Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, Janus v. AFSCME comes down to a binary choice: will the U.S. stand up for the fundamental right of workers to form a union and collectively bargain; or will the Supreme Court allow large corporations to continue their assault on hard-working Americans.

Unions are a vital part of our nation. Decades ago, Congress protected the right of workers to join together and bargain for better wages, regular work hours and improved safety conditions, giving workers a voice when negotiating with large corporations.

Despite their role in creating and maintaining America's working middle class, unions are under relentless attack.

It is no coincidence that a dramatic rise in income inequality coincides with a nation-wide campaign against unionization.

American workers have become more productive, yet wages have stagnated. Their hard work has created billions of dollars in profits, all while working longer hours for less pay and fewer benefits.

Endless attacks have been launched against workers' overtime pay, retirement savings, and health care.

The tax code was just tilted even more toward the wealthiest individuals and corporations.

Corporate profits were at all-time highs before the tax cut.

Unions ensure workers can fight for their fair share of the profits they help create.

On average, unionized workers earn $207 more per week than non- unionized workers. Unionized workers have greater access to paid holidays, paid sick leave, life insurance, medical, and retirement benefits.

Unionized workforces lead to less turnover for employers and more highly skilled workers. Children of union members are more likely to climb the ladder to the middle class. States with higher union density have better workplace laws.

The foundation of U.S. labor law has held firm for nearly 70 years. American standards are what we strive to hold other countries to when negotiating trade deals, yet these standards are constantly under attack.

The Supreme Court will soon hear oral arguments in Janus v. AFSCME, a case that could fundamentally end collective bargaining.

The question of ``fair share'' was settled by the Supreme Court years ago. Unions are required by law to represent and negotiate on behalf of all public sector employees, regardless of whether or not a worker decides to formally join the union.

Fair share fees support that requirement and ensure no worker is required to join the union and no one is forced to pay any fees that go toward politics or candidates they disagree agree with. But all employees benefit from union negotiations. It is only fair that all employees contribute.

This is already the law. Janus is just another in a long line of attacks on unions and workers.

Since Republicans took control of the House in 2011, they have convened more than 30 hearings and markups to undermine workers' rights in the Education and the Workforce Committee alone.

Rather than attacking workers' rights, we should focus on raising wages and improving working conditions for all Americans. We should work to ensure paid family, sick and medical leave, improve access to child care, and ensure access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

It's time for my colleagues to turn their words into actions. It's time to support unions and the American worker. The real middle class.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize Dr. Toby Cosgrove, an innovative leader and the recently retired president and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic Hospital System. I am fortunate to know Dr. Cosgrove personally, and I am privileged to call him a friend.

Some say a picture is worth 1,000 words. That was certainly true of Toby Cosgrove. Toby was an accomplished sailor as a young man. That was his path until he saw a photo of his neighbor in an operating room. That photo inspired Dr. Cosgrove to become a surgeon.

He graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts and earned his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

After medical school, Dr. Cosgrove served our Nation in Vietnam as a captain in the U.S. Air Force. He was awarded a Bronze Star and the Republic of Vietnam Commendation Medal for his service during the war.

Dr. Cosgrove joined the Cleveland Clinic staff in 1976. Dr. Cosgrove was a world-renowned heart surgeon for more than 30 years. He performed more than 22,000 operations and pioneered the first minimally invasive heart valve surgery. Throughout his remarkable career, he acquired 31 registered patents.

Dr. Cosgrove took the helm of the Cleveland Clinic in 2004 and made the health of the clinic employees a priority. Some of his wellness initiatives included implementing a smoking ban on all campuses, ensuring healthier food options in cafeterias, and opening weekly farmers' markets.

During his tenure, Dr. Cosgrove focused on enhancing patient outcomes and a better patient experience. Dr. Cosgrove is credited with instilling a vision and culture that has led to the Cleveland Clinic being described as ``a role model of healthcare delivery.''

He coined the phrase ``Patients First'' and made headlines by hiring America's first chief experience officer to ensure caregivers were meeting the medical, physical, and emotional needs of patients.

Dr. Cosgrove led the expansion of Cleveland Clinic's footprint to over 100 locations in northeast Ohio, including 10 regional hospitals and 21 family health centers.

Under his leadership, the Cleveland Clinic has become Ohio's largest employer. Total visits increased to 7.1 million and research funding grew to $260 million.

The Cleveland Clinic health system includes facilities in Florida, Nevada, Canada, Abu Dhabi, and a new London facility scheduled to open in 2020.

Dr. Cosgrove stepped down at the end of 2017. In tribute, the Cleveland Clinic community came together to raise over $50 million for the Cosgrove Transformation Campaign to honor his career and legacy.

