public and international affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. While at Gannon, he was a member of the Blue Key National Honor Fraternity and Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, co-editor of the yearbook and recipient of the Wall Street Journal Award for his work in finance.

At the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dick was an agricultural marketing specialist at the Agricultural Marketing Service. Dick's research focused on wholesale marketing facilities and farmers markets. One of Dick's earliest research projects was in Honolulu, Hawaii. His report on the project, ``Wholesale Food Distribution Facilities for Honolulu Hawaii,'' was published in 1968.

Dick's report found that Honolulu's wholesale food marketing facilities were ``unsuitable, outdated and inefficient'' for the city's growing population. Dick found these marketing inadequacies affected not only food wholesalers, but also producers, shippers and consumers, Dick's team interviewed food marketers to assess their needs in meeting the demand of Hawaii's growing population for fresh fruits and vegetables, groceries and other food products.

Dick was essential in the development of the Maryland Wholesale Produce Market in Jessup, Maryland. Dick kept abreast of the rapid technological improvements in the production, transportation and distribution of food products and the changing food marketing system. Dick's research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture helped keep America's food marketing system operating efficiently. Dick's published reports are important historical documents for researchers studying the changing U.S. food marketing system, city planning and the growth of state and local food marketing authorities. For 38 years, Dick played a kev role in our ever-changing agricultural nrarketing system.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in honoring the incredible life and legacy of Richard ``Dick'' Overheim.

Mr. Speaker, today I introduce the Federal Bureau of Prisons Voting Assistance Act with Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. This bill would require the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide incarcerated individuals from jurisdictions that allow such individuals to vote, like the District of Columbia and Maine, information on how to register to vote and request an absentee ballot. BOP would be required to provide each BOP prison information on the criteria for voter registration, instructions on voter registration, voter registration forms and prepaid envelopes for voter registration forms, if provided by the state generally. Each prison would be required to post the information in the facility and give it to each incarcerated individual eligible to vote.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank Norman Gugliotta, a District of Columbia resident who is retiring today after 18 years of outstanding service to the House of Representatives in several administrative and support roles.

Norman started as a contractor with the House Child Care Center in 2005 and then worked for various offices of the Chief Administrative Officer, including Payroll & Benefits, Accounting, First Call and the Office of Financial Counseling, where he has been a Financial Counselor since 2007. He provided financial guidance and services to House offices, helping to ensure that their expenditures adhered to applicable House rules and accounting standards.

With his knowledge, experience and courteousness, Norman was an invaluable asset to the House and respected by his coworkers and colleagues. Norman is a big fan of the ``Star Wars'' movie franchise. He has participated in conventions, Awesome & Comic Cons, parades and charitable endeavors, including visits to children's hospitals while in Star Wars costumes. In retirement, Norman plans to travel with his partner to help coordinate events for the 501st Legion Star Wars Group and Washington Nationals Star Wars Day.

I ask the House to join me in thanking Norman for his distinguished service to the House and the nation it serves. I wish him all the best as he begins this new chapter in his life.

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Jury Duty Exemption for Breastfeeding Act of 2023, which would allow breastfeeding individuals summoned for jury service in the federal courts and in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to be excused from service upon the individual's request. The benefits of breastfeeding are well- documented, and individuals should not be deterred from breastfeeding by jury service.

This bill would apply to the D.C. Superior Court, in addition to the federal courts, because the D.C. Home Rule Act prohibits the D.C. Council from enacting any law relating to title 11 of the D.C. Code. Title 11 governs jury service in the D.C. Superior Court.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the District of Columbia Special Elections Home Rule Act. This bill would give the District of Columbia complete authority to set the date of special elections for local offices, like other jurisdictions. This bill would remove a limitation in the D.C. Home Rule Act that is not only inconsistent with the self-government granted by the Home Rule Act, but is also harmful.

In 2012, I got legislation enacted that gave the D.C. Board of Elections (Board) more flexibility to set the date of special elections for local offices. Although I sought complete authority for D.C. to set the date of special elections, the 2012 law did not include this home- rule principle.

