Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following Proclamation:

Whereas, members of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), founded in December of 1941, have honorably served our country for 76 years;

Whereas, CAP has moved its Illinois Wing Headquarters to the Illinois Second Congressional District at Bult Field in Will County;

Whereas, in all 50 states, as well as in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia, CAP serves the American Air Force in times of need;

Whereas, CAP's 57,000 members not only protect the American people, but build and support American's next generation of leaders through scholarships, education, and training;

Whereas, CAP diligently strives toward its three main initiatives: aerospace education, cadet training, and emergency services for the U.S. Air Force. Through state and local offices, CAP fosters an ethos of civil aviation and public service in local conununities;

Whereas, the Civil Air Patrol volunteers perform 90 percent of the country's inland search and rescue missions;

Whereas, CAP's Illinois Wing received an overall ``excellent'' rating in its biannual U.S. Air Force evaluation and rescue mission;

Whereas, the Illinois Wing operates out of 35 locations statewide, and hosts 622 adult volunteer members, 543 cadets, 686 voting-age members, 673 emergency responders and 124 aircrew members;

Whereas, the Illinois Wing's volunteer members conducted 2,147 hours flown in 2015;

Whereas, the Illinois Wing flew 399 real-world sorties and conducted 71 ground sorties during 2015. In addition, its members led two missing aircraft finds, four tornado or flooding disaster relief missions, and 20 counterdrug reconnaissance missions;

Whereas, the Illinois Wing hosts the Johnson Flight Academy, which attracts aspiring pilots from all corners of this country; and

Whereas, the Illinois Wing conducted 62 training missions in 2015, which consisted of 357 flights and 229 ground sorties: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, by the House of Representatives of the United States of America, That the contributions of the Illinois Civil Air Patrol be recognized and honored.

Mr. Speaker, I rise yet again because Americans are dying in our movie theaters, city parks, on street corners, and in elementary school classrooms. Even our homes and relationships aren't safe.

A new CDC report found that half of all murdered women are killed by a partner or an ex-partner. Guns are their weapon of choice.

Mr. Speaker, the report found that 5,234 American women have been killed by husbands, boyfriends, or exes with guns.

Has this Congress acted? No. Three American women are shot and killed by an abuser every day. Congress does nothing.

This year, 352 Americans have already been lost to gun-related domestic violence. Congress does nothing. Felons buy guns online; abusers get weapons without background checks. Congress still does nothing. Convicted stalkers legally purchase guns in 29 States, yet, still again, this Congress does nothing.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to read some quotes from brave women who called the National Domestic Violence Hotline--women in danger, women fearing for their lives, women that this Congress has ignored in order to cater to the NRA.

One survivor said: ``Abuser threatened our young child that he would shoot the entire family and maybe others.''

Another survivor said: ``He never fired the pistol, but he would sit on my chest and point it at my head. He would put it right next to my temple.''

The NRA doesn't think there is a problem. They think it is politically motivated and claims victims manipulate ``emotionally compelling issues such as `domestic violence' and `stalking' simply to cast as wide a net as possible for Federal firearm prohibitions.''

Are you kidding me?

Victim No. 103, Amber White, 32.

Victim 104, Korinda Rodriguez, 32, killed on her way to work.

105, Jabria Hall, 23.

106, Lauren Walker, 32.

107, Karen Smith, 53, a teacher. Her estranged husband killed her and her 8-year-old student, Jonathan Martinez.

108, Trini Do, 29, killed with four family members at her son's eleventh birthday party.

109, Kathleen Grimes, 54.

110, April Bailey, 39.

111, Zina Daniel, 42, killed with two others when her abusive and estranged husband bought a gun from Armslist, walked into a spa, and started shooting.

Victim 112, Emily Young, 24. Her husband had twice admitted to domestic violence charges, but he had a gun.

113, Ashley Hicks, 23.

114, Latina Verneta Herring, 35, killed along with her 8-year-old son, Branden, because of a fight over car keys.

115, Lidia Juarez, 37.

116, Fannie McWhite, 61.

117, Tracy Judd, 33, and her 23-month-old daughter.

