Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Hands of Peace on the occasion of their 20th Anniversary. Headquartered in my Congressional District in Glenview, Illinois, Hands of Peace empowers American, Israeli and Palestinian youth to become agents of change.

Hands of Peace's flagship Summer Program brings American, Israeli, and Palestinian youth together in Chicago and San Diego for a three- week dialogue-based experience where they explore peaceful solutions to foster equality, freedom and justice.

Founded in 2002, Hands of Peace is celebrating 20 years of impact with more than 700 alumni creating positive peace around the world. Through the hosting of Middle Eastern participants in American homes, Hands of Peace has built international ties between Israeli and Palestinian families, and families here in my district.

Through dialogue, education and action, teens learn to listen deeply, share powerful stories and work together to improve their communities. Hands of Peace also partners with local community organizations to educate people about the power of dialogue to break down stereotypes, encourage civil discourse, and shape an understanding of our common humanity.

Hands of Peace continues to work with youth leaders to develop their skills and networks so they can build positive peace in their communities as they grow into adulthood.

Congratulations to Hands of Peace for empowering youth as agents of change and building youth leaders.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Dr. Eric Witherspoon, who is retiring after 16 years of extraordinary leadership as Superintendent of Evanston Township High School (ETHS) District 202.

Dr. Witherspoon has been superintendent of ETHS District 202 since July 2006. Previously he served as Superintendent in Des Moines, Iowa; Indianapolis, Indiana and Hobart, Indiana. He began his career as a high-school English teacher and director of the high school gifted education program at Crown Point High School in Indiana.

At ETHS, Dr. Witherspoon focused on equity and having high expectations for all students. He enabled students to have opportunities to take more honors and advanced-placement classes during their four years of high school. Dr. Witherspoon also focused on the importance of reading as a pathway to education by bolstering student resources.

Dr. Witherspoon implemented a comprehensive system of academic and social/emotional supports to help students to succeed in school. And he has renewed the focus on professional development for staff. He also created programs and partnerships with Northwestern University and Oakton Community College and expanded career and technical education opportunities for ETHS students.

ETHS launched a long-term strategic initiative to upgrade the entire campus under Dr. Witherspoon's leadership. Many of the school's athletic facilities have been enhanced, and facility upgrades include the planetarium, Geometry in Construction house-building site, science labs, a research and theory center, auto technology, advanced manufacturing, Project Lead the Way Engineering, and the culinary, ceramics and pottery programs.

Under Dr. Witherspoon's leadership, academic achievement and the graduation rate at ETHS have increased. ACT results reached the highest in the history of ETHS for nine consecutive years, and ETHS is now recognized by U.S. News and World Reports as well as the Washington Post as ranking in the top 2-3 percent of all high schools in the nation. Dr. Witherspoon also helped to build the ETHS Educational Foundation, an organization focused on raising funds to further enhance ETHS for all students, teachers and staff.

Dr. Witherspoon has been a remarkable Superintendent for 16 years and has been honored throughout his career for his educational leadership. I have appreciated our many collaborations and close working relationship. He will leave behind a legacy of success and achievement and will be missed.

Madam Speaker, I thank my sister and my colleague, Congresswoman Maloney, for taking the lead always on issues to protect women's rights.

I want to declare right now that women are not going back. Women will not tolerate being second-class citizens. I will not tolerate that my granddaughters will not have the rights that women have today. That a fundamental, basic threshold right in the United States of America, in the 21st century, will be snatched away is something not only unthinkable but something that doesn't need to happen.

Let me tell you a story that was told to me. I have a dear friend, an adult man, who told me about his mother, Shirley. When he was 11 years old, his mother, Shirley, was told that if she was going to carry to term the fetus that was in her womb right now, she would not survive.

This tragically was just before Roe v. Wade was passed, just a couple of months before Roe became the law of the land.

The only place that abortion was legal was in New York. This single mom had to put the money together to finally get herself to New York, and she did. She scrounged that money. She saved. She borrowed.

