Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 134, the Home Foreclosure Reduction Act, a bill originally introduced by Representative Conyers of Michigan, for the purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Mr. Speaker, our so-called Commander in Chief is over in Europe where he criticized some of our closest allies as being delinquent. What is wrong with him? Hypocrisy is clearly not a constraint to behavior.

TrumpCare, the Republican healthcare plan that would strip away protections for preexisting conditions and will cause premiums, copays, and deductibles to go up, is delinquent. The Republican tax scam, where 83 percent of the benefits go to the wealthiest 1 percent in America to subsidize the lifestyles of the rich and shameless is delinquent. The fake Republican infrastructure plan that will do nothing to fix our Nation's crumbling bridges, roads, and tunnels is delinquent.

Republicans have a raw deal. Democrats have A Better Deal. We are going to do everything possible to make life better for the people.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not present for votes on June 21, 2018, due to my son Joshua Jeffries' graduation. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``nay'' on rollcall No. 279, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 280, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 281, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 282, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 283, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 284, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 285, and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 286.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman, the ranking member, Mr. Pallone, for yielding and for his leadership on this issue.

I also want to thank Congressman Latta, as well as Chairman Greg Walden and my colleagues: Chris Collins, Trey Gowdy, and G. K. Butterfield, who all were sponsors of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 449, the Synthetic Drug Awareness Act. H.R. 449 addresses a critical and sometimes overlooked threat: the use of synthetic drugs by teenagers. It requires the Surgeon General to prepare a report on the public health effects of synthetic drug use by individuals aged 12 to 18 throughout America.

With the information this study will provide, Congress can work to prevent substance abuse by younger Americans through an enhanced and enlightened lens. The opioid crisis has ravaged families across the country, without regard to ZIP Code, income, race, religion, or gender.

Unfortunately, this public health emergency is now taking hold, in insidious ways, of our Nation's young people. Throughout the country, the drug overdose death rate has more than doubled during the past decade amongst younger Americans. This troubling phenomenon, in part, results from the rise and availability of potent and dangerous substances like illicit fentanyl, and synthetic marijuana, drugs that fall within the category covered by this legislation.

Fentanyl, for instance, can be 50 to 100 times stronger than opioids, heroin, or morphine. Teenage fentanyl use, for instance, is a vicious cycle. Adolescents have a still-developing prefrontal cortex, which can facilitate drug-seeking behavior. The drug then alters the development of this area of the brain, making that behavior permanent.

The majority of adults who develop a substance abuse disorder or addiction begin using before they are 18 years old. In order to address the multifaceted public health crisis that the opioid epidemic represents, we must consider both the cause and the effect.

Advancing this legislation has been a collaborative process, and I greatly appreciate the hard work of all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 449.

Mr. Speaker, while Democrats continue to focus on better jobs, better wages, and a better future for hardworking Americans, Republican indifference to the chaos, crisis, and corruption in this town, for example, at the EPA, is at an all-time high.

Why in the world, in the context of the fact that we have 17 different intelligence agencies who concluded that Russia interfered with the election and an ongoing investigation into whether the Trump campaign was involved in selling out our democracy, do some folks continue to try to undermine this investigation?

The ongoing criminal inquiry is a legitimate undertaking. It is not a witch hunt. In fact, everyone leading that investigation is a Republican: Bob Mueller, Republican; Rod Rosenstein, Republican; James Comey, Republican; Christopher Wray, Republican.

What exactly are you all complaining about? It is time for the cover- up caucus in this institution to stop hiding the truth from the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Goodlatte as well as several distinguished members of the Judiciary Committee--in particular, Cedric Richmond and Karen Bass--for their leadership on this issue and, of course, my good friend Doug Collins for being a phenomenal champion of improving the lives of currently incarcerated individuals, folks who have no time for political games.

These are individuals who are in the system right now without hope, without opportunity, without a meaningful chance at transforming themselves. And the FIRST STEP Act will provide that.

It will give them an opportunity to get educated now, give them an opportunity to get vocational training now, a GED now, a college education now, give them the opportunity to deal with their substance abuse problem now, mental health counseling now. Why would we possibly refuse that?

