Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise in resounding support of the Women's Health Protection Act.

This bill will restore a fundamental constitutional right that has been simply stripped away by a rogue rightwing Supreme Court.

While my Republican colleagues celebrate this injustice and cook up plans for a nationwide abortion ban, Americans across the country are already feeling the devastating effects of the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Stories of a 10-year-old child having to travel to neighboring States to receive care, or women bleeding from ectopic pregnancies have shocked the world--as red States, many with some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, have rolled back abortion access.

None of the courts, nor States, nor politicians should have a say in women's ability to make their own decisions about their health, their well-being, and their future. That rests with their loved ones, their doctor, and their God.

If we claim to love freedom--to be a free and just society--we must ensure that this basic human right is finally enshrined into law.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for offering this commonsense amendment. The reality is, we have a lot of waste containing PFAS spread out all across the country. We need a plan to make certain that it is handled and disposed of safely.

In the past, I have strongly opposed efforts--including efforts in my district--to incinerate these materials without any proper evaluation of whether it was--or even could be--done safely.

This amendment is the right approach. It requires DOD to study and report on the technological options to destroy PFAS before we commit to incinerating it in a manner that could put public health and the environment at risk.

There needs to be much greater transparency on what DOD has done to date and how DOD is planning to deal with PFAS waste in the future, and I believe Congress has a responsibility to ensure that the methods used are protective of public health.

Madam Speaker, I urge Members to support this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act.

I offer my thanks to Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member Rodgers and their staffs for their tireless work on this bill. It is yet another example of the profound good our committee can produce when we work together in a collaborative and bipartisan fashion.

This strongly bipartisan legislation will take several steps to improve mental health and substance use care.

Importantly, H.R. 7666 includes my Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which will eliminate outdated barriers that prevent more people in need from having access to buprenorphine, a lifesaving drug. I have worked on this legislation for years and was pleased to see it advance out of committee with a strong bipartisan majority.

By passing this legislation, we will vastly expand access to addiction medicine and move us toward a system of treatment on demand for those struggling with addiction.

It is not hyperbole to say this is one of the most meaningful steps that Congress has taken to date to address the opioid epidemic. It will save countless lives, and I am indeed grateful for the bipartisan push here to get it over the finish line.

H.R. 7666 also includes a bill that I authored to reauthorize and strengthen the Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, which serves as the foundation for State's substance use prevention and treatment programs.

We made important improvements to the block grant, including clarifying that recovery support services are eligible for funding through this program.

We are going to keep working to increase funding levels and hopefully implement a recovery set-aside, ensuring that all States invest in critical recovery services.

Taken together, the pieces of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act will truly make a difference to families and communities struggling with mental health and substance use challenges.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this critically important legislation that delivers hope to our communities, delivers hope to the doorstep of our families.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the Griffith amendment. Not only does this amendment needlessly delay the implementation of the MAT Act by another year, it does so with the intent of encouraging States to enact more restrictions on buprenorphine in the interim, running directly contrary to the intent of the underlying bill.

Let's remember the facts here. We are in the middle of an unprecedented crisis. Last year alone, 107,000 were taken from us too early by drug overdoses. One all-too-common theme in these deaths is a lack of access to

treatment. Despite being recognized as the gold standard of care that can cut the risk of overdose in half, only about 1 in 10 individuals with opioid use disorder received medications like buprenorphine to treat their addiction. That is a glaring systemic failure.

H.R. 7666 takes a strong step to address that failure by expanding access to safe and effective addiction treatment through eliminating the outdated and redundant requirement that healthcare providers obtain a special waiver from the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for the treatment of addiction.

Despite the lifesaving potential this legislation can bring, this amendment raises concerns about the impact the MAT Act will have on safety, abuse, and diversion, and I would take a moment to directly address these concerns.

Let's start with the basic facts on safety.

Unlike heroin and fentanyl that are causing overdose deaths, buprenorphine is a safe medication that is highly effective at protecting people from overdose.

Due to its ceiling effect, buprenorphine does not cause people to feel high and is unlikely to result in substance use disorder or be a cause of overdose deaths.

With regard to diversion and abuse, the DEA, which is responsible for policing illicit diversion, has specifically looked at this issue and found that the primary reason for buprenorphine diversion is the failure to access legitimate treatment, and that increasing, not limiting, buprenorphine treatment may be an effective response to diversion.

Indeed, as buprenorphine access has increased over the last 5 years through legislation passed by this Congress, misuse of the medication has decreased.

So I would say that it is important for us to be responsible here. We are in the midst of a pandemic, an epidemic that is causing great pain, great suffering, great death, every day, every week. Every moment we circumvent our responsibilities, someone is paying the price for that.

Madam Speaker, I strongly oppose this amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an inspiring pioneer and brilliant mind, Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, on the occasion of her retirement.

