Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Leger Fernandez. We are excited to be here. This is a really important evening.

Mr. Speaker, do you know why?

It is because we are talking about why this is so important that we get Build Back Better accomplished.

Like a great team that the Democrats are--and I want to talk about that, if I may, with our chair's permission.

We are a team. I am frustrated with the media and anybody who is saying

that we are not a team right now. We are ready to go. Ninety-nine percent now, as of today, and I do mean that number, 99 percent of us are on the same page. We just have to get a little bit more done. So I am asking the media to report accurately. I am asking all of the Americans who are watching me to understand we are ready to go. We are a team.

I want to talk about how big this package is. It is trillions of dollars. So think of it this way, Mr. Speaker, if two trillion-dollar companies came together, it would take probably 2 to 3 years to integrate it. We are doing it in a matter of weeks and months. We are going to do it well and precisely, and we are going to get it done. So teams get things done in an orderly fashion, and we are going to get this done.

But let me talk about something that is really frustrating to me and really irritating, and that is when folks talk about the labor shortage. The real issue is that we have a childcare shortage. We have a healthcare shortage. We have an affordable housing shortage. We have shortage of affordable pre-K. And there is a shortage of folks being paid properly for hard work.

This is particularly frustrating when I hear that there is a labor shortage and then our friends across the aisle block every single possible thing we can do to make that better and to boost our economy, so that is super frustrating for me.

By the way, Mr. Speaker, you can't say we have a labor shortage and then block immigration. It just doesn't work that way. You can't say immigrants are stealing jobs. It doesn't work. It is common sense. It is math. So it doesn't work.

But let me say something else, Mr. Speaker, if we do things like expanding paid leave and medical leave, if we make sure that folks have access to childcare and have free childcare, guess what?

Moms can get back to work because moms--let's be honest about it-- moms are frequently the primary caregiver. We can get them back to work. Mr. Speaker, 300,000 of our moms in this Nation have been forced to quit so they can take care of their kids.

Someone mentioned something else that is astonishing, not that it is just 300,000 people who have left the workforce of the female nature, it is that in addition to that, about 70--when you take all of the sources of childcare, whether it is YMCA, moms and dads who are in other jobs and working three jobs at a time, or it is our school system, or just general daycare and childcare--about 70 percent of our childcare system was lost during the pandemic. So, of course, it is hard to get a break, because guess what?

The reason we had this amazing package set up this way that we had roads and bridges that will be repaired, and broadband delivered, as well as childcare and healthcare and in-home healthcare and all of the things on the human infrastructure side, do you know why? Because when mom and dad go to fix a bridge, they need somebody to watch their kids all day. That is why this works so well together, and that is why we have to pass this. That is why we are doing this because it is a super practical thing to do.

Every dollar in this package will get infused right back into the economy--right back. So this is really brilliant in every way. It is very practical, and it is founded within our great principles, our economic principles.

And guess what, Mr. Speaker? It is founded in capitalism because supply and demand are working beautifully in this package, and we are going to get this done.

I thank the gentlewoman for having us tonight. It is a joy to have my friend and everything she does.

Madam Speaker, I am so pleased to be here with all my colleagues from the Democratic Women's Caucus. I thank Representative Speier for hosting this Special Order hour tonight.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the millions of parents struggling to pay for childcare each and every day. It has become abundantly clear: our current childcare system is absolutely untenable.

Just this past September more than 300,000 women left the workforce. As we all know, women are more likely to be the primary caregiver in a household. With a growing lack of affordable childcare options, we are seeing more women forced to quit their job in order to stay home and watch their kids.

Let's be clear: no parent should be forced to quit their job because they cannot find childcare they can afford. But the reality for too many families is that this is definitely the case. They cannot afford childcare in their area, period.

Just this week, NPR reported that one in three American families are struggling to find childcare they desperately need. I repeat: one-third of America's families cannot find affordable childcare.

In Illinois, 58 percent of residents live in a childcare desert--58 percent. That is more than half. In fact, infant care in Illinois costs just $168 less than in-State tuition for a 4-year public college. So think about that, Madam Speaker. If you are a mom and a dad and you have kids of various ages, or you are getting prepared to have kids of various ages, you are thinking about childcare now, Madam Speaker, and you are paying effectively what you know you may have to pay for college in later years for your children. It is astonishing. We can and must fix this.

Under President Biden's Build Back Better Act, we can finally ensure every American has access to quality, affordable childcare. This will provide mothers with the support they desperately need to return to the workforce.

