Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I thank the chair for yielding and for his tremendous leadership.

Since the tragedy on September 11, approximately 10,000 people have been diagnosed with cancer related to toxic smoke and dust. Approximately 15,000 people are suffering with asthma or other respiratory illnesses. Approximately 10,000 people struggle with PTSD. Almost 5,000 individuals are struggling with anxiety and depression. More than 2,000 people have died since September 11.

The overwhelming majority of these individuals who are sick and afflicted are 9/11 first responders.

The Victim Compensation Fund is expected to run out of money. In order to take care of these brave heroes and individuals, we vowed as a nation to never forget. That means looking after those brave men and women who sacrificed so much in the days, weeks, months, and years after September 11.

Support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, there is a humanitarian crisis at the southern border that should shock the conscience of every single American.

These are migrant children being subjected to cruel and unusual punishment by our government. This is not Iran. This is not North Korea. This is not Venezuela. This is the United States of America.

Shame on us.

There are children who are without food. They are without medicine. They are without water. They are without soap. They are without diapers. They are without toothpaste.

Shame on us.

These are not alien children. They are God's children. This administration should stop using them as political pawns for some sick, xenophobic game.

Madam Speaker, vote ``yes,'' and let's begin the process of ending this humanitarian crisis now.

Madam Chair, during roll call vote number 380 on Buchanan Amendment number 133, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``nay'' when I should have voted ``yea''.

Stated against:

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Jose Serrano, the distinguished gentleman from the Bronx, for his tremendous leadership here in the Congress and in connection with this bill.

There is a growing culture of corruption that is festering within the Department of Commerce that should trouble Americans regardless of political affiliation. It is absolutely essential that we continue to support the oversight that is independent and those who have the responsibility to police bad actors and explore waste, fraud, and abuse.

This amendment will increase support for the Office of the Inspector General at the Department of Commerce. This office serves an incredibly vital function. It provides independent and objective oversight for an agency that is led by Secretary Wilbur Louis Ross, Jr., someone who has from time to time found himself in hot water with ethics experts here in this town. Meeting even the minimum ethical standards the government sets for its executive branch officials seems to be a significant challenge for our Secretary.

Last February, the Office of Government Ethics, which is run by a Trump appointee, declined to certify Ross' 2018 financial disclosure report `` . . . because that report was not accurate and he was not in compliance with his ethics agreement at the time of the report.''

These kinds of disclosures are, of course, important. They allow the U.S. government's ethics watchdogs, regardless of political affiliation, to identify potential conflicts of interest.

One such conflict was alleged last summer in separate complaints by the Campaign Legal Center and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, who allege that Ross worked on the Trump administration's steel tariffs and helped promote liquid natural gas exports at the same time that he held financial interests in companies that were impacted by these policies.

We don't have time to explore some of the other potential conflicts and accusations that were recently detailed by Forbes magazine which caused that publication to suggest that ``the current United States Secretary of Commerce could rank among the biggest grifters in American history.''

That is a tall order.

Secretary Ross is a public servant. He should be serving the public's interests, not special interests or his own personal financial interests, as appears to have been the case in his highly controversial decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, and then be deceptive about the motives.

With all of this obfuscation and fabrication and misrepresentation, we need to make sure that the Department of Commerce's independent inspector general's office has the resources and capacity to police the bad behavior that may result in waste, fraud, and abuse of American taxpayer dollars.

Apparently, the Trump administration doesn't necessarily see it that

way. Their fiscal year 2020 budget actually cuts funding for general oversight operations by approximately $1 million, which will result in a personnel reduction of at least seven positions.

At a time when oversight has never been more important, we must not allow this cut to go into effect.

Mr. Chair, I urge a ``yes'' vote to restore this funding and send a message to this administration that we won't be grifted by anyone, even the Secretary of Commerce.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Parliamentary Inquiry

Madam Chairwoman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chairwoman, let me first just thank the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut, the chair of the subcommittee, for her tremendous work in connection with this bill.

The mission of the Office for Civil Rights is to ensure access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the Nation through vigorous enforcement of civil rights. However, this administration and Secretary DeVos have methodically worked to limit the effectiveness of the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education.

This amendment would prohibit any funds in the underlying measure to be used to thwart the important work that is done by the Office for Civil Rights. This administration has gone out of its way to hurt students of color and undermine diversity in a variety of ways. They have eliminated guidance, encouraging schools to endeavor towards diversity in admissions, and they have rescinded guidance issued by the previous administration directing schools to reduce racial disparities in how they discipline students.

Frederick Douglass said: ``It is easier to build strong children than it is to repair broken men.''

Excellence in academic and educational preparation is an important part of the American Dream, and every single child in this country, regardless of race, regardless of gender, and regardless of religion should have access to the highest quality education. That is the mission of the Department of Education and the role of the Office for Civil Rights within that department.

By prohibiting the use of funds in the underlying measure from being used to limit the functions of the Office for Civil Rights, we are taking a necessary step toward ensuring that in this country, the pursuit of excellence in education will be available to every single child.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the distinguished chair of the subcommittee.

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Pressley).

Madam Chair, the Brown v. Board of Education decision was a historic and important step and a strong step in the right direction. We have come a long way in this country, but we still have a long way to go as it relates to providing equal access to education.

This amendment is pretty simple. It says to the Secretary: Keep your hands off the Office of Civil Rights.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chair, and I thank my good friend, David Cicilline, for his extraordinary leadership on this incredibly important legislation.

The words, ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,'' were eloquent in their articulation but incomplete in their application.