The Home Rule Act originally required the Board to hold special elections on the first Tuesday occurring more than 114 days after a vacancy and allowed the Board to schedule special elections on the same day as the next general election if that election occurred within 60 days from when a special election would otherwise have been held. This inflexibility led to special elections being held on religious holidays and forced D.C. to hold a special election separate from an upcoming general election, costing D.C. hundreds of thousands of dollars. The 2012 law requires the Board to hold a special election on a Tuesday occurring between 70 and 174 days after a vacancy.

This bill is an important step to perfect home rule for D.C. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I introduce the District of Columbia Chief Financial Officer Act, which would give the District of Columbia the authority to increase the pay of its Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The D.C. CFO is a local D.C. official and is paid with local D.C funds. D.C. should have the authority to set the pay of all its employees. Last Congress, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability passed this bill.

Under the D.C. Home Rule Act, Congress established a maximum rate of pay of the CFO, and the D.C. Council has no authority to increase that rate. Congress does not cap, or otherwise establish, the pay of any other D.C. employee. Under this bill, the CFO would be paid at the greater of a rate equal to the current maximum rate of pay or a rate established in law by D.C.

D.C. requested that I introduce this bill to enable it to retain and recruit the best CFOs. The D.C. CFO was established by Congress in 1995. Congress vested the CFO with extraordinary powers and designed the CFO to be independent of the D.C. Mayor and Council. D.C. cannot obligate or expend funds without the CFO's approval. The CFO manages an approximately $20 billion budget that consists of state, county and city functions, and the CFO has more than 1,700 employees. The CFO may be removed only for cause by the Mayor, subject to the approval of two- thirds of the Council and a 30-day congressional review and comment period. This bill would help maintain the independence of the CFO by establishing a permanent floor on the CFO's pay and by prohibiting the Council from reducing the CFO's pay during the CFO's term.

Although the D.C. CFO is the most powerful non-elected official in D.C., more than 20 D.C. employees are paid more than the CFO. D.C. must compete with both the private and public sectors for high-quality CFOs, and there are many private- and public-sector CFOs who are paid more than the D.C. CFO.

This bill is critical to the financial operations of D.C. and is an important step to increase home-rule authority for D.C. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the No Fencing at the United States Supreme Court Act, which would prohibit the installation of permanent fencing at the U.S. Supreme Court. Earlier this year, I introduced a bill that would prohibit the installation of permanent fencing at the U.S. Capitol complex.

After the Supreme Court's draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health was leaked in May 2022, the Supreme Court installed temporary anti-climb fencing around its grounds, which remained in place until late August 2022. While the Supreme Court has not announced plans to install permanent fencing, temporary security measures often become permanent.

While I understand the importance of protecting the Supreme Court building, Supreme Court Justices and Supreme Court employees, we can and must maintain our commitment to security without sacrificing public access by using the least restrictive means necessary to address security.

Permanent fencing would send an un-American message to the nation and the world by transforming our democracy from one that is accessible and of the people to one that is exclusive and fearful of its own citizens. The Supreme Court has long welcomed First Amendment demonstrations without becoming a fortress.

Public property should be open to the public. The distance between government and the people has grown, with trust in government, including the Supreme Court, low. We should not entrench that distance further by placing intimidating barriers between public servants and the people they serve. There are more effective, less obtrusive security solutions than archaic fencing.

Moreover, the Supreme Court is in a residential neighborhood in the District of Columbia. The Supreme Court grounds are widely used by both D.C. residents and visitors. Permanent fencing would block that use.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Madam Speaker, this bill would direct the Department of Transportation to conduct a study of the benefits of one-seat commuter rail transit nationwide and the obstacles transit agencies face in providing that level of service.

This bill also would require a cost-benefit analysis for one specific rail transit line, New Jersey Transit's Raritan Valley Line. A comprehensive study was completed last year by New Jersey Transit on this topic.

The study concluded that the best option to provide better transit service for that region is to move ahead with the Gateway Program, which will provide more capacity for all New Jersey Transit rail lines that go into New York Penn Station.

Local officials in New Jersey and New York are actively pursuing that option and have received substantial funding from the Biden administration, including under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act through the Mega Grant Program, the Federal-State Partnership, and the Capital Investment Grant Program.

