Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, today I want to recognize the outstanding contributions of Ali Baleed, a well-known community member of Wayne County, Michigan.

Ali Baleed is the founder of many community-based organizations since his arrival to the United States in the 1960s. He is one of the founding members and executive director

of the Yemeni American Benevolent Association (YABA), an organization that provides educational and social services, including scholarship programs for our youth. He helped found the largest human services organizations in the country, ACCESS, where he served as vice president for years. He has served with numerous service organizations, including the Arab American Council and Congress of Arab American Organizations (CAAO). In addition, Mr. Baleed is a key organizer of the Arab and Chaldean Festival, Michigan's largest cultural event celebrating Arab and Chaldean culture. During the 1970s, Ali was nominated to represent Arab Americans at the UAW convention and was also selected to attend the Second General Conference of Yemeni Immigrants in Yemen. Ali worked alongside Arab American Institute (AAI), headed by Dr. James Zogby, to help people register and vote.

Mr. Baleed has remained active in several grassroots organizations and has been a strong voice for southeastern Michigan's Yemeni community. Beyond his commitment to civic service, Mr. Baleed is an accomplished poet.

Ali Baleed has made a remarkable impact on the communities of Wayne County, whether it's helping connect residents to vital human services or encouraging students to achieve their goals in pursuit of higher education. Please join me in recognizing his numerous accomplishments and wish him well.

Madam Speaker, today I want to recognize Korey Butler, a long-time member of the Garden City, Michigan Fire Department, on the occasion of his appointment as lieutenant.

Lieutenant Korey Butler has served the Garden City community since 2013. Prior to joining the Department, he worked for the City of Inkster Fire Department and for Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services in Gwinnett County, Georgia. He is also a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy.

Lieutenant Butler has represented Garden City Fire Department as a Hazardous Materials Technician with the Western Wayne County Hazardous Materials Response Team for the past six years. He also founded the Southeastern Michigan Firefighters PEER Support Network where he continues to help promote mental health among emergency responders. Lieutenant Butler was recently appointed to the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union Behavioral Health Committee, where he is working to develop and implement training, response guidelines, and designations for PEER support teams across the state.

Lieutenant Butler is currently enrolled at the Columbia Southern University where he is projected to graduate with a bachelor's degree in fire service administration this winter. He has taken an active role in training new fire fighters and never passes up an opportunity to share his knowledge and expertise among his team.

Please join me in congratulating Lieutenant Korey Butler for going above and beyond in service to the people of Garden City in Michigan's 13th District Strong.

Madam Speaker, I would like to acknowledge and celebrate the exemplary leadership and faith-based work of Dr. Corletta J. Vaughn as Senior Pastor of Holy Ghost Cathedral in Michigan's 13th District Strong for thirty-six years.

Dr. Vaughn is a trailblazer among women in the ministry through her notable accomplishments. She began her journey in 1974, was named bishop in 1995 in Nigeria, and was elected to the Office of Presiding Bishop over International Outreach Go Tell It Ministry Worldwide Network and Churches in 1999. Throughout this time, she has ministered in more than twenty-eight countries.

Beyond serving the spiritual needs of her congregation, Dr. Vaughn has dedicated herself to serving the community by organizing food drives, clothing drives, sponsoring community day events, and has even opened her doors of the church as a COVID vaccination site. She has showcased a drive to uplift the community through her proactive efforts to strengthen leadership among members. She is the president of the International Institute of Expansion; Women who Soar and the founder and chancellor of Kingdom and Faith Bible College in Detroit, which trains school ministers to become leaders.

In short, Dr. Corletta Vaughn has become a pillar in the community and internationally. Her work has demonstrated her passion for teaching, preaching, and leadership development which strives to create a better future for our communities. Please join me in recognition of her outstanding achievement.

Madam Speaker, today I want to recognize Judson Center, one of Michigan's foremost human service agencies as they open their newest center in Wayne County. They operate in more than twenty-nine counties across our state and have been in operation for ninety-eight years.

Founded in 1924, Judson Center was first known as Detroit Baptist Children's Home for children in need. Since that time, Judson Center has been steadfast in its mission to providing comprehensive support services to children, families, and adults. Judson Center provides high quality services to adults and families impacted by abuse and neglect, autism, developmental, behavioral, and physical health challenges.

Whether it's family support services, behavioral therapy, or counseling, Judson Center has been a committed partner to the community. Please join me in welcoming a new Judson Center location to our communities in Wayne County, Michigan.

