Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, SNAP, food stamps, however you phrase it, is fundamental to the nutrition that will supplement millions of Americans: Blacks, Whites, feeble seniors, struggling mothers, disabled veterans, and hungry children.

Mr. Speaker, it was reported to me that there are seniors in my district who eat dog food when their food stamps run out. I was appalled and went to see for myself, and I was dumbfounded. I fixed the situation, but I'm sure that somewhere in America today some poor soul is relying on dog food to take them through the month.

Mr. Speaker, please do not hurt or destroy what is a mainstay in the lives of so many Americans who are just trying to get by. Do not remove nutrition, including the food stamp program, from the farm bill. It's wrong, it's punitive, and it's cruel.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in strong opposition to the farm bill rule and the underlying bill because it hurts the working poor.

Mr. Speaker, it's now been 919 days since I arrived in Congress--919 days--and the Republican leadership has still not allowed a single vote on serious legislation to address our unemployment crisis.

After learning of Friday's lackluster job numbers, many pundits and politicians actually cheered. It could have been worse, they said. They also said things are returning to normal.

Try telling that to any of the 11.8 million Americans who are still out of work, or to the millions more who are underemployed or have given up looking for work.

According to Friday's job numbers, the average length of unemployment is now at 35 weeks. Before the Great Recession, the average was just 16 weeks.

Mr. Speaker, it's no wonder people are losing hope. It's our obligation to restore that hope.

As we begin this July session, let's commit to passing a comprehensive bill to restore unemployment for young people, recent grads, and the long-unemployed.

Mr. Speaker, our mantra should be: jobs, jobs, jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following.

Whereas, The Miami Heat won their third National Basketball Association (NBA) Championship in franchise history on Thursday, June 20, 2013, by defeating the San Antonio Spurs with a score of 95 to 88 in the seventh game of the NBA finals, in Miami, Florida at the American Airlines Arena;

Whereas, During the 2013 NBA playoffs, the Miami Heat defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs;

Whereas, The Miami Heat are the second team in five years to win back-to-back championships, and the Miami Heat are the first to defeat the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA finals;

Whereas, Since its founding in 1988, the Miami Heat has won three world championships, four conference titles, nine division titles, and made 17 playoff appearances;

Whereas, The 2012-2013 Miami Heat organization is comprised of players: Ray Allen, Chris Anderson, Joel Anthony, Shane Battier, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Udonis Haslem, Juwan Howard, LeBron James, James Jones, Rashard Lewis, Mike Miller, Jarvis Varnado, Dwyane Wade;

Whereas, LeBron James was named the NBA Most Valuable Player during the 2012-2013 regular season, was named the NBA Most Valuable Player during the 2013 finals, and joined Michael Jordan and Bill Russell as the only players in NBA history to win back-to-back NBA finals and regular season MVP awards;

Whereas, The San Antonio Spurs were seconds away from winning the NBA finals until Ray Allen hit a clutch three-pointer, sending the game into overtime and forcing a decisive game seven;

Whereas, The Miami Heat coaching staff exhibited exemplary leadership and guidance; Whereas, The Miami Heat coaching staff, included: Erik Spoelstra, Head Coach; Bob McAdoo, Assistant Coach; Ron Rothstein, Assistant Coach; David Fizdale, Assistant Coach; Chad Kammerer, Assistant Coach; Octavio De La Grana, Assistant Coach; Bill Foran, Strength and Conditioning Coach; Jay Sabol, Athletic Trainer; Rey Jaffet, Assistant Trainer; Rob Pimental, Assistant Trainer;

Whereas, The Miami Heat management has shown a positive commitment to the Miami Heat franchise by successfully acquiring, assembling, and maintaining a team of high-quality, winning players;

Whereas, The Miami Heat Organization consists of executive staff, including: Micky Arison, Managing General Partner; Nick Arison, Chief Executive Officer; Pat Riley, President; Erik Spoelstra, Head Coach; Eric Woolworth, President, Business Operations; Michael McCullough, Executive Vice President/CMO; Mike Walker, Executive Vice President, HEAT Group Enterprises; Alonzo Mourning, Vice President, Player Programs; Stephen Weber, Executive Vice President, Sales; Kim Stone, Executive Vice President/General Manager, American Airlines Arena; Sammy Schulman, Executive Vice President/CFO; Raquel Libman, Executive Vice President/General Counsel;

Whereas, The Miami Heat players have been outstanding role models on and off the court;

Whereas, The Miami Heat organization has enriched the South Florida community through public service programs, including: Heat Academy; Heat Scholarships; Miami Heat Read to Achieve; Miami Heat Fund-Raiser; Miami Heat Wheels; Shoot for the Stars; Books and Basketball Summer Clinics; Heat Youth Basketball; Miami Heat Learn to Swim Program;

Whereas, The Miami Heat fans have been an integral part of this championship by providing unwavering support throughout the entire season, and each and every season prior;

Whereas, The Miami Heat performance against the San Antonio Spurs during the 2013 NBA finals will go down as one the greatest series in NBA history;

Resolved, that the House of Representatives honors the entire Miami Heat organization for winning the 2013 NBA World Championship.