Currently, Federal Transit Administration staff are working hard to finalize a full funding grant agreement to deliver $6.9 billion for the new Hudson River tunnel, which would be the largest capital investment grant in history.

For those who are interested in supporting more New Jersey Transit services, or for those Members from other parts of the country who have their own transit priorities, one of the best ways to support them is for Congress to provide substantial funding through the Capital Investment Grant program. Given that, I have a request for my colleagues today: In addition to just voting to study the need for more transit service, I would encourage them to also support funding for more transit service.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and to work toward sustainable transit investment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, this bill would designate portions of the Ports-to- Plains Corridor in Texas as the future Interstate 27. This route plays an important role in commerce, helping facilitate the movement of agricultural products from hubs to markets.

This bill incorporates technical assistance from the Federal Highway Administration to prevent duplicative route numbering from being used on different roadway spurs. This change will make the designation clearer for travelers.

Similar bipartisan legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent earlier this year.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar).

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

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

Madam Speaker, this bill, which I introduced with the Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee Chair, Scott Perry, would direct the General Services Administration to sell the Federal property known as the Daniel Webster School in the District of Columbia for fair market value by December 31st, 2025.

Built in 1882, the Daniel Webster School, a red brick, three-story building has been used for a variety of purposes over the years, however, since the 1980s, the building which is located in downtown D.C. has been vacant and has fallen into disrepair.

The General Services Administration purchased the Webster School 20 years ago, yet the school remains unoccupied, draining the General Service Administration's resources for decades. This bill would return the site to productive use.

During my service in Congress, I have enacted bipartisan bills to transfer unused and underused Federal land in D.C. to the D.C. government or the private sector to redevelop neighborhoods and to generate tax revenue.

This includes the southeast and southwest waterfronts. My hope is to see the Daniel Webster School similarly reactivated. The sale provision in this bill is the same as the sale provision in the bill enacted in 2016 that directed the General Services Administration to sell the general property in D.C. known as the Cotton Annex, which is now being converted into housing.

Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Perry for his partnership on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, today. I introduce a bill that would designate certain areas of the District of Columbia as empowerment zones. This bill would effectively reauthorize many of the unique federal tax incentives for business investment in D.C. that expired in 2011. D.C.'s downtown, which has been the economic engine of the city, has been particularly hard hit by the increase in remote and hybrid work since the COVID-19 pandemic. making this bill especially important.

In 1993, Congress created the national empowerment zone program to encourage investment in low-income communities and delegated to federal agencies the authority to designate communities as empowerment zones. D.C. was not among those so designated. However. in 1997. working primarily with Republicans in Congress, I created federal tax incentives for investment in D.C. by businesses and individuals. The business incentives were similar to, but more generous than, those available under the national empowerment zone program. I got the D.C. incentives reauthorized regularly until 2011, when Congress refused to extend the D.C. incentives. At the same time, Congress extended the national empowerment zone program, and the program was last extended through 2025. Under my bill, low-income neighborhoods in D.C. would be treated as empowerment zones as long as the national empowerment zone program remains in effect.

Congress has recognized that the benefits of tax incentives for investment in economically distressed communities outweigh the costs, as it has continuously extended the national empowerment zone program. The tax incentives for D.C. were the only tax incentives for a big city that were not extended, even though they were initially created by Republicans, with the help of several Democrats.

The expiration of the tax incentives for D.C. was tragically timed, as the low-income parts of D.C., which needed the incentives most, were ready for revitalization. As we work to revitalize downtown D.C. and Wards 5, 7 and 8, the need for these incentives for D.C. is of paramount importance. The tax incentives for D.C. were effective and their costs were de minimis.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Federal Government Advertising Equity Accountability Act, which would require all federal agencies to include in their annual budget requests to Congress the amount they spend on advertising contracts with small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs) and businesses owned by minorities and women. Federal agencies would be required to provide prior and projected total expenditures for such contracts. At my request, the Committee on Appropriations has been requiring such information from many agencies for the last several years, but this bill would codify this requirement and apply it to all federal agencies.