Dr. Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, was the first Black woman to receive a doctorate degree in physics from MIT, and in 1999 became the first Black woman to lead a top-ranked research university.

Ever the trailblazer, Dr. Jackson was the first Black person and the first woman to chair the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Dr. Jackson's historic achievements in public service and in her field of theoretical physics, combined with her tireless advocacy for increased Black representation in STEM fields, continue to provide inspiration to so many in New York's capital region and, for that matter, across our Nation.

It is no surprise that Time magazine has called her ``perhaps the ultimate role model for women in science.''

It is indeed my honor to congratulate the unmatched Dr. Jackson as she embarks on the next chapter of her life. I thank her for inserting herself, her strength, and her vision into the fabric of RPI.

Dr. Jackson, thank you for your outstanding leadership.

Madam Speaker, I was detained by legislative business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 98 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 99.

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Baird (Walorski)

Bilirakis (Fleischmann)

Bowman (Meng)

Cawthorn (Nehls)

Comer (Fleischmann)

Crist (Wasserman Schultz)

Cuellar (Pappas)

Curtis (Stewart)

DeGette (Blunt Rochester)

Espaillat (Correa)

Harder (CA) (Gomez)

Jayapal (Gomez)

Johnson (TX) (Jeffries)

Joyce (OH) (Garbarino)

Kahele (Mrvan)

Krishnamoorthi (Beyer)

Lawson (FL) (Wasserman Schultz)

Mace (Rice (SC))

Manning (Beyer)

McClain (Fitzgerald)

Newman (Beyer)

Owens (Stewart)

Roybal-Allard (Wasserman Schultz)

Salazar (Gimenez)

Sanchez (Gomez)

Scott, David (Jeffries)

Sessions (Babin)

Sires (Pallone)

Soto (Wasserman Schultz)

Steel (Obernolte)

Strickland (Takano)

Suozzi (Beyer)

Taylor (Carter (TX))

Thompson (MS) (Evans)

Trone (Beyer)

Waltz (Mast)

Wilson (FL) (Jeffries)

Madam Speaker, I am very proud of the efforts that have been made by the House to advance COMPETES, an act that is about investment; a bipartisan effort promoted with higher prioritization by the leadership of this House to address investment: investment in research, investment in workforce, investment in manufacturing.

It is so important that we are now investing in research as the COMPETES Act requires so that we create the next generation of product line and chips. It is important to invest in that pipeline of workers that will have those precision-oriented skills in an innovation economy that requires such precision. It is important that we retrofit our manufacturing centers so as to compete and compete effectively.

I am impressed by the fact that we have taken the strengths of so many committees and brought them into the forefront of COMPETES to make certain that we invest in the CHIPS for America Act. I have industries for microelectronics, and certainly the semiconductor industry that are hosted in the 20th Congressional District that I am honored to represent. They deserve and they require, more importantly, a partnership with the Federal Government. Those resources will be there with the passage of this bill as we bring together a consensus.

We will invest in that $52 billion worth of investment for the chips industry, the CHIPS for America Act. We will make certain that a bill that I authored, the Micro Act, is incorporated in the context of COMPETES, and that will complement the provisions in CHIPS by making certain that we accelerate early stage microelectronics research to feed into the national semiconductor technology center.

It is so important to have that cutting-edge investment so that we can lead the world in innovation, and making certain also that we promote strong global leadership by positioning the interests and the values of our United States, not China, to win on the world stage, including with strong action to hold the PRC accountable for its trade abuses which hurt U.S. workers, and for its human rights violations.

The America COMPETES Act will elevate American leadership in the global arena, putting diplomacy first, strengthening our alliances, combating unfair trade practices, and standing up for our national values.

The COMPETES Act ensures that American goods are made in America by American workers and boosts competition addressing supply bottlenecks, strengthening U.S. manufacturing, and lowering those kitchen table costs.

This is a measure that is all-inclusive. It is the boldest, strongest statement on competitiveness for America. It is the great strength of COMPETES that I hope will carry us now into an innovation economy with the workforce prepared to go, a research investment that gives us the vision and tethers that vision into future product lines and chips development, and that will allow for us to strengthen our manufacturing partnership. They require that assistance and they require our partnership.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize New York's Capital Region radio station, WGY, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary.

Through decades of informing and entertaining Capital Region listeners, WGY has long stood as a pillar of the Schenectady community.

This pioneering station, established by engineers at General Electric in 1922, has spent a century at the forefront of innovations in radio technology.

From conducting the first two-way radio transmission to England to being one of the first two radio stations to broadcast baseball's World Series, WGY has played a key role in establishing New York's Capital District as a global and national hub for technological advancement.

