Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the lifesaving work of Kids In Danger on the occasion of their 25th Anniversary. Headquartered in my home state of Illinois, Kids In Danger is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting children by fighting for product safety.

It was founded in 1998 by Linda Ginzel and Boaz Keysar, the parents of sixteen-month-old Danny who died when a poorly designed and recalled portable crib collapsed around his neck in his childcare home. Kids In Danger's mission is to save lives by enhancing transparency and accountability through safer product development, better education, and stronger advocacy for children.

Kids In Danger is celebrating 25 years of impact by educating parents and caregivers about recalled and dangerous children's products through research, and community outreach and engagement at the local and national levels.

Shortly after its founding, Chicagoan Nancy Cowles became Kids in Danger's Executive Director, enabling the organization to take on bigger and bigger challenges. She sought out and worked tirelessly with parents who had lost their children in preventable accidents such as furniture that had toppled on them. A skilled organizer, advocate and spokesperson, Nancy always puts the parents first. I am proud to call her my dear friend.

Kids In Danger's advocacy has brought about many hard-fought victories for children such as the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act including Danny's Law requiring strong standards for cribs and other nursery products, and most recently, the Safe Sleep for Babies Act banning infant inclined sleep products and padded crib bumpers, Reese's Law which will help prevent button and coin cell battery ingestion, and the STURDY Act, requiring a strong standard to prevent furniture tip-overs.

Kids In Danger also partners with university engineering programs to incorporate design safety into the engineering curriculum, and launched a free online course to help children's product designers and companies integrate safety into their design and development process.

Congratulations to Kids In Danger for protecting all our children and grandchildren from hazardous products.

Mr. Speaker, I brought my Constitution with me because the Constitution is very clear that it is the duty of the United States of America to pay its debts. Somehow, it doesn't say a darn thing about how you can negotiate to hold the whole economy hostage and threaten the economy of the United States of America before you are willing to pay the debts.

Under President Trump, as I am sure it was said before, three times the debt ceiling was raised. Yet, you are saying now, at the same time Donald Trump gave a $2 trillion tax cut to the wealthiest Americans, but don't blame him for the deficit. Let's talk about these poor people who are trying to get healthcare or put food on the table for their families or the veterans who are seeing a cut in their healthcare. No way. Vote ``no'' on this terrible, mean proposal.

Mr. Chair, had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall No. 157.

Amendment No. 19 Offered by Mr. Roy

Madam Speaker, I stand before my colleagues as a proud Jew and a proud friend and colleague of Ilhan Omar.

I don't need any of you to defend me against anti-Semitism. My friend, Ilhan Omar, and I have worked together on the values that I treasure as an American Jew and that she treasures as an American Islamic woman, the only one on the Foreign Affairs Committee. That is the third largest religion in the United States of America.

I am just furious. We have seen all kinds of anti-Semitism from the other side of the aisle.

As Americans, we should be welcoming differences. Vote ``no'' on this. We need to defend our values as Americans and my values as a Jew.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.

The Freedom for Health Care Workers Act. Really? Freedom? Freedom from what?

We know that vaccine mandates are absolutely not new, and healthcare workers are often required to get vaccinated against infectious diseases, for various diseases. During the pandemic, the COVID-19 vaccine allowed our heroic nurses and healthcare workers to save lives and protect the most vulnerable, including senior citizens.

But, you know, we are not done with it yet. People are still getting sick and dying. If you have a loved one in a nursing home, if you know people, people you care about, that are immunocompromised, if you have a child who is in fragile health, don't you want to make sure that when you seek care, that the nurse that is going to be serving them, that the healthcare provider, is going to be safe and not bring that disease, not bring COVID to them?

I think this is really a serious mistake that we are making. This is not about freedom. This is about healthcare. Doctors, nurses, hospitals, and the American Medical Society believe that requiring COVID-19 vaccines for healthcare workers saves lives.

