Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, this week, when law enforcement officers testified before the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th attack on the Capitol, the country saw what we know: that these officers are heroes.

We thank all who answered the call on January 6th for their valor that dark day. They risked their lives for others. Hundreds were beaten and physically harmed. Some became martyrs for democracy.

The four law enforcement heroes who testified this week were courage and truth personified. And their testimony has moved the Senate to, finally, act.

Today, I rise in support of this emergency security supplemental funding bill, which will honor the service and sacrifice of the Capitol Police, as it keeps the Capitol and Congressional community safe.

This legislation is long-overdue. And, unfortunately, it is under- funded by billions of dollars, and it falls short of what is needed.

But we cannot wait a day longer to act, so the House plans to pass it.

Over two months ago, in May, the House honored our heroes by passing our strong emergency supplemental. Our bill was based on the facts and findings of briefings, hearings, and reviews, including:

the report that I asked General Honore and his team of experts to lead in the immediate aftermath of the insurrection,

and the Inspector General's reports to the Committee House Administration led by Chair Zoe Lofgren.

Unfortunately, the Senate's legislation fails to include many of the recommendations of these reports that were included in our bill.

In particular, it is disappointing that it does not include funding for bonuses for institutional workers or for a new Quick Reaction Force, among other steps.

However, this bill is an important first step, as it helps harden the Capitol, provide some of the costs of the insurrection and support the Capitol Police.

Passing this legislation does not end our work to keep the Capitol safe. Again, this is a first step. The House will continue to work to enact the recommendations of the Honore report, through other avenues if needed.

We must come to a time when families and children can visit the Capitol, lawmakers can do our jobs, press can report, and the Capitol can function and serve the American people--all with safety and respect.

I urge a strong and hopefully bipartisan vote for this security supplemental.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I am pleased to come to the floor to salute him for his leadership as chair of this very important subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations that makes things happen for us in the Capitol to do the people's business.

The United States Capitol has always been a beacon of freedom, liberty, and justice to America and to the entire world. Here, lawmakers and staff, institutional workers, the Capitol Police, and members of the press enable the functioning of our very democracy. It is vital that we ensure that this institution has the funding and resources needed to serve the people.

The most exciting part of it is when children come to the Capitol safely and curiously and excited about seeing where laws are made and what our Founders' vision was and what our men and women in uniform fight for as we see in their eyes their aspirations to the future which is our charge for the children.

That is why today I am proud to rise in support of the Legislative Branch appropriations bill which meets these needs. I thank the committee chairwoman, Ms. DeLauro, and subcommittee chair, Tim Ryan, for their leadership. This takes a lot of attention and a lot of specificity and meticulous attention to detail, and I thank the distinguished chair of the committee for his brilliant attention to all of that.

This funding bill not only funds the legislative branch, it strengthens it. It does so by advancing a more diverse and inclusive congressional workforce. It has long been a priority for many of us to ensure that the Halls of the Capitol reflect the beautiful diversity of our Nation at every level.

The bill provides for strong funding for paid internships to support more hardworking interns from middle-class families. This has been such a priority

for many of us because these internships are an opportunity for young people. But if they are unpaid, they already self-select as to who can participate. We have seen this over time, where that opportunity cannot be taken advantage of unless there is funding for it.

It also provides funding for the Wounded Warrior program, which gives our heroes who served in uniform an opportunity to serve in congressional offices.

Proudly, it allows Dreamers to work in the legislative branch. Our Dreamers make America more American, and it is vital that their voices are heard here in the Capitol.

Most importantly, this bill is about security, and that is a moral imperative, funding and supporting our United States Capitol Police force, the heroes. In this legislation, we secured strong increases in funding for the Capitol Police force, which will provide for the hiring of over 2,100 sworn officers and 450 civilian members of the Capitol Police.

It also improves training and bolsters wellness support for the Capitol Police, many of whom are still suffering from the January 6 domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol complex.

Just yesterday, we heard from four heroic members of law enforcement who suffered horrible injuries and trauma that day. That trauma continues, not just among the Capitol Police, not just among Members of Congress, not just among Capitol staff, congressional staff, but those people who maintain the Capitol, who make it all work for us, custodial and maintenance people in the Capitol.

Every hero of that day needs and deserves our support. Now that the Senate has announced their agreement on a security supplemental, we will work to ensure that the need of the Capitol and congressional community, as completed in the Honore report, and included here, are met. I thank the chairman for the work that was done on that supplemental.

Of course, what we sent to the Senate is much stronger than the response we will get from them, but we must start, and we must continue.

This legislation honors our heroes. It respects our values. It directs removal of statues or busts in the Capitol of Confederate traitors, as well as statues of white supremacists.

As I have said many times, the Halls of Congress are the very heart of our democracy. The statues on display should embody our highest ideals as Americans, expressing who we are and who we aspire to be as a Nation.

Removal of these statues is long overdue. That is why, as Speaker, I have led the passage of legislation now twice to do so. In fact, I took down the pictures in the Speaker's Lobby months ago as an example.

At the same time, this afternoon, we are considering the foreign ops bill. I call it the foreign ops bill. When I was the ranking member it was called foreign ops. Now it has a bigger name and a Democratic chairman.

The bill makes important investments to strengthen Congress and, therefore, strengthen America, and it should be passed.

In that spirit, I also support another appropriations bill to strengthen America, H.R. 4373, which advances our leadership in the world, as it defends our values.

As a former ranking member of the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, I am proud of this bill, and I salute the chair, Barbara Lee, a lifelong champion of global health and human rights, including through her leadership on PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight Aids.

This funding bill makes clear that, as President Biden has said, ``America is back.'' It is a strong statement of America's leadership in the world.

With this legislation, America is once again taking the lead in the climate fight, with over $3 billion to address the climate crisis, including through first-ever appropriations to the Green Climate Fund.

We are setting an example for the world on public health, providing over $10 billion to support families' health around the world and prevent future pandemics, focusing on surveillance, detection, and response capabilities.

Also, in terms of public health, we are proud to be permanently repealing the global gag rule, a dangerous rule that deprives the poorest families in the world of basic healthcare and family planning services.

We are investing billions in initiatives for maternal and child health and fighting infectious diseases, including, still, HIV/AIDS through PEPFAR.

This funding honors our values by investing in human rights with the Global Equality Fund and other initiatives to support the LGBTQ community and support for disability rights, gender equality, and protecting persecuted religious minorities; humanitarian assistance, with billions for migration and refugee initiatives and disaster assistance; and protecting democracy and the rule of law around the globe. It contains billions in security and economic support to partners and allies to advance peace, prosperity, and stability.

