Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate the achievement of Detroit's Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies School's Middle School Robotics Team's outstanding performance in competition this year.

The team is Detroit public schools' first team in more than 30 years to travel to the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology International Championship. Later this month, the FLICS Robotics Team will be taking on the best teams from all over the world in this high-stakes, 4-day competition.

Team Techno Phoenix has worked hard and persevered in competition throughout the season, including an outstanding performance at our State championship.

I am so incredibly proud of this group of young people who have invested time and energy into this challenging pursuit.

Congratulations, FLICS' Team Techno Phoenix. We will cheer Team Techno Phoenix on as they enter the first international competition on our behalf.

Celebrating Renaissance High School's Chess Championship

Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer a heartfelt congratulations to the members of the Detroit Renaissance High School's Chess Team on their first-place victory in the Under 800 category at the U.S. Chess Federation's K-12 National Championship.

For 4 grueling days, the team competed in high-stakes chess matches with teams from all across the country. Their victory is a testament to long hours of practice, focus, and determination. The team displayed critical thinking and strategic skill, beating more than 60 other teams.

This victory is Renaissance High School's first-ever chess national championship.

Please join me in recognizing the Renaissance High School Chess Team for their accomplishment.

Congratulations.

Yemen's Humanitarian Crisis

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the recent progress made towards peace in Yemen.

Now we must focus aggressively on addressing the humanitarian crisis to support the Yemeni people; 14.8 million are starving right now.

The recent progress and statements from those involved offer new hope that peace in Yemen is possible, but obstacles still remain that require engagement from this Congress and from President Biden.

We cannot allow our hope for the current peace talks to distract us from the massive ongoing humanitarian crisis. We can do both.

Mr. Speaker, a month ago, I led two dozen of our colleagues here in requesting at least $1.2 billion in U.S. humanitarian aid to Yemen in the upcoming budget. Over half a million children right now may die from malnutrition and starvation this year if we do not act. It is that simple. And when we act, the world is listening and watching.

A significant increase in U.S. assistance to Yemen would cause countries to follow our lead, meaning our investment will have far greater impact. We must make sure that our message is clear, that we as a country cannot stand on the sidelines and allow Yemen to starve.

If this diplomatic process breaks down, I am prepared to work with my colleagues to introduce new legislation to end this awful war.

Mr. Speaker, I again recognize all those that have lost their lives during this war, and I recognize those on whom it has had a long- lasting impact.

Celebrating Ramadan

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as one of the first Muslim women ever elected to the United States Congress. I am here always making sure that we have a voice here in Congress.

Tomorrow is the holy month of Ramadan. I offer a wonderful greeting to all of my neighbors across the country that are observing Ramadan and wish them Ramadan Mubarak. I hope that they find joy with their family as they celebrate this holy month and celebrate Eid tomorrow with their children.

This is something that we are going to see celebrated all over the world. It is a beautiful end-of-month celebration to reflect and to find peace and connection with a higher God.

I thank all my Muslim neighbors who are celebrating Ramadan for allowing me to be here and be a voice for them in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I am up here celebrating the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan is a time for Muslims around the world to renew our faith and reflect our shared values of unity, generosity, and compassion.

As we finish this holy month of fasting, I recognize the beautiful Muslim community, my beautiful Muslim neighbors, and Michigan's 12th District Strong, and around the world as we celebrate Eid al-Fitr. Eid al-Fitr is known as the Festival Breaking the Fast, Mr. Speaker, and it marks the end, again, of the holy month.

It is a time when Muslims, again, around the world come together to celebrate the end of the month-long fasting and their spiritual reflection.

Mr. Speaker, from my heart to yours, I hope this Eid brings everyone that is celebrating joy, closer to community, and prosperity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today and applaud the President. The President's recent announcement of a plan that would allow more than 800,000 Dreamers across our county to have access to healthcare is to be applauded.

I also thank Congresswoman Ramirez for her dedication and leadership and for hosting this important Special Order on this critical issue.

I stand here before you as a child of immigrants but also the daughter of southwest Detroit, where I lived with 20 different ethnicities and backgrounds. Yes, many of my friends, many of my classmates, were Dreamers.

We know that many of the issues we work on in this Chamber are connected. Immigration is connected to healthcare. Right now, in our country, we have a great need for comprehensive immigration reform and to ensure that every person has access to adequate healthcare in terms of coverage and care delivery.

As somebody who worked on immigration issues and immigration justice, I know that our system is broken. Too many of our families are living in fear. Too many Dreamers, our neighbors who only know the United States as their home, continue to live a life where their rights could be stripped at any moment.

I know how important it is to fix our broken immigration system instead of tearing families apart. Dreamers right here in our country deserve permanent protections and a dignified pathway for citizenship.

No human being, Mr. Speaker, is illegal. We must protect our neighbors. We must protect those who are here simply because they want to have a better quality of life.

We have immigrant communities, again, across our country who simply want a pathway to citizenship, a pathway that many of our parents, grandparents, and ancestors were afforded, a pathway that we enjoy and are proud of.

Why do many of my colleagues want to block this pathway in the land of opportunity?

I am not sure. However, I know I applaud the administration's action to ensure that many Dreamers have access to healthcare. I implore President Biden and many of my colleagues in this Chamber and in the Senate to reject divisive and xenophobic immigration policies that, again, do not move our country forward in a way that we can be proud of.

We cannot and should not embrace rhetoric and policies that only seek to pit communities against each other, tear families apart, and put immigrants in harm's way here in the United States and in their country of origin.

We must choose to be a welcoming country. We must work to create a robust pathway to citizenship. We must enact comprehensive immigration reform. We must ensure that every person in our country has comprehensive adequate healthcare. We must also pass Medicare for All.

Mr. Speaker, I am ready to get to work, and I cannot thank my amazing Progressive Caucus members enough, especially Congresswoman Ramirez, for this important Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, today, I want to offer a heartfelt congratulations to the members of Detroit Renaissance High School's Chess Team on their first-place victory in the Under 800 category at the U.S. Chess Federation's K-12 National Championship.

For four grueling days, the team competed in high-stakes chess matches against teams from all across the country. Their victory is testament to long hours of practice and championship focus and determination. The team employed critical thinking and mastery of strategy, besting more than sixty other teams. This victory is Renaissance High School's first chess national championship.

Please join me in recognizing the Renaissance High School Chess Team for this outstanding accomplishment. Congratulations.

Mr. Speaker, I want to celebrate the achievement of Detroit's Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies School's (FLICS) Middle School Robotics Team's outstanding performance in competition this year. The team is Detroit Public Schools' first team in more than thirty years to travel to the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) International Championship.

Later this month, the FLICS Robotics Team will be taking on the best teams from all over the world in this high stakes, four-day competition. Team Techno Phoenix has worked hard and persevered in competition throughout the season, including an outstanding performance at the state championship. I am proud of this group of young people who have invested time and energy into this challenging pursuit.

Please join me in recognition of FLICS' Team Techno Phoenix as we cheer them on to victory at the FIRST International competition.

Madam Speaker, I rise today, yet again, to speak about gun violence in our communities.

I would like to read the words of Troy Forbush, a survivor of last month's horrific mass shooting at Michigan State University in my home State. Troy said, ``Seconds after being shot clean through the lung, two entrance wounds and two exit wounds, laying in a state of shock, that will never leave my mind and forever haunt me.''

He continued to say, ``I fell to the ground from my seat and tried to act as if I were already dead. As he panned the room with his handgun, I pled for my life and screamed, `Please don't shoot me.' We were met face to face with pure evil.''

No person, Madam Speaker, or child should ever have to go through what Troy and the countless others continue to experience in our country of being gunned down while learning, gunned down while praying, gunned down while shopping, gunned down, gunned down over and over again.

This is the reality of the United States of America, where gun violence is the number one cause of death for our children.

How is this acceptable?

We must pass comprehensive gun reform immediately. Enough of the bloodshed.

Madam Chair, I thank the ranking member for the time because my residents are already hurting. H.R. 1 would devastate their lives even more.

Environmental impact statements change lives for the better, from air monitoring, pushing back against the corporate polluters that, again, just want to make a profit over the public health impact that would happen if we just gave them free rein.

This bill is nothing more than a cheap political stunt to pad the profits of the same greedy oil and gas companies that are price gouging our residents at the pump and poisoning the air they breathe and the water they drink.

These are the same oil companies that donated hundreds of thousands of

dollars to House Republicans and made nearly half a trillion dollars in profits last year alone.

Their servants across the aisle don't think that is enough. They want to gut our most important critical environmental and public health protections, leaving our communities at the mercy of corporate polluters that have shown time and time again they will sacrifice our lives, our public health, to make more money.

Make no mistake, this bill destroys the National Environmental Policy Act and the Clean Water Act. It guarantees there will be more oil spills. It guarantees more water crises, more deaths, and more suffering.

Once you get beyond the BS, the truth is clear. Health protections for you and your family aren't making gas expensive; corporate greed is.

The greedy oil and gas companies have gotten away with price gouging and stock buybacks that enrich their shareholders but make everything less affordable for our residents. They don't plan to stop because their greed is only enabled with bills like this.

The amazing thing about this, about colleagues trying to run leaky oil pipelines through our communities, is that the bill isn't even popular. The American people get it. They understand the urgency of the climate crisis, the importance of protecting our air, our water. They want the government and corporations to take serious action to make sure their lives are protected.

Yet, here we are, debating a bill that wraps climate denial and corporate giveaways into one tidy, toxic package as the world burns.

Our residents, my residents, are already struggling with health disparities. They deserve better. They deserve to breathe clean air.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in recognition of Alex Franklin Perryman, Sr., a long-time resident, labor and community leader in Detroit, Michigan as we mourn his recent passing.

Mr. Perryman was born on January 4, 1924, in Whitehall, Alabama to the late Jonas Perryman and Melissa Thomas Perryman. He was the youngest of 10 children. Mr. Perryman attended school in Tyler, Alabama and later Carver High School in Gadsden, Alabama.

At the age of 18, Mr. Perryman moved to Detroit, Michigan to work for the Chrysler Corporation and fell in love with the city he called his home until his passing.

Mr. Perryman met the love of his life, Geneva Wilson in 1944 and they married in 1945. They had been married for a remarkable 77 years when she preceded him in death. Mr. and Mrs. Perryman raised five children on Burlingame Street in Detroit--Lavonia, Linda, Alex, Jr., Ronald, along with Nehemiah and Linda--both who preceded him in death.

A trailblazer, devoted community member and labor union leader, Mr. Perryman was a skilled laborer and United Auto Workers (UAW) activist at Chrysler Corporation for over 50 years. He was the first African- American Vice President of UAW Local 140. As a union leader, Mr. Perryman was steadfast in operating in the intersection of civil rights and workers' rights. He coordinated several local and national outreach and civil rights activities on behalf of the UAW.

In the community, Mr. Perryman was an active member of the NAACP and believed deeply in the civic participation and voting. He served as a poll worker for 15 years, ensuring that his neighbors had access to the ballot box.

Mr. Perryman loved baseball and his life of service extended into this adoration for sports. He spent many years working with the Westside Cubs and St. Cecilia sports teams. He also worked several years at Comerica Park where the Detroit Tigers play.

Mr. Perryman leaves behind a beautiful family to mourn his life. His daughters, Lavonia and Patricia; son, Alex Franklin, Jr., and sister- in-law, Mamie Louise Wilson. He also leaves 11 precious grandchildren. Please join me in recognizing Alex Franklin Perryman, Sr.'s numerous contributions to our community as we honor his memory.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the legacy of Imam Abdullah El-Amin, whose memory lives on in the hearts of communities across metro Detroit.

Imam El-Amin was a proud Detroiter. He was also a spiritual leader who created strong ties to our diverse community throughout his impactful service work.

Imam El-Amin has always been passionate in his belief that interfaith dialogue creates stronger, more meaningful relationships across cultures.

In 1983, he was one of the founding members of the Muslim Center of Detroit, a masjid that was formed as an outreach center to bring people from different religious backgrounds together.