Let's do that. Let's save lives. Vote ``no'' on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Raymond Nihlean, a constituent and valued member of the Edgewater community, who believed in the goodness of every person. When you heard his contagious laugh, you knew his generous spirit would soon fill the room. His efforts resulted in tangible improvements in people's lives across every generation and background. ``Raymond was a landlord with heart,'' said community activist, Clare Tobin. ``He helped residents through the pandemic. He and his team connected renters with programs such as rent grants and resources for food.'' For one elderly tenant in particular, after finding supportive senior housing and 24/7 caregivers, Raymond even made funeral arrangements with her pastor.

In classic Raymond fashion, when a teenager threw a rock that dented his classic 1975 Lincoln Town car, he called the school instead of the police, and when Raymond learned the boy had a court date, he accompanied him. With such support, the young man received probation instead of a sentence. Always sensitive to youth needs, Raymond mentored many young people sparking their creativity, building self- confidence, and making them laugh. At neighborhood events, kids and grown-ups alike delighted in his convertible King Midget, a tiny red racing car with headlights that squirted water.

``Imagine you're at a restaurant and start singing happy birthday to your daughter. From across the room an energetic man with a booming voice and a gentle smile stands up and joins in. He's much louder than anyone else, with energy and body language that take over, inspiring everyone in the restaurant to join in. Your daughter will never forget the joy of that moment, and neither will you. The man who created that moment was Raymond,'' remembered cousin Sim from years of family gatherings.

His devoted wife Tina recollects how excited Rayond was when heavy snow fell. He had such fun riding his red ATV snowplow over 2 miles of sidewalks and alleys so neighbors could safely reach shops and public transit. ``I always heard from neighbors how much they loved Raymond. Some didn't know his name, but they loved him because he plowed their sidewalks. They never asked, he was just always there with love and joy in his heart,'' according to former State Senator Carol Ronen. For 15 years, he was a familiar early morning good Samaritan.

Former 48th Ward Alderman, Mary Ann Smith, recalls that ``Raymond's $35,000 donation was the lynch pin that got city funding for Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management training program. It was attended by local business owners who wanted to take their company to the next level.'' Raymond was a philanthropist who continued to provide resources to help other entrepreneurs flourish, including the Edgewater Uptown Builders Association (EUBA) and other community organizations. ``Raymond was always generous with his time and resources and always knowing when and how to pitch in to fill a need. He personally provided and engineered state-of-the-art sound and visual equipment to help people communicate more effectively. Raymond is a one of a kind. Truly a prince of a man.'' added Jim Byrne, past EUBA president.

A lasting tribute to Raymond's love for his community is the beautiful mosaic ``bricolage'' at the gateway to the Bryn Mawr Historic District. He brought the student artists lunches and treats, as well as donating money and materials. Raymond and Tina's wedding photo is memorialized in the art wall too, forever sharing their joy and love.

Raymond's bravery inspired his medical team. ``I will always use Ray as an example to my staff and patients what support and advocacy can do,'' remembers Dr. Samman Shahpar, Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. He further remarked at an international symposium, ``Put aside whatever you know about brain injuries, because there is Raymond.'' To Dr. Jeffrey Raizer, neuro oncologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, ``Raymond was indeed an inspirational person who fought hard against his GBM and by all measures Raymond had a wonderful life up until his passing.''

Throughout his 6 year and 3 month survival with brain cancer, Raymond never lost his humor, his optimism, or his zest for life. ``Every day is precious, each moment was the only moment we were sure that we had,'' said Tina. ``In the hospital, we created our own world with natural sounds of birds singing and falling water. The smell of lilies would fill the room. We were content. Patient through the pain and the healing process, attentive to the details, giving and receiving kindness, hopeful. The Zen like quality, peacefulness and good will was conducive to healing for everyone entering the room. And after 21 years of marriage, Raymond's devotion to his wife Tina, never dimmed. Their friend, Ellen Pritsker knew, ``They spoke to the beauty in one another.'' On his final day, he and Tina were looking out of his hospital window at the place by the Lake where he proposed so many years ago. Then, with a smile on his face, he took his last breath. Raymond freely shared his love and his time with all who knew him. His generosity of spirit and deeply felt joyfulness will stay with us always.

