Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, last week there was a ribbon cutting at Miami International Airport for 36 new customer service kiosks. While this was greeted as good news, there is still a great unanswered question: What happens to all the customer service workers that machines like this replace?

It is the same story at grocery stores, drugstores, toll booths, and so on. Customer service jobs that used to be gateways to the middle class are increasingly being replaced with technology.

Mr. Speaker, this is not bad news. Time-saving technologies must be created, constructed, maintained, and repaired--and this takes human labor as well, but we must train our workforce to perform these jobs. This is the essence of the skills gap that is afflicting our communities. By cutting job training programs, reckless budget cuts like the sequester are making it harder to close the skills gap and, in turn, reduce unemployment. The mantra of this Congress should be jobs, jobs, jobs.

Mr. Speaker, today we mark the 35th anniversary of the massacre of Jonestown.

Prior to September 11, this was the deadliest event in U.S. history, excluding wars and natural disasters. More than 900 innocent people were killed after being seduced by the charismatic but deeply disturbed Jim Jones.

Mr. Speaker, among the dead was Congressman Leo Ryan, the first Congressman to be assassinated in the line of duty. He went to Guyana out of concern for the safety of his constituents there. Most of them were of African American descent.

Congresswoman Jackie Speier, who was then on Congressman Ryan's staff, was shot five times and had to wait 22 hours for assistance.

Today, I introduced a resolution honoring their extraordinary bravery and calling on the Speaker to establish protocols to memorialize Members who die in the line of duty. Out of the tragedy of Jonestown, true heroes were revealed.

Mr. Speaker, it has now been more than 1,000 days since I arrived in Congress, and Republican leaders have still not allowed a single vote on serious legislation to address our unemployment crisis.

We have lost millions of jobs through outsourcing and technological changes. We have lost millions of jobs due to the Great Recession. We are losing millions of jobs through sequestration and State budget cuts. And now we have the nerve to shut down the government, risk default, and bring our employees to the gates of hell.

Mr. Speaker, open up this government. Raise the debt ceiling, and get us back to dealing with the real crisis: job creation.

The mantra of this Congress should be: jobs, jobs, jobs.

Mr. Speaker, it has been more than 1,000 days since I arrived in Congress, and Republican leaders have still not allowed a single vote on serious legislation to address our jobs crisis. Instead, this House has voted 46 times to defund or delay health care for people who desperately need it, wasting precious time.

Wake up, Republicans. ObamaCare is not only the law of the land; it is not only a safeguard to save the millions of people with preexisting conditions; it is an essential tool to give people the economic security and purchasing power they need to revive our economy.

People need ObamaCare. President Obama cares about the American people, and we should, too. Even a Tea Party member of my freshman class of 2010 understood this when he stood and expressed his hopes of being able to receive federally subsidized health coverage immediately upon taking office. He was incensed. He couldn't wait 30 days, but he acts as if he wants his constituents to wait forever.

People all over the world are amazed that we do not have universal health care like they do. We are a world power, and they are saying, You don't have universal health care in America?

Mr. Speaker, people want health care; people deserve health care; and, Mr. Speaker, people want jobs. No one wants to revive the Great Recession by playing dangerous games with our economy. But do you know what? That is precisely what this House is doing.

This is scary. I am nervous. I am stunned by the insensitivity. The whole world economy rests on America's Treasury bonds. Let me repeat: The whole world economy rests on America's Treasury bonds.

Mr. Speaker, when we play with fire on the debt ceiling, you threaten to burn down the buttress on which Americans' 401(k)s, mutual funds, small businesses, and stock portfolios rest. Just consider what happened the last time Republicans simply threatened to breach the debt ceiling in 2011. Government bonds were downgraded, retirement assets plummeted, and homeowners saw big hikes in their monthly payments. That was just for talking about breaching the debt ceiling.

Independent analysts have concluded that a debt default would be as bad as the global financial crisis of 2008. After that crisis, American savers lost decades' worth of wealth in their homes and 401(k)s. We are still living with massive unemployment from that crisis to this date.

