Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jacklyn Rogers, a dedicated member of my team for the last three years. Since March 2020, Jackie has loyally served the constituents of Minnesota's 5th Congressional District with passion and commitment.

Jackie was born and raised in her beloved Santa Rosa, California. She was born a triplet and has shown throughout her life a remarkable aptitude for whatever challenge she takes

on, whether here on the Hill or on the rink, where she was a distinguished skater in her youth.

After she graduated from Southern Oregon University, she endeavored to continue her family legacy of public service. Like her father before her, she has established herself as a passionate and talented House staffer, remaining fiercely uncynical and deeply committed to producing consistently high-quality work.

Jackie is a sterling example of the American dream in action. She is eminently proud of her family's Ukrainian heritage, and a living tribute to their brave decision 100 years ago to take on a perilous journey into the unknown of a new life in the United States.

During Jackie's time in my office, she has displayed a brilliant analytical mind in developing communication strategies and a remarkable creative flair in her writing. More than that, Jackie brightened the days of everyone in my office with her warmth, her deep kindness, her easy laughter, and her sharp wit. Through tremendous personal adversity, she has maintained not just good spirits and an intense sense of camaraderie with her coworkers, but an extraordinary caliber of work.

It has been my great pleasure to get to know Jackie as both an integral part of my team, and as a human being. As we frequently say around the office, Jackie intensely loves what she loves--whether that's the progressive values that guide our work, the spirit of public service, or Taylor Swift (her favorite album is Red,) and all things Canadian (especially Tim Horton's). On behalf of Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and thanking Jackie for her service and wishing her all the best in her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of small businesses and to celebrate my friend Abdirahman Kahin, the owner of Afro Deli in my district who was named Small Business Person of the Year by the Biden administration.

My district was also chosen as one of the stops for SBA's national tour in honor of Small Business Week.

It was great to welcome Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Small Business Administrator Isabel Guzman to discuss economic development for new Americans and underserved communities at Adama Restaurant and Awash Bakery in my district.

We also discussed the critical role community development financial institutions play in helping small businesses. Also in that week we were able to host BIPOC women small business owners at a roundtable at Wildflyer Coffee in Minneapolis.

The Fifth District is full of thriving small businesses, many owned by immigrants and people of color, and we will continue to support them to make sure they have the resources they need to thrive in the future.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to pay my respects to the celebrated heroes of the Somali Youth League.

On May 15, 1943, 13 brave, young, and bright men founded SYL to liberate Somalia from colonial control. Their mission was to see a free and united Somalia and prosperity for its people.

Eighty years later, we cannot forget their sacrifice or let their deaths be in vain. As Somalis in the diaspora, young or old, or in Somalia, our call today has to be for unity, for freedom, and for leadership.

SYL fought for liberty, and we must renew that call to liberate ourselves from clan mentality, violence, and lead to create a better tomorrow for all of us.

Mr. Speaker, today I recognize Tahreem Alam, a fellow in my Washington, D.C. office for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of Minnesota.

Daughter of Bangladesh immigrants, Tahreem along with her older sister and younger brother grew up in Blacksburg, Virginia. She is a graduate of Virginia Tech, where she earned her bachelor's degree in Multimedia Journalism, International Relations, and Arabic with minors in Women's and Gender Studies and Middle East Studies. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Middle East Studies at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

I got to know Tahreem, after she was selected to serve as a legislative intern in my congressional office from a pool of highly qualified applicants in the spring of 2022 and she later returned that fall for a nine-month fellowship. During the last year and half, Tahreem has proven to be a talented and brilliant young woman, always ready to learn something new. She has demonstrated a high-level of professionalism, dedication, and confidence in all her assigned tasks. It has been my pleasure to get to know Tahreem and see her flourish.

Every Member of Congress works with many exceptional staff, from the staff in their own personal offices, to committee staff, and floor staff. It has often been said that without staff this institution would not run, and I agree. Without the many fine staff with whom I have had the good fortune to work with, I and other Members of Congress would not be able to do the kind of work we do for our constituents every day.

Tahreem should be proud of the service she has provided to our District and country. She has assisted my office in multiple areas, including communications, appropriations, and constituent engagement and advocacy. She has been an exemplary public servant during her time with the office. Tahreem is deeply committed to her studies, our community, and to ensuring that she is an active participant in making our country a better place. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Tahreem for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

On behalf of Minnesota's 5th Congressional District, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and thanking Tahreem for her service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 30, the Somalia war powers resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the chairman, a real debate about U.S. policy in Somalia and in Africa is long overdue. It is debate that should include a serious discussion of our long-term strategy for supporting stability and self-governance. It should include clear-eyed analysis of U.S. counterterrorism policies, including air strikes and drones, and the consistent problem of civilian casualties of U.S. operations.

