Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I congratulate and thank the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on the opening of their second inpatient hospital, in my district, in King of Prussia.

CHOP's Middleman Family Pavilion will dedicate more than 250,000 square feet of space solely to children. In our continued fight with COVID-19, we need more facilities like this one that families from all over our region can access.

As the first pediatric emergency room in Montgomery County, CHOP will ensure that more children in Pennsylvania will have timely, nationally acclaimed care.

The Middleman Family Pavilion will also create many jobs for the Montgomery County community, bringing needed jobs to communities like Norristown, Bridgeport, and Conshohocken.

Now more than ever, with CHOP, it is all about children. That is the same for me. We need healthcare facilities that meet the demands of today, that treat our children with expert care and our families with compassion. Congratulations to CHOP.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 1192) to impose requirements on the payment of compensation to professional persons employed in voluntary cases commenced under title III of the Puerto Rico Oversight Management and Economic Stability Act (commonly known as ``PROMESA'').

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 1192, the Puerto Rico Recovery Accuracy in Disclosures Act of 2021, or PRRADA, is commonsense legislation that would promote greater transparency and integrity with respect to the ongoing financial reorganization of Puerto Rico. This will be the third time in just over 2 years that the House will vote on this legislation, but, Mr. Speaker, I think the third time will be the charm.

In response to dire fiscal issues facing Puerto Rico at the time, Congress passed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, or PROMESA, in 2016.

That legislation established the Financial Oversight and Management Board with control over Puerto Rico's budget, laws, financial plans, and regulations, and the authority to retain professionals to assist the Board in executing its responsibilities.

Although largely patterned on Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, PROMESA did not incorporate all facets of Chapter 11 and other relevant provisions of the code.

Importantly, this includes the code's mandatory disclosure requirements regarding actual or potential conflicts of interest that professional persons seeking to be retained in a bankruptcy case must make to the court prior to their retention.

This bill would close that loophole by conditioning the compensation of professional persons retained under PROMESA under certain disclosures similar to those required under the Bankruptcy Code.

Additionally, the bill would require the United States Trustee to review these disclosures and to submit comments in response to the court, and it also authorizes the United States Trustee to object to compensation requested by professionals.

And finally, H.R. 1192 would allow courts to deny compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses if the professional person did not comply with the disclosure requirement, was not a disinterested person, or represented or held an interest adverse to the bankruptcy estate. Common sense.

The House passed H.R. 1192 last February, and the Senate passed an amended version of the Act last December. The Senate amendments streamlined PRRADA's reporting requirements, strengthened the incentives for good faith compliance, and clarify other provisions of the Act.

Now, Puerto Rico's restructuring is drawing to a close, which makes passage of this legislation especially urgent.

I thank Representative Velazquez for her leadership in championing this bill and for her relentless dedication to ensuring that the people of Puerto Rico receive the fair, efficient, and transparent restructuring process they deserve.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, which was passed out of the House last year and the year before by unanimous votes, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, H.R. 1192 closes a loophole under current law by establishing disclosure requirements regarding actual or potential conflicts of interest in the bankruptcy process under PROMESA. In doing so, this legislation promotes transparency and accountability in the Puerto Rico restructuring process.

I thank my colleague, Representative Velazquez from New York, the author of the bill, for her leadership on this issue, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this commonsense measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1404) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 23d Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133d Signal Service Company, popularly known as the ``Ghost Army'', in recognition of their unique and highly distinguished service in conducting deception operations in Europe during World War II.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 1404, the Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts, Senator Markey, and the gentlewoman from New Hampshire, Congresswoman Kuster, for their work on this bill which honors the resourcefulness, imagination, and artistry of the men of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Company in conducting deception operations in Europe during World War II.

This 1,100-man unit, known collectively as the Ghost Army, was made up of individuals recruited from creative fields, including art schools, theater and communications companies, and advertising agencies. Their mission was to draw upon their creative and artistic talents to lure the German Army away from the Allied combat units through a series of tactical deception operations meant to confuse, deceive, and mislead.