While some Members of Congress may like to behave as though we have moved past our unemployment crisis, it is a different story when you look at African Americans--13 percent unemployment; the Hispanic community, 9.3 percent unemployment; and the youngest workers, 22 percent unemployment.

Across America there are nearly 12 million people officially out of work and tens of millions more who are underemployed or who have simply given up looking. America's public sector workers--our teachers, firefighters, construction workers, public health workers, medical researchers, public defenders, bus drivers, social workers, and police--have already suffered so painfully, first under the sequester, and now under the shutdown.

But a default would devastate every worker and every retiree. It would hit every 401(k), every mutual fund, every stock portfolio, every mortgage payment, every student loan, and every business loan. It is impossible to be fiscally conservatively or probusiness and simultaneously try to use this financial weapon of mass destruction against American businesses and American taxpayers. It is time for Congress to pass a clean debt ceiling bill.

Mr. Speaker, open the government. Mr. Speaker, raise the debt ceiling. Mr. Speaker, let's begin to address our real crisis: jobs, jobs, jobs.

Thank you for sharing this hour with me, Representative Garamendi from California, my dear friend.

Mr. Speaker, who could be against making every American eligible for health care insurance? I can't even imagine. So I'm here today to help set the record straight about ObamaCare. I'm here to explain what ObamaCare means to the people in my community and the people around this Nation. And I'm here to explain the truth--the real truth--behind the health care reforms that are moving ahead on Tuesday, October 1, simply because Obama cares.

Mr. Speaker, this health reform is about making it easier and cheaper to get insurance if you don't have it. It's that simple.

Our President, Barack Obama, cares and is making health care easier to obtain. He cares and is making health care more affordable. President Barack Obama cares and is making health care more accessible.

Now, listen up: if you have Medicare, this does not apply to you. This has absolutely nothing to do with you. It will not affect your coverage. If you have Medicaid, this does not apply to you. If you have a job with health care coverage, this does not apply to you.

ObamaCare only applies if you do not currently have insurance. You will finally have the opportunity to gain protection for your body. You will finally find peace of mind. You no longer have to live in fear of being bankrupted by a health emergency. You no longer will have to let your health suffer by avoiding the doctor. You no longer will have to fear for your family going without care.

Mr. Speaker, there are very simple steps for getting started if you're insured. Because Obama cares, you can

get started with these simple directions. If you have access to the Internet, you can get started right away.

Beginning Tuesday, October 1, Healthcare.gov will give you all the information you need to sign up for this program. Once you're there, go to the tab that says ``get insurance.''

Mr. Speaker, this will take you to a page that will explain all the insurance marketplaces available to you. You will be able to compare all the plans available to you in your area.

Mr. Speaker, the Internet is the best way to sign up; but if you're not comfortable using a computer, ask a friend, or ask a young relative to help you survey the choices. Young people know all about computers. If you need additional help, you can also call 1-800-318-2596. People are available around the clock to offer assistance in more than 150 languages--and in Miami, that is very important. They can help you enroll by mail if you prefer.

Mr. Speaker, Obama cares so much that there will also be expert advisers called ``navigators'' in your community. You can find them at community health centers, at the mall, in drugstores, and in many places of worship. In some States, traditional insurance agents and brokers will be able to help. But remember this: if someone tries to charge you money for advice on how to sign up, say ``no'' because it is a scam. No one should be charged for assistance in signing up.

Mr. Speaker, Americans should take their time in completing the important task of choosing the right health insurance plan. I know sometimes it can take 2 hours to choose the right pair of shoes at the mall or 2 hours at the kitchen table to choose the right cable TV plan.

Be patient. Take your time in choosing the right plan to protect your body and your life. You won't regret it.

Mr. Speaker, Obama cares because health reform is not only about making insurance simple, but also making it affordable. Let me just give you a couple of examples:

A self-employed person with a spouse and two children and a household income of $33,000 would more than likely not be able to afford insurance at all today, but starting Tuesday, October 1, this person would be able to get insurance for his entire family for an average of $94 per month because of a government subsidy;

A single mother with three children and a household income of $40,000 will now be able to insure herself and her children for an average of $163 per month through ObamaCare.

