Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the House 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.

Madam Speaker, this is day 26 of the reckless Trump shutdown. Coast Guard officers and their families are suffering; Border Patrol agents and their families are suffering; TSA agents and their families are suffering because the President has decided to hold 800,000 Federal employees and the American people hostage.

We are prepared to have a conversation about infrastructure on the border, prepared to have a conversation about personnel, and prepared to have a conversation about technology. We are prepared to have a conversation about border security in a comprehensive way; prepared to have a conversation about our broken immigration system and how we fix it in a bipartisan fashion.

But, Madam Speaker, we are not prepared to have a conversation about these issues in the midst of a reckless shutdown where the President has decided to hold the American people hostage and try to force us to pay a $5 billion-plus ransom note.

Madam Speaker, it is time for the adults in the room to get their act together and reopen the government so we can continue the business of the American people.

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

Madam Speaker, by direction of the House 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.

Mr. 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.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, when it shall convene at noon for morning-hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Reverend Canon George L. Bonner's 40th Orientation Anniversary at St. Albans Episcopal Church in Canarsie, New York on Sunday, December 16th.

In 1973, Reverend Canon Bonner left Belize for Codrington College in Barbados to study theology. He went on to the University of the West Indies for a Bachelor in Theology and a Master of Science in Education at Brooklyn College in New York.

In 1978, Reverend Canon Bonner was ordained as a Priest at the Cathedral of St. Michael and All Angels in Barbados. A decade into his spiritual journey, he was called to relocate to Brooklyn, New York and joined the All Saints Parish in East New York.

Upon arriving in New York, Reverend Canon Bonner was propelled into a position at St. Albans Episcopal Church and has proudly served the congregation ever since. He has provided spiritual guidance to the Canarsie community with admirable dedication and passion. Under the leadership of Reverend Canon Bonner, St. Albans Episcopal Church has overseen multimillion dollar renovations and expansions of the church.

Reverend Canon Bonner has the love and support of his wife, Ms. Marjorie Bradley-Bonner, his sons George and Kurt and six grandchildren: Marquise, Roshika, Geante, Bryanna, Owen and Matthew.

Mr. Speaker, in honor of the legacy of this great leader, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in congratulating the Reverend Canon George L. Bonner on his 40th Orientation Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas, Sheila Jackson Lee, for yielding and for her tremendous leadership on the criminal justice reform effort over the years.

I also want to thank all of the members of the House Judiciary Committee, in particular, Chairman Goodlatte, as well as Jerry Nadler and, of course, Cedric Richmond and Karen Bass, who were phenomenal assets to this effort.

Let me thank my good friend Doug Collins, who has been a tremendous force of nature as it relates to making sure that this Congress did something about overcriminalization in America. From beginning, middle, and end, it has been an honor to work with Mr. Collins on a wide variety of things in this great body, in particular, on this effort to break the back of the prison industrial complex. I thank Doug Collins for his tremendous leadership.

In 1971, President Nixon declared drug abuse public enemy number one. It was the beginning of the failed war on drugs.

At that point in time, there were less than 350,000 people incarcerated in America. Today, there are 2.2 million. We incarcerate more people in the United States of America than any other country in the world. We have 5 percent of the world's population and 25 percent of the world's incarcerated individuals.

It is a scandal. It is a stain on our democratic society. It is not a Democratic problem or a Republican problem; it is an American problem.

Today, the House of Representatives comes together as Americans to begin to solve it--Democrats and Republicans, the left and the right, progressives and conservatives, the National Urban League and the Koch brothers, the House and the Senate, as well as the Trump administration--proving that good things can happen under the Capitol dome when we set aside partisan bickering to solve problems on behalf of the American people.

And what a problem that we are endeavoring to solve with the First Step Act, making sure that currently incarcerated individuals, the victims of mass incarceration in this country, can successfully reenter society, transform themselves, become productive citizens; dramatically reduce recidivism; and save taxpayer dollars. That is what the First Step Act is all about.

It will also strike a blow against the unfair sentencing laws that were put into place as a result of the failed war on drugs and provide some retroactive relief to those individuals sentenced unjustly as a result of the disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine.

The First Step Act is a product of work that this body has decided to do out of recognition that we cannot allow overcriminalization to continue to persist in this country.

Now, the mass incarceration epidemic has been with us for over 40 years. It will not take simply the waving of a singular legislative magic wand to eradicate, but it will require sustained effort, sustained commitment, sustained intensity, and a meaningful first step.

That is what we are doing today. I urge all of my colleagues to support this effort to reform our criminal justice system in a manner consistent with the notion of liberty and justice for all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Reverend Dr. Washington Lee Lundy's 50th Pastoral Anniversary at Glen Terrace in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, November 17, 2018. Since the founding of Evening Star Baptist Church in 1916, Reverend Dr. Washington Lundy has served as the second senior pastor in the church's 102-year history.

From an early age, Reverend Dr. Lundy was called to preach, initially at First Baptist Church in his hometown of McKinney, Virginia. After graduation from high school in 1954, he studied at Virginia Union University, in Richmond, VA. A year later, he moved to New York completing his studies at Manhattan Community College. Settling in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, he joined the congregation of Evening Star Baptist Church where first Senior Pastor Reverend Marcellus French Logan presided. There he met ``the love of his life,'' Dorothy Fields, whom he married and raised two children with, Christopher Lee and Valerie Anita.

