Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, there is a special place in every parent's heart for summer with our children. My son, Jordan, used to put on his little cleats and a big hat and run out onto the field to play tee-ball with his friends on Saturday mornings. After that, we would go to the pool to cool off; eat lunch under a shady tree; play in the backyard as the day turned to dusk; and read a story together as he drifted off to sleep.

Truly, summer is for hardworking parents to spend time with the little ones that they love most. It is for our children to grow and live and learn and play.

That is why I am so proud that we just passed the child tax credit into law. It means more money in the pockets of middle-class families. Now, over 680,000 families in my home State of Georgia will receive a tax cut, and these credits will raise over 160,000 children in Georgia out of poverty.

This is more funding for Georgia families to protect our children and to lift up our communities.

Madam Speaker, there is a special place in every parent's heart for summer with our children.

My son, Jordan, used to put on his little cleats and a big hat, and run out onto the field to play TeeBall with his friends on Saturday mornings.

After that, we'd go to the pool to cool off, eat lunch under a shady tree, play in the backyard as day turned to dusk, and read a story together as he drifted off to sleep.

Truly, summer is for hard-working parents to spend time with the little ones they love most. It is for our children to grow and live and play.

And that's why I'm so proud we just passed the Child Tax Credit into law. It means more money in the pockets of middle class families.

Now, over 680,000 families here in Georgia will receive a tax cut, and these credits will lift over 160,000 children out of poverty.

This is more funding for Georgia families to protect our children and lift up our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.

The past year has been one of the most difficult periods in our Nation's history. And for some of our fellow Americans, the pandemic has also resulted in an alarming uptick in racially based hate crimes.

Racism, bigotry, and discrimination have no place in our communities. We must do our part to help stop all forms of violence here in America and all over the world. And I will continue to fight to help keep all families in America safe.

That is why I was proud to cosponsor this legislation, which will facilitate the expedited review of hate crimes and strengthen hate crimes reporting.

We still have a long way to go to ensure that those who commit these crimes of hate are held accountable, and we must do better at all levels of government to protect the most vulnerable among us.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bicameral resolution denouncing anti-Asian hate, and I offer once again my deepest condolences to the families that have suffered these hate tragedies.

I thank Representative Chu for this very critical and timely legislation.

Too often, we have seen hate and discrimination turn to violence and terror, and we must reaffirm again our commitment to stand against all forms of bigotry and hatred. Racism simply has no place in our communities in this Nation.

As I travel across Georgia's Sixth District, I am very privileged to interact with so many members of the Asian-American community. They are our small business owners, teachers, doctors, electricians, contractors, and financial analysts.

I actually had the opportunity to spend time with one of the families who had suffered one of these tragedies there in Atlanta, I believe within the Chair's district. I can tell you the profound pain that emanated from them and that grief, and I understand that completely.

We have to remember that we are all made stronger by the community that surrounds us, who lifts us up in time of need, and who makes our home the best place to live and raise a family, and that is right here in the United States of America. We must never lose sight of the power of walking in each other's shoes. And, yes, I have walked in these families' shoes.

We must never lose sight of understanding the path that others have traveled and of celebrating the wonderful differences that we all bring to this great Nation today.

We again stand with our friends and our neighbors in the Asian- American community to denounce hate and to work together toward a future filled with love, acceptance, and faith for a brighter world.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Scott for bringing this vital legislation to the floor.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act will ensure that no pregnant woman is unfairly forced out of their job or risk their health just simply to earn a paycheck. Our mothers deserve these Federal protections.

I believe that we all want to support our working mothers. Allowing these simple accommodations can make the

difference between being forced out of a job and providing a living for themselves and for their families.

Twenty-seven States have already passed laws that require certain employers to provide accommodations to pregnant women. It is time for Federal action to ensure that all pregnant women are protected from discrimination and can continue to support their families.

This legislation is supported by both women's health groups and the industry.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from major employers and leaders in the business community across the country that are voicing support for this legislation.

Open Letter in Support of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act From

Leading Private-Sector Employers

March 15, 2021.

Dear Members of Congress: Women's labor force participation

is critical to the strength of our companies, the growth of

our economy and the financial security of most modern

families. The private sector and our nation's elected leaders

must work together to ensure that working women and families

have the protections and opportunities they need to

participate fully and equally in the workplace. Twenty-eight

leading companies from across states and industries have come

together in support of pregnant workers and their families by

calling on Congress to pass H.R. 2694, the bipartisan

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, without delay.

