Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to wish a happy 100th birthday to my constituent, Mr. Roger Desjardins.

Originally from Cumberland, Rhode Island, Mr. Desjardins served in the 43rd Infantry and saw combat during World War II as a machine gunner.

Honorably discharged in 1946, he worked as a pipefitter and a plumber in North Providence before retiring nearly four decades ago.

That doesn't mean age has slowed him down. At his centennial celebration last week, he showed off some karate moves, walking cane and all, that he practices to stay in shape.

Mr. Speaker, Roger is a quintessential Rhode Islander: feisty, selfless, and full of hope and good cheer. When asked what his birthday wish is, he simply said: to live another year or two.

It is my honor to recognize him today on the floor of the people's House so that his story and his dedicated service to our Nation may be remembered for all time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the United Soccer League Eastern Conference Champions, Rhode Island FC.

Let me tell you, this team is special. This team never says die. Coming into this season, their first as an expansion team, Rhode Island FC wasn't projected to make the postseason. However, led by their head coach, Khano Smith, they put together a magical playoff run.

Earlier this month, they took down top-seeded Louisville City FC. On Saturday, they held off a late surge by the Charleston Battery to win a 2-1 thriller. Make no mistake, this team plays wicked good soccer.

Anchored in community, this team is bringing Rhode Islanders together and giving us something to root for.

I congratulate the Rhode Island FC on winning the United Soccer League Eastern Conference Finals. I wish them good luck as they take on Colorado Springs in the final. The whole State of Rhode Island will be cheering them on.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chair, I rise as the designee of the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Crockett), and I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, while the underlying bill is problematic and harmful to U.S. interests, I have no problem supporting this amendment, which adds election interference as a sanctionable conduct.

Beijing should not be interfering in our democratic processes.

I think if the sanctions authorities in this bill were constructed thoughtfully, this would be an important area of concern where sanctions could be used to hold PRC entities accountable.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chair, this amendment makes a bad idea even worse. Scratch past the surface of the underlying bill, and you will find an unserious proposal that does nothing to address our problems with Beijing. It would blindly sanction all the PRC's top leaders while getting absolutely nothing in return.

This unilateral action would detonate the U.S.-China relationship. That is right, this bill would slap widespread sanctions on a broad swath of China's Government without achieving a single change in its malign behavior. That truly is some art of the deal.

Given the high-stakes nature of our relationship with China, we need sanctions that are targeted, scoped, and sequenced to be effective. This amendment doesn't come within a football field of meeting this standard. It makes a bad idea worse.

The amendment would sanction an additional 170 or so alternate members of the CCP Central Committee. It is the policy equivalent of taking out a chain saw when the job requires a scalpel. Chaotically applying sweeping sanctions is not thoughtful. It is not smart.

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

Mr. Chair, once again, this shortsighted amendment makes a bad idea even worse.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub.

My constituent, U.S. Army Lieutenant John Wolf, is scheduled to participate in Honor Flight ``High Voltage'' on September 29.

I had the privilege of writing him a letter as part of the mail call portion of the program.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my letter be included in the Congressional Record.

Madam Speaker, Lieutenant Wolf served our local community for more than 20 years as a social studies teacher in the East Providence School District. Before that, he courageously wore our Nation's uniform in Vietnam, earning a Bronze Star for his service.

Madam Speaker, we must do more to support veterans like Lieutenant Wolf. We can and should build on the PACT Act, which expanded presumptive benefits for Vietnam veterans and has helped nearly 3,000 veterans in Rhode Island.

Madam Speaker, today, I am proud to stand on the House floor and thank Lieutenant Wolf and all who have served our country.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a dedicated champion for Rhode Island's working families, Mr. George Nee.

Last week, George publicly announced his retirement as president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. On October 11, he will leave behind a towering legacy of over 50 years of fighting for workers.

George has often said that there can be no democracy without a vibrant union movement. That is why he has dedicated his entire career to securing economic opportunity and advancing social justice.

As George prepares to hand over the reins, I would like to honor his incredible story, rising from humble beginnings to become the face of organized labor in Rhode Island.

George Nee found his calling at Boston College in the 1960s. After meeting farmworkers from California, he was inspired to make their cause his own. He was so inspired, in fact, that he dropped out of school as a 21-year-old to advocate for the cause full time.

