Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bipartisan bill to protect Americans from violence and abuse and to ensure that survivors of domestic abuse have access to the services they need.

I rise in support of a single mom hiding in a shelter with her two children. I rise in support of a mother looking to flee an abusive marriage with her children covered in disinfectant chemicals. These are the conversations I have had with women in my district, in Michigan 11.

The Violence Against Women Act reauthorizes funding for a variety of critical grant programs, including for victim services, prevention, training, education, enforcement, economic stability, and on.

Two years ago, Mr. Speaker, I walked with my colleagues over to the Senate majority leader's office to demand a vote on this reauthorization, and he refused to see us. He refused to even allow a vote.

Today, Mr. Speaker, as I rise, I look forward to working with a new Senate majority leader and a new President who will commit to protecting all Americans from violence in the household.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the contributions of Steve Livengood to the U.S. Capitol Historical Society and his decades of service educating the public about the history of this institution.

Congress chartered the United States Capitol Historical Society (USCHS) to ``foster and increase an informed patriotism'' in our nation's citizenry. Steve Livengood is a leader in executing that important mission. Those across the Congressional community and around the country have benefited from Steve's expertise. For a quarter- century, Steve provided continuing education and talks about the Capitol and Congress, giving briefings before every Presidential Inauguration, as well as offering background information and perspective to tourism professionals and the press. Additionally, Steve is considered the go-to expert on Capitol Ghosts and is one of the few people to publicly admit that he has seen the ghost of John Quincy Adams in Statuary Hall.

Since 1996, Steve has served as a full-time Capitol tour guide, volunteer coordinator, and director of other public programs for USCHS. He led tours for notable entertainers such as Harrison Ford, Robert Duvall, and Martha Stewart; foreign dignitaries like the Attorney General of Italy, the President of Hungary, and at least one current crowned head of a prominent European country. Steve also guided tours for titans of industry such as the President of The Ford Motor Company, Indra Nooyi, President of PepsiCo, and several hedge-fund managers through the halls of the Capitol. When the Capitol was closed to public tours after the 9/11 attack, Steve organized the first regular public tours around the Capitol grounds to allow visitors an opportunity for a guided interpretive tour despite the building's closure.

Steve's contributions to USCHS extend far beyond leading tours. He served as the co-organizer of the We the People Constitution Tour program for DC Public School students, which helps Washington middle schoolers experience the Constitution as embodied in the buildings and work of their city. Furthermore, Steve wrote the We the People Constitution Tour Program's Capitol script and personally led tours for upwards of ten thousand students over roughly fifteen years. When COVID-19 closed the Capitol to visitors, Steve helped to develop the Society's virtual learning series exploring the history of the Capitol and the Capitol Hill neighborhood--a series now attended by Congressional staff and alumni, as well as history buffs from around the country.

Steve became a member of USCHS in 1973 and participated in many of their programs over the following two decades. His involvement increased dramatically in 1993 when he began serving as a USCHS volunteer tour guide. Fondly remembering the tours he'd given as a college student, Steve quickly became one of the most active tour volunteers for the Society. As the Society grew, Steve jumped at the opportunity to take a tour program position. Steve became the Society's first employee dedicated solely to organizing the tour program, later taking on such additional responsibilities as sales of USCHS calendars to Members' offices in the House and Senate.

Steve Livengood's passion for the Capitol began when he was just twelve and his parents tasked him with planning an educational vacation. Over the next two years, he arranged for his family to visit Washington, D.C. During the trip Steve became so enamored with the city that he chose D.C. as his college home, attending American University to study Political Science and Government.

While enrolled at American University, Steve leveraged a Kansas connection into volunteering with his Congressman Joe Skubitz. He spent Saturday mornings working on the second floor of the Cannon House Office Building doing such things as rubberstamping ``From the Office of Congressman Joe Skubitz, Kansas 5th District'' on copies of the official Capitol guidebooks to be distributed to constituents and other visitors.

During spring break, the staff offered Steve a paid opportunity. From 1965 until his graduation in 1968, Steve worked part-time in Mr. Skubitz's office and full time during the summer of 1967. His favorite task was giving tours

of the Capitol building for constituents and visitors.

After a short, involuntary tour in Southeast Asia, Steve ventured to Emory University where he received a Master's in recent social history. Along with his studies, he served as Speaker in the Emory University Student Legislature and student body Vice President.