These individuals are amongst the least, the lost, and the left behind. And we have an opportunity, in a bipartisan way, to make a difference in their lives in so many areas. Any objective reading of this bill is that it will improve their quality of life.

And what is so wonderful about this is that you have the right and the left, conservatives and progressives, united in this effort.

Nothing meaningful is ever easy, but the mass incarceration epidemic has been with us for almost 50 years. You will not just take one legislative magic wand and wipe it away in one shot. It will require sustained effort, sustained intensity, sustained commitment, and a meaningful first step. That is what this bill represents.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this effort to transform lives, save taxpayer dollars, and dramatically reduce recidivism now.

Mr. Speaker, the American people face a clear choice about the way forward: the Republican raw deal or the Democratic better deal.

House Republicans want to take away healthcare from more than 23 million Americans--raw deal; Democrats want to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and dramatically lower the cost of prescription drugs--better deal.

House Republicans have a fake infrastructure plan that will do nothing to repair our Nation's crumbling bridges, roads, and tunnels-- raw deal; Democrats have a real infrastructure plan that would invest $1 trillion and create 16 million good-paying jobs--better deal.

House Republicans passed a tax scam where 83 percent of the benefits went to the wealthiest 1 percent in America simply to subsidize the lifestyles of the rich and shameless--raw deal; Democrats want a permanent tax cut for working families so we can put more money into the pockets of everyday Americans--better deal.

House Republicans want to cut more than $2 trillion from Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid--raw deal; Democrats want to strengthen Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid so that senior citizens from throughout the land can live out their golden years with grace and dignity. That is A Better Deal.

House Republicans are all about chaos, crisis, and confusion; Democrats are working to deliver better jobs, better wages, and a better future.

The American people deserve A Better Deal.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to welcome our guest chaplain, Rabbi Shlomo Segal of Kehilat Moshe synagogue from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Rabbi Segal and his wife, Adina, founded the synagogue 5 years ago, and they have since created a vibrant community not only for the diverse group of Jews who attend their services, but for people of all faiths throughout Brooklyn.

Rabbi Segal is a leader in our community who works hard to build bridges of understanding and tolerance. He serves on the board of governors of the New York Board of Rabbis and is a rabbinical consultant to the Kings Bay Y, a Jewish community center in the Eighth Congressional District that I proudly represent.

Through his work, he celebrates the diversity of Brooklyn, bringing together different religious and ethnic groups to emphasize what we all have in common--as New Yorkers and as Americans and, most importantly, as human beings.

Rabbi Segal has brought together Jews, Christians, and Muslims to break fast for Ramadan and worked hard to bring together and strengthen ties between the Black and Jewish communities of central Brooklyn. Rabbi Segal's efforts are geared toward making religion the greatest possible force that it can be in our community and in our Nation.

He is here today with his wonderful wife, Adina, and two tremendous children, Shira and Rayna. It is my honor to welcome them to the people's House and to our Nation's Capital.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the distinguished ranking member, for yielding, for his leadership, and, of course, to the chairman of the committee and to so many other Members: Representative Issa, Representative Rooney, and Representative Crowley and many, many others who have worked hard on this particular piece of legislation.

Of course, above all else, I want to thank my good friend and colleague, Congressman Doug Collins, who has been a phenomenal leader in bringing stakeholders together from across the music ecosystem, bringing folks together from the digital industry, bringing the National Association of Broadcasters together to help us reach this moment where we have a consensus product that can ensure that the people of America and the Nation can continue to enjoy the music we have come to know and love.

Article 1, section 8, clause 8 of the United States Constitution gives Congress the power to promote and create a robust intellectual property system in order to, in the words of the Founding Fathers, promote the progress of

science and useful arts. The Founding Fathers of this great Nation understood that we should incentivize creative brilliance and incentivize innovation and, in that context, that the creator should be able to benefit from the fruits of their labor and, in doing so, will continue to share their creative brilliance with the world.

