Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to lend my voice in support of H.R. 983, the Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act, and I congratulate the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch) for his work, again, on an enormously commonsense bill.

This is a commonsense and needed bipartisan fix to close a loophole in Federal law that allows con artists who make in-person pitches to defraud veterans of their well-earned benefits.

The State of Texas is home to 1.5 million veterans, and the State of Texas operates a large network of nursing homes for veterans.

All of us have heard stories in our offices, through our veterans' caseworker, of the horrible, horrible attacks on veterans because of the benefits they receive. Yes, financial attacks. And they are attacks. Unlike the battlefield, where they can defend themselves, these attacks, they cannot.

Veterans at these homes and veterans seeking treatment at medical treatment facilities may be susceptible to the in-person grifters falsely claiming that they can facilitate the provisions of additional veterans' benefits.

This bill would help hold scammers accountable and allow the Department of Justice to protect the integrity of veterans' benefits programs. Protecting veterans and their survivors from these types of in-person scams is particularly important, since so many depend on service-connected disability payments.

As chair of the Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Subcommittee, I am focused on addressing fraud and other veterans' issues.

To that end, I ask my colleagues today to join me as I also work on legislation to buttress veterans' courts and to make them a more equitable and successful rehabilitation model.

I thank my colleague from the Judiciary Committee, Ted Deutch, for championing this bill and persisting in his effort.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to lend my voice in support of H.R. 983, the ``Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act.''

This bill is a commonsense and needed bipartisan fix to close a loophole in federal law that allows con artists who make in-person pitches to defraud veterans of their well-earned benefits.

My state of Texas is home to nearly 1.5 million veterans, and the state of Texas operates a large network of nursing homes for veterans.

Veterans at these homes and veterans seeking treatment at medical treatment facilities may be susceptible to the in-person grifters falsely claiming that they can facilitate the provision of additional veterans benefits.

This bill would help hold scammers accountable and allow the Department of Justice to protect the integrity of veterans' benefits programs. Protecting veterans and their survivors from these types of in-person scams is particularly important since so many depend on service-connected disability payments.

As Chair of the Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Subcommittee, I am focused on addressing fraud and other veterans' issues.

To that end, I ask my colleagues here today to join me as I also work on legislation to buttress veterans' courts and to make them more equitable and successful rehabilitation models.

I thank my colleague on the Judiciary Committee, Representative Ted Deutch, for championing this bill and persisting in this effort.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to lend my voice in support of H.R. 983, the ``Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act.''

This bill is a commonsense and needed bipartisan fix to close a loophole in federal law that allows con artists who make in-person

pitches to defraud veterans of their well-earned benefits.

My state of Texas is home to nearly 1.5 million veterans, and the state of Texas operates a large network of nursing homes for veterans.

Veterans at these homes and veterans seeking treatment at medical treatment facilities may be susceptible to the in-person grifters falsely claiming that they can facilitate the provision of additional veterans benefits.

This bill would help hold scammers accountable and allow the Department of Justice to protect the integrity of veterans' benefits programs. Protecting veterans and their survivors from these types of in-person scams is particularly important since so many depend on service-connected disability payments.

As Chair of the Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Subcommittee, I am focused on addressing fraud and other veterans' issues.

To that end, I ask my colleagues here today to join me as I also work on legislation to buttress veterans' courts and to make them more equitable and successful rehabilitation models.

I thank my colleague on the Judiciary Committee, Representative Ted Deutch, for championing this bill and persisting in this effort.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee and the Chair of its Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, I rise in strong support of H.R. 983, the ``Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act,'' commonsense and necessary bipartisan legislation that establishes a new criminal offense for knowingly engaging in or attempting to engage in a scheme to defraud veterans of their hard-earned benefits.

My state of Texas is home to nearly 1.5 million veterans, and the state operates a large network of nursing homes for veterans called Texas State Veterans Homes.

Houston houses over 282,000 of these veterans, many of whom live in these state-owned nursing homes.

Veterans at these Texas nursing homes or those seeking treatment at medical facilities are susceptible to in-person scammers falsely claiming that they can facilitate the provision of additional veterans benefits when they are actually swindling veterans out of their benefits.

H.R. 983 will help hold these con artists accountable and provide an additional tool to the Department of Justice to protect the integrity of veterans' benefits programs and prevent fraud.

Protecting veterans and their survivors from these types of in-person scams is imperative since so many depend on service-connected disability payments, including those in my district in Houston.

I ask my colleagues here today to join me as I also work on legislation to strengthen veterans' courts and to make them more equitable and successful rehabilitation models.

I thank my colleague from the Judiciary Committee, Congressman Deutch of Florida, for championing this bill and persisting in his effort to protect our veterans with this legislation.

I urge all Members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 983, the Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2021.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2694, the Criminal Judicial Administration Act of 2021.

This legislation reflects another step in our ongoing work commitment to ensure that justice is administered fairly and equally in this country.

The first part of the bill relates to our Federal pretrial system. I thank Mr. Nadler, our chairman; and, of course, the author of this bill, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries).

As we work on changes to our pretrial system, we must also make certain that indigent defendants who are released on bail pending trial, who live far away from the courthouse in which they must appear, can make it to the court for required appearances.

As the chair of the Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Subcommittee, it is our committee that deals with the criminal justice system and the system that should be fair to victim and alleged perpetrator. That means that individuals who are defendants and are indigent must be able to get to the courthouse in order to assure a fair justice system.

For out-of-custody defendants, the financial and emotional toll of making required court appearances is considerable. It can mean taking time off from sorely needed jobs, sometimes without compensation, or shifting scarce household resources to make it to court on time and to avoid rearrest for failure to appear.

These challenges are heightened for defendants who have cases pending in districts that are far from where they live. This distance can also lead to unnecessary pretrial detention, as courts wrestle with how to ensure that defendants who live out of their districts can make required court appearances. This is a commonsense legislative initiative.

H.R. 2694 gives courts the ability to direct the U.S. marshals to provide for roundtrip travel and subsistence for indigent defendants or those who cannot otherwise afford those costs to attend court during the pendency of their cases.

This is an important step in our work on Federal pretrial reform, and, as I said, common sense in fairness of the system.

The second part of the bill promotes judicial economy by allowing magistrate judges to oversee the entirety of the cases in which they exercised trial jurisdiction. This administrative step is important for our overburdened Federal judiciary and our efforts to fairly administer justice to all individuals. That is certainly the responsibility of those of us on the House Judiciary Committee.

I thank Representative Jeffries for his work on this bill, which I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2694, the Criminal Judicial Administration Act of 2021. This legislation reflects another step in our ongoing work and commitment to ensure that justice is administered fairly and equally in this country.

The first part of the bill relates to our federal pretrial system.

As we work on changes to our pretrial system, we must also make certain that indigent defendants who are released on bail pending trial--but live far away from the courthouse in which they must appear--can make it to court for required appearances.

For out-of-custody defendants, the financial and emotional toll of making required court appearances is considerable. It can mean missing time off from sorely needed jobs, sometimes without compensation, or shifting scarce household resources to make it to court on time and to avoid re-arrest for failure to appear.

These challenges are heightened for defendants who have cases pending in districts that are far from where they live. This distance can also lead to unnecessary pretrial detention, as courts wrestle with how to ensure that defendants who live out of their districts can make required court appearances.

H.R. 2694 gives courts the ability to direct the U.S. Marshals to provide for roundtrip travel and subsistence for indigent defendants-- or those who cannot otherwise afford these costs--to attend court during the pendency of their cases. This is an important step in our work on federal pretrial reform.

The second part of the bill promotes judicial economy by allowing magistrate judges to oversee the entirety of the cases in which they exercise trial jurisdiction. This administrative step is important for our overburdened federal judiciary, and our efforts to fairly administer justice to all individuals.