I extend my warm congratulations to everyone at WGY for reaching this historic milestone. Throughout its first 100 years, the station has connected with listeners through its talented and revered hosts.

Here is to many more successful years delivering powerful stories and quality news to our communities. Congratulations to WGY.

Mr. Speaker, we are in a global economic competition, but for far too long, we have neglected the research, workforce development, and manufacturing needs to ensure America is the world's leader in critical industries of the future.

Take, for example, the United States semiconductor industry, which has seen its share of chip production drop in recent decades. This bill would reverse that trend through a $52 billion investment to fund the CHIPS for America Act, reinvigorating American leadership in the microchip technology arena.

The America COMPETES Act also includes my Micro Act, which will complement the provisions in the CHIPS for America Act by accelerating early-stage microelectronics research to feed into the National Semiconductor Technology Center and manufacturing facilities funded by this bill.

New York's Capital Region has been home to trailblazers in the microelectronics industry for over two decades. I am proud that this legislation would indeed allow them to continue to innovate and compete on the global stage.

Chairwoman Johnson has done a tremendous job leading us to this moment. The work she has done with the Science, Space, and Technology Committee has ensured this groundbreaking legislation responds to the needs of the scientific community, industry, and the American people. I thank her and the committee for their efforts and urge my colleagues to support the passage of the America COMPETES Act. It sharpens America's competitive edge.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for leading us in this discussion this evening.

So what does the infrastructure bill mean to my district, mean to me? I think it is sharpening our competitive edge.

And when you are out there functioning in a global economy, we may not be the only force out there as we were decades ago, and so sharpening that pencil and making certain we cut costs, costs for families, costs for production, and providing for resources that will put the tools in the kit that are required for a 21st century economy is what it is all about. We have back-burnered infrastructure for far too long.

Having been here now, this is my 13th year in Congress, infrastructure is not a Democratic or Republican idea. People have been talking about it in both Chambers in both parties for a long time. And every week in the last administration was infrastructure week.

But finally it took leadership.

President Biden, with his experience of almost four decades in the Senate and serving as Vice President, knew about those relationships. He knew that you had to negotiate across party lines, you had to negotiate across House lines to make certain that working with his administration and with his cabinet officials we would come up with a blueprint for a sound economy. And that is exactly what happened here.

Yesterday's bill signing was exciting. We were sitting together on that south lawn.

It was chilly and windy, so it felt even chillier than it was. But what was so important to recognize and to consume was that what you had here was a President who is in the likes of Abraham Lincoln, who built an intercontinental rail system; President Teddy Roosevelt, who set up a National Parks System; President Dwight Eisenhower, who set up the Interstate Highway System. This person stands as a giant when it comes to infrastructure now, someone who brought us together; and it wasn't talk on and on, it was negotiations. And finally now the first step in this process, the huge downpayment on our infrastructure, is very vital.

So to me it is about competition, but it is also about hope, providing a spirit of hope for working families in this country to know that there is a bolder tomorrow.

I liken our country to the pioneer spirit. I think it is part of our DNA. We showed again that there is spirit, spirit to embrace invention and innovation as we are going through R&D dollars to develop more efficiency and effectiveness with wind power.

We are going to invest in my State and across the 50 States in infrastructure that ranges from roads and bridges to ports, making them more secure, more equipped for the modern economy, making certain that we are providing for a response to the transportation sector for climate's sake.

This allows us to be better stewards in protecting our planet, making certain the next generations that follow us will have a better world. That is done by us making certain that in my State where there are those nonattainment areas, in accordance with the Clean Air Act, they will now clean up that air that they breathe; the water that they drink; the soils that they can restore. That is part of an economic response.

And as we restore some of those sites--many of them are in communities of color, neighborhoods of Brown and Black people, who will now prosper because they will remediate these soils and now go forward with opportunities for work.

So this is about putting people to work. The jobs that will be part of this will be tremendous. And it is just a green light to go forward and really focus on our efforts as we travel forward to invest in those dynamics that truly matter.

I look at my State, they are scheduled to receive approximately--we are still working out the numbers--some $30 million to build our airports into a stronger bit of infrastructure. Important in international travel. Making certain that we invest in the Northeast corridor with Amtrak. Our rail system requires, for safety sake and ridership time, an investment. And so those dollars of some $66 billion will be going towards Amtrak. $100 billion going toward roads and bridges in this country. Making certain that we address one of the issues very important to the subcommittee that I chair, the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change, that reports to the standing Committee on Energy and Commerce, that subcommittee under its umbrella has the responsibilities of implementing the Safe Drinking Water Act. And what we found is that we need to invest heavily in our drinking water infrastructure.

Think of it, the spaghetti below our communities, below our feet, is so critical in getting a commodity that is essential, sound, pristine drinking water to industry, to homes, to schools. That begins and ends with sound infrastructure.

