Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I represent a working-class district in Chicago, and my community has been especially hard-hit by the pandemic.

I have one of the largest percentages of school-age children in my district, and my neighbors are worried about putting food on the table. I have seen the lines at food banks grow and grow.

But the expanded child tax credit in the American Rescue Plan changes that. Nearly 90 percent of the children in my district will benefit. And more than 40,000 households will get an average of $3,300, parents like Jaime in Logan Square, who will finally be able to send his son to college this year at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign thanks to this tax credit.

This program is about helping their children thrive, and in my community, it is already working.

Madam Speaker, the killing of Adam Toledo shook the Nation.

The video released a week ago shows a 13-year-old boy being chased by an officer, complying with instructions to drop it, and it show his hands up. Still the officer shot Adam in the chest. He complied and still died.

It is hard to watch the video and not imagine a son or a nephew in his place. It brought about very powerful, personal emotions for people. I know it did for me.

I was around the same age as Adam when I moved to the neighborhood of Little Village. I have known countless youth who have died on our streets, whether it was gun violence from gangs, or in this case, the police.

We must pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and end qualified immunity.

But in Black and Latino communities, we know the police play by a different set of rules too often. Change requires more accountability. We must invest in families and youth rather than violent policing.

(English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:)

``To rest in peace, Adam Toledo, our families and our community need justice and hope that this doesn't happen again.''

Para descansar en paz, Adam Toledo, nuestras familias y comunidad necesitan justicia y esperanza de que esto no se repetira.

Madam Speaker, as a proud member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I rise in strong support of the Tri- Caucus resolution promoting COVID-19 vaccine equity among communities of color.

I represent the large immigrant population that has been especially hard hit by this crisis, and now these are the same communities who are still struggling to get the vaccine.

Yes, vaccine hesitancy remains an issue, but the reality is that access is an even bigger problem. If we are serious about fighting COVID-19, we need to meet people where they are and bring vaccines to those who need it most, and we can't do this without engaging with trusted community leaders.

I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge one of these leaders in Chicago. Illinois Unidos, a coalition of health professionals and community leaders, is one of a kind and stands as a national model. From testing, to the vaccine rollout, to housing and food assistance, Illinois Unidos has stood shoulder to shoulder with the Latino community in Chicago.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Our Homes Our Votes Act along with my colleague from Pennsylvania, Mary Gay Scanlon and my colleague from Georgia, Nikema Williams. This bill will help close the voter turnout gap between rich and poor by making it easier for eligible tenants in federally subsidized housing to register to vote.

People have fought and died for the right to vote in this country, but many still face barriers to voting. Tenants in federally subsidized housing already have their residence and identity verified by public agencies, and this bill will allow them to register to vote as they sign their lease and verify their income without duplicating information or finding additional paperwork to fill out.

The best way to confront this country's history of voter suppression is to remove barriers to voting that exist today. Eligible voters in working class districts like mine vote at lower rates than wealthier voters, and that discrepancy undermines our democracy. This bill is a step toward fixing that, and I urge this body to advance it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce this joint resolution to repeal the OCC's so-called ``True Lender Rule.''

Predatory loans trap working families into cycles of debt they can't pay off, and the Trump Administration's True Lender Rule helps lenders get around state laws that protect consumers. Just this week my state of Illinois enacted a law that caps interest rates on consumer loans at 36%, but my constituents won't be fully protected until the True Lender Rule is repealed.

People are more vulnerable than ever to predatory loans as they struggle to make ends meet due to the economic crisis caused by the COVID pandemic. Congress should act quickly to repeal this flawed rule that undermines important safeguards set by state governments like mine.

Madam Speaker, this bill is critical for millions. That is why I supported it in the previous Congress, but it also contains some deep flaws that perpetuate racial injustice. I, along with 47 Members, worked to eliminate those racially motivated barriers to legalization from this bill. These harmful provisions will deny immigrant youth a better future.

In this moment of racial reckoning, we have missed an opportunity. Yet I will vote for this bill, and I urge support because we can do better so that every immigrant child has a fair chance to call America home.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chair Nadler and my colleagues for their leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446, two gun violence protection bills that would help keep our communities safe.

Mr. Speaker, I am from Chicago, and we are no strangers to gun violence. In 2020 alone the city recorded 3,261 shootings and 769 murders.

Some of my colleagues might point out that Illinois has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. That is true. But studies tracking the guns show that guns often come from neighboring States with weaker gun laws. People drive one or two States over, and they come back with deadly weapons.

