Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in honor of Women's Entrepreneurship Day which is celebrated around the world each year on November 19th.

Women-owned U.S. firms make up nearly 20 percent of all firms that employ people and this number is growing. There are nearly 13 million women-owned firms and they employ close to 10 million people. As a testament to their success, women-owned firms reported revenues of nearly $1.9 trillion. This is truly astounding and shows you how vital women are to the economy. I applaud these women entrepreneurs and their economically vital businesses.

I also applaud Wendy Diamond, who has personally spearheaded the Women's Entrepreneurship Day movement. Since her campaign launched in 2013, her Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization has annually funded one thousand impoverished women with microloans to start their entrepreneurial journey in Nicaragua, India and Africa, hosted a nationwide entrepreneurship training program for 60,000 female college students and early-stage entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia, initiated and funded the premiere Women's Disability Cohort Pitch Competition, a visionary program that raises funding opportunities for women marginalized by their disabilities in partnership with 2Gether International, provided financial literacy education to one thousand rural women in the Philippines, and partnered with a Uruguayan university to offer scholarships to young women.

Women's Entrepreneurship Day is now celebrated in 144 countries and 65 universities and colleges internationally, with numerous global ambassadors. The Women's Entrepreneurship Day mission is to empower the nearly four billion women worldwide to be catalysts of change and uplift the over 250 million girls living in poverty around the world.

As in past years, the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization Pioneer Awards recognizes, and honors distinguished women who are leaders and innovators across multiple categories with inspiring accomplishments. This year's honorees include:

Cathie Wood, Founder and CEO of ARK Investment Management, LLC-- Financial Pioneer Award

Jeni Britton Bauer, CEO/Founder Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams--Culinary Pioneer Award

Judith Heumann, International Disability Rights Advocate, The Heumann Perspective--Human Rights Pioneer Award

Mona Scott-Young, CEO of Monami Productions--Entertainment Pioneer Award

The Honorable Kathy Hochul, 57th & first female Governor of New York State--Government Pioneer Award

Nadja Swarovski, Chair and Founder of Atelier Swarovski and Chair of Swarovski Foundation--Fashion Pioneer Award

Dawn Dickson-Akpoghene, CEO and Founder of PopCom--Technology Pioneer Award

Madam Speaker, I urge the entire House to recognize these remarkable role models, and to celebrate Women's Entrepreneurship Day this year and every year moving forward.

Madam Speaker, as our nation strives to build back better, we must make sure that women--especially moms--are not left out of any recovery efforts. Since the pandemic, two million women--including one million moms--left the workforce.

We know that women--especially women of color--always fought an uphill battle against gender norms and racial and gender pay equity-- and like so many other issues, the pandemic only exacerbated these existing injustices and inequalities. The pandemic also laid

bare that the status quo is no longer acceptable; we need transformational structural changes to ensure women are protected against any future economic calamities.

After all, women's economic security and their families' financial stability are inextricably linked. That is why I introduced this week, the Honoring Family-Friendly Workplaces Act--to promote a healthier work-life balance for hardworking families across the country, We must do more to promote positive work environments so that working parents are able to return to the labor force as soon as possible.

My bill would direct the Department of Labor to establish a national certification program that recognizes exemplary family-friendly business policies. It would recognize and incentivize employers who commit to helping employees balance their family obligations and work responsibilities.

The certification program is intended to be similar to the EPA's ENERGY STAR program that helps consumers identify energy efficient products, and would evaluate businesses on a number of policies, including:

Paid sick days for workers;

Child care subsidies;

Lactation support;

Reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers;

Assistance paying for or referring workers to fertility adoption services;

Paid family leave of at least 12 weeks per year; and

Flexible hours--or remote work policies--once parents return to work after a birth, adoption, or foster care placement.

Madam Speaker, nobody should have to choose between their work or their family; nobody should have to choose between receiving a paycheck or caring for their family.

