Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, many people say ours is a nation of immigrants. But our Nation also has an unfortunate history of political opportunists who attack the latest wave of immigrants and seek to stoke fear and chaos in order to gain or cling to power.

Whether the attacks were against my ancestors, the Irish; those at the southern border today; or the many other groups in between, we have heard the same language and scare tactics year after year, generation after generation. But then as now, those attacks are a sham. They are attention-seeking to divide and distract us from their proponents' lack of seriousness, their lack of solutions, and, at times, their own misconduct.

Now, I rise today in support of the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend- Lease Act and hope to send it quickly to President Biden's desk. The Senate acted quickly to pass this bill and send it our way.

Eighty years ago, the U.S. created the lend-lease program to provide military and humanitarian aid to Great Britain and our Allies in Europe as they stood on the front lines to oppose the Axis powers that threatened democracies around the world, including our own.

Today, the Ukrainian people are standing on the front lines in the fight for democracy and against tyranny. The U.S. needs to provide them with every possible measure of humanitarian and military aid.

To date, Congress and President Biden have led the world in supporting the Ukrainian people, sending nearly $14 billion in food, medical supplies, and military assistance to Ukraine, working in close collaboration with our allies.

With this aid, the Ukrainian armed forces have been incredibly effective in opposing Putin's unlawful and unprovoked invasion. But the Ukrainian success is dependent on them having the equipment and supplies to continue fighting, and this bill will ensure that they do.

This is a bill that every freedom- and democracy-loving Member of the House should support, and I look forward to its swift passage on the floor.

Madam Speaker, it has been said before, but ours is a country of laws, not men, and in our democratic Republic, the voters choose who leads, not a dictator, and not a monarch.

But in the wake of the 2020 election, a small group of people decided to reject the rule of law and the will of the voters. They rejected the unanimous conclusion of the courts, the Department of Justice, Homeland Security, and law enforcement and election officials across the country. They tried to pervert the law and throw away the free choice of the people. On January 6, their plan almost worked.

As the select committee investigates what happened that day, and how it can be prevented from ever happening again, over 800 witnesses have come in to share what they know because that is what should happen in a country ruled by law.

Only a handful of people, all of them in the former President's inner circle, have refused to obey the subpoenas. Their baseless claims that they are immune have been rejected by the actual President, by Congress, and by the courts. These entitled few have refused to honor Congress' subpoenas, just like they rejected the results of the election, because they believe they are above the law. They are not.

That is why it is so important that we pass this rule and the underlying bill and hold those in defiance of these subpoenas in contempt, because their conduct is not just unlawful and unpatriotic, it is contemptible.

Our Constitution, not any person, is what makes our country great. Nobody is above the law, and certainly nobody is above the Constitution.

Madam Speaker, I strongly support the rule and its underlying legislation, and I urge all my colleagues who truly love the country more than performative antics to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, in southeastern Pennsylvania, and in cities and towns across the country, restaurants are an essential cornerstone of our local communities and our regional economies. These restaurants were hard-hit by the pandemic.

Despite the excellence of their cuisine, over the past 2 years, many independent restaurants in Philly, Delaware County, and Montgomery County struggled to stay in business, and some permanently shuttered.

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund, passed as part of the American Rescue Plan, was a lifeline for the restaurants that received it. The program provided grants targeted to the hardest-hit restaurants, giving restaurant operators financial relief to keep their doors open and keep people employed.

The funds weren't enough to match the need. I have heard it from my constituents, and everybody who is listening has heard it from their constituents. While roughly 300,000 restaurants applied for aid, only about 100,000 received grants.

For months, I have joined Representative Blumenauer and my colleagues in calling to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, using only funds recouped from fraudulent claims that have been made in earlier small business relief programs. The Relief for Restaurants and other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act will provide additional financial support to restaurants and small businesses in the industries that are still grievously affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad this needed bill is getting a vote on the floor. I strongly support the rule and its underlying legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to recognize that this issue is still before us and to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Perlmutter for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of today's rule. The two bills in the rule provide for important, long overdue reforms that most Americans are in favor of. The MORE Act will reform our Federal drug laws to bring Federal laws in line with the majority of States which are now legally and responsibly regulating cannabis.