This is not only the morally right thing to do, but it is actually one of the strongest ways we can further boost our economy. I am tired of hearing some colleagues complain about a labor shortage while at the same exact time they are trying to block families from receiving the affordable childcare they need to return to work. I think that you don't have to go too far, Madam Speaker, to understand wherever you go on any block in America, women are saying: I can't afford childcare which is why I am going back.

We have to stop blaming it on these fictitious things. Women need to have childcare so they can go back to work.

Enough is enough. For far too long our country has worked for the largest corporations and the ultra-wealthy while working families have been left behind. Let's change that by passing the Build Back Better Act for working families, and let's deliver universal, affordable childcare. Let's get this done.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of the brave first responders of the Orland Fire Protection District. Chief Michael Schofield's team represents the best of Illinois' Third District that we can possibly ask for.

These brave men and women are recognized not just as some of the best firefighters in Illinois but in the Nation. They exemplify what it means to be a public servant, and that is why I am honored to recognize them in the Congressional Record.

When I met with the members of the Orland Fire Protection District, their dedication to serving their community shone through. They told me how they adapted to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic by creating a first-of-its-kind response model. Their resourcefulness and innovation saved countless lives across the southwest suburbs.

I honor their leadership. I honor their dedication. And I honor their bravery.

Madam Speaker, I thank the Orland Fire Protection District for all they do, and I am proud every day to serve them as their Congressperson.

Madam Speaker, I was regrettably detained during the vote in question. Had I been present, I would have noted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 240.

members recorded pursuant to house resolution 8, 117th congress

Aderholt (Moolenaar)

Carson (Butterfield)

Carter (TX) (Nehls)

DeSaulnier (Thompson (CA))

Fulcher (Meuser)

Grijalva (Stanton)

Horsford (Jeffries)

Katko (Joyce (OH))

Kelly (PA) (Keller)

Kirkpatrick (Stanton)

Lawson (FL) (Evans)

Lowenthal (Beyer)

Maloney, Carolyn (Velazquez)

McEachin (Wexton)

Meng (Jeffries)

Napolitano (Correa)

O'Halleran (Stanton)

Payne (Pallone)

Porter (Wexton)

Rush (Underwood)

Sires (Pallone)

Watson Coleman (Pallone)

Wild (Axne)

Wilson (FL) (Hayes)

Amendments En Bloc No. 3 Offered by Ms. Lee of California

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise on behalf of the thousands of Palestinian families in the West Bank that face the prospect of eviction, demolition, and displacement from their homes by the Israeli Government.

We have received word that demolition orders have already begun for homes in the al-Bustan neighborhood of Silwan in East Jerusalem. A few months ago, families in Sheikh Jarrah and other neighborhoods faced a similar fate. Tomorrow, others will also.

After the devastation and bloodshed of the past few months and the continued toll of the coronavirus pandemic on Palestinian families, we cannot allow these evictions, demolitions, and displacements to further exacerbate this humanitarian crisis.

No individual or family should ever be forcibly removed from their home, not in the West Bank, not in Gaza, not in Europe, not in Asia, not really anywhere. It is wrong.

This crisis must end now. This is about human rights, dignity, and respect. If we are ever to achieve peace in the region, a true two- state solution, there must be a mutual understanding.

I once again urge the Biden administration to do everything in its power to stop the evictions.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Cicilline for organizing this Special Order tonight. It is so important.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise on behalf of the millions of LGBTQ-plus Americans who, in 2021, are still fighting for equality in our country.

This year is already record-breaking for anti-trans legislation. Right now, a trans teenager in America is growing up in a country where there are 33 States that have introduced more than 100 bills that aim to curb their rights. The bills are not grounded in science. The bills are not grounded in fact. The lawmakers who have introduced them can't even cite examples of any problem they are designed to solve.

To put it simply, these bills are grounded in hate, and they are not only hateful but demoralizing and frustrating and agonizing, demoralizing to a population of our country that already suffers from high rates of depression, bullying, and suicide.

In the United States, the lifetime depression rate for the general population is roughly 16.6 percent. For America's transgender women, it is 62 percent. Let that sink in.

As a mother of a transgender daughter, I know firsthand how much this weighs on all of our brothers and sisters.

Young LGBTQ-plus Americans need somewhere to turn to for help because most of them don't have someone to turn to. That is true.

In Illinois, we have a 24/7 youth hotline that supports students in crisis and engages trusted adults in their community. Bullying and threats of suicide are the two most common reports through the line. This resource has saved countless lives in Illinois.