In the context of music, we know that the manner in which we have consumed music has changed over time: from vinyl to 8-track, from 8- track to cassette, from cassette to CD, from CD to downloads, from downloading to streaming. The manner in which we consume music has changed, but the underlying brilliance and beauty and creativity of that music remains the same.

Consistent with what the Founding Fathers have suggested, we need a modern-day music licensing system, and that is what the MMA will accomplish. I am thankful that it has brought together not just stakeholders and industry, but it has brought together a Jerry Nadler and a Chairman Goodlatte, a Darrell Issa and a Joe Crowley. It has brought together a conservative Republican from Georgia and a progressive Democrat from the people's republic of Brooklyn.

Music is a unifying force. It has the power to bring us together. We should have the power to modernize our system on behalf of these brilliant creators.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor that, on Tuesday, May 1, the communities of south Brooklyn, on the corner of Brighton Beach and Coney Island Avenues, will be co-named for Valeriy ``Larry'' Savinkin, a dedicated and well-respected community leader, who passed away last year.

Larry was my congressional field representative who served the residents of the Eighth Congressional District with great distinction.

His success and impact on the neighborhoods of southern Brooklyn and Queens were not limited to his work in the Eighth Congressional District office. For over 20 years, he was involved in several prominent organizations, including the September 11 Family Group, the Holocaust Memorial Committee, and the Odessa Community of New York.

Larry had a magnetic personality and cared about his community immensely.

I had the privilege of knowing and working with him for several years. I look forward to standing on Valeriy ``Larry'' Savinkin Street with New York City Council Members Mark Treyger and Chaim Deutsch next Tuesday to commemorate and acknowledge this outstanding individual.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address another egregious misrepresentation coming from you know who. How dare anyone refer to an overpriced luxury golf course as the Southern White House.

Let's be clear about something: The Civil War is over. Jefferson Davis failed. The Confederacy lost. There is no such thing as the Southern White House.

Thousands of Americans died on the battlefield and shed blood, sweat, and tears to make certain that, in this country, only one institution connected to the executive branch stood in the land of the free and the home of the brave. That institution is located right here in our Nation's Capital. The address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It was built by slaves.

The White House does not belong to the ghosts of the Confederacy. The White House does not belong to Vladimir Putin or his indigenous collaborators. The White House does not belong to a privately owned real estate cartel to be used and abused as a prop for an infomercial.

We are a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. The White House belongs to the American people.

Mr. Speaker, in this country, our democratic republic, we have a brilliant system of government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

It is a system that consists of two predominant parties with a contrast of ideas. And nowhere in this country is that contrast more prominent than here in the House of Representatives where we have got a vision of the country on the Democratic side of the aisle that wants to move America forward, while the folks on the other side of the aisle want to turn back the clock.

We want to bring people together. They are tearing us apart. We believe in an economy that works for everybody. They are all about an economy for the wealthy and the well-off. They have a raw deal. We have a better deal.

They want to take away healthcare for more than 20 million Americans, impose a draconian age tax on people between 50 and 64, and take away existing protections for preexisting conditions. We want to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and dramatically lower the cost of prescription drugs for every American. Raw deal versus better deal.

They have a fake infrastructure plan that would do nothing to fix our Nation's crumbling bridges, roads, and tunnels. We have a real infrastructure plan that would invest $1 trillion and create 16 million good-paying jobs. Raw deal versus better deal.

They support a budget that would cut more than $2 trillion from Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. We support a budget that would strengthen Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for working families, middle class folks, and senior citizens all across this country.

They recklessly jammed a tax scam down the throats of the American people where 83 percent of the benefits go to the wealthiest 1 percent of this country--tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires, corporations, and big donors to subsidize the lifestyles of the rich and shameless. Raw deal.

We support tax cuts for working families and middle class folks that are made permanent and that meaningfully put money back into the pockets of everyday Americans. That is a better deal.

They are all about chaos, crisis, confusion, and special interests.

We are about the people's interests: better jobs, better wages, and a better future for the American people. We believe the American people deserve a better deal.

Mr. Speaker, the so-called balanced budget amendment is nothing but a phony, fraudulent, and fake effort to promote fiscal responsibility.