Madam Speaker, today I want to recognize Steve Rhea, a seventeen-year veteran of the Garden City, Michigan Fire Department on his recent promotion to Captain.

Captain Rhea has served the Garden City Fire Department since 2005 and has held the rank of Lieutenant since 2018. He began his training and became a firefighter with the Novi Fire department in 1993 and became an EMT in 1994 and a paramedic in 1998. In 2010, Captain Rhea completed the training to become a paramedic and shoulders the responsibility for ensuring Fire Department members are up to date on their training.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Captain Rhea has an associate degree in Fire science, a bachelor's degree in Public Safety Management with a minor in Healthcare Management. He also earned a master's degree in Organizational Leadership. He is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University's School of Fire Staff and Command and the National Fire Academy's Managing Officer Program.

Capitalizing on his passion for public education and lifelong learning, Captain Rhea enjoys his role as the Fire Department's training officer, sharing his vast knowledge and experience with his team. He also engages with the community by serving as the organizer of the Department's annual open house and hosting public education events, including CPR classes. Beyond his work on behalf of the public, Captain Rhea teaches paramedic classes for Dorsey College and works as an axe throwing coach. He enjoys spending time with his wife Heather, his daughter Miranda, and son Alexander.

Please join me in recognizing Captain Steve Rhea for his outstanding service to the people of Garden City in Michigan's 13th District Strong.

Madam Speaker, today I want to recognize the Motown Museum, located in Detroit in Michigan's 13th District Strong as they celebrate their grand reopening.

The Motown Museum is an important cultural institution that has local and nationwide significance. The museum's leadership and volunteers have dedicated themselves to preserving the legacy of Motown's indelible and profound impact on our country's music and popular culture.

Founded in 1985 by Esther Gordy Edwards, the museum seeks to capture the magic of the 1960s-era Motown's ``voice of young America'' by preserving the artifacts of Motown Records' early days. Producer Gordy Berry was the mastermind behind Motown Records, bringing to the mainstream its characteristic soulful and pop sound. A Blackowned label, Motown made history in popularizing and integrating its distinctive sound.

Please join me in celebrating Detroit's very own Motown Museum as they reopen their newly expanded facility.

Madam Speaker, Michigan has lost an incredible human being. Zahra Abbas was brilliant, compassionate, and full of love for community. Please join me in honoring her memory.

Zahra lived with epilepsy, which she learned to control with the use of cannabis. Her epilepsy and her personal journey in advocating her herself inspired her work to educate others and advocate for access to health care and

the use of alternative approaches. Zahra founded and became the chair of the Cannabis Caucus for Michigan Democratic Party.

Zahra spoke passionately about the issues she believed in at rallies, community meetings, and meetings with other political leaders across the state of Michigan and the nation. She was a relentless advocate for fair, sensible and just cannabis law reform. Her work impacted the lives of so many across our state.

Please join me in recognizing the Zahra Abbas, our lion-hearted advocate with a radiant smile, as we honor her memory.

Madam Speaker, Michigan lost an incredible human being yesterday.

Zahra Abbas was brilliant, compassionate, and full of love for community.

Zahra lived with epilepsy, which she learned to control with the use of cannabis. This inspired her mission to educate and advocate for the access of healthcare and the use of alternative approaches.

Zahra founded and became the chair of the Cannabis Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party. She was also a DNC delegate.

Zahra spoke passionately about issues that she believed in at rallies and community meetings and meetings with other political leaders across Michigan and the Nation. She gained so much incredible respect from our community.

My team and I are devastated and heartbroken. We extend our deepest condolences to the Abbas family. Allah Yerhama.

Madam Speaker, today I want to celebrate the life of Rebecca Lockridge, a long-time resident of Southwest Detroit in Michigan's 13th District Strong, on the occasion of her one hundredth birthday.

Mother Rebecca Lockridge was born on July 24, 1922 in Columbia, Tennessee, and later moved to Detroit, Michigan on February 9th, 1944 at the age of twenty-two with her sister, Martha. She married the love of her life, Albert B. Lockridge in 1946, raising five children in the home on Prairie Street that they bought as newlyweds. Mother Lockridge has remained an active and engaged neighbor through her work with the Midwest Civic Council, where she served as Treasurer for decades, as well the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church. She also served as a career counselor at Chadsey High School for more than two decades, guiding our community's youth in their college and career endeavors. Mother Lockridge has contributed so much value to her community, family, and friends. After her retirement, Mrs. Lockridge has maintained her good health by participating in a local exercise group, cooking healthy meals, and enjoying the sun with her friends and family, including her four grandchildren, and several great- grandchildren. May she continue to shine bright, surrounded by love and laughter in the years ahead.

