Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1059, the SECURE Notarization Act, which I have had the pleasure to work on with Representative Armstrong from North Dakota.

The SECURE Notarization Act would authorize nationwide use of remote online notarization and would include key consumer protections such as multifactor authentication and the use of tamper-evident technology. The bill would also ensure interstate recognition of remote online notarization.

Importantly, the SECURE Notarization Act sets a floor for the use of remote online notarization and States will be able to regulate further protections as they decide.

The pandemic taught us both the necessity and the benefits of new technologies used to streamline services for consumers across industries.

Remote online notarization has been and should continue to be a time- saving, convenient, and safe way for consumers to execute important documents.

Notarizations are used extensively, as we all know, in real estate transactions and other key areas, including

affidavits, powers of attorney, and living trusts. Remote online notarizations allow the consumer, the notary, and other parties to a transaction to be in different locations using two-way, audiovisual communication to securely notarize documents.

This process provides consumers and businesses with much-needed flexibility. This is the key.

Remote online notarization allows flexibility for people who are chronically ill or immobile, for parents who can't get away from work or taking care of children, for servicemembers abroad seeking to buy a home or correct their wills.

I know well the impact this bill could have for notaries public across the country. When I served as a State representative, most members of our team were notaries and our office served as a notary hub for the local community. We learned firsthand how many people struggled to find time for appointments often because of childcare, transportation, or because of poor health.

Remote online notarization would have allowed us to streamline our performance and better provide service to our community.

Last Congress, as has been stated, this bill was cosponsored by more than 120 Members and passed the House by a vote of 336-90. It is supported by a coalition of 20 industry partners. Simply, it is a commonsense piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chair McMorris Rodgers and Ranking Member Pallone for their support for this bill and for bringing it to the floor.

Finally, I thank the lead on this legislation, Congressman Kelly Armstrong, for all his hard work and good humor as we work to get this bill across the finish line, as well as the work of his staff in helping make this a strong piece of bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, like many of us, I spent the weekend thinking about the savage beating and murder of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five Memphis police officers.

Sworn to protect and serve, they did neither.

Had they honored their duty, Mr. Nichols would be alive with his 4- year-old son, family, and friends.

I am a mother to a 29-year-old son, the same age Tyre was. I have not worried that my sons could die at the hands of police at a traffic stop; a privilege of White mothers denied to mothers whose children are Black.

Black Americans are killed at a rate twice as high as White Americans. A 2019 report found that 1 in every 1,000 Black men between the ages of 20 and 35 can expect to be killed by law enforcement.

We must do more to ensure all of our communities are safe. Pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and find ways to reverse a police culture that sees Black Americans as a threat.

We can respect police officers as we require reform of practices rooted in hatred and violence. Black Americans have waited long enough. We must act.

Mr. Speaker, not even a month into this New Year and I am already on the floor, once again, begging the same question: What will it take to stop the relentless pace of mass shootings?

Three mass shootings in California in just 3 days. Three different men of three different ages used guns to murder their own neighbors or coworkers.

Beyond the tragedies in California, there are victims of gun violence every day in every State.

Regardless of our politics, we cannot continue to live and die this way. We must do more. We must do more for the victims. We must do more for the communities shattered. We must do more for the families left to grieve.

Each mass shooting is a glaring violation of our inalienable rights-- life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

According to the 97 percent, a bipartisan group of gun owners and non-gun owners, 70 percent of gun owners want to help reduce gun injuries and deaths. There are a lot of ways we can combat the cruel epidemic of gun violence, but what we cannot do is nothing.

We must all find the courage to act.

Madam Speaker, it is a good time for Pennsylvania. Some would say we are on a roll.

The Phillies made it to the World Series; Jalen Hurts is the MVP; and the Eagles are the best team in football.

Last November, Pennsylvanians spoke loudly. Josh Shapiro was elected our Governor and Austin Davis our Lieutenant Governor, and we begin this term with newly elected Democratic Speaker of the House Mark Rozzi, our Senator John Fetterman, and nine Democratic Congress Members representing us here in D.C.

