Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark the fourth anniversary of the tragic death of Joseph Stone, a U.S. paramedic serving with the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine.

My heart and prayers go out to his family who still feel his absence each and every day.

Joseph Stone was killed on April 23, 2017, when his vehicle struck a landmine in Russian-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine. Born in my district in Milwaukee, he was a courageous young man whose life ended much too soon.

Stone gave his life serving a noble mission: helping those who document the human suffering inflicted by the Kremlin's senseless assault on Ukraine. The mission he served with, established in 2014, monitors implementation of the Minsk Agreements, which were designed to bring peace to eastern Ukraine. It is an unarmed, civilian mission that serves as the international community's eyes and ears on the security and humanitarian situation in the war zone. The SMM operates under a mandate adopted by consensus among the 57 OSCE participating States, including the United States, Russia, and Ukraine.

The tragedy of Stone's death--a direct result of this needless conflict--is compounded today by the continuation of Russian aggression against Ukraine. Recent weeks have seen a dramatic escalation by Russia, which has amassed forces and equipment on Ukraine's land and maritime borders and in Crimea, which Russia continues to illegally occupy. Moscow's actions are accompanied by boldfaced denial that these threatening moves should be of any concern to Ukraine or its friends.

The latest Russian escalation only underlines the crucial role of the SMM and the need to ensure that the mission Joseph Stone died serving can fully carry out its mandate. Moscow currently blocks the SMM from accessing Russia-occupied Crimea. And in parts of Ukraine where the SMM is able to operate, its monitors are harassed, blocked, and threatened on a daily basis by Russia-led forces, who also interfere with the SMM's equipment by jamming UAVs or blinding static cameras.

Madam Speaker, all OSCE states, including Russia, must do everything possible to support the OSCE monitors who, to this day, face unacceptable threats and restrictions as they shine a light on the daily cost of this war. The monitors must be allowed unfettered access throughout Ukraine--including Crimea. And rather than deploying more troops, Russia should be working with the OSCE to help deescalate the situation, including to support the deployment of more monitors to prevent further conflict and provocation moves. The mission's efforts will remain crucial in ensuring the international community has full visibility on the Kremlin's malignant actions against Ukraine.

Madam Speaker, please join me today in marking the solemn anniversary of Joseph Stone's death. Let us use this solemn occasion to redouble efforts to work for peace. I also want to use this opportunity to applaud the men and women of the SMM who are still serving today, even as Russia continues to escalate. Their work is a critical part of efforts to restore Ukraine's territorial integrity and ensure respect for its sovereignty.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for yielding, and I want to thank the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus for pulling this all together.

I am Gwen Moore from the great State of Wisconsin, and I was first elected in 2005. I was so excited about becoming a Member of Congress and especially excited about becoming a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Every year the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation hosts a great gala, and I was eager in September of 2005 to march across the stage with the likes of John Lewis, Barbara Lee, and Maxine Waters with my brand new classmates, Cleaver, G.K. Butterfield, Al Green, and Senator Obama. I was ready for the pageantry. All my relatives were coming to see me curtsy in my African outfit made with red and gold African wedding cloth. But then I learned that all but one member of the Congressional Black Caucus would suit up. Then when I discovered that, I commissioned myself to implore him not to ruin the evening with his recalcitrance.

Mr. Alcee Lamar Hastings' prompt and declarative declination was peppered with his famous street vernacular. Even though he was disinterested in the pomp and ceremony of the CBCF gala, he attended CBC meetings regularly. His excellent judgment, powers of discernment, and strategic thinking silenced the room every time and had Members on the edge of their seats as he weighed in on tactics and strategy.

I wondered: Where in the world did this man get his confidence that he exhibited on a daily basis?

Where did he get the courage?

His swagger was more than just his socks and his tie. There was something that I wanted to know about him.