The reality is that State laws aren't enough. We need stronger Federal laws, too.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass these critical laws that have bipartisan support among voters across the country that would help keep guns off the streets.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.

Workers sacrifice so much to keep our country going during this pandemic. They risk their safety, and many have lost their lives.

But workers everywhere are also organizing to improve their working conditions and keep our communities safe.

This bill simply guarantees the right to fight for safety and dignity on the job.

It is for Amazon workers in my neighborhood in Chicago fighting for their safety on the warehouse floor; for nurses demanding safe staffing levels in hospitals and nursing homes; for rideshare drivers and delivery workers who don't even have basic rights at work.

I urge this body to pass the PRO Act for them and for all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I want to honor a family man, a caring neighbor, and a selfless public servant, my dear friend Raul Montes, Sr.

Raul was the ward superintendent for the 22nd Ward in the city of Chicago, a community known as Little Village. Raul and I share a common background. We both came to this country at a young age, settled in the Chicago neighborhood of Little Village, and started organizing for the improvement of our neighborhood and for the greater political representation of Chicago's Latino community.

Raul created a block club in our neighborhood that worked to improve and beautify homes, backyards, and streets. They installed lamps in their front lawns, planted sod in the parkways, and established block watches and activities for children and teens.

This deep involvement in community life is why I appointed Raul as a Democratic precinct captain of the sixth precinct when I was a member of Chicago City Council. He was the most effective and beloved precinct captain in Chicago's 22nd Ward. His hard work helped me and many others win elected office.

As ward superintendent in the Department of Streets and Sanitation, he was frequently seen driving down streets and alleys, conversing with neighbors, and paying personal attention to their service requests. Even after he retired, he would ride around the neighborhood, asking people if they needed anything to be fixed in their homes or streets.

Raul organized the best block parties and loved to sing and dance with his wife, Maria. They enjoyed traveling, spending time with their grandchildren, and, of course, having big parties. He also enjoyed helping out at the corner grocery store or restaurant to stay busy and catch up on what was going on in the neighborhood after he retired.

Last month, Raul died of COVID-19, leaving a huge void in his family, his neighborhood, and the entire southwest side of Chicago. Today, we recognize his labor in the House of Representatives.

(English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:)

A few words in Spanish. Today in the United States Congress we recognize the friendship, work, and efforts of a great public servant. Raul Montes was a great superintendent of the 22nd District and Little Village community. We celebrate his life, all his efforts, and we'd like to express to Raul's family that his life was well lived, and for that reason, we give him this recognition.

Unas palabras en espanol. Hoy en el Congreso de los Estados Unidos reconocemos la amistad, las labores, los esfuerzos de un gran servidor publico. Raul Montes fue un gran superintendente de nuestra comunidad en La Villita y el Distrito 22. Celebramos su vida, todos sus esfuerzos y le comunicamos a su familia que la vida de Raul Montes fue bien vivida, y por eso le hacemos ese reconocimiento.

Raul Montes, rest in power, my friend.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Robust International Response to Pandemic Act, along with my colleagues Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and Mark Takano of California.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis it has generated are global problems and both require global solutions. The United States must show leadership by supporting each country's ability to fight the virus, and the Robust International Response to Pandemic Act will do that by supporting an issuance of Special Drawing Rights from the IMF that will boost the global economy and aid our response to the virus.

``Special Drawing Rights'' will help countries avoid depleting their reserves during the turbulent economic times ahead; 2 trillion SDRs will help all of us--and especially emerging markets and developing economies--avoid financial catastrophe.

I urge this body to advance this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, it has been almost 1 year since COVID hit the U.S., and the sick are still splitting pills, diabetics are still rationing their insulin, and families are doubled up in homes to keep relatives off the streets. I saw it in 2008, and I am seeing it again. Up and down the streets of my neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago businesses are closed. Every week I am attending another wake. It is happening across this country.

This has been a failure of the American Government. But finally, we have a President willing to move a significant relief bill. Congress needs to pass this legislation and get people the relief that they need now.

Transit, stimulus checks for working people and immigrants, rental assistance and small business grants--we can't nickel and dime our way out of this pandemic. Let's do our job. Let's get the vaccine out, and let's save our economy. We need to pass the $1.9 trillion budget and get the American people back on their feet now.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in the strongest possible support for the impeachment of Donald J. Trump. When Trump made a last desperate attempt to steal the Presidency, to reject the will of the people by encouraging insurrection, he became the first President to incite an attempted overthrow of the institutions he is sworn to protect.

