Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an American patriot whose contributions to racial justice in construction and federal contracting have gone underrecognized for far too long. Mr. Samuel M. Plato was an African American architect, businessman, and contractor who built homes, churches, schools, factories, and government buildings across the country--more than a dozen of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places--and always insisted on a racially integrated workplace. Later this year, he will be inducted into the Alabama Men's Hall of Fame.

Mr. Plato was born on January 10, 1882, in a one-room log cabin outside of Waugh, Alabama. He was the sixth of eleven children, the son of parents who had been born into slavery. His father, James, Sr., was a carpenter who taught his son Samuel the trade, skills he later used to finance his law studies. But his life changed course when he enrolled in a mail-order correspondence course in architecture and building construction. His career was set.

In 1904, Mr. Plato relocated to Marion, Indiana, with just $2.40 in his pocket, where he soon secured his first major contract: a new structure for the Black-owned Second Baptist Church. Over the next decade, he became a prominent figure in the community, founding and leading the local chapter of the National Negro Business League.

In Indiana, Mr. Plato came face-to-face with racial discrimination firsthand. The only Black man on a crew of 26, he was fired after just one hour because his white coworkers refused to work alongside him. From that point on, he resolved to integrate every workplace that he was part of.

He soon had an opportunity to put his principles into practice. Awarded a plum contract to design and build a mansion in Marion in 1912, he presented white workers with an ultimatum: to join the project, they would have to allow Black workmen into the local mechanics' union. Over the protests of its president, the union was integrated.

Soon after, he returned to the South. In 1918, Mr. Plato became the first Black man to receive a federal contract to build a post office, constructing the U.S. Post Office in Decatur, Alabama--the first of more than 45 post offices he would build throughout his career.

In 1941, as America prepared for war, he began working as a Federal Defense Housing contractor, building 88 units for defense workers and their families near Louisville, Kentucky. Later that year, Mr. Plato received a

contract that is near and dear to my heart: leading an integrated crew of more than 1,000 skilled and semi-skilled workers, he oversaw the construction of the Sparrows Point Defense Housing Project, later renamed the Ernest Lyon Homes. Built for Black steelworkers excluded from white-only federal housing, these homes became a cornerstone of Turner Station, Maryland, my birthplace.

In 1942 and 1943, he built two major housing facilities in Washington, D.C., that housed over 1,000 Black women working in the defense industry. In the postwar years, he built 88 homes in the Chickasaw neighborhood of Louisville and helped Black families acquire them. To this day, the community has a street named in his honor, Plato Terrace.

Mr. Plato died on May 13, 1957, at his home in Louisville. Though he married twice, Mr. Plato never had children and thus lacked heirs to steward his legacy. I am grateful for the research and advocacy of Mallorie K.M. Berger, M.S., whose diligent work to promote Mr. Plato's memory empowered me to pen these words to commemorate a remarkable life lived in pursuit of racial justice in housing, construction, and contracting.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleague to join me in honoring the venerable memory and legacy of Mr. Samuel M. Plato.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, August 31, 2026, I missed votes for personal reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 284, and YEA on Roll Call No. 285.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Bernadette Bascom, a native daughter of Baltimore who has dedicated her life to the performance of music and the education of young people.

She has used her God-given talents to entertain countless Americans and to help those with special needs find their voice, and next month, her adopted home of Bothell, Washington will recognize October 11 as Bernadette Bascom Day.

Bernadette was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1962, the daughter of Lutherine Bascom, a music teacher, and one of Baltimore's greatest civil rights leaders, Rev. Marion C. Bascom of Douglas Memorial Community Church.

Rev. Bascom was a giant in the movement, marching alongside Dr. King, helping integrate Gwynn Oak Amusement Park, and serving as Baltimore's first Black fire commissioner. Rev. and Mrs. Bascom raised their daughter to share their values of justice, service, and the right of all people to dignity and respect.

Bernadette gravitated to music as a girl, with her mother sneaking her to rehearsals while Rev. Bascom insisted that she focus on her education. She began her career on the air as a disc jockey and a vocalist, but her big break came when she received an invitation to go on tour with The People's Choice.