I thank Representative Jeffries for his work on this bill, which I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2694, the Criminal Judicial Administration Act of 2021. This legislation reflects another step in our ongoing work and commitment to ensure that justice is administered fairly and equally in this country.

The first part of the bill relates to our federal pretrial system.

As we work on changes to our pretrial system, we must also make certain that indigent defendants who are released on bail pending trial--but live far away from the courthouse in which they must appear--can make it to court for required appearances.

For out-of-custody defendants, the financial and emotional toll of making required court appearances is considerable. It can mean missing time off from sorely needed jobs, sometimes without compensation, or shifting scarce

household resources to make it to court on time and to avoid re-arrest for failure to appear.

These challenges are heightened for defendants who have cases pending in districts that are far from where they live. This distance can also lead to unnecessary pretrial detention, as courts wrestle with how to ensure that defendants who live out of their districts can make required court appearances.

H.R. 2694 gives courts the ability to direct the U.S. Marshals to provide for roundtrip travel and subsistence for indigent defendants-- or those who cannot otherwise afford these costs--to attend court during the pendency of their cases. This is an important step in our work on federal pretrial reform.

The second part of the bill promotes judicial economy by allowing magistrate judges to oversee the entirety of the cases in which they exercise trial jurisdiction. This administrative step is important for our overburdened federal judiciary, and our efforts to fairly administer justice to all individuals.

I thank Representative Jeffries for his work on this bill, which I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting today.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I

thank the ranking member for his presentation and the gentlewoman for her presentation.

I am proud to support H.R. 2922, the Elder Abuse Protection Act, which has been supported by my colleague from Texas, the Honorable Sylvia Garcia.

As Chairman Nadler said and detailed, the sheer number of elder abuse cases is astounding and shameful, and the pandemic has only worsened the economic and emotional circumstances that so many seniors face.

This problem is particularly grave for linguistic minority groups. My hometown of Houston has a large Hispanic community, and I am particularly concerned with efforts to exploit my elder Spanish- speaking constituents.

In Texas, 20 percent of Hispanics are 65 years or older. One study of this population found that limited English proficiency was a barrier to accessing medical and social services.

That is why the thoughtful legislation offered by Congresswoman Garcia is so very important, and its time is now.

I am an enthusiastic supporter of this bill because it would make permanent the Elder Justice Initiative in the Department of Justice and require it to translate into Spanish those resources the initiative makes available to the public. The cost of translating those educational materials is small compared to the benefit they would bring. It would be a modest undertaking for the Department of Justice, given that DOJ already has litigation translation services in place.

Lastly, this bill makes permanent the National Elder Fraud Hotline-- very important. Since March 2020, the hotline has answered tens of thousands of calls from elder Americans who have called in need of support, offering a service to get information on how to prevent elder fraud for the many elder Americans who don't have access to the internet.

We all know the most vulnerable. These elders who have worked to build this country deserve to live their senior years in peace and tranquility and with respect and dignity. They do not deserve to be taken advantage of by fraudulent individuals, fraudulent schemes, and fraudulent practices. If we can do anything to help them, we should do it.

This legislation strongly helps them, and I commend Ms. Garcia for championing this issue. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of this much-needed legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support H.R. 2922, the ``Elder Abuse Protection Act.''

As Chairman Nadler detailed, the sheer number of elder abuse cases is astounding and shameful, and the pandemic has only worsened the economic and emotional circumstances that so many seniors face.

This problem is particularly grave for linguistic-minority groups.

My hometown of Houston has a large Hispanic community, and I am particularly concerned with efforts to exploit my elder Spanish- speaking constituents.

In Texas, 20 percent of Hispanics are 65 years old or older. One study of this population found that limited English proficiency was a barrier to accessing medical and social services.

I am an enthusiastic supporter of this bill because it would make permanent the Elder Justice Initiative in the Department of Justice, and require it translate into Spanish those resources the initiative makes available to the public.

The cost of translating these educational materials is small compared to the benefit they would bring. It would be a modest undertaking for the Department of Justice, given that DOJ already has litigation translation services in place.

Lastly, this bill makes permanent the National Elder Fraud Hotline.

Since March 2020, the hotline has answered tens of thousands of calls from elder Americans who have called in need of support, offering a service to get information on how to prevent elder fraud for the many elder Americans don't have access to the internet.

I commend Ms. Garcia for championing this issue, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of this much-needed legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support H.R. 2922, the ``Elder Abuse Protection Act.''

As Chairman Nadler detailed, the sheer number of elder abuse cases is astounding and shameful, and the pandemic has only worsened the economic and emotional circumstances that so many seniors face.

This problem is particularly grave for linguistic-minority groups.

My hometown of Houston has a large Hispanic community, and I am particularly concerned with efforts to exploit my elder Spanish- speaking constituents.

In Texas, 20 percent of Hispanics are 65 years old or older. One study of this population found that limited English proficiency was a barrier to accessing medical and social services.

I am an enthusiastic supporter of this bill because it would make permanent the Elder Justice Initiative in the Department of Justice and require it translate into Spanish those resources the initiative makes available to the public.

The cost of translating these educational materials is small compared to the benefit they would bring. It would be a modest undertaking for the Department of Justice, given that DOJ already has litigation translation services in place.

Lastly, this bill makes permanent the National Elder Fraud Hotline.

Since March 2020, the hotline has answered tens of thousands of calls from elder Americans who have called in need of support, offering a service to get information on how to prevent elder fraud for the many elder Americans who don't have access to the internet.

I commend Ms. Garcia for championing this issue, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of this much-needed legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the manager and the chairman of the full committee, Committee on the Judiciary, and to the manager for our friends on the other side of the aisle.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 961, the Justice for Juveniles Act.

This is very close to my heart as the chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security working on these juvenile justice issues. And this is a necessary and important bipartisan bill that will save incarcerated young persons' lives.

As indicated, chairing the subcommittee, we recently held a hearing titled, ``Juvenile Justice Pipeline and the Road Back to Integration.'' I thank the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon) for this very effective and important initiative.

During the hearing, we heard testimony from witness after witness who acknowledged the body of scientific research that has been embraced by experts and the Supreme Court--and that I have known and seen over the years as we have written legislation--demonstrating that juveniles do not have the same cognitive and emotional maturity as adults.

In fact, there is data that says that the brain does not fully mature until age 25. This bill makes a good change to the Prison Litigation Reform Act to take into account that the overwhelming majority of juveniles cannot comply with the law's complex grievance procedures by themselves. This bill is an important bipartisan step to ensuring incarcerated juveniles are rehabilitated and given the best chance possible to reintegrate into society.

Just some statistics that I saw recently when I received a note about a graduation of foster children from high school, saying about 60 percent of those children not having a complete opportunity in life did not graduate from high school. And so these children wind up in these facilities. They should not; they should have a life. And therefore, we should be able--not associating foster care children with those incarcerated--but we do know the susceptibility to these children and others who don't have a steady hand in their life. So this is an important step.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague on the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, for authoring this bill.

As I worked on this legislation, it is important to note that to deal with a grievance system, it requires an understanding of the grievance process. But on a more basic level, it requires that an incarcerated person be able to read.

According to one study, we know that incarcerated youth are functionally illiterate in many instances, and the baseline reading levels vary from grade 1 to 6. That is a plague, if you will, on children in our society that can have a bright and wonderful life.

In addition, approximately 70 percent of incarcerated juveniles have at least one learning disability. And we know that because of what happens in schools in the recently changed State laws where juveniles have been sent from the schoolhouse to juvenile detention.

