Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 956) to support the People of Ukraine.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H. Res. 956.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my resolution, which I introduced with Representative Spartz, to demonstrate bipartisan congressional support for the Ukrainian people.

Today, we are witnessing the most devastating escalation of violence on the European Continent in decades.

Vladimir Putin has launched an unjustifiable, senseless war on a peaceful, sovereign nation, Ukraine. We are already seeing thousands of casualties, both Ukrainians and Russians, and hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing to the European Union.

As we speak, Putin's army is encircling Ukrainian cities, including the capital of Kyiv. His forces are bombing indiscriminately, ruthlessly killing civilians, and destroying critical infrastructure.

In his despicable and utterly false claims to denazify Ukraine, he has bombed the memorial at Babyn Yar, where, just weeks ago, Representative Spartz and I stood with other Members of Congress at the site where tens of thousands were killed in massacres during the Holocaust. The streets we walked just a few weeks ago are now a battlefield, its citizens now soldiers.

Let us be clear. This is but one person's war. This is caused by one individual by the name of Vladimir Putin. It is his war.

Ukraine, the United States, and our allies have all actively engaged in a historic diplomatic push since before Russia marched their troops into the sovereign territory of Ukraine. Nevertheless, Putin chose the path of an unprovoked war instead.

It is a peaceful Ukraine that is pleading for a cease-fire so that diplomacy and sanity can triumph over bloodshed and madness.

Just this morning, the U.N. General Assembly held an emergency session that voted overwhelmingly against Russia's aggression. This vote reaffirms the values that we stand for and unequivocally demonstrates that the world stands with Ukraine.

In this dark time, the United States has helped usher unprecedented amounts of assistance from the United States, Europe, and our allies and partners from all around the world, from North Africa to North America to the Indo-Pacific, to aid Ukraine in defense of its nation. I believe we must sustain that assistance as long as Ukrainians fight for a democratic future free from Russian oppression.

The defensive security assistance we have provided and continue to provide Ukraine to help fend off its autocratic invader is absolutely critical.

Also, it is of utmost importance that we continue to surge humanitarian aid to Ukraine and the countries in the region accepting the growing influx of refugees. As of yesterday, nearly 700,000 had left their homes, left their country to seek safety, unsure of whether they will ever again see their homes. Estimates project that that number will quickly reach into the millions, as well as those who are displaced but remain in Ukraine.

Our allies in Europe have acted admirably, so they have been accepting those fleeing the destruction. We must do our part to help them as well.

Amidst all the bloodshed, we are seeing astounding courage displayed by President Zelensky, the Ukrainian Government, and, above all, the Ukrainian people. We are also seeing the unity of the transatlantic alliance, more unified than ever in the face of Vladimir Putin's war.

The people of Ukraine must continue to hear a message of loud and clear support from us, the United States Congress. They must see that we see their suffering, that we stand with them in their fight against an authoritarian invader, and that we will continue to usher as much support to their cause as the United States can muster.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution outlines the plan and sheds an indisputable light on the atrocities the Putin regime and the Russian military are committing. It demands an immediate cease-fire and full withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine. It backs additional coordinated economic measures to hold Putin accountable.

It reaffirms our NATO Article 5 commitments, reaffirms Ukrainian sovereignty over Crimea and Donbas. It highlights the unprecedented global multilateral efforts the Biden administration has helped usher.

It states our commitment in the United States Congress to support the Ukrainian people throughout this terrifying ordeal and delivers perhaps the most important message a resolution can deliver right now, that the House of Representatives will never ever recognize any illegitimate government that Putin hopes to install in Ukraine. It is up to the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian people alone to choose their political leadership and their future.

I support this resolution, and I want to offer my sincerest thanks to Representative Spartz, but also to my ranking member. We worked diligently on this resolution, to make sure that this was a bipartisan resolution. I appreciate Ranking Member McCaul for his friendship and the way that we work together now, especially on this resolution.

Democrat and Republican leadership worked collectively also. For working with me, I want to thank them. They have worked with me for what I believe is a very strong message, a unified message, to support the people of Ukraine.

It is also a unified message to Vladimir Putin, whose objective was to divide us. He would have loved to have divided us from our European allies, loved to divide us from NATO, loved to divide us from within.

But with this resolution, it becomes crystal clear: Mr. Putin, you can't win this. We are going to stand against you, and we are going to preserve democracy because that is what is at stake here.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Allred), who was walking the streets of Ukraine with us just a few weeks ago.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro), the chair of the Subcommittee on International Development, International Organizations, and Global Corporate Social Impact.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), the president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, who has seen with his own eyes the unity that we now have with our NATO allies.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), the cofounder and co-chair of the Ukraine Caucus, who has worked on this her entire congressional career.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), a dynamic Representative from the great State of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), a dynamic Representative.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my honor to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished majority leader of the United States House of Representatives.

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

Mr. Speaker, the camera of history is rolling on all of us today. What is happening today children yet unborn will be studying and looking at what we did, what we stood for, or did not. They will be studying in their history books whether or not when democracy was at stake, when sovereign nations were in peril, whether or not we stood up and stood out to protect freedom, sovereignty of states, independence, or not.

The fact of the matter is, if we don't stand up now, those same children that I am talking about may not be able to live in a democratic society. That is why this is so important.

Putin may think that he is encircling Kyiv now, but this United Nations vote, where 141 nations said they are not going to allow that to happen, is encircling Putin and his thugs. And we will stay there for as long as it takes until freedom rings because that is what this is all about.

I think of today those that I met when I was in Kyiv, those that I had dinner with, those that worked in our U.S. Embassy, those that were driving taxis. As I see the pictures of them walking these streets today in front of Russian tanks, unafraid--I saw a picture of a woman standing and pointing at a Russian soldier, saying they would die there before she gives up. That is what this is all about.

The words that the activist told me while I was in Kyiv, that we are ready to fight, just provide us the support that we need to protect our country and freedom.

Slava Ukraini. Glory to Ukraine and its people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. McCaul and Congresswoman Spartz for working with me so that we can make a bipartisan message right here on the people's floor.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 900, I call up the bill (H.R. 3485) to impose sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violations of internationally recognized human rights against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) individuals, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3485.

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

Mr. Speaker, this is a very important day with a very important bill, and I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3485, the Global Respect Act, as amended, and introduced by my friend and great American, Congressman David Cicilline.

Mr. Speaker, we live in a country that espouses that all human beings are created equal, endowed with equal rights, no matter what we look like, how we pray, or where we come from.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights tells us, ``all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.'' The International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights states that, ``All persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law.''