Well, fortunately for me, Mr. Hastings drew me in as a mentee. He was familiar with my legislative agenda around equity and justice for women and people of color. So he invited me to accompany him in 2006 to the annual session of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, held in Brussels that year, wherein he was serving his third term as parliamentary assembly president of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

He was first elected in 2004. You have heard from other speakers, Madam Speaker, that this is an international organization of 57 member countries, and he is the only person of African descent to ever hold this position and he is the only American to ever hold this position. He would have to whip and get votes and everything, and Alcee did that.

When I saw him, I was stunned to witness on this international stage the mastery of his indefatigable leadership. He commandeered the agenda on human rights to take a deeper dive into minority rights, and not just Black versus White, but Jews and other ethnic minorities, gypsies, women, and migrants.

In fact, under his leadership the OSCE broadened its mandate to address human rights to include intolerance, migration, and organized crime.

The global consensus around the plight of Blacks at the hands of police was a topic of this international body. Indeed, I learned that racial oppression was global, and Alcee shepherded this international body through dozens and dozens of resolutions around global racial equity.

I was hooked. I went with Alcee every time. What I found is that language was not a barrier, culture was not a barrier, and even adversarial relationships with people like the Russians or some of the other known dictators who attended the meetings did not prevent him from engaging them in side meetings to advance the international dialogue.

Because of my association with Mr. Hastings, I have met around 300 parliamentarians of African descent in Europe, Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Canada just to name a few.

The last trip I took with Mr. Hastings--we all knew it was his last trip--we went to London, and we gathered in a circle with parliamentarians from Britain. We talked about the historic relationship of the United States and Britain, and indeed that same connection that Barbara Lee referred to, he made us promise to continue the Atlantic engagement with our brethren. We have to keep that promise to him because he gave birth to those relationships over 30 years.

Do you know what? I figured out where he got his swagger from. He was not concerned with little things and petty things, what people thought, and pomp and circumstance.

He was a universal human rights leader. When I thought about him, I don't know why I thought of this song that I first heard Sarah Vaughan singing. But some of the lyrics in ``Universal Prisoner'' were:

Most people go around thinking they're free

Believing it's an easy way to be

They run in guilt and fear

From all the things they truly hold dear

The question is asked, do you give the love that is inside

Or do you run to the phony world where most people hide?

Mr. Hastings embodied the universal precepts of equality, equity, and justice. He was a true humanitarian.

Enjoy your flight into the universe, Mr. Hastings.

Madam Speaker, today, I am pleased to rise in support of the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6) to provide permanent protections for Dreamers and those currently protected by Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) programs.

Over the past few years, the lives of these Dreamers, who have largely known no other home than the United States, have been filled with even greater uncertainly and court challenges. This bill aims to permanently change that and give security and a pathway to citizenship for our Dreamers.

The vast majority of DACA-eligible students over the age of 18 received a high school education here. Our nation has made an investment in their future that not only transformed their lives, but also has resulted in widespread economic and other benefits for our country and communities. A few years ago, it was estimated that if Wisconsin's DACA workers were deported, it would cost the state more than $400 million annually.

Despite this uncertainty and outright hateful opposition from the previous administration, these young men and women remain resolute and many have served on the frontlines--as health care professionals and other essential workers--during this deadly pandemic.

We successfully defended against ill-advised efforts to end DACA. Now it is time to take the next step. We need to ensure that DREAMers can continue enriching our country.

Likewise, TPS holders have also seen their lives thrown into turmoil during an already turbulent time, with their fate depending on a series of court decisions. Like Dreamers, TPS holders are active members of their communities, many have lived here for years, and are critical contributors to our economy.

It's always the right time to do the right thing. Now is the right time to provide permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship for those who have contributed so much to our country. I am pleased to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in strong support of the CAPTA reauthorization measure that is before the House today.

I want to thank Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Foxx for their leadership and for the bipartisan work on this legislation that has brought us to this point.

This measure provides an overdue but critical reauthorization of programs authorized under the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). These changes would, among others, address child abuse and neglect related to families impacted by substance use disorders, racial bias in the child protective services system, and improving efforts to combat child sexual abuse.