Mr. Speaker, 37 States, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, have successfully legalized medicinal cannabis, creating a thriving, safe, and legal market for cannabis, creating thousands of jobs and billions in new tax revenue. This is a rare win-win scenario for everyone--government, businesses, patients, and consumers.

However, the ongoing conflict between our State and Federal laws creates daily legal issues for businesses, banks, doctors, and consumers. The MORE Act will address these problems by removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act. This will allow veterans to use medicinal cannabis without losing their VA benefits.

It will allow legal businesses to access financial services. It will allow scientists and government agencies to research cannabis, and it will not prevent States from regulating or even criminalizing misuse of cannabis.

More importantly, the MORE Act includes a comprehensive package of criminal justice reforms to give a second chance to those whose lives have been upended by the excesses of the war on drugs.

Mr. Speaker, today's rule also includes the Affordable Insulin Now Act, which will cap insulin costs at $35. This is a much-needed reform that will provide financial relief to the millions of Americans who rely on insulin to manage their diabetes. While I am glad that we are able to find compromise on capping insulin costs, Americans are demanding that we pass comprehensive legislation to lower prescription drug costs for all Americans. And we continue to invite our Republican colleagues to help us to do that.

Prescription drug prices are way too high. Insulin is ten times more expensive in the U.S. than in other countries. Across the board, Americans pay more for their drugs than people in other countries pay for the exact same drugs. There is no justification for this difference.

Mr. Speaker, the prescription drug market is broken, and insulin is just one example of how bad the problem is. We urgently need prescription drug price reform so all Americans can afford the medications they need to manage their health.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for today's rule and the underlying bills when they are considered on the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4738) to direct the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to establish a history project to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials, written materials, and photographs of those who were affected by COVID-19, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4738 establishes a COVID-19 history program within the Library of Congress' American Folklife Center.

March 11 of this year marked the second anniversary of the World Health Organization's official designation of COVID-19 as a pandemic. Since then, more than 6 million people worldwide have succumbed to the disease, almost a million in the United States alone, and hundreds of millions more have suffered from its debilitating effects.

Experts agree that current statistics are likely undercounting the disease's actual toll. Indeed, the true scale of social and economic devastation caused by the virus may never be known.

Although the virus continues to disrupt daily life in ways both seen and unseen, through American ingenuity and sheer force of will, several effective vaccines were developed in record time. These vaccines continue to be an important tool as the fight to eradicate the coronavirus goes on.

As the country and world enter this next phase of the pandemic, it is important that we preserve the stories of those who lived through it. COVID-19 is not the first pandemic, and it will not be the last. Humanity has endured Black Death, cholera, influenza, HIV, AIDS, and the list goes on. As devastating as these diseases can be, there are lessons to be found in each: lessons of love and loss, of peace and strife, of failure and triumph.

Tragically, few know this firsthand better than my colleague, the gentlewoman from Louisiana and sponsor of this bill, who lost her husband, Luke, to the disease.

We applaud her for bravely answering the call of public service at such a difficult time, and we hope she and her family continue to heal and his memory serves as an inspiration to them in all that they do.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congresswoman for bringing forward this very poignant and important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues as well to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3294) to obtain and direct the placement in the Capitol or on the Capitol Grounds of a statue to honor Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Sandra Day O'Connor and a statue to honor Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

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

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

This bill, by creating statues in the Capitol, honors former Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, two women who made groundbreaking contributions to American history and jurisprudence.

The United States Capitol is a global symbol of democracy. This iconic building, where we debate and craft law, is also a museum of American art and history, with a rich collection of portraits, paintings, and statues.

Among the hundreds of sculptures, just 14 honor women leaders. By adding statues of these two pioneering Supreme Court Justices, we will honor their legacy and inspire all who pass through these Halls.

In 1869, Arabella Mansfield became the first woman admitted to practice law in the United States when she was admitted to the Iowa bar.

Ten years later, Belva Lockwood became the first woman admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States. One hundred years would pass before Sandra Day O'Connor became the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States.

Born in the early 1930s, Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg both achieved extraordinary academic success. One of only five women in her class at Stanford Law, O'Connor served on the Board of Editors of the Stanford Law Review and graduated near the top of her class.

Ginsburg first attended Harvard Law School, one of nine women in her class. She became the first female member of the Harvard Law Review, while also caring for her husband, who had been diagnosed with cancer, and their young daughter. When her husband took a job in New York City, Ginsburg transferred to Columbia Law School and graduated first in her class.