And our own Declaration of Independence famously says, ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.''

Mr. Speaker, the Global Respect Act brings us closer to realizing these treasured ideals.

Today, unfortunately, shamelessly, millions of people are living in fear. In countless countries, LGBTQI-plus people face punishment simply for being who they are. They are subject to brutal beatings, imprisoned for lifetimes,

tortured, hanged, and stoned. When human rights abuses are being committed, the United States of America must do its part to hold the perpetrators accountable. And that is why Congressman Cicilline introduced H.R. 3485, the Global Respect Act.

This legislation is critical, straightforward, and overdue. It requires the President to identify foreign individuals responsible for these human rights violations against LGBTQI-plus people and to prevent them from entering the United States of America.

In addition, the Global Respect Act requires the State Department to designate at least one senior officer responsible for tracking violence, criminalization, and restrictions on the freedoms of LGBTQI- plus people abroad. This legislation also requires the Department of State to include information relating to violence or discrimination against LGBTQI-plus communities in its annual human rights reports.

Now, unfortunately, several of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle say they oppose the bill because they claim it is duplicative of Magnitsky sanctions. While Global Magnitsky is a landmark tool in the fight against human rights abuses, rarely has it been used by administrations to sanction those who persecute LGBTQI-plus persons. This bill simply builds on existing human rights-related authorities to ensure that human rights abusers are held accountable everywhere on this planet.

They also argue the language of the bill is overly broad when, in fact, the words they quibble with come directly from what has already been enacted in the United States Code, drawing word-from-word the definition of ``gross violation of human rights.''

There are critics out there who say this bill infringes on religious beliefs. I wholeheartedly, 1,000 percent, reject this notion. The Global Respect Act is about holding accountable individuals responsible for committing human rights abuses against LGBTQI-plus people; Individuals who commit the absolute worst crimes, such as murder, forced detentions, and disappearances of persons. This bill is clear in that it targets heinous acts, and does not authorize any action against an individual based solely upon religious belief.

Mr. Speaker, I can't thank Congressman David Cicilline enough for his work, for his commitment, for his dedication on presenting this legislation so that equality and human rights are protected. I also recognize the courageous LGBTQI-plus activists who are out there and who dared to stand up and claim their basic human rights in the face of violence, discrimination, persecution, simply for whom they love.

Mr. Speaker, I have a brother who had to stand up for who he is. He is a human being. And we should not allow any violations of human rights here in the United States or anyplace we know as planet Earth.

So when LGBTQI-plus people are murdered simply for existing, the world is watching. And the world is watching what we do. And the world is watching how we react to it. And the world is watching what we say, and what we stand for when we say we have value for human beings. That is what is at stake here.

This should not be a partisan issue. It has never been a partisan issue. This should be an issue about all human beings, protecting human beings, the human race, because when you break it down, we are all the same. And that is why I am heartened that this legislation is in fact bipartisan. And I am heartened and proud that this legislation passed out of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs by a voice vote. One of the proudest moments I have is introducing and being on this floor today as chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs to strongly support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to state that the notion that this bill is not supported by the administration is just blatantly false.

Just last week, the Biden administration released a Statement of Administration Policy in full support of the bill and noted the urgent need to address threats to the human rights of LGBTQI-plus, not just abroad but right here in the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), the author of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Rhode Island.

Mr. Speaker, let me just say this real quick. I don't mind burdening anyone if it is going to save somebody's life. There are certain burdens that we have to carry, and this is one of them.

Mr. Speaker, I, with pride, yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus), a strong fighter for human rights.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Manning).

I am prepared to close, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, let me start by commending and thanking the Biden administration for its strong support in moving this legislation.

What is noted in his support is that legislation like this is needed at a time especially when countries are undertaking steps to further marginalize or harm LGBTQ-plus community members and that the administration looks forward to working with Congress on what I know will be a bipartisan vote.

I also happen to agree with President Biden and echo his statement that in a time when a global rise in authoritarianism and hate persists that it is critical that we send a strong message to the world that the United States of America, the world's greatest democracy--that the United States of America, who leads with its values--that the United States of America can speak up and speak out striving to be a more perfect Union, and that the United States of America can lead the world to say that we are going to stop the persecution of human beings simply for who they are.

This is the year 2022, Mr. Speaker. I would think by now we would have learned that our voices should never be shut when we see violations of human rights. One of the things that I pledged when I became chair of this committee was that human rights would be on the front burner because if we can't come together no matter what party we are in, no matter what religion we have, no matter what ethnicity we have, and no matter where we come from on this planet, if we can't come together and say that we are going to stand up, speak out, and stop where individuals are being persecuted and prosecuted--murdered--that is the least that we can do.

I don't care how difficult it is. I don't care if it puts a burden on the administration to do it because those are our values, that is what should take precedence.

I have seen too much right here in the United States--individuals just walking down the street holding hands with whom they love, and someone walks up and does something horrific to them.

We have had to pass these bills and laws in our country so that they can live their life. If we see it happening to anyone else, then we have got to make sure that voice is heard and stop individuals who are persecuting and prosecuting people from anyplace else on this planet from coming to this country.

Send a message. Don't send it once, send it twice. If it takes three or four times, then so be it. That is what this is all about. The camera of history is recording this, looking to see what we do and what we say.

How do we react to a human tragedy?

Generations yet unborn will be saying: What did the United States Congress do when they knew?

No one denies what is taking place all over the world when it comes to LGBTQI-plus individuals. Nobody denies that they are being killed. No one denies that they are being tortured. Nobody denies that they are treated in an inhumane way. That is not being denied.

So as long as it exists, we should use every tool available to make sure that we wipe it off the planet Earth, and that is what David Cicilline, this great Congressman, intended when he offered this bill.

This should be an historic moment and a proud moment for the United States Congress to say: We have stood up and led the world to stop human rights violations to people just like us, human beings.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this bill.

We find ourselves in a strategic competition with an increasingly assertive People's Republic of China. The PRC is

trying to manipulate and alter the economic, political, and security underpinnings of the American-led, rules-based international order, an order that has brokered decades of peace, prosperity, and stability for many.

As it has grown in wealth and power, we have seen the PRC bend international rules and laws to meet its interests, bully nations over maritime and border disputes, and grow more closed and authoritarian at home.

Today, the PRC is systematically leveraging its growing military, economic, and technological heft to compete with us globally. And that is happening whether we like it or not.

We must reckon with this stark, new reality by positioning America to win this competition, and H.R. 4521, the America COMPETES Act, does just that. It powers the engine of the American economy through investments in science, innovation, and technology. It raises the flag of American diplomacy and leadership to reassure the world that America is indeed back at the table, ready to counter China's efforts to manipulate the international system and to strengthen our allies and partnerships.

Centering diplomacy and bolstering America's global leadership and engagement are the themes of my bill, the EAGLE Act, which serves as the foreign affairs division of the America COMPETES Act.

The EAGLE Act bolsters our diplomacy bilaterally, at regional organizations, and through groupings like the Quad to ensure that we bring our partners and allies with us to prevent the PRC from undermining global rules. It demonstrates that America is capable and willing to tackle the world's biggest problems and marshal a response to shared challenges like the current pandemic. And it ensures that the United States will lead with its values and stand up for international law and human rights.

In many respects, this legislation goes further than the Senate's competition bill in terms of responding to the People's Republic of China's human rights abuses. In addition to sanctions related to the genocide in Xinjiang, the EAGLE Act contains refugee protections for Uyghurs and Hong Kongers and also calls for a special envoy for Xinjiang.

I can say with absolute confidence that when it comes to standing up for our values, the America COMPETES Act is bold and principled.

Madam Speaker, I support this historic bill, and I urge my fellow colleagues to do just the same.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 849, I call up the bill (H.R. 5665) to establish in the Department of State the Office to Monitor and Combat Islamophobia, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 5665.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5665, the Combating International Islamophobia Act.

Before I continue, let me insert in the Record a Statement of Administration Policy, which begins by stating: ``The administration supports passage of H.R. 5665, the Combating International Islamophobia Act.'' And ``Our country's commitment to defending freedom of religion and belief goes back centuries, and the administration strongly believes that people of all faiths and backgrounds should be treated with equal dignity and respect around the world.''

Statement of Administration Policy

H.R. 5665--Combatting International Islamophobia Act--Rep. Omar, D-MN,

and 56 co-sponsors

The Administration supports passage of H.R. 5665, the

Combating International Islamophobia Act. Religious freedom

is a fundamental human right. This freedom is enshrined in

the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is also part of

the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Our country's

commitment to defending freedom of religion and belief goes

back centuries, and the Administration strongly believes that

people of all faiths and backgrounds should be treated with

equal dignity and respect around the world.

The Administration also supports language in H.R. 5665 that

calls attention to instances of forced labor, reeducation, or

the presence of concentration camps, such as those targeting

Uyghur and other minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous

Region of the People's Republic of China.

The Administration looks forward to working with Congress

to ensure the Secretary of State has the necessary

flexibility and permissive authority to designate such an

office and special envoy and to provide for an annual report

monitoring concerning acts of Islamophobia in foreign

countries.

Madam Speaker, I could not agree more. The world is seeing an alarming rise in anti-Muslim sentiment and violence, and we are witnessing those same trends, unfortunately, here in the United States of America.

In recent years, anti-Muslim bigotry has been on the rise with mosques being vandalized and Muslims beaten and attacked and elected officials on the receiving end of death threats and other hateful rhetoric all due to their Muslim faith.

Bigotry is unacceptable, and it is incumbent on all of us to condemn it wherever and whenever it occurs.

The great Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said: ``Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'' Not only must we address anti-Muslim bigotry here in the United States, but we are also obligated to confront that bigotry wherever and whenever we see it happening around the world.

In 2019, New Zealand witnessed the worst terrorist attack in that nation's history when a white supremacist gunman killed 51 Muslim worshippers and injured 40 others at two mosques.

Just last week, here on the House floor, we discussed the horrific atrocities being committed against Uyghur Muslims in China and the Rohingya Muslims in Burma. We did it in a bipartisan way with my good friend and colleague Mr. McCaul. That is who we should be, and that is what we should represent because freedom of religion is a fundamental human right, and no one should be the target of discrimination because of their faith.

Prior to considering H.R. 5665, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs held numerous hearings, including with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and leading academics across the country that discussed and better informed our understanding of anti-Muslim bigotry and Islamophobia.

With the passage of H.R. 5665, the establishment of an office at the State Department to help combat the scourge of Islamophobia, we take an important step toward addressing this problem. That is why I am proud to support the Combating International Islamophobia Act. This important legislation would do three very, very important but simple things. First, it would establish an office to monitor and combat Islamophobia at the State Department. Second, it would provide the authority to the executive branch to appoint a special envoy for monitoring and combating Islamophobia. And third, it will help to improve State Department reporting on threats to Muslims around the world.

Now, several of my colleagues on the other side have stated that they oppose this bill, that the bill does not define Islamophobia, but I believe, and I think they seem to have an awareness, as we all do, for Islamophobia when they criticize the bill for not doing enough to address Islamophobia against the Uyghur population in China.

Madam Speaker, discrimination and bigotry are abhorrent, and combating them is something which we should all be able to do together. That is why I am so heartened to see this important piece of legislation being led by a Muslim Member of Congress and a Jewish Member of Congress. I wish I could say by a Democratic Member of Congress and a Republican Member of Congress. That would be the right message to send to the world.

Discrimination and bigotry bring out the worst in humanity. I know that my friend and colleague feels the same way. I know he does, as do many of my colleagues on the other side. But we have to stand up and say it right here on the floor so the world knows what we stand for. If left unchecked, they can lead to terrible atrocities, to crimes against humanity, and even to genocide. So this legislation will help shine a light on this problem and help address the global rise of Islamophobia at a time in which Islamophobia remains rampant.

Madam Speaker, I strongly encourage all Members of this House to support this very timely and important bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Omar), the sponsor of this most timely bill.

Madam Speaker, let me just reply to Mr. McCaul earlier that the anti-Semitism legislation was introduced on January 3 of 2019, passed the House on January 11 of 2019. There were no hearings that were held that last Congress before we passed the vote, and there was no markup, as we had in our committee this year at all.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), the cosponsor of this legislation.

Madam Speaker, we want to take down the words. I ask that the words be taken down.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis) a member of the Ways and Means Committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, clearly, we are not here to talk about criticism. We are here to talk about persecution. We are here to talk about anti-Muslim hate. We are even here to talk about genocide. And we should know it when we see it.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the Representative from the great State of Texas (Mr. Green).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from the great State of Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).

Mr. Speaker, I am ready to close.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. McCaul for his statements. Yes, we work very closely together, as well as many Members in this House, especially on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, strong fighters on both sides of the aisle for human rights.