As a spiritual leader, he witnessed the need for compassionate end- of-life care in communities throughout the area and was inspired to found an organization called Crescent Janazah Services to support countless individuals in their transition.

I still remember, Mr. Speaker, after a speech, I had stated one of my favorite verses, my favorite surah in the Quran, which is: ``With hardship comes ease.'' He came up to me with a big smile, and he said: ``That is also my favorite verse.''

Please join me in honoring the memory of Imam Abdullah El-Amin as we mourn his loss. Allah yerhamo.

Mr. Speaker, our residents are saying: Enough. Enough with giving billionaires and corporations taxpayer dollars that should be going to improve the quality of life of our residents, especially in a city that is still struggling with water shutoffs and foreclosures.

In the city of Detroit, billionaire developers are now lining up for $800 million in tax giveaways after decades of broken promises. They even have the nerve to say the money isn't enough or coming fast enough.

Billionaires are asking a recently bankrupt city, the city of Detroit, for 800 million in public dollars, from a city still grappling with poverty, with the lack of affordable housing, and so much more. I just cannot believe how easily we give this money away to people with a track record of failure.

In Detroit, the Ilitch Holdings took $400 million for what they called ``District Detroit'' just a few years ago. They showed us these beautiful images and renderings, and said this is what they were going to do with the public dollars.

Do you know what we got?

We got parking lots, just parking lots. We got just asphalt--even though they got much of the property on top of the tax dollars--for just $1.

Many of these parking lots sit empty while we struggle for affordable housing and so many other things. Again, because of these broken promises, we are stuck grappling with poverty.

They took the money from the people. They didn't deliver on those promises, and we are just going to go ahead and give them double the amount with little assurance that they actually would do their jobs this time? I ask my colleagues: really? Really?

For those that are in Michigan, we are going to go ahead and trust a company that continues to tell us they are going to do this and give us this?

Corporate greed is a virus that infects every level of government. Campaign contributions from those corporations are killing our democracy. Our residents deserve better. Our neighbors pay taxes so our government can provide much-needed resources and services to our communities, not billionaires seeking profits, no matter that they are now functioning, literally, a few blocks from a school, a public school which doesn't have clean drinking water.

We say: Enough. We need community benefits protections to ensure that we all are able to thrive.

Celebrating Ramadan

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say Ramadan Mubarak to our Muslim neighbors around the world and wish all who celebrate and observe a peaceful Ramadan full of family, faith, and community.

As a Muslim myself, I know how critically important it is that we celebrate, again, our neighbors and help those that are most vulnerable among us during the month of Ramadan.

Ramadan is observed by more than a billion Muslims around the world. It involves deep prayer, reflection, robust charity and giving, as well as fasting from sunrise until sunset, and, yes, that includes water.

Ramadan is observed during the ninth month of the lunar calendar and is also meant to bring consciousness in the heart and mind to be closer to Allah.

I invite my colleagues and those watching to learn more about Ramadan, its meaning, and to even break fast with us. Join our iftars that are near you in your communities. We welcome you.

Again, Ramadan Mubarak to all of our Muslim neighbors across the country and the world.

Keep Medical Debt off Credit Reports

Mr. Speaker, nearly one in five adults have medical debt collections listed on their credit report. That means one in five Americans may be denied housing, be forced to pay more in rent, struggle to purchase a vehicle, or other necessities because of a sudden health crisis or visit to an emergency room.

That hits particularly hard in communities like mine where residents already face challenges with access to credit.

This week, I am reintroducing the Consumer Protection for Medical Debt Collections Act to prohibit the collection of medical debt for 2 years and prohibit debt from medically necessary procedures from even being included in a credit report.

We passed this legislation in the House last year, and it will be a major step in fixing our broken credit system.

This bill, Mr. Speaker, would also provide protections and safeguards for people who, through no fault of their own, got sick and could not afford the medical care due to our broken healthcare system.

In the wealthiest country in the history of our world, medical emergencies should not send a family into financial ruin. Collectively, Americans owe more than $195 billion in medical debt, and this is immoral. We need to stop punishing people for being poor and getting sick.