The bill also contains language based on my Family Poverty is Not Child Neglect Act, which aims to stop families from being ripped apart not because of neglect or abuse, but for issues rooted in poverty. In these situations, services to help families and support them and their children are a much better approach than family separation.

I appreciate the support from the chairman and bipartisan support and efforts of Rep. Susie Lee and Rep. Bob Good to ensure this language was included in the bill.

I also worked with Rep. Joseph Morelle and Rep. Van Taylor to include the Study and Report on Marital Age of Consent examining the prevalence of forced child marriages in the United States and their impact on children's safety and well-being.

I am pleased that we are taking steps to refresh and strengthen our efforts, with states and local authorities, to protect our children. I urge my colleagues to vote yes.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1280--George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021. This legislation has been a long time coming and for many it has arrive too little too late. Our nation is a work in progress, and we will continue to fight for equality under the law in every and all aspects.

This essential legislation has critical provision including supporting the need for more deescalation training for police officers, something that I have long fought for and which has proven time and time again to work. The bill will also block the transfer of weapons of war to police departments , end the no-knock warrants that led to the murder of Breonna Taylor, ban choke holds that killed Eric Garner and George Floyd, and finally end qualified immunity which has shielded police officers from receiving justice for killing or injuring members of the community.

As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus but more importantly as a black mother, grandmother, and now great-grandmother,

I am so proud to be an original sponsor of the legislation.

Our communities are demanding action, calling for strong and effective action that will help not only prevent future tragedies between police and the communities they patrol, but also help increase trust and build safer communities.

This is a commonsense bill that deserves bipartisan support. This is the first step to making our union more perfect, and I urge all my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the American Rescue Plan. This bill provides needed relief for our communities.

Since Congress acted on the last COVID-19 package in December, over 100,000 Americans have died from this deadly disease. Economic growth remains stagnant, millions of Americans remain unemployed, and many worry that their jobs may have disappeared forever. And, even as vaccine distribution efforts ramp up, it is clear that our nation is not out of the woods yet. Metrics of housing insecurity, hunger, poverty are all trending in the wrong direction.

While I have concerns about some of the changes made in the Senate, overall, the package still delivers key aid to hurting communities, individuals, and businesses that continues to be needed. This package helps support child care, a key employment enabler--without which so many women have dropped out of the workforce during this pandemic, according to a growing body of evidence. It provides rental and housing relief to prevent a wave of evictions and resulting hardships in our community. In the long run, it costs the government less to keep people housed than dealing with the consequences that follow eviction.

The American Rescue Plan gives critical support for our state and local governments, which have been on the front lines of this fight while their revenues have fallen. As a result, they have shed public employees at high rates in the last year--a disturbing consequence that must be reversed.

The bill helps put money in the pocket of hurting families, with another round of stimulus checks which if the past is any precedent, will be spent to meet immediate needs. It extends UI, funds SNAP, provides additional help to get health insurance which is even more critical during a public health emergency. It refills FEMA's disaster assistance fund, provides funding so that schools can reopen safely or continue to do virtual learning effectively, provides assistance to public transit systems, and provides pension relief, among many other provisions.

Does this bill do all the things I would want? No. I would love to have gone further to deliver greater relief. But it is a good enough start and helps address some key challenges and will help expedite recovery in our communities on the long and challenging road ahead.

I thank the President for his leadership, as well as the Speaker, and Chairman Neal.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the career and ongoing legacy of Gayle Griffin, a retired nurse formerly employed at Milwaukee's Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center and President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3. She is an exemplary voice in our community and has consistently used her position to defend others. I want to congratulate her on her recent selection as AFGE's District 7 Woman of the Year.

Gayle is the first African American to ever be elected president of her Local AFGE branch. During her time in AFGE leadership, she has continually used her position to advocate for her members against anti- union executive orders, racism, and other inequities as a fierce champion for social justice.