The question that presents itself with this plain and simple bill that simply calls for us to establish an office to monitor and combat Islamophobia at the State Department is: Do we all agree? I think I have heard my colleagues on the other side say that Islamophobia is wrong. That means you know that Islamophobia exists.

You know it when you see it. You know it when you feel it. You know it when you talk about the Uyghurs, the Rohingyas, or right here in the United States of America. There is a definition right there. You see it. They have said it. We have said it. Islamophobia exists.

What we need to do is call it out. What we need to do is lock arms and stand together. This is an important bill. The camera of history is rolling on us. It is an important bill, and it is a bill of consequence. It should be of consequence to every human being on the planet, no matter your religion or no matter your race.

It is important to nearly 2 billion Muslims in the world. We need to focus on what this bill does. Some of the proudest moments of mine--I live in and represent one of the most diverse districts in all the United States, in the most diverse county in the United States. I have seen ugliness raise its ugly head, whether it is racism, anti-Semitism, or Islamophobia.

But the proud moment is when I see Muslims and Jews walking arm-in- arm against Islamophobia and against anti-Semitism, when I see people of all races and nationalities standing together and not being silent.

Inaction is unacceptable. We cannot stand idly by as atrocity after atrocity is inflicted on people of the Muslim faith, or any faith, for no reason other than bigotry against their religion.

Freedom of religion is a human right. We can and must do better at combating Islamophobia here at home and abroad. I wish it was today, but I keep dreams and hopes alive that we will lock arms--we have good people here--and say in unison, as I have seen people do in my district, that we are going to call out Islamophobia wherever we see it, the same with racism and the same with anti-Semitism.

Mr. Speaker, this bill that everybody is watching--we travel a lot on our committee. We know that people watch what is happening on this floor. They take it to their gut. I hope that they look at this bill and know that we are going to call it out and not accept it. Silence will not be accepted.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6256) to ensure that goods made with forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China do not enter the United States market, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6256.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6256, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act introduced by my good friend, colleague, and chair of the Rules Committee, Mr. McGovern.

Last week, Mr. Speaker, we passed Chair McGovern's original legislation on the House floor. I heard my Republican friends comment that this bill was being slow-walked by the House Democrats; that we were supposedly passing Chairman McGovern's bill to stall and negotiate the Senate bill. Even if we did reach agreement, my colleagues across the aisle surmised that the President would not support the compromise package.

Here we are, less than 6 days later, and a compromise between the House and the Senate versions has already been negotiated. Just a few hours ago, unsurprisingly, the Biden administration announced that it would sign this vital piece of legislation.

The biggest difference between the two packages was the House called for implementation in 120 days; the Senate wanted to wait 270 days. We have negotiated them down to 180 days. The crucial protections of this law will come into effect months earlier because of House Democrats.

Let me be clear, this is a good thing because it is a bipartisan measure. I am glad that such important legislation will pass with near unanimous support from both parties. That is what this should be.

Since 2017, the People's Republic of China has systematically carried out mass detention, torture, political indoctrination, restrictions on religious practices, and inhumane atrocities against Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.

We have seen the People's Republic of China expand its extensive program of oppression and transform it into a system of state-sponsored forced labor. Under the guise of vocational training or poverty alleviation, authorities in Xinjiang have forced thousands of adults and children to work against their will and under threat of punishment to produce goods and raw materials that are then woven into international supply chains and then to our homes.

This bill, which has passed the House before, prohibits the import of goods and merchandise from Xinjiang unless the importer can prove the products did not come from forced labor, imposes sanctions on officials facilitating the use of forced labor against Chinese ethnic minorities, adds important financial disclosures for public companies that do business in the region, and also calls for a diplomatic strategy to address forced labor in Xinjiang.

This is a straightforward bill. It signals that America will not tolerate forced labor, and products made from forced labor shall not enter the American marketplace. In 2021, for any country to utilize forced labor systematically and to oppress and exploit its population is unconscionable, unacceptable, and, indeed, un-American. We cannot and will not stand idly by.

This legislation is critical to showing that we are putting human rights at the center of our foreign and economic policy. I support this bill, and I look forward to continuing to work.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Barr, Mr. McCaul, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for coming forward and speaking up, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the sponsor of this bill and chairman of the Rules Committee.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), a great member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

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

H.R. 6256, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, is an opportunity for this body to send a resounding message to the world. We are engaged in a strategic competition with China around the world, and our stance on this issue, I believe, will define why our system is better. We aggressively oppose forced labor and Islamophobia, and we will back up our values with our actions.

In this major piece of legislation, we are doing it together, Democrats and Republicans, working with Ranking Member McCaul and others, because it is the right thing to do. It is the right message to send.

So let us do it; let us get it out; let us stand tall; let us be true to our values. Let not China get away with Islamophobia. Let's make sure we wipe out Islamophobia, racism, and anti-Semitism from all corners of this place that we call the planet Earth.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members

have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1155.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1155, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act introduced by my good friend, colleague, and chairman of the Rules Committee, Mr. McGovern.

Let me also thank Speaker Pelosi for bringing this crucial measure to the floor, and her unwavering dedication to human rights issues in China over the course of her public life.

This necessary and bold measure reinforces this body's commitment to our values by responding to the PRC's human rights violations and imposing concrete costs on the PRC for the use of Uyghur forced labor.

Since 2017, the People's Republic of China has systematically carried out mass detention, torture, political indoctrination, restrictions on religious attractions, and inhumane atrocities against Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.

We have seen the People's Republic of China expand its extensive program of repression and transform it into a system of state-sponsored forced labor. Under the guise of vocational training or poverty alleviation, authorities in Xinjiang have forced thousands of adults and children to work against their will and under threat of punishment to produce goods and raw materials that are then woven into international supply chains and into our homes.

According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, it has been conservatively estimated that more than 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred out of Xinjiang to work in factories across China between the years of 2017 and 2019, with some of them being sent directly from detention centers. Some analysts estimate that over 100,000 ex-detainees in Xinjiang are working in conditions of forced labor today.

I have seen firsthand the benefits of the American companies engaging in China. Most American companies pay above-market wages and have better corporate social responsibility practices than their domestic counterparts. It would be inconsistent with core and crucial American values for this body not to take a stand against forced labor, and to stand up for the persecuted Uyghurs.

Many brave companies have already spoken out and made ethical choices detrimental to their bottom line, and this bill ensures that corporate actors that have lived their values are not at a competitive disadvantage in the American marketplace.