By redesigning and investing in the workplace to be family-friendly, we are ultimately strengthening the wellbeing of children and families, businesses, and the economy. I urge all my colleagues in supporting this commonsense initiative to improve the lives of working families across America.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce the reintroduction of my bill, the Youth, Peace, and Security Act of 2021.

Currently, youth make up the majority of the population in conflict- affected countries. However, youth remain under-represented in overseas conflict prevention, management, resolution, and post-conflict relief and recovery efforts. Youth and youth-led groups have shown their ability to play critical roles in deescalating conflict, preventing cyclical violence, and improving the effectiveness and sustainability of peace processes and agreements.

The Youth, Peace and Security Act of 2021 recognizes the importance of youth involvement and leadership in peace-building and conflict- prevention activities. The bill makes it the policy of the United States to promote the inclusive and meaningful participation of youth in peace building and conflict prevention, management, and resolution, as well as post-conflict relief and recovery efforts. The bill directs the State Department and USAID to develop a strategy to implement these goals. The strategy will prioritize providing training and technical assistance to youth; integrate youth consultation in aid programs; facilitate a safe and inclusive environment for youth; and, include youth in assessments of U.S. peace and security initiatives, among other priorities.

The bill would also require the President to appoint a coordinator to implement this strategy, currently held by USAID's Senior Agency Advisor on Youth. The coordinator will lead the implementation of the Youth, Peace, and Security strategy; establish an advisory group made up of youth and civil society organizations to guide the implementation of the strategy; and, oversee the awarding of grants and provision of technical assistance to youth-led, peace-building organizations and individuals. These grants are part of the newly established Youth, Peace, and Security Fund, which seeks to support organizations dedicated to peace building, conflict prevention, conflict management, and conflict resolution.

I am thrilled to be joined in leading this bill with my colleagues Congressman John Curtis, Congressman Dean Phillips, and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this important piece of legislation.

Madam Speaker, during the COVID-19 crisis, we have seen how crucial internet access has been for learning and completing assignments. The homework gap, experienced by as many as 17 million students in the U.S. who do not have internet access at home, is an inequity that predates the coronavirus pandemic.

When I first began talking about this issue, I was shocked and saddened to recognize there were so many misconceptions about who was part of the homework gap. So many of my colleagues believed the homework gap is something that predominantly affects students in rural America. But in fact, one in five school-age children in NYC's public school system--the largest public school system in the country--do not have internet access at home.

The nature of homework assignments has fundamentally changed. Before, all you needed was a pencil and paper. But that is no longer the norm. Internet access is essential to completing homework assignments. It broke my heart to hear stories of families parked outside McDonalds or Starbucks trying to catch a free Wi-Fi signal.

Closing the homework gap extends beyond just helping our students finish their homework. Internet connectivity is essential to success in the 21st century; much like electricity was important in the 1930s, internet will be the same, if not more.

That is why Congress passed the Emergency Educational Connections Act as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a bill that I proudly championed with Senator Markey. This provision created the Emergency Connectivity Fund, and provided a one-time $7.17 billion appropriation to connect students and library patrons learning at home.

As our Nation works to move past the pandemic, we must finally close the full homework gap that predates the ongoing emergency. That is why I am proud to introduce today the Securing Universal Communications Connectivity to Ensure Students Succeed or the SUCCESS Act. This bill would provide $8 billion a year over five years (for a total of $40 billion) to extend the FCC's Emergency Connectivity Fund, without an emergency time frame, so that schools and libraries can continue supporting distance learning after the coronavirus pandemic is over. This extended program will then ensure that students connected by the emergency connectivity fund do not lose their internet access and devices once the original funds run dry.

Madam Speaker, as the mother of two young children, I know firsthand how crucial this issue is. Each and every student must have the tools they need to succeed in school, and the SUCCESS Act is an essential component to permanently closing the homework gap. I urge all of my colleagues in both chambers to help close this digital divide for good.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of H.R. 826, the Divided Families Reunification Act, a bill I authored to raise the voices of families who have been separated for decades both across the DMZ and across the Pacific Ocean.