Please join me in wishing a happy 100th birthday to Mother Rebecca Lockridge, a paragon of Detroit's perseverance and a figure of notable civic service in Michigan's 13th District Strong.

Madam Speaker, today I want to recognize the Liberian Association of Michigan as they gather to celebrate the one hundred seventy-fifth anniversary of Liberia's independence and the contributions of Liberian Americans to Michigan and the 13th Congressional District Strong.

Founded in 1971, the Liberian Association of Michigan remains grounded in their mission to provide assistance to those in need and to preserve Liberia's cultural heritage in our communities. In its commitment to these ideals, the Association hosts numerous events throughout the year, including African Heritage and Liberian Independence celebrations, as well as events that give back to the community, such as Thanksgiving and Back to School programs.

Beyond hosting numerous charitable and social events, Liberian Association of Michigan is ``Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reason,'' the theme of this year's annual celebration, in its outreach and support to recent immigrants to our country. The Association and its members have created a welcoming space for new residents, while providing social and economic support. I commend their incredibly valuable work and I am incredibly proud of the Liberian Association of Michigan's many contributions to our richly diverse communities.

Please join me in recognizing the Liberian Association of Michigan as they celebrate more than fifty years of service, culture, and kinship across Michigan's 13th Congressional District.

Madam Speaker, today, I recognize the Liberian Association of Michigan as they gather to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Liberia's independence and the contributions of Liberian Americans to Michigan's 13th District Strong.

Founded in 1971, the Liberian Association of Michigan remains grounded in their mission to provide assistance to those in need and to preserve Liberia's cultural heritage in our communities.

Beyond hosting numerous charitable events, the association is ``doing the right thing for the right reason'' in its outreach as well as in its support to our recent immigrants to our country. The association and its members have created a welcoming space for new residents while providing social and economic support.

I commend their incredibly valuable work, and I am so proud to support them in their anniversary and their work.

Please join me in recognizing the Liberian Association of Michigan as they celebrate 50 years of service, culture, and kinship across Michigan's 13th Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, today, I want to celebrate the exceptional leadership and commitment to service by Phyllis J. Edwards, who I warmly refer to as Director Edwards. She has dedicated her work to protect and advocate for the underrepresented communities within Michigan's 13th District Strong, specifically our senior citizens in Detroit.

Director Edwards was the executive director of Bridging Communities in southwest Detroit for over a decade, and prior to that, she was the social service program manager for more than 30 years within the Wayne County Department of Health and Human Services.

Her work and proactive community involvement has made an immeasurable impact on the lives of countless residents. As a longtime Detroit resident, her efforts to improve the quality of life for our seniors demonstrated her love, commitment, and compassion for community-based work.

Please join me in recognizing her many outstanding contributions to Michigan's 13th District Strong as we wish her well on the next chapter of her life.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, I would thank Chairmen Quigley, Meeks, and McGovern and their staffs for working with me on this critical amendment and for their leadership throughout this process.

I also thank the incredible Congresswoman Lee for joining me here today to speak in support of this critical policy change, and, of course, Congressman Crawford who submitted this change as a Republican- led bipartisan amendment to the FSGG appropriations bill in 2017 and has been a great advocate on this issue over the years.

This is an amendment that is critical, and it builds on more than a decade of efforts by bipartisan Members of the House and Senate and the farm industry leaders across the country.

As Cubans face one of the most painful crises in three decades, forcing tens of thousands of Cubans to spend long hours each day waiting in lines in hopes of finding food, our amendment would provide temporary relief to them as well as U.S. farm exporters by suspending enforcement for 1 year of the prohibition and extending credit to Cuban food buyers.

This amendment makes sense for two reasons.

First, the Cuban people are contending with significant food shortages, as I mentioned. By allowing Cuban importers to buy U.S. food products on credit, we can help ease the suffering of everyday Cubans and build good will between our peoples. Simply put, it is the most humane thing we can do right now and the right thing to do.

Second, the amendment would also help American ag producers as well by removing trade barriers that put them at a competitive disadvantage with countries thousands of miles away, like China and Vietnam.

For my home State of Michigan, and many others across the country, this amendment effectively opens up a new market of about 11 million people for our farmers and for their exports.

I know Michigan's director of Agriculture and Rural Development, Gary McDowell, noted that our State's farmers seek great opportunities for products such as dry beans, apples, dairy products, and poultry that are major staples of the Cuban diet.