In 2007, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined spending on advertising contracts with minority-owned businesses by five agencies--the Department of Defense, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of the Interior and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration--and found that only five percent of the $4.3 billion available for advertising contracts went to minority businesses. In light of these concerning findings, several Members of Congress and I sent letters to GAO in April 2016 and June 2022 requesting updated information on the amount of federal advertising dollars spent with SDBs and businesses owned by minorities and women. A GAO report released in July 2018 showed that in fiscal year 2017, only 16 percent of the federal government's advertising contract obligations went to SDBs and businesses owned by minorities and women. GAO agreed last year to issue an updated report.

The federal government is the largest advertiser in the United States, and it has an obligation to ensure equitable access to its contracts for SDBs and businesses owned by minorities and women. The GAO's findings demonstrate that there is still much progress to be made.

The regular collection of information on federal advertising contracts with SDBs and businesses owned by women and minorities is essential to bridging the gap between what current statistics show and a more inclusive advertising landscape. This bill would help achieve this goal while also promoting transparency and encouraging federal agencies to strive to reach minorities, who often receive the news from smaller media outlets that serve communities of color. The requirement that agencies submit prior and projected information on the amount of advertising dollars spent with SDBs and businesses owned by minorities and women would allow federal agencies to evaluate their progress. The regular collection of this information would also demonstrate that the promotion of equity in advertising, and in all areas of government, is a continuous effort and is important to the mission of every agency.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the District of Columbia National Guard Federal Employee Leave Fairness Act, which would prohibit the Department of Defense (DOD) from recouping pay from District of Columbia National Guard (DCNG) members who

are federal civilian employees or District of Columbia employees and took encampment leave. The DOD claims these employees were not entitled to encampment leave without a loss of pay. While I disagree with the DOD's interpretation, I am introducing this bill to resolve this matter.

Congress partially addressed this matter in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (NDAA) by adopting my amendment that effectively prohibited the DOD from recouping pay for encampment leave taken by DCNG members after the enactment of the NDAA. That amendment, however, did not apply to encampment leave taken before the enactment of the NDAA because of budget rules.

In 1899, Congress codified in the D.C. Code the original authority for entitlement to leave when federal civilian employees were mobilized by the DCNG. In 1968, that authority was moved into 5 U.S.C. Sec. 6323. In that same year, Congress authorized two additional leave entitlements in 5 U.S.C. Sec. 6323, as well as established a salary offset provision in 5 U.S.C. Sec. 5519 referencing those two additional leave entitlements. However, because the U.S. Code had not been updated to include the earlier DCNG authority, the U.S. Code contained a duplicate subsection, one referring to DCNG mobilizations and one to a general leave entitlement for the National Guard and Reserves.

Based on this legislative drafting error, the DOD has sometimes attempted to apply a salary offset to DCNG members who are federal employees and took encampment leave, and the DOD has indicated it will do so again soon. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), has said that 5 U.S.C. Sec. 6323(c) was not intended to be subject to a salary offset under 5 U.S.C. Sec. 5519 and noted in 1990 that the ``[Office of Personnel Management] advised that it now believes that the salary offset provisions of 5 U.S.C. Sec. 5519 do not apply to D.C. National Guardsmen under the circumstances described in 5 U.S.C. Sec. 6323(c).'' However, the Office of Personnel Management once again believes that the salary offset provisions of 5 U.S.C. Sec. 5519 apply to 5 U.S.C. Sec. 6323(c).

DCNG members sincerely believed that they were taking this leave correctly, they have relied on this money, the recoupment will cause financial hardships for current and former DCNG members and it was Congress' intent that DCNG members were entitled to this leave without a salary offset.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce the Service Academies District of Columbia Equality Act, which would give the District of Columbia the same number of appointments and nominations to the U.S. service academies as states. Currently, each Member of the House and each senator is allocated five appointments to each service academy-- the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy--and each Member of the House and each senator is allowed 10 nominations for each appointment. Therefore, since D.C. has no senators, D.C. is deprived of 10 appointments and, assuming all appointments are vacant, 10 nominations to each service academy. I am pleased Senator Tim Kaine has introduced the companion bill.