I want to thank Chairman Meeks for working with me on this important issue, and for his efforts to bring this bill to the floor. I also want to thank Congressman Van Taylor who partnered with me to introduce this humane and commonsense legislation, which, during the 116th Congress, unanimously passed the House of Representatives.

Over seventy years ago, millions of Koreans were plunged into a harrowing war that brought misery, death, and destruction to their lives. Since then, the war has been frozen by an armistice agreement, signed on July 27, 1953, that persists to today. The division of the Korean Peninsula into South and North Korea separated millions of Koreans from their family members. Through the years, there have been some agreed upon reunions between South and North Koreans. For Korean Americans, however, there is no pathway for such reunions, as they have not been permitted to participate in these inter-Korean family reunions. Many of these Americans are in their 70s through 90s, and time is of the essence to be reunited with their families. I have had the honor to meet some of these divided Korean American family members, and it breaks my heart that their chance of a reunion with their loved ones grows less likely each day.

As a member of the State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) Subcommittee on the House Appropriations Committee, I am proud to have secured provisions in the Fiscal Year 2020 and 2021 accompanying reports that support the reunification of Korean Americans and their families in North Korea. And in the SFOPS Fiscal Year 2022, which recently passed out of the full committee, a provision calling on the Office of North Korean Human Rights to investigate the risks associated with third- party brokers who offer to locate and reunite divided families.

The unresolved status of the war continues to impact multiple generations of Korean Americans, particularly women, in myriad ways. All these years later, many survivors of the war are still haunted by their trauma. And younger generations who are responsible for their caregiving often internalize this unresolved grief.

The Divided Families Reunification Act requires the Secretary of State or a designee to consult with officials in South Korea on potential opportunities to reunite Korean American families with family members in North Korea. This bill will also require the Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights to submit a report on the opportunities for video reunions between Korean Americans and family members in North Korea.

With that Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this bipartisan bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce the introduction of the Grant Residency for Additional Doctors, or GRAD, Act of 2021 which would address the lengthy processing delays for J-1 visas, which is the temporary nonimmigrant visa that international medical students and physicians use to work in U.S. based residency programs.

The United States is anticipated to face a shortage of physicians that ranges from between 54,100 and 139,000 in the next 12 years. The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to magnify these shortages as primary care physicians and specialists experience burnout related to the pandemic. Foreign medical students frequently fill critical positions in hospitals that service underserved and rural communities.

Madam Speaker, my GRAD Act of 2021 would direct the Department of State to establish a position from March through June, the busiest months for school applications, whose sole purpose is to address J-1 visa applications with the intention of receiving graduate medical education or training.

Madam Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how crucial it is that our medical infrastructure has the personnel necessary to handle a public health crisis. Our healthcare system cannot operate if it is facing a physician shortage.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce the introduction of the Total Recall Act of 2021, which would require businesses to strengthen and streamline notifications for product recalls to consumers.

Every year, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalls at least 400 products, but due to poor notification practices by manufacturers and producers, the average response rate of consumers for most recalls is only between 4 and 18 percent. Consumers are purchasing or failing to stop using products because they are unaware of recall notifications.

As a mom myself, I know that parents cannot be expected to check the CPSC website every time they purchase a product for their families. If a company sells a dangerous item, that company should be expected to market the recall as aggressively as they marketed the sale of the product.

That is why I am introducing the Total Recall Act, legislation which will implement much needed reforms to increase the effectiveness of products recalled by the CPSC. This bill will increase requirements for companies to post recall notices on their websites and social media, and require or encourage companies to use parts of the original marketing budgets of the product in question on notifying consumers of the recall.

The numbers don't lie; if consumers are not participating in recalls, then companies need to work harder to let their consumers know about any dangers that they face from continued use of these products. Companies know how to market products, it is time for them to apply those same skills to marketing recalls.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce that on May 28th, Menstrual Hygiene Day, I introduced my Menstrual Equity for All Act of 2021. No one should be inhibited from participating fully in daily life due to lack of access to menstrual products. Safe, affordable access to period products is a basic need for over half the population, moreover, it is a human right.