Mr. Speaker, it's affordable and it's essential to be covered. Young people under 26 will be able to stay on their parents' plans. For those young people without the opportunity to join their parents' plans, it's especially important for you to get insurance.

If you're young, you're statistically more likely to end up in a car crash or a motorcycle crash or to experiment with drugs or other risky behavior that lands you into trouble. You need insurance as much or more than anyone else. You have to pay to insure that car, you have to pay to insure that motorcycle, so make sure that you pay a very small portion of that first paycheck you earn to insure your precious body.

Mr. Speaker, no one said this would be easy. There will be challenges as the Federal Government implements the new insurance markets in 36 States in the weeks ahead. But progress is never easy. Nothing this important and ambitious is easy. There will be needed tweaking and needed corrections. But that was also the case in 1935 when we rolled out Social Security and in 1965 when we rolled out Medicare.

Mr. Speaker, we know that Obama cares because insurance companies can no longer deny 17 million children with preexisting conditions their health coverage. We know that Obama cares because 105 million Americans with life-threatening diseases like cancer no longer have to live in fear of maxing out on their lifetime dollar limits on their insurance coverage. We know that Obama cares because more than 3 million young people up to the age of 26 now have coverage because insurance companies can no longer remove them from their parents' plans.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, we are well on our way to a healthier, more financially secure Nation. We refuse, we utterly refuse, to allow anyone to damage, repeal, or turn back ObamaCare. It is the law of the land and it is here to stay. We will stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. We will speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves. We will do all this and more because President Barack Hussein Obama cares. He cares for the people of this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, this is my own little ``non- filibuster'' in the House of Representatives. I simply cannot stay quiet when a crowning achievement for the American people is under attack.

The term ``ObamaCare'' was coined by Republicans in 2010 to mock the Affordable Care Act. Well, this is one place where I agree with the Republicans. I believe that ObamaCare is the perfect name for the Affordable Care Act because the Affordable Care Act is proof that Obama cares. He cares about

America's families. He cares about mothers. He cares about fathers. He cares about young people. He cares about babies. He cares about seniors. He cares about the future of the American people. Yes, Obama cares.

We know that Obama cares because insurance companies can no longer deny 17 million children with preexisting conditions health coverage. We know that Obama cares because 105 million Americans with life- threatening diseases no longer have to live in fear of maxing out on their lifetime dollar limits on their insurance coverage. We know that Obama cares because more than 3 million young people up to age 26 can now have coverage because insurance companies can no longer remove them from their parents' plans.

Mr. Speaker, I do not want to say that the people in Congress who oppose ObamaCare do not care, but I need help in understanding this dilemma. Where do they live? Who do they represent? Who could oppose health care for their constituents?

The opponents of ObamaCare have not proposed a single serious alternative to provide health care coverage. Their constituents get sick, too. Have these Members of Congress ever been sick? Have they ever had a sick family member without insurance coverage? Have they ever been to a public emergency room? They should be afraid for their neighbors, their friends and family who may someday become jobless, uninsured, and sick. They will lose everything that they own.

Who do these people represent? Do they represent robots? Do they feel? Do they bleed? Do they have pain?

Members of Congress should be encouraging people to get coverage and expand access to health care. We can stop the crisis of uninsurance that is killing people, draining our tax dollars, and degrading our health system. Instead, too many legislators are spreading myths and half-truths about the only plausible plan that exists right now to end our health care crisis.

ObamaCare is not a government takeover. To the contrary, it is an improvement on our private, free market-oriented health care system. You will have choices. You will have access. If you are unemployed with no health care, you will likely get it. If you are employed with health care, you will likely experience no change in your present health care coverage. If you are on Medicare, do not be frightened. You will experience no changes in your Medicare coverage.

The Federal Government is simply making it easier and cheaper for people who have no insurance to get insured. The Federal Government will subsidize your health care bills according to your income status. ObamaCare is trying to ensure that no one's livelihood is destroyed by a serious illness.