Steve returned to Washington in 1973 for his dissertation research, titled ``Scandals in the 1938 Senate Elections and the Passage of the Hatch Act.'' Steve worked for various groups organizing many programs and meetings on Capitol Hill for political and policy organizations before he came to work for the Society. Steve Livengood dedicated his career to the belief that the United States Capitol is the Temple of Democracy for the world, and that Congress is the most important example of how to implement a representative democracy. Steve Livengood proudly claims that the United States government serves as the best example of government for all of humankind. We salute his 25 years of service to the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, and look forward to many more years of tours and public history lessons.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an exceptional constituent and community leader in Michigan's 11th District, Mr. Blair Bowman.

Mr. Bowman is a lifelong Michigander who graduated from Farmington High School in Farmington, Michigan, obtained his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and law degree from University of Detroit School of Law.

In 2005, after following in his father's footsteps by entering the real estate brokerage and development field, he built a facility in Novi, Michigan, which operates today as the Suburban Collection Showplace. This is one of a few examples in the country of a truly privately owned and operated convention and exposition center, with nearly two million people passing through annually.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Mr. Bowman wasted no time in offering his center to be transformed into an alternative care facility for COVID-19 patients. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District led the 250,000 square foot conversion of the Suburban Collection Showplace convention center into a medical facility in 15 days, where they created a 250-bed space for patients from area hospitals.

Now, the previous regional field hospital is hosting one of Oakland County's COVID-19 vaccination clinics, helping to defeat this virus once and for all.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the outstanding contributions Mr. Bowman has made to his community, and to our country at large.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, a piece of legislation of which I am a proud co-sponsor. Importantly, this bill protects workers' rights to unionize, holds employers accountable for violating workers' rights, and ensures unions can have free, fair, and safe elections. By empowering workers to exercise their rights to organize, workers will be given the power to override ``right-to-work'' laws that prevent unions from collecting dues from the workers they represent.

It is significant to me that this body is coming together to pass this legislation on the same day as Mr. Joseph ``Joe'' Girolamo's 100th birthday. Mr. Girolamo of Livonia, Michigan is a veteran of World War II and the son of Italians, family he had a chance to visit while serving overseas. In a recent interview with Hometown Life, Mr. Girolamo shared that after returning home he moved to Livonia with his late wife Lillian. They met playing music and settled down in 1953. Mr. Girolamo worked at the River Rouge complex in Dearborn. He witnessed workers being treated unfairly and became a union man, and spent years advocating for workers' rights. His daughter Joyce Hermann shared with Hometown Life, ``So, there were actually thugs and goons running the place. It was a difficult situation until the union came in. He made sure

everything was done by the book and his workers weren't doing anything unsafe. It was a really big change back then.''

Earlier today as I wished Mr. Girolamo by phone a Happy Birthday and thanked him for his work with the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, I got to listen to him play his harmonica and proudly informed him that today we were passing the PRO Act. He informed me he was smiling over the phone and glad to hear it.

When I think about the legacy and shoulders of giants we stand on in the Congress, it's incredible patriots like Joe, who represent the best of America and Michigan. I am proud and grateful we were able to take another productive step in the direction of the working men and woman in this country and all they are counting on to earn a decent living and save for retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a Michigander as my home State is recognizing 1 year from the arrival of our first cases of

Madam Speaker, I thank you so much for your dedication to this body and your oversight this evening. I thank all of the very hardworking professionals who help to run the floor of the House. I am so pleased to be back on the floor of the House of Representatives this day, February 4.

Some on the outside project fair criticism, question, demand, want of us. Some may look at us even with a frustrated or loathing eye. We all know how often we hear the statistic about how popular Congress is. What pours in here through money, outside influence, the money that circles around this building.

And when we walk onto this floor of the House of Representatives, though, we are all but just Members. We are representatives of our constituents, carrying a voting card, carrying a voice, representing the values, the determinations, the wishes and the wants of our district, and forced to come together to make a determination.

We ask ourselves: What do we demand of this institution?

I had the privilege of being here this evening as we have seen a long debate, a long time of Special Orders ensue, those who reflected on the events of January 6, the horrible insurrection that took place, the desecration of this institution, this pride and joy of the United States of America, both the House and the Senate momentarily taken over. And I join my colleagues in those reflections.