George's early jobs involved coordinating Boston's successful grape boycott and later a lettuce boycott in Rhode Island. Thanks to his efforts, farmworkers who spoke little to no English were able to secure better conditions and union contracts.

He slept in church parishes, on office floors, and even in an abandoned building on Brown University's campus. It wasn't glamorous work, but George got the job done.

His successful efforts introduced him to key players in the labor movement, including a soft-spoken man from Delano, Mr. Cesar Chavez. George was his driver and a bodyguard whenever he was in the area. In the mid-1970s, George joined Cesar and eight others in a pilgrimage across southern California. Their courageous campaign to organize farmworkers led to a tense standoff with growers armed with shotguns.

That is textbook George Nee: Never one to shy away from what is right and never one to back down from a fight.

After returning to Rhode Island, George helped to organize an independent union for jewelry, clerical, and healthcare workers. This organization became the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, Local 1199. George served as its founding president from 1976 to 1983.

Madam Speaker, I have a personal connection to Local 1199. It is the same union my mom proudly joined when she worked as a nurse in Rhode Island's nursing homes.

In 1983, George was hired by our statewide AFL-CIO. From staff representative to executive director to secretary treasurer to his 15- year run as president, George has become synonymous with the union. Thanks to his leadership, Rhode Island AFL-CIO and its affiliates are now more than 80,000 strong.

Our State consistently ranks as having one of the highest rates of union membership. Despite changes in the economy and a varying degree of appeal to organized labor, though it is at its most popular right now, George has kept the faith. He has been tireless, relentless, devoted, and a champion for workers and their families.

Above all, he has never lost sight of the ultimate goal, to make sure that working people have a seat at the table whenever decisions are being made. I saw this firsthand when I worked as an adviser in the Governor's office in Rhode Island several years ago. I will never forget the quintessential image of George at the Rhode Island State House. He was roaming the halls and making the case to legislators about the need for critical protections and critical investments.

George's accomplishments are too many to name with the time that I have remaining, but suffice to say that his dedication to our State will stand the test of time.

Madam Speaker, I conclude by quoting a portion of George's retirement letter. According to George, labor is ``the strongest countervailing force that stands up to the power of the business community with the goal of having a level playing field. We truly are the people's lobby.''

Truly, the people's lobby is never a bad cause to be fighting for.

For decades, George Nee has been a mentor and a friend, a colleague and an advocate, and a fighter for the working people of Rhode Island. He will no doubt be missed.

On behalf of the hardworking men and women of the State of Rhode Island, I thank George.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record George Nee's resignation letter.

Mr. Speaker, like Mr. Magaziner previously, I recognize and stand with Rhode Islanders who are in mourning for a giant in our community, Mr. Cedric Paul Huntley.

Cedric, or Mr. Ced, as he was known, was a convener of communities and a staunch advocate for peace.

As the executive director of the Nonviolence Institute and throughout all of his youth development work, he led with heart and he led with compassion, striving to end the cycles of violence that tear families and neighborhoods apart.

In this effort, he lived by example. You could always find Mr. Ced spreading the gospel of kindness, whether it was strangers he had just met or loved ones he had known for years.

Above all, Cedric believed in service to others. His legacy lives on through his work in State government and our school systems and through his work as a small business owner and as a champion for Rhode Island's charitable causes.

Last week, we came together for Cedric's memorial service and procession.

Today, it is my privilege to speak his name into the Congressional Record on the House floor, the people's House, so that his legacy may live on for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I intended to vote NO on Roll Call No. 359, Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 1370.

Mr. Chair, I hail from Rhode Island, the Ocean State. We know a thing or two about the sea and protecting our national security.

Unmanned undersea vehicles, or underwater drones, have become an increasingly important tool in our national security arsenal. This technology plays a critical role in Ukraine's counterattacks against Russia's naval aggression and helps allies monitor activity throughout the Indo-Pacific. Underwater drones allow our Navy to conduct dangerous and covert missions without putting American lives directly at risk.

As we look at our naval inventory, it is clear that the United States needs more underwater drones. We need them quickly, and we need them affordably.

My amendment in this en bloc encourages the development of additive manufacturing of underwater drones.

My other amendment that will be considered later encourages the development and enhancement of the payload capabilities of underwater drones. Our Ocean State is doing excellent work to train workers, develop technology, and produce many of our underwater drones.

I am proud to lead these amendments that will support good-paying jobs in Rhode Island and advance our national security.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Neguse for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, to my Republican colleagues, I ask the question: Why choose hate?