Following the D-Day landing in France, the Ghost Army undertook a traveling road show utilizing fake radio transmissions, inflatable tanks, and theatrical sound and atmospheric effects to misdirect German units away from actual Allied unit locations and toward larger imaginary ones.

The artists, architects, and engineers of the Ghost Army were so effective that a later Army analysis of their performance found that ``rarely, if ever, has there been a group of such few men which had so great an influence on the outcome of a major military campaign.''

Yet, despite the overwhelming success of the citizen soldiers of the Ghost Army, their contributions remained classified for over 40 years, and their bravery and ingenuity was never formally recognized.

This bill honors their unique contributions to the war effort by directing the Mint to strike a gold medal in honor of the Ghost Army. The gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be available for display and serve as recognition of the incredible service of the men of the Ghost Army during World War II.

I thank Mr. Markey and Ms. Kuster for their work on this bill, and I urge Members to vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Kuster).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

On a personal note, I would like to recognize First Lieutenant Bernard Mason, mentioned in the text of this bill, for his leadership in leading the 16-man detachment of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops during the invasion of Normandy. Lieutenant Mason was a constituent of mine before his passing, and his wife and children still live in my district. I want to thank them for Lieutenant Mason's life and service. Today we are finally honoring his service and those of his brothers-in-arms in perpetuity.

The stories of the creativity and innovation displayed by the members of the Ghost Army during World War II read like something straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster script. The only thing missing is a Hollywood ending where the brave members of the Ghost Army are finally recognized for their lifesaving contributions to defeating the Axis Powers during World War II. This bill ensures official recognition for this heroic group of citizen soldiers and their unique contributions to the war effort.

I thank Mr. Markey and Ms. Kuster, the lead sponsor of the House version of this bill, for ensuring that the stories of these men of the Ghost Army receive the recognition they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 452) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Willie O'Ree, in recognition of his extraordinary contributions and commitment to hockey, inclusion, and recreational opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 452, the Willie O'Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act.

I thank Michigan Senator Stabenow and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley) for their work on this bill which honors Willie O'Ree, a trailblazer for diversity and inclusion in sports and the first Black player in the National Hockey League.

Born in 1935 in the predominantly White town of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, O'Ree made a name for himself as a standout athlete in both ice hockey and baseball. At age 21, he was being scouted by professional baseball teams in the United States. However, upon experiencing racial discrimination and the effects of segregation firsthand while in the south for minor league tryouts, he shifted his focus solely to ice hockey.

In 1958, at the age of 22, O'Ree was called up to play professionally as a winger for the NHL Boston Bruins. In doing so, he became the first Black professional ice hockey player in the league. Despite being blind in one eye from an injury during his time as an amateur hockey player and enduring racist attacks from hockey fans and players alike, O'Ree persevered and continued to play professional hockey for 22 years.

In 1996, the National Hockey League hired O'Ree as its first-ever diversity ambassador, which set out to transform the predominantly White sport of ice hockey by providing greater access and opportunity for children of all races, ethnicities, and origins.

O'Ree has personally devoted thousands of hours to Hockey is for Everyone programs which provide community outreach and support for youth participants to partake in physical fitness and live out hockey's core values of commitment, discipline, and respect for your teammates, coaches, and parents.

In 2018, 60 years after O'Ree first broke the color barrier for ice hockey, he was inducted into the NHL Hockey Hall of Fame in recognition of his longstanding support for greater access and diversity in the sport.

This bill honors O'Ree's trailblazing legacy both on and off the ice. I thank Ms. Stabenow and Mr. Quigley for their work on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge members to vote ``yes'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Pressley).

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Massachusetts an additional 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Higgins).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Willie O'Ree is often referred to as the ``Jackie Robinson of ice hockey'' for helping to end racial segregation in the National Hockey League. Mr. O'Ree's positive impact on the sport of ice hockey goes far beyond his role in ending racial segregation in the sport.

This bill honors O'Ree for both his barrier-breaking role and his decades of championing diversity and greater youth access to the sport. I thank Ms. Stabenow and Mr. Quigley, the lead sponsor of the House version of the bill, and our other colleagues who worked so hard on this bill for ensuring that Mr. O'Ree and his trailblazing legacy of sportsmanship and inclusion receive the recognition he so richly deserves.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, last week a fire in Philadelphia killed 12 people, including 8 children. While our city mourned, just days later, a fire in New York killed 17, including 8 children.