We are proud of its strong support for Israel, which is in our national security interests.

We are also proud that this legislation helps implement the ALLIES Act, passed last week by the House to expedite Afghan Special Immigrant Visas.

The local Afghan partners who have worked shoulder to shoulder with the American military and our diplomatic personnel are heroes. They have been vital to the safety of American lives and the success of our mission. We made a promise, and now we are keeping it. We must be there for them as they were for us.

These two funding bills demonstrate and defend American leadership at home and around the world. I urge a strong bipartisan ``aye'' vote for both.

I thank the leadership of Rosa DeLauro, Barbara Lee, and Tim Ryan.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut for yielding. I am just in awe of her virtuoso presentation of this legislation for the people.

I thank the chairwoman for the mastery of the subject matter, for the strategic plan that she had to bring it to the floor, for her collaboration with her subcommittee chairs as well as the chairs of the subcommittees of authorization. I congratulate and thank her. I thank her for the children.

Mr. Speaker, this package puts working families first. It does so by prioritizing jobs, laying the foundation to create hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, including by rebuilding the infrastructure, including surface transportation and water infrastructure to get the lead out; advancing the clean energy economy of the future; and launching workforce training for the 21st century. And it puts working families first by investing in our children.

Again and again, when people ask me what the three most important issues facing the Congress are, I always say the same thing, our children, our children, our children, and their health; their education; the economic security of their families; a clean, safe environment in which they can thrive; a world at peace in which they can reach their fulfillment.

This legislation addresses many of these priorities.

Mr. Speaker, children's health is protected with child nutrition initiatives, including SNAP and WIC, serving tens of millions of hungry kids.

I remember when the stories were written about the first community health centers, the person who was the leader in all of that was spending some health money on food, and the Federal Government said: That is supposed to be for prescription drugs and not for food.

He responded: Food is what makes our children healthy.

So I thank the gentlewoman for the nutrition sections in here.

The health of the family is also protected by support for public health initiatives for maternal and child health, as well as research to fight future pandemics and to head off future pandemics.

Our children's education is advanced by ensuring that K-12 schools have resources they need, including with historic investments in title 1, and higher education is advanced in Pell grants and other financial assistance and funding for minority-serving institutions, our HBCUs, our Hispanic-serving institutions, and our institutions that help our Native-American institutions of higher learning.

I think it is really important to note--and I thank the chairwoman for recognizing this--that when we talk about the investments we make in an appropriations bill, it is important to note that this is not increasing the national debt--nothing.

Mr. Speaker, economists will tell you nothing brings more money to the Treasury than the education of the American people. Earliest childhood, K-12, higher ed, post-grad, lifetime learning for our workers--nothing brings more money. So I thank the gentlewoman for this fiscally responsible initiative.

In terms of the economic security of our children and families, these bills make strong investments in rental, homeowner, and other housing initiatives, including low-income households, and in combating homelessness, and they address economic disparities facing families.

Indeed, this appropriation package puts justice and equity front and center. We are proud of its provisions to combat injustice and economic opportunities, pollution and the environment, health and more.

This package is also about our children's future in another respect. It confronts the climate crisis by expanding environmental enforcement efforts, creating a Civilian Climate Corps and launching a renewed focus on protecting our cherished scenic places and expanding local parks in communities across the country for our families to enjoy. It sets us on a course for an affordable, secure, and clean energy future by investing over $14 billion in clean energy and science which will also create thousands of green jobs.

Also, so importantly, this package honors our responsibility to our veterans, their families, and their caregivers. These bills contain robust funding for veterans' healthcare including women's health, women veterans' health, mental health, and homelessness assistance. It will help veterans transition to civilian life with economic opportunities worthy of their service.

We always say that we owe so much to our men and women in uniform and to our veterans. We owe them so much to meet their needs, but we also owe them a debt of gratitude by building a future worthy of their sacrifice. This bill also builds vital military infrastructure, including military housing, childcare centers, and VA facilities.

This week, as we advance these appropriations bills, Congress will continue our work to advance infrastructure and budget reconciliation bills that meet the needs of the American people separate from the appropriations bills. In all that we do, Democrats are for the people and building back better by investing in America with jobs, opportunity, and progress for families.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a strong vote for this important and impactful appropriations bill of which the Congress and the country can all be proud with great gratitude to Madam Chair, Congresswoman DeLauro, for her leadership and all the members of her team.

Mr. Speaker, many Members here, including myself, have traveled to Afghanistan for years to express our gratitude to our heroic men and women in uniform serving there. We remain in awe of their patriotism and courage.

And just as awe-inspiring are their partners on the ground: the local Afghan interpreters, drivers, embassy staff, contractors, security personnel and others who have worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the American military and our diplomatic personnel.

These Afghan partners have been vital to the safety of American lives and to the success of our mission. They accepted an extraordinary risk to their lives and families, with the understanding that we would stand by them.

And now, they are under attack--facing the threat of deadly retribution from the Taliban.

Today, with the ALLIES Act, the U.S. Congress is honoring our promises to these brave heroes: to respect their service and to not leave them behind.

Thank you to Congressman Jason Crow--a former Army Ranger who served our Nation in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He, with Congressman Seth Moulton and the entire bipartisan ``Honoring our Promises'' Working Group, has been firm, principled and relentless in fighting for this legislation and other action to protect our ``Afghan allies.''

Earlier this summer, with their leadership, the House proudly passed the HOPE for Afghan SIVS Act, which took the first step in that mission.

This group has also been instrumental in coordinating Congress's response with the Biden-Harris Administration.

As President Biden has said, ``Those who helped us are not going to be left behind.'' And with his action this week, evacuating Afghan partners to Fort Lee as they await final processing, that promise is being honored.

The Averting Loss of Life and Injury by Expediting SIVs Act will fix the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) process, created over a decade ago to provide safety for Afghan interpreters, contractors, security personnel and others who worked with the United States.

Sadly and unconscionably, the SIV process has long been plagued by severe delays and backlogs, leaving many applicants waiting years for their visas--and hundreds have been killed before receiving approval.

Currently, there are many thousands of applicants in the pipeline, not including their spouses and children. This delay is not only demoralizing--it is deadly, because of the imminent danger posed by Taliban.

The ALLIES Act builds on the HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act, as it increases the Afghan SIV cap, streamlines the application process and strengthens protections for surviving spouses and children, among other important steps.

And it does this without compromising the strict background check and national security vetting procedures or other processes to confirm eligibility.

The threat facing our ``Afghan allies,'' as the national security and defense community calls them, cannot be overstated.