Just like the entire Democratic Caucus, Pennsylvania Democrats are united and determined to make a difference for everyday people on issues like gun violence, addiction, and providing high-quality education, which makes me eager to, once again, serve alongside returning Members Matt Cartwright, Brendan Boyle, Dwight Evans, Mary Gay Scanlon, Susan Wild, and Chrissy Houlahan, and with dynamic new Members like Summer Lee, an activist lawyer and first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress, and Chris Deluzio, an Iraq war veteran and voting rights attorney.

Pennsylvanians sent a congressional delegation to Washington that looks like Pennsylvania and, with Governor-elect Shapiro, we will govern for all.

Madam Speaker, it is a crime now to kill a child born alive. In fact, in May of 2013, a Philadelphia man was convicted of first degree murder in the killing of three infants. He is now serving life without parole.

Either my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are unaware of this already existing crime with a penalty of life without parole, or this is another extreme political stunt.

Let me be clear: Abortion care is healthcare, and that has been true for a very long time. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not interested in medical truths. No. Instead, they are interested in scaring people, outlawing all abortions and criminalizing anyone they can.

Politicians have no business making unsound medical decisions. We are legislators, not doctors.

In the unfortunate case when a child is born with fatal disabilities, this legislation will deny parents a say in how their child spends the final minutes, hours, or days of his or her life, whether hooked up to a medical device or in the arms of their parents.

Expectant parents have enough worries. They should not have to worry about extreme politicians in their doctor's office or hospital thinking they somehow know better.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 26.

Mr. Speaker, for nearly half a century, legendary news anchor Jim Gardner has informed and guided Philadelphia, southeastern Pennsylvania, and south Jersey. Next week, he will retire, and I thank him for his incredible service.

Jim joined Action News in 1976 as a reporter before setting into his iconic role as the 6 and 11 p.m. anchor, becoming the longest-serving on-air personality in our region's history.

As the years changed and trust in our institutions eroded, one journalistic institution stood strong: Jim Gardner.

Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods, and Jim works with character, generosity, and a deep love of all of his neighbors. He did not hesitate when asked to moderate a free library discussion about our family's book on addiction and recovery.

Jim Gardner has provided stability through uncertainty, from things electoral to environmental, and lift through our joys, like the current Eagles season.

For 45 years, Jim has been our Walter Cronkite with his signature mustache.

We will miss you in our living rooms, Jim, delivering the news with honesty, integrity, and respect. We wish you, America's anchor, a happy retirement. Thank you, Jim.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for the bipartisan support.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 7952, Valley Forge Park Realignment Permit and Promise Act.

Valley Forge National Historical Park is an important, extraordinarily historical landmark and natural space spanning 3,500 acres of Chester and Montgomery counties; my home.

As the site of the 1777 and 1778 winter encampment of General George Washington and the Continental Army, Valley Forge is a living monument to our national story, where former Prussian officer Baron van Steuben trained the Continental Army, transforming them into a more cohesive, unified, and modern fighting force.

It is a symbol of our Nation's resilience and revolutionary spirit.

As part of a broader effort to develop and enhance the area around Valley Forge National Historical Park, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is working to reassign and repave a road that runs through the Park's entrance. And part of the project involves moving the current utilities under the current roadbed to the new roadbed.

Unfortunately, while the park can permit the movement of other utilities, like electric and broadband, they are barred by statute from permitting the movement of the segment of natural gas pipeline also under the current roadbed. Without Federal intervention, the project could be further delayed, costing the American people time and resources.

That is why this bill is in front of you today. It will allow the Secretary of the Interior to permit the movement of a small piece of approximately 2,400 feet or a half a mile of natural gas pipeline to a new roadbed. Importantly, the bill does not allow for expansion, upgrades, or improvements to the pipeline. It is simply allowing the movement to better facilitate the current construction.