Despite their outstanding academic qualifications, O'Connor and Ginsburg faced barriers to employment after graduation, as law firms were unwilling to hire women lawyers. Each persevered and rose to prominence.

O'Connor obtained a position as a deputy county attorney in California. Then, when her husband was stationed in Germany, she served as a civilian attorney with the United States Army Quartermaster Corps.

In 1957, the O'Connors settled in Arizona, where they raised their three sons. O'Connor started a law practice, became involved in local politics and community service, and served as an assistant state attorney general.

In 1969, O'Connor was appointed to the Arizona State Senate, where she was twice reelected and became the first woman majority leader in any State. In 1974, she was elected as a trial judge, a position she held until 1979, when she was appointed to the Arizona Court of Appeals.

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan fulfilled his campaign promise to appoint a woman to the Supreme Court by nominating O'Connor. The Senate unanimously confirmed her appointment. In her nearly 25 years on the Court, Justice O'Connor established herself as a pragmatic, independent voice.

In a 1982 case, O'Connor wrote the majority opinion, holding that the State could not prevent men from enrolling in an all-women's nursing school. She wrote that laws discriminating on the basis of sex are allowed only if there is an ``exceedingly persuasive justification'' free of archaic and stereotypic notions of the roles and abilities of males and females.

Justice O'Connor retired from the Supreme Court in 2006. In retirement, she remained active as a tireless advocate for judicial independence and civics education.

Following law school, Ginsburg served as a law clerk to Judge Edmund L. Palmieri of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. She then became associate director of a comparative law project sponsored by Columbia University before joining the faculty of Rutgers Law School in 1963. From 1972 to 1980, she taught at Columbia Law School, where she became the first female tenured professor.

In the 1970s, Ginsburg also served as a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences in Stanford, California, and as the director of the Women's Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union. In this position, she led the fight against gender discrimination and won five landmark cases before the Supreme Court.

In 1980, President Carter appointed Ginsburg to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In 1993, President Clinton nominated Ginsburg as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed her nomination by a vote of 96-3, and she became the second female and the first Jewish female to serve on the Court.

Justice Ginsburg was a strong voice for gender equality and voting rights. She authored the landmark majority opinion in United States v. Virginia, which held that the State-supported Virginia Military Institute could not refuse to admit women. Justice Ginsburg served on the Supreme Court for 27 years, until her death in September 2020.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of these two Justices as role models and inspiration for generations of American girls, women, and women lawyers.

Justice O'Connor was sworn in as the first female Supreme Court Justice the same month that I started law school, and I had the privilege of working with both Justices on issues of civic education and access to justice. Both women were brilliant and funny. They were stars on the bench and in our national firmament.

Now we are presented with another moment of equal significance, with the nomination of Judge Jackson under consideration in the Senate. One more barrier has fallen, and soon young women of color will be able to see themselves in future Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ketanji Brown Jackson, as I once saw myself in Justices O'Connor and Ginsburg.

Today I ask my colleagues to honor these incredible women, Justice O'Connor and Justice Ginsburg, and help inspire our next generation of leaders by voting to create these statues for the Capitol of the United States.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stanton).

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Arizona.

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

I am so proud to rise in support of this bill to recognize the brilliant and groundbreaking legal careers of Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but I am also so proud to recognize them because of their unrelenting focus on our young people.

We have heard a couple of times about Justice O'Connor's interest in civics education. She founded her civics nonprofit when she found that more Americans knew the names of the judges on ``American Idol'' than they did the Justices of the Supreme Court. She was really committed to helping our next generation understand the importance of our civics.

I had the opportunity to meet Justice Ginsburg with my daughter when my daughter was about 10. My daughter was very anxious to ask a question of her. She asked her: ``When will we

have a female President?'' Justice Ginsburg turned to her and said: ``Probably not in my lifetime, but certainly in yours.''

My daughter graduated from law school this year. We look forward to the fulfillment of Justice Ginsburg's prophecy.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill and support these statues. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of my young constituents, Anthony Alexander, a student at Academy Park High School, for his recent bravery in a moment of crisis.

Last week, on an unseasonably warm winter day, Anthony was riding his bike with friends in Collingdale Park when he heard cries for help. A frozen pond had given way and three younger children had fallen through the ice.

