Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3113, the ``Modernizing Access to Our Public Land Act,'' or the MAPLand Act, which will make it easier for every American to access data for outdoor recreation possibilities.

It directs the Department of the Interior, the Forest Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to jointly develop and adopt standards to ensure compatibility among federal databases for the collection and dissemination of outdoor recreation data related to federal lands.

The Department of the Interior, the Forest Service, and the Corps of Engineers must digitize and publish geographic information system mapping data that includes:

federal interests, including easements and rights-of-way, in private land;

status information as to whether roads and trails are open or closed;

the dates on which roads and trails are seasonally opened and closed;

the types of vehicles that are allowed on each segment of roads and trails;

the boundaries of areas where hunting or recreational shooting is regulated or closed; and

the boundaries of any portion of a body of water that is closed to entry, is closed to watercraft, or has horsepower limitations for watercraft.

The MAPLand Act's stipulations will provide essential information to all Americans who wish to spend time on our beautiful public lands.

Because of the provisions in this bill, Americans will have the most up to date information about the trail they wish to hike, stream or lake they wish to fish on, or regulations of grounds on which they wish to hunt.

This ensures that all Americans will be safe while exploring our great outdoors, making this legislation's passage of the utmost necessity.

This bill would also allow our agencies to manage and plan more effectively while also reducing the potential for access-related conflicts between recreators and private landowners. Simply put, this legislation promises to help more people get outdoors.

Currently, more than 9.52 million acres of land in the West lack permanent and legal access points for public use, and information on these lands is still kept on paper files.

Approximately 5,000 of the Forest Service's 37,000 recorded easements have been digitized and uploaded to an electronic database. The MAPLand Act would help give federal land management agencies the resources they need to digitize these files for public use, as well as require these agencies to provide information on seasonal vehicle restrictions on public roads and trails, hunting boundaries, and watercraft restrictions.

Madam Speaker, it is for these reasons that I strongly support H.R. 3113, the MAPLand Act and therefore urge my colleagues to support this legislation as well.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me the time.

I rise in strong commitment and recognition of this healing garden legislation, H.R. 4380, and I thank my colleagues, Congresswoman Escobar, whose legislation it is, Congressmen Castro and Grijalva, and the gentleman from Arkansas for recognizing, first of all, that we stand united in the acknowledgment of the pain and violence that these families experienced and the tragedy of someone coming to target innocent families and children and bestowing upon innocent persons that they were invading this country, this country who has the Statute of Liberty that says bring us your tired and your weary.

I want to congratulate Congresswoman Escobar for the leadership that she gave and the strength that she showed. I saw her as I traveled to El Paso. She truly exhibited ``El Paso strong'' as so many of us came to mourn with her. We were broken, but we were resolved that we would never stand for this again. It was a terrorist act, and it was against people simply because of their race and their ethnic background.

I visited those in the hospital who were wounded, some of whom died later. I attended funerals where families lost mothers and fathers. I will never forget this enormous and devastating tragedy and the viciousness of this act.

So I rise to support this legislation, to say never again, and to thank Congresswoman Escobar for reminding us that we are Americans and this violence and this hatefulness will not stand. We ask those in leadership positions to not call names of people who are of backgrounds they don't understand.

Let us stand in prayer and unity for the families in El Paso.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5001, ``the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act'' which extends through FY2024 the authority of the Department of the Interior to implement construction of facilities for the endangered fish recovery programs for the Upper Colorado and San Juan River basins. The bill also extends through FY2022 the deadline for the submission of the report on the recovery implementation programs.

The Upper Colorado River Basin is home to 14 native fish species, including the endangered humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker. These endangered fish are found only in the Colorado River system.

The Recovery Program is a unique partnership of local, state, and federal agencies, water and power interests, and environmental groups working to recover endangered fish in the Upper Colorado River Basin while water development proceeds in accordance with federal and state laws and interstate compacts.

The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program was first established in 1988 to help bring four species of endangered fish back from the brink of extinction: the humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker.

This bill will protect those 14 endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basin and allow critical water infrastructure projects to continue.

The Colorado River provides water to nearly 40 million people, flows through 9 National Parks, and drives a $1.4 trillion economy. If the Colorado River basin were a country, it would be the world's 7th largest by economic output.

On average, 90 percent of streamflow in the Colorado River Basin originates in the Upper

Basin, which is the area above Lees Ferry, Arizona. This water has a multitude of uses that include irrigation, municipal and industrial purposes, mining activities, recreation, and supporting habitat for livestock, fish and wildlife.

The Colorado River Basin also has an immense capacity to generate hydropower. Hundreds of hydroelectric dams along the river's main stem and tributaries have a combined generating capacity of approximately 4,178 megawatts, making it part of the solution for combatting climate change.

But the river is stretched to its limit. Climate change and increasing water demand due to an expanding population is and will continue present significant challenges that if left unaddressed, will impact regional and national economies, degrade the environment, challenge agricultural heritage and food production, and limit recreational opportunities from fishing and boating to skiing.

Protecting this river basin and its biodiversity is therefore of the utmost importance. Without its biodiversity, this river basin will be thrown out of equilibrium and cease to function and subsequently provide as it has for centuries.

This would create a humanitarian disaster for 40 million people and economic disaster for countless more, in addition to the loss of incomparable natural beauty and endangered life.

However, under the leadership of Secretary Deb Haaland, whom I hold in the highest regard, I am certain that these 14 species of fish and in turn the Colorado River Basin can be saved, averting unquestionable disaster for millions.

This Act is common sense, bipartisan, and ultimately needed legislation that I am proud to support. It is for that reason that I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5001, The Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act.

Madam Speaker, let me thank the gentleman for yielding, and let me add my appreciation to Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro and Ranking Member Granger and admit that the world now sees this every day in American newspapers and around the world: the pillage, the desperation, the violence, and the death of women and children in Ukraine, the worst humanitarian crisis that we have seen in a century and the absolute outrage of the killing machine that Putin is and the terroristic acts. He is a war criminal.

I rise today to support H.R. 6968 and to thank my friend from Texas (Mr. Doggett) for joining us together to be able to move forward on language that works to hold Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine by denying its preferential trade treatment and seeking to remove it from the World Trade Organization.

This legislation bans Russian energy imports and suspends preferential trade treatment with Belarus. I was at the border of Belarus as it was hosting 30,000 to 40,000 Russian troops and its reckless attitude of incarcerating and detaining its own political opposition. The head of Belarus is no better.

The President receives the ability to further increase tariffs on Russian or Belarusian goods. Congress is empowered to disapprove any Presidential decision to restore normal trade relations or to remove the import ban.

It further closes yet another avenue for Russian participation in the world economy by revoking most-favored-nation status dealing with exports as well as its participation in world trade and denying Belarus membership.

Further, with this ban on Russian energy imports, Americans will no longer be contributing to Putin's most violent actions. He is a war criminal. He is killing children.

Let me also rise in support of H.R. 2471. I call it working Americans response act. It is an appropriation that deals with healthcare and education. It deals with climate change, and it also deals with responding to the needs of the American people.

Madam Speaker, it additionally responds to the potential of those that are facing domestic violence and sexual assault with the Violence Against Women Act that I led and had passed in this House just a few months ago.

So let me say that this is a job well done to all of those who have been working but let us do this in a bipartisan manner.

The people of Ukraine cry out in pain. Russia is now brought to its knees. Let's make sure that Vladimir Putin never stands on the world stage again.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6968, the ``Suspending Energy Imports From Russia Act.''

I support this legislation because it demonstrates the commitment of the United States in assembling and leading an international coalition of the world's leading nations to ensure that all nations refuse to recognize the illegal invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and to ensure that the Russian Federation is held accountable and sustain maximum economic damage from the imposition of sanctions as a consequence of its utter disregard for international law and norms.

Specifically, H.R. 6968 bans the importation into the United States of Russian crude oil and certain petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, and coal.

Last year, the U.S. imported nearly 700,000 barrels per day of crude oil and refined petroleum products from Russia so this step will deprive Russia of billions of dollars in revenues from U.S. drivers and consumers annually.

The bill also bans new U.S. investment in Russia's energy sector, which will ensure that American companies and American investors are not underwriting Vladimir Putin's efforts to expand energy production inside Russia.

Finally, the bill bans Americans from financing or enabling foreign companies that are making investment to produce energy in Russia.

The Russian ruble is now worth less than a penny and has hit an all- time low after losing almost half of its value since Putin announced his further invasion of Ukraine.

By isolating Russia's Central Bank and cutting off the largest Russian banks from the international financial system, Russia has been disarmed his war chest of foreign reserves and left Putin to soften the blow of our sanctions.

U.S. and allied export controls are impacting industrial production in Russia, Russian commercial aviation, and other key sectors of the Russian economy.

The United States and governments all over the world are going after Putin's cronies and their families by identifying and freezing the assets they hold in our respective jurisdictions--their yachts, luxury apartments, money, and other ill-gotten gains.

The United States strongly supports efforts to assist Ukraine to defend its territory against military aggression by the Russian Federation and by separatist and paramilitary forces.

Ukraine was the second-most populous and powerful of the fifteen republics of the former and disintegrated Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the hub of the union's agricultural production, defense industries, and military arsenal.

In the three decades since gaining its independence, Ukraine has sought to forge its own path as a sovereign state and sought closer economic, social, and political ties with the free market and democratic nations of the West.

Since 2013, the Russian Federation has undertaken a campaign of political, economic, and military aggression against Ukraine, including the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, a civilian airliner, by Russian-backed Ukrainian separatists using a Russian-made missile taking the lives of all 298 innocent persons on board.