118, Amber Weigel, 25, and her 2-year-old daughter, both killed because the father didn't want to pay child support.

119, Tania Adams, 41, a mother of three boys.

120, Gladys Tordil, 44, murdered in a high school parking lot in front of her daughter.

121, Karla Ayde-Garcia Arellano, 25.

122, Jitka Vesel, 36, shot at least 11 times by a boyfriend who bought a gun in Washington and drove to Illinois.

123, Rashanda Franklin, 29.

Victim 124, Tammy Mattison, 49.

125, Jennifer Krieger, 44, killed along with her 14-year-old daughter Kelsie.

126, Camille Thompson, 26, murdered with her two young children in the car.

127, Mary Shipstone, 7 years old, shot by her father while at a safe house.

Kate Allen, 43, killed with her two 10-year-old children at a Cracker Barrel. It was her daughter Kerri's 10th birthday.

Courtney Price McKinney, 22.

Maria McIntosh, 19, killed alongside her father and her sister.

Crystal Hamilton, 29.

Officer Ashley Guindon, 28, was also killed responding to Crystal's call. It was her second day of work.

Nalisha Gravely, 19.

Ernestina Lara Chaires, 44, killed while trying to escape her abuser.

Rachel Naomi Peters, 32.

Cara Russel, 52.

Sandra Smith, 42, killed alongside her 15-year-old son Daniel.

Olga Neubert, 37.

Elizabeth Rodriguez, 26.

Tabitha Apling, 33.

Michelle Morris, 50.

Laura Aceves, 21.

Kathy Edwards, 53.

Alejandra Hernandez, 28.

Jamila Odom, 41.

Ashley Hasti, 31, the first victim in a Minnesota-to-California mass shooting that ended on the campus of UCLA.

Maria Guadalupe Sobrevilla, 58.

Joyce Haynes, 41.

Amanda Colley, 36. Her murderer was on probation for violation of the protective order against him.

Larissa Barros, 18.

Mr. Speaker, we failed these women and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn in the strongest possible terms the President's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA.

This issue should be very simple. These are children who were brought here by their parents, through no fault of their own. They grew up with our kids, attended the same schools, played on the same playgrounds, and learned to drive in our neighborhoods. These kids are Americans in their hearts and in their minds, just not on paper, yet.

Beyond that, my faith, my conscience, my understanding of basic economics prevents me from supporting this cruel and inhumane decision by President Trump.

If we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, we must remember that we, too, were once strangers in a strange land. Many of us have our own immigrant stories, stories of how we became Americans.

My family's story begins like many of yours. My great-grandfather, Metro, was born in Austria in 1881, and my great-grandmother, Margaret Skrutt, was born in Ukraine in 1882. They got married and knew that they could find a better life in America; so, in 1906, they took a chance and came to America, arriving on November 1, 1906.

They settled in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, because other Ukrainians already lived there. They joined the community, worked hard,

went to church, raised a family of Americans, including my grandmother, Anna Guryesh.

My great-grandparents' story is the story of America. It is the story of immigration and immigrant families dreaming of a better life and making America great.

It is the same story repeated 24 years later when Mary Anne McLeod boarded the Transylvania in Glasgow on May 2, 1930. Nine days later, she arrived in New York with $50 in her pocket. Eighty-six years later, her son was elected President of the United States of America.

At the age of seven, a young woman left Cuba, fleeing communism. In 1989, she became the first Latina elected to Congress, and it is a privilege to serve with her.

Melania Knavs was born in Slovenia. She first became a permanent resident, and then a citizen of the United States. This young lady, born in southeastern Slovenia, now lives in northwest D.C. as the First Lady of the United States of America.

Daniel, one of my constituents who I helped with his DACA status: He works hard, pays his taxes, loves this country, his country, as much as any other American.

So many great Americans are Americans by choice, not by birth. This has made America the greatest, strongest, wealthiest country in the world. We can attract the best, the brightest, the most driven and the most talented.

People like Dr. Elizabeth Stern was born in Kansas, but, in 1915, became an American. She drove forward our ability to detect and treat cancer.