And some of this infrastructure, Representative Cartwright, is dating back to the days of Rutherford B. Hayes in the White House.

We are not content with our phones because they are outdated, and we have had them 2 years. We are not content with our TV screen because it is not large enough. We are tired of the miles on the car or the color of it, so we get a new vehicle. But we are content to sit there with 100-year-old pipes that are providing an essential commodity for this economy and for the safety of people in their homes and in schools.

So this is about investing $55 billion in lead pipe removal, which is going to put a lot of pipefitters and plumbers into working situations as they replace these pipes. No child, no family should be drinking water that is lead infested. And for us to know that there are 10,000 pipes actively serving communities across this country, it is far past time to respond to that replacement mechanism, which this bill does.

So, obviously, I am listening to the colloquy you have had with so many of our colleagues tonight, and we can go on and on about the benefits of this bill. There are tremendous benefits that put people to work in union jobs so that they will be given a salary, a check, a paycheck that is commensurate with the skill and the talent they bring for all of us as Americans.

And putting people to work, stronger stewardship of our planet, and innovation concepts that will take us to the next economy of the 21st century, these are all virtuous outcomes. And how 206 Members of this House could vote against infrastructure when they talked about it, they touted it for years. But they were okay to support a tax cut that went to the 1 percent of wealth of this country and some of the largest corporations in the world. But for the working families, for the middle class community of this country, for those looking to ascend the middle class, there was a ``no'' vote, while you could have made it so competitive, sharpen that competitive edge, give us the skills and the talents and the resources we need, making certain we go forward with a sense of hope, a spirit of hope that we can do, that we can embrace that pioneer spirit of this country.

Madam Speaker, the President yesterday said to the President of China, I believe it was, when he asked him, What is America? How would you define it?

Possibilities. Opportunity. Possibility. Pioneer spirit. All of that comes together in one venue that is enabled by these bills that are going to address infrastructure. And that bill signing yesterday for that infrastructure bill, that was a powerful statement, a powerful moment. One that says ``can do.'' Yes, America. We are back. We are going to make certain that all of the good work that is done will improve our economy, strengthen our economy, and provide for a competitive edge that will keep us the strong economy in the world that we ought to be.

Not at all.

Absolutely.

Oh my gosh, this is generational. We haven't seen this kind of investment in ages. So when we look back at that interstate railroad system, we look back at the park system, we look back at the interstate issues, these are infrastructure investments that are still providing for us.

I look at some of the work that came under President Franklin Roosevelt's administration and the infrastructure in my district, phenomenal schools that are like fortresses that are part of the cityscape, the landscape of any community that are still tremendous bits of architecture that are serving a very useful purpose.

When we think about the Rural Electrification Act of about a century ago, people are still prospering from that connection. As you called it, the pockets that were unserved or underserved.

So this is going to be a lifetime and beyond for even the youngest of our communities, as we celebrated yesterday.

We look at the broadband that is also part of this process, how can you allow for communities to go unserved or underserved. This is about children doing their homework. This is about cottage industry surviving and growing. This is about security for those who live in remote rural areas or in some poor neighborhoods. This is a connection with the outside world. So the connection that

comes with this via rail, via airports, via jobs, via infrastructure, via water systems that will serve us well.

I remember being back in the beginning of my elected capacity in a county government situation. We were much stronger in our response to water. Today, we are at about 4\1/2\ percent of any project--4\1/2\ percent is contributed from the Federal Government. It is time to change that.

And you know what, the message that I think is important also, Representative Cartwright, is that these issues, these concerns, these needs--and they are needs--don't go away. So either pay for them at a Federal level where there are much more progressive opportunities to create the revenues--and by the way, this is all paid for, which is a great highlight--but we had those more progressive opportunities for revenues rather than relying on a property tax as it percolates down into the most local of levels and say, Okay, you need this water, dig into the purse for the property tax. Unfair. Unacceptable.

So we are here now celebrating what can be a golden moment. It was just great to gather together yesterday and see mayors of both parties, see governors of both parties, see the cabinet officials, seeing union labor, seeing the private sector, seeing the faith community, all gathering together applauding and recognizing the leadership, the profound leadership of President Biden, Vice President Harris, their Cabinet, and certainly those who voted for the measure in the Senate and in the House here in Washington.

Sure.

Well, of course, we are modernizing our ports. We are modernizing our roads and bridges. We are making certain that we have a state-of-the-art grid for electricity sake so that as you integrate renewables, and integrate distributed generation; you need that state- of-the-art grid. So all of this investment, starting with the modernization of the ports allows us to take this in.