Throughout her eleven-year career as a nurse serving our veterans at the Milwaukee VA, Gayle was one of many Black nurses who endured racism in her workplace. However, rather than backing down, she resolutely sought to protect and defend the rights of workers at the Local AFGE branch. She has spoken out about the tremendous struggles that VA nursing staff are facing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and has repeatedly called for more honest communication from the Department of Veterans Affairs with its employees.

On February 21, 2021, Gayle was selected as AFGE's District 7 Woman of the Year. This important award is granted to those who exhibit selfless dedication to union solidarity, public service, and workplace health and safety. This is an honor that Gayle has truly earned. She has fought tirelessly to protect the health of veterans, for workers' rights, and for commonsense workplace safety and equity--especially during the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her altruistic spirit and inspiring dedication to her colleagues and community are why Gayle is so deserving of the title of AFGE's District 7 Woman of the Year. Wisconsin's 4th Congressional District, and the veterans who depend on the VA for their health care, have been made better as a result of Gayle's phenomenal work. I sincerely respect her determination and applaud her accomplishments. Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor my constituent and her recent accomplishment and celebrate the great work that she and others in AFGE District 7 are doing in service to our veterans, our country and the state of Wisconsin.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Joan M. Prince, the Vice Chancellor of Global Inclusion and Engagement at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM). After more than two decades of working with distinction and serving her alma mater, she is retiring on March 1, 2021.

Dr. Prince's education career with UWM began as a promising freshman when she was 16 years old. She was the first African American recipient of a bachelor's in medical technology and a master's in clinical laboratory science. She joined St. Joseph's Hospital as a hematologist and, in 1988, she became the supervisor in hematology for the Medical Science Labs. Around the same time, she began working for the University of Wisconsin's Medical school where she implemented the Health Professional Partnership Initiative's collaborative project as lead strategist.

Equipped with a strong educational background and a breadth of experience, she began her 20-year career with UWM when she was appointed Vice Chancellor in 2000. She went on to earn a Ph.D. from UWM in Urban Education, with a focus on STEM education. At UWM she is also the Chief Administrator for the Divisions of Global Inclusion and Engagement, and Partnerships and Innovation, with responsibilities as the University's Chief Inclusion Officer. She led campus-wide project areas such as the STEM Inspire Pipeline, the Inclusive Internationalization Projects, Global Partnerships in STEM, Center for International Health, Carnegie Engagement Classification team, Center for Community Solutions, and Equity and Diversity Services. Dr. Prince has led many important campus-wide initiatives that include the establishment of the first anti-bias training curriculum, as well as the formation of a program dedicated to advancing historically underrepresented students and first-generation students in the STEM field.

Outside of work, Dr. Prince's commitment to community service extended to working to meet the needs of students in underserved communities, including minorities, women, children, entrepreneurs and small businesses. She served in a variety of leadership positions, civic organizations and was board member and governance chair of The Council on Foundations, the International Foundation Membership Association and the Urban Libraries Council. She is also a corporate board director of Managed Health Services, a subsidiary of the Centene Corporation, a director emeritus of C. G. Schmidt Construction Company and a corporate director of Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation.

Dr. Prince has received recognition and numerous awards for her commitment to community service from civic and professional organizations such as The Business Journal's Woman of Influence award, The Community Leadership award (Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund) and the Friends of the Hispanic Community award. She was named one of the ten most powerful women in Milwaukee in the February 2006 issue of Milwaukee Magazine and is featured as an honoree in the national 2008 Black Women in Sisterhood Distinguished Black Women calendar. She is also spotlighted as a nominee in the national African American oral history archival project, The History Makers.

On September 12, 2012, Dr. Prince was nominated by President Barack Obama to the key administrative post of alternate representative to the 67th General Assembly of the United Nations with the honorary rank of ambassador. This diplomatic position also maintained an appointment position as Senior Advisor to the State Department and Public Delegate.

Dr. Prince leaves behind a legacy of a long list of accomplishments. She is someone that cares deeply about her former students, the individuals she mentored, her colleagues and the greater community. For the more than 25 years that I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with her, she has been a tremendous force in the City of Milwaukee, the State of Wisconsin and the United States. Madam Speaker, I am so proud to honor Dr. Joan M. Prince and to call her a friend. I wish her much success as she transitions into this new phase of her life.