Author Ayn Rand, a favorite of the Speaker, was born in 1905 in Russia, and came to the United States in 1926.

Actress Natalie Portman, born in 1981 in Jerusalem, came to the U.S. as a toddler.

Alonso Guillen was born in Mexico but died last week as an American hero working to save lives during Hurricane Harvey.

At the last Olympics, Americans born in places like Australia, Kenya, and Poland brought home nine medals, including two gold for the United States.

Their stories are all the same. They came to America seeking a better life and a better future. They contributed to our society and our culture. They made America great.

Margaret and Metro's story is America's story. America's story is Mary Anne's story and Daniel's story. This is the story of us, the story of America. It is a story that no President's pen can erase. America's story is Melania's, Ayn's, and the story of Albert. We are America, and we are here to stay. No matter where you were born, we are America, and we are here to stay. No matter what language you speak to your mom in, we are America, and we are here to stay. We are America, and we are here to stay because America's story is our story.

Mr. Speaker, I rise, yet again, to beg this House for action. Let us have a vote on lifesaving legislation.

Just this weekend, 57 Americans were shot in just one U.S. city. Tragically, 11 of them passed away, including a 10-year-old boy and a revered community activist who worked to create jobs for at-risk kids.

The violence did not take a rest after the weekend. On Monday, 13 more people were shot and 3 were killed.

Mr. Speaker, what are we doing here?

People, Americans, American kids are dying every day in every community, in every State, in every district, yet this House, the people's House, continues to do nothing.

Why, Mr. Speaker? Why is that?

Well, I think greed and dollars.

My 101st victim I want to share with you is Gustavo Garcia, who was 10 years old. Mr. Speaker, Gustavo would have turned 11 next month. He would have started fourth grade at Arnold Mireles Academy next month. Instead, he was murdered in the back seat of an SUV by an assault weapon, a weapon of war that this House has allowed to be legal and spill blood on our city streets.

These weapons have one purpose: killing people. They are not for sportsmanship. They are not for personal defense. They are for theaters of war. They are designed to devastate, maim, kill, and destroy. That is why assault weapons were banned from our streets until this House, poisoned by NRA dollars, allowed the bill to expire.

Mr. Speaker, Gustavo Garcia was 10 years old. He had an entire lifetime ahead of him. Mr. Speaker, the operative word in that sentence is ``had.'' Now he has become ``Dollar NRA No. 101.''

$102, William ``Willie'' Cooper, who was 58 years old. Willie was working to change Chicago and give our children a future. He founded the Lilydale Outreach Workers for a Better Community and helped mediate more than 50 conflicts that could have turned deadly.

Willie was everything you could want in a neighbor, a community leader, and a friend. He was kind, concerned about others in his community, someone who truly loved all of his fellow men. Now he is ``$102.'' He was assassinated also with an assault weapon in front of the nonprofit he founded to help young people find jobs.

Time and time again I hear from the other side of the aisle that work is transformative, it gives people purpose and direction in life. I could not agree more.

Mr. Speaker, nothing stops a bullet like an opportunity. What Chicago needs is jobs for our young people, not guns flooding from States likes Wisconsin and even the Vice President's home State of Indiana.

Mr. Speaker, it is about jobs. So I join Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth to introduce three pieces of legislation directly targeted to support at-risk youth and the amazing businesses that take a chance on them to change their lives. To date, these bills have simply been referred to committee.

Mr. Speaker, when is the agenda of this House going to turn to the actual issues devastating American families?

This Congress has voted to allow companies to poison our air and water. We passed a bill that stripped 23 million Americans of their health insurance. We even passed a bill that lets dangerously mental ill people buy a firearm. Shameful.

We have not had one single debate, not passed one bill, nothing, zero, zilch, to save American lives. I guess some things just aren't worth the price.

Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago, I stood up on this floor and called for action to stop gun violence. My request was simple: before we recess this summer, let us pass lifesaving gun safety legislation. This is something that has bipartisan support. It is something that urban, suburban, and rural communities have cried out for help on.