According to the nonprofit organization No One Left Behind, more than 300 translators and their family members have been killed since 2014. Many died while waiting for their visas to be processed.

Over 90 percent of the hundreds of Afghan partners report having received at least one death threat because of their work with Americans.

One Afghan partner, who has been waiting six years for a visa decision, worries, ``If the Taliban take over, they'll easily find me and kill me. Then my wife will have no husband and my daughter will have no father.''

Another says, ``I get phone calls from the Taliban saying, `We will kill you.' They know who I am and that I worked for the Americans. If they find me, they'll torture me and then kill me. It's better if I just kill myself first.''

These courageous allies cannot wait a day longer.

As the United States prepares for and executes the strategic and important withdrawal from Afghanistan, we must do so in a way that protects those who protected us.

With that, I urge a strong and bipartisan vote for our ``Afghan allies.''

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Calvert for calling this Special Order in honor of our former colleague, Jerry Lewis.

As fellow Californians, we were his friends and know what a loss it is to us that he is now looking down on us. Maybe that is what is needed. That is the plus.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues from California--again, thanking Mr. Calvert--to honor a fierce and fearless champion of the Golden State, our late cherished colleague, Congressman Jerry Lewis.

Jerry Lewis lived a life dedicated to California, from serving on the San Bernardino City School Board to his decade in the California Assembly to his 34 years representing Inland Empire communities in the U.S. Congress.

It was when he was in the assembly that I got to know him over 40 years ago. I was the chair of the Northern California Democratic Party, and he was on the committee of jurisdiction that was viewing legislation of concern to voter participation in our State.

He always had that smile. He was always very inviting of ideas, very welcoming. I was brand new in the political arena, had hardly been involved in California politics, and so his warm welcome then is something I always remember. When we served together in Congress, we both remembered it well. Jerry and I were friends, again, for a long time.

Then, in Congress, we served on the Appropriations Committee, where he took great pride in being chair of the full committee. How could it be that he was the first chair of the committee from California? He described it as a milestone beyond his wildest dreams.

Mr. Aguilar, who is here for bipartisan remembrances of Jerry, is part of the Appropriations Committee, and we had our own culture and bipartisanship there over the years.

Jerry took great pride in running the committee because he knew of its power to make a difference in the lives of the people he represented. It was always important to him to reach across the aisle because, in his words: ``The more we can talk to each other as individuals and human beings, the better off the institution is going to be and the more responsive it is going to be.''

When we look around California, we see Jerry's legacy. We see it in the cancer research center he established at Loma Linda University Medical Center; in San Bernardino National Forest, which he helped to protect; and the Lewis Center for Educational Research, exploring the night sky. We see his monument in so many tributes that bear his name throughout his community, from Redlands to Riverside, Highland to Hesperia.

It is fitting that Californians were able to say good-bye to Jerry at the University of Redlands Chapel, in the community he so loved.

Jerry's unique voice, core values, and belief in the promise of America have made a difference for California and, indeed, for our country.

May it be a comfort to Jerry's wife, Arlene; their children, Jenifer, Jerry Jr., Jeff, and Dan; their grandchildren and great-grandchildren; Jerry's brothers, Ray and John; and all of their loved ones, that so many people mourn with and pray for them at this sad time.

We will always remember Jerry as a great American and a great Californian.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank him for his extraordinary leadership as chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I thank him for bringing this important legislation to the floor. I thank Mr. Tonko for his leadership as chair of the subcommittee of jurisdiction, the Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee, and I thank Mr. McKinley, the ranking member on that subcommittee.

I respectfully disagree with the ranking member of the full committee, and I will tell you why. I join our colleagues in support of the PFAS Action Act to address the serious public health issue that is a threat; PFAS chemicals, which are contaminating the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the food we eat.

First, I salute Representative Debbie Dingell, a crusader in our mission to protect our communities from dangerous PFAS chemicals. I thank, again, as I said, Chairman Pallone, Chairman Tonko, and Ranking Member McKinley.

Mr. Speaker, PFAS are referred to as ``forever chemicals''. They are so called because they do not easily break down and even accumulate over time. Right now, they are exposing millions of Americans to health risks ranging from cancer to asthma, and liver disease to thyroid dysfunction.

For babies, they can be particularly devastating with prenatal exposure potentially leading to abnormal growth in utero, low birth rate, and increased risk of childhood obesity and infections. Our distinguished chairman enumerated other threats to the health and wellbeing of the American people.

When people ask me: What are the three most important issues facing the Congress, I always say the same thing: Our children, our children, our children, their health, their education, the economic security of their families, and a safe and clean environment where they can thrive in a world of peace in which they can reach their fulfillment.

Mr. Speaker, PFAS chemicals are clearly and seriously harming to our children's health.

A coalition of public health groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, National Medical Association, and Children's Environmental Health Network, have written: ``These ubiquitous substances pose severe health risks across the United States and represent a growing threat to public health.''

They further state: ``PFAS are particularly dangerous . . . widespread and likely present in the drinking water of tens of millions of Americans.''

Further: ``Developing infants and children are particularly vulnerable to PFAS exposure. . . .

``Of concern, almost all fetuses and infants will have some degree of exposure to PFAS. . . .

``PFAS exposure before birth or in early childhood has been associated with decreased birth weight, effects on renal function and lipid serum levels, and immune system dysfunction.''

That statement was from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, National Medical Association, and the Children's Environmental Health Network.

In addition to our children and young people, PFAS also poses a serious risk to America's servicemembers. There is an epidemic of contamination on military sites with more than 400 sites across the United States affected.

I have had the privilege, Mr. Speaker, of hearing the concerns of many of these families. It is not just about the servicemembers, it is about their children who are affected.

It is unacceptable that the men and women who sacrifice to keep us safe around the world face this danger to their health and that of their children here at home. Yet, despite these obvious and well-known risks, big corporations have for decades failed or refused to prevent their spread.

A new study published last week shows that based on EPA data, an estimated 30,000 industrial sites are known or suspected of using toxic PFAS; 12 times what had been previously estimated. We cannot accept a situation where big special interests' bottom line comes before the public's lives.

To address this crisis, 2 years ago, Democrats crafted strong legislation to rid our communities of PFAS. Many Democrats, and many Members here, played a key role in crafting PFAS-related bills that were included in the bipartisan NDAA agreement reached in the House that year.

I thank Chairman Smith and the members of the committee. Unfortunately, the GOP Senate then refused to support full protections against PFAS chemicals and cut those key provisions from the NDAA; that is, the National Defense Authorization Act.

Last year, House Democrats passed the PFAS Action Act of 2019, which passed with strong bipartisan support, but did not become law because Mitch McConnell senselessly refused to take it up in the Senate.