Bernadette toured the West Coast that summer and, while in Seattle, fell in love with Washington State and decided to stay. She established herself in the local funk scene, touring the state with bands like Epicenter and Acapulco Gold.

While in Washington, she re-connected with a friend she had made while attending a Stevie Wonder concert in high school--Stevie Wonder himself. She had never sung for him, but after she sent him a recording of her voice, Stevie insisted that she become the first artist to sign onto his record label, Black Bull Music Inc.

From there, Bernadette's successful musical career accelerated, and she shared a stage with acclaimed musicians like Lenny Williams and Elton John. In 1981, she released her trademark single. ``Seattle Sunshine/I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love,'' bringing her to a new pinnacle of fame.

Over the next several decades, Bernadette solidified herself as a working performer of the highest caliber, She spent over 15 years in Las Vegas, co-starring in the Divine Divas, and spent a decade performing with the Supremes at the Motown Cafe in New York.

In 2004, Bernadette made a career change and transitioned from the stage to the classroom. She helped launch the Music Project in Washington's Northshore School District, a program building an inclusive space in the world of music for kids with special needs.

In the years since, Bernadette has shepherded hundreds of young people through the program, using music to help them find their voice while imbuing them with self-esteem, life skills, and confidence. The program was so successful. Bernadette has worked with Microsoft to build the ``SPEAK! Music As Language'' app, bringing her multisensory' teaching methods to the world.

In addition to her work with the Music Project, Bernadette is a professor of performance and voice at Northwest University. When she joined the university, she donated music manuals and songbooks worth over $10,000 to the school library, and she has since provided vocal training to hundreds of NU students.

Bernadette has received numerous accolades and awards over the years, including a 2013 Emmy Award for a documentary about the Music Project entitled ``Bernadette's Touch.'' No doubt, more than any of the acclaim she has received, it is the impact that she has had on young people that brings Bernadette the most joy.

Mr. Speaker, Bernadette Bascom has lived a life devoted to creating art and serving others. She has helped countless young Americans embrace their voices and find joy in music, and she has more than earned the plaudits that she has received over her career. I urge my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to her.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, I missed votes due to my obligations given that it was Maryland's primary election day. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 223 and YEA on Roll Call No. 224.

Final passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act was originally set for the second vote series on Wednesday, June 24, the day after primary elections in Maryland, New York, and Utah. The Speaker chose to move it up to Tuesday evening's suspension calendar instead, at a time when he knew Members from three states would be home with their constituents on Election Day.

The Speaker moved this vote because his own conference was in open rebellion over the schedule he had set for Wednesday. The result was that more than 40 Members, from both parties and from all three states holding primaries, were not recorded on final passage of a housing bill the House had already approved once before by a vote of 396 to 13. The Speaker put his internal conference politics ahead of his obligation to give every Member a fair opportunity to vote, and ahead of the voters in three states who deserved their Representatives' full attention on Election Day. He owes this institution, and the people of Maryland, New York, and Utah, better than that.

I was proud to vote yes for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act when it passed this House earlier this year. This is a good, bipartisan bill that will increase the supply of affordable housing at a moment when families in Baltimore and across Maryland's 7th District are being priced out of homeownership, and too often, out of stable housing altogether. It expands access to modern manufactured housing, lets localities use Community Development Block Grant funds to build new housing, and protects veterans receiving VA disability paments from losing housing assistance they have earned. These are the commonsense solutions this Congress should be delivering more often.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, June 8, 2026, I missed votes due to a personal matter. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 208; and YEA on Roll Call No. 209.

Mr. Speaker, I missed a vote due to a personal matter. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 175.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, April 20, 2026, I missed votes due to a personal matter. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 125, and YEA on Roll Call No. 126.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, I missed votes due to personal reasons.

Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 109, and YEA on Roll Call No. 110.

Mr. Speaker, today, I missed a vote for personal reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 105.

Mr. Speaker on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, I missed a vote due to personal reasons.

Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 97.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mrs. Ella Hillen Pierce, a devoted civil servant who dedicated herself to the City of Baltimore and its people. Mrs. Ella Hillen Pierce was a long-time employee and respected leader in Baltimore's Bureau of Purchases, and her integrity and professionalism in her many roles will not soon be forgotten. A symbol of resilience and a beloved mentor to many of her colleagues, Mrs. Pierce passed away on January 25, 2026, at the age of 98. She will be deeply missed by all those who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside her.

Mrs. Pierce was a bright and inquisitive child, one of five Hillen siblings who affectionately referred to themselves as the ``Fab Five.'' Following her graduation from high school, she stayed close to her Baltimore roots and pursued a higher education at Catonsville Community College, Howard University, Morgan State College (now Morgan State University), and Johns Hopkins University.

Mrs. Pierce used the skills and qualifications that she gained through her schooling to pursue a barrier-breaking career in public procurement. She began her professional journey as a Purchasing Agent at Morgan State, remaining there for 19 years before becoming the first African American hired as a Buyer in Baltimore's Bureau of Purchases. There, she quickly distinguished herself through her confidence, professionalism, and work ethic, earning the admiration of her colleagues. Rising steadily through the ranks, she ultimately made history in 1987 as the first woman and the first African American to serve as Baltimore City's Purchasing Agent.

In that same year, Mrs. Pierce earned the first of many accolades from her peers in the public procurement industry when she was named the ``Buyer of the Year'' by the Maryland Public Purchasing Association. In 1999, she earned the National Institute of Government Purchasing's (NIGP) prestigious Albert M. Hall Award, and just 3 years later she was named a Fellow of NIGP. In 2020, at the end of a long and distinguished career, she received NIGP's Inclusion and Diversity Award. The following year, the award was renamed the Ella Pierce Award in her honor, a fitting tribute to her trailblazing career and its lasting impact.

Though her professional accomplishments were numerous, Mrs. Pierce was also deeply devoted to her family and her community. While she had no children of her own, close friends and loved ones were known to call her ``Mom,'' in recognition of her warmth, generosity, and compassion. She loved to travel and took great joy in sharing those experiences with the people she loved.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and legacy of this dedicated public servant. Mrs. Ella Hillen Pierce was a pillar of her community, and she is deeply missed by all those she leaves behind. I offer my sincerest condolences to her nieces and nephews, as well as to her extended family, friends, colleagues, and all those who had the privilege of knowing her.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia for yielding but for also helping to sponsor this very, very important Special Order on the fact that this is Black History Month technically.

However, Black history ought to be something of what we do and a part of our lives every day because, as much as there is American history, you can't have that without the history of African Americans in this country.

I want to also--at least to the Members who have come before this body this evening, who have talked about the great contributors to that history, have talked about why it is so very, very important, have talked about what it means not only to Black people, but what it should mean to the world when you look at a race of people who have suffered, endured, and survived two centuries of slavery, oppression, deprivation, degradation, denial, and disprivilege--in 1848, a speech was delivered in Edwardsville, Illinois, and Abraham Lincoln addressed these words to his countrymen, and he said:

When you have succeeded in dehumanizing the Negro; when you have put him down and made it impossible for him to be but as the beasts of the field; when you have extinguished his soul in this world and placed him where the ray of hope is blown out as in the darkness of the damned, are you quite sure that the demon you have roused will not turn and rend you?

What constitutes the bulwark of our freedom and our independence as a young nation? He said: It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling seacoasts, our Army and our Navy. These are not our reliance against tyranny. All of those may be turned against us without having made us weaker for the struggle. Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted deep within the hearts of all of us.

Our reliance, he said, is in the spirit of freedom which prides itself as a heritage of all men in all lands everywhere.

Then he admonished: Destroy that spirit and you would have planted the seeds of despotism at your own doorstep. Ignore the chains of bondage, like so many of the Black and Brown members of our Nation, and you one day will prepare your own limbs to wear them. Accustomed, he said, to trample on the rights of others, you would have lost the creative genius of your own independence and, as such, would become the fit subjects of the first cunning tyrant who rises among you.