More than 40 years ago, Congress passed the Pregnancy

Discrimination Act of 1978, which made it illegal to

discriminate against most working people on the basis of

pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. Since

that time, 30 states and the District of Columbia now require

certain employers to provide accommodations to pregnant

employees at work. It's now time to clarify and strengthen

existing federal protections for pregnant workers by passing

the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. This bill would ensure

that pregnant workers who need reasonable accommodations can

receive them and continue to do their jobs.

As a business community, we strive to create more equitable

workplaces and better support pregnant workers and their

families every day. We urge the passage of the Pregnant

Workers Fairness Act as an important advancement toward

ensuring the health, safety and productivity of our modern

workforce--and the workforce of tomorrow.

Signed:

Adobe, San Jose, CA; Amalgamate Bank, New York, NY;

AnitaB.org, Belmont, CA; BASF Corporation, Florham Park, NJ;

Care.com, Inc., Waltham, MA; Chobani, Norwich, NY; Cigna

Corp., Bloomfield, CT; Dow, Midland, MI; Expedia Group,

Seattle, WA; Facebook, Menlo Park, CA; Gap Inc., San

Francisco, CA; H&M USA, New York, NY; ICM Partners, Los

Angeles, Ca.

J. Crew, New York, NY; Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick,

NJ; L'Oreal USA, New York, NY; Levi Strauss & Co., San

Francisco, CA; Madewell, Long Island City, NY; Mastercard,

Purchase, NY; Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA; Navient,

LLC., Wilmington, DE; National Association of Manufactures,

Washington, DC; Patagonia, Ventura, CA; Paypal, San Jose, CA;

Postmates, San Francisco, CA.

Salesforce, San Francisco, CA; Society of Women Engineers,

Chicago, IL; Spotify, New York, NY; Square, Inc., San

Francisco, CA; Sun Life, Wellesley, MA; U.S. Women's Chamber

of Commerce, Washington, DC.

The Sustainable Food Policy Alliance:

Danone North America, White Plains, NY; Mars Incorporated,

McLean, VA; Nestle USA, Arlington, VA; Unilever United

States, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for yielding to me.

Madam Speaker, I rise in celebration of the remarkable life of our dear friend and colleague, Congressman Alcee Hastings, known affectionately as The Judge. People called him that long before I got here. He was the first African-American Federal judge in the State of Florida, appointed by President Jimmy Carter, where he served for 10 years before being elected to Congress in 1992.

I know that a lot of my colleagues and persons in this great Chamber tonight might wonder what kind of a relationship I would have had with Alcee Hastings. I would have only been here for 2 years. But what I do know is that I recognize Alcee truly from his spirit.

He and I both had cancer. I was a cancer survivor, and oftentimes, here on the floor, every single day, I would come to his side and sit next to him, and I would say: ``How are you doing today?''

He would say: ``Not so good today,'' or he would say: ``Today is a great day.''

But I remember his kindness, and I remember his words of wisdom to me, always telling me: ``You are doing the right thing. You are standing up. Stay strong. Look forward.''

I am really grateful for even that 1 year that I had to stand and to serve with a giant such as Alcee Hastings.

Alcee and I were both very proud to serve in the House together as fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus. We talked about it, and oftentimes, I said to him: ``I still can't believe I am here. I cannot believe I am here, but I am so grateful to be here to serve with you.''

As I said, we were also bonded over our shared kinship as cancer patients because I understood what he was going through. I understood the treatment and the pain and the suffering. But what I admired about him the most is his tenacity, his strength, and his fortitude to come here every single day in spite of it and to push his way through for the sake of this Chamber, for the sake of this body, for the sake of the people who he loved so dearly in his community.

He offered me encouragement, telling me to stay the course and to continue to work on behalf of the American people. I remember he said to me: ``I may not be here when you pass that gun bill, but you must pass it.''

I will always be grateful to him for his friendship and for the wisdom and leadership that he shared with this body and with me.

I always find that I am so grateful to be in this body, to be among some of the most wise, intelligent, compassionate, and driven people I have ever met in my life, particularly those of the Congressional Black Caucus like Alcee Hastings, a giant among us.

Madam Speaker, I am so grateful today to be able to stand here and pay reverence to him, the giant among us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Paycheck Fairness Act.