Now the Democratic House will, once again, pass the PFAS Action Act and send it to the Senate. We are making clear that this legislation is a priority for the American people, and we will not relent until it is enacted.

This legislation will clean up our communities by designating the two most-studied PFAS as a hazardous substance by the EPA and setting a deadline for the EPA to make designation decisions about all other PFAS chemicals.

Next, it will create new, well-funded grants and partnerships with States to help clean up and remedy sites. It will stem the tide of further contamination with tough new testing, reporting, and monitoring requirements; strict limits on the introduction of new PFAS chemicals; limits on air pollution; banning unsafe incineration; and strong measures to hold contaminating companies accountable.

I spent the time to be so specific because this is such a threat to the health and well-being of our children, our children, our children. I urge a strong vote for this legislation, which honors our first responsibility of Congress, to keep our American people safe.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his bringing this important legislation to the floor. I thank our distinguished majority leader for his clarity in presenting the case for this legislation and all of our colleagues who have come to the floor on the Democratic side in the search of truth, justice, and security for our country.

Madam Speaker, I particularly thank Mr. McGovern because on the night of this insurrection, I was in the chair, the security came and pulled me out. He took the chair. He risked his life to take the chair as the assaulters of our Capitol were out to get me with a bullet in the head or to hang the Vice

President of the United States, assault the lives of Members of Congress, traumatize our staff, and disrespect the workers in the Capitol.

It was not an ordinary tourist day in the Capitol as the Republicans have characterized. Republicans have characterized it as a normal day in the Congress, when we have pictures of those very same people pushing furniture against the door to keep the intruders out.

We are under the dome of the Capitol, a dome that was built by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War when people said to him: No, we need the steel, the this and the that to fight the war.

He said: No, we need to show our determination.

Madam Speaker, 1 year into the devastation of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln sent a message to Congress imploring Members to join as one to save the Union.

He said: ``Fellow-citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this Congress and this administration, will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation.''

Madam Speaker, today we go on record. We too have a responsibility, as was described by President Lincoln. We too cannot escape history. We have a duty to the Constitution and to the American people to find the truth of January 6 and to ensure that such an assault on our Democracy can never happen again.

Rather than being frivolous with the facts, we are going to be prayerful and patriotic and honor the concerns of the American people by seeking and finding the truth to protect our country from any future or similar assault.

As has been said many times, that day, January 6, was one of the darkest days of our history. For the Members, the police officers, the staff, the press, and the support workers who were there, the memory of that day remains seared in our memory: the sounds of glass shattering, officers fighting, rioters chanting, the smell of teargas and the taste of smoke in the air and the sight of people fleeing the Capitol or barricading doors as Republicans and Democrats did that night, and the sense of terror, hundreds of people fearing for their lives.

In the aftermath, over 140 members of law enforcement were physically and seriously harmed, five people died, and staff, workers, press, and Members were and still remain traumatized by the experience.

The sheer scale of the violence of that day is shocking. But what is just as shocking is remembering why this violence occurred: to block the certification of an election and the peaceful transfer of power that is the cornerstone of our Democracy. It was a date actually required by the Constitution. It was not just another tourist day in the Capitol.

Congress returned to the Capitol that same night to accomplish our constitutional duty--that same night. Thanks to the workers, the maintenance people here, the Capitol Police, and the rest, we were able to return and send a message to the world that this Congress would honor its constitutional duties regardless of the assault that was made on it.

This was important, and it was bipartisan in the decision. Mr. Hoyer and Mr. McConnell agreed that we would come back.

Where others were saying: Go to an undisclosed location; we said: No, we are going to the Capitol.

Congress returned to the Capitol, as I said, to honor that responsibility. We showed the insurrectionists, the country, and the world that we would not be diverted from our duty. We could do that because of the courage of the Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police, and other law enforcement, some of whom are with us today.

I especially want to recognize Gladys Sicknick, the mother of Brian, who gave his life; and Sandra Garza, his friend and partner.

But it is clear that January 6 was not simply an attack on the Capitol building. It was an attack on our democracy. Every Member here knows that January 6 was an attempt to subvert our democracy.

But many across the aisle refuse to admit the truth. They refused to admit the truth when they voted against certifying President Biden's election that night. They refused to admit the truth when they voted against the creating of a bipartisan commission to investigate the attack. They refused to admit the truth when they called that day a ``normal tourist visit.''

And, today, when many will vote against establishing a select committee to investigate that day, they will, again, refuse to admit the truth. But they did that; 100 percent of them voted ``no'' against putting resources to ensure the security of our Capitol Police and the security of this building. 175 Republicans voted ``no'' when it came time for the commission, 35 ``yeses'' on the Republican side.

I am heartbroken that we don't have the bipartisan commission. We yielded on every point.

Numbers, as Mr. Hoyer said, the numbers, the process for subpoenas, the timing, and further yielded on the Senate side on timing again, as well as clarification on staffing, that was never in doubt, but they wanted further clarification.

They thought--the Republican Senators thought that they could win the day over there. They thought they could. And they thought they had the votes, until the Minority Leader of the Senate, Mitch McConnell, asked them to do him a personal favor and vote against the commission.

Too many of them chose to do Mitch McConnell a personal favor rather than to perform their patriotic duty. And, hence, despite the fact that seven Republican Members either voted or said they would vote for the commission, it was defeated.

They said: Give us another week; give us another week; give us another week; give us another week.

Now it is almost--well, it is 4\1/2\ weeks, and we must go forward.

It does not appear at this time that we can have a bipartisan commission, outside commission. Hopefully, that could still happen. But, in the meantime, we will have a select committee.

This is not unlike what happened in 2001, at the time of the 9/11 Commission. 9/11 happened exactly then, 9/11/2001. It took more than 1 year to get the commission. It was signed into law by the President on November 27, 2002.

In the meantime, there was a Congressional investigation, which was useful to the commission when they finally were formed. So perhaps we can still hope for that, but we cannot wait for it.

To do that, we believe that Congress must, in the spirit of bipartisanship and patriotism, establish this commission. And it will be conducted with dignity, with patriotism, with respect for the American people so that they can know the truth.

It is a funny thing about Mitch saying he wanted them to do him a personal favor. Oh, my goodness.

We had a commission on this side of the Capitol. Bennie Thompson, our distinguished chair of the Homeland Security Committee, working with the ranking member of the committee, Mr. Katko, put together a bipartisan commission. Only 35 Republicans voted for it, even though we responded to every one of their concerns, except, as Mr. Hoyer said, scope. Scope. They just did not want to go to the truth, sadly.