As the legendary Barbara Jordan once observed, those words did not originally apply to African Americans; they did not apply to people of color; they did not apply to Native Americans; they did not apply to women; they did not apply to members of the LGBT community.

We have come a long way here in the United States of America, but we still have work to do.

If you truly believe in liberty and justice for all, support the Equality Act.

If you truly believe in equal protection under the law, support the Equality Act.

If you truly believe that everybody is created equal and that we are all God's children, then support the Equality Act.

Love does not discriminate, and neither should the law, regardless of sexual orientation and regardless of gender identity. It is time to support the Equality Act, and let's continue our Nation's long, necessary, and majestic march toward a more perfect Union.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the distinguished chair for his leadership on this critically important issue.

The reckless and reprehensible Republican assault on healthcare is un-American, unconscionable, and unacceptable.

This administration wants to take away healthcare protection from tens of millions of Americans.

This administration wants to impose an age tax on people between 50 and 64, which will dramatically increase premiums, copays, and deductibles.

This administration wants to take away protections for those with preexisting conditions, adversely impacting more than 100 million Americans.

Here is the Democratic response: Keep your hands off of the healthcare of everyday Americans.

Our legislation will strengthen the Affordable Care Act, protect people with preexisting conditions, lower healthcare costs, and drive down the high costs of lifesaving prescription drugs because Democrats believe that, in this great country, no American should ever have to choose between putting food on the table, paying the rent, or getting access to lifesaving medication. We believe that healthcare is a right; it is not a privilege. We are not going backward; we are just going to move forward.

This is the wealthiest country in the history of the world. Every single American should have access to high-quality and affordable healthcare, and we are taking a substantial step in that direction today.

I thank the chair and the tremendous members of the relevant committees for their great work.

Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 160 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 161.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 1585, the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

This amendment modestly modifies the bill to ensure that the materials distributed to victims and survivors are available in commonly encountered languages.

There are approximately 26 million Americans whose primary language is not English. One in five American families speak another language at home. In my home State of New York, that number is one in three. Languages spoken throughout the country include Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and French, just to name a few.

H.R. 1585 provides that the Secretary of Labor may disseminate information on the resources and rights available to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. It is important that all survivors and all victims, regardless of the language they primarily speak or read, have access to such critical information.

This amendment will not adversely impact Federal spending. In fact, several agencies, including the Department of Labor, have similar obligations to provide materials and notices in commonly encountered languages, and guidance and resources are available on how to do so consistent with existing provisions in other areas of law.

Let me also briefly express my support for this important and significant legislation.

Since the Violence Against Women Act was first enacted 30 years ago, it has helped to address the crisis of domestic and sexual violence through vital grant programs and improved law enforcement response to sexual crimes.

It has also elevated an important national conversation about this issue, drawing attention to its prevalence, reducing stigma, and encouraging survivors to get support.

I want to thank the distinguished chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler, for his tremendous leadership, as well as my friend, Congresswoman Karen Bass, for her leadership in ushering forward H.R. 1585.

I am proud today that we are doing our part in the United States House of Representatives to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act and urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying bill.

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

Mr. Chair, I thank the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins), my colleague, the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, for his support.

This is a nation of immigrants. We are a gorgeous mosaic of people from all across the world. Out of many, we are one. That is what makes America such a phenomenal country.

We just want to make sure that, with respect to this issue of sexual and domestic violence, every American who is a victim has an opportunity to get access to the resources that will be put into law.

I thank my colleagues for their support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this so-called declaration that is anchored in a phony, fraudulent, and fake national emergency.

There is no crisis at the border. There is no basis in law or in fact for this unconstitutional emergency declaration.

Illegal border crossings have not increased; they have decreased. There is no evidence of increased criminal activity on the border. There is no evidence of increased drug trafficking on the border. There is no evidence that terrorists are pouring into the United States of America on the southern border.

This is a fantasy made up by a xenophobic administration to support a medieval border wall that this Article I Congress rejected. That is why House Democrats will work to defeat it.

Mr. Speaker, vote ``yes'' on the resolution of disapproval.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding and for his tremendous leadership on behalf of the hardworking Federal employees who serve this Nation in such a tremendous fashion.

I rise today in strong support of this legislation which will provide a modest and well-deserved cost-of-living increase for the Federal workforce.

For 35 days, this administration recklessly shut down the government so it could try to fund a campaign applause line. For 35 days, this administration shut down the government and held hardworking employees hostage using them like bargaining chips from a bankrupt casino. For 35 days, hundreds of thousands of Federal employees were furloughed, putting their well-being in jeopardy.

For 35 days, members of the Coast Guard, air traffic controllers, TSA agents, FBI agents, Border Patrol agents, Secret Service agents, and so many others were forced to work without pay in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. For 35 days, these hardworking Federal employees across the country from north to south to east to west stepped up for us. Now it is time for this Congress to step up for them.

Over the last 2 years, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have spent their time working on behalf of the wealthy, the well-off, and the well-connected. That is the only way, Mr. Chairman, that you can explain jamming a reckless tax scam down the throats of the American people where 83 percent of the benefits went to the wealthiest 1 percent.

House Democrats will spend our time fighting for working families, middle class folks, senior citizens, the poor, the sick, the afflicted, and veterans from all across this country, many of whom, by the way, are part of the Federal workforce. We are going to continue to stand up for them.

We promised the American people that we would increase pay for everyday Americans. Keeping that promise begins today. Day after day, week after week, and month after month we will continue to do everything possible as we fight hard for the people.

Mr. Chairman, I strongly support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I thank the distinguished chair and this wonderful committee for their great work.

Madam Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.