In February 2014, the military of the Russia Federation, without merit or cause, invaded

the eastern part of the free and independent country of Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula, and backed a separatist insurgency in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine, where fighting has killed over 14,000 people.

The United States, a strategic ally of Ukraine, reacted swiftly to the Russian invasion, condemning the military action in strong and bipartisan fashion, and providing military, humanitarian, and non- military financial assistance to the determined but beleaguered nation of Ukraine, which since 2014 has totaled approximately $1.5 billion.

On September 14, 2014, the House of Representatives adopted H. Res. 726, a resolution supporting the right of the people of Ukraine to freely determine their future, including their country's relationship with other nations and international organizations, without interference, intimidation, or coercion by other countries, and committed itself to solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

Interference and unprovoked aggressions by the Russia Federation ordered and led by Vladimir Putin continued unabated, including the mobilization and stationing of 150,000 Russian troops surrounding Ukraine and armed forces positioned in Belarus to attack Ukraine from the north, including war planes and offensive missile systems, and the movement of Russian naval vessels in the Black Sea to Ukraine's south, including amphibious assault ships, missile cruisers, and submarines, and the positioning of blood and medical equipment into position on their border.

Vladimir Putin sought authorization from the Russian parliament to use military force outside of Russian territory by staging a fraudulent on-camera meeting of his Security Council to grandstand for the Russian public and by recognizing sovereign Ukrainian territory as so-called independent republics in clear violation, again, of international law, all of which was intended to set the stage for further pretexts and further provocations by Russia Federation to make further aggressions against Ukraine by military action.

Vladimir Putin rejected every good-faith effort the United States and its allies and partners made to address mutual security concerns through dialogue to avoid needless conflict and avert human suffering.

On February 23, 2022, the Russia Federation military, at the direction of Vladimir Putin, began a premeditated brutal assault on the people of Ukraine without provocation, without justification, without necessity, making outlandish, false, and baseless claims that Ukraine was about to invade and launch a war against Russia and that Ukraine was prepared to use chemical weapons, and that Ukraine had committed a genocide.

These actions were taken by Vladimir Putin at the very moment that the United Nations Security Council was meeting to stand up for Ukraine's sovereignty to stave off invasion, culminating in missile strikes on historic cities across Ukraine, followed by air raids and the invasion of Russian tanks and troops.

Mr. Speaker, through this legislation the United States strongly condemns and opposes the unprovoked invasion and egregious act of aggression against sovereign state of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, the most provocative and destabilizing act of foreign aggression since the 1938 invasion of the Sudetenland by the Third Reich led by Adolph Hitler.

This legislation visits the costs of the unprovoked aggression and invasion ordered by Vladimir Putin, the authoritarian head of the Russian Federation against the sovereign nation of Ukraine on the Russian economy.

The United States is strongly committed to the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

I ask all members to join me in voting for H.R. 6968 to support the right of the people of Ukraine to freely determine their future, including their country's relationship with other nations and international organizations, without interference, intimidation, or coercion by other countries.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and the Budget, I rise in support of the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 2471, the ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022'' which provides funding for federal government operations for the remainder of this fiscal year-- through September 30, 2022--and prevents a wasteful and irresponsible shutdown of the federal government.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act includes all 12 appropriations bills that fund the federal government through the end of Fiscal Year 2022, as well as urgently needed supplemental appropriations.

The legislation includes $13.6 billion in emergency funding for the courageous people of Ukraine, to support their security and humanitarian efforts as they struggle to survive and battle against the invading Russian army.

I am particularly pleased that the Consolidated Appropriations Act specifically includes $24,435,000 for Community Funding Projects in Houston that will directly help my constituents and enable all Houston- area residents to benefit from quality-of-life improvements.

The provisions of the omnibus spending act that resulted from my requests for Community Funding Projects include:

$1,500,000 for the Port of Houston Authority to begin a sedimentation study concurrent with the deepening and widening of the Houston Ship Channel in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

$975,000 for the City of Houston Police Department to enable employment of nine (9) crime victim advocates via the BYRNE Justice Assistance Grants Program who will help the department provide a trauma-informed response for victims of violent crimes.

$1,060,000 for the Houston Independent School District to construct ``The Vison'' Community Statue and Community Project on the historic Booker T. Washington High School campus.

$3,000,000 to the City of Houston for two revitalization projects of cultural assets: construction of the Bethune Empowerment Center and the East End Facility for Latino Arts (Talento Bilingue de Houston).

$9,950,000 to help Harris County prevent flooding by providing funds for the Stormwater Detention Basin and Culvert Improvement project, and its operations.

$1,950,000 for Jacinto City for Northeast Water Mains & Fire Hydrant Improvements, to replace aging water and delivery infrastructure to a large portion of Jacinto City's residential and business districts.

$1,000,000 for the Houston Independent School District for Project Engagement, an initiative to provide social and emotional learning services to high-needs students, including social and emotional learning supports.

$2,000,000 for Houston Community College to fund a Regional Resiliency Operations Center (RROC) for program development, training and certification of disaster and mitigation professionals.

$1,000,000 for community mental health treatment and support services to the Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation in Houston to establish a juvenile justice diversion program that identifies gaps in services and provides resources for families and their children who were involved in the criminal justice system.

$2,000,000 for Texas Southern University in Houston to fund facilities and equipment for its Urban Public Health Initiative--Health Professions Education and Workforce Development and Health Facilities Construction and Equipment Program.

I strongly support this legislation and urge all Members to join me in voting for the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 2471, the ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022''.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Committees on the Judiciary, on Homeland Security, and on the Budget, I rise in support of the rule governing debate for H.J.R. 75, the ``Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act,'' which provides funding to continue the operations of the federal government through March 15, 2022 and avoids a wasteful and irresponsible shutdown, and also the underlying bill.

The House, led by the Democratic majority, did its job, passing 10 of the 12 appropriations bills earlier this year but Senate Republicans failed to hold a single markup of appropriations bills, making it necessary to pass this Continuing Resolution to avert a shutdown that would only further damage our economy.

Throughout the 117th Congress, House Democrats have worked to deliver results for the American people, passing legislation to address each pillar of the ``For The People'' agenda: lower health care costs, higher wages by rebuilding America, and cleaning up corruption and strengthening our Democracy.

And under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi, the House has passed hundreds of bills, including legislation to crush the COVID-19 pandemic, build our economy back better, lower health care and prescription drug prices, raise wages, advance economic and retirement security, end gun violence, act on the climate crisis, protect Dreamers, and strengthen voting rights.

For example, in this Congress the House has passed and sent to the President the following legislation that has been signed into law:

1. H.R. 1799, Paycheck Protection Program Extension Act:

This legislation extended the Paycheck Protection Program application deadline for two months through May 31, 2021 to help struggling businesses keep workers employed during COVID-19.

2. H.R. 1276, SAVE LIVES Act;

This law ensured that more veterans, their families, and caregivers got access to COVID-19 vaccines in a timely manner.

3. S. 937, COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act:

This law addresses the dramatic increase in hate crimes targeting the AAPI community since the start of the pandemic. This law designates a point person at the Department of Justice to review hate crimes related to the COVID-19 pandemic, bolsters state and local governments to improve their reporting of hate crimes and ensures that hate crime information is more accessible to Asian American communities.

4. S. 475, Juneteenth National Independence Day Act:

This law established the first federal holiday in 38 years to formally recognize Juneteenth National Independence Day and commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.

House Democrats have also worked to advance critical pieces of legislation, which await action in the Senate:

1. H.R. 1, For The People Act;

This comprehensive legislation would promote government transparency, strengthen access to the ballot box and make it easier for Americans to exercise their right to vote, secure election infrastructure, and curb the influence of dark money in politics.

2. H.R. 5, Equality Act;

The Equality Act would codify consistent anti-discrimination legal protections for LGBTQ Americans by amending several existing civil rights laws to include explicit non-discrimination protections in key areas of life.

3. H.R. 6, Dream and Promise Act:

The Dream and Promise Act would protect Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) status holders from deportation and provide an opportunity to obtain permanent legal status that would enable these groups to work legally within the United States and continue to contribute to their local communities and economy.

4. H.R. 7, Paycheck Fairness Act:

This bill would strengthen labor protections around equal pay by prohibiting the use of salary history to set compensation, provide more transparent options for joining class-action lawsuits challenging systemic discrimination, and require employers to show that gender pay gaps are job-related and consistent with business need.

5. H.R. 8, Bipartisan Background Checks Act and H.R 1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act:

These bills would modernize federal laws around gun sales. The former would close current loopholes that allow buyers to purchase guns without a background check in certain venues, while the latter would prevent gun sales from going through before background checks are completed.

6. H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act:

This bill, which House Democrats also passed in the 116th Congress 30 days after the murder of George Floyd, will address racial bias in policing, ensure accountability for police brutality and misconduct, and work to change the culture of law enforcement to promote better relationships with the communities they serve.

7. H.R 3684, INVEST in America Act:

This bill is a comprehensive five-year surface transportation reauthorization and water infrastructure package that would make long- overdue repairs to our nation's roads, bridges, rail, and transit. The bill would also ensure clean, safe drinking water and address our nation's aging wastewater infrastructure.

8. H.R. 842, Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act:

This bill aims to strengthen labor protections for union workers through overriding Republican-led ``right to work'' laws, promoting free and fair union elections, and holding companies that attempt to restrict union activity accountable.

9. H.J. Res. 17, Removing the Deadline for Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment:

This resolution would remove the deadline for ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment in order to enshrine women's equality in the Constitution.

10. H.R. 1620, Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act:

This long-overdue legislation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act passed the House with bipartisan support. It would reauthorize funding to vital grant programs that help prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, and improve access to resources for victims and survivors.