Universal background checks are something 74 percent of NRA members support. Put in context, just 16 percent of Americans want the majority's healthcare bill, and yet you have attempted to pass it three times in the past 2 months. Nearly 8 in 10 Americans want background checks on gun sales, but we have not had one vote.

Because of your inaction, over 100 people were shot and over 10 were killed by gun violence in Chicago over the Fourth of July weekend. Over 100 Americans shot in one weekend and in one city, and still we do nothing.

I would like to call out names of those who have lost their lives:

Martell Sanders-Anderson, 16;

Djuan Williams, 16;

Andre Taylor, 16;

Lucas L. Spicer, Jr., 16;

Pierre Loury, 16;

Davharea Wilson, 16;

Ladarrius Jackson, 15;

Leonardo Betancourt, 13;

Randall Young, 16;

Eddy Brooks, 16;

Nathan Hicks, 16;

Damarcus Williams, 16;

Veronica Lopez, 15;

Fabian Lavinder, 15;

Victor Felix, 16;

Christian Bandemer, 16;

Melvin Cook, 16;

Trevell Parker, 16;

Travon Smith, 15;

Mario Venegas, Jr., 15;

Delance Price, 16;

Malik Causey, 14;

Elijah Sims, 16;

Jaylen Howard, 16;

Demarco Webster, Jr., 14;

Deandre Banks, 16;

Elijah House, 16;

Clarence Coakley, 16;

Javon Wilson, 15;

Diego Alvarado, 16;

Christopher Brandon, 16;

Gregory Livingston, 15;

Malik McNeese, 16;

Bruce Owens, 15;

Diabolique Anderson, 16;

Willie Woodus, 15;

Clavonte Eubanks, 15;

Takiya Holmes, 11;

Lavontay White, Jr., 2;

Deshawn Martin, 15;

Mishawn Green, 16;

Kanari Gentry-Bowers, 12;

Laquan Allen, 14;

Jaquarius Davis, 16;

Julio Cesar Garcia-Lara, 15;

Kahari Stovall, 16;

Diego Villada, 15;

Jesus Escobar, 16;

Alexis Stubbs, 12; and

Jazebel Aleman, 3.

Mr. Speaker, not one of these children was over 16 years old. They should be learning to drive, learning to code, playing with dolls, and enjoying their own summer recess. That will never again be possible because of this Chamber's inaction.

Mr. Speaker, in the 4 years that I have been privileged to represent the remarkable people and amazing communities of Illinois' Second Congressional District, I have come to this floor many times to urge action.

I have called for a budget that invests in jobs, farmers, and rural communities. I have called for action to address the trillion-dollar student debt crisis. I have called for real solutions that make healthcare affordable for all American families. I have spoken on many issues facing this House, but nothing I have spoken on is more important than protecting American lives.

I have begged for commonsense reforms that prevent children from being shot while playing at a playground. I have begged; I have pleaded; I have screamed; I have cried; and I have even ground the people's House to a halt with last year's historic sit-in.

What answer was I given? Was I given answers to take home to grieving mothers and police widows? Was I able to tell them that their loved one's death wasn't in vain and that we were going to do something to save the next life? No. I was met with silence, and worse, an active effort to silence my voice and the voice of millions of Americans.

So I ask myself: Why? What is the issue? Why can't I, an elected Representative of the American people who draws my authority directly from the United States Constitution, get something done to save lives? Why can't we get a vote on commonsense, lifesaving legislation that is supported by 90 percent of Americans and more than 70 percent of NRA members?

Mr. Speaker, tragically, the answer is simple. It is greed.

Mr. Speaker, what is the cost of your inaction? It seems that $5,950 you took from the NRA matters more to you than the 7,490 Americans we have already lost this year to gun violence.

Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve to know that just 79 cents for an American life is the cost of your silence and inaction.

Well, Mr. Speaker, it might be easy for you to ignore the connection between those dollars and the lives lost, but I cannot--and I will not--ignore it. I will not let you ignore or forget it either.

I am going to stand here and remind you, remind the people of Wisconsin's First District, and remind all Americans that money matters more to you than these American lives. One dollar--one name. One dollar--one grieving family. One dollar--one lost American:

One dollar--Xavier Joy, 23, was a success story. He was playing football at Morehouse, was an AmeriCorps volunteer, and wanted to change Chicago for the better;

Two dollars--Blair Holt, 16, was killed shielding his friend on a CTA bus;

Three dollars--Hadiya Pendleton, 15, killed just weeks after performing at President Obama's inauguration.

While Chicago might make headlines, gun violence is killing people in every community, in every city, and in every town, including Wisconsin's First District.

Four dollars--Paramjit Kaur, 41, killed while trying to pray;

Five dollars--Satwant Singh Kaleka, 65, killed at the temple he founded;

Six dollars--Prakash Singh, 39, a reader at his temple;

Seven dollars--Sita Singh, 41, killed by a White nationalist for wearing a turban;

Eight dollars--Ranjit Singh, 49, murdered at his church;

Nine dollars--Suveg Singh, 84, killed while expressing his love for his God;

10 dollars--Harry Canady, Jr., 20, killed sitting on a porch in Racine;

11 dollars--Sean Bialas, 23, of Kenosha, shot and killed while physically unable to defend himself;

12 dollars--David Bauspies, 36, of McHenry, accidently shot and killed in East Troy;

13 dollars--Jose Torres, 36, murdered on the 1600 block of Holmes Avenue in Racine;

14 dollars--Nicholas Chaulkin, 17, of Racine, killed by a domestic abuser, likely while defending his mother;

15 dollars--David Tilton, 37, of Janesville;

16 dollars--James Norris, 37, was killed at his job as a restaurant delivery driver in Racine;

17 dollars--Jeremy Trawitzki, 38, killed in Muskego;

18 dollars--Thomas Kruse, 41, killed in Muskego;

19 dollars--Joseph Hensel, 27, killed in Elkhorn;

20 dollars--Andrew Jones, Jr., 27, also killed by his friend in Racine;

21 dollars--Maurice Carter was shot and killed in a Racine County robbery;

22 dollars--Carl Nichols, 26, shot and killed by a friend in Kenosha.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember a public servant taken from us too soon; an individual who, through his life and example, inspired others, especially children, to be respectful and kind; a man who lived his life in service to others, Philando Castile.

In recent days, his name has been back in the headlines, but I want to talk about the person behind the stories. I want to talk about a man failed by our creed of liberty and justice for all. Philando Castile was the beloved nutrition services supervisor at J.J. Hill Montessori Magnet School, who was so invested in the young people he served, that he memorized the names and food allergies of more than 500 students.

One of his coworkers said: Kids loved him. He was quiet, respectful, and kind. I knew him as warm and funny.

Another said: He was as much a teacher as any teacher in that building.

His life was an example of living honorably for your community, for your family, and for the more than 500 students who loved him. Even in his final moments, he showed respect and dignity in what must have been a terrifying experience.

Mr. Castile's loss is our loss. He lived life as we all should: loving and respecting those around him. When he was told by an officer to get his ID, he complied and respectfully informed the officer that he was lawfully carrying a concealed firearm; that he had a valid permit. When he went to get his ID, as ordered, he was shot--not once, but seven times--not because of noncompliance, not because he was violent, not because he was a menacing threat. What killed him was his Blackness, or, more precisely, fear of his Blackness killed him.

Tragically, his story is not unique. This happens every day to Black men and women in America. Philando's story only made headlines because it was live-streamed on Facebook and showed a 4-year-old girl sitting behind him as seven rounds were emptied into his chest. A 4-year-old girl, that even Philando's murderer said ``was in my line of fire.''

Mr. Speaker, this murder was so downright outrageous that it led The Federalist, a publication that previously published an article on how Black Lives Matter protests were destroying America, to call the not- guilty verdict an abomination.

Indeed, this is an abomination and a complete miscarriage of justice. The Federalist and I see eye to eye on this one thing. Groups in the center, on the right, on the left, have publicly and vocally condemned his murder, except for one: the National Rifle Association. The NRA's silence is sickening, deafening, and very hypocritical in this tragic American hour. For decades, the NRA has used fearmongering to claim that they are the sole organization fighting to protect the rights of every American to carry a firearm.

Where were they for Philando? Where is their outrage? Where is their stand for Philando's freedoms and rights? Where is their demand for better police training when dealing with citizens authorized to carry a firearm?

Shame, they have no outrage at this verdict. Shame for their double standard in supporting people with valid concealed-carry permits. They offer nothing but a tepid Facebook statement expressing concern.

Concern? The NRA has concern for Philando? Shame on the NRA. For them, it clearly isn't about rights for all. For NRA members who don't fit the right profile, they should give serious thought to even being members of the NRA.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak out against the President's newly released budget request.

When I began reading this budget request, only one word came to mind, at least that I can say here--awful:

It is an awful budget for American families struggling to make ends meet who haven't had a raise in years.

It is an awful budget for older Americans who paid into Social Security with the promise that it would be there for them.

It is an awful budget for local businesses who can't get their products to consumers because of our crumbling roads and bridges.

It is an awful budget for common sense, with unnecessary spending on a border wall that the American people will pay for.

It is an awful budget because it sets the stage for even more waste, fraud, and abuse in government.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, the only group that this budget isn't awful for is the President and his friends.

The President calls this an America First budget, so why is it leaving so many American families behind?

I urge my colleagues to completely reject this awful budget that doesn't create jobs, doesn't uplift families, and doesn't make any sense.

Mr. Speaker, I rise yet again to challenge you to put country before political party. For too long, candidate and now President Trump has been playing a game of dangerous liaisons with Vladimir Putin and his Russian regime.

He called on Russian spies--that is right, the KGB--to hack his opponent. He fired the Acting Attorney General who warned him. He fired the FBI Director investigating him. And he has shared highly classified intelligence with Russia, posing a direct threat to our brave assets on the ground.

When is enough enough?

Mr. Speaker, how much longer before you do your job and bring up the bipartisan Protecting Our Democracy Act that is cosponsored by 199 Members of this House?

Show us that you have the courage to put country before political party. Show us that you meant it when you said ``against all enemies, foreign and domestic.'' Show us that you will do what is right by our country and stand up to this President.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this commonsense, bipartisan bill that updates our woefully outdated IT infrastructure.

I want to say thank you to my good friend and partner on the IT subcommittee, Chairman Hurd, for his leadership on this very important measure and to my colleagues who worked so hard on this bill: Chairman Chaffetz, Ranking Member Cummings, our House leadership stewards-- Democratic Whip Hoyer from the majority, Mr. McCarthy--and Mr. Connolly of Virginia for his energy and work in dealing with this bill. I also want to give a special thanks to all of the staff and a special shout- out to my staff: Jay Cho and Zach Ostro.

The Modernizing Government Technology Act has come a long way from the early days when it was called MOVE IT. It has been a tough and sometimes frustrating journey, but we have made it, and we have a good bill in front of us.

Last year, the House passed this bill only to have it die in the Senate. Despite these roadblocks, we kept working because it is worth it. This bill will revolutionize and upgrade our outdated IT fractured while bringing cost-saving innovation and greater security to government agencies.

In my years serving as the ranking member of the Oversight Committee's IT Subcommittee, I have learned one thing: We need to get back to basics, and this bill does just that.

Our current use-it-or-lose-it approach to Federal IT just isn't working. It is no secret that Federal agencies are struggling to stay up to date, especially when compared to the private sector.

Each year, we spend $80 billion in taxpayer dollars to maintain legacy IT systems that are vulnerable to cyber attacks; and each year that we don't upgrade these systems, they become even more difficult and expensive to secure. This is unacceptable and a waste of taxpayer dollars.

For too long, we have kicked the can down the road and left our outdated IT systems vulnerable to costly attacks. The dangers of our system are clear. Every day we are reminded of the importance of having modern IT systems and robust cybersecurity practices in place.

In 2015, hackers made off with the personal information of more than 20 million Americans, including congressional staffers, in the OPM data breach. Just this past week, as you have heard, a global ransomware attack, WannaCry or WannaCrypt, wreaked havoc worldwide, paralyzing businesses and governments alike. These attacks will only grow more frequent and more difficult to combat.

The MGT Act is a major step in the right direction. It will cut costs and enhance our security. It builds on prior work like Clinger-Cohen and FITARA, and it gives agencies the flexibility needed to modernize vulnerable systems and develop cost savings for taxpayers.

Under this bill, agencies can take the savings from upgrading their systems and reinvest them into their working capital fund for future IT modernization. We are going to go from an outdated method of purchasing IT to one that empowers CIOs to make smart, strategic investments in innovative technologies; and as an end result, our data will be more secure and our government more efficient.

I am proud of this bill, and I am proud of the bipartisan work that made it possible, proud of what we accomplished by working together on the IT Subcommittee.

The MGT Act is a necessary component to strengthening our cybersecurity that saves taxpayers money. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, how tragic it is that before House Republicans skip town, they will steal from Medicare, pass an age tax on older Americans, say that children with autism are a preexisting condition, and tell folks: If you have diabetes, you are paying $5,600 more.

This morning, I heard from many hospitals, doctors, and nurses across Illinois. They know what families need to be taken care of and to be healthy. They do not believe that stripping 24 million Americans of their health insurance is in the best interests of our national health.

To my eight Illinois colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle, if you vote ``yes'' on this bill, the eight of you own its aftermath in our State; you own the 47,000 jobs that you will kill; you own the health of the million-plus Illinoisans who will be stripped of their health insurance.

Let's kill this horrific bill and work together to make health insurance affordable and accessible for all.

Mr. Speaker, Saturday marks 100 days since President Trump took office. He is far from ``draining the swamp'' as promised. He stacked his administration with billionaires, family members, and people with dangerous ties to Russian interests.

His national security policies have been a far cry from the steady- handed

decisionmaking he promised. From Mar-a-Lago missile strikes to aggressive and impulsive national security rhetoric, the President has made our foreign policy as murky as swamp water--a dangerous practice in today's world.

One hundred days in, the President is heavy on alternative facts and light on action. Where is his job bill? Where is his infrastructure and cybersecurity plan? Where is all of the ``winning'' we were supposed to be sick of by now?

It has been 100 days, Mr. President. It is time to do something the American people can get behind. You can start by draining the swamp you created at the White House.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize the life and legacy of Donna Lynn Johnson who, for 40 years, brought quality eye care to the South Side of Chicago. She will be greatly missed by her patients, family, and especially her niece, Donna Miller.

Lastly, I am proud to have Baily Lynn Compton from Texas as my shadow today.

Mr. Speaker, it pains me to come to this Chamber this morning to say that nothing was done as our democracy came under attack.

We know Russia intervened in our Presidential election. This was not done in the interest of the people, by the people, or for the people of America. It was done to make America a vehicle for Russian interests.

You know that, in 2016, President Trump said he hoped Russia would hack our former Secretary of State's emails. You know General Michael Flynn was forced to resign due to his

unreported contact with Russian agents, who he also had business ties to.

Yesterday, you learned that the President had a contractor meet with Russian officials on his behalf to have a back channel to the Kremlin.

Where is the transparency from the White House? How is it that Meals on Wheels is the enemy, but you turn a blind eye to an attack on democracy by Vladimir Putin?

Russian spies have long attacked American businesses. Now they are attacking our freedom. You must investigate the Russian grip on our government. We must investigate swiftly and seriously.

Mr. Speaker, this is on your watch.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 214.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker: ``Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane.''

Dr. King spoke these words because the health of our fellow Americans is a moral imperative. What we have before us today is a morally corrupt bill: morally corrupt because it claws away health insurance from 24 million Americans, morally corrupt because it leaves nearly 1 million of my fellow Illinoisans without health insurance, morally corrupt because 240,000 Illinois kids will no longer have the safety and security of their current coverage.

When you cast your vote today, know that you own its aftermath here, forward. Will you cast your vote for party or will you cast your vote to do what is best in the lives of the people you represent?

Think of the last senior whose hand you shook at a townhall. Think of the last child you hugged at a school visit. Does this bill do right by them? Will they be better off?

If you have any doubt, vote ``no.'' Vote ``no,'' and kill this bad bill.