Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately on October 10, 2017, I missed Roll Call vote no. 558 and Roll Call vote no. 559 both under Suspension of the Rules due to family-related medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on both.

Madam Speaker, I come to the floor today to express my opposition to the newest TrumpCare bill that will result in 21 million fewer Americans having healthcare insurance.

Once again, Senate Republicans, like House Republicans, are rushing to pass a hurtful bill that every major healthcare group, from the American Medical Association to Kaiser, is opposing.

The latest heartless version of TrumpCare is no different than the previous plans because it still leaves many in the cold. As the old saying goes, it is like putting lipstick on a pig, as the bill still allows States to eliminate essential healthcare benefits like ER visits, preventative screenings, and prescription drug coverage.

This misguided plan also guts Medicaid, at a loss of $4 billion in Federal funds to Ohio--my State--and allows insurers to charge seniors and people with preexisting health conditions more money for less coverage.

Now it is time to stand together and hold strong with Senator John McCain and the Governors of Ohio, Nevada, and other States. Republicans should work with Democrats to create a better deal, better jobs, better healthcare, and a better future for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, Monday, July 31, 2017 marks Black Women's Equal Pay Day, which observes the amount of time it takes the average Black woman to earn the same pay that the average White man earns in one calendar year. In other words, Black women have to work all of 2016 and up to July 31, 2017 to earn what their white male counterparts made in 2016. This is shameful, and it is time for Congress to act to eradicate pay inequities once and for all.

Black women earn 60 percent of what their white male counterparts do, which is why it takes approximately eight additional months for them to reach pay parity with white men. The unfortunate reality of this wage gap is that this reality sets up Black women to fail. The 40 cents they fail to earn accumulates and limits them from fully participating in the U.S. economy. This money could be used to help pay down student loan debt, buy their first home, or purchase a car. It could help them pay for quality child care, start a business, or help care for elderly family members.

But earning 40 percent less does not just affect Black women's current economic situation, it also affects their ability to plan for their future. Being underpaid for equal work contributes to a wealth gap, retirement gap, and inheritance gap, which hinders upward mobility for future generations. According to the Pew Research Center, 54 percent of Black children live with a single parent, and Black families have 13 times less wealth than white families. A lack of wealth and savings means Black families have less to pass down to their children.

If Congress fails to act to ensure wage equality, then all women will lag behind in pay equity until 2059. This is unacceptable. Years of progress has resulted in Black women working across all fields and reaching high levels of academic achievement and it is time for these advancements to result in equal pay for equal work. I call on Republican Leadership to bring to the House floor, the Paycheck Fairness Act, H.R. 1869, and the Raise the Wage Act, H.R. 15. As a proud cosponsor of both of these two pieces of legislation, I urge immediate consideration of these bills so that pay equity can be achieved once and for all.

Mr. Speaker, on July 18, 2017, I missed Roll Call votes 386 and 387. Had I been present, I would have voted Yes on both the Tonko Amendment (Roll Call vote 386), and the Beyer Amendment (Roll Call vote 387).

Mr. Speaker, I come to the House floor today in support of National Housing Week of Action and to stand up for a better deal for hardworking Americans.

Access to affordable housing directly impacts the ability of Americans to have a better job, better wages, and a better future. However, far too many families are struggling to keep a roof over their heads as the cost of rent is rising, mortgages are harder to get, and wages remain stagnant.

Due to cuts in Federal rental assistance, only one in four people eligible for it actually are receiving it. Our constituents deserve a better deal. I join Democrats in standing up to create millions of good-paying jobs, full-time jobs by investing in our crumbling infrastructure, and offering apprenticeship programs to new workers.

Mr. Speaker, I will continue to fight for affordable housing programs so all Americans can have the ability to achieve the American Dream.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to let the American people know that my message is standing up for hardworking American people; standing up for hardworking American people to have the healthcare that they deserve and that they have with the Affordable Care Act; standing up for the American people so they can have equal voting rights and not have a sham voting rights commission that

President Trump has developed; standing up for American people so they can have an investment in jobs and in their communities; standing up for the American people against Trump's budget; standing up for the American people so we can keep Medicaid; standing up for the American people so we can make sure that they have healthcare, that they have jobs, that we don't cut Medicaid and the safety net programs that allow us to have hardworking Americans supporting their families.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Veasey for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to stand on this floor, but when I think that tonight I have to stand here and talk about the topic that the Congressional Black Caucus comes to the House floor to speak out against is a sad day.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my classmate and colleague and friend, Congressman Marc Veasey, for taking a leadership role and for making that clarion call to ask us to come.

Many of us will come tonight and speak out. Several of us will file our message so it can be recorded. Others will be back in their districts fighting for voting rights.