We saw the other side of the aisle reflect on energy needs, energy resource needs. We also saw some contributions made to constituents back at home.

Tonight, as you look out to the Capitol--and we know this--it is not a full Chamber right now. These are obviously also different times, Madam Speaker. We don't have many outside guests walking through the Congress due to the pandemic. But everyone is allowed to look at the Capitol and see the lantern, see the tholus that supports the Statue of Freedom, that supports Lady Freedom. That lantern is lit right now.

And what is that lantern saying?

That democracy rings out, that freedom rings out, that our future is still within our grasp.

I am proud and grateful to be here tonight, Madam Speaker. I know that the time is not always a given. We certainly recognize that in the midst of this pandemic. We reflect just a month in to this 117th session of Congress. I am very excited about this 117th session of Congress because it is new. It is a new session.

And what do we get with new?

A month ago, January 4, the day after the swearing-in of the new Congress, we passed our rules package, we had procedural votes. I am very proud to say I introduced my first bill of the Congress, the Resilient Manufacturing Task Force Act, a bipartisan bill, focused on our domestic supply chain needs to ensure that we can withstand future disruptions, that we can continue to test our system, that we can bring together the best and brightest of America to get in front of challenges and create jobs and continue to create jobs.

I come from Michigan, and I am really proud of coming from Michigan and I am proud of what Michigan's story is, particularly coming out of the year 2020, and what that means with regard to the first bill I introduced in the 117th Congress, our manufacturing economy, our innovation capabilities.

We have continued to monitor this economy. We are seeing some ricochets, some growth in areas we weren't expecting, some job loss. Michigan's at about a 7.5 percent unemployment. We are going to build it back better. We are going to get people back to work with good wages and good benefits and a dignity for what they do. You see that in manufacturing, when people work with their hands, when they produce, when they are part of an outcome and a productivity. And it is really very exciting to see that Michigan will continue to be a leader.

It must be recognized, our leadership, because when those supply chain disruptions hit almost a year ago, when we saw the PPE shortages in our hospitals, in our healthcare system for the individual American who was going to the grocery store looking for some hand sanitizer or a roll of paper towels, it was the Michigan manufacturers who stood up immediately to rework their supply chains, to rework their production channels, to source that PPE, from the big three--from Ford, Chrysler, GM--on down the supply chain. And it was absolutely amazing, and it was union workers to boot.

And then the great innovation of America, the story that will also be heralded and seen coming out of this pandemic was the creation of a proven and tested vaccine that we invested in immediately. My colleagues and I will reflect on that, that the first thing we did as a body together, all of Congress, everyone who gets to stand in this body voted to fund the research for the vaccine, the very beginning of March. And we got that vaccine, and it got produced in a place called Portage, Michigan. As the year began to reach its conclusion, the trucks filled with that vaccine, and it started to get in the arms of the people who were counting on it. Absolutely miraculous. So unique to the place that I am privileged to call home.

As we reflected in 2019, on the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, the question I would ask my colleagues is: What is our moonshot of the next 50 years?

We certainly met one in the year 2020, yet we haven't stopped continuing to innovate. We haven't stopped continuing to keep our eyes on a future that we are inheriting and that our next generation is inheriting.

I am optimistic about this next generation. I am optimistic about what they represent and about my opportunity to engage and to listen to the students of America and to advocate for them from the Halls of Congress. It is why I proudly sit on the Education and Labor Committee.

President John Kennedy said: ``To govern is to choose.''

To govern is to choose. And we make those choices. See, I don't get to issue proclamations instead of voting. I take a vote. I come down, ``yes'' or ``no.''

Which way do we decide to come down as a nation?

Are we going to agree as a people with one another every step of the way?

Absolutely not.

No union is perfect in that regard. But what makes and builds toward a more perfect Union, as our Founders compelled, and as we compel each other, is the constant dedication to doing the work, to standing up for people, to calling out truth and what is right.

I certainly am not shy of doing that, Madam Speaker, and I know that that was important for us at the beginning of the pandemic to listen to the science, to recognize the threat and to take its seriously, and to also be resilient. And I see that resilience all around my district, Madam Speaker.

And I continue to be compelled to the constituents of the 11th District, to the falling COVID rates in Michigan. We continue to pay tribute and to recognize those who are suffering, those who are struggling from COVID-19, families who are separated from one another as an individual is getting their treatment. We hold them in our hearts. We think about them and we remain dedicated to the prevention and the cure and the effort to end this pandemic.