This amendment is good for our Cuban people, as well as good for the American farmers, and the right thing to do.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to please support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, as I said, this amendment would help alleviate the suffering of the Cuban people. It also is very important to note that this is identical to a bipartisan Republican-led amendment submitted just a few years ago.

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Chair, may I ask how much time I have remaining?

Mr. Chair, while I understand and share some of the concerns, the reality is the embargoes aren't working and have failed to achieve any of its aims for over a half a century.

I think my colleagues, all of us, at least agree that there is no more principled reason to engage than to ease the suffering of the Cuban people who are currently again suffering from huge amounts of food shortages.

I think it is critically important to understand there is trade happening now, but in cash. This would again allow the access to credit to be able to do it in a way that allows farmers in not only Michigan but across the country who are asking us to help them do more and export and allow them to address some of the food shortages that help the Cuban people so much more.

Mr. Chair, for those reasons I urge my colleagues to please vote ``yes'' on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I am prepared to close, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Chair, this is only about food. The Members in opposition are claiming to stand with the people of Cuba, but this is our opportunity to support the Cuban people and help them right now. When we take this opportunity to vote ``yes,'' we show that the U.S. isn't the enemy of the Cuban people during their time of need. At the same time, we are helping our local farmers right here. Vote ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, first, I thank Chairman Smith as well as Chair McGovern and their staff and team for working with me on this critically important amendment and for their leadership, really, throughout this NDAA process.

I also thank Congresswoman Jacobs for cosponsoring this amendment with us in support of, again, this really important policy change.

With Russia's war in Ukraine, and serious tensions along NATO's eastern border and in the South China Sea, today's world is being redefined, Mr. Speaker, by escalating tensions between major nuclear powers.

We don't have to look back far in history to see that there is danger here. The Cold War was full of near misses and numerous crises that could have gotten out of control and ended in nuclear war.

We are now entering a period of dangerous nuclear competition. As such, we must remember one of the key lessons the Cold War taught us: That when it comes to nuclear, we must preserve the ability to promptly step back and clearly signal de-escalation when necessary.

Unfortunately, the current draft of the NDAA includes a provision that prohibits our country from doing just that. Specifically, this dangerous provision makes it impossible for our country to reduce the stockpile of ICBMs for any reason, with no exceptions.

The policy was created, Mr. Speaker, and implemented by lawmakers in promotion of companies who profit in the production of these weapons, not in the best interests of our national security priorities.

This shortsighted policy places serious and concerning restraints on the President, Congress, and the Department of Defense's ability to consider and modify the role of ICBMs in our national defense.

Preserving our ability to reduce our nuclear stockpiles proved key to reducing tensions and achieving peaceful solutions and planet-saving arms control agreements during the Cold War. Just as we have the ability to increase our nuclear defense in times of crisis, we must have the ability to reduce our nuclear forces when it is in our national interests.

To be clear, this amendment does not change the size of our nuclear forces. It merely allows for reasonable consideration and debate in the future.

As a mother of two, Mr. Speaker, who dreams of a world where my boys and many of the children around the world can lead lives free from the threat of fear and nuclear war, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I would like to just make it very clear that this amendment does not change the size of our nuclear forces. This amendment gives our government more options to avoid a world-ending nuclear war. It is that simple.

Nuclear confrontation, Mr. Speaker, means the destruction of everything we hold dear, and it risks the end of the world. We need more options for those in power now to make those decisions and have that flexibility.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to understand what is at stake, and I remind my colleagues again that it is important to be able to give Congress, the President of the United States, as well as the Department of Defense, the ability to de-escalate when necessary.

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

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi).

Mr. Speaker, it is important to understand that this amendment merely allows for reasonable consideration and a debate in the future in regard to our ICBMs. That is all we are asking here.

I think it is very important, again, for our future in allowing that debate and public transparency about that need.

Again, de-escalation in a time of crisis is important.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Jefferson, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, who recently passed away in our community. His remarkable service figures prominently in our Nation's history. Jefferson served as a fighter pilot with the Red Tail 332nd Fighter Group, 301st Fighter Squadron in Italy during World War II. His unit bravely escorted bombers into action, providing critical protection from enemy aircraft without losing a single plane.

After the war, Jefferson served as an instructor in advanced flight training at the Tuskegee Army Air Field, continuing the storied Air Corps' legacy of excellence.

Lieutenant Colonel Jefferson received numerous awards for his bravery and selfless service to our country, including the Purple Heart award. We have lost a great American patriot and hero who should always be remembered for his service to freedom for our country.