As the children panicked, 16-year-old Anthony sprang into action. He dialed 911 and then ran to the water's edge and used a stick to help pull the children to safety. He then jumped into the freezing pond to reach the third child.

Police Sergeant Pat Kilroy arrived on the scene and helped both of them out.

So many of us wonder what we would do when faced with an emergency. Anthony's quick thinking and selfless action at Collingdale Park prevented a tragedy.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join members of our community in recognizing Anthony Alexander as a local hero.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of today's rule.

As we work with President Biden to build a better America, we must honor our debt to our veterans for their service and sacrifice on behalf of our country.

There are obvious risks and sacrifices in military service: the physical and mental challenges, time away from loved ones, and the possibility that one may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice for one's country. But there are hidden risks and sacrifices as well, and our failure to address them means that, for too long, we have not met the needs of veterans who have been exposed to toxic substances during the course of their military service, as they have suffered from chronic respiratory illness, cancer, and a variety of other maladies later in life.

The most well-known example of this is Agent Orange. It took years of veterans' advocacy for the government to acknowledge and provide services and treatment for injuries caused by Agent Orange.

Even as the connections between illness and exposure to Agent Orange

have multiplied, new links have been established between exposure to other toxic substances during military service and chronic and life- threatening diseases. The burn pits used at military installations across the globe are a more recent example.

The Honoring our PACT bill enacts long-overdue support for over 3 million veterans suffering from illnesses due to exposure to toxins and radiation during military service. This comprehensive bill will cut red tape to getting veterans benefits, allowing veterans exposed to chemical, airborne, and radioactive hazards to receive full health benefits to treat illnesses related to that exposure.

We owe it to our vets to pass this bill and provide them with the benefits they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to highlight my amendment to the Honoring our PACT Act, which will provide additional funding to ensure that the VA can implement the new benefits that this bill will authorize.

I strongly encourage all of my colleagues to support the rule, the PACT Act, and my amendment when they are considered on the House floor.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a local hero from the borough of Swarthmore, Dr. Harold Wilkinson.

Last month, at the age of 95, Dr. Wilkinson passed away peacefully in his sleep after a long life of exploration, inquiry, and service.

Hal enlisted in the Army Air Corps at the age of 18 and served stateside through the end of World War II. After meeting his wife, Rosie, in medical school, the pair settled in Swarthmore, where he opened a family medical practice and she worked as a pediatrician for children with developmental disabilities.

For 42 years, Hal maintained his practice, serving generations of Swarthmore residents. He was known for making house calls long after it went out of fashion, continuing his service into his seventies.

After his wife, Rosie, passed away, Hal was lucky enough to marry another local legend, Sandy Sparrow, a beloved former elementary school principal with whom he continued to travel the world.

Dr. Wilkinson was a pillar of our community, an iconic figure who could be seen strolling with his friends or his rescue dog, Dugan, until late last year. A beloved friend to many, Hal was always interested in hearing the latest updates from friends and neighbors and exploring the world around him.

As the borough of Swarthmore mourns his passing, our hearts are with Hal's family. We were all so lucky to have known him.

Celebrating the Life of Octavius V. Catto

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate a Philadelphia hero, Octavius V. Catto.

If you come to Philadelphia, you will see a statue of Octavius Catto on the south side of City Hall. It is the city's first public statue honoring an individual African American.

Throughout his life, Catto was an outspoken activist for the abolition of slavery and for equal rights for Black Americans. During the Civil War, he joined Frederick Douglass and other Black leaders to recruit African Americans to join the fight for emancipation. After the war, Catto continued his advocacy and successfully fought to desegregate Philadelphia's streetcars.

Catto was a man of many accomplishments. He graduated from the Institute for Colored Youth, which is now Pennsylvania-05's own Cheyney University, the first HBCU in the country. He also ran the undefeated Pythian Baseball Club of Philadelphia, a Negro League baseball team that played the first Black versus White game.

However, the most enduring part of Catto's legacy is his efforts to secure the right to vote for Black Americans. He was a champion for suffrage and fought to ensure that no one would be denied access to the ballot box.

Ultimately, his life's work brought about Catto's untimely death. On October 10, 1871, the first election day that Black men were allowed to vote in Philadelphia, 32-year-old Catto was shot and killed by a White mob trying to stop the Black vote.