Lincoln's words uttered almost 180 years ago have gone unheeded, and such a cunning tyrant has, in fact, risen among us. The efforts of this administration to turn back the hands of time, to deny equal justice and equal treatment, to pretend that we are living in a world that sees nothing, knows nothing, hears nothing, and does nothing, is to pretend that we are all asleep.

So we desperately need, in this era of smaller visions, those of us who are Black, Brown, White, Yellow, and any other color or race, an ability to come together in coalitions the way we have always done to make a real and lasting difference.

We use this occasion on Black History Month to remind us that we so desperately need those who will stand up for that which is right and to speak out for that which is wrong.

It is for me, at least, a daunting task to find people in this country who are prepared to do the right thing day in and day out because we are increasingly seeing the ranks of others who want to do something different and follow this administration go in the wrong direction day in and day out.

I hope that we use as many days as possible during this month that we can to commemorate, to celebrate, to highlight, and to hold forth the history and the struggle of African Americans in this country.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina for yielding and the gentleman from Maryland for his co-participation.

Mr. Speaker, 5 years ago at this time, those of us who were in this Chamber could hear the sound of glass being swept up outside of this door.

There were persons in here sweeping the room to see if there were any explosive devices that had been planted after the break-in. Up and down these halls, you could hear murmurs and questions.

For those of us who were here, this is not a joke. This is not Donald Trump's history, and it is not his story. It is what actually happened to our Nation's Capitol. Some of you who were here will remember that day. I had to run out this door from the second floor, find my way down to the tunnels underneath the Capitol to walk for a quarter of a mile to get to an office building where I could be safe, but there were so many others who were not fortunate to be able to do that. They got swept up, as the gentleman from South Carolina said, taken away, whisked away, and stayed in seclusion for hours, sometimes in the same closets almost, breathing the same air.

The fact that that happened, and the fact that there is no one on the other side of the aisle, concerns me because it is almost an acclimation that it is okay. And it is not okay. Five police officers were murdered that day, 150 or so were taken to the hospital, 18 of which had to stay there.

These walls, these doors, these hallowed venues that we have walked in and people have come to and thought of as being a symbol of democracy were shattered unnecessarily.

It is important to find a way to commemorate this day. It is important to remind the rest of the country that what Donald Trump said were visitors visiting the Capitol to go sight-seeing was a lie and that his pardon of over a thousand individuals later is a shameful, shameful act.

I pray to God that nothing like this ever happens again. If it does, I pray to

God that every Member of this body will stand up and speak out.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a beloved figure in Baltimore City, Mr. Arthur ``Squeaky'' Kirk, a man I have had the honor of working alongside many times in our shared community. Arthur's extraordinary contributions to our city and his unparalleled dedication to its people epitomize the very essence of a Baltimorean.

Arthur is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Ruth M. Kirk Recreation and Learning Center, which is named in honor of his late mother. Ruth was a dear friend and an exceptional public servant in the Maryland House of Delegates, representing West Baltimore with pride and dedication for 28 years. It is evident that Ruth passed her passion for public service on to her son, who continues to live by the principles that she raised him with.

As a promise to his mother before her passing, Arthur agreed to take over the recreation center, in August 2011, he embarked on a journey, refurbishing and revitalizing the building, ensuring it remains as a beacon of hope and a symbol of communal resilience in our city. Since then, he has forged a sanctuary in the heart of the Franklin Square Neighborhood, where students are protected from neighborhood violence and families can get the resources they desperately need.

Each week, the center offers after-school tutoring and meals, GED adult programs, youth mentorship, and more, all the while supplying 450 Baltimore families with groceries. Arthur works diligently to beautify the community by enlisting the help of neighborhood children, encouraging them to learn about gardening and agriculture in his community garden. His work has been recognized by many in our Congressional District, from the Baltimore Ravens to Governors of Maryland on both sides of the aisle, past and present. ``Squeaky'' has made remarkable contributions to countless families across West Baltimore while honoring his mother's legacy and continuing her work.

Arthur's motivation to be a mentor and change-maker in the lives of our young people only grew in 2022, when he was struck by the greatest of tragedies, the loss of his young son Elijah. I know that the loss is a wound that he will always carry, but Elijah's memory is also one of Arthur's greatest sources of strength.