11. H.R. 3237, the Emergency Security Supplemental to Respond to 1/6 Appropriations Act:

This bill provides $1.9 billion in funding to secure the U.S. Capitol Complex and ensure the brave men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police have the resources they need to do their jobs. The legislation responds to the direct costs incurred by the National Guard and DC police on January 6, provides funding to improve the security of windows and doors in the Capitol complex, and secures funds to improve Capitol Police training and equipment.

12. H.R. 3005, Legislation to #RemoveHate from the Capitol Building:

This bill would remove statues of those who perpetuated and supported slavery and segregation in this country, along with statues or busts of those who served voluntarily in the Confederate States of America, from public display in the U.S. Capitol.

13. H.R. 1603, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act:

This bipartisan bill would stabilize the agriculture industry's labor supply by reforming the H-2A guest worker program and creating a pathway to citizenship for agricultural workers, many of whom worked through the pandemic.

14. H.R. 51, the Washington, DC Admission Act:

This bill would admit Washington, DC as the 51st state in the Union and end the injustice in denying nearly 700,000 citizens the right to be represented fully in Congress. It would also end the unjust practice of treating District of Columbia residents differently when allocating government resources or relief.

15. H.R. 3985, ALLIES Act:

This bill would increase the visa cap and expedite the visa process for Afghan allies who worked alongside American military personnel, diplomats, development professionals, and partner forces, to help ensure they make it safely out of harm's way.

16. H.R. 803, Protecting America's Wildness and Public Lands Act:

This comprehensive bill would conserve and protect natural landscapes across America, designating over 1.5 million acres of public land as protected wilderness and withdrawing significant amount of public land from drilling and mining activities to promote a healthier environment.

17. H.R. 2467, the PFAS Action Act:

This bipartisan bill would improve the safety of Americans' drinking water by requiring the EPA to set a drinking water standard, prevent the future release of PFAS chemicals into our bodies of water, and start the process of cleaning up affected communities.

18. H.R. 256, Repeal of the 2002 AUMF Against Iraq:

This bill, which passed with bipartisan support, would repeal the 2002 Authorization of Military Force Against Iraq.

19. H.R. 1230, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act:

The bipartisan Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act restores protections for older workers that were weakened in a 2009 Supreme Court ruling that made it harder for older workers to prove age-based discrimination in the workplace.

20. H.R 2662, the Inspectors-General Independence and Empowerment Act:

This bill seeks to promote government transparency and accountability by ensuring the independence of federal inspectors general, allowing government watchdogs to act freely without fear of political pressure or threats. It would also protect whistleblowers from threats of retaliation by making it a violation of House rules for Members to reveal their identities.

In addition, three Congressional Review Act resolutions have been signed into law, overturning dangerous rules put in place by the Trump Administration:

1. S.J. Res. 13, a CRA overturning an EEOC rule to address discrimination in the workplace;

2. S.J. Res. 14, a CRA addressing dangerous methane emissions; and

3. S.J. Res. 15, a CRA to protect against predatory lenders.

These along with many, many others are among the bills awaiting Senate action.

Mr. Speaker, our colleagues across the aisle have in both chambers have been obstructive, dilatory, petulantly uncooperative throughout the first session of the 117th Congress.

Nowhere was this more apparent than the refusal of the majority of Republican members in the House voted 175-35 against H.R. 3233, legislation modeled after the 9/11 Commission establishing a National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act.

I strongly support this legislation and urge all Members to join me in voting for H.J.R. 75, the ``Extension of Continuing Appropriations Act.''

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5681 the Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act, to authorize the reclassification of the tactical enforcement officers (commonly known as the ``Shadow Wolves'') in the Homeland Security Investigations tactical patrol unit operating on the lands of the Tohono O'odham Nation as special agents.

The ``Shadow Wolves'' are a Native American tactical patrol unit assigned to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit in Sells, Arizona located on the Tohono O'odham Nation and was established by Congress in 1974.

These officers specialize in the interdiction of human and drug smugglers in the rugged terrain of the Sonoran Desert.

Under this bill, Shadow Wolves serving in these positions would be reclassified as GS-1811 special agents.

As GS-1811 special agents, these officers would gain the statutory authority to carry firearms, conduct searches & seizures, make arrests, and receive a pay increase from an average of $37,000 a year to $50,000.

Under existing authority, ``Shadow Wolves'' can only be hired as tactical officers at a lower paygrade, and those who wish to become HIS special agents receive no special consideration, which has caused pay and mobility limitations.

Due to these limitations, the Shadow Wolves program is at risk of becoming nonoperational as officers retire.

There are currently eight Shadow Wolves employed by ICE, five of whom meet the training requirements for conversion to the new pay status.

The Act would also require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a strategy to retain existing Shadow Wolves, recruit new officers to the unit, and expand comparable units along the Canadian and Mexican borders.

One year after the development of the strategy by the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) would be required to submit a report, as well as annually for the following 2 years, that will assess the effectiveness of this strategy and provide recommendations for improvement.

I would like to personally thank the eight members of the Native American Tactical Patrol Unit in the Tohono O'odham Nation for their work on preventing human trafficking and drug smuggling along our borders. Their work is of vital importance to the security of our Nation and our citizens.

And on behalf of the constituents of the 18th Congressional District of Texas, I would also like to thank all tactical enforcement officers from the United States Secret Service, United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations.

It is our duty as Members of Congress to ensure that these officers are receiving fair pay for the hard work that they have undertaken.

Madam Speaker, I strongly support this legislation and urge all Members to vote in favor of H.R. 5681, the Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5616, the ``DHS Basic Training Accreditation Improvement Act of 2021'' which addresses issues involving accreditation and law enforcement training, research, and development at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

This bill requires DHS to report annually to the congressional homeland security committees on the accreditation status for each basic training program within DHS.

If a basic training program loses accreditation, the relevant DHS component shall notify the department within 30 days after such loss.

H.R. 5616 also would require the DHS Science and Technology Directorate to carry out research and development to enhance state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement access to training on homeland security threats.

Program level academic accreditation requires a discipline to have identified and vetted a set of student learning outcomes.

Without accreditation it remains extremely difficult for a discipline to demonstrate true legitimacy because there would be an absence of standards associated with the curriculum and teaching methods.

Professional legitimacy requires that, integrated with the discipline, is a recognized accreditation process which helps develop incentives for academic programs to adopt accreditation into a widespread practice.

There is a recognized need for responders from all disciplines, including public sector responders and private sector security professionals, to have the knowledge, skills and abilities that allow them to participate in Homeland Protection activities.

Homeland Protection activities are common to both the public and private sector and include prevention, preparedness, protection, mitigation, response and recovery from, ``all hazards'', including terrorism.

Employers must know that their employees and prospective employees have demonstrated competency in the area of Homeland Protection.

Professionals must have a predetermined blend of experience and education, show completed course work in the knowledge areas required by the Certification Board and take an online course and pass the Homeland Protection Professional test.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that meeting the reporting requirements of the bill would cost DHS less than $500,000 over the 2022 through 2026 period.

For programs that are not accredited, the Secretary must provide the reasons for not obtaining or maintaining accreditation, the activities, taken to achieve accreditation, and the anticipated timeline for accreditation of the program.

Unfortunately, several DHS law enforcement basic training programs are not accredited, including the U.S. Border Patrol Academy, Customs and Border Protection's Field Operations Academy Officer Basic Training Program, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Officer Basic Training Program.

In some cases, programs have been unaccredited for several years, e.g., the Border Patrol Academy submitted an initial application in 2006 but did not pursue accreditation further.

As the Chairwoman of the Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Subcommittee, I believe efficient training can and will save lives, and that Department of Homeland Security officers deserve the highest standards of preparation.

Proper training is the only way our authorities can safely and effectively carry out their missions.

Madam Speaker, we need to ensure that our DHS officers are properly trained and educated on their basic trainings.

I urge all members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 5616, the ``DHS Basic Training Accreditation Improvement Act of 2021'', which is critical to ensuring the safety of all Americans.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5615 the Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Act, to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a plan to make Federal assistance available to certain urban areas that previously received Urban Area Security Initiative funding and were removed from the program.

Then, the DHS Secretary is required to submit a plan to Congress on how to make Federal assistance available to former UASI jurisdictions to help them take on the costs of preserving UASI-funded homeland security programs.

In the wake of September 11, 2001, there was a recognition that U.S. urban centers could be terrorist targets and did not have the resources to develop core capabilities to prevent, protect against, and respond to terrorist attacks and other catastrophic events on their own.

Over the past 18 years, UASI has played an instrumental role in helping these cities prevent and respond to terrorist threats and attacks.

As a member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery, I received testimony from Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon that addressed this issue.

Police Chief Rolon testified that, for local law enforcement who are on the ``front lines of responding to any emergency, whether it be a terrorist attack, natural disaster, or global pandemic, FEMA preparedness grants are critical resources that bolster law enforcement's ability to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks and other associated threats.''

Year-to-year changes in the terrorism risk picture, fluctuations in grant funding levels, and changes in DHS' risk formula can result in jurisdictions suddenly falling out of the program, after years of critical investment.

The sudden loss of Federal support for maintaining essential homeland security capabilities can place great strain on cities that may not have the resources to cover these costs.

Jurisdictions that lost UASI grant funding often seek to continue partnering with DHS to ensure that they can maintain the security capabilities they achieved with UASI. These jurisdictions could be helped under H.R. 5615.

This bill will help jurisdictions preserve their level of security capabilities by directing DHS to develop a plan for how to support the transition of costs associated with maintaining UASI-funded homeland security core capabilities.