Madam Speaker, I am against all forms of violence, including violence against any one of the majority of Americans who support abortion rights.

The statistics are absolutely clear. Since 1977, there have been 11 murders, 42 bombings, 196 arsons, 491 assaults, and thousands more illegal attacks on people who support abortion rights.

Let's include everyone in here when we talk about no more violence. We have to make sure that people who are pro-life and people who support abortion rights--and we support life--are included in opposing violence.

Madam Speaker, born alive has nothing to do with abortion. Providers are already required, by law, to provide appropriate medical care. Infanticide is murder.

What we heard earlier is just not true. It is a lie that should not be repeated.

As our chairman has said, not only is it illegal to not care for a born infant, but the law that you have provided on the Republican side actually can create more harm. It requires immediately taking a struggling baby to a hospital. That hospital could be hours away and

could be detrimental to the life of that baby.

This is nothing more than a part of the effort to make abortion illegal nationally in this country. I object, and I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall no. 22.

Stated against:

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered as the primary sponsor of H. Res. 744, a resolution originally introduced by Representative Ted Deutch of Florida, for the purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the many accomplishments of Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin. Larry Suffredin is a lot of things: he is a beloved elected official. An attorney. A United States Air Force veteran. A devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Commissioner Suffredin is the quintessential statesman, and I am proud to be able to call him a dear friend and neighbor.

Larry Suffredin has deep roots in our state and our community. Born in Evergreen Park, Illinois, he is the oldest of eight children, the son of a Chicago Police Officer, and a graduate of Loyola University Chicago.

Larry has a long history of service. While in law school at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., he joined the United States Department of Justice, and then went on to serve as an officer in the United States Air Force in the early 1970's. Upon being discharged from the armed forces, Larry worked as an Assistant Public Defender before moving on to other pursuits. Larry saw a lot of success as a lawyer. Practicing law for almost fifty years, he is a partner at Shefsky & Froelich and has had the opportunity to argue cases before the Illinois Appellate Court, the United States Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.

In 2002, Larry Suffredin was elected to serve as a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners representing the 13th District. During his tenure, Larry's depth of knowledge and compassion made him an effective and passionate defender of Cook County residents and a mentor to many. Even in retirement, I am certain many will continue to seek his counsel.

Larry has a long list of accomplishments from his time spent as a Cook County Commissioner. A longtime advocate for gun safety reform, he helped pass Cook County's Assault Weapons Ban. He saved the old County Hospital Building from demolition and created the successful Independent Health and Hospital Board, and was a leader in raising the minimum wage. Larry played a key role in establishing Cook County's Office of the Independent Inspector General and created an Eviction and Mortgage Foreclosures Court protocol to protect people's homes.

As a Forest Preserve Commissioner, he has a whole other list! He established the New Century Conservation Council and worked hard to expand the Forest Preserve's land restoration initiatives and their use of trained volunteers. Larry was a driving force behind successful efforts to require children to wear bike helmets as they made use of this amazing local resource.

These are only a sampling of Commissioner Suffredin's successful efforts over the last twenty years. However, these accomplishments will have impacts on residents for many decades ahead. His leadership has made Cook County a better place for those who live here.

On behalf of the residents of the 9th Congressional District of Illinois, I thank Larry for so many years of dedicated and effective leadership on behalf of our community. I know his family--Gloria, Tom, Elizabeth, and their families--are excited to spend more time with him in the years ahead. I hope that he continues to answer my calls when I am the one calling for his counsel, and I wish him nothing but the very best moving forward.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the committee for yielding.

I am just so happy that we see the Lymphedema Treatment Act on the floor today.

I thank my colleague on the Republican side, Buddy Carter, for being a cosponsor of the legislation and helping to put it forward with so many bipartisan sponsors of the legislation, over 350--what is it, 366?--cosponsors of the bill.

I look forward to passing it in the House today. There are enough Senators on the other side of the rotunda here that also have sponsored, so I look forward to it becoming the law of the land.