I want to commend Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro for her extraordinary efforts and commend Chairman Scott for bringing this timely policy to fruition.

I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act. I think most of us can agree that every American should earn equal pay for equal work.

This legislation takes meaningful steps toward ensuring that every American, regardless of gender, receives fair compensation for their work.

We have seen over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic that essential workers are the lifeblood of our society. We have seen women on the frontlines in the hospital, in the classroom, and at our essential retail stores, and it is time that all of these ``sheroes'' are compensated at the same rate as their male counterparts.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters urging passage of this legislation and highlighting the persistent wage gaps between genders.

International Brotherhood

of Teamsters,

Washington, DC, April 13, 2021.

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative: On behalf of the more than 1.4 million

members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, I urge

you to support fundamental fairness by combating wage

discrimination on the basis of sex by passing H.R. 7, the

Paycheck Fairness Act. I urge you to vote yes on H.R. 7 and

to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act without any weakening

amendments.

The Paycheck Fairness Act would address the persistent wage

gap based on sex by eliminating loopholes that hinder the

effectiveness of the Equal Pay Act of 1963. H.R. 7 would

update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act in important ways.

The bill closes loopholes that have allowed employers to pay

women less than men for the same work without any important

business purpose related to the job. It would require

employers to demonstrate that wage gaps are truly the result

of factors other than gender. Importantly, it would prohibit

retaliation against workers who share salary information or

inquire about their employer's wage practices. H.R. 7 would

also bring the remedies and procedures of the Equal Pay Act

into conformance with those available for other civil rights

claims. The Paycheck Fairness Act holds employers accountable

for pay discrepancies between their male and female employees

while strengthening incentives to prevent pay discrimination.

And, it would preclude pay discrimination from following

women from job to job.

While some progress has been made since the passage of the

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the wage gap still

persists, and disparities are evident at every educational

level. Nationally, women still earn only 82 cents for every

dollar earned by their male colleagues. For women of color,

the wage gaps are even larger.

Passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act will provide women and

all other workers the tools necessary to challenge

discrimination against them. It is an important step in

making real progress in the fight to eliminate the gender

wage gap and to provide economic, and retirement, security to

women and their families.

It is well past the time to end pay discrimination in the

workplace. The Teamsters Union urges you to reject weakening

amendments and to vote yes on final passage of the Paycheck

Fairness Act.

Sincerely,

James P. Hoffa,

General President.

Mr. Speaker, the gender gap is clear, and the Paycheck Fairness Act will address this disparity. Not only will this legislation help women in Georgia, but it will help families across the Nation.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I celebrate this Women's History Month by reflecting on the achievement of so many women who have blazed a trail for the generations that followed them; women who didn't listen when they were told that they couldn't, they shouldn't, or that they didn't belong.

American women have fought for the right to vote, the right to equal education, the right to reproductive healthcare, and the right to financially provide for our families and be compensated the same as men. And we will continue these fights until our Constitution declares that women are equal in the eyes of the law.

It is time for full constitutional equality. The American people overwhelmingly support this bipartisan legislation. I am proud to vote for it again today in honor of the generations of women that have made strides toward equality. I know that we will soon achieve it.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our esteemed leader of the House.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) to control the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately, when we talk about violence against women, we are often talking about domestic violence. Domestic violence claims the lives of far too many women, and it is especially deadly when it occurs in a household with a gun.

In the United States, there are 1 million women alive today who have reported being shot or shot at by their intimate partners, and there are many more who have been threatened or killed with a gun.

Closing the boyfriend loophole is a critical step to prevent abusers from obtaining a weapon, a weapon that will likely be used to escalate their abuse and a weapon that may have deadly consequences.

With this bill, we can truly help prevent abuse, protect our families, and keep every American safer.

Mr. Speaker, I want to first and foremost give a great sense of thanks and debt of gratitude to my colleague, Brenda Lawrence, for bringing this Special Order hour today, as we are really celebrating womanhood. That is truly what we are doing tonight.

Mr. Speaker, this month we celebrate the amazing and just absolutely inspirational women that are all around us. As it has been said over and over again, you know, so many amazing women reside right here in this body, and I have to personally say, I have never met in my lifetime a greater number of courageous and intelligent and just amazing women that are so committed to democracy and protecting their constituents and their communities, and I feel very humbled and honored to actually get to serve with each and every one of them.

Whether it be a mother or a scientist, a Congresswoman or the Vice President of the United States, we are eternally thankful for the work that women do to help us thrive here at home and across the globe.

This week I had the opportunity to speak with four amazing women who are fighting for change in my community in Georgia's Sixth Congressional District.

Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid has become the first African American and first woman to serve in her position on the Board of Commissioners.

Aixa Pascual has dedicated her career to engage and advocate for Georgia's Latino population.

And after 15 years of teaching, Charisse Davis joined the Cobb County School Board to implement ideas that she learned from her experience as an educator.

Dr. Colleen Kelley, a physician at Emory University School of Medicine, has worked on the Moderna vaccine trial at Grady Hospital.

I truly want to thank these incredible women for all of the amazing work that they have done in our community, because it not only serves my community, my district, Georgia, but also the rest of the Nation.

I wish everyone a truly happy, happy Women's History Month. But I have to honestly say, as I am sitting here today listening to all of my colleagues talk about the amazing women that we know and amazing women who have done so much work throughout the course of history, I would be remiss if I did not mention my own mother, Wilma Cecelia Holman. I owe her such a great debt of gratitude because she was one of the very first women, Black women in Illinois to receive a master's in nursing and to actually teach nursing. So I know that everything that I am, all of my courage, my strength, my imagination, my creativity, my drive, and my willingness to put my boots on and get down in the dirt, in the trenches for the people that I love and care for in my community comes from her.

Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Scott for yielding. I appreciate it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 485, the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.

Children are our future teachers, doctors, police officers, and Members of Congress. It is our responsibility to ensure that they can live, learn, and grow up in a safe environment.

In fiscal year 2020, in my home State of Georgia, it actually ranked second in the country for the number of calls to child abuse hotlines.

That is why I was so proud to introduce an amendment in the Committee on Education and Labor last Congress with my colleague, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Stefanik), that would establish a national child abuse hotline. I am excited that same language was once again included in this year's Stronger CAPTA legislation.

Madam Speaker, our bill will create a grant program for a national child abuse hotline, for the establishment and operation of a 24-hour hotline for victims of child abuse. Their families and caregivers, parents, youth, mandated reporters, and any other concerned community member can call or text the national child abuse hotline when looking for immediate help and support during moments of crisis and moments of doubt.

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk factors that lead to child abuse, as millions are experiencing elevated levels of stress due in part to job and income loss, or even the loss of a loved one. Before the pandemic, teachers, social workers, and members of the community who regularly interacted with children and youth were able to identify the instances of child abuse and record them and report them accordingly. However, as we maintain social distancing to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe, it is much harder for those individuals, who once interacted with our youth, to identify such abuse.

That is why we must continue to invest in child abuse and prevention services, such as the national child abuse hotline that Congressman Stefanik and I have included in Stronger CAPTA.

We do not yet know the full extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact our children, but we need to make sure that we are fully prepared to take care of them no matter what.

As my esteemed colleague, Representative Foxx, has just made mention of, we know that additional stressors with COVID-19 pose more conflicts in our homes, and thereby adding additional opportunities for child abuse. Now is not the time to reduce funding or support for these well- needed services. Our Nation's children need us now more than ever.

And I am so grateful, even though I no longer have my child with me, I am so grateful to be able to encourage my colleagues to stand and support this well-meaning legislation so that I can take part in saving the lives and protecting children that may not even be my own.

Stronger CAPTA is bipartisan legislation that provides critical protections and resources to families and children across our Nation to prevent and end child abuse. With the passage of this bipartisan legislation, we are just one step closer to saving our children's lives. Stronger CAPTA is important, not only for my home State of Georgia, but for the Nation.

Together we must ensure the safety of our Nation's children, they are our future. If we, as a Nation, do not protect the most vulnerable in the least of these, then who are we? Who are we in the eyes of the Nation? And who are we in the eyes of the world? Together we must ensure the safety of our Nation's children.

Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues, both Republicans and Democrats, to support this very vital, well-meaning and important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago, I came to Congress, and one of my first actions as a Member was cosponsoring this bipartisan legislation that will save lives.

Mr. Speaker, I know the pain of gun violence firsthand. Eight years ago, I lost my son, Jordan, a victim of a gun in the wrong hands.

With this legislation, we empower law enforcement to keep guns from those who might do harm by simply requiring a background check whenever a gun is sold. This is commonsense legislation that will prevent more families from knowing the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence.

Just like 2 years ago, our vote today is a beginning, and it is definitely not the end. In again passing this commonsense bipartisan legislation, we call on our colleagues in the Senate to do what is right to keep America's families safe.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud once again to stand in support of this legislation as a survivor of gun violence myself.

Mr. Speaker, Congress refusing to pass this vital legislation would be America's shame and burden for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Nadler for yielding, and I also thank Representative Clyburn, the author of this legislation, H.R. 1446, for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, domestic violence claims the lives of far too many, and it is especially deadly when it occurs in a household with a gun. Women, as we know, bear most of this violence.

In the United States there are one million women alive today who have reported being shot or shot at by an intimate partner, and there are many more who have been threatened or killed with a gun. And we haven't even yet discussed what the additional stressors of COVID-19 have done exponentially around the country in households when there is a gun in the household.

Closing the Charleston loophole is a critical step to prevent abusers from obtaining a weapon. This is not about infringing upon anyone's Second Amendment rights. Law-abiding gun owners who are duly licensed and permitted, this is not about preventing them from being able to have a gun.

This is a critical step to prevent abusers from obtaining a weapon, a weapon that will likely be used to escalate their abuse and a weapon that may have deadly consequences. And as a survivor of gun violence, I know what I am talking about.

With this bill and with this amendment we can help prevent abuse, protect our families, and gather data to inform further steps to keep every American safe. That is our right. That is not a privilege.

In the next months, we will continue to remember those that we have lost to gun violence in Charleston and all across America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague Representative Sheila Jackson Lee for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday marked the 56th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march, but for the first time we observed the solemn anniversary feeling the tremendous absence of our colleague, our friend, our brother, John Lewis.

Though John is no longer with us, his spirit and his soul still fill this Chamber. And even amidst the noise and the bitter rancor, one can still hear his words ringing so loudly that they cannot be ignored. ``Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.''

John Lewis was widely known as the conscience of Congress, and I can't think of a more fitting description of our friend, a man who nearly lost his life on that bridge in Selma in the struggle for voting rights.

John went on to represent his community in Congress for 33 years. Whether marching for freedom in Selma or sitting on the House floor in support of safer gun laws, while I was on the outside leading a rally for the very same thing, John reminded each of us of the importance of getting into good, necessary trouble. It was one of the greatest honors of my life to be his colleague and fellow Member of Georgia's congressional delegation.

As Americans we owe a great debt of gratitude to those who were on that bridge in Selma, for sacrificing their blood in pursuit of a more perfect Union. We honor the legacies those men and women left behind by picking up the mantle of equality and justice for all and supporting the fight for what is right and for what is just.

Because even in this moment we are painfully reminded that the work remains unfinished. For many years before we mourned the death of John Lewis, we grieved the loss of the Federal protections which the Voting Rights Act once afforded all Americans, rights for which John Lewis nearly gave his life long before he ever had the chance to serve his community in Congress. And 56 years later the struggle to protect voting rights continues back home in my State of Georgia and in State legislatures all across this country.

As John would often say, we have a moral obligation, a mission, and a mandate to do what we can to make our country and our world a better place and to help usher in a loving community where no one is left out or left behind.

Those words ring louder and louder for every day that goes by without the sacred protections of the Voting Rights Act. And so today, we must again step forward with a renewed unity of purpose to do what is necessary to restore and protect the right to vote for all Americans and to fulfill the vision laid forth by those heroes who marched before us. Heroes like our John Lewis.

And it is more important than ever now to pass H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Mr. Speaker, I am so proud of our many officers in Georgia's Sixth Congressional District, here in the Capitol, and those nationwide who do all that they can to keep our families safe.

They have the trust of their communities and, as a result, are better at ensuring everyone's safety. These officers know the people that they serve. They see them as brothers, sisters, and neighbors. They serve with honor and respect the dignity of every citizen.

This bill is about making sure that every officer and every department is held to the same standard as has been set by the officers in my own district.

Mr. Speaker, by passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, we invest in our departments, end harmful profiling, and provide grants to communities finding new and innovative ways to improve safety.

This bill ensures all of our police officers have the resources to become our very best police officers, and that they are all working to make sure that every single one of us is safer.