Congress is also overdue for a debate about the expansive use of the 2001 AUMF, which the executive branch claims includes operations in Somalia.

Mr. Speaker, the resolution before the House today does not address these significant issues. It is a narrow question of the withdrawal of a few hundred troops.

Given President Hassan's renewed efforts to eradicate Al-Shabaab, the resolution does include a long enough timeline to ensure that operations that we are partnering with can be ended responsibly.

While we should not mistake this poorly crafted resolution for an honest assessment of U.S. policy in Somalia, it is important that we support the question before us.

Mr. Speaker, I and many Somali Americans support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the U.N. visit to my Minnesota district to advance racial justice and equality in the context of law enforcement and address the historic oppression of Black and Brown people in our country.

It has been nearly 3 years to the day since George Floyd was murdered at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. Sadly, since then, the number of Black people killed by police has only increased--with over 1,000 police shootings a year in 2021 and 2020.

This is a systemic issue that requires systemic solutions. That is why, in the wake of the killing of Daunte Wright and George Floyd, I introduced a package of bills, including the Protecting Our Protesters Act, the National Police Misuse of Force Investigation Board Act, and the Global Police Brutality Resolution. Following the murder of Amir Locke, I introduced the End Deadly No-Knock Warrants Act.

We can and must fight systemic racial injustices in our criminal justice system, from the disproportionate arrest and incarceration rates Black and Brown people face to the marijuana laws that criminalize Black people and remain on the books.

Mr. Speaker, for a long time Republicans spent so much time saying they were going to address the economic anxiety families were feeling, but overnight, they dreamed up a dangerous economic bill that would plunge families into economic depression.

Republicans say they want to grow the economy, but their bill will destroy 8,000 jobs in my district alone and 7 million across this country.

They say they want to invest in children, but this bill eliminates childcare access for 4,000 kids in my State and 180,000 nationwide.

They talk nonstop about rail safety, yet this bill would cut at least 160 rail inspection days in Minnesota and 7,000 nationwide.

They are not repealing the Bush-Trump tax cuts because what their bill is going to do is do wealth transfer from working and middle-class families to billionaires and millionaires.

This is hypocrisy, and it is full of lies. Corporations should not be put ahead of our families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support Congress' restoring its constitutional authority over matters of war and peace.

No matter what else we are discussing here today, the plain and simple truth is that Congress has not authorized military presence in Syria. For far too long, we in Congress have neglected this key Article I responsibility.

If my colleagues believe that we need the military in Syria, then they should author an AUMF. They should debate that in committee, and they should bring it to a vote on the floor. We must not continue to hand over power to the executive branch when the politics get too difficult.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support today's resolution.

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

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

Mr. Chair, I rise today to call on Congress to take up economic measurement tools that will uplift all Americans.

My amendment would add factors from the genuine progress indicator to register budgetary reporting. GPI would supplement the information we get from traditional measures like GDP, which mainly emphasizes growth for its own sake.

GPI would provide a more accurate and inclusive assessment of economic well-being. It evaluates the positive and negative factors of economic activity ranging from the benefits of infrastructure and workforce development to the process costs of income inequality and pollution on our collective well-being.

It would give us the chance to finally account for important but overlooked aspects of society such as wealth distribution, economic sustainability, and the overall quality of life for everyday Americans.

We must recognize that collective prosperity is only attainable if we identify the gaps and barriers preventing our most vulnerable communities from thriving.

My amendment simply seeks to give lawmakers more comprehensive data so that we can make more informed policy decisions.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote for this amendment in order to focus our policy lens on the lives of working and poor families in America.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin).

Mr. Chairman, as my colleague on the other side of the aisle admittedly said, this is just another factor that gives us more tools, more ability to fully comprehend what is happening with our economy.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 30.

When we, as Americans, are given the opportunity to know what investments to make, the kind of investments that we can make, and the kind of impacts that they will have, that matters. That choice should always be with each one of us. The investments that we make might have an impact on the rest of the world.

Many of us would be outraged if we knew that our investments went toward forced labor activities in China and other parts of the world. Yet, this resolution would make it difficult for hardworking Americans to determine what investments are being made in their name.