I am so excited to welcome President Joe Biden to the White House. We were here for his inauguration. We were here to hear his remarks. His invitation for unity and unity by way of delivering; unity by way of delivering for the American people; the Buy American provisions that will continue to invest in American manufacturers and using our Federal dollars to identify new supply chain opportunities for us.

I see this all over my district, from Northville up to Troy and Auburn Hills, what people are working on and how we can help them to continue to do that.

Madam Speaker, I thank you for the time tonight and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the newly inaugurated Biden Administration.

I have every confidence that my friend, and a good man, President Joseph R. Biden, will serve as the head of state that this weighty moment deserves. With Vice President Kamala Harris by his side, America will heal, America will innovate, and America will lead.

My partnership with President Biden began on the campaign trail in 2008, and it continued to the U.S. Auto Rescue Task Force, where he showed every day his care for the needs of hardworking Michigan families and our manufacturing economy. I am ready to work alongside the Biden Administration and my colleagues in Congress to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic, get our economy back on track, and help Michiganders get back on their feet.

I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in congratulating the new Administration and welcoming the first family to the White House.

Now, we begin a new chapter in American history--one of innovative, collaborative, and forward-thinking leadership to strengthen our nation for generations to come.

We will build a future for our children that is guided by truth and science, energized by the will of the people, and fortified by love for our resilient republic. May we be successful in this endeavor, and may we never lose faith in America's promise.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to condemn the use of capital punishment in the United States and to call for its abolition.

Capital punishment is an unjust and inhumane practice. It is past time we join developed democracies throughout the world and abolish this barbaric practice.

The death penalty in the United States is deeply unfair and inequitable. It is a sentence disproportionately given to people of color, individuals with mental illness and the economically disadvantaged. Black people make up less than 13 percent of the nation's population while accounting for more than 42 percent of those on death row. And despite the Supreme Court ruling that intellectual disability lessens moral culpability, an estimated five to ten percent of all death row inmates suffer from a severe mental illness. The death penalty is also overwhelmingly imposed on poor people, with 95 percent of death row defendants from underprivileged backgrounds.

The methods of execution used in the United States are unquestionably inhumane. States still allow people to be put to death by hanging, firing squad, electrocution and gas chamber. Although the recent adoption of lethal injection is purportedly more humane, recent botched executions have resulted in agonizing and prolonged deaths for individuals--undeniably a cruel and unusual punishment.

As long as the death penalty exists, innocent individuals will be convicted and sentenced to death. Since 1973, 172 former

death-row prisoners have been exonerated of all charges related to the wrongful convictions that had put them on death row. We cannot continue to employ a system of punishment that has such a high risk of taking innocent life.

The United States stands out among our allies and other democracies in its use of the death penalty. Many of our allies consider it a gross violation of human rights. Defending human rights abuses abroad has been a key pillar of U.S. foreign policy, but the continued use of the death penalty at home undermines our global standing and enables other countries to criticize other diplomatic efforts.

Under the Trump Administration's Department of Justice, executions of federal death-row prisoners have recently resumed for the first time since 2003. In the midst of our current public health crisis, the Department of Justice has executed more people in six months than the total number executed over the previous six decades.

Most Americans know that the death penalty does not represent justice in our country. It is cruel, inhumane, arbitrary and clearly discriminatory. It is time for us to finally abolish the death penalty.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in memory of Warner Timmons, another beloved husband, father and grandfather lost suddenly and senselessly to COVID-19 on December 15.

I would like to use my personal privilege to share the words of his son, Jay Timmons, on the event of his father's passing:

I am proud and blessed to be Warner Timmons' son. I share

his name, as does my own son. I inherited his sarcastic

chuckle and his devious laugh, as well as his love of

practical jokes--and there has never been someone as good at

them as him. His timing was perfect right until the end. He

always looked out for those less fortunate and was always

rooting for the underdog--traits that he impressed on me to

carry with me throughout my career. He passed on his love of

animals, especially rescued dogs and cats, of which there

were many in our family. Dad taught me how to tie a tie

perfectly as I entered the working world--a full Windsor knot

with a dimple in the center, even though I was applying to

work at a fast-food restaurant.