These two events have at least three things in common: a high loss of life, an extraordinary number of children killed, all in public housing overcrowded with families who cannot afford to move.

Too many families are in this position because of our Nation's housing crisis. We say we need affordable housing, so let me speak plainly. We need more housing, affordable public and private housing, that families with low income can actually afford.

In the Philadelphia area, there are tens of thousands of people on waiting lists that are nearly a decade closed or years long.

We in Congress have a role to play. In the Build Back Better Act is $150 billion to repair and restore existing housing and to build more public and affordable private housing. That will be a powerful start.

As the Senate stalls, more families are in danger. It is time this House, and their house, helps others find theirs.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, speaking of running roughshod, no President-- Republican or Democrat--is above the law, but some have tried to be. The previous President and his sad followers ignored subpoenas, punished whistleblowers, and invited foreign interference in our elections. Congress--Republicans and Democrats--must act to protect our democracy from any future reckless Presidents, which is why the Protecting Our Democracy Act is crucial. This bill will strengthen our institutions against future Presidents who seek to abuse their power.

January 6 showed us that Presidential abuse can find its way to a joint session of Congress in a deadly way--140 police officers injured; several police officers dead; desecration; trauma. That is why the work of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol is so critical. Their subpoenas cannot be ignored.

My Congressional Subpoena Compliance and Enforcement Act, which is included in this bill, will standardize and streamline the process so that no one can ignore a subpoena with impunity.

The previous President's abuses reveal the dangerous fault line.

Madam Speaker, another week, another week of gun deaths.

No matter where you live--Oxford, Michigan; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; or, most recently, in my district, Pottstown--no matter where you are--a school, a place of worship, or your parked car--gun violence hunts down far too many innocent Americans and, quite frankly, can find any one of us.

Our inaction on gun safety, ghost guns, and gun violence has created a tragic version of Groundhog Day. Too often we and our children wake up to another headline about senseless, needless gun violence; one slaughter bleeding into the next.

Last week, Oxford High School became the 30th school shooting in 2021, with four dead and seven injured. Thirty times this year alone.

These are not isolated incidents. They join a long history of our Nation's failure to have an honest discussion about guns and gun violence.

Lawmakers have the responsibility to legislate and to protect our children and our neighbors from gun violence.

When will we wake up to a new day?

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce H.R. 5677, which makes technical amendments to the United States Code to ensure clarity and accessibility of our laws.

As Members of Congress, we have a duty to oversee the revision and codification of our laws, making these types of bills incredibly important. My bill edits titles 2, 50, and 52 of the United States Code, the Americans with Disabilities Act, War and National Defense, and Voting and Elections, respectively.

Though it is important to introduce new laws in Congress, it is equally important to look back and ensure existing laws keep up with our times. That is why my bill will ensure there is uniformity in our code, making necessary technical updates to ensure accuracy.

The updated code must be maintained in a bipartisan manner. These discrete changes are important in maintaining order in these three important codes, for example, and order and justice in this country under the law, allowing for clearer and more accessible laws for all Americans.

This seemingly routine process is nothing less than urgent and essential. We are ensuring our laws are accurate and clear. It is required in the pursuit of justice.

I thank our committee for the work in maintaining our laws, and I especially thank the Office of the Law Revision Counsel for their work. I ask everyone to vote in favor of this bill.

Madam Speaker, 2 weeks ago, Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, and the entire Montgomery County community lost a distinguished educator and community leader, Lower Merion High School Principal Sean Hughes.

Coming from Harleysville, Principal Hughes dedicated himself to Montgomery County throughout his life, serving as a teacher and athletic director, and last serving as principal for 14 years.

As a teacher, Mr. Hughes taught with compassion, personality, and an open-door policy, shaping thousands of students' lives with his kindness and leadership. One student called him ``the light of the school.''