But not every State has one of these. That is why I will be introducing legislation to support States' youth mental health and safety helplines and to help States develop these resources if they don't yet have one.

These resources are particularly critical for young Americans who are at a higher risk for bullying and suicide, such as those who belong to the LGBTQ-plus community.

While I continue to urge the Senate to pass the Equality Act, I also want to urge this entire body to work together so we can do more to support our LGBTQ-plus Americans.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of the brave first responders of the Orland Fire Protection District.

This exemplary fire district has shown tremendous dedication to protecting the lives and property of the residents of Orland Park, Orland Hills, and unincorporated areas of Orland Township. Due to their excellence, Orland Fire Protection District is recognized as one of the best fire department organizations in Illinois and the country. Chief Michael Schofield's First Command Team and his first responder units have won national awards for their quick response times, high cardiac save rates, and efficient processes and procedures. Further, Orland Fire is 1 of 84 internationally recognized agencies with both an ISO Class 1 rating and accredited agency status with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). They displayed their commendable service during the COVID-19 Pandemic when they created a first of its kind response model to address the immediate needs of the community.

I honor their strong leadership, resourcefulness, and innovation in dealing with the effects of COVID-19 directly and swiftly. Their drive to share knowledge, equipment, and resources will cut inefficiencies and save even more lives. I thank the Orland Fire Protection District for their service, resiliency, and bravery. I honor their dedication, not only today, but every day. They are our heroes.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise on behalf of the millions of Americans with disabilities, the millions of Americans who live in a major city with a major public transit system but are unable to utilize it because it is not accessible to them.

If we want to build a world-class public transportation system in America, it has to start by ensuring every station and every bus and train across our Nation is equally accessible to everyone.

That is why I introduced the All Stations Accessibility Act, or ASAP Act, of 2021, which would establish a Federal grant program to support transit authorities to upgrade stations to meet or exceed ADA accessibility standards.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to say that we have secured this grant program in the INVEST in America Act. Now, I urge this body to pass that legislation so that we can better ensure our public transit services are for all riders, especially those with a disability.

Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate April as Arab American Heritage Month and honor the outstanding contributions that Arab Americans have made to this country.

For over a century, Arab Americans have been an integral part of virtually every aspect of American society, including medicine, law, business, education, technology, government, military service, and culture. The incredible contributions and heritage of Arab Americans have helped us build a better nation.

Men and women of Arab descent have strengthened their communities through involvement in community service and public life and by sharing their rich culture and traditions with neighbors and friends. In Illinois' Third District, which has one of the largest concentrations of Palestinian, Jordanian, and Syrian Americans in the country, the Arab American community is a fundamental part of our civic life and culture.

Unfortunately, Arab Americans continue to face misconceptions, bigotry, and anti-Arab hate. These civil rights abuses, and instances of harmful stereotyping and bullying, must be combatted through education, awareness, and legislation.

Arab Americans join all Americans in the desire to see a peaceful and diverse society, where every individual is treated equally and feels safe; we must continue to work towards a future where every American is able to live free from discrimination.

I am proud to celebrate the extraordinary contributions Arab Americans have made to this country, and I am deeply honored to recognize National Arab American Heritage month this April.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor my guest to President Biden's Address to a Joint Session of Congress, Jesus Morales, who is a union hospitality worker in Illinois' Third District and a member of UNITE HERE Local 1. Thanks to the passage of the American Rescue Plan, laid off union workers are now able to stay on their employers' health plans until the fall, providing critical relief to workers like Jesus who was struggling to pay for the daily medicine and care his family needs.

Millions of union workers like Jesus--who have given decades to their work--saw their jobs taken away by this pandemic only to see their employer health plans taken away too. Without work and without relief from their government, these workers struggled between paying their families' urgently needed medicine and putting food on the table. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan, workers like Jesus are now able to stay on their employer's health plans at no cost through the end of September.

Our union workers have given everything to our city and country, and it is time we honor them in return. That is why I am proud to honor Jesus this week as my virtual guest to President Biden's Address to a Joint Session of Congress. We will not stop fighting to ensure our workers and struggling families are receiving the relief they need to survive this pandemic.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the millions of Americans who are outraged as they witness mass shooting after mass shooting, with no action from their government; the millions of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet every day, while their government hasn't raised the minimum wage in a decade, so they are struggling more than ever; and, similarly, Americans who are fighting for equality and civil rights while they see nothing being done in Congress.