But when she got there, she was told at the clinic: Too late. She was too far gone in the pregnancy.

She came home and celebrated the Fourth of July with her children. When she went to deliver, she died, leaving an 11-year-old son and two little girls to be orphans.

I have a button that I have had for a long time that I wear that says: Roe was not the beginning of women having abortions. Roe was the end of women dying from abortions.

Do you think that in this country the majority of Americans support the idea of allowing women to die? We know they don't. We know that the majority of Americans--the vast majority of Democrats, three-fourths of Independents, and, yes, a majority of Republicans--say no, that Roe v. Wade, the right to access an abortion, may not--should not--be overturned. We have an opportunity right now in the United States of America, and it is called the vote.

We have what I would consider a rogue Supreme Court right now. The filibuster was eliminated, the requirement for 80 votes, in order to get the current Justices of the Supreme Court there so that they could do this dastardly deed. But if we just go to the polls, we can change that, not someday in the future but in this next election.

Hopefully, we can get the Senate to do it. But I will tell you that Mitch McConnell has already said if they were to win the Senate, he wants to suspend the filibuster, the 80-vote requirement, and make a prohibition on abortion the law of the land, not just for the States to decide.

I will tell you something: This is not going to happen. There is a tsunami out there of opposition to this. It is not just women; it is men and women alike. It is about families who don't want to see a 13- year-old girl who has been raped be forced to carry that pregnancy to term. Are you kidding me?

I am putting out a warning right now and an invitation to all people who think that women deserve that right to control their own bodies to say: No way. Hell no.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for his leadership, but I also want to recognize Representative Blumenauer for his decades of work on this issue.

The MORE Act is the most comprehensive marijuana reform bill in Congress, and it is rooted in social justice. The criminalization of marijuana and this Nation's failed war on drugs has devastated our communities of color. It has led to over-policing, mass incarceration, and the destruction of families. This critical legislation takes steps to undo these harms.

Today, I urge my colleagues to vote for criminal justice reform, to vote for an equitable marijuana industry, and to vote for beginning to repair the harms caused by decades of racist marijuana criminalization and enforcement.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues today to vote ``yes'' on the MORE Act.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, Americans pay 10 times as much for insulin as do any other consumers in countries around the world. The exact same drug. You know, we actually have the names of people who have died because they could not afford their insulin and started to cut back on their prescribed amount. And that is just unacceptable.

Big Pharma has been gouging consumers for a long time, even for lifesaving drugs, and it is time to stop it. The Affordable Insulin Now Act will make insulin $35 a month for millions of Americans, and it will save life after life after life. This is only the start. We have to make sure that all Americans have access, including those who have no insurance.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) as cosponsor of H.R. 3630.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in very strong support of ending the use of forced arbitration and to restore the right of millions of Americans to their day in court. I think my colleagues have done a really good job on this side of the aisle in explaining why this is so important for basic rights of all Americans.

Madam Speaker, I want to tell you a couple things that have happened in Illinois. I deal a lot with older Americans in my district--as I am sure many of you hear from senior citizens--and I have heard these really horrific stories from families who discover that in nursing homes that their loved ones have been neglected or abused or even worse.

These families want to do something about it. They want to hold these nursing homes accountable, and then they find out that they have quite inadvertently, quite unknowingly have signed a forced arbitration agreement.

Picture these moments. These are people who are often in very emotional situations. They are bringing their loved ones to a nursing home. This is never an easy situation. The last thing they are thinking about, among all the paperwork that is put before them, that they have signed away their rights. And then they find out that something has happened to their loved one in a nursing home and they are left without the recourse that they need.

We have too often seen corporations who are virtually immune from the kind of accountability that they should be held to. I think the time is up right now. If it is good enough for sexual harassment and abuse, it is certainly good enough for people in nursing homes that have been abused and that their families have their day in court.