Why use our budget to attack the LGBTQ community?

We should be coming together to support America's commitment abroad. Instead, Republicans are pushing horrific bills that treat LGBTQ people as less than their fellow Americans.

Mr. Speaker, we know that the GOP majority is bent on restricting the fundamental freedoms of the LGBTQ community, but they refuse to even debate my amendment on the House floor.

Again, why are you choosing hate?

Mr. Speaker, my amendment is simple. It would remove bigoted, homophobic, and partisan riders from the State and Foreign Operations bill. It would strip out provisions that are cruel and callous on our neighbors at home and to those in the LGBTQ community abroad.

My amendment advances the work of the Equality Caucus and the legacy of my predecessor, Congressman David Cicilline.

Our budget is a statement of values. Our budget is a statement of values, and Republicans are, once again, showing us that they value a hate-filled agenda.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this rule.

Madam Chair, I intended to vote No on Roll Call Vote 285, Agreeing to the Amendment Number 4 by Congressman Andy Biggs of Arizona that ``prohibits funding to be used for the salary of the DHS Secretary, Alejandro Myorkas.''

Amendment No. 11 Offered by Mr. Clyde

Mr. Chair, I thank Ranking Member Smith for allowing me to speak on my amendment No. 267 in the en bloc.

The Australia, United Kingdom, and United States security pact, also known as AUKUS, is one of the most significant security arrangements in generations. It is essential to maintaining free trade and security in the Indo-Pacific.

As we strengthen our coordination of defense article production with our allies, we must continue to prioritize domestic research, producers, and procurement.

AUKUS is a premier example of the domestic benefits. The University of Rhode Island and Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Newport, formed research and education partnerships with Australian partners. AUKUS will also support good-paying jobs and small businesses across Rhode Island.

My amendment reinforces twin ideas that AUKUS is critical to protecting national security and that it boosts local economies by enhancing defense production capabilities.

Let's ensure the Pentagon promotes and prioritizes domestic production as we work alongside our allies for a safer and more stable future.

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

Mr. Speaker, on June 4, 2024, I intended to vote YES on Roll Call No. 240, Agreeing to the Amendment Number 28 by Congressman Brian Mast of Florida that ``ensures veterans can participate in state- approved medical marijuana programs. Removes the current directive that prevents VA Medical Facility staff from recommending, making referrals, or completing forms and registering Veterans for participation in state-approved marijuana programs.''

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an issue that is deeply personal to me and many Americans, the sacred trust of Medicare and Social Security.

Mr. Speaker, I was raised by a mom who worked double shifts as a nurse in Rhode Island in nursing homes. I grew up understanding how critical Medicare and Social Security are for seniors in the Ocean State.

Now, as the Congressman for Rhode Island's First Congressional District, I am committed to expanding the promise of these critical programs.

Democrats know how to get this done.

Through the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, Congress authorized Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, capping the cost of insulin for seniors at just $35 a month and limiting out-of-pocket expenses to $2,000 a year.

This Congress, we have committed to Congressman Larson's Social Security 2100 Act, a bill that would shore up benefits by ensuring the wealthiest Americans play by the same rules as everyone else.

Yet, as I stand here today, I can't help but contrast these essential measures with the callous budget proposal on the other side of the aisle.

Make no mistake, the Republican Study Committee's proposal is a backward budget. If enacted, it would cut Social Security benefits for more than 250 million Americans nationwide.

In my home State of Rhode Island, the Republican budget slashes benefits for 74 percent of the population, forcing three out of every four residents to work longer for less.

In a similar way, Republicans propose undoing the Inflation Reduction Act and jacking up the price of prescription drugs that seniors rely on.

No one, and I mean no one, should ever have to doubt if Social Security and Medicare will be there for them in their retirement. That is why I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to come together. Let's save Social Security together by passing Congressman Larson's bill.

Let's expand, not repeal, the healthcare savings that Medicare seniors have seen under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Most importantly, let's abandon this misguided idea that punishing seniors, pushing austerity cuts, and raising costs is somehow the solution to the problems we face.

Mr. Speaker, we don't have to choose between ensuring solvency and safeguarding the benefits of millions of Americans. We can and we should do both. By having a vote on the Social Security 2100 Act, we will.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss an issue that is critically important for Rhode Islanders and for all Americans: the need for greater investment in our mental health care system. The topic is timely, of course, especially as we recognize May as Mental Health Awareness Month.