Our constituents deserve the freedom to access this information and to have the right to ensure that their money is being invested in a way that is aligned with their values.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this resolution and protect the rights of Americans to make financial and moral decisions about the kind of investments that they want their retirement to be made of.

Madam Speaker, this debate today is about who gets to be an American. What opinions do we have to have to be counted as Americans?

This is what this debate is about, Madam Speaker.

There is this idea that you are suspect if you are an immigrant or if you are from certain parts of the world or a certain skin tone or a Muslim.

It is no accident that members of the Republican Party accused the first Black President, Barack Obama, of being a secret Muslim. It is no accident that former President Donald Trump led a birther movement that falsely claimed he was born in Kenya because, to them, falsely labeling the first and only Black President of the United States of America a Muslim and an African immigrant somehow made him less American.

Well, I am Muslim. I am an immigrant and, interestingly, from Africa. Is anyone surprised that I am being targeted? Is anyone surprised that I am somehow deemed unworthy to speak about American foreign policy, or that they see me as a powerful voice that needs to be silenced?

Frankly, it is expected because when you push power, power pushes back.

Representation matters. Continuing to expand our ideas of who is American and who can partake in the American experiment is a good thing.

I am an American, an American who was sent here by her constituents to represent them in Congress, a refugee who survived the horrors of a civil war, someone who spent her childhood in a refugee camp. I am someone who knows what it means to have a shot at a better life here in the United States. I am someone who believes in the American Dream, the American possibility, and the promise and the ability to participate in the democratic process.

That is what this debate is about.

There is an idea out there that I do not have objective decisionmaking because of who I am, where I come from, and my perspective, but I reject that.

We say there is nothing objective about policymaking. We all inject our perspectives, our points of view, our lived experiences, and the voices of our constituents. That is what democracy is about.

What is the work of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Madam Speaker? It is not to cosign the stated foreign policy of whatever administration is in power. It is about oversight. It is to critique and to advocate for a better path forward. Most importantly, it is to make the myth that American foreign policy is intrinsically moral, a reality.

I will continue to speak up because representation matters. I will continue to speak up for little kids who wonder who is speaking up for them. I will continue to speak up for families around the world who are seeking justice whether they are displaced in refugee camps or hiding under their beds somewhere, as I was, waiting for the bullets to stop because this child survivor of war would have wanted that.

The 9-year-old me would be disappointed if I didn't talk about the victims of conflict on behalf of those who are experiencing unjust wars, atrocities, ethnic cleansing, occupation, or displacement, as I did.

They are looking to the international community and the United States, asking for help. They look to us because the international community and the United States profess the values of protecting human rights and upholding international law. We owe it to them not to make this a myth but a reality.

I didn't come to Congress to be silent. I came to Congress to be their voice, and my leadership and voice will not be diminished if I am not on this committee for one term. My voice will get louder and stronger, and my leadership will be celebrated around the world, as it has been.

So take your vote or not, I am here to stay, and I am here to be a voice against the harms around the world and advocate for a better world.

Offered By: Ms. Omar

Amendment No. 140: Page 3, line 8, after ``with'' insert

``Native Nations, Tribes, Indigenous communities,''.

Offered By: Ms. Omar

Amendment No. 141: Page 2, line 13, strike ``date of

enactment of this subsection'' and insert ``date this

subsection takes effect described in paragraph (4)''.

Page 3, line 9, strike the closing quotation mark and the

final period.

Page 3, after line 9, add the following:

``(4) Effective date.--Paragraph (1) shall take effect on

the date on which the Secretary submits to Congress a report

containing a quantification of the economic effects on the

national debt of the implementation of this subsection.''.

Offered By: Ms. Omar

Amendment No. 142: Add at the end the following:

Offered By: Ms. Omar

Amendment No. 139: Page 2, line 24, strike ``limitation''

and insert ``limitations''.

Page 3, beginning on line 1, amend paragraph (2) to read as

follows:

``(2) Limitations.--The plan required by paragraph (1) may

not--

``(A) provide for a total increase in the percentage of

Federal lands described in paragraph (1) leased for oil and

gas production in excess of 10 percent; or

``(B) provide for the participation of a company that--

``(i) holds an oil or gas lease issued under any of the

mineral leasing laws; and

``(ii) provided executive level employees of such company

with a bonus using profits made from holding such lease in

the 10 years preceding the date of enactment of this

subsection.