Medical debt is the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in our country, and the pandemic has only made the crisis worse. No one, again, chooses to get sick. This is commonsense legislation, and we must get it signed into law.

Mr. Speaker, I want to honor the life and legacy of Mr. Saul Simpson, Jr., a long-time resident of Detroit and servant of the people through his work with the Internal Revenue Service.

Born in Chicago to Saul Sr. and Rosie B. Simpson, Saul moved to Detroit in 1954 with his family at three years old. Saul was a proud graduate of Detroit Public Schools' Northwestern High School and Wayne State University.

In 1977, Saul began what would become an illustrious 45-year career with the Internal Revenue Service, working as a Human Resources Specialist. Saul's colleagues say he lived to work. He treasured his job and was a beloved figure to peers and management alike.

When he wasn't working, one of Saul's favorite pastimes was softball. Saul earned numerous awards and championships when he started playing with the Blue Devils in Metro Detroit and the Resmondo Softball League in Dundee, Florida. In 2013, Saul was inducted into the Detroit Negro Slow Pitch Softball League Hall of Fame and later the United States Specialty Sports Association Hall of Fame as well.

Saul loved life. He loved spending time and sharing laughs with friends and family. He is survived by two loving sisters, Latricia and Tyonna; two beautiful nieces Raquel and Del; his nephew Tyrik and 6 great nieces who he affectionately referred to as the G6.

Please join me in enthusiastically honoring Saul's lifetime of cherished memories, love for his community, and his nearly fifty-year career in service to the public.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Tuskegee Airmen National Museum in Detroit for securing $500,000 in grant funding for its pilot training program from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Tuskegee Airmen National Museum was originally founded to record and honor the unsung but substantial contributions of our Nation's first Black military airmen.

Madam Speaker, the museum has grown to operate from three different locations across the city of Detroit, including the Charles H. Wright African American History Museum, historic Fort Wayne, and the Coleman A. Young municipal airport, where it offers career training programs for young people interested in aviation and aerospace science.

The museum takes particular pride in its community engagement around aviation training, which has been in operation for more than 30 years. $500,000 will go a long way in their flight training program which is offered to young people age 14-19 in the metropolitan Detroit area and puts students on the path toward obtaining a private pilot's license. I wish you could have seen the excited faces when I went to one of their events for young people, again, learning to fly.

The museum works in partnership with many of our local organizations and universities to connect the many interested students with training and resources.

I say this wholeheartedly, I am so proud that our own government, the Federal Aviation Administration, sees the gem that the Tuskegee Airmen National Museum is. Their training program and the unique opportunities they offer to our young people is truly a huge contribution to Wayne County, Michigan. Again, I am pleased to see the FAA see a tremendous value in their work.

War in Yemen

Madam Speaker, I rise today to uplift the Yemeni people who have been suffering from the inhumane and violent war. We are approaching the eighth anniversary of the start of the war in Yemen.

We must stop U.S. participation in this war. It is far past time for us to reiterate our support for ending U.S. ties to and support for the Saudi coalition.

After over 10 months now without airstrikes in Yemen, the Yemeni people want to ensure that these airstrikes never resume.

Indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets, including hospitals, schools, water treatment plants, as well as blockading Yemeni ports-- committed largely with U.S. weapons and logistical support--have resulted in what the U.N. has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis with millions of Yemenis pushed to the edge of famine.

Again, the United States must stop any participation in this horrific war.

Over 11,000 children have died of hunger or been maimed as a result of the conflict in Yemen, according to UNICEF, an average, Madam Speaker, of four a day since the escalation of the conflict in 2015. Across Yemen, 23.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

The Yemeni-American families in my district are devastated to see their families, their native cities, the neighborhoods they all grew up in completely ripped apart with death, famine, and violent attacks.

``May Allah cure you.'' ``Allah yshfeekom.''

Violence Against Women in Politics

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of Women's History Month. I cannot think of any better way to recognize and honor women than to take active steps in protecting them.