That is why there will be--and, today, we are establishing--a select committee on the January 6 insurrection. It will investigate and report upon the facts and causes of the attack. It will report on conclusions and recommendations for preventing any future assault. And it will find the truth, which, clearly, the Republicans fear; but, hopefully, not across the country.

This committee is about our security, ensuring that a future attack does not happen. It is about patriotism and democracy, ensuring that Congress can continue to serve the American people.

Mr. Hoyer rightfully pointed out that, as the other side likes to say, oh, the Senate did a bipartisan--they were very limited in what they were allowed to do. They were only allowed to investigate the security of the building, not the cause of it, not the fact that it was an insurrection incited by the executive branch. None of that was allowed.

So don't use that as an excuse not to have a fuller investigation of the underlying causes of what happened, the underlying causes of white supremacists and anti-Semites; one man with a

Camp Auschwitz shirt on: Six million are not enough.

You would think they would reject that. Not just a normal day of tourism in the Capitol.

In that message to the Congress that I quoted in the beginning from President Lincoln, it concluded by clearly declaring: ``We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of Earth. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just--a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless.''

He also said: ``We know how to save the Union. The world knows we do know how to save it. We . . . hold the power, and bear the responsibility.''

Today, we, too, hold the power and bear the responsibility. Let all Members do what is right and vote for this legislation. We will be judged by future generations as to how we value our democracy. Let's be on the right side not only of history, but the right side of the future.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, it is with great official pride and personal pride, but some sadness, that I rise to honor the dedicated service of two departing members of the Speaker's staff: my deputy chief of staff, Diane Dewhirst; and my senior policy advisor, Patti Ross.

Diane Dewhirst is a pillar of the Speaker's office and of our caucus. Indeed, there are few Members who do not know Diane, and even fewer who are unfamiliar with her skills and her contributions.

Diane has dedicated decades to Democratic politics, ever since, as a college student, she borrowed her father's red Buick Skylark to drive across Illinois to campaign for the legendary Congressman Abner Mikva.

And she has remained in the political arena ever since; working in the DNC and DSCC; holding positions in the Clinton administration in not one, but six agencies; serving in Senator George Mitchell's office; and then serving as a key member of my office when I was leader and now Speaker.

Her interest in politics sprang from her commitment to the values of our country and her patriotic spirit. She has a trusted voice, bringing extensive experience, sound judgment, and remarkable institutional knowledge to our legislative work.

I know that she takes great pride in our work for women and families, particularly in what is my proudest official moment as Speaker: The passage of the Affordable Care Act, which has delivered quality healthcare to millions of Americans.

Diane has made a difference in this institution that transcends the political, the policy, and the legislative realm. Over her 15 years in my office, she has been an outstanding mentor and role model to many, particularly young women. She has dedicated her service to this truth, as I always say: ``When women succeed, America succeeds.''

Diane's love of the arts is well known. She has represented my office in our work with leading cultural institutions, including the Smithsonian, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and the National Gallery of Art. Given her passion and experience in this arena, it is fitting that she is leaving Capitol Hill for the National Endowment for the Arts.

Inscribed in the marble facade of the Kennedy Center are President John F. Kennedy's powerful words: ``The life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction, in the life of the nation, is very close to the center of a nation's purpose . . . and is a test of the quality of a nation's civilization.''

At the NEA, Diane's passion for the ``life of the arts'' will serve this Nation's purpose well.

On behalf of the House of Representatives, I thank Diane. I wish her and her

husband, Bob; and her children, JoAnna, Billy, and Rob, much happiness as she begins this next phase.

Thank you very much, Diane.

I thank the Biden administration for taking my staff.

Also departing this week is our senior policy advisor, Patti Ross. Patti is, simply, the gold standard of public service. Indeed, President Biden chose an expert of domestic policymaking in appointing Patti Ross to serve as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Patti has served in my office for over a decade, where she has been an invaluable asset to all of us; our caucus; indeed, the entire Congress.

Her portfolio spans a major portion of domestic policy: agriculture, nutrition, education and labor, veterans, military families, and caregivers.

Patti has earned the respect of Members and staff on both sides of the aisle for all her legislative acumen and accomplishments, but particularly for her ironclad commitment to our veterans. Coming from a long line of veterans in her family, this dedication is in her DNA.

As Speaker, I have seen her commitment firsthand, including her work leading the VSO roundtables, which ensure that those who have donned the uniform have a seat at the decisionmaking table.

Indeed, one of the many strengths that Patti brings is her experience as a consensus finder and a coalition builder; a leader with the courage and the character to fight to ensure that Congress and veterans have a voice at the VA.

The unanimous confirmation of Patti Ross last week was, therefore, a joyous victory for America's veterans and their families and caregivers.

When I spoke at Patti's confirmation hearing, I relayed an anecdote from a congressional delegation visit that she helped plan. This was to France for the 75th anniversary of the Allied D-day landings in Normandy and to Belgium and Luxembourg for the anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.

During that visit, we were honored, as we often have been on those visits, to meet with World War II veterans, including one man in his nineties, whose message to us all was simply: ``Pray for peace.''

As I said at her hearing, ``It is with great confidence that I can say that Patti Ross, if confirmed, will be a powerful force for peace for our veterans, their families, and caregivers.''

On behalf of the Congress, I congratulate Patti on her well-deserved recognition. Congratulations also to her family and partner, Tim.

I thank both Diane and Patti for their consequential service and wish them much success in their new capacity in the Biden administration.

Amendment Offered by Mr. DeSaulnier

Mr. Speaker, in November, the American people elected leaders committed to not only recovering from the pandemic and economic crisis, but to Building Back Better.

Americans know that now is the time to act boldly with a once-in-a- century investment to rebuild our nation's infrastructure.

With the INVEST in America Act, Democrats are honoring the faith placed in us, as we seize this historic opportunity to Build Back Better.

Thank you to Chair Peter DeFazio, who has been masterful in putting together this strong, jobs-creating package to rebuild America. Thanks also to Chair Frank Pallone, and to members of both committees for ensuring that the priorities of all our communities are represented in this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I thank Madam Chair for her leadership on this very important issue.

The point that she makes is interesting because, actually, in terms of the 14th Amendment, when Black Americans were given the right to vote, it was the Republicans who were the votes to make that happen, and the Democrats, to a person, voted against it. So, her point is well taken. Now, we are in a fight to protect that right to vote, but we will have that conversation another day. Today, we are here for a very specific purpose.

Madam Speaker, this weekend, we observe the birth of our Nation, the Fourth of July, when Americans joyfully celebrate the birth of America's independence and the blessings of liberty.