Madam Speaker, the President radicalized American citizens. As his Vice President fled from a lynch mob and the Speaker cowered and while people died, he watched with glee.

That is why, even though it is only 7 days before the end of his term, we have the fierce urgency of now. Seven days is too long for him to be in power. He could declassify state secrets. He could monetize national secrets to foreign adversaries.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM).

State Statute and then Common Council Resolution established the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, on May 1, 1944, to address the need for affordable housing in Milwaukee.

Entering its 75th year, the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee provides affordable housing to almost 11,000 households in the City of Milwaukee through its public and affordable housing programs and Housing Choice Voucher program. Its mission is to foster strong, resilient, and inclusive communities by providing a continuum of high-quality housing options that support self-sufficiency, good quality of life, and the opportunity to thrive.

During the past 75 years, the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee has provided stable affordable housing to thousands of families, seniors, persons with disabilities, and veterans. They first accomplished this by acquiring a city-built, WPA-assisted development, and subsequently by creating almost a thousand units of housing for veterans and building other innovative developments; including the first high-rise designated specifically for the elderly and one of the first housing authorities to develop public housing single-family homes.

The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee works with its residents to provide them a pathway to self-sufficiency through its many initiatives and collaborations in areas such as public safety, accessibility, job training and workforce development, educational support, energy efficiency, financial literacy, environmental stewardship, household savings and homeownership.

It has done this as a national leader in creating healthy, safe, vibrant, transit-oriented, sustainable, mixed-income communities of choice. They have transformed neighborhoods and continue to be innovative in their methods and services, as well as flexible in responding to the affordable housing needs in Milwaukee. The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee is a strong supporter of Emerging Business Enterprises, with over $20 million dollars annually in contracts supporting minority and women-owned enterprises

The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee has partnered with multiple federal agencies to bring housing and services to its residents and has been awarded multiple federal competitive grants, resulting in new and revitalized developments, including the very first completion of a HOPE VI grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee has been recognized locally, nationally, and even internationally with dozens of awards for both its buildings and its services from organizations such as the American Planning Association, U.S. Green Building Council, Governor's Council on Financial Literacy, the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University, Congress for New Urbanism, the State & Local Energy Report, The Environmental Protection Agency's Sustainable Communities Program, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, National League of Cities and the Sierra Club.

Madam Speaker, for these reasons I am pleased to honor the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee. This agency continues to be an innovative leader in affordable housing and makes the 4th Congressional District a better place to live and work.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of my amendments to H.R. 2500 which are included in this En Bloc package.

My first amendment is fairly simple and direct. It would remind those in charge of the DoD's National Capital Consortium Psychiatry Residency Program--or PRP--of their responsibility to maintain an environment that is free of harassment and discrimination.

This critical program helps train professionals who are on the frontlines of addressing critical mental health needs. The Chairman and Ranking Member are both aware of the tremendous need for such providers, both in and outside, of the military. It's those concerns that are behind the inclusion of Section 717 in this bill which calls for the Defense Department to provide a strategy to recruit and retain mental health providers.

It is important that this workforce be culturally competent and diverse which is why ensuring that this program's leadership actively work to ensure that residents are trained in an atmosphere where discrimination or harassment of any sort is not tolerated. Period.

What I do know is that tolerating a work environment that is toxic or being turned toxic because of racial or sexually derogatory statements or actions makes it harder to recruit and retain these in-demand providers and also hurt efforts to ensure a diverse mental health workforce.

Unfortunately, in 2016, a report by the program's ombudsman noted an ``undercurrent'' of discrimination in the PRP program and a recent report to my office, while noting improvements, still reported that offensive statements continue to be made.

Just one report of harmful statements or actions is one too many. That's the standard that we should have and that should be enforced.