This is something we have to do because, unfortunately, it has been over 50 years since President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which has been the most powerful tool in defending the voting rights of minorities.

The Voting Rights Act, as you have heard tonight and you will continue to hear, outlawed the harassment, the intimidation, and the violence that many African Americans experienced when trying to exercise their right to vote.

It ended some of the most overtly discriminatory practices in our country's history by banning literacy tests, appointing Federal examiners in certain problematic areas to register voters and monitor elections, and criminalizing voter intimidation threats and coercion.

Also key to the Voting Rights Act, you have heard many of our attorneys explain it and talk about the creation of the preclearance process that required certain places with some of the worst histories of discrimination to gain approval from a Federal court or the Department of Justice before making election changes.

However, Mr. Speaker, during my first term in Congress, I became a part of this history. It was in 2013 that the United States Supreme Court struck down this crucial provision of the Voting Rights Act in the Shelby County v. Holder decision, opening the door for States to reduce--I am going to say that again, Mr. Speaker--opening the door to reduce the electoral power of minority communities.

And with that door open, many States are taking this opportunity to pass a slew or a wave of laws, including strict voter ID requirements, early voting cutbacks, and registration restrictions, making it harder for many hardworking Americans to vote. That is just not right. Every citizen should have the right to vote.

Following the 2016 election, President Trump falsely claimed that millions voted illegally, perpetuating the myth of voter fraud long used to justify restrictive legislation that suppresses voters in low- income areas. I stand here today to tell you that it is not true.

And when the Congressional Black Caucus hears the President of these United States using terms like ``voter fraud'' or ``illegally voted,'' we can read between the lines, Mr. Speaker. He is signaling his intent, in my opinion, to suppress the vote. He is signaling the support for efforts that will make it even harder for poor people, people of color, women, elderly people, to vote, one of the fundamental rights that we have to vote.

While the legislative maneuvers to restrict our citizens' fundamental right to vote should shock the conscience, it has not, and that is why we are standing on this floor today. That is why we are asking Democrats and Republicans to work together to correct this wrong.

We have witnessed the history of some 50-plus years of what happened to many people in some of our Southern States. Mr. Speaker, it is just not right, and that is why we are here today.

As former President Barack Obama said: ``This is something that has constantly been disproved.'' As a matter of fact, ``This is fake news.''

Now, one of my colleagues came to the floor tonight and said this is not a Democrat or a Republican issue. Well, let me say it a little differently. This should not be a Democrat or Republican issue; but if it were a bipartisan issue, we wouldn't be standing here in this Special Order hour demanding and asking that we come together, as Democrats and Republicans, and restore the voting rights.

So let me be very clear. The Congressional Black Caucus, through the leadership of our chairman, Congressman Cedric Richmond, through the leadership of our power-of-the-hour chair, Congressman Marc Veasey, and the other members of the Congressional Black Caucus, one of the largest minority caucuses in this House, we stand ready to advocate, we stand ready to protect those who we come here to protect.

So as elected officials, we have a responsibility to ensure the right of ``one person, one vote,'' and part of this responsibility includes making it easier, Mr. Speaker, not harder for citizens to vote. And we will not stop our quest in ensuring justice for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, today marks the 52nd Anniversary of the Older Americans Act, a landmark bill signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 14, 1965.

The Older Americans Act provides critical support services for tens of millions of senior citizens and their families.

With 10,000 Americans turning 65 every day, our country has an obligation to keep these programs strong.

Older Americans should be able to live a life of dignity and independence.

However, that promise is under attack by the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans.

Trumpcare will hurt older Americans by gutting Medicaid by $722 billion and allowing insurers to charge older Americans more money for less coverage, no matter their health status.

Not to be outdone, Trump's very first budget would eliminate programs like Meals on Wheels and senior employment services, forcing countless older Americans into a life of hunger and poverty.

We cannot break our promise to our seniors.

Democrats will continue to fight to protect the Older Americans Act and ensure every American can live their full life with dignity.

Mr. Speaker, on June 29, 2017, I missed Roll Call vote No. 341. Had I been present, I would have voted ``Yes'' on the Motion to Recommit with Instructions.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Congresswoman Karen Bass of California, for her relentless work, and also my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, including Congressman Chris Smith, for working on this.

Mr. Speaker, today is a historic day. I stand on the U.S. House floor to advocate for the passage of the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act.

I have had many meetings with Kenneth Morris, Frederick Douglass' great-great-great-grandson on this issue, sharing with him my work on my bill, H.R. 246, from the last Congress, which improves the response of victims of child sex trafficking. I am committed to ending human trafficking and to ensuring that this bill honoring Frederick Douglass' legacy becomes a law.

The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act puts $130 million in funding for the prevention, protection, and, yes, prosecution of human trafficking. This investment is so needed, Mr. Speaker, because victims of human trafficking often live in the shadows of society. That is why it is up to all of us and why it is a bipartisan bill.