Octavius Catto's life and sacrifice are an important reminder of the importance of continuing his work and honoring his legacy today to ensure that all Americans have the freedom to vote free from mob rule, gerrymandering, and other efforts to silence their voices.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Rules Committee for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, for as long as our country has existed, the United States Postal Service has played a critical role in the function of our country.

Whether delivering news or bills, medicine or ballots, income tax refunds or in a few days maybe Valentines, Americans--our small businesses and our State, national, and local governments--rely on the post office and the essential daily services it provides.

The famous motto of the Postal Service is: ``Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.''

How glad we have been to see them completing those rounds during a pandemic which limited our ability to get goods and services from other places and which limited our ability in some cases to get to the polling places.

While the U.S. Postal Service has always been essential, in the last 2 years it has been even more so, as it has helped us all to navigate a highly transmissible virus.

Unfortunately, during that same time, we have seen the Postal Service struggle to navigate a series of highly disruptive policy changes that slowed service and financial constraints that have threatened its long- term health. Over the past 2 years I have heard from hundreds of constituents about problems with the Postal Service, all asking: What is Congress going to do about it?

This week, I am proud to support the Postal Service Reform Act, a bipartisan bill that will improve the performance of the U.S. Postal Service and guarantee its long-term financial health.

This bill will guarantee the Postal Service's 6-day delivery standard, improve customer support, and provide customers with increased transparency about their local service performance. Most notably, the Postal Service Reform Act will finally end the--unique to the Postal Service--statutory requirement that it prefund retiree health benefits, relieving the Postal Service of this onerous and unnecessary burden that has jeopardized the service's finances since it was enacted 15 years ago.

These reforms which have been endorsed by the postal unions are estimated to save the Postal Service nearly $50 billion over the next 10 years.

The U.S. Postal Service is one of the oldest, core responsibilities of the Federal Government, and so I look forward to enthusiastically voting for this bill to ensure its continued success in the 21st century.

In addition, Mr. Speaker, today's rule also provides for consideration of another continuing resolution to fund the government. The House did its job. We passed our funding bills on time, and Chairwoman DeLauro has pushed her Senate counterparts to begin negotiations early so that a funding deal could be passed on time. However, Senate Republicans have hemmed and hawed and stalled to avoid negotiations because they prefer a CR to finding bipartisan compromise. We are nearly halfway through the current fiscal year. I regret the necessity of another CR, but I look forward to a quick resolution and a vote on an omnibus funding bill.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, sexual harassment and violence in the workplace are a corrosive and pervasive threat to the success and dignity of all workers, but particularly women. And forced or mandatory arbitration clauses in employment contracts have played an important role in thwarting efforts to hold accountable the predators who engage in such conduct and the companies that allow it to continue.

The widespread use of these clauses in employment contracts forces many Americans to agree to a form of dispute resolution that silences victims of sexual harassment and assault and allows the harassers and employers to escape accountability. These arbitration proceedings overwhelmingly benefit the employer, which drafts the nonnegotiable clauses dictating the venue, the terms of mediation, even the arbitrators themselves, as well as creating a perverse incentive for the allegedly neutral arbiters to rule in favor of employers, lest they not be hired again.

In addition to denying survivors a public forum to expose sexual abuse, which can deter future misconduct, these arbitration clauses also preclude class actions, which is often the only way that employees can afford to bring successful claims.

H.R. 4445 would ban the use of forced arbitration in employment contracts in cases of sexual assault and harassment. In addition to protecting survivors of such harassment, that is just good public policy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate an outstanding female athlete and native of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, for her service to our community.

Margo Carlin currently plays field hockey at Boston College, where she has won multiple awards and played in the NCAA Final Four. But her accomplishments go far beyond the field hockey turf.

Last year, after a new rule allowed college athletes to raise money from the use of their names and likenesses, Margo saw an opportunity to make a difference in our community. She used her platform as a college athlete to partner with Covenant House and raised nearly $30,000 to help that charity house and feed young people who are experiencing homelessness in our area. That successful partnership allowed Covenant House to seek out similar partnerships with athletes in other parts of the country.

Margo's approach to community service is an example of how each of us has the power, with a little creativity, to use our unique talents to make a difference. I am so proud to recognize Margo Carlin today, and I look forward to all she will accomplish in the future.