Madam Speaker, I support the FAIR Act.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor an extraordinary young man, Benjamin M. Pulex, who was taken too soon. I include in the Record his family's loving tribute.

Benjamin M. Pulex died at the age of 18 on Saturday,

February 26, 2022, at his Skokie home with family at his

side. Benjamin was born June 9, 2003, in Evanston, IL to

devoted parents Magnolia Rivera-Pulex and Cesar Pulex.

Benjamin grew up in a home filled with deep love and

encouragement alongside his sister, Camila Pulex. Together

the family prioritized values like love, respect, and

gratitude. These values were often cultivated by regular

family trips that fostered a sense of curiosity and

stewardship for the environment and ocean life, while also

turning Benjamin into a well-seasoned traveler. His annual

trips to visit his family in Long Beach, California led to

some of his greatest experiences and memories, especially

alongside his cousin Angelo Pulex.

Benjamin graduated from Niles North High School (Class of

2021) with a group of amazing, long-time friends. Benjamin

and his friends enjoyed soccer scrimmaging, playing video

games, and eating out at local restaurants. Together (with

support from Benjamin's father) they also founded a local

soccer team, the Skokie United Futbol Team HS21.

After the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis

that Benjamin received, he showed compassion and hoped that

no other children would have to endure what he did. The

greatest protection he had during his battle with ALS was the

never-ending support and care given to him by his parents and

family. Throughout every stage of Benjamin's illness Magnolia

and Cesar were by his side providing the medical and

emotional support he needed at any hour of the morning or

night, while also striving to ensure that Benjamin found joy

in moments and activities throughout the day. Together they

quickly became movie and anime aficionados bonding over movie

classics and anime shows between treatments.

Prior to his ALS diagnosis, Benjamin was an undergraduate

student at North Park University interested in pursuing

marine biology. He had received a private tour with the

University of Washington's faculty in 2021 and was personally

encouraged by faculty to transfer into the University of

Washington's Friday Harbor Laboratories program. In a world

full of complexity, Benjamin was the opposite--he was caring,

grateful, honest, and above all humble. He retained simple

yet abundant pleasures in life: spending time with his loving

family, his amazing group of friends, watching Spiderman

movies and anime, listening to 80's music classics, adhering

to his fierce loyalty to Real Madrid by watching games and

cheering any hour of the day, also extending that team

loyalty to the Seattle Seahawks, and immersing himself into

caring and learning more about ocean life. Benjamin had a

sharp sense of humor and quick wit, even making jokes and

playing pranks throughout his battle against ALS, staying

true to himself until the very end.

Benjamin is survived by his parents, Magnolia Rivera-Pulex

and Cesar Pulex, his sister Camila Pulex, and a large and

loving extended family.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to share my deepest condolences with the family and friends of Prospect Heights Mayor Nicholas J. Helmer, who passed away on January 26. Nick was a wonderful person, a talented leader, and a great friend. My heart goes out to his wife of 57 years, Gail Ann, his children, Rebecca and Nicholas Jr., and all those who knew and loved him.

Nick spent ten years as the Mayor of Prospect Heights. He lovingly referred to his community as ``Prosperous Heights'' and worked hard each and every day to make that label ring true. Over the course of Mayor Helmer's tenure, I have had many opportunities to work closely with him. Nick was level-headed, intelligent, and committed to the people he represented. He truly exemplified the best of public service. Nick provided sound leadership and guidance as the City navigated challenges

and continued to grow and flourish. Nick loved Prospect Heights. He was always eager to participate in the ribbon cuttings and festivals and grand openings. When a 2018 fire displaced hundreds of Prospect Heights residents, Nick was in the thick of it, ensuring that displaced families received the assistance they so desperately needed. I am proud to have worked alongside him.

In many ways, Nick Helmer's life is an example of the ``American Dream'' that so many of us strive to achieve. He was born in 1942 in the former Yugoslavia and moved to the United States at the age of ten. Nick married his high school sweetheart, Gail, and raised a family here. He was an Army veteran, spending time stationed in France where he worked as a newspaper reporter, a photographer, and a radio broadcaster.