Mr. Speaker, this alone justifies the changes in the bill, which simply allow incarcerated juveniles to go directly to court to have serious deficiencies in their incarceration, including allegations of assault, corrected.

As I said, I thank my colleague, Representative Mary Gay Scanlon. As I work on legislation to achieve more extensive juvenile justice reform, I support the passage of this bill--commonsense, overdue--and ask that my colleagues support this as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 961, the ``Justice for Juveniles Act.'' This is a necessary and important bipartisan bill that will save incarcerated young people's lives.

The Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Subcommittee, which I chair, recently held a hearing titled the ``Juvenile Justice Pipeline and the Road Back to Integration.''

During the hearing, we heard testimony from witness after witness who acknowledged the body of scientific research, that has been embraced by experts and the Supreme Court, demonstrating that juveniles do not have the same cognitive and emotional maturity as adults.

This bill makes a modest change to the Prison Litigation Reform Act to take into account that the overwhelming majority of juveniles cannot comply with the law's complex grievance procedures.

These requirements not only require an understanding of the grievance process, but on a more basic level, require that an incarcerated person be able to read. According to one study, among incarcerated youth, 85 percent are functionally illiterate, and the ``baseline reading levels var[y] from grade 1 to grade 6.''

In addition, approximately 70 percent of incarcerated juveniles have at least one learning disability.

This alone justifies the changes in the bill, which simply allow incarcerated juveniles to go directly to court to have serious deficiencies in their incarceration, including allegations of assault, corrected.

This bill is a small but important bipartisan step to ensuring incarcerated juveniles are rehabilitated and given the best chance possible to reintegrate into society.

I thank my colleague on the Crime Subcommittee, Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, for authoring this bill.

As I work on legislation to achieve more extensive juvenile justice reform, I support passage of this bill today and ask that my colleagues do the same.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, I rise in strong support of H.R. 704, the ``Artistic Recognition For Talented Students Act,'' or Arts Act,'' bicameral, bipartisan legislation that directs the Register of Copyrights to waive the filing fee for an application to register a copyright for a student's work that has won the Congressional Art Competition or the Congressional App Challenge.

The Congressional Art Competition (``Art Competition'') and the Congressional App Challenge (``App Challenge'') are annual district-by- district contests that recognize students' achievements in the visual arts and in the science, technology, engineering, and math (``STEM'') fields.

The Art Competition began in 1982 to encourage students' artistic creativity.

High school students are eligible to participate by submitting two- dimensional artwork, which is typically judged by a panel of local artists.

The App Challenge stems from H. Res. 77, adopted in the 113th Congress, which recognized both the importance of STEM achievement to the country and the importance of encouraging students to appreciate and pursue career paths in STEM and established an academic STEM challenge to further those goals.

Middle and high school students are eligible to participate in the App Challenge by creating a software app using any programming language and any platform.

Winners of the Art Competition have their work hung in the Cannon Tunnel for one year, and in the App Challenge, winning apps may be displayed in the Capitol or on the House's website.

H.R. 704 would add another element to the award winners' prizes-- winning students will be able to file an application to register a

copyright for their winning artwork or app without paying a filing fee.

H.R. 704's filing fee waiver complements the related aims of both contests by introducing young artists and innovators to the intellectual property system and the benefits of copyright protection.

Intellectual property rights like copyright allow artists and innovators to protect and benefit economically from their work, incentivizing them to continue to pour time and resources into further creations and innovations.

Industries that rely on intellectual property have a significant economic impact and are integral to the U.S. economy.

Despite intellectual property's importance, studies show that students have low awareness of intellectual property, even if they are likely to encounter intellectual property later in their careers.

H.R. 704 helps close this awareness gap early on by introducing students who have shown interest in the arts and STEM to the possibilities of copyright registration and removing the economic barrier for pursuing such registration.

As part of the copyright application process, the winning works may also become a part of the Library of Congress' collections and archives, 75 further spreading the reach of these students' creations.

Under current law, the Register of Copyrights does not have authority to waive filing fees for winning students on her own.

Section 708(a)(1) of the Copyright Act prescribes that fees be paid to the Copyright Office for filing an application for registration of a copyright, and the Register has only limited authority to waive fees involving the United States government.

H.R. 704 amends this section to allow such waivers for the student winners of the Art Competition and App Challenge.

I urge all members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 704, ``Artistic Recognition For Talented Students Act,'' or Arts Act.''

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1340) to amend title 28, United States Code, to redefine the eastern and middle judicial districts of North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 1340.

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

Mr. Speaker, S. 1340 would redefine the boundaries of the middle and eastern districts of North Carolina to place Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall, a sub-installation of Fort Bragg located roughly 40 miles away, entirely within the eastern district, a very smart and instructive decision.

After having been introduced by both Senators from North Carolina, S. 1340 passed the Senate last week. H.R. 2746, the identical House companion to S. 1340, which recently passed the Judiciary Committee, was introduced by a friend and colleague, Congresswoman Ross, and Congressman Hudson and was cosponsored by every member of the North Carolina House delegation.

This is bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will improve the administration of justice in North Carolina.

Currently, even though Fort Bragg sits on the outskirts of Fayetteville, which is in the eastern district, the base straddles both judicial districts. The result of this split means that a Federal case arising on one part of Fort Bragg will be heard at the Fayetteville courthouse, which is roughly 20 minutes away, while a case arising on another part of the base could be heard at courthouses more than 2 hours away.

The logistical difficulties resulting from Fort Bragg's split jurisdiction can extend beyond the inconvenience of unnecessarily long travel times. In criminal cases, for example, courts have had difficulty ensuring that defendants have received notice of their rights. S. 1340 will fix that and fix it now.

I want to thank Ms. Ross for her bipartisan work on this issue and for her enormous leadership in championing this legislation in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this bill. I urge my colleagues to support it as well, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Ross), who is the House sponsor of this very important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, this is a good day on the floor of the House. S. 1340 will improve the administration of justice in the Federal courts of North Carolina.

This is not only a bipartisan, bicameral effort, but it is also evidence of Republicans and Democrats working together for the uplifting of justice.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the leadership of Representative Ross in bringing this bill forward, and I hope all of my colleagues will enthusiastically support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, S. 1340 would redefine the boundaries of the Middle and Eastern Districts of North Carolina to place Fort Bragg and Camp Mackall (a sub-installation of Fort Bragg located roughly 40 miles away) entirely within the Eastern District.

After having been introduced by both Senators from North Carolina, S. 1340 passed the Senate last week. H.R. 2746, the identical House companion to S. 1340, which recently passed the Judiciary Committee, was introduced by Congresswoman Ross and Congressman Hudson and was cosponsored by every member of the North Carolina House Delegation.

This is bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will improve the administration of justice in North Carolina.

Currently, even though Fort Bragg sits on the outskirts of Fayetteville, which is in the Eastern District, the base straddles both judicial districts.

The result of this split means that a federal case arising on one part of Fort Bragg will be heard at the Fayetteville courthouse, which is roughly 20 minutes away, while a case arising on another part of the base could be heard at courthouses more than two hours away. The logistical difficulties resulting from Fort Bragg's split jurisdiction can extend beyond the inconvenience of unnecessarily long travel times--in criminal cases, for example, courts have had difficulty ensuring that defendants have received notice of their rights. S. 1340 will fix that.

I want to thank Ms. Ross for her bipartisan work on this issue, and for championing this legislation in the House. I am pleased to support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it as well.

Mr. Speaker, S. 1340 will improve the administration of justice in the federal courts in North Carolina.

I appreciate the leadership of Representative Ross in bringing this bill forward, and I hope all my colleagues will support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2679) to amend title 36, United States Code, to revise the Federal charter for the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2679.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2679, the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association Charter Amendments Act of 2021, makes important changes to the Federal charter for the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association.