This legislation makes an investment in education. We have heard what it does with airports and what it does if you have survivors and government working together.

So let me end by reminding all of us that, in the words of Frederick Douglass, if we talk about protecting our children and preventing human sex trafficking, he would say, as he has said, ``It is easier to build strong children'' than to repair a broken system.

Let us talk about protection. These young girls and boys are sometimes held by invisible chains. We are here today to remove those chains.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a member of the House Committee on Financial Services' Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance in recognition of June as National Homeownership Month.

For many families across this country, homeownership is the cornerstone of achieving their American Dream.

It has proven to be one of the most effective ways for lower-and middle-income families to build wealth.

Unfortunately, nearly a decade after the 2008 Financial Crisis, realizing the American Dream is still out of reach for too many Americans due to tightened mortgage credit standards throughout the industry.

Each year, National Homeownership Month provides us the opportunity to recognize and identify the significant benefits of homeownership and the resources needed to help more Americans become homeowners.

In that spirit, it is equally important that we continue to support efforts to improve financial literacy in the home buying process through the many housing counseling programs across the country.

That is why I introduced the Housing Financial Literacy Act, H.R. 851, which will help make homeownership a reality for more families by giving first-time homebuyers who complete a Department of Housing and Urban Development-certified housing counseling course a discount on their Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance premium of 25 basis points.

Let's make the American Dream of homeownership accessible for more Americans this National Homeownership Month and every month throughout the year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose TrumpCare, a bill that

will cause at least 22 million Americans to lose healthcare.

Senate Republicans and House Republicans drafted their bill in secret, behind closed doors, and without a single hearing. But after seeing the bill, Mr. Speaker, I know why they kept it a secret.

TrumpCare will allow States to eliminate essential healthcare benefits like emergency room visits, preventative screenings, and prescription drug coverage. TrumpCare will gut Medicaid $772 billion and allow insurers to charge hardworking Americans more money for less coverage.

It will cost the State of Ohio, my State, more than $25 billion, giving 400 of the richest families a massive tax break.

Hardworking Americans should not have to choose between going to the doctor and putting food on their table. Republicans should work with Democrats to create a healthcare system that gives all Americans fair health coverage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to Trumpcare and the shameful, secret process Senate Republicans are using to pass this destructive legislation.

Last month, I proudly voted against Trumpcare, a bill that guts the Affordable Care Act, raises costs while providing less coverage, and gives tax cuts to the 400 wealthiest American families.

Mr. Speaker, the version of Trumpcare that passed the House is so bad, the President himself called it ``mean''.

A bill so mean it raises healthcare costs for hard-working families.

A bill so mean it makes millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions uninsurable.

A bill so mean it forces states to cut benefits and kick millions of people off Medicaid.

The American people deserve better--they deserve transparency; they deserve openness; they deserve the chance to read the bill; and, Mr. Speaker, they deserve affordable healthcare.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a member of the Financial Services Committee in strong opposition to the Financial CHOICE Act, or, more appropriately titled, the ``Wrong'' CHOICE Act.

The proponents of this bill claim it is about regulatory relief for our Nation's community banks, but it is not. This bill guts the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an organization that was developed to protect consumers from unfair, deceptive, abusive practices.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today because the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has done amazing things. This bill would dismantle it, dismantle a Bureau that just in 6 years has recovered almost $12 billion for over 29 million Americans.

Mr. Speaker, this is the wrong choice. This bill returns the American economy to the deregulatory state that led us to the great financial crisis and the deepest recession since the Great Depression.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill, because the fundamental question is, it does not provide choice or hope or opportunity for investors or for entrepreneurs.

Mr. Chair, I thank Ranking Member Waters for yielding me time.

I stand here and I join my colleagues in opposition to the Financial CHOICE Act. It is the wrong act. And let me just say this to you: Certainly, it does not provide choice nor does it create hope and opportunity for investors and for consumers and for entrepreneurs.

I am from the great State of Ohio, and you may have a sign that says people are for it; I have letters from ProgressOhio; I have letters from Policy Matters Ohio; I also have a letter here from the National Consumer Law Center, Advancing Fairness In The Marketplace For All. Let me just tell you what they are saying. They are saying that it is breathtaking--the assault on hardworking Americans, the assault on businesses that want to level the playing field to improve the economy.

Mr. Chair, this is ridiculous that we stand here. If it was such a good choice, we would have had more meetings on it. If it was such a good choice for hardworking Americans, then we would have worked with Republicans and Democrats to make it a fair choice, to make it a right choice. But I stand here today and tell you it is the wrong choice for consumers. It is the wrong choice because it eviscerates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It is against the people, and it is not for hardworking Americans.