Madam Speaker, I strongly support this legislation and urge all Members to vote for the H.R. 5615, Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Act.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus and an original co-sponsor, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 70, a resolution condemning threats of violence against historically Black colleges and universities (``HBCUs'') and reaffirming support for HBCUs and their students.

I thank Congresswoman Alma Adams and Congressman French Hill, the co- chairs of the HBCU Caucus, for their work in bringing this important legislation to the floor.

A high-quality education is central to economic prosperity and social well-being in the United States and HBCUs provide educational and economic opportunities for postsecondary students.

As early as the 19th century, HBCUs were established in response to discriminatory practices that excluded Black Americans from pursuing an education in the United States.

HBCUs educate and produce a significant share of the Nation's Black leaders and innovators.

On January 5, 2022, at least 8 HBCUs received bomb threats, including Howard University, Xavier University, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Prairie View A&M University, North Carolina Central University, Florida Memorial University, Norfolk State University, and Spelman College.

On January 31, 2022, at least 6 HBCUs received bomb threats, including Southern University and A&M, Howard University, Bethune- Cookman University, Albany State University, Bowie State University, and Delaware State University.

On February 1, 2022, the first day of Black History Month, at least 18 HBCUs received bomb threats, including Shorter College, Philander Smith College, Arkansas Baptist College, the University of the District of Columbia, Howard University, Edward Waters University, Spelman College, Fort Valley State University, Kentucky State University, Xavier University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University, Jackson State University, Alcorn State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Rust College, Tougaloo College, and Harris-Stowe State University.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the bomb threats made in January and February 2022 against HBCUs as racially or ethnically motivated violent extremism and hate crimes.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud that one of the greatest HBCUs in the country, Texas Southern University, is located in my congressional district.

Texas Southern University has a rich history with nine academic units, 1,000 dedicated staff members, and over 9,200 esteemed students.

Like most of my HBCU Caucus colleagues, I have worked closely with my local HBCU to provide funding and resources needed to enable them to fulfill their mission of educating the next generation of social engineers and conducting research programs addressing issues of major concern to the African American community.

As Chairwoman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection in the 111th Congress, I authored the legislation to establish a Transportation Security Center of Excellence at TSU and worked to help TSU secure $1.2 million in funding over four years from the Department of Homeland Security for this Center of Excellence.

One of my proudest accomplishments as a member of Congress is my success in working with federal officials in the Clinton Administration to settle the lawsuit against TSU that had been pending for more than 23 years.

I was proud to spearhead the initiative that brought more than $13 million in financial aid relief for the students and campus of Texas Southern University.

I also worked with TSU administrators to initiate digital archive projects to preserve the records of two of its most distinguished alumni, the legendary Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland, both of whom preceded me as the Member of Congress for the Eighteenth Congressional District of Texas.

I was pleased to facilitate a partnership between Comcast and TSU's School of Communication to provide' scholarships and internships to TSU students and in-kind marketing services to the university.

I helped secure funding needed to establish the Center for Transportation, Training and Research in the TSU College of Science, Engineering, and Technology.

HBCU's have played a critical role in American history.

As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated:

``The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education.''

HBCUs do not just educate--HBCUs have and will continue to fill an important role in education opportunity and engagement for millions of young people from diverse backgrounds.

I ask my colleagues to joining me in voting to pass H. Con. Res. 70, condemning threats of violence against one of the nation's greatest resources, historically black colleges and universities.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, the bipartisan Congressional International Religious Freedom Caucus, and the Helsinki Commission, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 881, a resolution that puts the House on record in condemnation of the heinous terrorist attack on Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas on January 15, 2022 and against anti- Semitism wherever this hate rears its ugly head.

On January 15, 2022, Malik Faisal Akram entered Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, taking four individuals hostage.

Britain's counterintelligence and security agency, MI5, investigated Mr. Akram in 2020, and he was listed as a subject of interest, but was later determined to no longer pose a threat.

Mr. Akram arrived at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport on December 29, 2021, staying in New York City for two days until taking a flight to Dallas, Texas.

Whereas it is reported Mr. Akram chose the synagogue because it appeared to be the closest gathering of Jewish people to a Federal prison where he demanded to see a woman who is in custody after being found guilty of two counts of attempted murder,

armed assault, using and carrying a firearm, and three counts of assault on United States officers and employees in Afghanistan.

The four hostages were held for nearly 11 hours, during that time Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker used the skills he learned by attending several security courses hosted by local law enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Secure Community Network.

Worshipers who were watching the service virtually contacted local law enforcement once they realized there was an incident underway at Congregation Beth Israel.

Thankfully, because of the swift response from local, State, and Federal law enforcement officers and emergency responders on the ground, no hostages were harmed during the hostage situation.

Mr. Speaker, nearly thirty years ago, as a young mother, I first visited Israel and the Holy Land, and I have returned many times since then to the region that gave birth to three of the world's great religions, civilizations, and cultures.

I have been a passionate supporter of the Mickey Leland Kibbutzim Internship program, which for nearly thirty years has enabled inner- city high school students who live or study in the 18th Congressional District the opportunity to spend a summer in Israel.

As a member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, better known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, I have traveled abroad on numerous occasions to participate in parliamentary diplomacy in support of OSCE and other European efforts to combat anti-Semitism, including legislation calling for increased security for the Jewish community, funds for civil society coalitions to combat hate, and a U.S.-EU Joint Action Plan to combat prejudice and discrimination that would include a specific focus on anti-Semitism.

Mr. Speaker, nearly 74 years have passed since the end of World War II but for those who survived, and the descendants and relatives of those who perished, the Holocaust is not ancient history but a reminder of the evil that can be unleased when humans give into their worst instincts and appetites.

The Holocaust is the worst example of man's inhumanity to man in I human history and the magnitude of its destruction numbered more than 12 million deaths, including 6 million Jews and 1.5 million children.

A haunting quote in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum refers to the story of Cain and Abel:

The Lord said, ``What have you done? Listen! Your brother's

blood cries out to me from the ground (Genesis 4:11).

The Holocaust is a testament to the fragility of democracy, and it forces us to confront uncomfortable questions such as the responsibilities of citizenship and the consequences of indifference and inaction, and the importance of education and awareness.

That is why we, all of us, must reject and resist prejudice and intolerance in any form.

Mr. Speaker, anti-Semitism is the name for the bigotry and form of racism endured for centuries by Jewish people for no other reason that simply because they are Jews.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, in 2020 and 2021 there were a combined 8,366 acts of extremism or hate crimes against Jews or Jewish institutions, constituting 55.1 percent of all religious-based hate crimes.

There is an urgent need to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities, including synagogues, schools, cemeteries, and other institutions.

Outside of the United States, Jews are the targets of anti-Semitic violence at even higher rates in many other countries.

Anti-Semitism includes scapegoating or blaming Jews as Jews when things go wrong; calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or extremist view of religion; or making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotyped allegations about Jews.

Mr. Speaker, we need to denounce and reject forcefully and continuously the scapegoating and targeting of Jews in the United States that has persisted for many years, including by the Ku Klux Klan, the America First Committee, and by modern neo-Nazis, whose membership decidedly is not comprised of ``very fine people.''

Let us be very clear: these purveyors of hate will not win because as the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., taught; persecution of any American is an assault on the rights and freedoms of all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, anti-Semitism is wrong and based on a lie--as are racism, Islamophobia, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia--but remember the words of William Cullen Bryant, who said:

Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again;

The eternal years of God are hers;

But Error, wounded, writhes in pain,

And dies among his worshippers.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for H. Res. 881 and I encourage every person in the United States to confront and reject anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry and do all they can to ensure that the United States lives up to the transcendent principles of tolerance, religious freedom, and equal protection as embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the first and 14th amendments to the Constitution that have made it the envy and the hope of the world.

Madam Speaker, I rise to support H. Con. Res. 70, Condemning Threats of Violence Against Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

What an appalling, atrocious act to attack these historic colleges founded in the midst of the 19th century in the aftermath of slavery.

On January 5, 2022, at least eight HBCUs received bomb threats; on January 31, 2022, at least six; and then on February 1, 2022, 18. We must not only denounce it; we must protect these young people and ensure their protection.

I also rise in support of H. Res. 881, Condemning the Heinous Terrorist Attack on Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas.

We must denounce and reject forcefully and continuously the scapegoating and targeting of Jews in the United States and, as well, terrorism that subjects them to this kind of action.

Let's continue to stand for the freedom of all.

And I, as well, stand for the freedom of Ukrainian women and Ukraine. I support their freedom and bravery as they fled to protect their families, but yet, those who stood their ground and are fighting on the front lines.

We must stop the heinous, evil, vile, and terrorist Mr. Putin, who is attacking Ukraine violently. We must win, and we must win right, and we must fight and preserve democracy.

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to co-anchor this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order and to be joined by my co- anchor, the distinguished gentleman from New York, Congressman Torres. I thank him so very much for his presence here today.

Let me acknowledge the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus as well and thank her for helping to organize this Special Order as well as to be able to discuss health equity and the Black family and the reasons why the CBC strongly urges and supports substantial investments for healthcare in the budget for fiscal year 2023. I also want to especially acknowledge my friend and colleague, the Honorable Donald Payne, whose office initiative has always focused us on the enormity of health disparities in the African-American community.

Let me start with a few comments to be made regarding the work of the Congressional Black Caucus. Let me acknowledge and express my appreciation to the President of the United States for hosting the members of the Congressional Black Caucus this afternoon who serve on the executive committee and for the concern and interest that the President has expressed on a number of issues that I think are important to where we are today in America.