This legislation is intended to give the Federal Bar Association the flexibility it needs to operate well into the future without the need for further congressional amendment.

Among other things, the legislation makes the following changes to the association's charter:

It requires the board of directors to decide, and specify in the bylaws, the location of the principal office.

It specifies that the bylaws, not the charter, must provide for the terms of membership, the responsibilities of the board of directors, and the election of officers.

It prohibits a director or officer in his or her corporate capacity from contributing to, supporting, or participating in political activities.

It expands a prohibition on loans for directors and officers to include members and employees.

It specifies that on dissolution or final liquidation of the corporation, any remaining assets must be distributed as provided by the board of directors instead of deposited in the Treasury.

I thank Mr. Chabot for introducing this important bipartisan legislation, along with Mr. Raskin.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2679 and, as well, support this insight and new look at justice, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin), the distinguished gentleman who is the cosponsor of this legislation here in the House. We thank him so much for his leadership.

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

Again, we have found ourselves striking a chord for justice and clarification to an important organization that stands for justice, the Federal Bar Association. I thank the sponsors of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation makes a number of important changes to strengthen the charter of the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2679, the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association Charter Amendments Act of 2021, makes important changes to the federal charter for the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association.

This legislation is intended to give the Federal Bar Association the flexibility it needs to operate well into the future, without the need for further congressional amendment.

Among other things, the legislation makes the following changes to the Association's charter:

It requires the board of directors to decide, and specify in the bylaws, the location of the principal office;

It specifies that the bylaws--not the charter--must provide for the terms of membership, the responsibilities of the board of directors, and the election of officers;

It prohibits a director or officer, in his or her corporate capacity, from contributing to, supporting, or participating in political activities;

It expands a prohibition on loans for directors and officers to include members and employees; and

It specifies that on dissolution or final liquidation of the corporation, any remaining assets must be distributed as provided by the board of directors instead of deposited in the Treasury.

I thank Mr. Chabot for introducing this important bipartisan legislation, along with Mr. Raskin.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation makes a number of important changes to strengthen the charter of the Foundation of the Federal Bar Association.

I urge all Members to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on

Madam Speaker, I rise with a heavy heart with the extended amount of violence in this country that has taken hold of us through the pandemic, and now we seem to be under siege.

No, it is not one isolated issue or community. It is not one isolated reason. But it is a heavy burden on our children. Our children have experienced an enormous amount of violence.

I intend, in my subcommittee, to discuss and have a briefing on both gun violence and the impact on children, as well as violence, and to be able to work with the administration on collaborative ways of dealing with the ending of gun trafficking that has been a source of the mass spreading of guns.

Laws like permitless guns, though I know they are in 12 States, create a synergism of opportunity for guns to be spread everywhere, and then the lack of respect for the dignity of our children so that guns are not stored. I intend to introduce a gun storage bill.

I ask that if you see something, say something. We must, as a Congress and America, stop the violence.

Madam Speaker, I thank my dear friend and courageous leader who brought us all together so many years ago and, I believe, built up the Equality Caucus into such an effective spokesperson for all of those who are voiceless in many instances.

Madam Speaker, I thank David Cicilline. I remember the journey he made on the Equality Act. It was a lot of meetings, a lot of engagement, but he brought us all together. I am very proud to be an original cosponsor and one that gave insight into the necessity for that legislation.

Let me say the very obvious, and that is happy Pride Month. It is an important statement for America, and it is about Americans.

Madam Speaker, these statistics from Texas would give you just a bird's-eye view of what our State is like: percent of adults who are LGBTQ-plus, 4.1 percent; total LGBTQ-plus population, 1,053,000 and, of course, growing; the workforce, 5 percent.

Those who are workers, 647,000; and the LGBTQ-plus, adults raising children, 29 percent--just regular Texans, regular Americans. That is why we stand on the floor of the House today to be able to celebrate Pride Month. And though many of the occasions we have had in Houston and around the Nation are virtual, we are still making our voices heard.

We look forward in Houston to our big Pride Parade, and, of course, we look forward to recommitting ourselves to making equality in every aspect of American life real for members of the LGBTQ community.

We have a shared struggle, a collective joy that is found in the history of that struggle and life experiences that are unique. Unique because individuals have that experience of the LGBTQ-plus. Experiences that many of us have not had, but experiences that sometimes ground themselves in unfair discrimination.

Mr. Cicilline, I heard a Member on the floor just a few minutes ago indicate how he wanted to amend the Juneteenth legislation. He was sorry he could not amend it. And I was thinking to myself, well, my friend, we have been trying to amend it, establish it, declare it, for 156 years, since the Emancipation Proclamation, the second time around in 1865, in Galveston. And we waited too long. And I would say that we have been fighting for justice for this community, starting with Stonewall in Greenwich Village, and I would say that we could not wait any longer. That was an enormous moment of rising up for your own dignity and freedom and a watershed moment in the LGBTQ movement, reigniting the fight for justice and signaling a new chapter of progress in our country's quest to ensure that fair treatment is the rule, never the exception.

We appreciate the Supreme Court's decision in the fight to respect same-sex couples' right to marry--that took a long time--and to love. Our country's commitment to justice has been maintained by the tireless work of advocates.

I had been here during the Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and just the enormous pride when that was removed from the United States military under President Obama's administration. The auditorium was standing room only as that was signed to ensure that it never would happen again.

This a social movement, enshrined with truth and belief, and the basis of creating all of us worthy of human dignity.

In keeping with this belief, we cannot forget the great champions of my great State, who have been proud Texans, who have not been afraid, even in the climate that we live: Sara Fernandez, Judy Reed, Tommie Ross, JD Doyle, Dalton DeHart, Judge Jerry Simoneaux, and Judge Fran Watson. But, also, our senior stateswoman, and that is our former mayor, Annise Parker, who led the cause for the status of LGBTQ in our community. We thank you, former Mayor Parker.

We thank you for the fight of equality, though we did not make it in this city when we tried to do an ordinance to indicate that bathrooms were not important and no one in this community should be characterized as attacking anyone but just wanting freedom and justice.

I would like to recognize a few organizations that continue to do great work: The Houston GLBT Political Caucus, Save Our Sisters United, Montrose Grace Place in the Montrose Center--many of these were pioneers in doing the work that was so important.

Madam Speaker, I am reminded of the Ryan White Treatment Act. As a member of the Houston City Council, I was honored to be the only Member of Congress that came from Houston, Texas, to stand by Ryan White and his family here in the United States Congress with the late former Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator Orrin Hatch, the two cosponsors; stand right next to him in a sweaty, very small room. I am not sure why they selected that small room. They must have believed that we were not coming from everywhere to witness this historic moment of the Ryan White Treatment Act and to meet Ryan White at that time. It was an amazing recognition at that time of the need for AIDS treatment.

But sadly to say, I sat by the bedside of many of my constituents whose families would not acknowledge that they had HIV/AIDS, and they died alone. What a moment that we lived through. So many died; so many alone, except for friends who would be willing to be by their bedside. We have come a mighty long way.

Madam Speaker, very quickly, as I close, that honor continues to go to those who continue to fight. My meeting with Matthew Shepard's mother, of sitting with her in my office when we talked about the Matthew Shepard Act, and being so proud for her to include me in her book. How heinous to lose your son in that way. How many parents have had to face that?

But again, I pay tribute to Monica Roberts in Houston, who leaves a gaping hole in the hearts of the LGBTQ-plus community. Monica worked as a trailblazing journalist and advocate, never failing to censure the stories of Black trans people and shining the light on the issues of those often ignored.