Support Workforce Training Programs

Mr. Speaker, since coming to Congress, my office has focused on forging closer connections between the jobs that we are developing in our region and the people who live here.

I have been proud to support a number of workforce training programs that bridge that gap, particularly for the jobs that are revitalizing the Philadelphia Shipyard, thanks to a contract we helped secure for the building of five national security multi-mission vessels.

Another sector of our local economy that is going to benefit immensely from investments in workforce training and public-private partnerships is biotech and life sciences.

Last week, the U.S. Economic Development Administration announced that the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia is receiving a STEM Talent Challenge Grant, one of only eight such grants awarded in the entire Nation.

The Wistar Institute will use this grant to support workforce training to address the demand for skilled workers from the life sciences industry which has been growing by leaps and bounds in our region.

For over 20 years, the Wistar Institute has been pioneering workforce training for young people attending high schools and community colleges in our region to enter this exciting field. And I am delighted that this new program is training students from Cheyney University, the oldest HBCU in the country, which is also located in my district.

The Quality Science Pathway Apprenticeship offers an earn-and-learn, hands-on training curriculum, taught by experts to uniquely address the critical need for a highly skilled, quality science labor force based in the Philadelphia region.

For the last decade, our regional economy has been driven by dynamic eds, meds, and tech sectors. Life sciences is a key part of that economy, so I am grateful that the EDA chose to invest in this model program at the Wistar Institute to help people from our region win these critical jobs and the opportunity to have careers in an expanding, in-demand industry.

Fighting Gun Violence in Our Country

Mr. Speaker, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an unprecedented rise in gun violence across the entire country.

While most conversations about gun violence are quickly overwhelmed by extremist rhetoric, one of the strategies to reduce gun violence that has widespread support is to make sure that law enforcement has the resources needed to investigate and clear cases that get criminals and guns off of the streets. That is why I am proud to support an important piece of legislation introduced by former police chief and our colleague in Congress, Representative Val Demings.

The VICTIM Act targets resources to the things we know can help reduce gun violence. Grants would support the hiring, training, and retention of detectives and victim services personnel. These grants will also fund training, equipment, and personnel needed to process and analyze evidence in gun crimes.

In Philadelphia, our Police Department would like to use such funding to support a new unit dedicated to investigating non-fatal shootings.

One of the reasons I came to Congress was to fight for an end to gun violence, to protect our children, our families, and our communities.

In our country today, gun violence is hitting ever closer to home. Several of my employees have lost relatives to gun violence. In November, a constituent was killed in a carjacking near his college campus. A month later, I became the victim of carjacking, though I am extremely lucky that no one was injured in my case.

Then, just last week, I found myself embracing a mother devastated by the death of her daughter after she was struck by gunfire at a playground. This has to stop.

There is no one solution. But as a legislator, I want to pass laws to tackle the underlying issues driving this epidemic of violence, as well as providing the means to end it. That means commonsense gun safety reform, resources for law enforcement, support for mental health services, and investments in education and employment opportunities for all Americans.

The VICTIM Act can be an important part of this effort, and I hope we will soon be able to bring it to the floor for a vote.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Rules Committee for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of today's rule. The America COMPETES Act is a bold and important bill that would help make our economy more competitive, more dynamic, and more prosperous as we confront the challenges of the 21st century.

This bill provides a long-overdue investment in our Nation's leading research and development institutions, which will deliver huge benefits to the region I represent. It will fund innovations and breakthroughs to ensure that the United States leads the world in advancements in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, computing, and biomedical research.

The America COMPETES Act also provides a targeted program of policies to address our short- and long-term supply chain challenges. These policies will help to lower inflation, promote domestic manufacturing, encourage businesses to reshore jobs, and insulate our economy from the supply chain disruptions we are seeing right now.

Internationally, the America COMPETES Act will improve our relationships with our allies and partners in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia, fostering closer political and economic ties and countering China's growing influence abroad.

All in all, the America COMPETES Act is a sound investment in our Nation's future, and I hope that the House and Senate can quickly work out their differences so that we can send a final bill to President Biden's desk soon.

Madam Speaker, I also want to highlight two amendments that I have offered to help shape the America COMPETES Act. One of those amendments would provide grants to institutions of higher education to create innovative, research-focused education centers for STEM students. These centers would provide students with course-based research experiences across STEM disciplines and education levels, and they would work to reduce the barriers that minority and low-income students face in participating in STEM education in order to reduce attrition rates and increase diversity in the STEM workforce.

