Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Cherfilus- McCormick and Representative Jonathan Jackson for presiding over this critical hour this evening.

I thank my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus as well as the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, but in particular, our chairwoman, Frederica Wilson. As a proud commissioner and a founding member, I am always grateful for the opportunity to speak in support of the vital work that this commission is undertaking.

Just last week, President Biden stood in this very Chamber, and he spoke of the transformational moment that happened 59 years ago in Selma, Alabama, as brave, nonviolent activists marched for justice and equality. We remembered our late friend and former colleague John Lewis, whose presence and influence this legislative body just really, really misses every single day.

The world has changed for Black men and boys in America since John Lewis was beaten and bloodied on a bridge in Selma, Alabama, but it is no secret that Black men and boys continue to face unjust hurdles in this country.

The reality is that life expectancy for Black men is among the lowest in the country. Most Black men do not live long enough to even collect Social Security. Black men are incarcerated at the highest rates, and Black men suffer disproportionately from income and education inequality, unemployment, health disparities, police violence, and gun violence.

I know these realities all too well. My son, Jordan Davis, was a victim of a culture of implicit bias and racism, a culture that teaches to shoot first and ask questions later, a culture that claimed the life of my son before he was even 18 years of age.

I think about the trajectory of my son's life and what his future was supposed to look like. I dreamed of watching him graduate from high school, going on to college, and starting a family of his own. Jordan should be living out his life and shaping his own legacy right now. I should never have had to bury my son.

I never should have had to bury my child and carry out a legacy in his name that works to save as many lives as I possibly can, but that is why I am here as a Congresswoman--to fight for the rights of young boys that look just like my son Jordan, to provide policy solutions that will keep them safe and allow them to grow into adulthood, to prevent mothers from having to answer the same phone call that I did when I was told that my son would never ever come home again. That is why I am a founding member of this commission.

Since its inception, the commission has searched for ways to address these inequities, from education to employment, housing to healthcare, justice to civil rights. I am very proud of the work that we are doing, lifting up the stories of Black men and boys who desperately need our support.

In particular, I am heartened by the progress that we are making on gun violence prevention and accomplishments that I helped to pass such as the historic Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first comprehensive gun violence prevention package passed in almost 30 years in this country.

That package included aspects of my Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, and it also includes $750 million in crisis prevention funding over 5 years and $250 million for community violence intervention funding to give our communities the resources that they have been crying out for.

Millions of dollars have already been provided to nonprofits and community groups to keep our neighbors safe and whole, but we need to continue to do so very much more.

Last fall, I was honored to speak from the White House Press Briefing Room the day after President Biden announced the creation of the first- ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which is overseen by Vice President Harris. This is a direct result of our sustained advocacy to President Biden and members of this administration. I am very pleased that I was able to advise President Biden and his administration on two close allies to help lead this office: Rob Wilcox with Everytown for Gun Safety and Greg Jackson with Community Justice Action Fund.

I have held many roles in my life. I am the daughter of civil rights leaders. I have been a flight attendant. I am a wife and a mother. At this moment, I am still a mother who is deeply concerned about the future generations of Black men and boys, and this cause, I will say, belongs to all of us.

Just last week, as distinguished guests arrived to hear the President's address, I was heartbroken and disheartened to hear firsthand from a young Black man being discriminated against in his school over his locs. For those of you who don't know what locs are, that is hair. He has not been allowed to learn alongside his peers in the classroom and is instead being separated and held for in-school suspension.

Even with the progress that we have made, our young Black boys face increasing hate on the streets and in our communities every single day. Places

that should foster learning and help them to flourish are attempting to break down their souls and tell them that they are not worthy of their own bright futures.

This is absolutely unacceptable. We must work harder than ever before to speak in one voice and demand the change that is so desperately needed in this country.

I am grateful to my colleagues in this Congress. I am so grateful to the Congressional Black Caucus and the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys to stand in the gap as elected lawmakers and loving parents and aunts and uncles of young Black men.

One thing I do know: There is nothing more powerful than a Black mother on a mission. As a Black mother, I will never falter in our work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of National Entrepreneurship Week. During Black History Month, I am proud to recognize and celebrate the achievements of Black small business owners and champion solutions that will build on the progress that has been made.