We intend to introduce legislation dealing with the sizeable number of murders against Black trans persons--mostly women. Ray Hill co- organized the first gay rights organization in Houston in 1967, fiercely advocating for those living with HIV and AIDS.

And so the more than 46,000 same-sex couples in Texas, a third of them LGBTQ Texans, who are raising children. This is a new day, but our work for justice has not ended.

We thank the Williams Institute of the UCLA School of Law. Approximately 900,000 Texans identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. And maybe one day my State will recognize the fullness of the equality of all. Thank goodness for the H.R. 5, Equality Act, that covers Texas as well.

Madam Speaker, in my third closing--with a little bit of humor--but with all seriousness, I wanted to make sure that I added to this Record the Texas Tribune article, ``Texas lawmakers advance bills blocking access to gender-affirming healthcare despite opposition from LGBTQ Texans, medical associations,'' directly impacting 17-year-old Indigo Giles, who was able to get surgery before this law, now 19.

Madam Speaker, ending the depression that they faced, ending the attacks that they felt, feeling more comfortable in their skin--that is what this month is all about, saying to them, saying to America: We are pride and we are proud. And we stand together as an extended family of LGBTQ-plus and all of those who, frankly, recognize that our freedom is intertwined with your freedom.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, the Out of Iraq Caucus, and a cosponsor, I rise in strong support of H.R. 256, which repeals the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq passed by Congress nearly twenty years ago on October 16, 2002 as Pub. L. 107-243.

I extend my thanks and deep appreciation to our colleague, the gentlewoman from California, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, for her tireless and unwavering devotion to repealing this misguided AUMF and acknowledging the grievous mistake history has shown it to be and as many of predicted at the time it would be.

Congress never intended for the 2002 AUMF to have such broad and extended reach.

Over the last 18 years, we have seen 3 Presidents use this legislation as a blank check to engage in serious military action.

The 2002 AUMF is an outdated piece of legislation and repealing it will not affect any current military operations.

Moreover, the 2002 AUMF is unnecessary because everything the 2002 AUMF covers is already fully covered under the 2001 9/11 AUMF, except for attacks against Iran.

Congress passed the 2002 AUMF to address the perceived threat posed by the regime of Saddam Hussein and the AUMF permitted the President to use the armed forces as ``necessary and appropriate'' to ``defend U.S. national security against the continuing threat posed by Iraq'' and to ``enforce all relevant Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq.''

U.S. military deployments and operations carried out pursuant to the 2002 AUMF--dubbed Operation Iraqi Freedom--officially concluded in 2011.

Almost 18 years after the resolution's passage, the United States recognizes the sovereignty of Iraq and considers Iraq a key ally.

Under the Constitution, Congress has the sole duty to declare war and repealing obsolete Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) is essential for Congress to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities.

Leaving the 2002 AUMF in place increases the likelihood that future presidents will use it as a basis to start a new war, or expand a current one, without Congress's explicit authorization.

In July 2019, the House adopted a Lee amendment to NDAA virtually identical to H.R. 256, To Repeal the AUMF Against Iraq Resolution of 2002, by a bipartisan vote of 242 to 180.

The overly broad 2002 AUMF represents deterioration of Congressional oversight.

As our brave service members are deployed around the world in combat zones, Congress is missing in action.

Congress must repeal the 2002 AUMF immediately to fulfill its constitutional obligation to provide oversight and consent on matters of war and peace.

As provided under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, absent a Congressional declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force, the President as Commander-in-Chief has constitutional power to engage the U.S. armed forces in hostilities only in the case of a national emergency created by an attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.

Mr. Speaker, since the objectives which led Congress to pass the 2002 Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) have been achieved, I believe the authorization to use that military force expired automatically.

That is why thirteen years ago, on October 31, 2007, I introduced H.R. 4020, the ``Military Success in Iraq Commemoration Act of 2007,'' which acknowledged and affirmed that the two objectives of the 2002 AUMF--(1) to defend the national security of the United States and (2) to enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq--had in fact been achieved and called upon the President to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe a national day of celebration commemorating military success in Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, where a Congressional authorization to use military force has expired, the President must obtain a new authorization to continue the use of force.

As a co-equal branch of government, it is Congress's right and responsibility to be fully consulted regarding any potential plans to expand military operations in the region, to assess whether such action is in the national security interest of the United States and our allies, and to withhold or grant authorization for the use of military force based on this assessment.

As we have learned from the painful and bitter experience of the past 18 years, at the initiation of hostilities, the costs in terms of blood and treasure of U.S. military interventions abroad are often underestimated and the benefits overstated.

More than 6,800 American service members gave the last full measure of devotion to their country on battlefields in Afghanistan and Iraq, with hundreds of thousands more returning with physical, emotional, or psychological wounds that may never heal.

The direct economic cost of the war in the Persian Gulf exceeds $1.07 trillion, including $773 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations funds, an increase of $243 billion to the Department of Defense base budget, and an increase of $54.2 billion to the Veterans Administration budget to address the human costs of the military involvement in Iraq.

We should not repeat the mistakes of the past and the legislation before us is directly aligned with the will of the American people.

I commend my colleague, Congresswoman Barbara Lee for introducing this legislation and urge all Members to vote for H.R. 256 and repeal the misguided and certainly outdated 2002 Authorization For Use of Military Force in Iraq.

How humbled I am to be on the floor of the House with fellow Americans who can speak eloquently about the history that is so deeply seated in my history and the history of so many Americans.

How honored I am, Congresswoman Scanlon, that you come from the great State of Pennsylvania that has a storied history. For some of us, we remember Gettysburg, but there are many other aspects, which I have had the privilege of visiting.

I always say to America: Learn America. It is a beautiful place, but it is a historic place.

To my friend from Pennsylvania, the manager and Rules Committee member, how honored I am to have you, a fellow Pennsylvanian, in terms of the minority's manager, on the floor today. You know full well the fight of the Union soldiers, and I am sure that you have in your constituency or in the State descendants of those fights.

Mr. Speaker, I can stand here today to say, with Senator Markey, Senator Cornyn, Senator Smith, and my colleague of long-suffering, Danny Davis, who began this journey with me, the act or the thought of racial divide crushes to the floor on this bright and sunny day as we bring from the Senate the legislation that I offered, H.R. 1320, in the form of S. 475, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, companion legislation to H.R. 1320 in the House.

The House was the leader, although I am always glad to embrace the dynamic leadership of the Senate. We have over 160 more sponsors coming, bipartisan sponsors.

My good friend and colleague from Texas, Randy Weber, actually represents Galveston, and I want to share his name on the floor.

But I introduce this to make Juneteenth a Federal holiday to commemorate the end of chattel slavery, America's original sin, and to bring about celebration, crushing racial divide down to a point of unity to this Earth, and it is because of the perseverance, the strength of our mutual communities, African Americans that struggle for equality.

Now, I would be remiss if I did not at least appoint that slavery was real. These are the brutal backs upon which the whip went over and over and over again, not only men, women, children, possibly, as history recounts.

The history is limited because it is slave narrative, that I might very humbly and respectfully say, those stories are in broken English. But I remember one where a woman slave said to a husband that had been either taken away or had been a freed slave to another plantation; she said, Husband, come back, come back, they are about to sell me and your children to different places. That is what this moment in time in history represents for us.

But look where we are today. Look where we are. In the midst of what people have described as racial divide, we have now come to a place where we acknowledge the 47 States that have done a celebratory, unified, and multicultural celebration of Juneteenth. Let me tell you why, just for a moment.

Juneteenth is as significant to African Americans as it will be to Americans because we, too, are Americans, and it means freedom.