As we do so, we solemnly recognize that those blessings have been denied to so many throughout our Nation's history out of sheer bigotry and racism.

This holiday, while a celebration, is also an opportunity to take steps to right the wrongs of history, starting here, right here in the U.S. Capitol.

That is why, today, we are again passing legislation to remove statues of Confederate officials and other advocates of bigotry and removing them from the U.S. Capitol.

As I have said before, the Halls of Congress are the very heart of our democracy. The statues that we display should embody our highest ideals as Americans, expressing who we are and who we aspire to be as a nation.

Monuments to men or people who advocated cruelty and barbarism to achieve such a plainly racist end are a grotesque affront to those ideals. They are an homage to hate, not heritage. They must be removed.

I thank Leader Steny Hoyer, who has been advocating this for a long time and took charge and worked with Whip Jim Clyburn, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Joyce Beatty, Chair Bennie Thompson, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congressman G. K. Butterfield, who we just heard from, and the Chair. Madam Speaker, I

thank you and the others for your leadership.

This action builds on actions taken last Juneteenth when, using my authority as House Speaker, I ordered the removal of four portraits of past Speakers from the Capitol who traitorously served in the Confederacy.

Among the Confederate statues in the Capitol that we are addressing today are Jefferson Davis and Alexander Stephens, president and vice president of the Confederacy, respectively, both of whom were charged with treason against America.

This legislation also removes from the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the Capitol the bust of Justice Roger Taney, a defender of slavery and the author of the 1857 Dred Scott ruling, one of the most horrific stains on our Nation and the Court's history. Mr. Hoyer has been particularly interested in removing Justice Taney.

Removing these statues will not erase this stain or that of other racist acts in our history, nor will it erase the racism that exists in our country today. But it is an important and necessary step.

How can we seek to end the scourge of racism--including by passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which the Chair has championed--when we allow the worst perpetrators of that racism to be lauded in the Halls of Congress?

Congress has the opportunity and the obligation to make meaningful change. Let us lead by example.

The Taney bust will be replaced by a tribute to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, an icon of equality and champion of justice in America.

I am very proud of Justice Marshall's Baltimore roots, as a native Baltimorean, and I am happy that our Baltimore airport is named for him.

Justice Thurgood Marshall's words, uttered nearly 30 years ago, must be our inspiration. He said: ``America must get to work. . . . We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred, and the mistrust.''

He went on further to say: ``We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better.''

His words were later echoed by our Baltimore brother Elijah Cummings, who said: ``We are better than this.''

Madam Speaker, we can do better, for the children. I urge a strong bipartisan vote on this important step to do better, to right the wrongs of history, and to move our Nation toward a future of justice. I do so with gratitude for all of the champions who have brought us to this important day. I urge a strong bipartisan vote.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership in bringing this important legislation, more than one piece of legislation, to the floor today.

As I rise to speak in support of reversing the anti-consumer fake lender rule pushed through in the final weeks of the previous administration, I just want to take a moment to put it in perspective.

Madam Speaker, in November, the people elected Democratic majorities in the Congress that would be for the people, fighting for the public interests, not the special interests.

To that end, they elected majorities that would reverse the damage inflicted on their health and financial security by the last administration.

That mission is why the House this week is passing legislation under the Congressional Review Act to reverse three of the past President's most egregious assaults on families' well-being.

The Congressional Review Act is one of Congress' most important tools to reassert the power of the people's House to deliver for the people and to reclaim our authority under the Constitution, upholding the balance of powers that is the foundation of our American democracy.

With the gentlewoman's permission, I wish to speak to the anti- consumer fake lender rule, but also speak to two other issues under the Congressional Review Act this afternoon.

On the floor today is legislation, again, to reverse the anti- consumer fake lender rule pushed through in the final weeks of the previous administration.

This fake lender rule greenlights rent-a-bank schemes in which predatory lenders evade bank interest rate limits to swindle vulnerable consumers. This is done by putting a bank

name on loan paperwork and claiming that the bank, not the predatory lender, issued the loan.

To take one example, in California, where the interest rate on a 2- year $2,000 loan is capped at 25 percent, lenders can use rent-a-bank partnerships to make loans with rates up to 225 percent.

This bipartisan resolution to end the fake lender rule is supported by many: a bipartisan coalition of 25 State attorneys general; faith leaders, including the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, the National Association of Evangelicals, the National Baptist Convention USA, hundreds of banking law and consumer finance regulation scholars, and Americans across the country and across parties, urging us to support this Congressional Review Act reversal of the anti-consumer fake lender rule.

Also today, we are considering legislation to undo the antiworker, pro-discrimination rule forced through in the final week of the past administration.

The EEOC was established to protect working people from discrimination and ensure that discrimination charges are resolved fairly. But this rule would impose draconian new obligations that bias the conciliation process against employees, toward employers; escalate the potential for retaliation, because retaliation claims make up half of EEOC's charges filed at the EEOC last year; siphon off scarce EEOC resources and saddle the EEOC with wasteful collateral litigation, prolonging harm to workers through delays; and contravene both the Supreme Court precedent and Congressional intent.

This month, civil rights and workers' rights organizations wrote to Congress in support of S.J. Res. 13, writing: ``The EEOC must be able to conduct its work efficiently . . . to prevent and remedy workplace discrimination.

``This mission is even more critical in the middle of a global pandemic that continues to have severe economic repercussions for women, people of color, and other marginalized communities.

``The final rule will only deepen the barriers working people face coming forward to report discrimination and obtain justice.''

This Congressional Review Act legislation passed the Senate. Hopefully, it will pass the House today.

Finally, tomorrow we take up bipartisan legislation that paves the way to restore the Obama-era protections against harmful methane pollution, which the most recent past President rolled back.

Briefly, these safeguards are key protections for public health that will also make a serious difference in combating the climate crisis. Methane is responsible for at least one-quarter of the warming of the planet. And it is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere.

This resolution passed on a bipartisan basis in the Senate and in the Energy and Commerce Committee. It builds on the commitment of the President and the Democratic Congress to tackle the climate crisis.

As the administration has stated, addressing methane pollution is an urgent and essential step.

Madam Speaker, with that, as Speaker, I am proud to be able to use the Speaker's prerogative to speak beyond the item on the floor right now.

I am proud to support these important actions to reverse the Trump damage and to deliver results that make a difference in the lives of hardworking American families.

I thank all of our leaders for this legislation for the people: Chair Bobby Scott and Representative Suzanne Bonamici on the EEOC resolution; Representative Chuy Garcia for his work on the true lender resolution; Representative Diana DeGette and Chairman Frank Pallone, and many others, on the methane resolution from the Energy and Commerce Committee.