You brought up a really good point. This pandemic rocked this economy here in the U.S. and around the world in a way that we haven't seen in over 100 years. And for us now to be experiencing this aftermath shouldn't be a surprise. People are staying home not spending. They didn't go shopping; they were afraid, as they should be. They were warned not to go into stores and spread the virus.

So it rocked the economy. And so there was a supply that was building, and the demand was way down. And now we are trying to steady this out. This infrastructure issue will help us. We need to work through this now to steady the economy because we saw spikes that obviously aren't acceptable.

The President and his team will use this infrastructure measure and other concepts to make certain we come back and steady the economy in a way that will get us back to normal--that is so important to do--and to be visionary.

I see that Representative Ross is going to join us from North Carolina, and we have been working together--perhaps you have been working with Representative Ross, too--on offshore wind. There is a visionary piece. And there is a way for us to really build the energy supply in a way that is going to put a lot of people to work.

So Representative Cartwright, thank you for leading us in this discussion tonight.

This bill is definitely going to address the supply-chain concern. The pandemic was so instructive--supply chain, technology, reliance on technology--making certain we learn these lessons; take them to mind, take them to heart, and respond. And this administration is about that.

A golden moment, a celebratory moment, once in a lifetime, once in a generation, I am just proud to witness it. Proud to witness it and to have cast a ``yes'' vote.

I thank all of my colleagues in the House that voted yes for strengthening the muscle of the American economy and the American worker.

No matter what political label you have at the end of the day, we are all going to prosper.

When you see these headlines across the country, ``billions coming to X State,'' and then the sidebar discussion: Entire delegation voted ``no.'' You explain it to the public.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright), and thank him for leading us in tonight's discussion on both physical and human infrastructure.

Let me start by extending my comments toward the child tax credit that you made mention of in your last comments. The data now are available from July and August. As we all know, families received their first check in July, and what a bit of welcome relief. And as we look at where those dollars went, 47 percent, from July and August payments--those are the data available currently--47 percent went to put food on the table; 28 percent went toward utilities, including broadband.

So we are talking about kids doing their homework. We are talking about parents having an opportunity to reach the outside world. Middle- income America to have cottage industries up and running. So 75 percent of that tax cut went to food and utilities, and other incidentals absorb the remaining amount of payments. Now, that is a staggering statistic. That should tell us something about the value added of this tax cut.

Madam Speaker, as Representative Cartwright indicated, there is a stark contrast between Republican leadership in the House and Democratic leadership in the House. When the majority was run by the Republicans, they joined the former President in providing a tax cut for the 1 percent of the highest wealth in the country. This reaches across the spectrum of middle-income communities and those looking to ascend to the middle class.

The statistic that I find most heartwarming is that one-half of children living in poverty in our country, one-half of those children, will be lifted out of poverty with this child tax credit. That is a moral standard that we should all embrace.

If you want to really see a comeback in our economy, we support those families, middle-income families, those looking to ascend to the middle income. Those are the families that need the shot in the arm. And it is going to happen by further extending that tax program.

So our heart is with children. Our heart is with those children who need early education, three- and four-year-olds that will be able to have advantages, too. The programs that will provide, not only educational training, but cognitive skill development, cognitive awareness, social awareness that will drive the factors that lead to a productive life.

And so many times education experts will cite the availability of early education as the big factor in determining the outcome of a person's work career and the dollars that individual brings home; so that is very important.

Access to quality childcare. So many families are not rejoining the workforce because they don't have access to healthcare. And if the schools are in this undecided state whether they are going to have virtually learning or in-classroom learning or part of each combined, they need the security of childcare.

So the human fabric, the human infrastructure that is part of the Build Back Better Act introduced and envisioned by this President, President Biden, is tremendously reinforcing to so many families across the country. Powerful information and powerful reinforcements that enable them to

dream their version of the American dream.

Now, when we talk about the physical infrastructure, I would be remiss if I didn't equate that to the 20th Congressional District of New York. My district hosts the eastern mouth of the Erie Canal. And the vision for infrastructure in really difficult economic times, by Governor DeWitt Clinton, was to connect the great ocean, the Atlantic, with the Great Lakes.

That inspired not only the development of New York as an entry port, and we now know what a metropolis it is, but it inspired the necklace of communities that were given birth to as mill towns; and then inspired a westward movement. That is infrastructure playing into our economic development into our future. It expanded the turf of this country. It gave so many people the opportunity to insert their skill set, their passion, their abilities into products that fed the quality of life around the world.

Yes. Not a civil engineer, but mechanical and industrial.

But those engineers are powerful because they make the world spin. And that whole feat, today, if you were to visit the Erie Canal and see the lochs that were developed at a time when modern equipment and machinery wasn't available, it was not only an engineering feat, but a tremendous salute to the workers and the skill and the work ethic that they bore.

Absolutely.