In addition to his work with the center, Arthur has helped keep our city safe as a dispatcher for the Baltimore City Fire Department for over two decades. He is the stoic voice on the other side of the line that helps maintain a sense of calm and composure during an emergency while simultaneously guiding first responders to your location. He is a proud member of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 734, where he advocates for the interests of paramedics and firefighters across Baltimore. In both his personal and professional life, ``Squeaky'' consistently shows his selflessness and his deep love for Baltimore and its people.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Mr. Arthur ``Squeaky'' Kirk for his unwavering generosity and for continuing the estimable legacy of his mother. His tireless dedication to his students, his profound compassion for their families, and his steadfast community leadership have enriched the lives of so many Baltimoreans. Today, we honor not just a man, but a living testament to the transformative power of service, and the enduring impact of one individual's dedication to uplifting the needy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a congressional staffer who has played an indispensable role in Maryland's 7th Congressional District. She began her well-deserved retirement this year after over 29 years of service to the United States Congress and the people of Baltimore,

Ms. Deborah Perry is a Baltimore native, born on December 25, Christmas Day, 1950--a birthday that presaged the gift that Ms. Perry would become to her community. She grew up with a young U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, beginning a friendship and professional relationship that would last decades.

Ms. Perry graduated from Baltimore's Eastern High School with a degree in business education and from the Community College of Baltimore with a paralegal degree. She began her career as a civil servant, spending nearly a decade working for Baltimore City's Police Department and Department of Social Services.

After briefly working in the Congressional offices of Frederick Richmond (D-NY-14) and Julian Dixon (D-CA-28), Ms. Perry started a business, Case Management Plus, providing outsourcing services to attorneys to assist with personal injury and workers' compensation cases.

In the early 1990's, Ms. Perry began working for Delegate Elijah Cummings, then a member of Maryland's House of Delegates. She worked in his law office until 1996, when Elijah won the special election to the congressional seat that I had vacated. Elijah brought Ms. Perry to Congress as his District Office Manager, responsible for training new employees and coordinating major projects in the district.

Over the next 23 years, Ms. Perry performed many roles helping Elijah serve the people of Baltimore. After three years as office manager, Ms. Perry began assisting constituents resolve their issues with various government agencies. She also represented Elijah at important meetings, like those for the $1.6 billion East Baltimore Development Project. After five years in that role, Ms. Perry became Elijah's Executive Assistant, taking on the demanding task of managing his daily schedule.

After three years as Executive Assistant, Ms. Perry left public service in 2007, ready to enjoy retirement. In a testament to her character, after the 2008 financial crash, Ms. Perry came out of retirement to help handle the influx of housing and foreclosure cases. She worked tirelessly for struggling Baltimoreans, developing and organizing 12 Foreclosure Prevention Workshops. These workshops were well attended, each with more than 1,000 participants. The workshops were so successful, she was asked to train other Congressional offices on how to host similar workshops in their own districts.

When she returned to public service in 2009, Ms, Perry intended to help for a few months and then return to retirement. For the next 10 years, she remained an invaluable staffer, serving as Elijah's Special Assistant until his untimely death in 2019. When I was elected to replace my friend Elijah in my old congressional seat in 2020, I knew that Ms. Perry, with decades of experience, would be an asset to my office.

I was fortunate that she agreed to stay in the office as a Constituent Services Representative, helping Baltimoreans resolve issues with their housing, social services, and utilities. She has served with distinction these last 5 years, often speaking of the blessing it is to be able to help so many people.

Ms. Perry's motto is ``Always exceeding the expectations of the people she serves in everything she does.'' She has always had a passion for helping others, adhering to the Japanese philosophy of Kaizen, which encourages change for the better.

Ms. Deborah Perry has left an indelible mark on Maryland's 7th Congressional District. After nearly 30 years of selflessly spreading blessings to the people of Baltimore, she is getting the retirement that she deserves. Mr. Speaker, I would like to give Ms. Perry the recognition that she deserves--recognition of her great accomplishments, extensive service, and of the profound impact that she has had on our office and the people that we represent. I thank Ms. Perry for everything.