In addition to the straightforward benefits of moving the pipeline segment to ensure it remains with all the other utilities, the move will also allow for the creation of a trail connection. This will better allow people to reach and enjoy this historic park, America's park, further developing the area as a landmark of our past and a place of recreation and community today.

This bipartisan bill, which I introduced with Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, and Senators Casey and Toomey introducing the same companion bill on the Senate side, it is a straightforward fix to a technical but important issue facing Valley Forge National Historical Park.

Simply, it is commonsense legislation.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their support of this bill and for moving it swiftly through the Natural Resources Committee and to the House floor.

I also thank my fellow Congress Members from the delegation: Houlahan, Fitzpatrick, Senators Casey and Toomey for being strong allies and supporters and co-leads for America's park.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a devoted community leader and friend, Margaret ``Peggy'' Palmer, who passed away on October 27.

A native of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, Peggy gave her time, her energy, and her love to our community in Montgomery County.

She was guided by her strong faith and was a committed member of the First Baptist Church of Crestmont. She was also a guiding light for civic engagement, serving as a committee person with the ARDC. Peggy was a relentless volunteer for Democratic candidates that began when she volunteered with her beloved mother, Lillian, for President Obama's 2008 campaign. She also worked as court crier and served as a member of the Willow Grove NAACP.

No matter the role, Peggy worked harder than anyone, always with her signature kindness, humility, Jolly Ranchers, and red lipstick. She greeted everyone the same, with a hug and a kiss and ``hey, baby.''

She was loved by her family. Until the day she died, Peggy cared for her whole family, especially her dear brother, Johnny.

I join Johnny and the rest of our community in mourning her passing. Her legacy lives on in the lives of the people she inspired, including me.

Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, as they were leaving football practice at Roxborough High School in Philadelphia, five teenage boys were shot. Four survived the horrific shooting, but 14-year-old Nicolas Elizalde was killed. God bless him.

Earlier that day, I stood with Representative Scanlon, the Giffords organization, and the community to advocate for gun violence prevention. One of the advocates in our audience was a grandmother like me. Only hours later, it was her grandson, Nicolas, who was gunned down leaving football practice.

I cannot imagine her pain. Nicolas is the 23rd child to be shot and murdered in Philadelphia this year.

There is a frightening trend of far too many illicit guns ending up in the hands of teenagers. This must end.

We need serious solutions, not finger-pointing, to address inner-city gun violence. We cannot simply out-police loose gun laws that contribute to teenagers getting their hands on guns and murdering one another.

So, while this may be the final day of our session, I will not stop working on this issue. I will be sending a letter to ATF requesting an increased focus on ending the pipeline of guns to our children's hands.

Madam Speaker, last week, nearly 50 migrants who sought asylum and refuge in America were met with grossly un-American actions.

Governor DeSantis deceived them and shipped them across the Nation, like chattel, to Martha's Vineyard all in search of hollow political points.

Not only was this a failed political stunt, it was a failure of common humanity--of common decency.

To think of what men, women, children--a 1-month-old--endured to seek asylum in our great Nation. To think of the bravery and the agony to leave your home, your family, your country in search of a better way of life--fleeing communism, political and economic instability in Venezuela.

Madam Speaker, Members come to this floor to give 1-minute speeches every session, and I hear Republican speeches and I see the signs, the stunts--Biden's border crisis.

No. This is America's problem, our problem. And a ``wall'' or these recent, cruel stunts by shameful Governors auditioning to be the next Trump offer no solutions, no hope.

Instead, it will take courage--courage by Republicans in both Chambers to come back to the table and work with Democrats to fix our long-broken immigration system. That is the American way.

Madam Speaker, as the summer session comes to a close, and I return home to meet with folks from Cheltenham to Collegeville, Pottstown to Boyertown, and everywhere in between, I am reflecting on what work we have accomplished, work like my fire detectors bill that will prevent tragedies, like the horrific fire we saw in Philadelphia that claimed 12 lives, protecting people in public housing; or my SECURE Notarization Act that will make it easier and faster to notarize documents for families and military personnel abroad.