Let me borrow this picture from Congresswoman Kaptur, who heads the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, and just remind everyone, because the Congressional Black Caucus has been at the forefront of persons fleeing persecution.

We have been a leader. Whether it is Haiti or whether it is places in Africa or the Caribbean or Europe, African Americans have been at the forefront.

This happens to be the mass of people that are trying to escape Ukraine because of the bloody and immoral and purposeless and vicious and vile actions of Vladimir Putin.

We stand here today as well, recognizing the humanitarian crisis and recognizing as well that we, as Americans, are going to be supporting any people who are fighting for democracy. As we fight for those people, we will also recognize that we will ensure that we are protecting democracy and the freedom of all people.

With that in mind, we had a number of issues that we discussed, and I think it is important that healthcare was certainly a part of it. And the disparities, disparities dealing with African-American boys and African-American men and recognize that we need to focus on eliminating those stark disparities that would result in less of a future for these young boys, for their lives turning around even before they enter school, that there is an intervention to ensure that they become the best of what they can be. That is a crucial element of what we talked about as well.

I am very grateful that we were also in discussions on H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act; and, of course, the very positive discussion that we had, breaking news is that progress will be made on the idea of healing and repairing and reparations, and we are certainly grateful for that discussion.

I would also like to mention as I begin, in the immediacy of the news of the day, we are well aware of my constituent that is now being held in Russia, that is Brittney Griner, an Olympian, a double-honors WNBA player. Unfortunately, we don't have the proof of the allegations. We are disturbed, but we know that she has the possibility of being held for 10 years because of the alleged charges that they are making against her. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to bring this to the attention of the President of the United States, and we expect that hopefully this situation will be looked at as closely as possible and that help will be coming.

I mention this because our Chairwoman has always said, Our Power, Our Message. We speak of a multitude of messages that we will have tonight, focused in particular on the issue of healthcare.

As a member of the United States Congress and the Congressional Black Caucus, we can't start this without talking about the COVID-19 pandemic that has laid bare for the Nation to see the stark racial and ethnic inequalities exacerbated by the virus.

In my home State of Texas as of the end of September 2020, there had been more than 760,000 cases of COVID-19 and 16,000 deaths. According to the Texas State Department of State healthcare services, 70 percent of the confirmed fatalities are people of color.

In Texas, COVID-19 mortality rates are 30 percent higher for African Americans and 80 percent higher for Hispanics. One factor in the Hispanic and African-American populations being more likely to contract COVID-19 is employment in occupations associated with public contact that cannot be done remotely.

We saw that in the early stages of COVID-19, when testing was not at its peak, that the numbers were so high in New York, New Orleans, Detroit, and, yes, in Houston, Texas, because African Americans, in particular, were in jobs that they had hands on, that they were encountering people, whether they were metro bus drivers or TSA workers in the Federal system, whether they were retailers in the grocery store, whether they were firefighters and first responders or police officers, we were finding out that they were being confronted by these particular issues.

The idea of health disparities in the African-American community lends itself to the very reason why this Special Order is crucial. Health coverage as it relates to African Americans in 2017:

10.6 percent of African Americans were uninsured compared with 5.9 percent of non-Hispanic Whites;

89.4 percent of African Americans had healthcare coverage in 2017 compared with 93 percent of White Americans;

44.1 percent of African Americans had government health insurance coverage in 2017; and

12.1 percent of African Americans under the age of 65 reported having no health insurance coverage.

Chronic health conditions are prevalent in our community. 13.8 percent of African Americans reported having fair or poor health. We are prone to diabetes; cancer, particularly breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, brain cancer; and the leading causes of death among African Americans are heart disease, cancer, and accidents.

There are 11 infant deaths per 1,000 births among Black Americans. This is almost twice the national average of 5.8. Of course, we have a serious problem with Black maternal mortality, which I am very glad the Congressional Black Caucus has taken on as an important issue.

I know that there are also the different kinds of cancer that impact African-American males, and I know my colleagues will spend their time discussing that.

I think the point that is most important is that we realize that all of the indicia indicating disparities in healthcare unfortunately fall on African Americans.

One I forgot to mention is obesity. African-American women have the highest rates of obesity or being overweight compared to other groups in the United States, about four out of five African-American women are overweight or obese.

As we have this discussion tonight, there are several things that I think we should be reminded of. Twelve States refused to take the expanded Medicaid when the Affordable Care Act was finalized and signed by the President of the United States. I was here; we were fighting. In fact, we had included expanded Medicaid as a response to the public option, that we were fighting for. I was in support of the public option, but we compromised, and lo and behold, if I may use that terminology, didn't it get taken out. Didn't we have States refusing to accept expanded Medicaid, and they are in the worst dire straits which includes the State that is a poster child for uninsured, and that is the State of Texas.

But in this Build Back Better Act, we created, with the work of the Congressional Black Caucus, a Federal Medicaid process that we could opt into so that whatever State you lived in--the 12 horrific States that did not accept it who suffer every single day, not the States, not the State government, but the people suffer every day, the children suffer every day--we provided this in Build Back Better.

I was so excited because we were pushing and working and sending letters saying you had to fix this issue of not having the expanded Medicaid. We were able to secure that, and here we are with Build Back Better stalled in the United States Senate, after we worked so hard to get a bill that has so many elements to it that deals with the disparities in healthcare.

As I conclude, let me indicate that the idea of these disparities fall right into the umbrella of H.R. 40, the Commission to Study Slavery and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act, but the idea is to track slavery and its trajectory to 2021, why these stark disparities in healthcare and education and science and housing and the criminal justice system. But healthcare is life or death, and we can see it in a glaring panorama of any community you go into, of hospitals that you go into, hospice that you are in, that you see this disproportionate proportion of African Americans who either did not have access to healthcare in the early stages of their disease or either suffered from diseases that were, in fact, inherited from families down through the generations because of diet, living conditions, or lack thereof.

We stand here today on the floor of the House to say it is imperative that we work together as Americans to find a way to provide an even playing field for all of our children, if it takes legislation that focuses specifically on diseases that we have, that falls on our shoulders.

I am a breast cancer survivor, and I have introduced over the years triple-negative breast cancer legislation that I hope I will see in the next few months passing, for triple-negative breast cancer is more deadly in our African-American populations and Hispanic populations. I know the cancer clusters that are in the Fifth Ward, Texas, in my district, or Kashmere Gardens, because living in conditions where there are toxic chemicals that these people are breathing or they are eating them because they are in the soil that they plant their gardens in.

Can you imagine, Madam Speaker? This is what we are confronting. That is why the Congressional Black Caucus rises on the floor today to be able to address these serious questions of health disparities, which I believe is at this time a crucial moment in history for us to speak about.

Madam Speaker, as a senior member of the Committees on the Judiciary, on Homeland Security, and on the Budget, and the Congressional Black Caucus, I am pleased to co-anchor this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order with my colleague, the distinguished gentleman from New York, Congressman Ritchie Torres.

I thank the Chair of the CBC, Congresswoman Beatty of Ohio, for organizing this Special Order to discuss the health equity and the Black Family and the reasons why the CBC strongly urges and supports substantial investments for healthcare in the budget for FY 2023.

Before I do, however, let me note for the record that today is March 7, the 57th anniversary of ``Bloody Sunday,'' when hundreds of heroic souls risked their lives in Selma, Alabama, for freedom and to secure the right to vote for all Americans.

Those ``foot soldiers'' of Selma, who were led by our beloved colleague, the late Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, were brave and determined men and women, boys and girls, persons of all races and creeds, who loved their country so much that they were willing to risk their lives to make it better, and to bring it even closer to its founding ideals.

The foot soldiers marched because they believed that all persons have dignity and the right to equal treatment under the law, and in the making of the laws, which is the fundamental essence of the right to vote.

I am Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, and I proudly hail from the great city of Houston, which has been on the front lines since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and paid more than its share in death, heartbreak, and suffering, especially among communities and healthcare workers of color, but has also seen the best our nation has to give in the selfless and courageous service of black nurses who were among the very first to answer the call and have never left or retreated from the field of battle.

The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare for the nation to see the stark racial and ethnic inequalities exacerbated by the virus.

In my home state of Texas, as of the end of September 2020, there have been more than 760,000 cases of COVID-19 and 16,000 deaths.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Care Services, 70 percent of the confirmed fatalities were people of color.

In Texas, COVID-19 mortality rates are 30 percent higher for African Americans and 80 percent higher for Hispanics overall.

The differences become much larger when accounting for age; for example, in the 25 to 44-year-old age group, African American mortality rates are more than four times higher than White rates, and the Hispanic rates are more than seven times higher.

One factor in Hispanic and African American populations being more likely to contract COVID-19 is employment in occupations associated with public contact and that cannot be done remotely.

The sad fact is that most workers in these occupations are less able to be absent from their job or to have paid time off.

In Texas, people of color are more than 40 percent of cashiers, retail salespersons, child care workers, licensed practical nurses, more than 50 percent of bus drivers and transit workers, medical and nursing assistants, personal care aides, and home health aides, and more than 60 percent of building cleaners and housekeepers.

In addition, Hispanic and African American populations in Texas are less likely to have health insurance and to have a regular health care provider, so less likely to seek or receive early care for symptoms, especially in the first months of the epidemic.

And African American and Hispanic populations are also more likely to have an underlying health condition that makes them more vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19.

To respond and mitigate the devastation wrought by COVID-19 on Americans, and especially marginal and vulnerable communities of color, I have introduced H.R. 330, the ``Delivering Covid-19 Vaccinations to All Regions and Vulnerable Communities Act'' or ``COVID-19 Delivery Act,'' which I invite all Members to join as sponsors.