This week, I am reintroducing House Resolution 801 that recognizes violence against women in politics is a global phenomenon now and that more research should be conducted to examine its extent and effects in the United States.

There is a disturbing rise of violence against women in politics. We have all experienced it in this Chamber. The never-ending string of ignorant, hateful, and downright threatening rhetoric against colleagues in this room is extremely unacceptable, and it is the same kind of hate that is directed against countless women all around the globe, especially women of color and those with cross-cutting identities.

Madam Speaker, women have been on the frontlines of social justice movements around the world and throughout our Nation's history. Violence against women in politics is a specific, gendered phenomenon, stemming from a resistance to increased political participation by women intended, again, to undermine women as political actors.

According to the ``2018 Violence Against Women in Politics Report'' by U.N. Women and U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, it says that women of color are increasingly more affected by this crisis.

A recent study by U.S. mayors found that women mayors are more likely than men to experience most types of violence and abuse and indicates such incidents are not out of the ordinary for women in U.S. politics generally.

In honor of Women's History Month, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, today I want to recognize Lieutenant Michael Terch for his 25 years of service with the Garden City Fire Department in Michigan's 12th District Strong.

Lieutenant Terch began his career with Garden City in 1998 when he split his time working for multiple municipal fire departments until he joined the Garden City Fire Department as a full-time firefighter and paramedic. Lieutenant Terch was promoted to Engineer in 2012 and to Lieutenant in 2019. In 2020 he completed the EMS Fire Staff and Command class.

In addition to his service to the public, Lieutenant Terch served on the IAFF Local 1911 Union board in many roles over the years. He has served as a trustee, secretary, and 9 years as the union president having been elected twice. He is the founding member of the union's charity golf outing that ran successfully for 17 years and has been involved with the IAFF MDA's Fill the Boot charity event.

Please join me in recognizing Lieutenant Michael Terch for his 25 years of outstanding service to the people of Garden City in Michigan's 12th District Strong as we wish him well on his next endeavor.

Mr. Speaker, today I want to recognize Nicholas Schroeder, a firefighter with Garden City, Michigan Fire Department on his promotion to Lieutenant.

Nicholas Schroeder has served the Garden City Fire Department since November of 2013. He decided to pursue a career in public service after graduating from Gabriel Richard Riverview High School in 2010. He attended Schoolcraft College for emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic training, as well as the fire academy. He worked in the private sector after completion of his training, and at the age of 21, he joined the Garden City Fire Department as a firefighter-paramedic.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Nicholas has served on multiple committees and taken numerous trainings, most notably the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland, Fire Investigation 1 & 2 with the Michigan State Police, and firefighter safety and survival. After a competitive testing process, completing pump operations training, and working in the capacity of acting engineer, Garden City and the 12th Congressional District are proud to congratulate Nicholas on his exceptional training and experiences to take on this new role. Not only has Nicolas been dedicated to public service for our district, he also enjoys spending time with his family, including wife Chelsey and twin daughters.

Please join me in recognizing Nicholas Schroeder for his outstanding service to the people of Garden City in Michigan's 12th District Strong as we congratulate him on his new role.

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize Garden City firefighter Patrick Renner in honor of his promotion to engineer.

Firefighter Renner joined the Garden City Fire Department as a Firefighter and Paramedic in January of 2017. He prepared for the Engineer position by completing training for Fire Pump Operator and Driver Operator. He also completed the necessary training to stand in as an acting Engineer. Over the course of his career, Firefighter Renner has completed training courses, including Firefighter Safety and Survival, Rapid Intervention Training, Reading Smoke, Machine Rescue, Trench Rescue, and Fire Investigation. He has stepped up to mentor the newest members of the Department and serves on the Department's Fire Committee, researching gear and equipment needs.

A graduate of Southgate High School in 2005, Patrick Renner completed his EMT-B and EMT-P certifications and graduated from the Fire Academy at Wayne County Community College. Outside of his work, he enjoys spending time with his wife Melissa, and their 4 year old son, Jason.

Please join me in congratulating Patrick Renner on his promotion to Engineer as we thank him for his service to the people of Garden City in Michigan's 12th District Strong.