Absolutely. And as we invest in rail, we increase ridership if you are getting from A to B in a quicker time period than you would if you were traveling by car. It makes common sense and economic sense. From rail to broadband--I have communities in my district that are unserved or underserved with broadband services.

Today, this is about doctors reading x-rays, children doing their homework, cottage industries launching and staying in business. This is an important bit of modern-day infrastructure. It is akin to the Rural Electrification Act of the 1930s, in the last century.

We have a history that speaks to us boldly about what infrastructure meant. The Rural Electrification Act made America buzz with economic activity; provided economic justice by reaching every corner of this country, which broadband will do.

Let me just mention this, and I will close with this for now. I chair the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change reporting to the Energy and Commerce Committee. Under our umbrella falls the responsibility for the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The drinking water infrastructure in this Build Back Better effort, and infrastructure in general, is about making certain no children drink out of lead-infested pipes. 10,000 pipes in this country that are feeding and serving homes. There is no way children and families should be drinking water that has lead in it: we know that it is a permanent damage, irreversible; and we know that it is about social and economic justice.

We also provide for more dollars in the SRF, the State Revolving Funds, which 50 capitals across the country receive in terms of the Federal downpayment for water infrastructure. I was in county government back when I started my career, and we had much more of a partnership with Washington.

Today, we are getting on average maybe 4 to 5 percent of all projects that are drinking water-based as a Federal share. Come on, we can do much better than that. If we don't, the issue doesn't go away, and local property taxpayers have to pick up that burden. It is a regressive tax.

So for many, many reasons, we are on board here with a plan that really speaks to the definitive times in which we reside. We now are living in a moment of history where we need to reengage, reengineer our skill sets, our resources, to advance an innovation economy; and to do that, we need a 21st century toolkit and the Build Back Better Act and the infrastructure act, they do it. It is a good downpayment. We are going to still have more work to do.

The President has a vision; it is bold. But we know that leaders in the past, Governor DeWitt Clinton, President Eisenhower, President Franklin Roosevelt, President Teddy Roosevelt with parks, setting aside lands for park development, these were giants in their times.

We have a giant now calling on Congress to help bring the vision into clear view and tether it into the communities across this country.

Worker training, worker retraining, apprenticeship programs, skills development, childcare, so that families can comfortably go to work and know that their children are in good stead. We have many households that are headed by single-parent moms. We have many households that have both members of the household, couples, having full-time jobs.

It is a different economy. These are different times. We need to adjust. We need to invest in America and into her people, and that is what this measure is about.

I am also involved with the offshore wind industry. And making certain that my district, hundreds of miles away from any offshore wind project, is going to have many jobs because we are going to be building foundations. We are going to be building tower components. We are going to be building the ancillary pieces that are a part of it. We may be building some of the turbine blades that are then installed in the offshore capacity along the eastern network where everyone is going to prosper from this. And we are going to clean the environment, which is a demand of the generations behind us and those yet to be born.

They have the right to demand clean air; to have made clean the air they breathe; and make safe the water they drink. It is a mission that is justified, and we need to be part of that justification.

Will the gentleman yield?

Representative Cartwright mentioned, Madam Speaker, the strength of manufacturing and growing our manufacturing jobs. The pandemic alerted us to a supply chain crisis. The Build Back Better Act speaks to addressing the shortages that we had for manufacturing. Supply shortages. That is critical.

We also combined the efforts for manufacturing to be more profitable and provide more jobs by addressing retrofitting manufacturing, so it is energy-smarter as an outcome.

Now, we know we have a very robust plan, a goal that is very robust by the year 2050 to have net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. If we are going to achieve that, we have to reach to every sector of the economy in order to attain those goals; so we need to look to manufacturing.

Retrofitting manufacturing, making certain it is energy-smart, making certain it can compete in a global marketplace with all the tools at their fingertips is an important standard that is established in the Build Back Better Act.

So the President says we are at an inflection point. I couldn't agree more. We are now in a focus mode where we are going to determine the best outcomes by combining legislation and resources that will speak to the most forceful, sharpest competitive edge for our business community, for our manufacturing base to address our supply chain, to hold down energy costs, reduce costs, reduce the tax burden on households, and provide a vision that will get us to where we need to be.

It is about time that we had this sort of leadership; not just reducing programs, cutting down government, not seeing the effectiveness of sound government. Now we have a leader who understands the public-private partnership--business working with government--to address the needs of those businesses, their workers, worker training, and having the resources to be robustly competitive so that we grow a more fair, more just, more robust, and a more sustainable economy. It is a powerful opportunity.

Madam Speaker, I will also cite the fact that some of the greatest looking institutional buildings in our districts are from the FDR era: libraries that speak significantly to the cityscapes, institutional settings, schools that really laid out an

image of importance to children of how great education is. We have been taught by generations before us that there should be a commitment to people across this country, especially children, to invest in our tomorrows.