Under the COVID-19 Delivery Act, FEMA will be authorized and directed to lead the effort for vaccine delivery from the receipt from

manufacturing facilities to delivery to designated inoculation sites (hospital, clinic, doctors' offices, school, places of worship, community centers, parks, or neighborhood gathering locations.

The legislation directs FEMA to develop and deploy a fully staffed and resourced 24-7 advanced real-time tracking system that allows FEMA to monitor shipments of vaccine units that can provide end-to-end transparency on the temperature, real-time location, origin, and destination data, anticipated time of arrival, and report on changes and update recipients on the progress of their delivery and report on changes that may impact expected delivery or the viability of the vaccine while in transit.

I see the disparities in the lives of so many of my constituents who suffer disproportionately from medical conditions that make COVID-19 deadly.

They work low wage or no wage jobs to make ends meet, and they have no health insurance and rely on community health centers or public health services for routine care.

I call them friends and neighbors because they are that to me.

That is why I strongly support CBC's legislative agenda for the 117th Congress to address the many social justice and health equity issues that are related to how the COVID-19 pandemic has manifested and amplified healthcare racial disparities in our communities.

Specifically, I support:

1. Expanded access to testing for all essential workers.

2. Setup a comprehensive vaccination campaign targeting communities of color and ensuring free vaccination for all.

3. Expanded SNAP food benefits.

4. Direct relief payments of $2,000 a month until the end of the pandemic.

5. Continue rent and mortgage payment suspension.

6. Cancellation of student loan debt as students of color have the highest debt loads.

I support legislation that will ensure that all essential workers have access to free PPE for the duration of the pandemic.

I also support legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 dollars an hour and to develop and support legislation that promotes the ethnic, racial and gender diversification of the health care workforce aimed at increasing overall cultural competence.

Most importantly, I support legislation like H.R. 40 that directly augments the underlying social determinants of health (e.g., socioeconomic factors, education, employment, housing) that historically have disproportionately impacted black and other communities of color that have made them more vulnerable to the COVID- 19 pandemic.

Madam Speaker, the CBC strongly supports comprehensive efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality and its devastating effects.

Maternal and infant mortality disproportionately impacts the Black community in comparison to other communities and this is unacceptable.

700 women die each year in the United States as a result of pregnancy or delivery complications.

Black women are shown to have a disproportionate fatality rate during pregnancy or within 42 days after giving birth.

In 2018, the national maternal mortality rate was 17.4 deaths per 100,000 births in 2018, 37.1 black women died per 100,000 births.

Black infants have 2.3 times the infant mortality rate as white infants.

African American infants are 3.8 times as likely to die from complications related to low birthweight as compared to non-Hispanic white infants.

Black infants are at three times greater risk of accidental death than are white babies, and at more than four times the risk of developing SIDS.

For these reasons, I strongly support and am working for:

1. President Biden's Budget that proposes $31.9 million for the Program for Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum women;

2. legislation that will increase the diversity of the perinatal health care workforce;

3. investment in digital tools like telehealth to improve maternal health outcomes, especially in underserved areas; and

4. Establishment of an Office of Sexual and Reproductive Health & Wellbeing in the White House to align federal policies and programs so they promote sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing through a human rights, reproductive justice, and racial equity lens.

The CBC supports comprehensive efforts to endorse actions to address the health effects of systemic racism, such as H.R. 379, Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2021, which will authorize the CDC to set up a program to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequities by coordinating CDC social determinants of health (SDOH) activities and improve capacity of public health agencies and community organizations to address SDOHs.

We also support the passage of legislation focused on ways to increase the diversity of the U.S. health care workforce (especially nurses, physicians, dentists, and mental health workers) to include enhanced tuition and student loan repayment programs for those from Black communities and other communities of color.

CBC supports as well the passage of legislation to combat institutional racism in all governmental health related agencies and programs.

I am also the lead sponsor of legislation, H.R. 40, which will establish a commission on restorative justice to investigate the ramifications of reparations that includes the acknowledgment of historic health related atrocities.

I support comprehensive efforts to ensure action to improve urban green spaces, public health, environmental health justice and global warming and support clean air/water protections and initiatives that ensure healthy environments for all people because the most recent data reveal that people of color compared to their white counterparts are disproportionately affected by poor socio-ecosystems that affect their physical, mental and social well-being.

Poor socio-ecosystem services translate to disparities in health risks so innovative and multifaceted strategies aimed at reversing the following issues are critical to improve the health and well-being of all Americans and specifically people of color.

The CBC supports comprehensive efforts to reduce cancer inequities and its devastating effects.

According to the American Cancer Society, Blacks have the highest mortality and poorest survival rate of any racial--ethnic group in the

Madam Speaker, I would like to express my appreciation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, certainly this is a moment in history for many, many ways. I have heard of the--really the constant--how do we say in the country--ranging and tanging, the constant refrain of our friends on the other side of the aisle, and I am going to take somewhat of the approach of the President of the United States who gave really one of the most historic, dynamic, and pointed speeches to the American people that I have ever heard.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank President Biden on the floor of the House for speaking straight to the American public. All those who were willing to hear their President who recognized that we are a nation of the United States of America, that we are truly, truly a nation that rises to the occasion of defending democracy together as the United States of America.

That speech covered the pain and the joy that we face today. And I want to start with his concluding remarks, and I can almost hear his resonating voice, his passion, and his true reach to the American people. This was the State of the Union, the first, and so when the question was asked, President Biden said my report is this: ``The state of the Union is strong because you, the American people, are strong.''

Who could not fall under the strength of that statement?

The mothers of soldiers who are in faraway places; fathers who go out and work every day who look to hope from their country to make sure they can provide for their family; the senior citizens; the students who fight against tuition increases; and the vulnerable people seeking homes and houses; they heard him.

``We are stronger today than we were a year ago, and we will be stronger a year from now than we are today. Now is our moment to meet and overcome the challenges of our time, and we will as one people, one America--the United States of America. May God bless you all. May God protect our troops.''

From the beginning he spoke to the American people without divisiveness and certainly with an understanding that we have gone through as a people a most historic and devastating moment in our lives. I know that because more than once I have visited the area on the Mall that showed the little white flags. If you have visited Arlington National Cemetery, then you know the sacrifice of our soldiers, you know the rows and rows and rows and rows and rows of tombstones from wars beyond our historical time.

But when you went to that exhibit, if it was that commemoration, that tribute, that acknowledgment, that place of mourning to know of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who died because of COVID 19, and some dying in the early stages, some families having six, seven, and nine people their family. So you know this was an enormous time.

Let me thank the Congressional Progressive Caucus who just yesterday Congresswoman Leger Fernandez spoke of our next steps in the work ahead.

I didn't want this time to end without responding to day after day refrain from our Republican friends with no plans, no solutions, no next steps, just criticism over and over again just so their voices could be heard.

There is no doubt of the magnificence of the work that has been done by the President of the United States. Let me read, if I might, again, into the Record from the Wall Street Journal. And let me acknowledge that in my district where there are persistent or even permanent economic problems such as long-term unemployment, weak labor markets, inexperienced workers, evictions and foreclosures, these are what come about through a catastrophe like the pandemic. And, also, as the Wall Street Journal referred to: ``The painful truth about economic recoveries is not that everyone bounces back financially after a downturn.''

There are always going to be Americans, as I said, in long-term unemployment, weak labor markets, inexperienced workers, evictions and foreclosures, and people trapped in difficult economic conditions because there needs to be a reimagining of their job.

There are always going to be those people. But there are policies that can limit this scarring, as economists sometimes refer to it.

Our President Biden, the President of the United States, his American Rescue Plan has led to less of it than any recovery in the last 50 years. If there were good-thinking people on this floor, they would rise to a standing ovation as we did on Tuesday night.

Long-term unemployment, While most jobs will return after an economic downturn, the number of people struggling with long-term unemployment-- without work for at least 6 months--often remains relatively high for months after general unemployment peaks.

While the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 helped avert an economic depression, the persistence of high long-term unemployment 2 years later led President Obama to press a Republican House for a second stimulus.

But in this instance, we can assure that the American Rescue Plan of President Biden--and, by the way, through no fault of President Obama who did not have a cooperative Republican Congress--this has been the least impact and the greater recovery in at least 50 years.

Mr. Speaker, don't you think that is worthy of celebration?

But no. There is a whining and whining and whining as if the President does not recognize the importance of pressing forward on behalf of the American people.

So let me, first of all, indicate that in a few days we will be honoring and recognizing those foot soldiers who marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, not once but twice, led by John Robert Lewis, our late colleague, and Martin Luther King, Jr., because the ultimate gift of democracy comes out of the voices of the people who vote.

Isn't it a shame that 100 years post the Emancipation Proclamation for the second time in 1865 after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 that 1965 had to be the year that President Lyndon Baines Johnson that again we reinforced the 15th Amendment of the right to vote.

And here we are today in a primary that was held in Texas, the first primary in the Nation, and it was a disaster because of SB 1 led by Republicans to take the vote right out of the mouths of seniors, African Americans, Hispanics, veterans, soldiers, and students, gleefully so that they would have an upper hand rejecting 30 to 40 percent mailed blots.

This is a picture of John Lewis on that bridge. We will commemorate that march this weekend because we believe in democracy. We believe in the forthrightness of the democratic Republic being held up, being held up by the shoulders and the strength of those foot soldiers of 1965, un-named, as there were those who fought for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, held up the very Constitution and the very Nation that we have because of the vote. And we will march to commemorate.

But, sadly, as we march, the destruction of democracy in this country is, I believe, the ultimate results of these radical right bills that are trying to destroy the right to vote after the false statement of the big lie and 2020 when the most amount of Americans voted for the Presidential candidate and our President, the President of the United States of all the people was elected, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris as Vice President.