Juneteenth. On June 19, 1865, General Granger found himself on the shores of Galveston--Senator Cornyn and myself will be in Galveston this very Juneteenth. How coincidental. Can you imagine, how short I am, I will be standing maybe taller than Senator Cornyn, forgive me for that, because it will be such an elevation of joy, but we will be there for a historic celebration.

But Juneteenth came in June of 1865, and shortly thereafter, in the next few months, the 13th Amendment declared slavery unconstitutional in the United States. I think it is important to read these words. These are the words of General Granger, coming all the way from Washington, D.C., of General Order No. 3.

You know, we like legislation, but I will tell you, can you imagine all of the slaves who were not free 2 extra years? They gathered around, they knew something was happening. There was no telegram and there was no cyber, there was no email or tweets.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection therefore existing between them becomes that of employer and hired labor. It is a day of freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Rules Committee, Chairman McGovern, and Ranking Member Cole. I want to thank them for their commitment in bringing this to us. I want to thank Majority Leader Hoyer, Speaker Pelosi, the whip, Mr. Clyburn, the chairman, Mr. Jeffries, and all of the leadership on both sides of the aisle that have brought us to this point.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, the Chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, and the principal sponsor in the House of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, I rise in strong and enthusiastic support of the Rule and the underlying legislation, S. 475, the Senate companion to the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which establishes June 19 as a federal holiday.

I applaud the U.S. Senate for passing S. 475, Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, companion legislation to H.R. 1320, which I introduced to make Juneteenth a federal holiday to commemorate the end of chattel slavery, America's Original Sin, and to celebrate the perseverance that has been the hallmark of the African American struggle for equality.

I thank Senator Markey of Massachusetts, my senior senator, Senator John Cornyn of Texas, and others who spearheaded this effort in the Senate, and Senate Majority Leader Schumer for his support and for using his legislative skills to ensure the bill was voted on and passed.

Mr. Speaker, now it is time for the House of Representatives to act swiftly and bring to the floor, vote on, pass the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, and send it to the desk of President Biden for signature.

With the President's signature, the federal government will join 47 states in recognizing as a holiday Juneteenth, the day that has been celebrated by African Americans for 156 years and has been called rightly as 'America's second Independence Day.'

Let me extend on behalf of all of us who have labored to pass this important legislation our deep appreciation to the House leadership, particularly Majority Leader Hoyer, for their support which paved the way for the House last year to pass by unanimous consent H. Res. 1001, the resolution I introduced recognizing Juneteenth Independence Day.

As I have said many times, Juneteenth is as significant to African Americans as July 4 is to all Americans because on that day, June 19, 155 years ago, General Gordon Granger, the Commanding Officer of the District of Texas, rode into Galveston, Texas and announced the freedom of the last American slaves; belatedly freeing 250,000 slaves in Texas nearly two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

When General Granger read these words of General Order No. 3 set off joyous celebrations of the freedmen and women of Texas:

``The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection therefore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.''

Juneteenth thus made real to the last persons living under the system of chattel slavery, of human bondage, the prophetic words of President Abraham Lincoln delivered November 19, 1863, at Gettysburg ``that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.''

Juneteenth was first celebrated in the Texas state capital in 1867 under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau and remains the oldest known celebration of slavery's demise, commemorating freedom while acknowledging the sacrifices and contributions made by courageous African Americans towards making our great nation the more conscious and accepting country that it has become.

Juneteenth is as significant to African Americans as July 4 is to all Americans because on that day, June 19, 155 years ago, General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas and announced the freedom of the last American slaves; belatedly freeing 250,000 slaves in Texas nearly two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Juneteenth was first celebrated in the Texas state capital in 1867 under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau.

Today, Juneteenth remains the oldest known celebration of slavery's demise. It commemorates freedom while acknowledging the sacrifices and contributions made by courageous African Americans towards making our great nation the more conscious and accepting country that it has become.

As the nation prepares to celebrate July 4th, our nation's independence day, it is a time to reflect on the accomplishments of our nation and its people.

General Granger's reading of this order ended chattel slavery, a form of perpetual servitude that held generations of Africans in bondage in the United States for two-hundred and forty-eight years and opened a new chapter in American history.

Recognizing the importance of this date, former slaves coined the word ``Juneteenth'' to mark the occasion with a celebrations the first of which occurred in the Texas state capital in 1867 under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau.

Juneteenth was and is a living symbol of freedom for people who did not have it.

Juneteenth remains the oldest known celebration of slavery's demise.

It commemorates freedom while acknowledging the sacrifices and contributions made by courageous African Americans towards making our great nation the more conscious and accepting country that it has become.

The celebration of Juneteenth followed the most devastating conflict in our country's history, in the aftermath of a civil war that pitted brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor and threatened to tear the fabric of our union apart forever that America truly became the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ``Freedom is never free,'' and African American labor leader A. Phillip Randolph often said ``Freedom is never given. It is won.''

Truer words were never spoken.

We should all recognize the power and the ironic truth of those statements, and we should pause to remember the enormous price paid by all Americans in our country's quest to realize its promise.

Juneteenth honors the end of the 400 years of suffering African Americans endured under slavery and celebrates the legacy of perseverance that has become the hallmark of the African American experience in the struggle for equality.

In recent years, a number of National Juneteenth Organizations have arisen to take their place alongside older organizations--all with the mission to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture.

Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures.

But it must always remain a reminder to us all that liberty and freedom are precious birthrights of all Americans, which must be jealously guarded and preserved for future generations.

I urge all members to support the rule and the underlying legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for her courtesies.

Mr. Speaker, it has been a long journey. It has not been yesterday, the day before, or last month, or a few years before. One could argue that it has been 12 years on this floor of the House.

So many people have been involved: Danny Davis; my colleagues in the United States Senate, Senator Cornyn and Senator Markey; Barbara- Rose Collins, some 25 years ago with a resolution; others unnamed; and organizations across the Nation and some international.

It has been a long journey. It has not been an easy journey. When we stand here today, we should be reminded of the fact that there were people who continued to experience the whips of a whip for 2 more years, even as Abraham Lincoln stood in the shining sun in the aftermath of Gettysburg to unite the Union and proclaim the slaves free in 1863.

Just a few years ago, I had the teary privilege of being, at midnight, in the National Archives, looking at that document. Then, of course, it took 2 years for General Granger to get to Texas. But in that 2 years, we realize that tragedy continued and brutality continued, even into the 20th century.

I salute the miraculous coming together today of the House leadership, the Speaker, Leader Hoyer, Whip Clyburn, Chairman Jeffries, and others who brought this to the floor through a rule, Chairman McGovern, and then a debate. Then, of course, here we are today. It is a long journey, but here we are.

I am grateful, as I said earlier, that racial divide has fallen out of the sky, and we are crushing it to the Earth for this day, for the Juneteenth holiday.

H.R. 1320 was a bipartisan bill with over 166 sponsors, as well as now S. 475. We are delighted to note that the President will sign this bill.

When the words of General Granger were said--the people of Texas and other places are informed that in accordance with the proclamation from the executive, all slaves are free--then, in the same year, the 13th Amendment was passed.

This bill and this day are about freedom. At Gettysburg, that is what President Lincoln said in 1863, that this Nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom.

Why can't we continue on this pathway as we push the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, as we come together on the Voting Rights Act, as we realize that there is another path for America to take, that my freedom is your freedom and your freedom is my freedom?

Yes, slaves suffered continuously. Even in the 20th century, they were hung. Yet, we have a time today, miraculously, to be able to debate and vote on the floor of the House. Diverse persons can stand and join this.

So, I offer to my colleagues: Be reminded that this has been a long journey. There have been mountains and valleys, but we stand here today, free to vote for the Juneteenth National Independence Day, a Federal holiday for America. Freedom is now.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, the Chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, and the principal sponsor in the House of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, I rise in strong and enthusiastic support of S. 475, the Senate companion to the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act I introduced on February 25, 2021, which establishes June 19 as a federal holiday.