How dare we just pass by and cut everything and not help build?

We are hurting ourselves by not investing in those resources that will get us to a stronger economy, research money that will be part of the $555 billion that is part of the investment in climate change, the response to climate change. It is much stronger than that, but there in the Build Back Better Act is the opportunity to advance that effort.

Now, that will include a number of jobs in the trades, installing a lot of the renewable energy and innovative concepts, retrofitting manufacturing and the like. But then there are going to be the white collar jobs as engineers and planners go to work on investing in the newness of discovery. That will come with many people working in labs and research centers who will get us to a stronger outcome.

Where there is no vision, the people shall perish. We learn that when we open our Book. That should speak to us. It is important for us to have a boldness of vision that will take an investment but certainly render lucrative dividends for the people in this moment and those generations that will follow us.

Let them look 100 years from now at this moment and say they got it; they invested; they received great assets from those before them; and they saw that they had to do likewise and contribute to the tomorrows that that group will enjoy 100 years out and beyond.

This is our moment to really shine.

The gentleman talked about the fact that this effort is paid for. That is a good balance that we bring into the House. We tell people that we balanced it so that there is a payment mechanism for all that we choose to do. That was not the case with the huge tax cut of 2016. They expected a trickle-down and that it would pay for itself.

What did we see happening to the deficit? It bloated from that tax cut.

Then, Madam Speaker, you will hear debate on this floor about raising the debt ceiling so that America can pay her bills. What was their message? They want this money so they can spend more.

No, we are paying the dollars off that you incurred as bills when you were President and you were the Republican leadership in this House. That is paying for bills that came from the last several years. This payment mechanism will make certain we go forward with an investment in America that is paid for and that will reach the great many of us, the great middle-income community.

The strength of America lies in her middle class, and the strength of the middle class lies in union jobs, which is part of this package. Thanks to our partners in unionized labor, union labor, they have worked with us to develop a blueprint for a sounder tomorrow.

Let's get aboard. Let's get this done. Let's go forward and show people that America is strong and that she is at her best when she embraces that pioneer spirit that I saw when I mentioned the Erie Canal. There has always been that pioneer spirit within us. It is part of our DNA.

How dare we deny it as we come together in this crucial moment where we are asked to come up with a response to a global economy, where it is not the U.S. running the entire economy of the world, where we have to compete and compete effectively, and where we give the people of this country the dignity of work where they can earn a great and fair check so they can support their families, pay for the roof over their head, set some money aside, and enable their children to enjoy that future set-aside?

That is what this is about. This is speaking to America, her families, and those in need. It will result in a stronger and healthier workforce and one that has a sense of hope. If we can deliver the commodity of hope to the doorsteps of Americans, we will have achieved.

So, Madam Speaker, I thank President Biden; I thank the leadership in the House; and I thank Representative Cartwright for leading us this evening in this great discussion.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank Congressman Levin for arranging this evening's special order.

Today we honor the remarkable life of Richard Trumka, a person who poured his entire heart and voice and passion into what is right for workers and what is right for union workers. Rich emboldened that mission and fought with great fierceness in order to achieve. Rich taught us that anything worth fighting for deserves our efforts beyond belief, and he poured himself passionately into his mission.

A fierce champion of the labor movement and fearless proponent of the rights of working people, Rich revolutionized collective bargaining and civil disobedience as a mechanism for meaningful change in our modern era.

I was deeply saddened and stunned to learn of Rich's sudden passing back in August.

A great friend to so many of us, myself included and my district, we worked together to build strong enforceable labor standards into the heart of the new NAFTA agreement, which gives American workers a fair shot and level playing field on the global stage.

That kind of fight was at the heart of Richard's lifelong work, using unionism as a tool to build a fairer economy, a more just economy, a more robust and competitive economy for our society.

We must honor his indelible legacy and deliver the kind of generational change for which he fought day in and day out by creating good-paying union jobs and tackling the climate crisis, racial injustice, and economic injustice that disproportionately hurts working people.

My sincerest condolences go out to the entire Trumka family and all of his loved ones.

May Richard rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding and for his leadership on this bill.

We know the health effects of PFAS exposure can be severe: cancer, thyroid problems, birth defects, and immune system disruptions, amongst others. Sadly, there are many communities and individuals across our great country who are suffering these health consequences.

Despite knowing the dangers of these forever chemicals, the Federal Government has been slow to act. I say enough is enough.

The PFAS Action Act would require significant steps to ensure that our Federal Government is responding comprehensively and reducing the risk of exposure through our air, water, and consumer products.