This bill, which has passed the House before, prohibits the import of goods and merchandise from Xinjiang unless the importer can prove the products did not come from forced labor, imposes sanctions on officials facilitating the use of forced labor against Chinese ethnic minorities, adds important financial disclosures for public companies that do business in the region, and calls for a diplomatic strategy to address forced labor in Xinjiang.

This is a straightforward bill. It signals that forced labor has no place on this planet. It signals that products made using forced labor in Xinjiang have no place in the American marketplace. In 2021, for any country to utilize forced labor systematically and to oppress and exploit a population is simply unconscionable.

With the passage of this bipartisan measure, the House would hold accountable those responsible for perpetrating these heinous crimes that have irrevocably threatened the lives of over 1.8 million Uyghurs and Muslim minorities in Xinjiang and ensure Americans and American companies are not complicit in the Chinese Communist Party's human rights atrocities.

This legislation is critical to showing that we are putting human rights at the center of our foreign policy and economic policy. Mr. Speaker, I support and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from the great State of Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the great State of New York (Mr. Suozzi), who is on the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I proudly yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the great State of Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. Speaker, I proudly yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from the great State of Virginia (Ms. Wexton).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

I am happy that this bipartisan effort dealing with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act is an opportunity for this body to send a resounding message to the world that we are engaged in a strategic competition with China around the world. And our stance on this issue, I believe, will define why our system is better.

But I must reply to some comments.

One, the comment that President Biden is holding us up. Well, I am the chair of this committee, he has never told me to hold up anything. In fact, he wants to move forward.

In fact, it is President Biden who has sanctioned officials responsible for genocide and issued supply chain advisories in Xinjiang.

The fact of the matter is, I think our bill is far superior. You go to the Senate side, the Senate says, this should take 300 days to stop. Our bill says 120 days.

For me, this is a personal situation. So I would wish that some of my colleagues who, rightfully, want to make sure that we send a strong message to the world that we are not going to stand for genocide. We are not going to stand for slave labor.

But it is best if they would join us about injustice in America. It is best if we fought together to make sure that when President Trump talked about a Muslim ban in the United States of America--that wasn't Joe Biden--we can't do it in America. That is the best way to lead.

When we talk about moving, I want to condemn it everywhere. Dr. King said: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

We should lead by example collectively. We should lead by going forward with voting rights. We should lead by talking about reparations for those who were enslaved in America. We should lead by talking about the genocide that took place to Native Americans. We should lead by talking about the injustice in housing. We should lead by talking about civil rights.

So we have got to come together and stop it everywhere, and that is what this bill does. It sends a strong message. I want to be that example.

This just happens to be personal, so I had to say it. I don't like to put politics in these things, but I do like to tell the truth.

Mr. Speaker, we have got to work together. I want to thank especially Mr. McCaul. I have got to say this, too, in closing. I have got to say this in closing, because Mr. McCaul is my friend, and we work very closely together. I know his spirit and his heart, and he stands up. I look forward on this committee to continue to do that.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I just have these last remarks.

I also want to thank Mr. Smith. As indicated by the Speaker, from the time that I have been in Congress, his focus has been on human rights around the world. As the Speaker indicated, and as I indicated with Mr. McCaul and you will see coming up with these other bills, we have worked collectively, leaving politics out of it, focused on leading the world. That is what I look forward to, locking arms, sending that message around the world that we are not going to allow slave labor to flourish and to exist on this planet.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 837) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the International Olympic Committee failed to adhere to its own human rights commitments, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 837.

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

I rise today in support of H. Res. 837, as amended, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Beijing should immediately guarantee the safety and the freedom of tennis star Peng Shuai, introduced by the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Wexton).

Last month, former Wimbledon women's doubles champion and three-time Olympian Peng Shuai accused former Vice Premier of the State Council Zhang Gaoli of committing sexual assault and forcing her into a sexual relationship.

After these groundbreaking allegations were made, the first sexual assault allegation to implicate a high-ranking Chinese official, Peng seemingly vanished into thin air, and China's great firewall went into overdrive, deleting the original post, censoring any mention of Peng's name or discussion of her allegations online.

We know that here in America, sexual assault and gender-based violence are serious problems, and it took a movement of brave women and their allies to start changing the conversation around our workplaces and our homes and in our schools and communities.

Due to the action of journalists, the tennis community, activists, and social media users across the globe who started to ask about Peng's whereabouts, there has been tremendous attention given to her case. However, I, like many of my colleagues, remain deeply concerned about Peng's whereabouts and well-being. It is vital that we get assurances that Peng is safe and her ability to speak out is not constrained.

This important, bipartisan resolution calls for independent and verifiable proof that she is safe and free to make decisions and take actions of her own free will.

The accusations of sexual abuse by a former senior official are very serious, and this resolution calls for the Government of the People's Republic of China to immediately conduct a formal, transparent, and independent investigation.

At a time when we are preparing to send hundreds of American athletes to compete in Beijing's Winter Olympics, this resolution calls on the International Olympic Committee to do more to ensure athlete safety and hold the PRC Government accountable for its actions against Peng.

This is timely and is also an urgent resolution. I support it, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Wexton), the sponsor of this bill along with the cosponsor, Mr. Waltz.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

H. Res. 837, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Beijing should immediately guarantee the safety and freedom of tennis star Peng Shuai is a timely and urgent resolution.

Peng's whereabouts and safety in China have been in question now for several weeks, and in just over 8 weeks, the Beijing Olympic Games are set to begin. There will be athletes from all over the world in attendance. This body owes it not to just to Peng, but to all the athletes participating in the Olympic Games to demonstrate that we do not take their safety and freedom for granted.

The PRC must understand that its diplomatic and economic heft will not allow it to get away scot-free when it silences and erases individuals.

While this resolution is about a single athlete, it is really about the innate dignity and freedom of every sexual assault survivor, human rights activist, environmental advocate, artist, journalist, and entrepreneur that has ever been beaten and broken by the Chinese Communist Party. We owe them our voice and our support.

Let me, again, thank Congresswoman Wexton and Congressman Waltz for their work on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I hope all of my colleagues will join us in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 317) condemning the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity being committed against Uyghurs and members of other religious and ethnic minority groups by the People's Republic of China, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 317, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 317, as amended, condemning the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity being committed against Uyghurs and members of other religious and ethnic minority groups by the People's Republic of China. And I was proud to introduce this resolution alongside my good friend, Ranking Member McCaul, and working collectively with him.

Mr. Speaker, I have said previously, and I will say this again, as an African American who has faced the brunt end of injustice for no reason other than the color of my skin and watched my parents suffer, I am very sensitive to the deep wounds of intolerance and oppression that many minority populations endure across the globe.

Again, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., famously said: ``Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere'' and ``I refuse to be silent,'' another statement of Dr. King because silence can be complicity.

Dr. King called us all to be champions of human rights, not just here in the United States, but wherever human rights are under threat.

And we have seen grave human rights abuses in China. In Xinjiang, the Uyghur people and other ethnic and religious minority groups are subjected to systematic human rights violations that amounts to a genocide and crimes against humanity as defined by the Geneva Convention.

The crimes taking place against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang are horrific in their scope and severity. And we know of these atrocities because many survivors began speaking out at great risk to their personal safety and that of their families. They provided firsthand accounts confirming China's targeted campaign of repression. Meanwhile, journalists, scholars, and activists who have tried to uncover what is happening have been targeted and expelled.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee has heard harrowing accounts from survivors of mass internment, forced labor, torture, political indoctrination, suppression of religious practices, family separation, sexual abuse, and other inhumane practices.

During a hearing on May 6 of this year, survivor Tursunay Ziyawudun ended her testimony by imploring the members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Congress to act. And we are here today to do just that.

This resolution unequivocally declares that a genocide is taking place in the Uyghur region. I agree with that declaration and so do many others around the world.

This resolution is a clarion call, not just to every nation in the world, but to every person on this planet that the United States Congress will not remain silent, no matter how powerful the perpetrator.

We must continue to call out the government of the People's Republic of China for these atrocities and others all over the world and have them take all possible actions to bring this genocide and these crimes against humanity to an end.

I say to the world, we are starting with China. We are going all over the world. Human rights are on the front burner in the United States House of Representatives and clearly on the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

This is an important resolution. I close by saying I support and am glad to work with the ranking member, Mr. McCaul.

Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution. I urge my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL: Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), ranking member of the Committee of Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I, too, thank Mr. McCaul for his leadership. It is my pleasure to work with him on this bill to get this to the floor and to pass it on this floor, the people's House, in a bipartisan way, sending a strong message together. That is what this does. So I thank him for his friendship, and I thank him for standing up, as he does, and working together in a bipartisan way.

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 317, condemning the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity being committed against the Uyghurs and members of other religious and ethnic minority groups by the People's Republic of China is critical to demonstrating to those suffering in Xinjiang that they haven't been forsaken. And to the government of Beijing, we will speak out when it tramples the universal rights that every human being deserves.

It gives me hope that we are not the first parliamentary body that has deemed the PRC's action in Xinjiang a genocide. The parliaments of the U.K., of Canada, of Lithuania, among others, have already taken the right stand. We must support them. We must work with them and multilateral groups. We must encourage other nations and other people to speak out. But I am proud we are speaking out here today in the United States Congress, in the people's House. We will not be silent.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that all my colleagues will join me in supporting this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the distinguished chair of the House Armed Services Committee for all of his hard work in putting together, as he was just closing, what I think is a bill that is one of the best--a lot of hard work that he has done. I thank the ranking member also.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of passing this measure here before us today.

Every year for the past six decades, Congress has passed a Defense authorization bill. This is an important bipartisan tradition, and I commend, as I said, Chairman Smith for his admirable work carrying out this legacy.

Unfortunately, Congress has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to our State Department. We have not passed a comprehensive State Department authorization in nearly two decades. Congress has been attuned to defense for decades, but we have consistently left diplomacy out to dry.

I am glad that tonight we will be ending this trend by passing out both a Defense authorization bill and a bipartisan State authorization bill contained therein. We need a State Department for the century ahead, not decades past, and my State authorization bill will now put us on that track.

Now, no bill is perfect. Unfortunately, I am disappointed that there are some provisions that were not included in this NDAA. Saudi Arabia's abuse against dissidents and civil society has continued since the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi, yet two bipartisan House provisions that addressed some of these human rights violations were dropped in the final package. Other amendments that would have ended needless civilian casualties resulting from the brutal war in Yemen were also removed by Senate Republicans, though we had a bipartisan agreement in this House.

Finally, Madam Speaker, provisions promoting diversity and other management reforms at the State Department were also left out.

These are just a few examples of where the bill falls a little short. Despite the efforts of many of our members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and my own as chair, we were unable to secure the requisite support from Senate Republicans to advance important provisions in this final bill.

Nevertheless, Madam Speaker, there are other important provisions contained in this NDAA, including State authorization, and I urge my colleagues to vote in the affirmative.

Madam Speaker, I wish to dedicate some time today to commemorate the 100th birthday of Caldwell Durham. Born in Raymond, Mississippi, more than two decades before Brown v. Board of Education, there was no guarantee that Caldwell Durham (Electrical Engineer Class of 1951 at IIT) or his brothers and sisters would have access to an education. If it were not for the courage and idealism of his parents, Chaney and Curtis Durham, Caldwell might have had a very different life.

At 100, he has worked tenaciously while enjoying a successful, barrier-breaking career as an aerospace engineer. He married the love of his life, Burnette Short Durham, and together they raised three children. He has four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, cousins and in- laws. He stays in

touch with associates, including fellow Illinois Institute of Technology alumni Michael Hill (CS '82) and Perri Irmer (ARCH '81), colleagues, and friends, who help him stay connected to his passions on a global scale.

What's his secret? Caldwell chuckles at the thought of trying to distill a century of living into a few pithy words of advice. ``Are you sure you want the whole story?'' he asks.

The story begins when Caldwell was born on September 12, 1921 in Raymond, Mississippi, the seventh of eight children. As with all parents, Caldwell's wanted to give their children the best possible start in life. His mother, Chaney Durham, was determined to ensure her children had the opportunity to obtain an education.

So, Curtis and Chaney Durham bought a house 750 miles away and in 1923, they moved their family to Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, about two miles away from Armour Institute, the institute that would be reborn as Illinois Institute of Technology in 1940.

There, the Durham children did exactly what their mother hoped they would. They went to school. Caldwell graduated from DuSable High School in 1939 and from Woodrow Wilson Junior College in the spring of 1941. That December, the United States entered World War II.

Caldwell knew that if he was drafted, he'd have little control over where or how he was deployed. He heard about a U.S. Army Air Force airborne training program which would train volunteers to work on aviation electronics. Durham volunteered and was accepted to the training program, assigned to a segregated unit of Black soldiers. Caldwell excelled and his training laid the foundation for the rest of his career.

After the war, Caldwell used his engineering training to get a job working for Western Electric, as a ``wireman,'' building and installing hardware for telephone stations. He was the only Black wireman working for Western Electric, establishing a pattern that he would repeat throughout his career.

In the late 1940s, one of Caldwell's colleagues mentioned that he was thinking about quitting his job at Western Electric to go back to school. Caldwell thought that with his academic and professional background and the financial support of the GI Bill, he might be able to do the same. In 1949, he took a class at the university only a couple of miles from his family's home--Illinois Institute of Technology.

There, Caldwell engaged his remarkable capacity as an engineer and excelled. An IIT professor encouraged Caldwell to apply to attend IIT as a full-time student, so he did. A few months later, he was admitted to Illinois Tech, where he earned a bachelor of science in electrical engineering and again, he excelled.

As graduation approached in 1951, Caldwell found little success finding a job in the Midwest, as few firms at the time had an interest in hiring a Black engineer. One of his professors at IIT suggested he look for a job on the west coast, so Caldwell applied for a job at Lockheed in California.

In June 1951, Caldwell Durham moved across the country in pursuit of greater opportunity, this time with his own family.

The Durhams settled in L.A. and Caldwell quickly earned the respect of his colleagues. Caldwell spent the next ten years working for Lockheed, beginning his aerospace career in earnest, designing and testing airplane instrumentation for the U-2 Spy Plane, first- generation jet aircrafts like the F-94C Starfire Interceptor, and the iconic L-1049 Super Constellation.

In 1961, Caldwell attended a conference where he ran into Okomoto, one of his former Lockheed colleagues, who had since gone to work for Space Technology Laboratories (STL). Okomoto persuaded his manager to interview Caldwell for a job in his office.

Caldwell spent the rest of his career at STL, which later came to be known as TRW. There, he worked in the Ballistic Missile Flight test Instrumentation section, participating in the specification and development of instrumentation systems for several ballistic missiles. Over a period of 28 years he truly became a rocket scientist. In 1978, he became head of the Instrumentation Section. He was the only black section manager in TRW's Missile Program Office. In 1989, he retired with honors and commendations.

Success like Caldwell's isn't a foregone conclusion for anyone. But his parents likely wouldn't be surprised. Chaney Durham knew that all of her children had potential and she did everything she could to give them the chance to express it. She knew that the best way to give her children this gift was through access to education.

Because of his education, Caldwell was able to compete for opportunities that others like him had rarely been allowed to pursue before. And because of his talent and determination, he enjoyed a successful career. He and Burnette also committed themselves to passing on the lesson of the power of an education to their own children. Today, all three of Caldwell's children achieved post-graduate degrees, and he counts lawyers, doctors and a news anchor among his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

This legacy of excellence began almost one hundred years ago, all because one family made the decision to prioritize access to education over their own comfort. Because of that, the descendants of Chaney and Curtis Durham, now five generations strong, have what Chaney always dreamed of: a chance at a better life through the power of education.

Caldwell's 100th birthday was September 12, 2021. He likes to say he's lived a charmed life. So, what is his secret? ``You know, I don't know,'' he says with a laugh, ``I think exercise is part of the equation.''

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 284.

Stated against:

Madam Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Speaker, I rise to speak on Meeks amendment No. 30.

The facts are plain. Saudi Arabia and its partners have perpetuated a catastrophic and devastating military campaign in Yemen since 2015, with no end in sight and without regard to civilian casualties.

Saudi Arabia's brutal Yemen war has resulted in the world's largest humanitarian crisis, pushed millions of Yemenis to starvation, and decimated Yemen's civilian infrastructure.

Although the frequency and the intensity of the Saudi military's bombing campaign has decreased as it has engaged in efforts to end the war through international negotiations, unfortunately strikes resulting in civilian casualties have continued.

Between January and March 2021, airstrike incidents causing civilian casualties in Yemen actually increased as compared to the previous 3- month period at the end of 2020.

On one such strike on March 7, 2021, Saudi aircraft bombed the residential areas in Sanaa for the first time in months, leaving four civilians injured.

Later in March and into April, further strikes continued, striking transportation infrastructure, residential areas, and a marketplace, leaving dozens of civilians injured, including two children.

The Biden administration took the important step earlier this year of suspending the deliveries of certain weapons to the Saudi military in response to this pattern of actions, as well as appointing veteran diplomat Tim Lenderking as Special Envoy to Yemen.

However, despite these actions and repeated congressional statements and efforts, the Saudi air force has continued conducting strikes in Yemen that have resulted in civilian casualties using U.S. support.

That is why I am introducing this amendment, with the support of Representatives Deutch and Lieu and Chairmen Smith and Schiff, to suspend U.S. sustainment and maintenance to Saudi air units conducting strikes that result in Yemeni civilian casualties.

My amendment also requires a thorough set of reporting requirements to Congress on the extent and details of Saudi offensive air operations and civilian casualties.

It also includes exceptions for necessary counterterrorism operations against al-Qaida and its affiliates, territorial air defense, and defense of U.S. personnel and facilities.

Houthi militants and the Iranian military continue to launch explosive-laden drones and ballistic missiles into Saudi Arabia at civilian areas and infrastructure, including many areas

where American civilians live and work.

While we seek to urgently address the tragic toll of civilian casualties borne by Yemeni civilians as a result of the Saudi military's expansive air campaign, we recognize that Saudi Arabia does have a right and a need to defend itself, which this amendment provides for.

In short, by suspending ongoing sustainment and maintenance of Saudi aircraft shown to have conducted airstrikes resulting in civilian casualties, we take a critical and necessary step to ensuring the United States is not complicit in or supportive of this destructive, tragic war.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Middle East, North Africa and Global Counterterrorism of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch).

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote for this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Justin Wallace, of Rockaway, New York, who was tragically taken from us on June 5th. Justin was a blessing to all who knew him. An adventurous and loving spirit, he brought tremendous joy and laughter into the lives of everyone around him. To his family, Justin was a ``miracle baby,'' his very existence a gift that defied the odds. A curious explorer with a bright mind, he was always fiddling with new gadgets and technology, learning about cars, enjoying mathematics, and playing video games. To our community, he was a beacon of hope--a gentle giant with a big heart, raised by his loving family to have integrity, respect, and to treat others with compassion and dignity.

Justin was taken from us much too soon. His family and friends have confronted unimaginable grief at the loss of such an innocent and beautiful life. His bright and determined spirit will be dearly missed. Their hardship reflects what a gift he was to his family and friends who had the privilege of loving him. As Justin's brother so eloquently put it: ``Ten years old was short, but it was a blessing and it was beautiful.''