That is a horrifying first, and his actions necessitate another. He should be the first President impeached and removed from office in the history of our country. I voted to impeach him once, and I am willing to do it again.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the INSURANCE Act, a bill introduced today with Representative Matt Cartwright to ensure that those who fall victim to crashes with motor carriers receive the fair financial compensation they deserve to cope with their tragedies.

On May 2, 2005, Kate Brown's 27-year-old son Graham was hit by an impaired and fatigued truck driver in Round Lake, Illinois. Graham underwent 22 different surgeries, and three full years of physical and occupational therapy. He is now permanently, partially disabled.

Their story is unfortunately an all-too often occurrence on today's roads. In fact, since 2007, the U.S. has seen a 41 percent increase in truck crash fatalities; an increase that was felt by Pam Biddle's family. In 2017, Pam's 23-year-old son, Aaron Lee, was with his father, Brian, and Brian's partner, Stephanie Swaim in traffic, when they were rear-ended and pushed into another semi in front of them. Both vehicles burst into flames killing Aaron, Brian, and Stephanie. Aaron was close to receiving his degree from the Purdue School of Nursing. Brian was a Navy veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm. Stephanie is survived by her five children.

Thousands of families, like Kate's and Pam's, are suffering in silence, saddled with crippling medical and long-term care costs associated with catastrophic injuries that come as a result of crashes with motor carriers and large trucks.

I am so proud to lead this effort with Rep. Matt Cartwright to do better for those who fall victim to the nightmare of such accidents.

The INSURANCE Act ties the minimum insurance required for large trucks or motor carriers to inflation of medical costs. For 40 years, since 1980, that minimum requirement has remained stagnant at $750,000. That minimum should be almost 6.5x higher, to account for today's inflation of medical costs--a figure we calculated using the estimated rate of inflation for medical costs issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This bill is not asking for anything unreasonable. Families shouldn't have to go bankrupt because a family member died or became severely injured with life-long disabilities as a result of negligent truck drivers. Big Business shouldn't grow profit margins by leaving the taxpayer's to foot the bill for medical costs that families cannot realistically cover.

For these families, we should do better. This bill is common sense and it is simply the right thing to do. In fact for families like Kate's or Pam's, it is long overdue.

We urge members to cosponsor the INSURANCE Act and require that families are adequately compensated for the injuries and fatalities caused by motor carrier negligence.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of the amendment we have filed to study and limit the use of facial recognition technology.

The intelligence community collects large amounts of data with limited oversight about how and from whom data is collected. Facial recognition technology has shown to be less accurate on nonwhite faces, and its use disproportionately hurts communities of color because of algorithmic bias.

This amendment studies the potential for bias and expresses the sense that people should not be targeted for their ethnicity, race, or sexual orientation, or to suppress dissent. Given the U.S. Government's history of tracking protesters and activists, especially in minority communities, this is important.

Congress can and should exercise Federal oversight of emerging surveillance technologies. For facial recognition technology, this means our work is only just beginning. I urge support for this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I offer this amendment to bring attention to the provision I fought to include in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development funding package.

With support from the Amalgamated Transit Union, we were able to secure $5 million in technical assistance and training in this bill, with a specific $2.5 million set aside for frontline bus, rail, and transit workers.

These critical funds would provide frontline workers with professional development and training to help bus and transit operators hone their professional skills. This funding will make our public transit safer, more efficient, and help workers better provide for their families as they climb up the professional ladder.

Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Price and Nita Lowey for supporting the inclusion of this provision, and I urge support for this en bloc amendment.

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

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

Mr. Chairman, my amendment that I offer, along with Congressman Cisneros of California, would set aside an additional $5 million to fund the design, planning, and preparation of innovative transit- oriented development, or TOD, projects. TOD projects that incorporate better land use planning and design can be instrumental in preventing displacement and

gentrification in both urban and rural areas, leading to more equitable development.

Without proper funding for planning, poor land use decisions can often increase the threat of displacement. Too often, it is communities of color and working-class families who suffer most, like the 23,000 Hispanic and African American residents who have left the Logan Square neighborhood in my district, as well as the Pilsen part of my district in Chicago.

My amendment would provide a modest increase to the funds available for transit-oriented planning and design and better provide access to jobs and affordable housing in communities across the U.S.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I just want to point out that better planning could, in fact, save more money that would be available for infrastructure and development.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development.

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

Mr. Chairman, I urge colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.