Madam Speaker, period poverty permeates and cuts across a swath of issues--from educational equity to criminal justice reform; from economic and housing justice to immigration. The tragic reality for too many individuals in our nation, is that the cost of menstrual products is a barrier to managing monthly menstruation in a safe and dignified manner.

In the United States, 25 million women live at or below the poverty line. A 2019 study found that among low-income women in a major U.S. city, nearly half had to choose between buying food and spending money on menstrual products. One in five teens have struggled to afford period products, or were not able to purchase them at all. As a result, over 80 percent of teens say they missed school or know someone else who has. A recent study revealed that 1 in 10 college students was unable to afford menstrual products, and those who experienced period poverty on a monthly basis, were more likely to experience moderate to severe depression.

Madam Speaker, menstruators from all walks of life, across our country are having to choose between their period or their dignity. In fact, a lawsuit filed against DHS's monstrous treatment of migrant children in its custody found that girls with periods were left to bleed through their clothes and denied showers for days on end. This is unconscionable. We must break the silence, raise awareness, and fight for menstrual equity for all--each and every day.

My Menstrual Equity for All Act, is the first of its kind to comprehensively address the challenges of those experiencing period poverty. My bill would provide students from elementary school through postsecondary education free menstrual products, ensure that incarcerated individuals and detainees in federal, state, and local facilities have access to free menstrual products, allow homeless assistance provides to provide these products with federal grant funds, require Medicaid to cover the cost of menstrual products, direct large employers to provide free menstrual products in the workplace, and ensure that all public federal buildings provide free menstrual products in restrooms.

Madam Speaker, we cannot address educational equity, economic justice, or infrastructure reform without addressing the barriers that prevent our social infrastructure from caring for the basic health care rights of our population. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and join me in upholding this human right. We must work to end period poverty once and for all.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce the introduction of the Global Pandemic Prevention and Biosecurity Act, a bill that would create a diplomatic global effort to ban the sale of live and fresh wildlife for human consumption. This policy, and the authorization of corresponding programs, would reduce risk and increase research of zoonotic diseases, support reduction of wildlife trafficking, and expand programs that aim to close wildlife markets.

This bill also authorizes programs to address the demand for live and fresh wildlife for human consumption by improving nutritional choices and outcomes while protecting critical wildlife areas.

A whole-of-government approach that embraces a One Health model is critical to ensuring that we are much better prepared for another zoonotic disease like COVID-19, that we understand its risks, and that we can mitigate spread from animals to humans.

My legislation would create a Global Zoonotic Disease Task Force. It would also require a multi-sectoral strategy from USAID to reduce the demand for wildlife consumption through food security interventions, and authorize an integrated zoonotic disease program to research and conduct surveillance of priority and unknow diseases, and to prevent spillover through behavioral changes.

I am thrilled to be joined in leading this bill with my colleague on the State and Foreign Operations House Appropriations Subcommittee, Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, and in the Senate with Senators Chris Coons and Lindsey Graham. I urge our colleagues on both sides of the chamber to help us pass this important measure.

Madam Speaker, l rise today with a call to action regarding the right to clean drinking water. Clean drinking water is not a luxury; it is a fundamental human right that should be accessible to all regardless of your socioeconomic status.

There are over 30,000 public playgrounds and parks in major U.S. cities and approximately 17,000 public library locations today. Children and students frequently congregate in those places for learning, borrowing a book, or having fun. But neither they--nor their parents--should have to worry that the drinking water may be unsafe.

That is why, today, I am introducing the Safe Drinking Water in Playgrounds, Parks, and Libraries Act. This bill would ensure states, municipalities, and libraries have the financial resources to replace drinking water fountains, monitor them, or replace the Lead Service Line connected to such fountains. While we can test water fountains for lead poisoning, some municipalities, schools, and libraries lack the resources to replace their water fountains; this is simply wrong. My bill will ensure such entities have the necessary financial resources to accomplish this task.