This amendment simply makes clear that racial and gender-based discrimination or harassment have no place in the PRP (or elsewhere in the military for that matter) and reaffirms the need for leaders to proactively work to provide an environment where such conduct is not tolerated.

The military and the taxpayer will invest much to recruit and train these individuals. Therefore, it is important that those who participate in this demanding residency program should be able to do so in a safe and harassment free environment.

Additionally, I am pleased about the inclusion in En Bloc 11 of another amendment I offered requesting certain information from the Air Force.

Fuel is a lifeline for many of the missions that we ask our men and women in uniform to carry out. Therefore, it is critical that the Air Force and Defense Logistics Agency consider the best options for ensuring that Air Force facilities, including Air Guard and Air Reserve facilities, have a reliable and secure fuel supply.

One effective but under-utilized option are projects that help Air Guard and Air Reserve facilities tap nearby national fuel pipelines that could provide uninterrupted access to millions of gallons for jet fuel. These projects can be an effective and efficient way to help these units carry out their missions, help them to easily meet Department and Defense Logistics Agency requirements for a reliable secondary fuel supply, and help them meet current and emerging air refueling requirements, among other benefits, while also reducing the threat to fuel supplies.

Any delay or disruption to fuel supplies directly translates into a degradation of mission readiness.

And in many cases, these projects make mission and economic sense, like in my district, where we are going to build a new fuel facility less than 1 mile away from an existing fuel pipeline that would provide millions of gallons of fuel storage and reduce the need for the 400 plus trucks that currently supply the base.

According to one estimate, such a pipeline would provide access to more fuel and cost less than what it will cost to pay to truck in significantly less fuel over the next three years.

The amendment I have offered would request the Air Force provide information on how it prioritizes and considers requests to undertake such projects at Air Guard and Air Reserve facilities, especially for units where such projects would help improve mission readiness, among other benefits.

This would include information about the Air Guard and Air Reserve facilities where such projects could be of benefit, with an emphasis on facilities located near fuel pipelines that they currently do not access, and information about the criteria used to consider these projects and barriers such as funding that may impede such projects.

This amendment builds on an amendment I successfully offered to the FY 2020 Defense Appropriations bill when it came before the House last month to encourage the Air Force to pursue such projects.

I thank the Chairman and Ranking Member for their support.

Mr. Chair, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 420.

Amendment No. 35 Offered by Mr. Kim

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about making our communities healthier and safer for all Americans.

Let me start out by urging my colleagues to join me and my colleague, Jim Sensenbrenner, in supporting the Functional Gastrointestinal and Motility Disorder Research Enhancement Act, legislation that we are introducing today.

There are millions of Americans who suffer from gastrointestinal and motility disorders. These are very common gastrointestinal disorders in the general population, but they affect tens of millions of Americans.

Symptoms of these disorders include pain in the inner organs, lack of motility, altered immune function, and altered central nervous system function. Although these symptoms can be life-threatening, effective therapies exist. Treatment, generally, focuses on management of the symptoms.

For nearly 30 years, patient advocacy organizations, like the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in my district, have been working to support affected individuals and their families.

Mr. Speaker, we are asking all of our colleagues to join us in cosponsoring this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, while I am here addressing healthier and safer communities, I would be remiss if I did not mention the need to aggressively attack a crisis, a health crisis, a public safety crisis that is affecting all of our communities, and that is gun violence.

Mr. Speaker, it is often said that it takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a village to protect children, too.

That is why I am so inspired by my own hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to see what our community is doing collectively to address gun violence. That is why I am inspired to see that Milwaukee hospitals are working to combat accidental shootings by offering free gunlocks as a tool to protect children from guns in homes. The city is also working to put violence interrupters in our community to teach people how to deescalate violence.

Communities like Milwaukee have always stepped up when Congress falls short, but now, Mr. Speaker, it is time for Congress to act to pass commonsense gun violence prevention measures that have widespread support.