Mr. Speaker, it's now been 906 days since I arrived in Congress, and the Republican leadership has still not allowed a single vote on serious legislation to address our unemployment crisis. Thirty-seven percent of unemployed Americans have been without work for more than 6 months. That's 4.4 million people who haven't worked for at least a half year.

Take a moment to imagine life without a job for 6 months. Imagine depleting your retirement savings to pay for your family's food and shelter. Imagine the pain of facing rejection again and again. As researchers around the Nation have demonstrated, employers simply do not want to hire the long-term unemployed. There's a stigma workers just can't shake.

It's up to Congress to take action. It's time for us to focus on retraining and reemployment programs to ensure that we stop the establishment of a permanent underclass in America. The mantra of this Congress should be jobs, jobs, jobs.

Mr. Speaker, the American people are now in the 899th day of a scandal that is truly ``worse than Watergate.'' Yet, this scandal has nothing to do with Cincinnati or the AP or Benghazi or even NSA. It is the scandal of this Republican Congress failing to bring a single serious bill to address our unemployment crisis to the floor for a vote.

The tens of millions of people affected by this scandal are not constantly on television drawing attention to their plight; they're too busy looking for work. They're not hiring lobbyists to press for change; they're too busy figuring out how they're going to pay for their next meals, for the roofs over their heads, or for their children's college tuition.

Mr. Speaker, this scandal, unlike so many other scandals in history, is one that you can end instantly. You have the power to bring the Jobs Now Act to the floor for a vote. It deserves a vote.

Mr. Speaker, the only scandal that matters to the American people right now is this Congress' failure to address unemployment. Our mantra should be: jobs, jobs, jobs for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, as the House begins consideration of H.R. 1797, I rise in solidarity with the women of the world. I rise in outrage at yet another attempt to control our bodies and make choices for us instead of allowing women to make their own choice with their doctors and their families.

First of all, it's the woman's body, not yours. She alone bears the burden, the pain and joy that it brings. Please stop trying to regulate our reproductive organs. They belong to us.

To the men who feel so inclined to tell women what to do, I ask: Have you ever had a menstrual period? Have you ever felt unbearable pain in every bone of your body during childbirth? Will you be there for a mother when she needs prenatal care, formula, and diapers? Will you support Head Start programs? Will you focus on creating good public schools? Will you reform foster care and stop greasing the prison pipeline with unwanted children?

There are grandmothers living in trailer parks and public housing single-handedly raising millions of grandchildren. Where are you when Grandma is trying to feed Jerome, Shaquita,

Pedro, Heather, and John? The only time I see you is on the floor of the House trying to take away Grandma's Social Security and attacking her Medicare and food stamps. Grandma doesn't have a car, so she has no ID so she can vote you out of office.

For some reason, you care about a baby right until the minute it is born into the world, and then you disappear and desert the children you claim to protect and love. Shame on you. Stop the cradle-to-grave neglect and abuse. Stop the shenanigans and bring to the floor bills that will create jobs, jobs, jobs for the American people. And mind your own business and regulate your own body.

Mr. Speaker, it has been 893 days since I arrived in Congress, and the Republican leadership has not allowed a single vote on serious legislation to address our unemployment crisis; but there's no shortage of policies to solve this crisis.

One of the best things we can do to create jobs is to pass immigration reform. When we bring undocumented workers in from the shadows where they're abused and paid below minimum wage, we boost wages for all Americans.

A recent study by the Center for American Progress shows that granting legal status to undocumented workers would create up to 159,000 jobs per year over the next 5 years. By empowering undocumented people to earn higher wages, immigration reform will enable people to spend more on food, clothing, and housing. This strengthens the American economy, builds our tax base, and creates jobs.

Immigration reform is not only about justice. It's about jobs, jobs, jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Marjorie Snyder Stallworth, a distinguished woman from the 24th Congressional District of the great State of Florida. In celebration of Women's History Month, I recognize her many years of leadership and service.

Mrs. Snyder Stallworth is the Co-Pastor of the Living Word of God World Wide Evangelistic Faith Ministry. She has served our

community through civic and political engagement for many years-- fighting against injustices and unfair treatment of the less fortunate.

In 1996, Mrs. Snyder Stallworth founded Christian Woman to Woman, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of Christian women. As a mother of eight children and a lifelong community activist, Mrs. Snyder Stallworth lobbied Congress to stop the involuntary sterilization of mothers who receive government assistance. She was appointed by then Governor Leroy Collins to serve on his Hawaii Advisory Statehood Commission, which ultimately helped to influence Congress' 1959 decision to grant Hawaii statehood. As a native Bahamian, Mrs. Snyder Stallworth was among the original organizers of the first Miami-Coconut Goombay Festival, a celebration of the heritage, traditions, and contributions of Bahamian immigrants to Miami's early history. Mrs. Snyder Stallworth is the author of a book entitled ``Hey Girl, Where Have You Been,'' written to encourage women and mothers in our community.