Upon the passing of Rev. Logan, Evening Star Baptist Church recognized Reverend Dr. Washington Lee Lundy as Senior Pastor on November 5, 1968. During his dedicated service to the congregation and surrounding community, he went on to pursue a Doctorate from Baltimore School of the Bible. In his 50 years of leadership at Evening Star, Reverend Dr. Lundy helped organize the Gates Avenue Block Association and established the Evening Star Baptist Church Scholarship Fund for students entering college and those returning to school for higher education. He also solidified the longevity of the church by settling the church's mortgage and founding the Eastern Baptist Association School of Religion and Evening Star Youth Ministry.

Reverend Dr. Lundy proudly represented Evening Star across the country and world. He served as Vice Moderator at Large of the Eastern Baptist Association (EBA) of New York, and then as Moderator of the EBA from 1988 to 1992. He was elected as Vice President at Large of the Empire Baptist Missionary Convention of New York, and then as its President for six years. He also served as Vice President of the National Baptist Convention USA--North East Region. More recently, in 2010 he was the host for the New York State Convention for the 20th Baptist World Congress in Hawaii. Globally, he has carried a message of hope and faith, traveling to various countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia.

Mr. Speaker, in honor of this great spiritual and community leader, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in congratulating the Reverend Dr. Washington Lee Lundy on his 50th Pastoral Anniversary at Evening Star Baptist Church

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H. Res. 1088, a resolution recognizing September 29 as National Urban Wildlife Refuge Day, authored by Representative Wittman.

Earlier this year, my bill, Keep America's Refuges Operational Act, became law. That bipartisan bill reauthorized a volunteer, community partnership, and education program for our National Wildlife Refuge System.

We believe in the importance of maintaining a system of wildlands throughout this great country. That is why I am proud to join my colleague, Representative Wittman, in sponsoring this resolution to recognize our Nation's 101 national urban wildlife refuges.

People visit refuges to experience America's natural beauty. They help to mold the next generation of conservationists and outdoor enthusiasts by providing learning experiences and cherished memories for America's families.

Refuges have a tremendous impact for communities all over America, even in my hometown of Brooklyn. We must remain vigilant in protecting the breathtaking wildlife and beautiful environment God has given America. Urban refuges are essential in achieving that goal.

Madam Speaker, once again, the do-nothing Republican Congress has outdone itself.

Here in America, we have a wage stagnation problem, an underemployment problem, an infrastructure problem, a retirement insecurity problem, and a corruption problem right here in Washington,

Mr. Speaker, wages are down; gas prices are up; and the culture of corruption here in Washington, D.C., is out of control. And all the while, the 45th President of the United States of America spends more time on the golf course than any other President in American history.

Things are spiraling out of control. The stakes are incredibly high. Notwithstanding that, the 115th Congress has been one of the most unproductive Congresses in the history of the Nation.

Democrats and Republicans have two competing visions for what we need to do in order to make sure that every American can continue to experience the American Dream.

Democrats, we want to move the country forward. Others want to turn back the clock.

We are working hard to bring people together. Others are tearing us apart.

We are fighting for working families and middle-class folks. Others are fighting for the wealthy and the well off.

We believe in the public interest. Others are all about the special interests.

Democrats are fighting for the people. Others are fighting for the privileged few. We are fighting for working families, middle-class folks, senior citizens, the poor, the sick, the afflicted, veterans, people in rural America, urban America, suburban America.

Democrats are fighting for the people. But my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, unfortunately, are fighting for millionaires, billionaires, mega corporations, lobbyists, big donors, all to subsidize the lifestyles of the rich and shameless.

Exhibit A is the Republican tax scam. That is their signature piece of legislation. That is what they are talking to the American people about.

You are proud of the fact that you passed a bill where 83 percent of the benefits go to the wealthiest 1 percent in America, explodes the debt by more than $1.5 trillion, then you want to come back to Congress and lecture us about cutting Social Security and Medicare? Are you kidding?

Our For the People agenda will focus on lowering healthcare costs, strengthening the Affordable Care Act, protecting people with preexisting conditions, more than 100 million Americans. They want to take away that protection. We are working hard to dramatically lower the cost of lifesaving prescription drugs. That is the Democratic For the People agenda.

Wage stagnation is still a problem for the American people. The productivity of the American worker over the last 40-plus years has increased by more than 285 percent. During the same period of time, wages have gone up by less than 10 percent.

The productivity gains of the American worker have not gone to the American worker, they have gone to the privileged few. What do the Republicans do about it? Pass a tax bill where 83 percent of the benefits go to the wealthiest 1 percent.

We have a different idea for what should take place. We are fighting for the people through increased pay anchored in a real infrastructure plan that will fix our crumbling bridges, roads, tunnels, ports, mass- transportation system; not a fake plan, it is a real plan. We will invest $1 trillion, create 16 million good-paying jobs, fight to make sure that everyday Americans can provide a comfortable living for themselves and for their families.

And, lastly, we are going to fight to clean up corruption here in Washington, D.C.; not talk about it, actually get something done to make sure that Washington works for the American people.

That is what you deserve. That is what Democrats are fighting hard to deliver: lower healthcare costs, increased pay, clean up corruption to make sure that Washington works for the people.