I pray that God will give strength to the Wallace family as they bear this great personal loss. As Scripture tells us in Mathew 11:28-30, ``Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.''

May God bless his soul.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my late constituent, friend, and mentor, David Bluford. David lived a life dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, and to the betterment of the people around him. He was a husband, father, writer, educator, scholar, and a leader to his community.

While so many people might spend their lives and careers scrambling for wealth or power, David was the embodiment of a public servant. In his decades as an educator, he served as a college professor, high school principal, junior high school teacher and the director of the Upward Bound program at Queens College. David's colleagues remember how fervently he advocated for the students. His students remember him for the way he guided them towards wisdom, and towards greater versions of themselves.

As a young man and throughout his life, David sought out opportunities to develop himself in all aspects. He was inducted into the Fayetteville State University Basketball Hall of Fame and served in the Korean War. He studied Education and Political Philosophy at five different colleges including Walden College and Columbia University, ultimately earning his PhD.

David was also a talented writer. He wrote for papers including the New York Voice, New York Daily News, and the National Association of Secondary Principals, where he wrote a guide for new principals preparing to work in underserved communities, as he did during his career. Though he was an excellent leader, David didn't treat education like a strict hierarchy, rather an exchange. He never stopped learning, and he inspired other educators around him to continue to learn, too. He treated his students with dignity.

One of David's favorite quotes, said by Confucius, was ``Choose the job you love, and you will never work a day in your life.'' What David loved was service. He didn't just have a community-oriented career, but a community-oriented lifestyle. He was Chairman of the Alpha Phi Alpha Senior Citizens Center in Queens, and a recipient of countless awards-- including New York City School District 29's Distinguished Service Award, the Outstanding Educator Award from the NAACP's board in Jamaica, New York, the Jackie Robinson Junior High School Man of the Year Award. He participated in several service-oriented organizations including the Urban League, the Lebanon Lodge of Jamaica, and 32 Degree Shriner.

David's wife of 62 years, Renee, their children, and their grandchildren all remember his devotion to his family, his warm heart, and his graceful nature towards humanity. As a husband, a father, and a grandfather, he leaves an everlasting mark on those who were so blessed to know him.

In all aspects of his life, David Bluford was authentic. When the opportunity presented itself to help someone else, to share knowledge, or to be a resource, he seized that opportunity. Few fields let us serve our communities as directly as education does. David taught more than just English or Philosophy--he taught character. In being such a brilliant example to his students and fellow community members, David inspired change in countess lives.

When he as just 17 years old, David converted to Catholicism and so began a new relationship with his faith. Through his life and works, David shared his faith in God with his family and friends. We know that David's faith guided more than just his thoughts or words but his actions too. Few verses capture that like Isaiah 58:10--``If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.'' David's life work is the embodiment of this scripture. His life philosophy was one of cognitive, academic, emotional, and spiritual development. Not just for himself or for his students, but for every person in his life. All of us, as public servants ourselves, can learn from his example.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in tribute to the honorable life of Archie Spigner, whom I will remember as a distinguished constituent, friend, and mentor. Archie was and will always be my Jackie Robinson. The road for Black political leaders in my district, in Queens and in New York City is a much smoother one today because Archie paved that road for us. However, metaphorical roads were not the only ones he dedicated his life to.

Archie knew the streets of Southeast Queens better than anyone I've ever met. As a public servant for over 20 years, Archie spent his career building better roads, as well as better schools, train lines, senior programs, housing programs, and sewers. It was often said that the roads to public office in our neighborhoods ran through Archie. His life was truly dedicated to our community, and his accomplishments are evidence.

Born in South Carolina during the height of Jim Crow and segregation, Archie leaves this Earth as the godfather of politics in Queens and boasts several Black elected officials including myself that called him ``mentor''.

While studying parliamentary procedure he became a steward at a shoe factory which led to his career advocating for the common worker. As a labor organizer, he met A. Philip Randolph, one of the principal architects of the March on Washington. He founded the Queens Branch of the Negro American Labor Council right out of his living room. His work as an organizer put him in close contact with his political mentors including Assembly Member Guy R. Brewer and State Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Browne.

While attending Queens College of the City of University of New York where he would earn his bachelor's degree, he worked as the liaison to the African American community for Queens Borough President Sidney Leviss. Soon after the New York City Council was expanded, Archie was elected to represent the 27th District, where he would go on to serve for 27 years. During his tenure, he chaired three committees: The Legislative Office of Budget Review, Economic Development, and Housing and Buildings. His work with the budget review office led to the creation of the ever-important independent budget office. He also championed some of the borough's first Business Improvement Districts and Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Programs while on the Economic Development Committee.

Somehow he managed to have ``free'' time and spent it serving as Deputy Majority Leader and Co-Chair of the Queens Delegation. Archie spent every moment he could helping his community and his accomplishments are all over Queens. He established mandatory sensitivity trainings for every police precinct in the city. He helped create York College, along with many new middle and high schools. He codified protections against red lining and worked on a number of infrastructure projects, including the incorporation of the E train extension, new sewers, street rehabilitation, and the New Social Security building. The systemic problems being grappled by this House today were no strangers to Archie, and he dedicated a career in public office to alleviating those burdens that continuously plague underserved communities. Mostly, however, Archie just wanted to help his neighbors.

Before I first ran for Congress, Archie told me, ``make sure you always help people, be honest with people, and stay on the ground.'' After his tenure as a City Council Member, Archie went back to his neighborhood and became a district leader in the Queens County Democratic Party and was head of the Guy R. Brewer United Democratic Club, named after his old mentor. Cementing his mark on the community, I introduced a bill in 2004 to rename a St. Albans post office after him, which at the time, was the only commemoration of its kind to be ever given to a living person. At the commemorating ceremony, schoolchildren sang, ``if Archie Spigner works for you, clap your hands,'' which was a line greeted with roaring applause.

The Book of Matthew tells us that ``when the Son of Man comes in his glory,'' he will sit on his throne and judge both the living and the dead, saying the following to those who are to be saved: ``Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'' I do not find it difficult to imagine what kind of person from our time will be destined to join in God's glory. I have had the pleasure of knowing someone so vehemently dedicated to improving the lives of their fellow man. That person was Archie Spigner. He pursued criminal justice and equities in economic and housing opportunities that demonstrated a passion for loving his neighbor as he would himself. He worked for reform in his community so that more could prosper and share in the promise of this country. He was both an idol American and Christian, and it is an honor to have known him.