I am perplexed by the notion that my good friends on the other side of the aisle would come to the House floor to lecture the American people about the budget when their actions are primarily responsible for the situation in which we find ourselves.

How did we arrive at a moment where, in this country, we confront a crippling $20 trillion debt when the Clinton administration handed the Bush administration a budget surplus?

I am glad you asked that question.

Number one, a failed war in Iraq, brought to us by a Republican administration;

Number two, an unnecessarily prolonged conflict in Afghanistan, brought to us by a Republican administration;

Number three, the Bush tax giveaways of 2001, brought to us by a Republican House, a Republican Senate, and a Republican President;

Number four, the 2003 Bush tax giveaway, brought to us by a Republican House, a Republican Senate, and a Republican President;

Number five, the collapse of the economy in 2008, brought to us by Republican-inspired financial deregulation;

Number six, the Republican tax scam of 2017 that will explode our debt by an additional $2 trillion.

Republicans burn down our fiscal house and then show up with a so- called balanced budget amendment and act like the volunteer fire department.

I am from Brooklyn. I know a hustle when I see one. We will not allow anyone to balance the budget on the backs of working families, middle class folks, senior citizens, the poor, the sick, the afflicted, veterans, and rural America. We will not allow anyone to devastate Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

The American people deserve a better deal.

Mr. Speaker, exactly 1 month ago, 14 innocent students and 3 innocent teachers were massacred at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

We are in the midst of a gun violence epidemic in this country; mass shooting after mass shooting after mass shooting; massacre in the workplace in San Bernardino, California; massacre at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida; massacre at a concert in Las Vegas, Nevada; massacre in churches down in Charleston, South Carolina and in Texas; massacre in schools, in Newtown, Connecticut, and Parkland, Florida.

We are in the midst of a gun violence epidemic in this country, yet the do-nothing Republican Congress is missing in action.

The overwhelming majority of the American people support universal background checks. The overwhelming majority of the American people support limiting access to weapons of war. The overwhelming majority of the American people support raising the age of purchase from 18 to 21. Yet the do-nothing Republican Congress is missing in action.

Our students should be able to go to school and focus on reading, writing, and arithmetic; but, instead, they are often in school with their hands in the air, participating in active shooting drills. Yet the do-nothing Republican Congress is missing in action.

All throughout the country today, tens of thousands of students in blue States and red States; students in urban America, rural America, and suburban America; students in the North, the South, the East, and the West, are walking out of class for 17 minutes to demand that Congress pass commonsense gun violence prevention legislation.

I salute your courage. I salute your conviction. I salute your determination to make a difference.

The students of this great country have stepped up. Now it is time for Congress to do the same. It is time for Congress to choose. We can either stand with the students, or you can stand with the NRA. History will judge us all.

The students of this country are being cut down in the classroom in cold blood, yet the do-nothing Republican Congress is missing in action.

We don't work for the NRA. We don't work for the gun manufacturers. We don't work for the merchants of death. We work for the American people, and it is time for us to finally address the gun violence epidemic in America.

Enough is enough. The American people deserve a better deal.

Mr. Speaker, throughout the years, artists such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and Bruce Springsteen have been recognized on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Today I rise to honor the top 10 female MC hip-hop collaborations of all time.

Number 10: Eve, ``My Chick Bad remix.''

Number 9: Monie Love, ``My Buddy.''

Number 8: Missy Elliott, ``Hot Boyz remix.''

Number 7: Remy Ma, ``Ante Up remix.''

Number 6: Lauryn Hill, ``Ready or Not.''

Number 5: Nicki Minaj, ``Up All Night.''

Number 4: Da Brat, ``Da B Side.''

Number 3: Lady of Rage, ``G Funk Intro.''

Number 2: Fox Boogie Brown, ``Ain't No.''

Number 1: Representing BK to the fullest, Lil' Kim, ``Quiet Storm remix.''

These extraordinary MCs, along with legendary pioneers such as Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and Salt-N-Pepa, shattered hip-hop's glass ceiling with their skill, talent, and lyrical ability.

As we celebrate Women's History Month here in the United States Congress, these dynamic women are worthy to be praised.