The Cosgrove Transformation Campaign will ensure Cleveland Clinic remains a world leader in innovation, research, education, and improving the patient experience.

On behalf of the people of the 11th Congressional District of Ohio, I thank Dr. Cosgrove for his years of innovative leadership at Cleveland Clinic and his commitment to improving the health and wellness of those we serve.

Mr. Speaker, there is no question that Dr. Cosgrove's impact will continue to be felt for decades to come.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Scott for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3441, the Save Local Business Act, would fundamentally redefine the relationship between employers and employees.

Mr. Speaker, corporate profits and income inequality are at an all- time high, yet we are debating a bill that would strip workers of their right to hold employers accountable, allowing corporations to further stifle wage growth and undermine collective bargaining. This is yet another Republican attempt to make the rich richer and the working people poorer, just like their tax bill. What we should be fighting for is a living wage and employee rights.

My Republican colleagues say the law is ambiguous and we must act to save small businesses. The law is not ambiguous. They just don't like it because it holds businesses responsible and forces them to bargain with unions. This bill is an assault on workers.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the Economic Policy Institute outlining how H.R. 3441 will ensure small businesses are left with sole responsibility for business practices often dictated by large corporations; and, in addition, a letter from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters opposing this bill in support of workers protections.

Economic Policy Institute,

Washington, DC, October 3, 2017.

Hon. Virginia Foxx,

Chairwoman, Committee on Education & the Workforce, House of

Representatives.

Hon. Bobby C. Scott,

Ranking Member, Committee on Education & the Workforce, House

of Representatives.

Dear Chairwoman Foxx and Ranking Member Scott: On behalf of

the Economic Policy Institute Policy Center, we write to

express our strong opposition the H.R. 3441, the so-called

``Save Local Business Act,'' which would do nothing to

protect small business owners or their workers. The Economic

Policy Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank

founded in 1986, and our labor policy unit assesses actions

by Congress and federal agencies that impact workers and the

economy. We urge you to oppose this legislation.

The so-called ``Save Local Business Act'' (H.R. 3441) would

roll back the joint employer standards under both the

National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the Fair Labor

Standards Act (FLSA). It has nothing to do with protecting

small businesses. In fact, the bill would ensure that small

businesses are left with sole responsibility for business

practices often mandated by large corporations like

franchisors. It would establish a joint employer standard

that lets big corporations avoid liability for labor and

employment violations and leaves small businesses on the

hook.

Given the realities of the modern workplace, in which

employees often find themselves subject to more than one

employer, working people deserve a joint employer standard

that guarantees their rights and protections under basic

labor and employment laws. Instead, this bill would establish

a standard that makes it nearly impossible for workers whose

wages are stolen or who are fired for supporting a union to

get justice. By limiting employer responsibility to only

those firms who ``directly, actually, and immediately''

exercise significant control over the essential terms and

conditions of employment, the bill would enable large firms

that contract for services to evade responsibility under both

the NLRA and the FLSA.

When two or more businesses co-determine or share control

over a worker's pay, schedule, or job duties, then both of

those businesses should be considered employers. A weak joint

employer standard robs workers of their rights, making it

impossible for them to effectively collectively bargain or

litigate workplace disputes--and it leaves small businesses

holding the bag when the large corporations that control

their business practices and set their employees' schedules

violate labor law and refuse to come to the bargaining table.

If this committee wishes to support small businesses and the

workers they employ, then it should support a strong joint

employer standard rather than this legislation.

Since the NLRB narrowed its joint employer standard in

1984, contingent and alternative workforce arrangements--

including reliance on temporary staffing firms and

contractors to outsource services traditionally performed by

in-house workers--have grown dramatically. Recent estimates

find that 15.8 percent of workers were engaged in alternative

work arrangements in late 2015, or around 24 million workers

in today's labor market.

The NLRB's 2015 decision in Browning-Ferris Industries

addressed this issue, requiring all firms that control the

terms and conditions of employment to come to the bargaining

table, ensuring that workers are again able to engage in

their right to collective bargaining. Employers already face

only narrow liability under Browning-Ferris, and the Board

would examine the specific circumstances of each case before

making a determination. Nothing in the decision implies that

all employers in a specific industry will be found to be

joint employers under the NLRA.

Similarly, the Wage & Hour Division's Administrator's

Interpretation on the joint employer standard under the FLSA

did not create any new policy; rather, it simply sought to

make clear for employers their responsibilities under

existing court law and opinion, and to provide the exact kind

of clarity and guidance to employers and the regulated

community that proponents of the H.R. 3441 purport to seek.