When I was an elementary school principal, I worked to help a homeless family whose children were attending my school. The father was a professional man--an optician--whose lifetime was destroyed when he hit his lifetime cap for health care coverage because of serious medical conditions related to sickle cell anemia. They suffered. They lost everything--their home, their dignity, their health. The whole school joined in to help them through this crisis. This family was forced to work incredibly hard to survive. They would not have had to face such a hardship if the Affordable Care Act protections were in place.

We know that ObamaCare is about women because pregnancy can no longer be considered a preexisting condition. We know that ObamaCare is about young people because young people--the likeliest to be involved in auto crashes or motorcycle crashes or drug use--will be insured. They are not invincible, as they so often believe. As it stands now, someone has to pick up the tab when they make a mistake. They need to be insured.

Have you been to a public emergency room lately? It's a nightmare. People everywhere are suffering, waiting endlessly for their turn. So many of these patients are not insured and cannot pay. Not only do they suffer, but the taxpayers and public health system also suffer. The costs are passed on down the line. What a relief it would be for our public hospitals and for the taxpayers if we could ensure that every person in America that was eligible has health insurance.

This is about fiscal responsibility. People want to be insured. They want the peace of mind and stability. ObamaCare is about the economic future of this Nation because the Affordable Care Act ensures that Americans pay for all the health care services they use. Preventive care would save so much money and save so many lives.

Mr. Speaker, no one said that this would be easy. Progress is never easy. We went through this struggle with Social Security in 1935. Before Social Security, senior citizens suffered and died in poverty. Social Security provoked a tremendous backlash from conservatives. Members of Congress even fought to strip domestic workers and agricultural workers of their benefits in order to keep African Americans out of the system. We had to fight, but we ultimately succeeded in building a Social Security system that keeps tens of millions of Americans out of poverty. We have come a long way.

We went through this struggle with Medicare in 1965. Back then, Republicans, including then-California Governor Ronald Reagan, declared that Medicare was a ``Soviet-style health model'' and the end of freedom in America. But we ultimately succeeded in building a health care system for the elderly that prevents untold suffering and death.

ObamaCare is about 30 million lives. October 1, 2013. It's about marching forward in the proud tradition of Social Security and Medicare. It's about marching toward the goal of a society that truly cherishes human life.

Nobody said that it would be easy. We knew it would be difficult. We knew it would be hard. We've been here before. We fought hard--and we won. And we're on our way to another crowning achievement in the history of this Nation, simply because Barack Hussein Obama cares.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, we wonder why people need nutrition assistance in the first place. Well, it's because our minimum wage is inadequate, and it's because the government has given up on creating jobs. A parent working full-time at minimum wage will simply not earn enough income to cover basic needs.

SNAP recipients are not lazy. It's this Congress that is lazy.

Mr. Speaker, if you want to cut $40 billion in nutrition funding, I have a two-part plan for you. Raise the minimum wage so workers can feed themselves, and pass the American Jobs Act so Americans can find work in the first place.

Mr. Speaker, the working poor, seniors, and children are suffering now, and you plan to cut nutrition assistance? Not only will they suffer, but some may die.

It's time for this Congress to address the real issues: raise the minimum wage, and jobs, jobs, jobs.

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

I rise in strong support of H.R. 3092, the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2013. This bill will be named after former Congressman E. Clay Shaw, from my State of Florida, who was a defender of children's rights and who recently passed away.

Since its inception in 1984, the Missing Children's Assistance Act has helped identify and recover millions of missing and exploited children across our Nation. Now that it is due to expire at the end of this month, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reauthorize this critical legislation that protects society's most vulnerable citizens--our precious children. We have made progress. We now have the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the AMBER Alert, but we still have so much work to do. There are still too many tragic cases of children being abducted, raped, sexually abused, and murdered.