I applaud the U.S. Senate for passing S. 475, Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, companion legislation to H.R. 1320, which I introduced to make Juneteenth a federal holiday to commemorate the end of chattel slavery, America's Original Sin, and to celebrate the perseverance that has been the hallmark of the African American struggle for equality.

I thank Senator Markey of Massachusetts for contacting my office with his request to introduce the Senate companion to H.R. 1320 for this Congress, and to my senior senator, Senator John Cornyn of Texas for his steadfast support of the Juneteenth holiday over the years, and others who spearheaded this effort in the Senate, and Senate Majority Leader Schumer for his support and for using his legislative skills to ensure the bill was voted on and passed.

Mr. Speaker, the process that has brought us to this day has been bipartisan, bicameral, cooperative, and constructive beginning with my collaboration in the 116th Congress with former Senator Doug Jones of Alabama and Senator Cornyn of Texas to coordinate the introduction and cultivate the necessary support for the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.

That partnership has continued through the 117th Congress with the addition of Senator Markey of Massachusetts as the lead Democratic sponsor in the Senate.

The bipartisan H.R. 1320, the House version of S. 475, is sponsored by 166 Members from all regions of the country, including two of my Republican colleagues from Texas, Congressman Van Taylor and Congressman Randy Weber.

Mr. Speaker, now it is time for the House of Representatives to act swiftly and bring to the floor, vote on, pass the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, and send it to the desk of President Biden for signature.

With the President's signature, the federal government will join 47 states in recognizing as a holiday Juneteenth, the day that has been celebrated by African Americans for 156 years and has been called rightly as 'America's second Independence Day.'

Let me extend on behalf of all of us who have labored to pass this important legislation our deep appreciation to the House leadership, particularly Majority Leader Hoyer, for their support which paved the way for the House last year to pass by unanimous consent H. Res. 1001, the resolution I introduced recognizing Juneteenth Independence Day.

As I have said many times, Juneteenth is as significant to African Americans as July 4 is to all Americans because on that day, June 19, 155 years ago, General Gordon Granger, the Commanding Officer of the District of Texas, rode into Galveston, Texas, and announced the freedom of the last American slaves; belatedly freeing 250,000 slaves in Texas nearly two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

When General Granger read these words of General Order No. 3 it set off joyous celebrations of the freedmen and women of Texas:

The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a

Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all

slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights

and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and

the connection therefore existing between them becomes that

between employer and hired laborer.

Juneteenth thus made real to the last persons living under the system of chattel slavery, of human bondage, the prophetic words of President Abraham Lincoln delivered November 19, 1863, at Gettysburg `that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.'

Juneteenth was first celebrated in the Texas state capital in 1867 under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau and remains the oldest known celebration of slavery's demise, commemorating freedom while acknowledging the sacrifices and contributions made by courageous African Americans towards making our great Nation the more conscious and accepting country that it has become.

As the Nation prepares to celebrate July 4th, our Nation's independence day, it is a time to reflect on the accomplishments of our Nation and its people.

The celebration of Juneteenth followed the most devastating conflict in our country's history, in the aftermath of a civil war that pitted brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor and threatened to tear the fabric of our union apart forever that America truly became the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Juneteenth honors the end of the 400 years of suffering African Americans endured under slavery and celebrates the perseverance that has been the hallmark of the African American experience in the struggle for equality.

But as the poet Langston Hughes reminds us in his famous poem, ``Mother to Son,'' life in America for African Americans ``ain't been no crystal stair.''

The post-bellum period in America was marked by violence and terrorism against African Americans as they sought to make real the promises of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

General Granger's reading of General Order No. 3 ended the remaining vestiges of the system of chattel slavery, a form of perpetual human bondage that held generations of Africans in captivity in the United States for 248 years and opened a new chapter in American history.

Recognizing the importance of this date, former slaves coined the word ``Juneteenth'' to celebrate the occasion, the first of which occurred in the Texas state capital in 1867 under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau.

Juneteenth was and is a living symbol of freedom for people who did not have it.

Juneteenth remains the oldest known celebration of America's freedom from slavery.

It commemorates freedom while acknowledging the sacrifices and contributions made by courageous African Americans in the quest to make our lives more perfect.

The celebration of Juneteenth followed the most devastating conflict in our country's history, in the aftermath of a civil war that pitted brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor and threatened to tear the fabric of our union apart forever that America truly became the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, ``Freedom is never free,'' and African American labor leader A. Phillip Randolph often said ``Freedom is never given. It is won.''

Truer words were never spoken.

We should all recognize the power and the ironic truth of those statements, and we should pause to remember the enormous price paid by all Americans in our country's quest to realize its promise.

In recent years, a number of National Juneteenth Organizations have arisen to take their place alongside older organizations--all with the mission to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture.

I am reminded that the first legislation introduced in Congress recognizing Juneteenth occurred a quarter century ago, in 1996, when H.J. Res. 195 was introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Rose Collins of Michigan, and I have introduced similar legislation annually since the 109th Congress.

So it has been a long road we have travelled to get to this day, even longer that the

15-year journey taken to pass the bill making the Birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. a national holiday.

Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom, and in so doing celebrates America's history and promise, while encouraging self- development and respect for all cultures.

But it must always remain a reminder to us all that liberty and freedom are precious birthrights of all Americans, which must be jealously guarded and preserved for future generations.

In conclusion, I wish to take a moment to salute two of the unsung heroes who helped bring us to this day: the late Texas State Representative Al Edwards and nonagenarian Opal Lee, known affectionately as the ``Grandmother of Juneteenth.''

In 1852, Frederick Douglass famously asked: ``What to the slave is the 4th of July?''

In 2021, we can reply that it is the beginning of the American Promise that would be fulfilled and made real for all Americans, including the descendants of slaves, on June 19, 1865, `Juneteenth Day.'

That is why we celebrate Juneteenth and that is why I urge all Members to join me in voting to pass S. 475, the ``Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.''

Mr. Speaker, it is not often when you can stand on the floor of the House and use the terminology: I feel full or filled.

It is a terminology that many of us are familiar with in the religious communities of our Black American tradition.

But after a journey of 10 years, I just want to take this moment to thank all of my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, who showed America that there is unity in the understanding of our history, that the history of slavery is the original sin and should never be ignored.

But now we have a national independence holiday for Juneteenth. Let us come together.

I thank Senator Markey; Senator Cornyn; Senator Smith; our friend Danny Davis; Doug Matthews; the Moody family; and, of course, Reverend Thomas and many others from the Galveston area; Opal Lee; and the father of Juneteenth, the late Representative Al Edwards.

Opal Lee still lives. She brought 1.6 million petitions to the United States Congress in the dead of summer.

On behalf of all who have waited for this, I thank them. And to the Congressional Black Caucus, Joyce Beatty as the Chair, we stand here as the conscience of the Congress thanking them with all my colleagues.

Again, we say our message is our power. We are here to serve, and there is more to come in changing lives for justice, equality, and freedom. That is what happened today.

Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Waters for yielding, and I thank the gentlewoman and the ranking member for their leadership.

I ask that we think carefully as this legislation is debated and really reflect on January 6, where each of us probably has a personal experience that we can offer to be able to add to the sacrifice of that day, the moment in history and imaging that we never expected an insurrectionist mob to rise to attack the citadel of democracy.

We were here quietly doing the people's business, the constitutional responsibility of affirming the President and Vice President of the United States. We were doing what the American people asked us to do. We were representing the Capitol Police and law enforcement throughout America. Nurses, doctors, students, teachers, the impoverished, all were with hope looking toward the Biden-Harris administration.