And yet, earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Labor

rescinded that Administrator's Interpretation, hiding it from

view.

In spite of its title, H.R. 3441 does nothing to save local

businesses. Instead, it saves large corporations from any

responsibility for violations of the FLSA and NLRA. The

legislation leaves small businesses and their workers without

meaningful recourse. We urge you, your fellow Committee

members, and all Members of the House of Representatives to

oppose this bill.

Sincerely,

Celine McNicholas,

Labor Counsel, Economic Policy Institute Policy Center.

Heidi Shierholz,

Senior Economist and Director of Policy, Economic Policy

Institute Policy Center.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 3441. Let's get back to fighting for the people we were sent here to serve.

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

I rise today in support of H.R. 2921, the National Forest System Vegetation Management Pilot Program Act of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2921 is a bipartisan bill that would help protect electric transmission lines from forest fires and other potential forest management issues. The bill creates voluntary pilot project authority for the U.S. Forest Service to partner with the private sector to proactively undertake limited and selective vegetation management projects near utility infrastructure.

These pilot projects include, but are not limited to, things like tree thinning and fuel reduction, which would help to alleviate some of the risk of forest fires and enhance electric reliability.

H.R. 2921 requires that all projects comply with existing environmental laws.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise in support of H.R. 2941, the Kisatchie National Forest Land Conveyance Act.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2941 permits the sale of two isolated parcels of Kisatchie National Forest land, totaling approximately 50 acres. These parcels are isolated from the forest's core lands and are intermixed with private land and residences, leaving it incompatible with the National Forest management.

The proceeds from the sale of these parcels will be made available for the acquisition of lands and interest in the Kisatchie National Forest.

Under H.R. 2941, the Secretary of Agriculture is required to first convey a portion of the land to Collins Camp Properties. Collins Camp Properties must pay reasonable appraisal costs and costs of any required administrative and environmental analysis.

H.R. 2941 allows the Kisatchie National Forest to consolidate ownership of natural lands and continues the strong tradition of the National Forest Service acting as stewards for the environment.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3567.

H.R. 3567 will allow California's Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District to purchase at appraised value the parcel of property on which it is currently located, which is the former U.S. Salinity Laboratory.

The property is currently administered by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service and is being comanaged under a cooperative agreement. The cooperative agreement dates back to 1996. Since that time, the Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District has invested $2.8 million into the property with the understanding that NRCS would eventually transfer ownership.

The Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District provides natural resource conservation through education, collaboration, and technical assistance in southern California.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this measure.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise in support of H.R. 2521, the South Carolina Peanut Parity Act of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, the 2002 farm bill established the Peanut Standards Board to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on quality and handling standards for domestically produced and imported peanuts. The board consists of 18 members representing three regions: the Southeast, the Southwest, and the Virginia/North Carolina region.

Despite its status as the Nation's fourth largest peanut-producing State, South Carolina is not represented on the Peanut Standards Board.

H.R. 2521, or the South Carolina Peanut Parity Act of 2017, would correct this problem by adding South Carolina to the Virginia/North Carolina region and making peanut farmers and industry representatives from the State eligible for board appointments.

The legislation has the support of the entire South Carolina delegation as well as the support of South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina peanut growers.

In conclusion, H.R. 2521 gives South Carolinians a rightful opportunity to serve on the Peanut Standards Board.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend Rep. Veasey for hosting tonight's special order.

Let me begin by offering my condolences to the families of Sgt. La David Johnson and his fellow soldiers who lost their lives in Niger.

Those who give their lives in the service of this great nation and their families deserve our honor, respect and thanks. The White House's treatment of Sgt. Johnson's Gold Star widow is an embarrassment to our nation.

Furthermore, the White House's attacks on Congresswoman Frederica Wilson's character are baseless and shameful. I know Congresswoman Wilson as a woman of integrity who has proven her deep commitment to her constituents and community over the years.

Mr. Speaker, I stand today with my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus to share a concern about the leaked FBI's assessment creating a new class of threats and unjustly labeling ordinary Americans exercising their constitutional rights as extremists.

In the report, the FBI coins a new term--black identity extremists-- which can easily give the perception that African Americans speaking out against police brutality or anyone who identifies as black for that matter is a threat to law enforcement.

I can't help but wonder, what led the FBI to reach such a conclusion. Was it the Facebook ads purchased by Russian operatives targeting the Black Lives Matter movement?

This type of mischaracterization is dangerous and further erodes the trust between law enforcement officials and communities of color.

We have seen this before. The FBI has a long and troubling history of targeting African Americans in this country.

In the 1960s, the FBI's Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) was used to surveil and discredit civil rights activists fighting institutional racism, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and black members of Congress.

These activists were fighting for equality, access to the ballot box, educational opportunities, and decent housing. They no longer wanted to be treated as second-class citizens. Put simply, they were seeking an even playing field and equal treatment under the law as should be provided to every American.

Here we are sixty years later, and we continue to fight for the same rights.

We have seen it play out in the unrest that unfolded in communities like Ferguson, Baltimore, and Cleveland where those who are being paid to protect and serve are not held accountable for killing unarmed African American citizens.

This report makes clear that we have harkened back to the dark days of J. Edgar Hoover. COINTELPRO 2.0 undermines the progress we have made and continues the current Administration's disturbing trend of demonizing communities of color.

At some point, Members on both sides of the aisle must stand up and speak out against these efforts to mischaracterize actions of Americans fighting for a fairer and more just America.

We all have rights under the Constitution, and no American seeking equal treatment under the law should be unfairly labeled when exercising those rights.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong opposition to the Republican budget.

As Vice President Biden stated: ``Don't tell me what you value. Show me your budget and I will tell you what you value.''

The Republican's so-called Building a Better America budget shows us they do not value education, infrastructure, research and development, veterans' benefits, and other programs which expand opportunities for America's families.

This budget is immoral. It provides trillions of dollars in tax money to millionaires and wealthy corporations while shifting the burden onto the middle class. It cuts $5.4 trillion from programs that American families rely on; programs like SNAP, Pell grants, Social Security, and healthcare.

The budget ends the Medicare guarantee. It cuts Medicare alone by almost $500 billion over 10 years. A vote for this budget destroys American families in favor of a select few. This budget does not build a better America. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this budget.

Mr. Speaker, let me first begin by thanking my friend and colleague Rep. Bennie Thompson for leading today's effort in honoring the life and legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer. October 6th marks the 100th anniversary of her birth in Montgomery County, Mississippi.

An honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta, Fannie Lou Hamer dedicated her life to the fight for civil rights. Born in 1917, she was the daughter of sharecroppers and the youngest of 20 siblings. By the age of six, she was helping her family in the cotton fields.

Fannie Lou Hamer was a woman of courage. She used her voice to raise awareness about the plight of African Americans in the Mississippi Delta. She was a woman of strength who was able to channel the injustices committed against her into activism.

Working for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Hamer helped African Americans register to vote and worked to end segregation.

After attempting to register to vote herself in August 1962, Hamer lost her job and was kicked out of her home. The following year, she and fellow activists returning from a training workshop were unjustly jailed and severely beaten. While the beating left permanent damage, the officers were later acquitted by an all-white jury.

Hamer was also a trailblazing political activist. She helped to found the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and the National Women's Political Caucus. She almost derailed the re-election of President Lyndon Johnson and changed the Democratic Party's delegate selection process. In 1968, she would become the first African American to serve as an official delegate at a national-party convention since Reconstruction and the first woman ever from Mississippi.

Although unsuccessful in her bids for elected office, Hamer remained committed to voting rights and antipoverty efforts. She filed a lawsuit to push forward desegregation efforts in local schools, led the cotton pickers resistance movement and helped to bring a Head Start program to her community.

Fannie Lou Hamer's contributions to the American Civil Rights movement and our nation are undeniable. As then UN Ambassador Andrew Young eulogized at her funeral, ``None of us would be where we are now had she not been there then.'' His words still ring true 40 years later.

Mr. Speaker, what is a life worth? What does it cost to save the life of a sick child or a senior citizen?

For all of the rhetoric about freedom and choices, this bill sends a clear message to every American as to where Republican priorities lie. Tax breaks to the wealthy have been deemed more valuable than lifesaving care.

They are telling hardworking families that insurance that only benefits the wealthy, the healthy, and the young is more important than access to nursing homes, to pediatric care, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and the overall peace of mind that, if you get sick, you can afford care.

Speaker Ryan calls this ``an act of mercy.'' This is by no means merciful, Mr. Speaker. Mercy is caring for the sick, the poor, for our elders. Mercy is extending a hand to those in need. This is heartless.

Human decency demands a ``no'' vote on TrumpCare. Vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues, Representatives Beatty and Kaptur, to address the Secretary of Education.

Mr. Speaker, Betsy DeVos is an imminent and present danger to all of America's children. She does not support public schools. Public schools are where 93 percent or better of all America's children attend. She opposes increased accountability and transparency in for-profit schools, and has a privatization agenda that can set public education back more than 50 years. Even more alarming, she breaks laws and does not pay her bills. DeVos has owed my home State of Ohio $5.3 million since 2008 for violating campaign finance laws. Despite repeated attempts to collect the money, she has failed to pay those fines.

As ranking member of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, I am deeply concerned about DeVos' nomination for Secretary of Education. As a member of the Ohio delegation, I am appalled by her deliberate refusal to pay millions in fines she owes our State. We cannot give the purse strings of America's education system to someone only concerned with her own bank account. And we cannot entrust the future of our children to a person who breaks the law, cozies up to Wall Street, and calls public schools, which I believe are the bedrock of our education system, a dead end.

I urge my Senate colleagues to vote ``no'' on DeVos. The future of our country and our children are at stake.

Mr. Speaker, this must be Groundhog Day because this House continues to revisit over and over again a woman's right to make decisions about her own health.

Roe v. Wade has long established a woman's constitutional right to have an abortion prior to a fetus' viability, yet Republicans continue to introduce legislation like H.R. 36 to ban abortions beginning at 20 weeks, with very limited exceptions.

In Congress and in several States, politicians are interfering in complicated private medical decisions that should be left to a woman, her family, and her doctor. That is why I am proud to cointroduce the Women's Health Protection Act, a bill making it unlawful for States to pass restrictive legislation that will endanger women's health and safety. Women's reproductive rights must be respected.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate The Ohio State University Buckeyes, the undisputed 2015 NCAA Football National Champions. In the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship Game on January 12, 2015, the Buckeyes, led by Coach Urban Meyer, beat the Oregon Ducks with a final score of 42-20.

In the state of Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. This year's Buckeye football team worked hard the entire season in the face of adversity. After the pre-season loss of starting quarterback Braxton Miller, many critics predicted the season would be doomed. Following a 35-21 defeat in the second game of the season to the Virginia Tech Hokies, many questioned whether the Buckeyes could win the Big-10 Championship. When J.T. Barrett broke his ankle in the final regular season game against the University of Michigan, some wondered if the Buckeyes even deserved to be considered for the playoffs despite a 11-1 record.

This year's team defied all odds, silenced the critics, and finished the season as national champions. In their final 3 games of the season the Buckeyes, led by quarterback Cardale Jones, a constituent of my Congressional District, won the Big 10 Championship against the Wisconsin Badgers, defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl to advance to the National Championship Game, and capped off the tremendous season with a win over the Oregon Ducks.

As a proud alum of The Ohio State University, I commend these student athletes for their hard work and dedication both on and off the football field. O-H-I-O!

Mr. Speaker, let me just thank my colleagues. Certainly, it has been a high honor to serve as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and I will express that later on today at our meeting.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the recent tragedies that have occurred in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, but also the positive change that can come out of these tragedies.

In November 2012, Malissa Williams and Timothy Russell lost their lives following a high-speed chase involving more than 60 police vehicles. Cleveland police officers fired 137 rounds into their vehicle. The pair were unarmed.

I immediately wrote to the Department of Justice seeking an independent review and investigation surrounding the circumstances that led to this use of deadly force by law enforcement.

Following the death of Michael Brown and the unrest that followed, I again wrote to the Department of Justice in August 2014 asking for action. While waiting on the results of the Department of Justice investigation,

tragedy again struck my district on November 22, 2014, when a 12-year- old boy, Tamir Rice, was shot dead by a Cleveland police officer in a park outside the Cudell Recreation Center.

While my heart is still heavy, I believe some good will rise from the ashes of this tragedy.

On Thursday, December 4, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the Department of Justice had concluded its review and found that the Cleveland Division of Police had exhibited systemic deficiencies and engaged in a pattern of excessive force. The city of Cleveland is committed to righting these wrongs through a court-enforced consent decree.

The DOJ's announcement in Cleveland last week is an encouraging first step to tackling the systemic issues that are plaguing our communities. However, let us not for one second think our work is done. The use of excessive force, particularly when it comes to minority communities, is not a concern unique to Cleveland. The deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner are tragic reminders that this is a national concern.

The killing of men of color by those sworn to protect and serve must stay foremost in our minds until it stops.

I am encouraged by the young people who have taken to the streets to protest peacefully. They have finally found something that has energized them to be active and vocal about the change they seek. I urge them to continue to let their voices be heard to keep up the drumbeat for justice.

Having worked in the criminal justice system for many years, I understand more than most that police have a very difficult and dangerous job and deserve our respect and our thanks. Each day our police officers put their lives on the line to protect and serve, and they should be commended for the work they do. Yet we cannot ignore that there exists a feeling of distrust of police in many communities across the country. This must end today. A new era, an era of peace and collaborative community involvement, must begin now.