Can we not just accept that and be happy about that?

And can we not join in the words of John Lewis of the beloved community?

That is why I stand here today and salute him and acknowledge the beloved community.

Then I want to proceed, as a member of the beloved community, to thank our soldiers, some of whom I saw, if you will, when I was in the Ukraine area, meaning, I was in the area of Lithuania, Belarus, on the border.

Now, acknowledging the strength of the President to have upwards of 100,000 troops around in the NATO ally countries, making sure that those countries that are NATO allies are well-protected while providing, as the President has indicated, substantial support, if you will, to our friends, the Ukrainians, to give them strength even in the face of brutality and terrorism by Vladimir Putin, whose war this is-- no vote has been taken in Russia. This is his attack.

Even though, as I was in the region, we continue to work with the OSCE to push for diplomacy and peace, asking Putin to come to the peace table and to not destroy the Ukrainian people and the democratic republic that it is, or nation, and to sit with President Zelensky, as he reminded us this week that light will win over darkness.

Putin would not have it. Even though his soldiers have surrendered, and they are without food, they are still a major threat. They are without knowledge, as one dead Russian soldier had texted he did not know why he was there.

Isn't that a shame to take young kids and destroy their lives because of your own power hungriness and the lack of understanding of what the world order is and to kill recklessly human beings?

But the President of the United States held together this wonderful alliance of NATO countries around peace.

I want to be very clear: I want peace. I am not an offender; I am a defender. I want us to use diplomacy. I want us to embrace the migrants or the immigrants, African immigrants and others that are coming out of Ukraine, treating everyone to the opportunity of being able to escape as a refugee, if you will, from the violence, now a million displaced persons. But I want diplomacy and peace.

Yet, as the President spent months building a coalition of freedom- loving nations from Europe, the Americas, to Asia and Africa, to confront Putin, he wanted peace. He spent countless hours dealing with the allies.

His backdrop was another world war, and World War III, for this is the greatest threat to Europe since World War II. The geography lends itself to Putin's violence. He remembered those who fell in Normandy and elsewhere so that Europe might be free, and the Marshall Plan, and a strong Europe today, our allies, correcting the mishap of the past 4 years when Europe was put to the side and the President that had this job gave accolades and flowers to Vladimir Putin and, even today, has called our President dumb and Putin smart. How shameful.

But I am glad I am being led in this country by President Biden because he knows how we fought for freedom, expanded liberty, defeated totalitarianism and terror, and built a strong and the freest and most prosperous nation.

I just repeat these words because I think it is important to realize how we have helped and how he has worked to ensure that help is coming through our ability. Though our forces are not going to Europe, he made it crystal clear that we will stand with our NATO countries and that we remain strong for Ukraine as they fight back.

As has been said, light comes after darkness. As we provide them with the resources that are to be heard around the world, and that we, as well, forge with Ukrainian Americans and work to be able to help their relatives through the State Department.

Even as Putin circles Kyiv with tanks, he will never gain, as the President said, the hearts of the Ukrainian people.

We want to make sure that it is known that we are providing the necessary support with weapons that are able to be sent with intensity to Ukraine.

But the human cost is evident, and I will just take you down memory lane, that you have seen. This is the violence of Putin, the violence of Russia. America has been a defender in all the crises that we have faced, the violence. This is the Putin who said this is an operation but is not attempting to hurt the Ukrainian people.

Look at this person who is harmed. Look at them praying, their hands up. The despair of destruction, but that destruction is not going to weaken the Ukrainian people--the despair, but not defeat; the violence, but not defeat.

In the course of the work that we have been doing, I recommended last week that America's efforts to stop Russia should be in the financial pockets. The ruble is down. It is in the midst of rubble, by the way, but the ruble is down.

People are suffering. It is shameful because the American people care about people, and it is shameful that the currency is impacting Russians who have not voted for this war.

But it is important, as well, that, as I called for in my district, the need for Putin to be charged as a war criminal. That is an imperative, and now an investigation has been opened.

This is not a family that has--this is an example of mothers with newborn babies fleeing. Just think of you holding a newborn baby safely in the United States. But mothers are fleeing with 1-week-old babies. It is a tragedy.

A surrogate had twins, and that family in the United States is struggling to get those newborn twins to safety.

This is what Vladimir Putin has rendered. I would say to you, we are not going to let him win, and the Ukrainians will not let him win. The United States will not let him win.

Thank you, President Biden, for bringing our allies together as we continue to try and stand strong.

But we are not unmindful of what has to be done for the American people. We are not unmindful for inflation. And so I hope that his announcement of Make It In America, of the 65,000 highways and infrastructure that is going to be fixed because of the enormity and the importance of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, along with the final passage of the COMPETES Act, that we will see Americans getting back to work and that we will work extensively to bring down the cost of living.

And I, frankly, believe that that can be brought down with the passage of Build Back Better, where we will guarantee that you spend no more than 7 percent for childcare. That is why women are not in the workforce during this pandemic--which is still existing; we are at the end of it, we hope and pray--because they could not pay for, with not having a job, childcare.

Why can't we move on childcare? We will. That is the work ahead. That is what I know the Congressional Progressive Caucus wants to see. That will help bring down costs, along with the continuation of the child tax credit.

The work to be done is to respond to your needs, dealing with inflation, which includes the 11,000 jobs that will come about through implementing--as the President said, we have announced and now are going to work on the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

You will see no more collapsed bridges in America's cities. It is the first and most historic infrastructure bill, I think, in the last 50 years or more.

We must make that child tax credit permanent because that is going to help our families.

We must recognize the importance of the COMPETES Act because, in fact, we must overcome that import of the semiconductor industry and the tools needed. We cannot rely on China. We must bring it home. The COMPETES Act will help us bring it home.

We must recognize that social justice is imperative, as well. We just finished Black History Month to reemphasize the importance of the history of African Americans in this country who first came in the bottomless belly of a slave boat.

It is important that we acknowledge with dignity. Race is not toxic and so toxic that we cannot discuss it with benevolence and through the beloved community.

How dare someone get on the floor: Oh, he didn't talk about that racism thing.

You walk a mile in our shoes. Walk a mile in our shoes. We don't carry racism as an anger tool. We don't walk around and dislike people. We embrace our brothers and sisters.

I am on the floor with colleagues from many different places. I relish the interaction. I know they are with me, as I am with them.

But when someone comes and continues, as Republicans have done, to take this, as led by their leader, their guide, their god, which is what President Trump has become, and he has decided that the critical race theory is a fake argument--it has a basis in analyzing law, as it has impacted groups like African Americans and promoted racism.

It should not be where we are raising our children on it. I agree. It is not a lesson for pre-K, elementary school, maybe even middle school. But understanding that there have been differences and that we seek to heal them is crucial.

I take great umbrage to the demeaning of Black Lives Matter, which fatefully brought to our attention the heinous killing of Trayvon Martin and have stood alongside families time after time after time because no one, including America's best law enforcement agencies across America, wants to have the treatment of their neighbors unfairly.

Those who have done so, they stand with us for accountability. They see the value in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. They see the value in the original George Floyd bill that I introduced that was about police training and investing in the 18,000 police departments.

We have an array of positions, but the President indicated that he was looking to work with communities to bring down crime--good for him--even to the extent of being a champion for provisions that came from the Judiciary Committee, along with other committees, about bringing down community violence.

We are not afraid of going right after it because we know our families are suffering.

Is there any attention to gun violence? The rampant, unbelievable, reckless laws of Republican Governors, like permitless carry in the State of Texas, that have simply brought us down to our knees because guns are everywhere, stolen out of cars, people buying guns like they don't have any conscience, buying them off of streets.

Where do they get them? They can originally start in a legal system, but then you add, really, salt to the wound and talk about the poisonous and really difficult manner of trying to ensure that there is no restraint on guns.

I introduced the Kimberly Vaughan storage bill that I hope to see pass and to work with other Members who, likewise, are working hard to get Americans to understand the necessity of storing their guns.

I continue to work on the healing legislation that deals with H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals, supported by the NAACP, the National Urban League, the National Action Network, and the Congressional Black Caucus, not out of anger but out of a sense of understanding and restoration and repair, humbly saying: Let's take a look. Let's make sure that we have a pathway to do better, as we have a pathway for economic development, as we have a pathway for childcare, as we have a pathway for creating the care economy that was proposed by the President and in Build Back Better, as we have a pathway for getting our voting rights, as we have a pathway for helping with police-community relationships, as we have a pathway for bringing down crime and helping our families and protecting victims, as the almost $1 million that I was able to get for the Houston Police Department to restore their crime victims' office. What a celebration we had. We are waiting for those resources so they can get to work and make sure victims are not left alone, as we know that they are.

I simply want to conclude my remarks by saying we are strong and also to indicate we have solutions like in the Build Back Better, not one of you will be left out of having healthcare. Work needs to be done. For the 12 States, we have expanded Medicaid to a Federal program, and that must be where we ensure and assure that we can make it work. Wouldn't that be a relief for young families, single Americans, students, to be able to access a Federal Medicaid program, health for everyone.

Let me remind my hometown: We are in the Gulf region and, yes, we flood. We are still fighting from Hurricane Harvey, the looks of this, and the kind of loss of homes, the largest catastrophic loss of homes in the history of the State of Texas, from flooding, from the hurricane. Our citizens, this is what they face.

But guess what? Between the Army Corps of Engineers, Harris County Flood District, 18th Congressional District, the infrastructure bill, and the funding that we hope will come from the omnibus that has been so carefully negotiated, we will be confronting these as the President signs the omnibus, but more importantly, as the infrastructure bill is implemented.