Exposure to lead--even low levels--can have serious health and development consequences for infants, children under six, and pregnant women. For those exposed to this dangerous element, signs of poisoning may include cognitive impairment, behavioral problems, and other health related problems. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, ``there is no safe amount of lead exposure in children . . .,'' which is why it is critical that we advance efforts that prevents lead poisoning.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Safe Drinking Water in Public Playgrounds, Parks, and Libraries Act. It is undeniable that the fate of our children and future generations rests on the decisions we make today on access to clean water. Let's ensure all enjoy this fundamental human right.

Madam Speaker, for over a year, against the backdrop of a raging COVID-19 virus and an economic crisis, Asian Americans have been fighting an additional pandemic: the virus of hate and bigotry.

Over 6,600 incidents of physical, verbal, and online attacks against those of Asian descent have been reported since March 2020. Of these, about two-thirds were reported by women.

Throughout this pandemic, over 2 million Asian Americans served our Nation as frontline workers, including those in healthcare, and yet some of these same Asian Americans became victims of hate as they were commuting to or from work.

Children as young as my two boys have been attacked on playgrounds in their own neighborhoods across the country in every single State. Elderly are being assaulted, tragically resulting in deaths. This culminated in the worst kind of tragedy, with the mass shootings in Atlanta.

We need to address this hate once and for all. That is why I introduced the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. I am proud the Senate companion bill, led by Senator Hirono, passed in the Senate last month with resounding bipartisan support, 94-1.

The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act is a necessary step to confront the second pandemic of racism and discrimination. We cannot mend what we do not measure.

I strongly urge my colleagues to stand with me and vote for the passage of this bill.

Madam Speaker, throughout this pandemic, Asian Americans have been facing a second virus--that of hate and discrimination. In fact, since the beginning of the pandemic, hate incidents against Asian Americans have skyrocketed 150 percent. Our community is being scapegoated for the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result, have been victim to the most hateful, cowardly, and despicable attacks. Our children and elderly especially are being ruthlessly under attack. There are nearly 4,000 reported incidents of Asian Americans being spat on, stabbed, verbally abused, beaten, slashed, and most recently murdered in a tragic and senseless mass shooting. Our parents are scared to leave their homes and walk down the street. Parents are scared to let their children go outside and play or to even go to school.

Asian Americans, however, know this violence and racism directed at our community is not new. From the ``yellow peril'' scare of the 1800s, which paved the way for the Page Act of 1875 and the Chinese Exclusion Act, to the unjust incarceration of the Japanese Americans during World War II, our history includes shameful accounts of institutionalized discrimination and racism towards Asian Americans.

Madam Speaker, since the 1700s, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) have made immeasurable contributions to our nation throughout its history. AAPIs have shaped the fabric of our country with contributions to our infrastructure, economy, and our military. Unfortunately, for generations, Asian Pacific American history has been poorly represented in our K-12 education system and social studies textbooks. This misrepresentation renders AAPIs invisible and leads to the perception that we are ``forever foreigners.''

In fact, growing up, I was never taught of the expansive contributions of Asian Americans throughout our history. I barely learned about Chinese immigrants who built the transcontinental railroad connecting the East and West Coasts. My history textbooks never taught that slaves built the U.S. Capitol, the very heart of our democracy.

Madam Speaker, the gaps in our collective history prevent our nation from moving forward in in solidarity and allyship. We cannot create a shared future where all can achieve the American Dream unless we learn from our shared history. In this time of great misinformation and discrimination against Asian Americans, we need greater cultural awareness and understanding of our community's history within the foundations of our U.S. history.

That is why I rise today to announce the reintroduction of my Teaching Asian Pacific American Act to promote the teaching and learning of Asian Pacific American history in K-12 schools. Specifically, my bill would require Presidential and Congressional Academies' grant applicants and recipients to include Asian Pacific American history as part of their history and civics programs offered to students and teachers. Furthermore, it would encourage the inclusion of Asian Pacific American history within national and state tests administered through the National Assessment of Educational Progress and promote collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution's Asian Pacific American Center to develop innovating programming.

Madam Speaker, in order to create a shared future for all Americans, we have to learn from the mistakes of our past. I thank my colleagues who have joined me in this critical legislation, and I urge its swift passage so that our nation can move forward in healing.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce the reintroduction of my Infant Formula Protection Act of 2021. The measure would prevent pharmacies, supermarkets, convenience stores, and other establishments from selling expired baby formula and would consider the sale of baby formula after the product's ``use by'' date to be a prohibited act. A retailer that commits such an act can incur fines and penalties.

The practice of selling expired baby formula is not only legal but widespread. As a mom, I know the fear and pressure that comes with caring for a newborn; all a new parent wants is to make sure their baby is healthy. Busy parents need to be able to rely on the safety of products, like formula, that they buy in grocery stores in order to make sure that their newborns are well-fed and healthy. Retailers that stock expired formula--even by just a few days--pose real health risks to infants.

Madam Speaker, we cannot take chances with what we feed our babies, and parents must be able to trust the safety of the products that they buy in their stores. I urge all of my colleagues to support the Infant Formula Protection Act.

Madam Speaker, at a time when all families are struggling with the threat of COVID-19, various communities are also suffering from the rise in hate crimes. In the last year, nearly 3,000 firsthand accounts of physical, verbal, and online attacks against those of Asian descent were reported. Asian Americans are fighting not just the COVID- 19 pandemic, but an additional pandemic of hate and bigotry.

One third of Americans have witnessed someone blaming Asian Americans for the coronavirus. Eight out of ten AAPI youth report being bullied or verbally harassed due to their race. Elderly Asian Americans are being assaulted--tragically resulting in even death. Online hate speech and cyberbullying against Asians has increased by 900 percent during the pandemic. This is horrific--and it goes against the moral fabric of our nation. We

must address these ongoing hate crimes and incidents with urgency.

That is why I reintroduced the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. My bill would designate a point person at the Department of Justice to expedite the review of hate crimes related to COVID-19, specifically crimes of violence motivated by the actual or perceived relationship to the spread of COVID-19. My bill also includes initiatives to establish online reporting of hate crimes or incidents in multiple languages and to expand public education campaigns to encourage and empower ethnic communities to feel comfortable and report these incidents.

My bill also directs the Attorney General to work with Health and Human Services, the COVID-19 Healthy Equity Task Force, and community- based organizations to issue best practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language in describing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Madam Speaker, during this time of heightened anxiety and fear surrounding COVID-19, we cannot lose sight of protecting the health and safety of every single person--no matter their race, ethnicity, age, or background. The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act is a necessary step to confront the second pandemic of racism and discrimination in this country. I urge my colleagues to join me in this effort to keep all Americans safe.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my support for the Global Partnership for Education, the largest global fund solely dedicated to transforming education in lower-income countries.

Access to quality education reduces poverty, advances economic prosperity, improves peace and security, and strengthens public health. As we now know too well, COVID-19 has compounded the barriers that keep kids from being educated both here at home and around the world.

International basic education programs, including GPE, increase equitable access to education, providing children with foundational reading, math, social, and emotional skills.

Access to education is severely impacted by emergencies. 1 in 3 children and young people are out of school in countries affected by conflict or disaster, and half of school-age refugee children are out of school. And, of course, 1.6 billion children in more than 190 countries were impacted by the closure of educational institutions at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. GPE works in the countries with the greatest need, targets the hardest to reach children, and can respond quickly to emergencies.

I thank my colleagues, Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Mike Quigley, who have joined me to introduce this important resolution. I urge all of my colleagues to cosponsor this resolution, which affirms the leadership and commitment of the U.S. to improving access to quality, inclusive public education; calls for multi-year pledges from the U.S. to allow GPE to maximize its impact in supporting governments to provide this education; and calls on the State Department and USAID to promote children and youth attending schools around the world.

Madam Speaker, we know the value and impact quality education can make on one's dignity, wellbeing, and livelihood. This resolution affirms that every child deserves to reach their fullest potential.