Thanks to historic federal investments through the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act, Black business ownership is growing at its fastest pace in 30 years and Black wealth is up 60% from prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. While we celebrate these historic gains, it is important to recognize the challenges that Black small business owners still face when seeking access to credit. According to the Alliance for Entrepreneurial Equity, Black-owned businesses are three times more likely to be labeled a higher credit risk than non-Black counterparts, and 72 percent of businesses use personal savings to overcome difficulties accessing credit from other sources.

Business owners in my district have experienced these barriers. Che Houston, the ``Macaron Maven of Atlanta'' and owner of Che Rene Macarons & More, has herself experienced difficulty securing financing for her growing business. Despite these challenges, Che's business has continued to grow at a rapid pace. Last year, she earned recognition as OUT Georgia Business Alliance's New Business of the Year, and she continues to serve as an Ambassador for OUT Georgia Business Alliance where she assists new members in Food and Beverage startups. She is also a stakeholder with the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs.

Here in Congress, I am fighting for solutions that will eliminate barriers that business owners like Che face when developing and growing their small businesses. And back home, I am committed to sharing federal resources that have been made possible through the historic investments from the Biden-Harris Administration. I urge my colleagues to consider additional solutions to help our entrepreneurs thrive. Together, we can champion solutions that invigorate our communities and strengthen our economy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Cherfilus-McCormick for diligently holding the Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour. I don't know what we would do without her.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to participate in this evening's Special Order hour celebrating the evolution of Black excellence throughout history. The stories and triumphs of Black Americans deserve to be commemorated all year long, but especially during Black History Month.

The legacies of the men and women who shaped this Nation's history impact our daily lives in countless ways. It is my honor to take just a few moments to share highlights from the communities that I am proud to represent.

I grew up in the heart of the civil rights movement. I was the baby in the stroller at the March on Washington. My father was the president of the Illinois chapter of the NAACP, and my mother was a nurse. My parents' teachings and example made such a strong impression on me even as a little girl. Some of my fondest memories were watching them direct meetings in our home and prepare for marches while caring for and lifting up each and every person that they interacted with. As the daughter of civil rights leaders, I know how hard-fought our freedoms are.

In Georgia, we proudly claim two of this Nation's most prominent civil rights leaders: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the great Congressman John Lewis, whose presence and influence this legislative body misses every single day. Georgia's legacy of Black excellence extends far beyond Atlanta and reaches every corner of our State in a multitude of ways.

In my district, Georgia's Seventh Congressional District, I am proud of the incredible transformation in Black

history that has taken place over the last 200 years. In Gwinnett County, Salem Missionary Baptist Church was founded in Lilburn around 1834, when slaves constructed a meeting place to gather and worship.

Three decades later, Hopewell Baptist Church was founded by freed slaves. The original building was destroyed in a fire in 1920, but its congregation continued to grow. The current church building was dedicated in 1993.

In the early 1920s, entrepreneur Robert Livsey purchased the Maguire- Livsey House, a former plantation in South Gwinnett, and dubbed it ``The Promised Land.'' As the decades passed, this property became a thriving farm and Black business hub in the region, bringing a sense of independence and empowerment for the local Black community.

In Lawrenceville, the Hooper-Renwick School was the only Black public high school in Gwinnett County until the end of school segregation. The Hooper-Renwick School merged with the Gwinnett County school system in the 1960s. Plans are currently underway to transition this building into a library and Black History Museum.

In Johns Creek, the Macedonia Cemetery is a historical site of deep local significance. It is the resting place of dozens of enslaved individuals and their descendants.

Black Americans continue to excel and reach new heights through the leadership of notable figures in our community, whether it be in education, medicine, government, science, technology, sports, or fine arts.

Other history-makers in my district, such as Beauty Baldwin, was one of the first Black teachers at Central Gwinnett High School. She later served as the State's first Black female school superintendent.

Mr. Speaker, Baldwin Elementary and the Gwinnett Voter Registration and Elections buildings are named in her honor.

Everton Blair made history by becoming the youngest person and the first Black and LGBTQ+ person ever elected to the Gwinnett School Board. He graduated from Shiloh High School and Harvard University and was a policy fellow in the Obama administration.

Nicole Love Hendrickson is the first African American and the third woman to serve as Gwinnett County's chair. Hendrickson has issued proclamations celebrating Juneteenth and, for the first time in Gwinnett's history, acknowledging the 1911 lynching of Charles Hale in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Gwinnett County District 3 Commissioner Jasper Watkins is the first African American in the Armed Forces in the State of Florida to achieve board certification with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists' Nuclear Pharmacy Residency Program.

This region's athletes and entertainers include Alvin Kamara, a Norcross native and running back for the New Orleans Saints; George Rogers, a Duluth native and Heisman Trophy winner; and Ezzard Charles, a Lawrenceville native who is widely regarded as the greatest light heavyweight boxer of all time.

Migos, an American hip-hop trio composed of rappers Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff, was founded out of Lawrenceville in 2008. I was privileged to work with Quavo in my work to end gun violence following the tragic death of Takeoff in 2023.

Mr. Speaker, I hope it is clear just how rich and diverse the history of Black Americans in my district truly is. Each and every day, men and women are making a tremendous impact and shaping the future of our growing community. As their congresswoman, I am committed to doing my part to protect the rights that have brought us this far and advancing the progress that Black Americans continue to make every single day in America. I will march on until victory is won.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the deliberately misleading Pregnant Students' Rights Act.

It is unfortunately not a bill about protecting pregnant and parenting students or improving their outcomes in school at all. This legislation is just another poorly disguised attempt to further roll back the rights of women in this country and unduly pressure students into making serious healthcare decisions.

We should be considering legislation that will actually support pregnant and parenting students and has a real chance of being passed into law, like the Understanding Student Parent Outcomes Act of 2023, introduced by my colleague, Representative Deborah Ross, and me.

Instead of leveraging the very real needs of students and their children against the highly polarizing and personal topics of reproductive rights and abortion, we could be studying the issue and establishing best practices at the Department of Education to improve graduation rates and help pregnant and parenting Americans stay in school, practices like ensuring access to quality on-campus childcare and accommodations for breastfeeding.

Supporting pregnant and parenting students should be a bipartisan effort, but the bill that our colleagues have brought forth today does not seek to find commonsense, consensus solutions.

I look forward to working with my colleagues across the aisle at the appropriate time to ensure that every student is given the support that they need to finish their degree, improve their career, and finally move into that higher income level that they have been dreaming of and working so hard toward.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Scott and his staff for their work on this issue.

I rise today on behalf of the thousands of working families in my district who are struggling under the burden of seemingly endless student loan debt.

A college credential continues to be the surest path to economic security, and we must help to make sure that every student, regardless of their background or their ZIP Code, has the resources necessary to achieve their dreams through education.

That means setting our students up for success, not confining them to a lifetime of making payments that barely cover the interest on their loans.

The American people who stand to be harmed by this bill are more than just numbers. They are not just statistics. These are real live human beings with real life experiences.

I would remind my colleague, Mrs. McClain of Michigan, that in her district, there are at least 9,900 borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan, which will significantly lower their monthly payments.

If Republicans succeed and this bill undoes the income-driven repayment plan, more than 5 million student loan borrowers enrolled in the plan will see their monthly payments go up.

These are real people. They are nurses. They are engineers. They are teachers with families and mortgages and groceries that they need to buy who are going to lose the opportunity to pay off their loans in a way that really fits their budgets.

The American people are tired of these empty and broken promises. They are tired of being asked to give more and more of themselves while it gets increasingly expensive to acquire the skills necessary just to make a decent living.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a truly exceptional First Lady, Rosalynn Carter. I thank my Georgia colleagues for their kind words during this time. It is important we unite as a state delegation to honor her, just as our state and our Nation recently had the opportunity to pay their respects and mark her legacy of service.

I consider it one of the great blessings of my life that I was able to spend time in Plains, Georgia with both President Carter and the former First Lady during my first year in Congress. Their dedication to public service and to our Nation was strengthened by the love and partnership shared over their 77 years of marriage. It's widely been pointed out that the legacy of President Carter would not be complete without a full accounting of the many contributions Rosalynn made during that time in office.

In metro Atlanta, her memory will forever live on at the Rosalynn Apartments through the work of 3Keys, whose mission to support and empower individuals with mental illness to live a life filled with purpose and dignity was directly by her own work. In all that she did, she touched people's lives and made a real difference for the people she was called to serve.

I am holding the Carter family in my prayers and in my heart during this difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise during National Diabetes Month to recognize the monumental impact my plan to cap the cost of insulin at $35 per month for seniors has had on the lives of millions.

There is no time off when you live with diabetes. It is a constant, ever-present disease that influences every aspect of your life.

Those born with diabetes live their entire lives checking their blood sugar every other hour, and they must constantly be wary of what they eat, what they drink, and what they must monitor to survive.

Almost 40 million Americans live with diabetes. Over a million of them are in Georgia alone.

Black Americans are 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and twice as likely to die from it.

Many of those who live with this chronic disease must take insulin every day to survive, and even still, it remains the seventh leading cause of death in our country.

In 1920, before insulin was discovered, it would have been exceptional for diabetic patients to live longer than a year or two.

But for over 100 years, the discovery of insulin has saved lives, and has remained the most effective treatment for all those living with this chronic disease.

We have seen this life-saving medication get further and further out of reach for those families who need it.

Why is it that in the richest country in the history of the world, children must watch their grandmothers and grandfathers ration the very drug that helps to keep them alive, just to get by?

My bill, which took effect at the start of this year, caps this life- saving drug at just $35 a month for our seniors, a step that lowers their overall prescription drug costs and saves lives.

I thank my colleagues for convening this Special Order Hour to bring awareness to the gravity of the legislation we have passed for the American people and the need to continue this vital work.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month 2023. Each year from September 15th to October 15th, Americans across the country recognize and celebrate the history and culture of those individuals whose ancestry can be traced from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. This observance was first established as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 and expanded to a full month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. The month encapsulates celebrations of independence for many Latin American countries. September 15th is the anniversary of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile also celebrate their independence days on September 16th and September 18th.

This year on October 3rd, Gwinnett County will celebrate a Heritage Night Celebration in observance of Hispanic Latino Heritage Month in the county. As the representative for Georgia's most diverse and fastest-growing congressional district, it is my privilege to uplift the Latino community and celebrate their contributions to this district, the Nation, and the world.

In every facet of our daily lives, Latino leaders have made an indelible mark on this country and created a more perfect union for us all. These contributions take form in creative talents, culinary offerings, and civic development and leadership. Our community is well represented by artists, business owners, and elected officials whose Hispanic heritage enhances the diversity of our community and enriches the moral fiber of our nation. I am proud of their countless contributions to our country's story, and I would like to take this month to honor the crucial role that these Americans play in our society and in Georgia's Seventh Congressional District in particular.

While we continue to celebrate the observation of Hispanic Heritage Month, may we celebrate the power and pride of our Latino community in Georgia. As a representative of our state, I will continue to champion their values of strength, service, and patriotism every day. On behalf of myself, the Seventh Congressional District of Georgia, and the United States House of Representatives, happy Hispanic Heritage Month.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representatives Jackson and Cherfilus-McCormick and the Congressional Black Caucus for convening this Special Order hour this evening to speak, in particular, about gun safety.

This past weekend, the United States surpassed 400 mass shootings in just this year alone. We have seen nearly double the number of tragedies than the amount of days that we have lived this year. It is an unmistakable reality that this grave challenge has only grown. Until we are fully dealing with this very dangerous gun culture that we are living in, it will continue to grow.

No amount of condolences will ever rectify the grief of loved ones. Week after week after week, I talk to survivors like myself who are crying out to this body. When will we act?

If faith without work is dead, then we must know that when thoughts and prayers end, meaningful action must begin.

My Federal red flag law bill mirrors a commonsense measure that is already in place in many States around the country, actually Republican States. It has allowed for loved ones to work with law enforcement to get guns out of the hands of those loved ones or people that they deem in crisis, and it will truly help those who see the first signs of tragedy, and they can help to prevent it.

These are effective laws that stop gun violence. We know that. Studies have proven that. Statistics have shown that in both Republican and Democratic States around the country. The American people are just calling on us to act. They are tired of waiting for us to act. They are calling on us to save lives.

Last year, President Biden did sign into law, last summer, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. It is the most comprehensive gun safety legislation that this body has enacted in decades. We have been investing in State red flag laws, funding for States that want to enact these lifesaving measures.

Community violence intervention funding, I think everyone can agree we have got to get to the root causes of the violence. You pull out the root. You deal with the foundational problems that are causing the violence which causes gun violence.

We were able through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to define who is a bona fide gun seller. We were able to make it a Federal crime for gun trafficking and straw purchases. We were able to secure funding for mental health for our public schools but also for law enforcement. It expanded background checks for gun sales.

I have been doing this work in gun safety for the last 10 years since I lost my own son unnecessarily. Statistics have shown us again and again and again, and surveys have shown us again and again, that 97 percent of the American public--and this is including law-abiding gun owners--know that we have a public health crisis with the gun culture in this country, and they believe that we must place some commonsense measures on our existing gun laws.

Victims such as myself, survivors, live in daily angst just waiting for this body to act, waiting for us to do more. We are living in a violent culture. There are no safe spaces in America anymore. Survivors continue to live with the pain of having lost their loved ones unnecessarily and knowing that they, too, at some point in time may also be a victim of gun violence.

More guns in America do not make us safer. That is a misnomer. That is not the truth. Commonsense gun safety measures with respect to putting public safety over profit by our gun manufacturers and gun sellers, that is what the American people are crying out for.

In this country, a major industrialized nation, you are 25 times more likely to die here in the United States than anywhere else in the world. I pray every single day that this body will put their oath to protect and serve over the profit of this extremist gun culture that we are living in.

Madam Chair, during rollcall Vote number 357 on H.R. 3935, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``no'' when I should have voted ``aye.''

Amendment No. 73 Offered by Mr. Perry

Mr. Speaker, this past week, Americans gathered nationwide with friends and family to celebrate the founding of our democracy. They enjoyed days off to spend time with their loved ones, and they celebrated our national values as red, white, and blue lit up the sky.

Yet again, the joyful celebrations of Americans were met with further acts of senseless gun violence, because for far too many across the country, gunshots were confused for fireworks on our day of independence, leaving countless numbers dead and over 100 injured.

Mass shootings have marred our Nation more times than there have been days this year.

Mr. Speaker, there is no freedom in living in fear. There is no celebration when our holidays transform into tragedy. Gun violence must be stopped, and this body must act once again to save lives.

Mr. Speaker, it is a joy to celebrate Pride 2023. Each June, LGBTQ+ Americans show pride for their community by celebrating the accomplishments and contributions of those throughout history and commemorating their long tight for dignity and equality in this country.

Over the course of many decades, LGBTQ+ Americans have secured significant gains in their efforts to live freely and authentically as their true selves. While we celebrate these gains, we must never forget the history of Pride and why we celebrate in June. June 28, 1969, marked the beginning of the Stonewall Uprising, when LGBTQ+ Americans fought back against discriminatory raids at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. Activists including Marsha P. Johnson were on the frontlines of this rebellion and took a righteous stand against the criminalization of homosexuality. The events of the Stonewall Uprising represented a seismic shift in the way Americans thought about LGBTQ+ activism. The first Pride march was celebrated one year later on June 28, 1970.

Inspired by the righteous stand taken by Johnson and fellow activists, LGBTQ+ Americans have spoken out about the dangerous repercussions of homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of hate. Despite tremendous progress in the years since Stonewall, acts of bigotry and discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+ community have claimed the lives of gay and lesbian Americans, and violence has been particularly devastating to transgender women of color. It is imperative that while we celebrate Pride, we continue to stand strong in the fight for the rights of all Americans in the face of intolerance and hatred. No American should fear expressing their true identity and living as their authentic self.