I thank all the advocates who worked so hard, including Heather Ferguson, who is the executive director of the Lymphedema Advocacy Group, and all the people whom she worked with to help make this pass. Heather is the mother of a son that has lymphedema. I thank all the constituents who worked so hard to make this happen.

Here is what it is about lymphedema. It is not only painful and debilitating; it is also incurable. But we are lucky that there actually is a remedy, a treatment for lymphedema.

Many of you may be familiar with it. You may not have known the name. Two-thirds of all lymphedema cases develop after cancer treatment. You see that swelling. But what we don't have is the kind of treatment that is actually needed.

Currently, Medicare does not cover these important compression garments, which is what can really help people so very much. My bill will actually finally expand access to these garments for lymphedema patients on Medicare.

This will absolutely help the 3 million Americans who have lymphedema to be able to have some of the relief that they need at a cost that they can afford. It will also reduce Medicare costs because instead of these people developing all kinds of other health

issues, they will be able to be treated with these compression garments.

Again, I thank Chairman Pallone, Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Representative Buddy Carter, and all the Members on both sides of the aisle. Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to endorse this wonderful bill and vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank so many in the Energy and Commerce Committee for their hard work. I want to say a special thank-you to Gus Bilirakis, who is the Republican cosponsor of this very important and bipartisan legislation. I also want to ditto all the words that he said about this important bill.

What we know is that the INFORM Consumers Act, H.R. 5502, protects American consumers when they shop online.

Counterfeit and stolen goods have become readily available on popular websites like Amazon and Facebook and beyond. As a result, American consumers face new dangers when they shop online. Counterfeit and stolen products defraud consumers, and they pose a risk to consumers' health, their safety, and their security.

Online marketplaces are failing right now to crack down on fraudsters and scammers. Instead, they actually have fueled high-profile cases of organized crime rings that are now brazenly hitting retail stores.

We have heard from consumers that Mr. Bilirakis mentioned. Many retailers are being hurt by this.

These stolen goods too often end up on the online marketplaces, and the INFORM Consumers Act puts an end to the online sale of dangerous products and stolen goods and limits criminal behavior.

The bill holds online marketplaces accountable for enabling criminal activity on their platforms. It requires online marketplaces to verify the identity of their third-party sellers. Verifying sellers lets Americans have confidence now, which we want them to have, when they shop online.

The bill empowers the Federal Trade Commission to enforce compliance with this bill.

I am grateful to my colleague, Mr. Bilirakis, and to all of those who have been supporting this legislation to finally protect consumers. I am proud that this bill has bipartisan support, and I certainly urge all of my colleagues to support the INFORM Consumers Act, H.R. 5502. Let's vote for it today.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor a cherished friend, Jeffrey Siegel. For over the past six decades, Jeffrey Siegel has graced concert halls around the globe as a solo pianist for the world's greatest orchestras. As Jeffrey Siegel celebrates his 80th birthday, I wanted to join the huge chorus of grateful music lovers who continue today to be inspired and enthralled by his performances.

Jeffrey grew up in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood, as did I. He attended grammar school at Rogers School and graduated from Sullivan High School--as I did, just a couple of years behind him. With home- town pride, we watched Jeffrey advance in the world of classical music. I was more than a little impressed when Marion Block, my neighborhood piano teacher, invited the young Jeffrey to our very modest recital at her home to expose us to the wonders of a truly talented young pianist. I never forgot it.

Jeffrey Siegel is a remarkable communicator as well as performer, bringing music to life in a unique way. For several decades, he has presented ``Keyboard Conversations,'' during which he gives the audience fascinating background about the composers, the world and times they lived in, and the important features of the composition that deserve special attention. Everyone from the newest to the most experienced listeners have a richer musical experience.

Each ``Keyboard Conversation'' ends with a Q and A and a lively discussion with the audience. Jeffrey presents these well-attended programs on a regular basis throughout the country including at Northwestern University where my husband and I try to never miss a concert, and occasionally spend an evening talking politics and policy over dinner.

Jeffrey Siegel is a remarkable human being and one of America's most esteemed pianists. ``An achievement of the sort seldom heard.'' The New York Times.

Jeffrey Siegel has everything: massive technique, musical sensitivity and character-wide tonal resonance, immense reserve of power, and ability to communicate.'' Los Angeles Times.

I wish my dear friend a Happy Birthday.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Henry Tamarin, an extraordinary labor leader and organizer. He was a special mentor and friend to me. Henry passed away peacefully at his home in New York City on August 26, 2022, at the age of 77. He was surrounded by his loved ones at the time of his passing.

Henry Tamarin was born in New York City, and became an organizer, union leader, and union president. He was best known for his activism and leadership in Chicago's labor movement. Tamarin, a former member of the Chicago Federation of Labor Executive Board, came to Chicago in 1999 and was elected president of UNITE HERE Local 1 in 2001. He served in this role until 2013 when he stepped aside and transitioned the local to the next generation of leaders. Before arriving in Chicago, Tamarin led UNITE HERE Local 217 in Connecticut, and UNITE HERE Local 100 in New York City.

The labor and social justice activism that he dedicated his entire life to was evident in his youth. On August 28, 1963, Tamarin and his father were witness to history as they watched Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. deliver his ``I Have a Dream'' speech at the March on Washington. Henry's son Nate said his father called it one of proudest moments of his life.

Tamarin attended Earlham College, and later the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he received his degree. Tamarin organized, marched, and sat-in for peace and civil rights. After college, Tamarin lived in San Francisco's Haight Ashbury district with a member of the Grateful Dead. That bit of trivia followed Tamarin throughout his career and earned him a new level of respect and admiration from generation after generation of union staff.

Tamarin's activism and passion for working people (and his friend John Wilhelm) led him to get arrested at a demonstration in support of unionized workers at Yale University, which led to a lifetime of union work, service and activism at UNITE HERE. Subsequently, Tamarin became UNITE HERE's troubleshooter, with the union sending him to help struggling UNITE HERE locals in New England, New Jersey, New York, and Chicago.

When he arrived in Chicago, Tamarin faced his biggest challenge and found his greatest success when he transformed and revitalized UNITE HERE Local 1 by organizing a member-driven and worker-led 2002 contract fight with 7,000 hotel workers that raised the wages of housekeepers from $8.83 to $10.17.

Throughout his career, Tamarin mentored dozens of future labor leaders and activists, including Roushaunda Williams, vice president of the Illinois AFL-CIO Executive Board; Karen Kent, UNITE HERE Local 1's president and Tamarin's successor; and Jose Maldonado, president of UNITE HERE Local 100 in New York City. Henry was indeed a ``Street Fighting Man'' as David Moberg referred to him in his cover article published in the Chicago Tribune Magazine on February 16, 2003. Tamarin led his local unions and membership through several strikes, including the Congress Hotel strike in Chicago, and the Box Tree Restaurant strike in New York City--two of the longest strikes in labor history.

Henry's passion for the struggle for workers' rights was contagious, and his love and respect for union members authentic. He patiently taught union members the power of strikes, how to defend their contracts, and the importance of keeping free speech alive. Tamarin was always ready to take the struggle to the next level. He was bold and tough, and a smart, colorful, and tenacious negotiator.

When he stepped aside from union service in 2015, he stepped into a full life with family, friends and travel. He spent time with his grandchildren, and continued to organize the annual summer trip to Cape Cod with his family. He enjoyed deep sea fishing, fly fishing, and dining out in his hometown. Henry was passionate about travel overseas and only this summer had traveled to the south of France.

Henry leaves behind son Nate and his wife Elizabeth; son Nick and his wife Rhea; grandchildren Nicholas, Henry, and Elena; a sister, Jean Tamarin and thousands of UNITE HERE members, staff, and leaders, whose lives were made better because of his life's work.

Henry Tamarin will live forever in the hearts of his family, friends, and in the hearts of UNITE HERE Local 1 & UNITE HERE Local 100, in UNITE HERE, and in the labor movement.