Nick was recognized as a leader at whatever he dedicated his time to. He worked as a licensed real estate broker and a certified property manager and rose to prominence in both fields. Nick spent time as the Director of the Chicago Board of Realtors and spent two terms as President of the Institute of Real Estate Management's Chicago Chapter, winning ``CPM of the Year'' during his service. He served as both the President of Inland Residential Sales Corporation and the Chairman of Inland Bank. Nick spent time working as an Asset Manager for the Chicago Executive Airport and ended up serving fourteen years on the Airport's Board of Directors. Nick spent thirty-five years coaching basketball at St. Viator High School, where he also served on the Distinguished Alumni Committee. The pattern here is obvious: when Nick Helmer did something, he did it well.

Nick Helmer may have been soft spoken, but there was never any question whether he was a leader. We are all worse off with his passing. On behalf of a grateful nation, I thank Mayor Helmer, for all his hard work on behalf of others. We will miss him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today along with my colleagues, Congressman Chuy Garcia, Congressman Casten, Congressman Krishnamoorthi, Congressman Kinzinger, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Congressman Schneider, Congresswoman Bustos, Congressman Rush, Congresswoman Marie Newman, Congressman Bill Foster, Congresswoman Underwood, and Congressman Quigley, to honor the 50th anniversary of Alligator Records.

Chicago blues music has its roots deep in the Mississippi Delta and was carried north in the Great Migration of 1916 through 1970 by the millions of African Americans who migrated to northern industrial cities in search of good jobs and to escape from Jim Crow racism.

Chicago's blues community nurtured thousands of musicians and dozens of record labels, and the city became the world capital of blues and eventually gave birth to Alligator Records and the rich, soulful Chicago blues heritage and culture that we know and love today.

With nothing but his love of the blues and entrepreneurial spirit, Bruce Iglauer founded Alligator Records in 1971 at the age of 23, using all his savings to record his favorite Chicago blues band, Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, although the band had no national presence, no booking agent, no manager, no publicist, and played almost entirely in tiny neighborhood clubs on the South and West Sides of Chicago.

Beginning with this one album, Iglauer built a blues record label that is now celebrating its 50th birthday.

Today, Alligator Records is the largest independent blues label in the world, with over 350 albums and an artist roster that ranges in age from 22 to 78, and has won three Grammy Awards and an astonishing 48 nominations, as well as over 150 Blues Music Awards and over 115 Living Blues Awards.

Alligator Records has been a driving force in support of Chicago blues and blues music worldwide, and a glowing example of our country's rich tradition of musical and entrepreneurial spirit. Now, my colleagues in the House of Representatives and I honor Alligator Records on 50 years of business and celebrates the American cultural legacy of Chicago blues music.

Together we urge the United States Government to take all necessary steps to preserve and advance the art form of Chicago blues music; recommit itself to ensuring that recording labels like Alligator Records and their artists receive fair protection under the copyright laws of the United States for their contributions to culture in the United States; and reaffirm the status of Chicago blues as a unique national treasure.

Madam Speaker, I rise as a proud colead of the Combating International Islamophobia Act.

In the United States alone, nearly 70 percent of American Muslims have reported personally experiencing anti-Muslim hate, bigotry, and even violence. This anti-Muslim hate isn't just confined to certain communities and areas of this country. It has reached out in ugly ways, including in my own community, in my own district, to a member of my staff and her family.

My colleagues and friends in Congress know that Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, the chief sponsor of this legislation, knows all about this in far too personal a way. She has been subjected to relentless attacks and horrifying threats, not just from her fellow Americans, but even within the Halls of Congress. Enough is enough.

This should not be a controversial bill. We have had a special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism for years, and I proudly support that office's work. As a Jew myself, I see the parallel quite directly between anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, and we need to be combating both.