We knew that there were those who did not vote for them, but we also knew the sacredness of our Constitution, and so did the Capitol Police and other law enforcement.

For as we were down in this very august place where noises could not be heard quickly, our Capitol Police were already facing a torrent of outrageous behavior, violence, guns, smears, flags representing the worst of our Nation.

So I am very proud to rise today and thank Speaker Pelosi for the vision

and leadership and to remember to be reminded of the names Brian Sicknick, Howard Liebengood, Metropolitan Police Department Officer Jeffrey Smith, and those who sustained injuries, those who were heroic; Officer Eugene Goodman exemplified the patriotism, commitment, and unselfishness in saving the lives of others; and the Metropolitan police, along with many other law enforcement.

I rise to support this gold medal. I rise so that we never have this happen again. And I rise to say the simple words of ``thank you.''

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3325, legislation awarding four Congressional Gold Medals to the United States Capitol Police and those who, on January 6, 2021, displayed selfless and heroic service in defense of American democracy in protecting the U.S. Capitol from the violent assault of domestic terrorists.

The United States Capitol Police dates back to 1800 when the Congress moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., and a lone watchman was hired to protect the Capitol Building.

In 1827, President John Quincy Adams asked that a regular Capitol Police force be established, and on May 2, 1828, Congress passed an Act that expanded the police regulations of the City of Washington to include the Capitol and Capitol Square.

The United States Capitol Police expanded its force after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and again following the historic merger with the Library of Congress Police in 2009.

In addition to the more than 2,000 sworn members of the force, the United States Capitol Police Department has over 350 civilian personnel who provide operational and administrative support, and its diverse workforce is comprised of employees from nearly all 50 states and the U.S. territories.

The United States Capitol Police embodies the best in American policing and serves as a model in security, urban crime prevention, dignitary protection, specialty response capabilities, and homeland security.

As ambassadors of the Congress, officers of the United States Capitol Police Department are often the first face that visitors and employees encounter, leaving a lasting impression that is reflective of the Legislative Branch and its role in America's democracy.

Officers of the United States Capitol Police Department each day proudly protect the legislative process, the symbol of the Nation's democracy, the people who carry out the process, and the millions of visitors who travel here to see democracy in action.

No finer example of the selfless devotion to duty, love of country, and fidelity to their oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the officers of the United States Capitol Police Department's than their valiant, heroic, and courageous response to the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol Building by thousands of domestic terrorists, insurrectionists, and rioters sent there by the President of the United States to ``fight like hell'' to disrupt and derail the constitutionally required Joint Meeting of Congress to open, count, and publicly confirm the vote tally of the presidential electors and announce the persons who had been elected President and Vice- President of the United States.

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Metropolitan Police Department have a distinguished record of protecting all groups, regardless of their beliefs, who come to the Nation's capital to exercise their First Amendment rights peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

At the direction of Mayor Bowser, and in advance of the scheduled demonstrations, mutual aid was requested by the Metropolitan Police Department from several area police departments to be on standby in the District, including neighboring law enforcement departments, the Metropolitan Transit Police and non-law enforcement agencies such as the District's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency and the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department.

The sustained assault on the Capitol precipitated an equally unprecedented response, necessitating the urgent request of the United States Capitol Police for the Metropolitan Police Department to come defend the Capitol to which the Metropolitan Police Department responded immediately with several Civil Disturbance Unit Platoons and proceeded to deploy to the west front of the Capitol and arrived within minutes.

The violent mob overran protective measures at the Capitol, and by 1:50 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department had declared the assembly to be a riot and immediately began working to achieve the objectives of stopping domestic terrorists from entering the Capitol building and removing those that were already inside, secure a perimeter so that the Capitol could be cleared for lawmakers to resume the Joint Meeting of Congress to demonstrate to the Nation and the world the robustness and vitality of America's democracy, and making arrests of anyone violating the law.

During the height of the siege of the Capitol, approximately 850 Metropolitan Police Department members were at the Capitol, with another 250 had been in the area to directly support the response and aftermath.

Madam Speaker, people around the country and the world were shocked and moved by the video of a Metropolitan Police Department Officer being beaten by a crowd of insurgents, including one wielding an American flag, and of another in agony as he was crushed between a door and a riot shield but also awed by their bravery in the face of this unprovoked and vicious attack, bravery that was matched that day by countless other unheralded Metropolitan Police Department officers.

The January 6, 2021 siege of the Capitol assault resulted in one of the worst days of injuries for law enforcement in the United States since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Madam Speaker, officers of the United States Capitol Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C., and other uniformed law enforcement officers stood their ground in defense of American democracy while being attacked by the angry mob of domestic terrorists with metal pipes, discharged chemical irritants, and other weapons.

At least 138 officers, 73 from the United States Capitol Police Department and 65 from the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, sustained injuries during the attack on the Capitol Building, several of which required hospitalization.

The injuries sustained ranged from bruises and lacerations to more serious damage such as concussions, rib fractures, burns, and even a mild heart attack.

One United States Capitol Police Department officer died from injuries sustained while physically engaging with protesters and two officers involved in the response have died by suicide.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of officers whom law enforcement officials estimate will suffer in years to come with post-traumatic stress disorder and the dozens who contracted the coronavirus from the unmasked domestic terrorists and rioters who stormed the Capitol.

At least 38 Capitol Police officers have tested positive or were exposed to the coronavirus as well as nearly 200 National Guard personnel who were deployed to protect the Capitol.

Madam Speaker, the seven hours between the urgent call for help from the Capitol Police to Metropolitan Police Department and the resumption of work by both houses of Congress will be indelibly etched in the memories of every law enforcement officer who was on the scene, as it is in the minds of the Senators, Representatives, congressional and support staff, and members of the media corps who were forced to seek safety behind locked doors.

Despite being overwhelmed and outnumbered, the indomitable forces of American democracy, symbolized by the resolve of the officers of the United States Capitol Police Department, prevailed and the seditious attack was quelled, the Capitol Building preserved, and the lives of United States Senators and Representatives protected, as well as those of congressional and support staff, and order was restored so that the Joint Meeting of Congress was resumed and completed its constitutionally required duty of counting and announcing the votes of the presidential electors, an essential step in the peaceful transfer of power that has been a hallmark of American democracy and the example to the world for more than two centuries.

As the legislation recites, ``the courage of Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman,'' and ``the sacrifice of heroes including Capitol Police Officers Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood, Metropolitan Police Department Officer Jeffrey Smith, and those who sustained injuries, exemplify the patriotism'' and devotion to duty of Capitol Police officers, and those of other law enforcement agencies, who risk their lives in service of our country.

Madam Speaker, the Congressional Gold Medals authorized to be minted by this legislation and to be displayed at the United States Capitol Police headquarters, the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian Institution, and by the Architect of the Capitol at the United States Capitol conveys the thanks and appreciation of a grateful nation for the selfless and heroic service exhibited by these sentinels of the republic in defense of American democracy in responding to the January 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol by domestic terrorists.

This tribute is, as President Lincoln noted at Gettysburg, ``altogether fitting and proper'' for heroes of the republic.

The action we are taking today should encourage all educational and media institutions throughout the United States to teach and celebrate the story of the heroism of the officers

of the United States Capitol Police Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, and all other law enforcement officers who, out of true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States, selflessly risked their lives to protect the Capitol Building and its personnel, the Congress, and the spirit and fact of democracy in America.

Madam Speaker, I urge all Americans to read, celebrate, and revere the Constitution of the United States, fidelity to which is the surest best means of forming a more perfect union, establishing justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare, and securing the blessing of liberty to them and their posterity.