During Women's History Month, we celebrate the enormous progress women have made and the female giants of our past who struggled, suffered, and prevailed on behalf of the advancement of women.

Please join me in honoring Mrs. Marjorie Snyder Stallworth who serves as a guiding light for the next generation of young women.

Mr. Speaker, it's now been 885 days since I arrived in Congress, and the Republican leadership has still not allowed a single vote on serious legislation to address our unemployment crisis. This Congress is pretending our unemployment crisis is completely over. This Congress is acting as though surface scandals and a now rapidly shrinking budget deficit are the only issues that matter to this country. Try telling that to any of the 12 million unemployed Americans, who are today struggling to keep their homes and to pay for their food and health care. Try telling that to any of the 3 million Americans who have been unemployed for more than a year and are facing the indescribably painful possibility that they will never work again.

Mr. Speaker, unemployment is the Nation's true deficit. Let's pass the Jobs Now Act and the President's American Jobs Act to end it. The mantra of this Congress should be: jobs, jobs, jobs.

Mr. Speaker, it has now been 884 days; no serious jobs bill yet.

I'm proud to announce a powerful alternative to this shameful inaction. Today, I am again introducing the Jobs Now Act, a bill that would give local officials the resources and flexibility they need to retain, hire, and train workers immediately.

If this sounds like some left-wing idea, I ask you to consider who served as the key initiator and advocate for the CETA program on which this legislation is based: President Richard Milhous Nixon.

I have no doubt that many Americans hearing me today benefited-- either directly or indirectly--from CETA.

Mr. Speaker, let's return to the days when investing in job creation and human potential was a bipartisan cause. Let's bring this important bill to the floor for a vote.

Our mantra in this Congress should be jobs, jobs, jobs.

Mr. Speaker, this week, the class of 2013 graduates from college. This Congress is offering them a terrible graduation present. The bill we're voting on today would increase the long-term cost of student loans in order to pay for a budget deficit that college students did not create. But worse, this Congress is doing absolutely nothing to address the core challenge in their lives: jobs, jobs, jobs.

The class of 2013 is entering the most difficult job market of any graduating class in memory. Many who have the good fortune to receive jobs will not be using their university-level skills or earning a living wage.

It has been 872 days since I arrived in Congress, and not one vote on jobs. Mr. Speaker, for the sake of the class of 2013, I urge you to bring the American Jobs Act to the floor for a vote. It deserves a vote. Our mantra should be: jobs, jobs, jobs.

Mr. Speaker, it's now been 870 days since I arrived in Congress, and the Republican leadership has still not allowed a single vote on serious legislation to address our unemployment crisis.

Mr. Speaker, this is not an exaggeration to say that unemployment is a matter of life and death. In a new study, researchers at Oxford and Stanford found that approximately 4,750 suicides in the United States between 2007 and 2010 were attributed to unemployment.

Now here in America, the sequester is slated to cut billions in nutrition subsidies, medical research, cancer clinics, low-income heating, and other lifesaving services. If we continue to cut jobs because of the sequester, Mr. Speaker, the facts are clear: the sequester kills.

Mr. Speaker, it's time to bring H.R. 900, the Cancel the Sequester Act, to the floor for a vote. It is time to turn our attention back to jobs with the President's American Jobs Act.

Our mantra, Mr. Speaker, should be: job, jobs, jobs.

Mr. Speaker, it's now been 866 days since I arrived in Congress, and the Republican leadership has still not allowed a single vote on serious legislation to address our unemployment crisis.

That's zero votes to address our Nation's most pressing emergency. That's zero votes to address the sequester policies that are making our job crisis immeasurably worse. Yet yesterday, the Republican Congress took its 37th vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Mr. Speaker, this was not only a colossal waste of valuable time that could have been spent focusing on jobs legislation, it's a further step in the wrong direction. By expanding access to health care, the Affordable Care Act gives Americans more disposable income, creating more customers for our businesses and, in turn, more jobs.

It's time to bring the American Jobs Act to the floor. It deserves a vote.

Investigate Benghazi; investigate the AP leaks; investigate the IRS; but, Mr. Speaker, don't forget our focus, our crisis. Our mantra should be: jobs, jobs, jobs.

Madam Speaker, it has now been 864 days since I arrived in Congress, and the Republican leadership has still not allowed a single vote on serious legislation to address our unemployment crisis. We need to pass the American Jobs Act now. It deserves a vote.

Unemployment is now higher than the 7.5 percent we hear about in the news. Another full percent of the workforce can find only short-term, unreliable work. Another half percent has stopped looking because there is no opportunity. Another 5 percent is stuck working part-time when they want full-time work. So our real unemployment rate is closer to 14 percent.

Madam Speaker, these people are not lazy. It's this Congress that's lazy. We are doing nothing to create opportunity for Americans who are suffering. Our mantra should be: jobs, jobs, jobs.