As a Nation that prides itself on defending human rights and standing up against hate and bigotry, creating a special envoy to monitor and combat Islamophobia makes perfect sense.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do what is right, which is to vote ``yes'' on the Combating International Islamophobia Act.

Madam Speaker, I thank my brother for yielding.

Madam Speaker, John Larson and I came into the Congress together, elected in 1998 to be here. But I want you to know, John, that I have been working on issues of Social Security since the 1970s--well before I was eligible for Social Security.

When I was an organizer in Chicago, one of my first organizing efforts was to help establish Metro Seniors in Action, an organization in the city of Chicago of older Americans. I will tell you what, John, I learned a lot from them. One of them was courage to stand up to power, to not be afraid of the old Mayor Daley in Chicago, not to be afraid of anyone, to stand up for rights. One of those priorities then, as well, was making sure that Social Security was solid.

Now that you have talked about the Alliance for Retired Americans, I was the executive director of the chapter of that in the State of Illinois throughout most of the 1980s until I ran for the legislature in 1990. And again, we were fighting--I remember well--to protect Social Security.

Well, guess what? Now, we are not just talking about protecting Social Security, but we did have a battle when George W. Bush decided that he thought privatizing Social Security was a good idea. Well, all over the country we organized, seniors organized, the Democrats organized, to make sure that privatizing Social Security, which would have jeopardized the security of that benefit--and actually, let me correct that for a minute.

You know, many people call Social Security an entitlement. This is something that people in every paycheck that they have had is paid for. This is a program that is paid for out of the pocket of workers and has to be there when they retire. This is not some sort of a gift from the American people. This is something that has been earned by the American people.

But we won that battle with George W. Bush because that was not the direction that the majority of Americans--Democrats, Republicans, rural, urban--wanted. They wanted to make sure that Social Security was reliably there. But it was always to protect Social Security. And now, thank you, John Larson, because now we are talking about improving Social Security benefits. And isn't it about time?

Right now, the majority of Americans get more than half of their income from Social Security. When Franklin D. Roosevelt first talked about Social Security, it was thought of as a three-legged stool.

Did you talk about that already?

Okay. So the first was people's savings. You know what? There is hardly any savings anymore for the elderly. And actually, for most Americans, hardly have any money, unfortunately, that has been put away, because average wages, compared to the wealthiest people, have gone down.

The second was pensions. Remember that? There were pensions. People would have that guaranteed retirement benefit from the work. Those are largely gone. And then, Social Security to help along. Well, now it is mostly about Social Security. More than half

of Americans rely on Social Security for more than half of their income. And a quarter of seniors now rely on Social Security for 90 percent or more of their income. You need Social Security to survive.

But let's talk about what survival is. The average monthly Social Security check is $1,543 per month. Who can live on that? I mean, it is really a struggle, at the very best, to be able to even make it. That is it--$1,543 a month.

So the gentleman's legislation is so incredibly important. And you talked about grandparents. Well, you know, plenty of us in the Congress now are also Social Security-eligible. And those who are not, are thinking about their parents and loved ones. But I also want to point out that two of my grandchildren benefited from Social Security because, sadly, their mother had died. And so they were eligible for benefits that helped them to be able to continue with their education.

So it is a family plan. Social Security is a necessity. And for a long time we have also been talking about women, particularly women, people who have left the workforce to become caregivers. But there has been no help for them, even though they haven't been able to pay into Social Security.

I now understand that there will be a provision for a caregiver credit?

I thank so much; for people who have taken time out of the workplace. Many of us have heard from public employees, including school teachers, who have lost Social Security benefits due to the so-called windfall elimination provision that has meant unfairly that they have lost Social Security benefits.

Finally, after years and years and years of fighting, that unfairness will be gone because of your legislation.

Madam Speaker, let me just close with this. We are going to hear, oh, well, you know, too much money. We can't afford to increase the benefits. I think it is important to remind people that Social Security was born during the greatest depression that this country had ever seen.