My other amendment deals with the regional technology and innovation hub program created by the America COMPETES Act, which would provide cities and towns with funding to increase jobs and training opportunities in R&D, tech, and manufacturing. My amendment would clarify the program's designation process so that cities like Philadelphia can compete fairly for these vital Federal resources.

I am proud to contribute these amendments to the bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rule and the underlying legislation.

Mr. Speaker, January is School Board Director Recognition Month, and I want to take a moment, as a former school board member and school board president, to recognize the contributions of these unpaid but essential community servants.

In the best of times, being a school board member is challenging, requiring community members to step up and address issues ranging from child development to HR, and from transportation and construction to nutrition and natural disasters. There is never enough money to do everything we would like to for our children, and the number of regulations, mandates, and laws that must be met seems to be never- ending. It often seems like every choice is between two bad alternatives.

As school directors are facing these outsized challenges compounded by a pandemic and political polarization, and the mental health challenges both have brought, I want to acknowledge their Herculean efforts to keep our children, our teachers, and our staff safe and give them every opportunity to succeed.

I want them to know how much their efforts on behalf of our children, our schools, and our communities are appreciated.

Madam Speaker, last Friday was a big day for infrastructure in the Philadelphia region.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was in Philly to announce the first tranche of funding for bridges under the new law, including $1.6 billion for Pennsylvania bridges.

That afternoon, I got to highlight how funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will improve our regional public transit system, known as SEPTA.

Over the next 5 years, SEPTA will receive more than $500 million more than expected. That money will help SEPTA accelerate repair efforts, including rehabilitation projects, vehicle replacement, and improving accessibility of rail and trolley stations.

While all of these upgrades are needed, the forthcoming work on accessibility is especially important. In fact, it is essential. People across our region rely on SEPTA every day to get to work, take their kids to school, buy groceries, go to the doctor, and more. Our neighbors should be able to complete these daily tasks without having to plan around which station has an elevator to accommodate a wheelchair or which stop is easier to get a baby stroller in and out of.

I am glad the infrastructure funding that Congress and President Biden delivered will help get this much-needed work done more quickly. Our Delaware Valley residents deserve it.

Election Workers are Essential

Madam Speaker, I rise because we have seen a continuous assault on voting rights and election integrity in recent years, pushed by partisan operatives, foreign governments and, most disturbingly, some of our own elected officials.

Over the weekend, the former President pressed members of his party in Pennsylvania to plant more Republican operatives in our election system in order to influence the counting of votes.

The former President said, ``We have to be a lot sharper the next time when it comes to counting the vote. Sometimes the vote counter is more important than the candidate.'' That is just wrong.

I will be the first to agree that our election workers are essential, but not because they are supposed to change the results in our elections for one political party or another. That is not how American elections work. Here, the people decide.

This kind of mindset is exactly why it is so important to have people of good character trained and ready to execute the duties of poll workers faithfully. Poll workers are the first line of defense for ensuring the right to vote. They help voters overcome challenges, both bureaucratic and physical, at the polls. They also help educate the public about how safe and effective our election system really is.

We need more engaged citizens who want to contribute to our democracy to get involved and sign up to be poll workers in our communities. I encourage my constituents to reach out to their county election officials today to learn more about this unique opportunity to uphold our democratic system and help ensure that all eligible voters are able to exercise their most essential freedom, the right to vote.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Delivers Benefits

Madam Speaker, one of the highlights of congressional action last year was the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and we are already seeing the impact in my district, Pennsylvania's 5th, and the greater Philadelphia region.

Just before the holidays, EPA Administrator Regan joined me at the Lower Darby Creek Area Superfund Site to announce that the agency had committed millions in funding from that infrastructure bill to this project, moving its anticipated completion date up to 2023.

At this former landfill, chemicals had leached into the soil and groundwater for decades in the largely minority community of Eastwick. Thanks to funding from the new infrastructure package, many sites like Lower Darby Creek will see their cleanup accelerated, and nearly 50 additional Superfund sites will get the green light to be cleaned up.

Less pollution, safer communities, and more jobs.

I am proud to deliver these benefits to PA-05 through the bipartisan infrastructure law.