Democrats are putting people over politics. We passed major protections for abortion, contraception, gay marriage, bills to prevent price gouging and fight inflation, and the CHIPS and Science Act to revitalize American manufacturing.

Next is our reconciliation bill that will deliver the largest investment in American history to tackle climate change, healthcare, drug pricing, and so much more.

Recognizing the humanity of our work, we are putting people over power. We are putting people over politics.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I have four grandchildren. The youngest, Scottie, was born just last year, in 2021. In Scottie's world, guns kill more kids than cars do.

In Scottie's world there are 692 mass shootings every year, and when she goes off to school, Scottie will learn her active shooter drills as she learns to tie her shoes. We don't have to live like this if we all only had the courage to pass the assault weapons ban to regulate semiautomatic guns. Our gun violence crisis demands this and other solutions. This will save lives.

Experts reveal that the casualties of mass shootings would have dropped by 70 percent if the last assault weapons ban had stayed in place.

How will I explain to Scottie that the other side boasts of 24 million assault-style weapons in the hands of Americans and says not one word about the 24,000 people dead in just 7 months of this year from guns?

We must act. Join me. Have the courage to join me. Pass the assault weapons ban for Scottie's future and for all of our children.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Pallone for his work and that of his committee. I thank Representative Carter, and I especially thank Representative Armstrong for working alongside me on the SECURE Notarization Act, H.R. 3962.

The SECURE Notarization Act will authorize nationwide use of remote online notarization, also known as RON, and would include key consumer protections, including multifactor authentication of the signer and the use of tamper-evident technology. The bill would also ensure the certainty of interstate recognition of RON.

Importantly, this bill sets a floor for the use of remote online notarization, and States will be able to regulate further protections as they decide.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us so much about the necessity and the benefits of new technologies used to streamline services for consumers across industries. Remote online notarization has been and should continue to be a time-saving, convenient, and safe way for consumers to execute important documents.

Notarizations are used extensively in real estate transactions and in other key areas, including affidavits, powers of attorney, living wills, advance directives, and more.

Remote online notarizations allow the consumer, notary, and other parties to a transaction to be in different locations using two-way audio-visual communication to securely notarize documents. This process provides assured consumer access to notarization and affords customers options and flexible scheduling.

This is key: Remote online notarization allows flexibility for people who are chronically ill or immobile, for parents who can't get away from work or are taking care of their children, for servicemembers abroad seeking to buy a home or correct wills.

I know well the impact this bill could have for notary publics across the country. When I served as a State representative in Pennsylvania, most members of our team were notaries, and our office served as a notary hub for the local community. I know many people struggled making appointments, often because of a lack of transportation or because they were ill and physically unable to move. Remote online notarization would have allowed us to streamline our performance and better serve our community.

This legislation will help streamline notary processes into the digital and electronic consumer-facing ecosystem, ensuring as people become more reliant on digital spaces, platforms, and services, they still have access to services as important as our notary system.

This bill is supported by more than 120 of our colleagues. It passed out of the Energy and Commerce Committee by 56-0. It is supported by a coalition of 20 industry partners. Simply stated, it is commonsense and convenient legislation that is completely secure.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member McMorris Rodgers, as well as Representative Carter, for their support of this bill, moving it swiftly through the Energy and Commerce Committee to the House floor. I also thank Congressmen Perlmutter and Reschenthaler for being strong allies and supporters of this bill as we work to forge a path.

Finally, I thank the co-lead of this legislation, Congressman Kelly Armstrong. I see Mr. Armstrong here. I am delighted to have worked with him. I thank him for all of his work and the work of his staff in helping us make this strong piece of bipartisan legislation. We took this bill on the road and gathered a tremendous amount of support and had fun along the way.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Waters and Representative Wagner for their support for this important legislation.

I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 7981, the Public and Federally Assisted Housing Fire Safety Act.