As a parent, a grandparent, an elementary schoolteacher, and a school principal, I was deeply shaken when a beautiful 4-year-old girl, who was in the custody of the foster care system, went missing in my own community. She was missing for 2 years before anyone even knew it. She has never been found. Rilya Wilson's disappearance exposed many of the shortcomings of the Department of Children and Families in my home State of Florida. One of the most troubling aspects of Rilya's case was the fact that Rilya had been withdrawn from preschool. No one gave the foster parent permission to withdraw her.

If she were still in school, there would have been so many eyes watching--teachers, parents, and her peers. If she were still in school, somebody would have known that she was missing. If this bill were in place, Rilya would have been saved by sensible procedures. H.R. 3092 adds commonsense coordination and oversight provisions that will facilitate the protection of foster youth like Rilya.

First, the bill updates the law that provides Federal support for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The center, which heads national efforts to locate and return missing children to their families, helps to stop the kidnapping and sexual exploitation of young people nationwide. They staff 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week call lines to both recover missing children and report child exploitation.

Since its inception in 1984, the center has received 200,062 calls for missing children, or an average of 548 calls per day; and it has responded to over 3.7 million calls overall. Thanks to the center's call hotline, the vast majority of missing children has been recovered quickly.

Second, and specific to Rilya's case, H.R. 3092 requires the national center to help law enforcement work with child welfare agencies to respond to missing foster children. Foster children continue to go missing at much higher rates than their peers, and their disappearances tend to go unreported for much longer periods of time.

Under H.R. 3092, law enforcement agencies must notify the national center of each report received relating to missing children from foster care. This reauthorization also requires that Federal resources support the training and technical assistance of law enforcement to work effectively with public schools in order to identify and recover missing children. It assists law enforcement in preventing and recovering missing children with disabilities.

H.R. 3092 improves the current efforts of the center to identify, locate, and recover victims of child sex trafficking. It also directs the center to raise awareness about prevention and educational services for programs that support homeless youths who are at significant and increasing risk of sexual exploitation.

I am delighted to see Democrats and Republicans come together in order to stand up strong for missing and exploited children. I would like to thank Chairman Kline and his staff for their efforts in working with Ranking Member Miller and his staff. I would like to thank the nonprofit advocates and the bipartisan Senate staff for developing this legislation to reauthorize the Missing Children's Assistance Act.

For me, this is personal. It is about a little girl named Rilya Wilson, a foster child born to a drug addicted mother. It's about Rilya's legacy and the legacy of so many foster children who suffer. For all of us, this should be a simple and sensible way to honor our children and protect society's most vulnerable citizens. This is a great day in the House of Representatives.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it's now been 2 years since President Obama stood before a Joint Session of Congress to present a comprehensive and cost-effective plan to address our national jobs crisis.

With all eyes now on Syria, the CR, and the debt limit, we cannot forget that the emergency for tens of millions of Americans is still painful and pervasive joblessness. It's now been 2 years, and the President's bill, the American Jobs Act, has still not even received a vote in this House.

Madam Speaker, it's time to commit to a serious jobs agenda that stops sequester layoffs and provides real options for the long-term unemployed people in our Nation. It's time to bring the American Jobs Act of 2013 to the floor. Madam Speaker, the mantra of this Congress should be: jobs, jobs, jobs.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow begins a long district work period. When I arrive, the number one question will be: Congresswoman Wilson, what are they doing in Washington to help us with unemployment and the economy? What are they doing about sequestration?

I will say, The Republicans have not allowed one vote on serious legislation to create jobs or jobs training programs, not one vote to rebuild our bridges and schools, not one bill to hire more teachers and police officers, and nothing to stop sequestration.

Mr. Speaker, bring the American Jobs bill to the floor. It creates jobs and stops sequestration.

The farm bill is still up in the air. Judicial confirmations are on hold. Immigration reform is still on the radar, and Mr. Snowden is still a fugitive from justice.

Still, all the polls tell us that the number one issue for the American people is jobs and the economy.

Bring the American Jobs Act to the floor. It deserves a vote, and it stops sequestration. Jobs, jobs, jobs should be the mantra of this Congress.