He taught me to be respectful to every other human being I

encountered and to always have confidence in myself. Even

though he was raised in difficult economic conditions during

the Great Depression, he coached me on the importance of

table manners, of extending courtesy toward others and of

maintaining a firm handshake. He taught me to work hard and

to take pride in that work. His own work ethic was

strengthened during his time in the U.S. Air Force, where he

was an airman first class--and was also first chair trumpet

in the Air Force Band on his last tour of duty in the former

French Morocco in the 1950s. He enjoyed passing along his

love of music to his grandkids.

Maybe the most important thing I learned from my Dad is to

never back down from a fight. So, Dad, I promise you one more

time that I won't stop now. I'll keep fighting, in every way

I can, to help others and to get our country that you loved

so much to the other side of this nightmare that was so

preventable. And I will hope and pray that doing so will

protect other families from enduring the searing pain that we

feel right now.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in response to the violent insurrection we bore witness to at the helm of our Republic on January 6, 2021.

We will never forget the destruction, desecration, and loss of human life that now haunts these revered halls.

I am heartbroken that some of those occupying the highest offices of our land have engaged in seditious speech and conduct that has threatened the safety and honor of our most vital democratic institutions. I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in demanding accountability for all

those who stood against the American way on that dreadful day, and those who failed in their duty to protect and preserve this sacred democracy.

May this body return to our critical work unafraid of the challenges that lie before us, grounded in the principles of truth, respect, and justice that our role requires. I love our country, and I vow to safeguard our Republic so long as I have the privilege of holding this office.

I wish to thank the brave Capitol Police officers and other law enforcement on the scene who put themselves in harm's way to protect Members of Congress, congressional staff, and members of the Capitol Hill press corps. I also want to extend my profound condolences to the families of those that we lost amid the chaos. We will not be deterred in our mission to deliver for the American people.

Madam Speaker, insurrection. A violent mob. A week ago today, five people were killed, many injured, and everyone in this building forced to hide for their very life.

The President was called for help, but he did not answer our call while our government was being taken over. He failed to lead and, therefore, proved himself incapable of doing so.

Some may say impeachment is political. Some may cry it is divisive. Madam Speaker, our obligation to our Constitution is to protect this Nation.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment to

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

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Albert ``Randy'' Randolph Judd on his remarkable life.

Mr. Judd passed peacefully in his sleep on April 11, 2019 and is survived by his wife Patricia ``Pat'' Roan Judd of 46 years and his son Liam Judd. Known as a long-time leader in the great city of Birmingham, Randy served as a City Commissioner for 10 years and as Mayor in 1989. Mr. Judd also joyfully spent his time as a scuba instructor and underwater photographer who certified scuba students in local lakes. He remained deeply committed to philanthropic efforts related to the arts and media while supporting various charitable causes focused on those in need.

Mr. Judd's remarkable life offers perspective on what makes communities and families thrive, a compassionate heart, quick wit, and an ability to show up when people need it most.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in reflecting on the remarkable life of Albert Randolph Judd and his many contributions to his community in Birmingham, Michigan.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Nisha Choksi and Hetal Patel on their remarkable relationship and to wish them well on a lifetime of marriage.

Nisha and Hetal were wed in a beautiful ceremony on May 11, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. Surrounded by friends and family from across the globe, their three days of festivities symbolize their deep commitment to one another and their future life.

Their wedding symbolizes the beginning of a journey that will carry them through the joys and hardships of life. Their ability to work together professionally and grow only closer is another testament to the powerful bond they share.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Nisha Choksi and Hetal Patel for embarking on a new chapter in their lives and wishing them well on their journey together.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Henry Graham Winterhalter and his baptism on Sunday, May 12, 2019.

I have the honor of being the Godmother to Henry and the lifelong friend of his parents Lindsay and Brian Winterhalter. On May 12th we gathered at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, a religious institution open to all children to witness Henry's baptism. Born on June 28, 2018, Henry is now freed from sin and baptized to Christ.

Without shedding a tear, and symbolizing his gentle heart and growing mind, Henry was baptized by Pastor John Spangler.

As his sponsor, I promised before friends and family to nurture Henry Graham in the Christian faith and to serve as a role model throughout his life. His life a blessing, we are inspired by all Henry will become, a true gift from God.

Let us all reflect on this as we work to make this country a better country for Henry.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in reflecting on another milestone in the life of Henry Graham Winterhalter and his bright future.