I urge strong votes for S.J. Res. 13, 14, and 15.

Coming back to the resolution on the floor right now, I thank the distinguished chair of the Financial Services Committee for her leadership in looking out always for the consumer, for competition, for fairness, for the people.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership in bringing this important and overdue legislation to the floor.

Congratulations to you, Mr. Chairman, for being the chair of the committee and, as your ranking member has said, striving to act in a very bipartisan way. That doesn't hold for today necessarily; but, nonetheless, where there is a will, there is a way.

Madam Speaker, nearly 20 years have passed since the Congress passed the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force, and 10 years have passed since the formal end of U.S. military operations: Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Yet, today, 10 years later, our Nation is still operating under an outdated Authorization for Use of Military Force, which risks being used, and in some cases has been used, as a blank check to conduct unrelated military operations.

Let me be clear. Repealing the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force in no way precludes us, our country, from defending our military and diplomatic personnel in Iraq. Article II of the Constitution, the 2001 AUMF, and the bilateral agreements with Iraq permit this.

But it will prevent a situation in which U.S. military personnel are deployed or military operations are conducted, without the approval of Congress or the country, for purposes that are unconnected to the AUMF's original purpose.

We are here because of the courage of Congresswoman Barbara Lee. No one has been fiercer or more relentless or more principled on this issue. I thank Congresswoman Barbara Lee and others who have worked with her over the years.

I thank also our Foreign Affairs chair, Gregory Meeks, who has moved this bipartisan priority with both urgency and unity through the committee.

We are pleased that this legislation, which has previously passed the House twice, has over 130 cosponsors. Thank you, also, to Senator Tim Kaine, a longtime leader on AUMF repeal and reform in the Senate, who has introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

Repealing the 2002 AUMF will defend Congress' constitutional authorities and our American democracy's system of separation of powers.

Under the Constitution, it is the Congress that has the sole duty to declare war. We must reassert that authority to decide if and when our country goes to war.

This repeal is also possible because of the leadership of President Joe Biden, who understands and has respect for Congress' constitutional authorities. He understands the need for this action to keep our troops and the American people safe. Again, that is our first responsibility: to protect and defend.

The Congress stands in agreement with the Biden-Harris administration, which has stated that ``the President is committed to working with the Congress to ensure that outdated authorizations for the use of military force are replaced with a narrow and specific framework appropriate to ensure that we can continue to protect Americans from terrorist threats.''

Why has that been elusive, for us to come up with a better, more focused plan?

Madam Speaker, just for public information, when we have tried to come up with a newer, fresher, more appropriate AUMF, we have three challenges.

What is the scope? What is the Authorization for Use of Military Force for? Is it for boots on the ground? Is it for air? What is it for? What is the scope that we are giving the authority to the executive branch to use?

What is the geography? How far does that extend? Is this global? Is it specific to a region?

These are important decisions because some of the threats are, shall we say, unpredictable. But that doesn't mean what we do here should be unpredictable.

The third is the timing. How long does it last? What is it for? How far in geography does it extend? And how long does that authority last?

Over time, as we have tried to replace this outdated Authorization for Use of Military Force, we have run into those disagreements internally as well as with the White House. But the more the public knows about our commitment to honoring our constitutional responsibility--and we will work with a President who is not here to undermine that--hopefully, we will have that authorization, as necessary, as we go forward.

As Members of Congress, the first duty we have is to keep the American people safe. That includes our courageous men and women in uniform, who sacrifice every day for our freedoms.

To do this, we must pursue a National Security Strategy and a defense policy that are smart, strong, and strategic. And we look forward to working with the administration on this vital mission.

With that, I again salute our distinguished colleague from California, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, for her persistence and her leadership; our distinguished chairman, Mr. Gregory Meeks.

Again, I am grateful for the courteous consideration of this legislation today, although we may not be in complete agreement.

Madam Speaker, I urge a strong vote for H.R. 256, to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force, and hope that we will have a strong bipartisan vote.

Madam Speaker, I commend our distinguished chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and the Congress, for bringing this important legislation to the floor within 24 hours of it passing the Senate.

It is a pretty exciting historic day.

I thank Congresswoman Jackson Lee for her sponsorship of this legislation for such a long time.

Madam Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues in the spirit of joy and pride as the Congress passes this legislation to declare Juneteenth a national holiday.

With this step, Congress is ensuring that one of the most momentous

events in our history--which has been celebrated by millions, particularly Black Americans for 150 years now--is officially recognized; that it is enshrined in our history books, and it takes its place of honor in our Nation.

Juneteenth is a beautiful and proud celebration of freedom for Black Americans. It marks the day, 2 years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, when Major General Gordon Granger and Union soldiers delivered the news of liberation in Galveston, Texas, not far from the district the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) represents.

That day, General Granger conveyed the declaration that all are free with ``an absolute equality of rights and rights of property.''

I know that Texas' special place in our Nation's history is cherished by its delegation, especially, as I mentioned, the Chair, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, representing Houston. Thank you for being the author of the legislation, the House companion of S. 475.

Thank you to the Congressional Black Caucus and its distinguished chair, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty from Ohio, and the Texas delegation and all Members who have worked for this official recognition over many years, including Representative Danny Davis. Thank you, also, to Committee on Oversight and Reform chair, Carolyn Maloney.

We salute Senators Ed Markey and John Cornyn, leading in the Senate, and congratulate them on yesterday's passage of S. 475 without objection.

And let me salute the activists and leaders who carried this fight to this day, including the late Dr. Ronald Myers. For decades, until his passing, Doc Myers led the campaign to make Juneteenth a national day of observance.

Over the past century and a half, Juneteenth has evolved into a day not only of celebration but of reflection. This day reminds us of a history much stained by brutality and injustice, and it reminds us of our responsibility to build a future of progress for all, honoring the ideal of equality that is America's heritage and America's hope.

I feel very honored to be here with the Congressional Black Caucus, as I mentioned already, to speak on behalf of this legislation. I thank them for making this day possible. I also had the honor of traveling with them to Ghana almost 2 years ago at the end of July as we observed the 400th anniversary of the first slaves coming to America.

John Lewis was with us on that trip to go to the Door of No Return, which is now the Door of Return, as it urges people to come back. Almost 402 years ago, the first slaves were pushed from Africa into dungeons, which were deadly, and onto slave ships, which were death ships, to come across the ocean to a place where they would be enslaved for hundreds of years.