Here in Congress, we have a duty and responsibility to act on mental health. We must reduce the stigma associated with mental health while ensuring that it is both taken seriously and seriously addressed.

That is why I am proud to join my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus tonight as we shine a light on the current state of mental health in America. Together, we are committed to reducing disparities and access, expanding coverage for mental health care, and reversing trends that have worsened over the past few years.

First, we must be clear-eyed about the numbers. Right now, one out of every five Americans is struggling with mental illness. Think about that. These are our neighbors, friends, coworkers, and loved ones.

Yet, as we acknowledge that mental health conditions are far more common than we think, we must recognize that different communities have different levels of access to treatment. As I have said, one out of every five Americans lives with a mental illness, a number that remains roughly equal when broken down amongst race and ethnicity. However, despite Black communities reporting relatively equal rates of mental illness, the percentages of them receiving mental health services register far lower than their fellow Americans.

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that mental health is an issue that does not discriminate. It does not see color or background, and it affects struggling Americans the same. Yet, access to care is not the same for all Americans. Simply put, the barriers are higher for Black Americans, whether it is because of stigma for seeking help or lack of accessible and affordable providers.

It is clear that we must do more to bring down those barriers. After all, if we are to live up to the words of our founding document, ``life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,'' then we must close the racial disparities in coverage and treatment, particularly as Americans are experiencing rates of loneliness so high that the Surgeon General has declared it a public health crisis.

Congress must lead by example. To that end, I am proud to lift up legislation that would expand investments for mental health in schools and reduce racial gaps in treatment. I thank Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman for her leadership on the second point.

However, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my home State of Rhode Island as a model to be aware of. I am thankful for the work of committed nonprofits like the Mental Health Association of Rhode Island and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Rhode Island.

Our State was recently named the fifth best State for mental health care in America, but that is not enough.

Over the past year, we have seen enormous progress on this front due to increased State-level advocacy and initiatives that ensure and increase access.

Yet, as we highlight these protections being codified into law, we must keep up our efforts to close the equity gaps in our system.

Every American, no matter the color of their skin or the background that they come from, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

Every patient, regardless of what they are struggling with, deserves the support and services they need to live their best lives. By asking and listening to each other, by arming ourselves with the facts, and by using them to push for greater access to care, we can make a real difference in the mental health of Americans all across our country.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, again, for their leadership and for hosting this critical Special Order tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in Congress and the Congressional Black Caucus in honoring a committed public servant and dedicated champion: Congressman Donald Payne, Jr.

Mr. Speaker, I did not have the blessing of serving alongside Congressman Payne for as long as some here tonight.

But I rise today to pay tribute to a man who showed me the same kindness when we first met as he showed to his lifelong friends and loved ones.

I will never forget his willingness to chat in the cloakroom--to impart some wisdom on this new kid.

When we spoke, Congressman Payne encouraged me to use my voice to help others. He knew, more than most, that the personal is political and the political is personal.

Congressman Payne followed in the footsteps of his father--Donald Payne, Sr.--a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and New Jersey's first Black Member of Congress.

There is no question that Congressman Payne was a fierce advocate for the interests of his Newark district.

As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Committee on Homeland Security, he focused on investing in our rail and transit systems, championing men's health for all communities, and keeping Americans safe.

Most of all, he never lost sight of what his neighbors felt and needed. And he was uncommonly open about his personal health and his years-long battle with diabetes.

If there is a lesson to remember from Congressman Payne's service, it is that we can help everyday Americans feel less alone if we lead with kindness, empathy, and understanding.

In this era of infallible politics--where every vulnerability and human moments are picked apart and attacked--is it not courageous to use your struggles to lift those up around you?

Is it not heroic to foster deep connections between the work we do and the struggles that everyday Americans face?

In 2022, when Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act, insulin was capped at $35 a month cap for Medicare patients.

Congressman Payne's declaration after the bill's final passage went right to the very heart of why it mattered.

He addressed how insulin is life-saving medication for diabetics, highlighting how patients have been gouged for years. And he underscored that no American should choose between food and medicine.

I will always appreciate his fierce advocacy and the warm compassion he showed me when I was first sworn in.

Congressman Donald Payne, Jr. will be sorely missed. May his memory guide us forward as we carry on the legacy he forged in Congress.