It has been over 100 days, Mr. Speaker, since the House has passed H.R. 8, strengthening background checks; H.R. 1585, the VAWA reauthorization that includes new provisions to prevent abusers from accessing guns; and H.R. 1112, closing the Charleston loophole that allows individuals to get a gun if their background checks haven't been completed within 3 days, all legislation that would prevent the gun violence that is hurting all our communities. Yet, the Senate has failed to act, as key Senators have opposed taking any action.

That is irresponsible.

We are not the only country that experiences gun violence, but it seems that we are the only ones not to do anything about it except to offer thoughts and prayers and moments of silence.

Well, I will tell you, no more silence over gun violence, from Sandy Hook where 26 were killed to the Pulse nightclub shooting where 49 were killed, to the third anniversary of the Oak Creek Sikh temple shooting where 6 were killed, to Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida where 17 were killed, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where, last fall, a 13-year- old girl was killed by a stray bullet. Bullets don't have eyes. This spring, an 11-year-old was wounded by a stray bullet.

Enough is enough. Mr. Speaker, it is time for the Senate to take up H.R. 8 and to promote health and safety in our communities.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the career and ongoing legacy of McArthur ``Mac'' Weddle, of Northcott Neighborhood House, where he has served for over 42 years and 19 as the Executive Director. McArthur graduated from Milwaukee's North Division High School which is also my alma mater. Further, he earned a degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

As a young boy growing up in Milwaukee, Mac was pulled under water by a strong undercurrent in the Milwaukee River. He was rescued from this life-threatening disaster by a kid in the neighborhood with the reputation as a troublemaker. Mac believe he was saved because God had a special purpose for him. Mac pursued a career in youth recreation, to assist kids who were sometimes misguided but had the potential to do good. This was his passion, mission and special purpose. This would lead him to Northcott Neighborhood House a community organization where he would assist in providing recreational activities for youth, educational and employment training opportunities for adults and ex- offenders, and necessities for families and senior citizens. Mac would stay at Northcott and would eventually serve as Executive Director and in other many roles in our community.

Throughout the years, our community could always count on him to invest and make programs such as Juneteenth Day, Black Expo, African World Festival, and other events available to the community to celebrate our collective history. Under his guidance, he helped transform Milwaukee's Juneteenth celebration to one of the largest in the nation, and Northcott Neighborhood House to one of the leading organizations in Milwaukee's African American Community and the Greater Milwaukee Community. He is the recipient of the Black Excellence Award, served as Chairman of the Lee Elementary School Council, Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation, board member of Wisconsin State Board of Psychology Regulations and Licensing, Treasurer of the Board of Harambee Ombudsman Program, and as a 33-degree Prince Hall Free and Accepted Mason.

It is without question that he has become one of the most beloved community leaders, mentors, and advocates in our city. This is due in no small part because of his investment in the children and the many lives he has impacted. Mac's leadership, enthusiasm and generosity is unparalleled, and he is held in high-esteem throughout the community. I have known Mac for over 50 years and I am proud to say that Mac is my friend. We have so many shared memories of Milwaukee and life.

As he transitions into a new direction in his life, I wish him the very best. While his retirement will undoubtedly leave a void in our community, I take comfort in the fact that his role in the development of our youth has created new emerging leaders. Madam Speaker, for these reasons I am pleased to honor McArthur ``Mac'' Weddle, a man, who has helped to make the 4th Congressional District a better place.

Madam Chair, I thank the chairman for yielding.

I want to continue to work with the gentleman and the Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies to fight the administration's reprehensible attempts to increase hunger in our country, including through USDA's proposed and harmful able-bodied adults without dependents rule.

As the gentleman well knows, SNAP is a critical antihunger program that helps many families struggling with food insecurity. What I find so counterintuitive about this rule is that the most common reason for seeking SNAP is because someone is losing a job, which is even more critical for those who have barriers to employment or who are already at the margins of the workforce.

As many experts have testified to Congress, the labor market experience of SNAP participants, as it is for so many low-paid workers, is highly unstable, and participants tend to cycle in and out of full- time employment.