This bill would provide equality for D.C. residents who choose to serve their country by applying to a service academy. It is remarkable that D.C. residents volunteer to serve a country that denies them statehood, congressional voting rights and full home rule. D.C. residents have fought in every American war, and D.C. residents, who pay all federal taxes, including paying more federal taxes per capita than the residents of any state, deserve the same opportunity to attend our prestigious service academies as residents of states.

D.C.'s population (690,000) is larger than that of two states and is in line with the six states that have a population under one million. D.C. servicemembers have helped secure voting rights for people around the world, yet have always been denied those same rights when they returned home. D.C. residents deserve equality at the service academies.

I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I strongly oppose this amendment. This amendment would prohibit the District of Columbia from using its local funds to require an individual to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

How D.C. spends its local funds, which consists of local taxes and fees, should be a decision for D.C., not Congress. If D.C.'s local elected officials want to spend local funds on requiring individuals to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, they should have the authority to do so. If they do not want to spend local D.C. funds on requiring individuals to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, they should have the authority not to do so.

D.C.'s local elected officials are accountable to D.C. residents. If D.C. residents do not like the decisions of their local elected officials, they can vote them out of office.

D.C. residents, a majority of whom are Black and Brown, are capable and worthy of governing themselves. If House Republicans cared about democratic principles or D.C. residents, they would bring my D.C. statehood bill which would give D.C. residents voting representation in Congress and full local self-government to this floor.

Congress has the constitutional authority to admit the State of Washington, D.C. It simply lacks the will.

I say to every Member of Congress, keep your hands off D.C. If you want to legislate on local D.C. matters, become a D.C. resident and get elected Mayor or councilmember.

Mr. Chair, I urge colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Chair, I thank my good friend for yielding.

Mr. Chair, I strongly oppose this amendment.

This amendment would prohibit the use of funds in this bill for the purchase or construction of any new building in the District of Columbia. The purchase or construction of new Federal buildings can save taxpayers money and improve government operations.

The ongoing consolidation of the Department of Homeland Security's headquarters at St. Elizabeth's in the District of Columbia is a prime example of how new construction can result in significant savings for taxpayers.

The Department is currently housed in more than 50 separate locations throughout the national capital region, and 79 percent of those leases will expire in the next 5 years. Consolidating the Department at St. Elizabeth's will reduce the Department's leasing portfolio and costs by at least 20 percent in accordance with the Reduce the Footprint policy of the General Services Administration as required by Congress and is estimated to result in $1.17 billion in savings.

If this amendment were adopted, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Office of Intelligence and Analysis would be forced to extend expensive short-term leases at significant taxpayer cost.

The consolidation of the Department at St. Elizabeth's is important for streamlining operations and coordination among key Department agencies and offices.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I rise to claim the time in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I strongly oppose this amendment. This amendment would prohibit the District of Columbia from using its local funds to carry out the section of D.C.'s Immunization of School Students Act of 1979 that required students to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

D.C. has already repealed this section. While the repeal of the section expires on January 23, 2024, yesterday the D.C. Council passed legislation that would permanently repeal this section.

Nevertheless, how D.C. spends its local funds, which consist of local taxes and fees, should be a decision for D.C., not Congress.

If D.C.'s locally elected officials want to spend local D.C. funds to carry out COVID-19 vaccine requirements for students, they should have the authority to do so.

If they do not want to spend D.C.'s local funds to carry out COVID-19 vaccine requirements for students, they should have the authority not to do so.

D.C.'s locally elected officials are accountable to D.C. residents. If D.C. residents do not like the decisions of their locally elected officials, they can vote them out of office.

D.C. residents, the majority of whom are Black and Brown, are capable of governing themselves. If House Republicans cared about democratic principles or D.C. residents, they would bring my D.C. statehood bill, which would give D.C. residents voting representation in Congress and full local self-government, to this floor.

Congress has the constitutional authority to admit the State of Washington, D.C. It simply lacks the will.

I say to every Member of Congress: Keep your hands off D.C. If you want to legislate on local D.C. matters, become a D.C. resident and get elected Mayor or councilmember.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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