This bipartisan legislation, which passed by a unanimous voice vote out of the Financial Services Committee last month, would help protect the more than 10 million Americans who live in public or federally assisted housing, to protect them from the risk of fire, by requiring the installation of hardwired or tamper-resistant smoke alarms in federally assisted housing.

My colleagues from Southeastern Pennsylvania, Representatives Dwight Evans, Brendan Boyle, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Mary Gay Scanlon, have joined me in introducing this important legislation, as our community was devastated earlier this year by the horrific blaze that occurred in a public housing unit.

As has been detailed, in the early morning hours of January 5 of this year, a fire broke out in a Philadelphia row house owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority and converted into apartments, killing three sisters and nine of their children.

My heart breaks for this beautiful family. They were loving mothers, aspiring students, babies, some only 2 and 3 years old. I want to take a moment to remember them by simply saying their names.

The eldest sister, Rosalee ``Rose'' McDonald, 33, was a loving mother to six children, all of whom perished in the fire. Her children: Quintien Tate-McDonald, 16; Destiny McDonald, 15; Dekwan ``Day-Day'' Robinson, 8; J'Kwan ``Jay-Jay'' Robinson, 5; Taniesha Robinson, 3; and Tiffany Robinson, 2.

The middle sister, Virginia ``Jenny'' Thomas, 30, was a loving mother to four children, three of whom perished in the fire. Her children: Natasha Wayne, 7; Shaniece Wayne, 10; and Janiyah Roberts, 3.

And finally, Quinsha White, 18 years old, the younger sister to Rosalee and Virginia. She was still just a senior in high school when she died.

Heartbreakingly, as the facts around this fire emerged, it became clear that these tragic deaths might have been possibly prevented with proper safeguards.

Of the seven smoke alarms in the converted row home, all of which were the kind that requires frequent battery replacement, four were in drawers, one was on the floor without batteries, one was in the ceiling without batteries, and a final alarm, working, was located in the basement.

This situation, sadly, is not unique. According to 2015 HUD data on the top 25 deficiencies in public housing, missing or inoperable smoke detectors was the 15th prevalent deficiency, with 7,700 deficiencies cited.

In 2020, an ABC News investigation found that ``more than 1 million people in the U.S. are living in federally funded housing complexes that inspectors found had fallen short on working smoke detectors.''

It is clear to me that the status quo is not keeping families safe. My legislation is desperately needed to raise the bar, to ensure that the 10 million Americans who live in public and federally assisted housing have the basic, lifesaving benefit of working, reliable smoke alarms.

This bill would also authorize $2 million for HUD to run a national education campaign on health and safety requirements in public housing, including how to properly use fire safety features like smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and self-closing doors.

I am pleased to have the support of key stakeholders, including the International Code Council, who provided guidance in drafting this bill, the National Fire Protection Association, National Association of State Fire Marshals, the International Association of Fire Fighters.

Also, I thank my colleagues from Pennsylvania, including Senator Casey, who has introduced the identical legislation in the Senate.

Finally, I thank Chairwoman Waters, and her staff, for their guidance and support in crafting this legislation.

I thank the whole Financial Services Committee for supporting this bill in our markup. I implore my colleagues to join me in supporting this important bill.

Madam Speaker, it has been nearly a month since the Supreme Court inexplicably overturned a woman's 50-year right to her private reproductive healthcare decisions--abortion care.

In this month, we have heard many on the other side spread frightening disinformation like Democrats want abortion on demand. No, Democrats want freedom and choice for women to make their own reproductive decisions.

Meanwhile, they ignore or don't care about the fact that women are scared, terrified that they may lose access to very personal reproductive healthcare medications and procedures.

So, it is necessary that we pass the Right to Contraception Act, which will guarantee the right to get and use birth control, whether it is birth control pills, IUDs, or emergency contraceptives.

It is maddening that we even have to vote on this, that a woman's right to birth control could even be in question, that a privacy right is even up for political debate. But in this brave new world, this is where we are.

I support this legislation to protect the rights of our daughters and granddaughters, nieces and friends, women and girls everywhere.