Mr. Speaker, it's now been 941 days since I arrived in Congress, and the Republican leadership has still not allowed one single vote on serious legislation to address our unemployment crisis.

According to a new survey by the Associated Press, 80 percent of adults experience either prolonged unemployment, a year or more reliance on government aid such as food stamps, or poverty-level income at some point in their lives. That's four out of five Americans experiencing severe economic insecurity at least once.

Mr. Speaker, is this the land of opportunity? The people demand a remedy.

It's time to bring the American Jobs Act to the floor. It deserves a vote. The American Jobs Act prevents layoffs, invests in long-term job creation, and expands workforce training.

Mr. Speaker, the mantra of this Congress should be: jobs, jobs, jobs.

Mr. Speaker, it's now been 934 days since I came to Congress and there has not been a single vote on serious legislation to address our unemployment crisis.

Amidst the distractions, amidst the scandals, amidst the tragedies, the single overriding focus of the American people remains the same: jobs and the economy. The polls speak volumes.

Mr. Speaker, today I'm taking an important step to end distractions and get the Congress back to work for the people, for the unemployed, for the suffering. Today, I am reintroducing President Obama's American Jobs Act, which expired last year without even reaching the House floor. The American Jobs Act is popular for a reason: independent analysts have shown it would create 1.9 million jobs.

Mr. Speaker, bring this bill to a vote and you will restore public trust in the Congress of the United States of America. The American Jobs Act deserves a vote. Mr. Speaker, our mantra should be: jobs, jobs, jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I stand this morning to recognize the passing of Congressman William Gray, a man for all seasons.

An ardent tennis advocate, he expired at Wimbledon, still racing towards his lifetime passion of tennis. He was funeralized in Philadelphia on Saturday where dozens of Members of Congress attended and President William Clinton spoke of his wonderful and brilliant legacy.

Today, his wife, Andrea, and sons, William, Justin, and Andrew, are visiting Capitol Hill. They attended the 95th birthday celebration of President Nelson Mandela.

Congressman Gray, who retired to my hometown of Miami-Dade County, was an accomplished gentleman, and his name will live forever in the hearts and minds of Congress and the millions of students he literally saved when he was president of the United Negro College Fund.

May he rest in peace.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore) for her leadership and her passion for defending children. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

As an educator, as an elementary school principal and as a school board member, I can attest to a simple fact: that there is simply no factor that matters more for children's achievement than teacher quality. Teachers matter. Research consistently upholds this fact. Yet, in urban and rural areas alike, students in low-income areas are constantly assigned less qualified teachers than are their wealthier peers. These young minds are, quite simply, treated as experiments in little educational petri dishes. Let's stop experimenting with our children. Poor schools often face impossible prospects of recruiting teachers, and once teachers are finally recruited, educators often need additional resources and support to do their jobs effectively. The result is that students in poverty fall farther and farther behind, losing hope of ever catching up.

Mr. Chairman, this is a commonsense amendment that would ensure that title II changes under this bill would not be enacted if these changes pull funds away from schools serving students in poverty. This is not a partisan issue. There has been bipartisan consensus on the importance of teacher development in low-income areas for ages. A criterion for teacher development is so important. If it were not, it would hurt children in red States and children in rural areas as much as it would hurt children in blue States and children in urban areas.

I urge my Republican colleagues to take a stand for low-income children. Wherever they live, whoever represents them, please support this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, Trayvon Martin, a young constituent of mine that lived only blocks away from me, was brutally murdered in Sanford, Florida.

I know within my heart and will always know that things should have been different. But I accept the law. I was one of the loudest voices calling for a fair trial for Trayvon after he was profiled racially. He was followed, he was harassed, and he was shot in the heart.

On Sunday, in Miami-Dade County, all of the churches held prayer services. All of the churches prayed for the Martin and Fulton families. All of us are so saddened because we have lost our son, our son Trayvon, who was only 16 years old. He had only been 17 for 2 weeks.

God bless our justice system, that they will see that it should not end here. We must make sure that justice prevails for Trayvon Martin.