His trademark phrase was: ``Character counts.'' If the outpouring of love and support from the Lower Merion community, from students past and present, is any indication, Mr. Hughes' character was one to emulate.

His life was taken too soon. May his memory and light continue in the hearts and minds of his students, peers, and family.

Though it is profoundly difficult, I pray for his family, especially his wife, Kristi, and their children, Jack, Nolan, and Kate, and the Lower Merion High School to find solace in the thousands of lives he has touched.

Rest in peace, Principal Hughes. Your character has counted and will continue to. May your memory be a blessing.

Madam Speaker, I am so excited about this bill that I have gone hoarse talking about it, so I apologize for my gravelly voice, but it is not from any lack of enthusiasm for the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which is really a jobs bill.

I want to just commend my colleagues from Pennsylvania and from around the country, as we fought for this bill, as we fought for this infrastructure investment, and as we voted on it, and then yesterday had the historic day of watching our President sign it into law.

Madam Speaker, it was 10 years ago that I first ran for public office. I ran for township commissioner, and what I

said then was that I wanted to build a more buildable, walkable, commutable, bikeable infrastructure for my older-ring suburb of Philadelphia.

Little did I know that I would then go on to serve as State representative for 6\1/2\ years. My proudest vote as a State representative was Act 89 of 2013, a bipartisan, multiyear investment in our infrastructure. My proudest vote.

And look at us today. We now have the chance to make this much-needed investment in Pennsylvania and across the country in every district where dollars will be flowing to modernize our infrastructure, to make it greener.

Here are just some of the estimates for what will be coming to Pennsylvania:

$11.3 billion to upgrade roads and highways. We know that in my older-ring suburb our highways, our roads are in grave need of upgrading for safety and other purposes;

$2.8 billion for public transportation. Again, in my suburbs, we rely upon public transportation, and we want it to be more reliable so that more people will be using it with ease to protect our climate and our streets;

$1.4 billion in safe drinking water. Again, incredibly important across this country, whether from lead pipes, or from, as in my district and many others, the contamination of PFAS;

$244 million investment in weatherization to our homes;

$1.6 billion toward improving bridges. Pennsylvania sadly has a historic number of bridges in need of reconstruction or replacement;

$100 million to expand broadband access; and

$355 million to modernize airport infrastructure.

There is so much we will be able to do with this bipartisan investment in our infrastructure.

Know also that it is about growing jobs, good jobs, jobs of the future, and it is also anti-inflationary, which is something I know all of my constituents care about.

I will end maybe on my grandchildren. I am so excited, and I will be telling them for years about the chance to work on the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the chance to vote for it, and the chance to stand alongside the President as he signed this 50-, 60-year investment in their futures. I hope they will be as proud as I am of the President and all of us for getting it done.

Certainly.

I certainly don't know what is in their heart or what is in their vote. But I will say that these were infrastructure investments that these very same Representatives fought for under the previous administration. They enthusiastically embraced week, after week, after week, after week as Infrastructure Week.

I hope this is not the case, but sadly it seems as though the investments in their communities came down to a political choice because, as you have heard some people say--and they complain about this, but it is only testimony to the power of this bill--that this will actually perhaps give Democrats a win.

We didn't do it for a win. We did it for a win for the American people, for our infrastructure, and for our future, but there is some awareness on the other side of the aisle that this is politically damaging to them. Sad to say.

I do believe that it will be interesting to be at all the ribbon cuttings, and I hope in a bipartisan way all Members are at the ribbon cuttings because of the difference this will make, and it will be up to them to decide why they did vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, our negotiations have been long, but today we are closer than ever to passing Build Back Better. We have heard enough about the process. Let's talk about the impact, the transformative investments we are making in our children, our seniors, and our planet.

And let me say this loudly and clearly: It is paid for; paid for with the taxes ensuring that corporations and the mega-rich pay their fair share, and IRS investments closing the multi-trillion dollar tax gap.

Paid-for, historic investments in our future: In Pennsylvania alone, more than 200,000 children will have access to high-quality pre-K, and more than 730,000 children will gain access to childcare.