Here in Georgia, we are lucky to be served and represented by our own LGBTQ+ history makers at many levels of government. Sam Park, who represents Georgia House District 107 in Lawrenceville, made history as the first openly gay man elected to the Georgia State House in 2016. Everton Blair, a Gwinnett County native who represents District 4 on the Gwinnett County Board of Education, became the board's first openly gay member in 2018, as well as the first person of color elected to the Gwinnett County school board. Gwinnett County District 2 Commissioner Ben Ku also made history in 2018 as the first LGBTQ+ commissioner elected in Gwinnett County. I am proud that the elected officials that I work with back home are such an important part of Georgia's LGBTQ+ history.

Since coming to Congress, it has been my honor to work with, learn from, and represent members of the LGBTQ+ community. As we celebrate Pride Month 2023, may we look back with reverence on the sacrifices made by activists and leaders who came before us, and march forward with joy and optimism for a future built on the progress of the many contributions of everyday LGBTQ+ Americans. This month and always, I am happy to celebrate Pride alongside them and continue the fight for dignity and equality for all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the underlying resolution and the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I speak today not just as a Member of Congress but as a mother, a mother whose son was taken from her by gun violence, the very thing that we are talking about again today, and a mother who has fought every day since then to make sure that no other mother, no other family, no other community feels that pain or feels that loss.

Arm braces have become the attachment of choice for mass shooters in this country, the attachment of choice for the King Soopers shooter in Boulder who took the lives of 10 people, including a law enforcement officer; the attachment of choice for the shooter who murdered five individuals at Club Q, an LGBTQ nightclub; and the attachment of choice for the Nashville shooter who slaughtered three innocent babies in an elementary school.

We cannot continue to allow weapons of war in our communities, in our meeting centers, and in our schools.

What I just cannot understand is: What are our Republican colleagues afraid of? You swore an oath to protect and serve your constituents. What are you afraid of?

My Democratic colleagues are doing their job. We bring forth policy after policy after policy: Federal background checks for all gun sales, so a law-abiding gun owner can still own guns; the assault weapons ban, keeping those weapons of mass destruction, weapons of war, out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them; closing the Charleston loophole. These are just commonsense solutions that the American people are crying out for.

As a mother who has lost her child, I spend all of my time talking to survivors, day in and day out.

Mr. Speaker, I spend all of my time, day in and day out, with survivors and families. What are you afraid of?

We have to do the right thing and preserve human life. That is why we were sent here. I implore you, and I am sure I will do it again and again and again, to do what is right, to respond to that oath to protect and serve the people who are waiting and crying out for us to keep them safe.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to commemorate Flag Day 2023. Adopted by resolution of the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1777, this day celebrates the adoption of the flag of the United States. On the morning of Saturday, June 10th, proud citizens of Lawrenceville and the greater Gwinnett County community will gather at VFW Post 5255 to celebrate Gwinnett County Flag Day 2023.

Since the battle at Brandywine in 1777, the stars and stripes have flown over historic moments in the great American experiment, bearing witness to events such as the bombardment of Fort McHenry and flying over Ground Zero on September 11th. To citizens of the world, this flag is a symbol of the highest ideals this Nation represents and the promise of untold opportunity. Under this flag, Americans of all colors and creeds have laid down their lives in the struggle against tyranny, the fight against fascism, and the defense against those who would betray the values upon which this Nation was founded.

In the great conflicts of history, it is the American flag that flew above Lexington & Concord. It is the American flag that survived the horrors of Gettysburg. It is the American flag that our Marines raised over Iwo Jima. And, it is the American flag that continues to represent the world's oldest Democracy, that symbolizes the sacrifice of millions of American servicemembers. We must diligently do our part to ensure that we honor their sacrifice by continuing to advance those ideals of freedom, justice, and liberty which the flag represents--ideals which must endure long after we are gone.

Therefore, I call on all residents of Georgia's Seventh Congressional District to observe Flag Day in accordance with the rich traditions that have been established through the years. May our flag continue to wave over this great Nation for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 698, a bill originally introduced by Representative Cicilline of Rhode Island, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.