Every single week, this House passes legislation that is overwhelmingly popular among Americans, yet not one of these bills has seen the light of day because of the filibuster. It is truly a death grip on our democracy.

The filibuster is being used by a handful of people to stifle progress that Americans overwhelmingly want, progress that would ban pay discrimination, progress that would protect our unions, progress that would protect voters' rights, progress that would literally save lives by passing commonsense gun reform.

It is past time we get rid of the filibuster as it is today. The filibuster

should not take precedence over American lives.

I thank the gentleman who just spoke about our great bill that is coming up because it is wonderful that all those ideas are in there, so I am so glad we are on the same page.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank Ms. Foxx for her comments, and I will share a tip because I am a former small business owner. So, there is this great thing called communication. You can chat with one another and talk about some of their rights, so I recommend it for all that ask.

Madam Speaker, I rise on behalf of the millions of women in the workforce that to this day are still only making 82 cents on every dollar. My amazing colleagues have identified lots of stats that are very, very convincing with strong data.

I ask today that everyone consider the 15 to 20 percent of the female workforce who have either paused or stopped their careers--or ruined their careers, which many would say--because of the pandemic. It has been devastating, as we all know.

The Paycheck Fairness Act builds on the Equal Pay Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act by making it harder for employers to pay women less than men for the same work.

When woman return to the workforce, and I pray that they do, we must ensure that they are aware of their rights under legislation--verbally, electronically, by any means; it all works--which is why I have introduced an amendment that requires employers to display a poster in their workplace or their employment worksite, or by email, or whatever they can do, so workers clearly understand that they have rights under this act.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this amendment and this legislation so we can ensure equal work means equal pay.

Madam Speaker, I rise today, excitedly, on behalf of the millions of small businesses across our Nation that are truly suffering from the pandemic and struggling to keep their doors open because support is simply not reaching them.

As a former small business owner, I know firsthand how loans can make an absolutely life-changing difference for an entrepreneur.

However, the reality is that too many small businesses, especially those led by women, or minorities, or those in rural communities, don't have access to the primary lending programs offered by the Small Business Administration or private sector.

Microloans are designed to help start-ups and new small businesses that don't have banking relationships with access to larger capital. But for too many businesses, these microloans have been unreachable.

That is why I am proud to co-lead the Microloan Improvement Act to ensure that, regardless of background or location, every business has equitable access to capital.

With this legislation, we are expanding the number of community-based lenders eligible for the lowest interest rates on loans. That means these lenders can offer lines of credit to more small businesses.

Now more than ever, we have an obligation to remove barriers that prevent small businesses from receiving microloans. With this legislation, we are cutting bureaucratic red tape that has restricted growth and job creation.

From mom-and-pop shops, to family-owned stores, to every small business, they will all benefit. That is why this legislation is supported by Democrats and Republicans, and I am so glad to partner today with my Republican colleagues. I am happy to work in a bipartisan fashion to help our intermediaries provide assistance to our local entrepreneurs.

Let's pass this legislation so we can support the smallest of the small businesses in all of our communities.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the millions of American workers whose rights have been undermined and attacked for decades in this country. I am from a union family.

Americans who have been on the front lines of this pandemic since day one, yet they have been forced to work with lousy benefits, in unsafe conditions, and for insufficient pay. Too many of these workers don't have the ability to organize for stronger rights because too many don't even know their rights to organize.

Many times, employers deliberately don't want their workers to know their rights to organize and they hide it. Other times, it is because a worker's rights are posted in a language that he or she does not speak.

By passing the PRO Act, we will not only require employers to post notices informing workers of their rights to organize, but with the amendment I am proposing, we will also ensure that these notices are posted in the languages spoken by their employees, such as Spanish, Arabic, Polish, and any language, really. When one worker doesn't know their rights, the entire workforce is weakened.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this amendment and the PRO Act so we can truly restore workers' rights in this country. All workers have rights.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the millions of Americans who continue to be denied housing, education, public services, and much, much more because they identify as members of the LGBTQ community; Americans like my own daughter who, years ago, bravely came out to her parents as transgender.

I knew from that day on, my daughter would be living in a nation where, in most of it States, she could be discriminated against merely because of who she is. And yet, it was still the happiest day of my life, because my daughter has found her authentic self.

And as any mother would, I swore that I would fight to ensure this country changes for the better. Without the Equality Act, this Nation will never live up to its principles of freedom and equality. The right time to pass this act was decades ago. The second best time is right now.

I am voting yes on the Equality Act for Evie Newman, my daughter, and the strongest, bravest person I know.