Childcare and extended child tax credits will ease the financial burdens that our parents face. They are not the only ones, 122,000 uninsured Pennsylvanians will have healthcare. Bold climate action will help our districts that have seen an increase in climate disasters.

My Commonwealth is ready for both Build Back Better and the bipartisan infrastructure bill. The process will be forgotten, the investments will not.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Domestic violence diminishes us all, and we all have a role to play to prevent abuse, save lives, and protect victims, which is why I stand in strong support of my colleague and friend Congresswoman McBath's Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act.

This thoughtful legislation will expand funding for lifesaving services, such as emergency shelter, a crisis hotline, counseling, and legal assistance. It is focused on protecting survivors and preventing domestic violence.

The need for safe spaces is in desperate demand. This need has only increased with the pandemic. Abusers are now leveraging circumstances to exert new power and control tactics, like withholding information about COVID-19 and preventing access to medical care.

Our work must match this uniquely challenging time, and I believe this legislation does just that.

Recently, I visited Laurel House, a domestic violence nonprofit organization in my district, and I think of how this bill would support their mission.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative McBath. This legislation will save lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and the underlying resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I want to start by saying that this is not just about Mr. Bannon. This is about our rule of law, our democracy, and protecting it for future generations.

On January 6, a mob, incited by the lies of a political leader, descended on the Capitol. Nooses, vandalism, death threats to elected officials, Americans remember the violence that took place here.

Beltway chatter often focuses on the winners and losers of that day. But on that day, we all lost. Americans lost their lives, and we nearly lost our democracy. That is why we created a bipartisan January 6 commission. We know that unless we do our jobs, the ultimate losers will be future generations who will wonder what happened to our Nation.

The commission's work is serious and has no time for the games of Mr. Bannon or anyone else who would disregard the rule of law. Our Constitution and our courts have made it clear that Congress has the power to investigate. This power is vital to the protection of our democracy, and it must be respected.

I think a lot about our late, dear colleague, Elijah Cummings, and his words still sit with me. He said that when we are dancing with the angels, the question will be asked: What did we do to ensure we kept our democracy intact?

I stand before you, Mr. Speaker, with that quote on my heart, thinking of my own four grandchildren and when they learn of January 6, they will see a time when America descended into violence, destruction, and desecration; when Americans attacked Americans and threatened our democracy.

And what did I do?

What did we all do to protect our democracy?

So I lend my voice to hold Mr. Bannon in contempt and support the bipartisan select committee for their work in keeping our democracy and our future intact.

Madam Speaker, our sacred right to vote is in jeopardy. Led by the divisive voice of a twice-impeached, failed, former President, 17 States across this Nation have enacted 28 laws to make it harder for Americans to vote.

Tomorrow, the Senate has the opportunity to pass the Freedom to Vote Act. The pandemic has shown us we can adapt and modernize our elections to reflect the 21st century and our electorate through same-day registration, making election day a national holiday, transparency on dark money, and more.

Legislators must be the voice of the people and give voice to the people, and our voices are strongest at the ballot box. That is why we must do all we can to ensure equal access for all Americans.

I urge the Senators to vote ``yes'' on the Freedom to Vote Act. Our Republic can't afford anything less.

We are voted for by the people and for the people, and we must protect the right to vote for the people.

Madam Speaker, just 4 months ago, I rose to remember a Montgomery County favorite, Denise Burstein, and today, with a heavy heart, I remember her husband, my friend and community leader, Frank Burstein.

Frank passed away last Saturday. Montgomery County will not be the same without his enthusiasm, his service, and his generosity.

Frank embodied service. As a young man, he proudly served in the Army Medical Unit, and even in his career as an executive, he was a local political leader and advocate for foster children.

Frank was known for his hospitality, a wonderful chef who regularly welcomed the community to his famous brunches. People would come from miles around for his signature lemon blueberry French toast, which he taught me to make.

Frank and Denise's welcoming way was felt in enthusiasm and smiles. They were two halves of the same smile.

My prayers are with his sons, Martin and Marshall, his daughter-in- law, Annie, his beloved grandson, Isaiah, and his entire family. May you and may we find comfort in knowing that Frank and Denise are together again. May their memory be a blessing.