This rule would cut food aid for between 755,000 and 821,000 individuals from red States, blue States, and purple States, and from rural, urban, and suburban communities, without any regard to the barriers they may face or the fact that they may live in areas or ZIP Codes or Census tracts that lack jobs, or that companies are moving, or other unanticipated egresses from the workforce.

No matter what people say, there are still pockets of high unemployment rates well above the national average. This body must make crystal clear that we support the vulnerable population of able-bodied adults who are being targeted here and that increasing hunger does not increase employability. It does not create new jobs in rural or other areas with high unemployment. It doesn't remove barriers to employment. It just simply increases hunger.

While there are so many good things in this package that will help to attack hunger and food insecurity, I am deeply disappointed that we are missing the opportunity to use Congress' title I power to block this rule. Let's not go down as the did-nothing Congress when it comes to something so common sense as providing food for the most vulnerable.

I am so concerned about this rule's impact on truly vulnerable individuals. Let's not be fooled because we are calling them ``able- bodied.'' These folks have challenges that make finding work difficult. This includes veterans, homeless people, children who have aged out of foster care, and college students.

The vast majority of SNAP participants affected by this proposal live in deep poverty, with 88 percent of households at or below 50 percent of the poverty level.

Madam Chair, 1 in 10 are working, although less than an average of 20 hours a week. One study found that 75 percent participate in the workforce. Of those who do work but sometimes do not, the majority don't work due to their having lost a job or they couldn't get enough hours. This rule would do nothing to address those issues.

Of those who are not in the labor force, 80 percent of them said that it was due to health and disability. This rule would do nothing to address those issues.

I am also concerned about the impact on States. Despite all the wonderful claims of a strong economy, we continue to hear that all boats are not lifted, which is why the existing flexibility to protect people from hunger when jobs are simply not available in some areas is so critical.

Almost every State has used this flexibility under the existing waiver at some point, including some of the most conservative States. If someone claims to support States' rights, that Governors and local elected officials know best about what is going on in their States, especially where we know economic conditions can vary from county to county, city to city, even ZIP Code to ZIP Code, then you should be opposed to this rule.

Punishing poor people will not help them get jobs.

Mr. Chair, I rise to thank the chairwoman and committee for including my amendment to increase funding by $1 million for an Indian Health Service program combatting domestic violence in Native communities.

I know the chairwoman understands this issue very well. Protecting women in Native communities was a big focus on the VAWA reauthorization that passed this chamber earlier this year. I want to make sure we provide the strong funding that will be needed to make those changes reality and protect Native women. This is one program that does that.

The Indian Health Services Domestic Violence Prevention Program is a small program but it's having a big impact. The DVPP was established in 2015 as a nationally-coordinated program that provides culturally appropriate domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and intervention resources to American Indian and Alaskan Native communities with a focus on trauma informed services.

The vast majority of DVPP grants focus on domestic and sexual violence prevention, advocacy, and coordinated community responses, with some supporting forensic

healthcare services to victims of domestic and sexual violence.

I appreciate the effort made by the subcommittee in the bill to add funding to bring funding for this program back to the FY 2017 funding level. Thank you for recognizing the need and prioritizing a response.

But I think we must do better especially when you consider the staggering need here.

The statistics (as incomplete as they may be) are frightening: American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.5 times more likely to experience violent crimes and at least 2 times more likely to experience rape or sexual assault crimes than people who are not American Indians or Alaska Natives. More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native women, or 84.3 percent, have experienced violence in their lifetime.

There are currently some 83 tribes, tribal organizations, Urban Indian Organizations, and IHS federal facilities that receive funds totaling nearly $12 million from this program. These include projects in my city of Milwaukee as well as in Alaska, Nebraska, and Oregon, among others.

I understand the constraints that the subcommittee faces. The needs always outnumber the resources. But this is a pressing priority. This additional funding will hopefully allow for more grantees serving more tribal communities that can help begin to turn the tide.

I know the chairwoman has been a champion for Native American communities and I thank her for her support of my amendment.