It challenges the conscience of the world, and certainly of America, to even think about what happened to people in our country over that period of time. But to be there with the Congressional Black Caucus was a very, very special honor, and to see the connection between that Door of No Return and Ghana and the connection to our Members of Congress on the floor of this House today serving with such dignity and pride.

Madam Speaker, we know that the fight against racism and toward equality has far to go, but it is a fight that continues with a renewed sense of urgency all the time, now sparked by the murder of George Floyd and so many others.

We salute Congresswoman Karen Bass as she continues negotiations on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which now must become law.

As we fight for its passage, the Democratic House remains committed to real, effective action to advance justice, fairness, and opportunity for all. That is the purpose of our Congressional Black Caucus in this Congress. The Congressional Black Caucus is the conscience of the House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, I urge a bipartisan vote on this important legislation and thank all Members who have led this effort which strengthens America.

I hope we can have, again, a strong bipartisan vote.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership and recognition on this important issue.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation.

I am so proud of Representative Jackie Speier, with whom I have the privilege of corepresenting San Francisco. Jackie Speier has been our champion on San Francisco Bay, and this San Francisco Bay Restoration Act is a vital step to restoring our cherished bay.

It is an honor to be joined in this legislation with other bay area colleagues, Jared Huffman, John Garamendi, Mike Thompson, Jerry McNerney, Mark DeSaulnier, Barbara Lee, Ro Khanna, Anna Eshoo, and Zoe Lofgren. I also thank Senators Dianne

Feinstein and Alex Padilla, who have introduced a Senate companion bill.

Madam Speaker, Members may not know, but the San Francisco Bay is an icon of California and a national treasure: inspiring us with its beauty and its might, enriching our lives with world-class recreation, tourism, and jobs.

The bay area delta, of which it is a part, is also the economic lifeblood of our coast, contributing over $370 billion to our economy each year and supporting more than four million jobs.

As part of the bay-delta estuary, it is a vital part of public health, providing drinking water for millions of Californians, a key force in combating the climate crisis.

But, for centuries, this magnificent estuary has been overexploited and underprotected. Today, 90 percent of the bay area's wetlands have been destroyed, undermining the strength of our coastal economies and communities.

The San Francisco Bay Restoration Act--sponsored and championed by Congresswoman Jackie Speier over many years--would make a long overdue $125 million investment in restoration efforts. It improves coordination from San Francisco to Washington, as it revives our wetlands to protect our coastal communities, improves our water quality, strengthens our climate resilience, including by combating sea level rise.

In 2018, the GAO concluded that a centralized initiative providing improved coordination and communication across efforts, along with dedicated Federal funding, would be the best chance for long-term restoration and protection of this vital geographic area on the West Coast. And this bill introduced by Congresswoman Jackie Speier provides exactly that.

Californians have fought to increase appropriations for the bay area for years, and we are grateful for the support of then-chair Nita Lowey of the Appropriations Committee and the chair of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, Betty McCollum. We secured an increase of $3 million in funding for the bay.

Last year, with the support of Transportation and Infrastructure chair Peter DeFazio and, hence, the committee of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee chair Grace Napolitano, the House passed this Bay Restoration Act by a voice vote, and then again as part of our infrastructure bill, H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. Now we want to make it the law of the land.

Our communities and our lives are heavily enriched by the bay-delta estuary. This investment is an economic, health, environmental, and moral imperative.

I urge Members to support it with strong bipartisan support, and I hope that it will be bipartisan on the part of our colleagues on the West Coast, who know the value of the quality of life that the bay estuary project brings to us. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for leading the effort on the floor today to pass this important legislation. I commend her and the ranking member, Mr. McHenry, for his good words about this legislation and his reference to the bravery of our Capitol Police.

Madam Speaker, over 5 months have passed since the January 6 insurrection was waged against our Capitol and our democracy.

For most of us, the horror of January 6 has not faded. The memory of Members, staff, and workers fleeing for their lives, the sound of screams and shots fired, the agony of over 140 law enforcement officers physically harmed and those killed all remain very raw.

January 6 was unquestionably one of the darkest days in the history of our democracy, but because of the courage of the Capitol Police and other law enforcement officers, it will also be etched in history as a day of heroism. That day the Capitol Police Force put themselves between the violence and us. They risked their safety and their lives for others with the utmost selflessness. Some died, becoming martyrs for our democracy.

They did so because they were patriots, the type of Americans who heard the call to serve and answered it, putting country above self. They enabled us to return to the Capitol, to that podium that night to show the world that our democracy had prevailed and that it had succeeded because of them.

In March, as you recall, we came together and we passed legislation to award these patriots the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award, as has been mentioned, that this body can offer.

Doing so was a high honor and privilege for each of us, and it was also our responsibility to ensure that we always remember those heroes and their sacrifice.

As I said on the floor then: ``May the courage of these heroes always remain an inspiration to us. And may we always remember the valor of the fallen.''

This gold medal will be proudly displayed, as the distinguished gentleman referenced, for years to come, ensuring that their valor and the sacrifice of the fallen are always remembered.

But 2 weeks after we passed that gold medal legislation, as you know, Madam Speaker, under your leadership, Congress honored one of the fallen, Officer Brian Sicknick, with a lying-in-state ceremony to convey the grief and gratitude felt for all Americans by his sacrifice.

That respect was reflected in the presence of distinguished leaders, military leaders, and leaders of institutions of government who came to pay their respects, including President Biden.

Sadly, just weeks later, we returned to the Capitol rotunda for a lying-in-honor ceremony for Officer Billy Evans, as the distinguished ranking member mentioned, killed in the line of duty in April on Good Friday.

Officer Evans was a distinguished member of the first responders unit and an 18-year veteran of the United States Capitol Police.

Everyone who knew him knew he was a hero. We hope that it was a comfort to his children Logan and Abigail that so many learned that day what a hero their father was. We hope by adding Billy's name to the pantheon of patriots honored with this gold medal, the memory of his sacrifice will always endure.

So here we are once again on the floor of the House honoring our heroes. As we pass this legislation, we, as Members of Congress, have a responsibility to do more than simply laud these officers as heroes.

We must respect them and we must support them with resources and funding. We must keep them safe. And we must ensure that a January 6th attack can never happen again.

This is about our respect for their service and our responsibility to honor their sacrifice. Any chance we get, we want to praise our Capitol Police. Sadly, we are doing this in a time when we are honoring some who have lost their lives and some were severely injured, but every day we know that they are making a sacrifice, and that is what we respect.

I urge a strong bipartisan vote for this legislation. I am pleased to hear both our distinguished chair, Maxine Waters, and the distinguished ranking member both support the legislation. I urge all members to join us in honoring our law enforcement heroes with real action with a gold medal.