We are going to address the crises of disasters in America all over, the fires to the hurricanes because the President is leading, and the Congress, under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi

and Chuck Schumer, is answering the call of the American people.

Remember what I said. The President has announced that the State of the Union is strong, that America is strong, that we are united, and that we will not fail. He will lead by example.

Social justice is not off the table. And the respect for people's advocacy, as young people, like Black Lives Matter, NAACP, Urban League, National Action Network, Congressional Black Caucus, American Civil Liberties Union, League of Women Voters, LULAC, and an array of others, Asian-Pacific friends, and everyone around, southeast Asians, I have named them all, and, of course, our Native American friends. And all those whose names may not be called, we are united with all of America. And if you came over or Pilgrim's Pride and were part of the founding 13 Colonies, you are part with all of us as the beloved community. Strong we are and strong we will be.

I am delighted to say the work ahead is in good hands. Together, with this Congress and the President, America is in good hands.

God bless you and this Congress, God bless the United States of America, and God bless our troops.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the Congressional Progressive Caucus to participate in tonight's special order on ``The Work Ahead'' following President Biden's powerful State of the Union address from last night.

I thank Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez for anchoring tonight's Congressional Progressive Caucus special order.

Last night's State of the Union Address by President Biden provided an encouraging account of what all this Administration and Congress have achieved for the American people.

Democrats have many legislative achievements to be proud of, beginning with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Since the dawn of his campaign, improving American infrastructure has been at the center of the President's agenda.

As the President recalled, before this act became law our infrastructure was ranked 13th in the world.

Worn down infrastructure also greatly impacts the lives of working- class Americans trying to complete simple tasks; like going to and from work, picking up their kids from school, or going across town to care for an elderly family member.

Not committing to infrastructure significantly decreases our ability to fight climate change; without friendly EV infrastructure or access to mass public transit, our emissions will only increase, failing to meet our goal of helping decrease global temperatures by 1.5 degrees Celsius.

During my tenure in Congress, I have watched many infrastructure weeks pass by without results despite what I believed was an ardent commitment, but this administration has finally broken the trend.

As the President said, because we have passed this legislation into law, we're done talking about infrastructure weeks.

We're going to have an infrastructure decade.

Because of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we will build a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations, begin to replace poisonous lead pipes so every child and every American has clean / water to drink at home and at school, and provide affordable high-speed internet for every American in urban, suburban, rural, and tribal communities.

4,000 projects have already been announced.

We will also begin to improve over 65,000 miles of highway and 1,500 bridges in disrepair.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once-in-a-generation investment in our Nation's infrastructure and competitiveness, and when its full scope is realized and implemented, all Americans will benefit regardless of socioeconomic status.

Another landmark piece of legislation from this administration is the American Rescue Plan.

COVID-19 brought about sweeping change at an unprecedented rate, much of this change had drastic impacts for Americans.

People were laid off from their jobs, evicted from their homes, and in the worst cases passed on despite the heroic efforts of our medical professionals.

But the American Rescue Plan provided a plan our country so desperately needed.

It fueled our efforts to vaccinate the Nation and combat COVID-19.

It delivered immediate economic relief for tens of millions of Americans.

It helped put food on their table, keep a roof over their heads, and cut the cost of health insurance.

And unlike the $2 Trillion tax cut passed in the previous administration that benefitted the top 1 percent of Americans, the American Rescue Plan helped working people--and left no one behind.

Our economy created over 6.5 million new jobs just last year, more jobs created in one year than ever before in the history of America.

Our economy grew at a rate of 5.7% last year, the strongest growth in nearly 40 years, the first step in bringing fundamental change to an economy that hasn't worked for the working people of this Nation for too long.

American children also greatly benefitted from the American Rescue Plan, considering the great impacts of the newly revamped Child Tax Credit.

The American Rescue Plan increased the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child for children over the age of 6 and from $2,000 to $3,600 for children under the age of 6, and raised the age limit from 16 to 17.

It is the largest Child Tax Credit in the history of our Nation, pulling an estimated 3 million children out of poverty.

Despite the momentous impact the Child Tax Credit has, it will expire in the next fiscal year.

It is therefore of the utmost importance to make these changes to the Child Tax Credit permanent.

The CPC is determined to make this happen in this legislative session.

We cannot delay this critical action by being privy to political dog whistles blown by Republican members of Congress, claiming this policy is socialist, communist, or whatever the outlandish claim of the day is.

We must make the Child Tax Credit permanent to ensure the prosperity of America and its children.

What should also pique the interests and spark the hopes of Americans is the House's recent passage of the COMPETES Act.

This remarkable piece of legislation will take on inflation and rebuild U.S. supply chains that have been eroded by monopolies that stopped investing in America, bringing down costs for working people.

Because of this bill, the American semiconductor industry will take our reliance off the likes of China and allow us to chart a new course forward with economic self-sufficiency being the centerpiece.

The America COMPETES Act will spur greater American production of chips, strengthen U.S. supply chains and strengthen American manufacturing, and advance U.S. scientific excellence and research.

Thanks to CPC members' amendments, the bill will also include policies to track carbon emissions and increase green climate funding, ensure women and workers of color are not left out of job creation in manufacturing, prevent U.S. funding to countries with histories of human rights abuses, and insert guardrails against corporate self- enrichment.

Through the amendment process, the Caucus also secured the first vote in Congress on U.S. sanctions policy in Afghanistan and its humanitarian effects on civilian mortality and refugee outflows.

The House has also in the past week overwhelmingly passed the Emmitt Till Anti-Lynching Act.

Though long overdue, the Act is sweeping in the respect that it makes lynching a hate crime, subjecting violators to criminal penalties like a prison term, a fine, or both.

This legislation is critical in realizing a criminal justice system that prioritizes racial justice so no American so unjustly sees their end like Emmitt Till.

Although it just concluded, Black History Month was established to teach the history that too often has not been taught: the history of Black excellence and leadership in America and also the history of resistance and resilience in America.

And let me be clear: Black history is American history. It is living, breathing history--history we create every day, across this Nation and on this Floor.

And today, of course, our Nation faces many great challenges.

Among the greatest is the assault on the freedom to vote--the freedom from which all others flow.

It will take an all-hands-on-deck approach to safeguard and strengthen the freedom to vote.

A hero in strengthening this right was my dear friend and colleague John Lewis.

His passion was unending, symbolized by his leading of that Bloody Sunday march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to Selma in March of 1965.

Despite knowing he and others would be beaten, bloodied, bruised, and even arrested, he nonetheless marched onward.

To highlight that pivotal moment history and pay homage to John Lewis, I and other members of Congress will be making that same march later this week.

Again, furthering his honor, the House passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

This act would bolster voting rights by enlarging the government's capability to respond to voting discrimination.

This piece of legislation is absolutely necessary to ensure the right to vote is had by all Americans, a right our Founding Fathers envisioned from the inception of this great Nation.

The legacy of Congressman Lewis, a dear friend and colleague, and with us in spirit, must be dutifully honored.

The Senate must immediately take up this legislation and pass it to truly fulfill Congress' mandate of serving the people of this Nation.

Despite the immense progress made so far in this administration, there is still work yet to be done.

As the President emphasized last night, we must pass legislation to lower the costs of Pre-K, health care, home-based care, and housing, and to ensure that childcare doesn't cost families more than 7 percent of their income--all by finally making the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share.

He underscored the need to take meaningful action to address the climate crisis and deliver a roadmap to citizenship for immigrant communities.

And as he said, ``capitalism without competition is exploitation''-- and the Progressive Caucus is similarly committed to taking on corporate profiteering and monopolistic abuse.

President Biden has significant power to effect immediate, meaningful change for people across America, and we urge him to use it aggressively.

The President can use his executive authority to bring down the costs of prescription drugs and stop Big Pharma's price gouging; decrease carbon emissions to fight the climate crisis; cancel student debt and bolster our economy; protect workers' rights and raise their wages; and provide immigration relief and rebuild our refugee system.

In the coming weeks, the Progressive Caucus will release our executive action agenda for the President that details these steps, and more.

``Democrats in the White House and Congress have shown how much we can accomplish in a year.

If we remain steadfast to our commitment to providing relief our communities need, lowering costs, and making life easier for working people, we can deliver.''

One step that must be taken to again seek racial justice is the passage of H.R. 40.

H.R. 40 was initially introduced by the late Michigan Representative John Conyers, and I have introduced it in this Congress.

This bill establishes the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans.

The commission shall examine slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies.

The commission shall identify the role of the federal and state governments in supporting the institution of slavery, forms of discrimination in the public and private sectors against freed slaves and their descendants, and lingering negative effects of slavery on living African Americans and society.

This bill is the first step in righting the historical wrong that was slavery.

The United States have given reparations to Japanese Americans who were wrongfully interned, The Ottawas of Michigan, the Chippewas of Wisconsin, the Seminoles of Florida, the Sioux of South Dakota, the Klamaths of Oregon, and the Alaska Natives all received some form of reparations from America because of the genocide they underwent.

It is therefore only right that Black people receive reparations because of the history and oppression we have weathered and continue to.

Who are also not strangers to oppression are the Ukrainian people at the bloodied hands of the autocrat Vladimir Putin.

Black Americans underwent violence in the name of fully realizing their democracy, and now Ukrainians are doing the same.

We fought in our own way, and though regrettable, now Ukrainians must as well.

They will persevere, and President Putin will learn that democracy will never faulter in the face of cowardice and senseless aggression.

In summation, while much has been done by this Congress, the CPC, and the administration, we must continue to fight and secure a just, equitable, and prosperous future for the American people.

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