It includes actions under numerous environmental statutes, including designating the two most well-studied PFAS, PFOA and PFOS, as hazardous substances and setting a deadline for a national drinking water standard to, at a minimum, ensure vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, infants, and children, are protected.

The bill includes other critical provisions to reduce exposure, empower consumers, and expedite cleanups.

Despite what some may want to suggest, designating PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances under CERCLA is not a ban. There are literally hundreds of hazardous substances that continue to be used in manufacturing processes and commerce broadly.

What it will do is ensure that polluters are held accountable to clean up their messes when toxic releases occur and ensure that remediation is done to an acceptable level.

We have waited far too long already for action. Despite promising initial steps from the Biden administration, I fear the EPA will not adequately address PFAS without clear direction from Congress. As the administration recognized, this bill supports the commitment across the branches of government to take on this challenge.

This is the bill our constituents and those living with PFAS in their communities need.

I thank Representatives Dingell and Upton for their commitment to addressing these dangerous forever chemicals, and I encourage Members to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 535, I rise to offer amendments en bloc.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this en bloc of 10 amendments. As was done in the 116th Congress, the PFAS Action Act was subject to a subcommittee markup, a full committee markup, and debate and amendment on the House floor.

During these processes in the 116th and 117th Congresses, there has been an effort to continue to strengthen the proposal at each and every stage. The ten amendments included in this en bloc, which includes several bipartisan amendments, would build upon this past work and make further improvements to the underlying bill.

Several of the amendments help protect Americans from PFAS in their drinking water, especially those relying upon private wells, which would not be subject to the national drinking water standard required to be developed by this bill.

We know communicating the risks of PFAS is challenging: What are safe levels? What is a reliable testing technique? And what do you do if your water is contaminated?

These amendments would help ensure people have better, clearer, and more accessible information on this and other issues. This en bloc also includes amendments that would increase grant funding to community water systems and ensure all communities dealing with PFAS contamination can access these funds, including insular territories. And it would establish a new grant program to support PFAS testing and filtration at schools.

We know the cost of PFAS remediation can be significant. Ensuring these costs do not fall squarely upon the households that rely upon these water systems, who are not responsible for the contaminations, should be a high priority of this effort. More Federal funding can help in this regard.

Finally, the en bloc would expand the PFAS-free labeling program to cover food package material, luggage, and cleaning products. This will allow Americans to make certain that they have more informed choices on the products they choose to purchase. Overall, these are good improvements to the bill, and I do not believe they should be controversial.

Madam Speaker, I encourage Members to support the en bloc, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes), who has been outspoken on this issue.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib), who, along with Mrs. Dingell, has really brought great focus to this issue in committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez), who has great concern for this issue.

Madam Speaker, I stand, again, in strong support of the en bloc amendment and, certainly, the measure to which we are amending.

Basically, we have here an opportunity to address ills that we see across America, contaminants, forever dangerous elements that cause all sorts of diseases and destruction, and it is important for us to move forward, I think, to take responsibility and make certain that these forever chemicals that don't break down, that cause cancer and other diseases, are addressed.

We move forward with the opportunity here, assigning the great responsibilities to EPA so that we have a strong outcome. I think the amendment makes the bill even stronger. I have seen situations in my given region of Upstate New York where communities have been impacted.

Madam Speaker, I encourage everyone to support the amendment and the bill at hand, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that, in the engrossment of H.R. 2467, the Clerk be authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, spelling, and cross-references, and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the actions of the House, including striking lines 13 through 23 on page 20.

Madam Speaker, I rise to join you in marking 200 days since the start of the 117th Congress, and a productive 200 days it has been. Our majority in the House has risen to this challenge, delivering lifelines to millions of Americans, putting shots in arms and saving countless lives, and sustaining thousands of businesses, and helping our State and local governments keep our communities going.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Every life and every job depends on safe drinking water. Unfortunately, our water systems have been underfunded for decades, and the EPA has been unable to finalize new national standards since 1996.

Division I will enhance our drinking water infrastructure, its quality, and its affordability. This bill includes the investments and the policy reforms that will make the Safe Drinking Water Act actually live up to its name.

It significantly increases funding for the State Revolving Fund. It funds lead line removals to the full extent. It addresses PFAS contaminations, which are an endangerment to public health.

This is a down payment on critical public health infrastructure that must be part of our infrastructure investments moving forward. We know our water systems need these dollars; and our constituents deserve to have safe, reliable, and affordable water, free from lead, from PFAS, and other dangerous contaminants.

We need to be stronger partners with those at the local levels of government. So I encourage support of this measure.

I thank Rick Kessler, Jacqueline Cohen, Anthony Gutierrez, Rebecca Tomilchik, and last, but not least, Brendan Larkin from the committee staff for their long hours put into this effort and their diligence as it relates to this division.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill.