Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise to express my outrage at the extreme MAGA Republicans in this House who are fighting to take food out of the mouths of children, medicine out of the hands of seniors, and relief out of the pockets of working people, all to fund their tax cuts for the billionaires and corporations that fund their campaigns.

Make no mistake: That is what this entire Republican manufactured debt crisis is about. It is not about cutting spending.

If it was about cutting spending, they would support President Biden's plan to cut $900 billion from the deficit by negotiating with the drug companies for Medicare and Medicaid. But, no, they don't want to upset their Big Pharma donors.

It is not about avoiding default. If it was about avoiding default, they would sign the discharge petition and end this whole thing today.

This is about one thing and one thing only: taking money out of the pockets of the working people who I represent and putting it in the pockets of the millionaires, the billionaires, and the corporations.

These reverse Robin Hoods on the Republican side who seek to steal from the working people to benefit the rich need to stop this craziness and end this thing today.

Mr. Speaker, there are a number of Members who have come to express their gratitude to Congressman Cicilline.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker Emerita.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to Mr. Takano.

I yield to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Pocan).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson).

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the topic of this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the distinguished congressional career of one of Rhode Island's finest public servants and my good friend, Congressman David Cicilline, who will be retiring from the House this week.

A born and raised Rhode Islander from a proud Italian and Jewish family, David served as a State representative before making history being elected as the first openly gay American to be mayor of a major city.

In his two terms as mayor of Providence, David restored ethics and vitality to city hall, and he was then elected to represent the First Congressional District in 2010.

For over a decade, David has served the people of Rhode Island with honor, courage, and decency in the House of Representatives. Through his work on the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Cicilline has become a nationally recognized leader in the fights to prevent gun violence and enforce antitrust laws to protect working Americans.

As chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, David has helped lead the charge for LGBTQ+ rights. David also served ably on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, chairing the Middle East, North Africa and Global Counterterrorism Subcommittee in the last Congress and he served multiple leadership roles in the House Democratic Caucus.

Our Nation will always be indebted to David Cicilline for his role in holding former President Trump accountable for inciting the deadly assault on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. David cowrote the Articles of Impeachment as the attack was still in progress and ably served as a House impeachment manager.

I know I speak for many of my colleagues when I say how much I will miss David's energy and intellect in the House, but David's lifetime of service is not yet complete. Come June, he will be taking on his new role as president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, one of the Nation's foremost community foundations.

I look forward to working with him in his new role, and I join all of Rhode Island in thanking him for his many years of dedicated public service to our State.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 6 o'clock and 37 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, Americans are counting on us to pass real, comprehensive immigration reform. The bill being put forward by our Republicans colleagues is a cruel and counterproductive measure that will only make our immigration problems worse by restricting legal immigration, criminalizing nonprofit organizations, putting children's lives at risk, and increasing the workload of Border Patrol officers without the support they need to do their jobs.

Let's send this flawed bill back to committee for further work and instead pass H. Res. 178 to declare our sense that we are committed to protecting Social Security and Medicare.

During the President's State of the Union Address, the American people saw in real time as President Biden shamed our Republican colleagues into backing off their plans to cut Social Security and Medicare for now, but we know that there are many in their caucus that are still scheming to cut these essential programs.

Last year, Democrats and President Biden passed a measure to allow Medicare to negotiate with the drug companies to lower drug prices. We should expand this program. Social Security and Medicare are vital lifelines. We must protect them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the Republican's default on America plan that will hurt Rhode Island's seniors. The MAGA Republicans that have taken control of this House have given us a false choice.

Either we go along with their plan for painful cuts for veterans, seniors, and children, or they will purposefully wreck the economy by defaulting on the debt. This false choice is wrong and we do not need to accept it.

In particular, their plan would enact painful cuts on senior citizens in Rhode Island. How?

By cutting funding to the Social Security Administration so that the quarter million elderly and disabled Rhode Islanders who depend on Social Security would face longer wait times for their benefits. Also, by cutting funding for seniors' nutrition programs like Meals on Wheels, housing, and slashing funding for home care, putting the lives of seniors at risk.

This is not about deficit reduction. If this was about deficit reduction, my Republican colleagues would be lining up to support President Biden's budget, which reduces the deficit by $3 trillion. No. This is an extreme agenda that puts working people, in particular seniors, in the back seat while doing the bidding of wealthy donors and billionaires and corporations.

We do not need to accept it. People will not stand for it. I will fight this default on America plan with everything that I have.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember State Senator Maryellen Goodwin, a dear friend and public servant, who tragically passed away this week following a long battle with cancer.

For almost 40 years in the State senate, Maryellen championed the needs of working Rhode Islanders. She was the lead sponsor of successful legislation to guarantee paid sick leave for workers across our State. She spoke up for survivors of domestic violence. She worked to expand quality childcare and home care.

A devout Catholic, Senator Goodwin delivered a brave and heartfelt speech on the floor of the State senate explaining her ability to reconcile her faith with her support of marriage equality.

Senator Goodwin's legacy will live on through the recently passed Maryellen Goodwin Colorectal Cancer Screening Act, which will ensure that all Rhode Islanders can receive life-saving cancer screenings.

Senator Goodwin made a difference, and her efforts have made life better for countless Rhode Islanders.

Mr. Speaker, I join Maryellen's friends, family, and the entire State of Rhode Island in thanking her and mourning her loss.

Mr. Speaker, one of the best ways for workers to get the pay and benefits that they deserve and to raise their families and provide for them is to join a labor union.

Unions have helped millions of American families join the middle class, including thousands in Rhode Island. The

freedom to join a union is the most fundamental right afforded to all workers in this country.

Unfortunately, that right is constantly under attack by big companies that spend millions and millions of dollars engaging in intimidation and retaliation against those seeking to exercise their right to unionize.

What is worse is that companies are often allowed to write off the expenses for union busting from their taxes. You heard that right. All of us, the taxpayers of America, are paying for companies to intimidate workers out of joining unions.

This has to stop. That is why I am a proud cosponsor of the No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act, led by Representative Norcross because enough is enough. We need to make it easier in this country for workers to join a union if they choose to do so, and we certainly should not be giving tax breaks to companies to intimidate workers out of exercising that right.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate an extraordinary Rhode Island veteran, Duilio ``Dewey'' Turilli.

Born in Italy, Dewey immigrated to this country when he was only 6 years old. Shortly thereafter, he and his family settled in Rhode Island. After graduating from Central High School in Providence, Dewey was drafted as a radio operator for the 457th Fighter Squadron, a P-51 Mustang unit in the Army Air Force.

Dewey's base was the notorious island of Iwo Jima, and he was present when U.S. forces raised the flag there on February 23, 1945, which also happens to be Dewey's birthday.

Mr. Speaker, 78 years later, just one month ago, Dewey celebrated his 100th birthday surrounded by friends and family.

An avid golfer and painter, Dewey now resides in Warwick, Rhode Island, where he is an active member of the local veterans support group.

Mr. Speaker, I ask everyone to please join me in saluting Dewey and thanking him for his tremendous service to our Nation.

Madam Speaker, last month, I had the opportunity to visit the Port of Galilee in Narragansett, Rhode Island, one of the most productive commercial fishing ports in the entire Northeast. Galilee is home to more than 270 commercial fishing boats, supporting 3,500 jobs and landing more than 16 million pounds of seafood per year.

As a member of the Natural Resources Committee, I am committed to fighting for resources for America's ports and to supporting the commercial fishing industry, which is vital to how we feed our Nation and support our economy.

I am also introducing a bill to secure a voice for the Rhode Island fishing industry in the Mid-Atlantic Fishery

Management Council. I am proud to support and fight in Congress for Rhode Island's fishermen, and I encourage everyone to try the best seafood in America, which is Rhode Island seafood.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this misguided resolution, which will tie the hands of investors from doing their jobs and will hurt the retirement savings of millions of hardworking Americans.

The evidence is clear. Companies that adopt thoughtful policies to manage their environmental, social, and governance risks outperform those that don't. I will say that again. Companies that have thoughtful policies to manage their environmental, social, and governance risks outperform those that don't.

Don't believe me? Ask the shareholders of BP, whose stock fell more than 50 percent after the Gulf oilspill, wiping out billions of dollars of shareholder value; or Volkswagen, whose stock fell 45 percent after they were caught cheating on emissions tests.

How about Norfolk Southern? They are in the news lately. Their stock is tanking because of their inattention to managing the safety of their operations.

The fact is that environmental, social, and governance issues are financially material to company performance. Any investor who knows what they are doing would be foolish to ignore those factors.

I know this because, as State treasurer and as an investor in the private sector, I have spent the last 10 years studying corporate performance. ESG issues matter.

Even if you don't agree with me, even if you think that environmental and social issues are not material to performance, you ought to at least believe

that, in a free market, investors should have the power to make their own decisions and to choose which factors they think are material or not.

Let them use their professional judgment. Don't try to police what investors are thinking when they are making decisions.

Why is it that the Republican majority, which claims to be the party of limited government and free markets, is abandoning its free-market principles and trying to dictate to investors what they have to think? It makes no sense.

If anyone was wondering what this is about, it is not about free markets. It is not, certainly, about protecting workers' retirement security.

I will just say again, let's be honest about what this debate is really about. It is not about protecting worker retirement savings. If we were serious about that, we would be saying that ESG is material and should be considered.

It is not about free-market principles.

Could it be that it has to do with the oil and gas industry pouring tens of millions of dollars into campaign accounts on the Republican side? Could that be what is driving this?

Well, I think we see now where the priorities of our colleagues on the Republican side lie--not with workers, not with free-market principles, but with doing the bidding of the oil and gas industry.

Mr. Speaker, February 20th will mark the 20th anniversary of a tragic fire at the Station Nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, that took the lives of 100 people and injured hundreds of others. That horrific fire ripped a hole in our community and left a deep scar on Rhode Island, one which we still feel every day.

But Rhode Islanders are resilient, and we support one another in the face of tragedy. On that night in West Warwick, the heroism of emergency responders and ordinary people saved countless lives. In the wake of that horror, our State came together to mourn and memorialize those we lost and to help each other heal.

Now, two decades after that awful night, I will submit the names of those who were lost into the Congressional Record.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring all of the victims, and to recommit ourselves to promoting fire safety across our country so that such a tragedy can never occur again.

Louis S. Alves, Kevin Anderson, Stacie J. Angers, Christopher Arruda, Eugene Avilez, Tina Ayer, Mary H. Baker, Thomas A. Barnett, Laureen M. Beauchaine, Steven Thomas Blom, William Christopher Bonardi III, Kristine Carbone, William W. Cartwright, Mike Cordier, Alfred Carmina Crisostomi, Robert Croteau, Lisa D'Andrea, Matthew P. Darby, Dina Ann DeMaio, Rachael Florio DePietro, Albert DiBonaventura, Christina DiRienzo, Kevin J. Dunn, Lori Durante, Edward Everett Ervanian, Charline E. Fick, Thomas Fleming, Mark A. Fontaine, Daniel J. Fredrickson and Tracey Romanoff, Michael A. Fresolo, James C. Gahan, Melvin Gerfin Jr., Laura L. Gillett, Michael J. Gonsalves.

James F. Gooden Jr., Derek Gray, Scott C. Greene, Scott Griffith, Jude Henault, Andrew Hoban, Abbie L. Hoisington, Michael Hoogasian, Sandy Hoogasian, Carlton L. Howorth III, Eric J. Hyer, Derek Brian Johnson, Lisa Kelly, Tracy King, Michael Joseph Kulz, Keith Lapierre, Dale L. Latulippe, Stephen Libera, John Longiaru, Ty Longley, Judith Manzo, Andrea Louise Mancini, Keith Anthony Mancini, Steve Mancini, Thomas Marion Jr., Jeffrey W. Martin, Tammy Mattera-Hausa, Kristen McQuarrie, Thomas Medeiros, Samuel J. Miceli Jr., Donna Mitchell, Leigh Ann Moreau, Ryan M. Morin, Jason Morton, Beth Mosczynski, Katherine O'Donnell, Nicholas O'Neill, Matthew James Pickett, Christopher Prouty.

Jeffrey Rader, Theresa Rakoski, Robert Reisner, Walter Rich, Donald Roderiques, Daniel J. Fredrickson and Tracey Romanoff, Joseph Rossi, Bridget Sanetti, Becky Shaw, Mitchell C. Shubert, Dennis Smith, Victor Stark, Benjamin J. Suffoletto Jr., Shawn Patrick Sweet, Jason Sylvester, Sarah Jane Telgarsky, Kelly Vieira, Kevin R. Washburn, Everett Thomas ``Tommy'' Woodmansee III, Robert Young.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a good Democrat, a great American, and an even better husband, father, and grandfather, Joe Quinn. After 89 years of life, Joseph Raymond Quinn sadly passed away on December 30, 2022.

As an elementary school teacher, Congressional aide, and political activist, Joe was an involved member of his community. After embarking upon a 33-year career as an educator, Joe served as a part-time staffer to 3 U.S. Representatives over the course of 5 decades. In this role, Joe helped to deliver constituent services to his neighbors, and he most enjoyed interviewing applicants for nominations to the United States military service academies, attending Eagle Scout ceremonies, and resolving constituent's concerns.

Joe was also strongly committed to community service, and his greatest passion was politics and government. Joe was a fixture in Town and County Democratic parties for more than 60 years, and he served as Chairperson of the Smithtown Democratic Party for more than 20 years, where he guided the campaigns of countless candidates. He also represented the party at several Democratic National Conventions as a New York State delegate. His dedication to the Town and County Democrats continued beyond his tenure as Chairperson, and he only recently stepped back from active politics, after his reduced mobility prevented him from ``pounding the pavement'' in support of candidates.

Joe never passed up an opportunity to enjoy music, friendship, travel, or sporting events. He was a proud alumnus of Iona College and an avid supporter of their college basketball program. In 2006, he was recognized by Iona College as Alumnus of the Year. Joe was also a 5- time marathon runner, an avid reader, and a lover of nature and camping.

Joe will be remembered by his beloved and devoted wife, Anne M. Quinn and their 10 children and their spouses: Kathleen Siebert and husband Mark, Terence Quinn, Brendan Quinn and wife Nancy, Marybeth McGann, Patrick Quinn and wife Elizabeth, Neil Quinn and wife Penny, Timothy Quinn and wife Lori, Regina Ruoff and husband Mike, Laurence Quinn and wife Jeanmarie, and Julianne Kelly and husband James, along with their grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my first general remarks on the floor of the United States House of Representatives, and I would like to start by thanking my predecessor, Jim Langevin, for his 22 years of distinguished service representing the people of Rhode Island's Second District.

As the first quadriplegic ever elected to Congress, Jim was no stranger to life's challenges. No matter what was thrown Jim's way, he always persevered.

For over two decades, Jim Langevin made Rhode Islanders proud through his leadership here in this body. He became widely recognized as an expert on national security and particularly cybersecurity. He was a trailblazer for the disability community and shepherded several key pieces of legislation that have made our society more accessible for all.

Most of all, Rhode Islanders always knew that they could count on Jim to listen to their problems and to advocate for their families here in Washington, D.C.

I thank Jim for all his years of service to Rhode Island.

I am so honored that Rhode Islanders have chosen me to take up the mantle of representing the Second District. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity, and I feel a great sense of responsibility to deliver for the working people who sent me here to fight on their behalf.

I enter Congress as a proud descendant of immigrants. My grandparents came of age during the Depression.

On my mother's side was Grandpa Bob, the son of Irish immigrants who grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts. After serving in the Marines in World War II, Bob took a job as a steelworker at a company that made airplane parts.

On my father's side was Grandpa Louis, the son of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe who was raised in New York City and served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II. After he returned, Louis worked as a bookkeeper in New York for a company that canned tomatoes.

Neither of them worked in particularly glamorous jobs, but with a lot of hard work and a little help from the GI Bill, these two children of immigrants

were able to buy houses for their families, put their kids through school, and earn a ticket to the middle class.

That is the way it is supposed to be in this country. If you work hard and play by the rules, you ought to be able to have a stable life, a comfortable retirement, and provide opportunity to your children.

We all know that has gotten harder. That American Dream of economic mobility has broken down for many families, and it was never fully afforded to others to begin with. There are a lot of statistics to back this up, but the Rhode Islanders I talk to don't want to see data. They feel it in their gut. They know that they are working harder and harder, but they feel that middle-class lifestyle slipping further out of reach.

This has to change. As a Representative for Rhode Island's Second District, I am determined to restore the promise of the American Dream so that everyone who is willing to do the right thing and work hard can get ahead.

That starts by going to bat for working people against the powerful interests and their well-funded lobbyists who stand in the way of better wages, better benefits, and good-paying jobs. We must fight for the right to organize because you cannot have a broad middle class without healthy labor unions. We have to take on Big Oil and Big Pharma, which are keeping record profits for themselves while overcharging Rhode Islanders at the gas pump and at the pharmacy.

We have to invest in childcare and universal preschool because no child's future should be limited by whether or not their parents have a lot of money.

I will advocate for vocational training and apprenticeships so that we have more people, like my Grandpa Bob, who can make a living by making things in this country.

I will partner with anyone on either side of the aisle to bring back more manufacturing jobs and transition to a clean energy economy.

I will always fight to defend the freedoms and democratic ideals that make us the greatest nation on Earth.

This is my commitment to the people of Rhode Island. There is no question we have a lot of work ahead of us, but together, I am confident that we can deliver real change to Washington so that all Rhode Islanders and all working Americans can have the opportunity to succeed.

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

Mr. Chair, releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is a critical and commonsense strategy that is helping to lower the price of energy for working Rhode Islanders and for all Americans.

In my State, and across the country, people have been struggling to keep up with energy costs. We all hear it from our constituents. They are struggling with the cost of gas, with the cost of oil, with the cost of heating their homes.

Many of us campaigned on doing something about it, which is why it boggles the mind that the Republican leadership has not yet brought us a single bill to tackle lowering energy costs for consumers and, in fact, is, instead, introducing a bill to restrict one of the tools the administration has to lower energy costs.

Who stands to benefit from this attempt to restrict the ability of the President to utilize the Strategic Petroleum Reserve with unnecessary red tape? Certainly not consumers; certainly not people in my State who are struggling with the cost of energy.

No. This bill puts oil company profits ahead of working people struggling to keep up with inflation.

My amendment is a simple one. It states that this bill, if it should pass, cannot restrict the ability of the President to utilize the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to lower gas prices for consumers.

I have heard the other side say that there is already an exception in the bill to allow for emergencies, but that is not entirely accurate. As it is written, the exception is narrow. It only applies to supply disruptions. There are many other things that can cause prices to spike, and there is no protection in those situations.

This amendment is drawing a line in the sand. On one side stand the oil companies and their profits. On the other side are the working people of our districts, who are struggling to keep up with the cost of energy.

This is a moment for every Member of this Chamber to show which side we are on.

I ask my colleagues to support this amendment to show that we stand with working people who are struggling with energy costs as opposed to just the Big Oil companies and their precious profits.

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

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk, No. 58.

Mr. Chair, it is winter, and in Rhode Island, in my State, one-third of our households rely on oil to heat their homes. In response to increased energy prices, the Biden administration has released oil from the strategic reserve to provide much-needed relief to families who are worried about heating their homes this winter.

My colleague across the aisle is correct. Extreme weather events like blizzards and cold snaps are emergencies that are legitimate uses of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, but now, in one of the first acts of this Congress, the leadership on the other side has introduced a bill that will restrict the ability of the administration to lower energy costs for working Americans by introducing unnecessary red tape into the process.

People are struggling to heat their homes this winter in my State and in States all across the country, so I am

offering an amendment that will prevent this legislation from taking effect if the Secretary of Energy determines that it will negatively impact households that use oil to heat their homes.

I understand that this will not be popular with the oil companies that are looking to increase their enormous profits by expanding their drilling on public lands as quickly as possible, but we have a responsibility to the people back home to make sure that we do not do something that will impact the administration's ability to help people heat their homes this winter.

Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues, once again, to side with the working people of this country who are struggling to heat their homes by supporting this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Offered By: Mr. Magaziner

Amendment No. 58: Page 2, line 13, strike ``date of

enactment of this subsection'' and insert ``date this

paragraph takes effect described in paragraph (4)''.

Page 3, line 9, strike the closing quotation mark and the

final period.

Page 3, after line 9, insert the following:

``(4) Effective date.--Paragraph (1) shall not take effect

until the date on which the Secretary determines that

implementation of paragraph (1) will not negatively affect

consumers the homes of which are heated using heating oil or

other petroleum-based fuels.''.