It was from the understanding of the President at that time, President Roosevelt, who understood that we cannot have poorhouses for older Americans. That this country, if we can't afford to do that, then we cannot call ourselves a real democracy, a country that really cares for people.

At this point we are the richest country in the world; the richest country ever on the planet. Now is the time when we need to do this. There is absolutely no excuse. You have said about the urgency of now. This is a moment of opportunity, and we should not make the mistake of overlooking it.

We have got everything in place. We have got your bill. We have got a President. It is time now to engage everyone in this country to say yes. Let's make improvements to one of the greatest things that ever happened in the United States, the greatest treasures that we have, and that is Social Security.

Let's make it even better. God bless you for leading the way on this. I am so proud to be helpful in any way that I can to be a partner with you. We can do this.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to Ann Limjoco, a dedicated public servant who spent twenty years on my staff assisting constituents of the 9th Congressional District of Illinois. Ann will be starting a new chapter in the new year, and I wish her success and happiness moving forward.

Ann served many years as the Suburban Director on my district staff. Overseeing my suburban operations, Ann worked closely with municipalities from Evanston to Arlington Heights and everywhere in between. She built strong relationships with elected officials at all levels of government and was a well-known face at events throughout the district. When municipalities needed federal assistance or input, they knew that Ann was a reliable ally and an open door.

Ann regularly worked with other members of my staff to organize outreach events throughout the 9th District. She played an instrumental role in carrying out dozens of hiring events, community resource fairs, municipal information events, and many others. Ann often spoke on my behalf, representing me with professionalism and competence.

Ann was my liaison to the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission (ONCC), an organization that spent many years working to address and alleviate the negative impacts of O'Hare Airport on surrounding suburbs. She was a true expert in this field and I relied on her for up-to-date information on an issue that many of my constituents deal with day in and day out.

In addition to outreach and relationship building efforts, Ann was a vigorous advocate for constituents needing assistance with problems related to taxes, immigration, the postal service, and a host of other issues. All told, she handled over three thousand constituent cases, and I have no doubt that her hard work changed many lives for the better. Ann also helped run an excellent intern program and helped train and mentor many young people through this program.

My staff and I will undoubtedly feel the loss of Ann's deep knowledge and many years of experience. I have no doubt that Ann will succeed at whatever she sets her mind to.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the chair of the Health Subcommittee for this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember my friend Artie. Artie and I were friends from the time we were in third grade in Chicago, and we stayed in touch all the many, many years. I was pretty devastated when he told me that he had ALS.

A couple of years ago Artie made the decision, because ALS is a really cruel disease, to take his own life, to set the date so that he would just make the decision himself and not suffer so horribly to the bitter end, because at that time he saw no hope.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of my constituent, Brian Wallach and his wife, Sandra, who saw that there was hope in the future. They would fight in order to get legislation that would make access to what is promising therapies right now, therapies that weren't available or even on the horizon to Artie.

I am so proud to join with colleagues across the aisle to say that we can provide that hope, that opportunity to people who are facing what has been a death sentence, and that we can see a future that is bright for now the ALS victims.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank I AM ALS, the organization, and many of the organizations that have been fighting for this. The advocates have done a great job to bring this to our attention and bring this day about and get over 300 cosponsors to this legislation. I am proud to be among them.

Madam Speaker, I stand today and rise in the strongest support for the Build Back Better Act, the most transformational investment in everyday Americans in generations.

I rise in support of the largest effort to combat climate change in American history.

I rise in support of the largest expansion of affordable health coverage for Americans as well as the highest investment in housing.

I rise in support of women, who will be able to go back to work because they will have childcare, and their children will be able to have universal preschool.

I rise in support of the American people and seniors, who have been waiting for too long for more home care, and the workers will be able to see an increase in wages for caregiving.

I am so proud to stand today for the American people, the middle class, who have been waiting so long for finally getting to see the Build Back Better Act.