Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I wish everyone a happy Black History Month.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative McClellan for the recognition and the Congressional Black Caucus for organizing this Special Order hour to recognize Black History Month.

Mr. Speaker, Black History Month will always matter, but it is especially important during a time when our ancestors' contributions to this country are being erased and denied. Yet, Black History Month has never been just about the past. It is about the present and the future.

So I must ask: What has Trump done for Black Americans besides put a target on our backs? What has Trump done besides moving the goalpost for success? This White House has erased our history, undermined our opportunities, and taken direct steps to make Black families poorer than those Black families were a year ago.

In this speech, I won't focus on the reckless rhetoric we have heard from the President, because his actions speak even louder than his words--actions such as executive orders, actions such as budget cuts, and actions such as the passage of bad bills like Trump's big, ugly law.

It begs the question: What can Black Americans expect from this White House because under this Trump administration, millions of Black Americans are unable to afford healthcare. Millions of Black families are going hungry because of cuts to nutrition benefits. Opportunities for wealth building, be it homeownership to entrepreneurship, have been cut off. Black and Brown neighborhoods are terrorized by lawless ICE agents, all while our rights--our right to vote, our right to assemble, our right to go to school and work free from discrimination are being trampled on brazenly and blatantly with no apologies or regrets.

Trump took those resources and protections away under the guise that the plight that Black Americans face no longer exists, claiming that the playing field has been fully and completely leveled and our opportunities across

the board for Americans--Black, White, men and women--are now equal. There is no more discrimination. There are no more disparities. There are no inequities to address.

As a Black woman, dare I say he is wrong because what this administration does not understand is that we have been here before, and we persevered. Where discrimination created pitfalls, we worked alongside our neighbors to close the gap, and we kept fighting for justice.

We didn't just hold the line. We pushed back and created civil rights protections that made sure the law favored the people and not the powerful.

Mr. Speaker, that is Black history. So despite the cuts, the chaos, the cruelty, and the corruption of this administration, like every past challenge, this too, we shall overcome because Americans everywhere are aware of the harm that this administration is causing. We know that our freedoms are shackled and chained to the rights of others. An attack on the freedoms of one American is an attack on all of us.

So we will not be deterred from this fight for our rights. We will not go quietly into the night. We will stand our ground. We will make our voices heard, and Black Americans will emerge from these dark days stronger than before, just as we always have.

Mr. Speaker, we have a President who is corrupt, criminal, and craven to the core, a President who has declared war on American cities and flooded the streets with untrained, unqualified, and unidentified agents.

When agents show up in unmarked vehicles wearing masks without warrants, without body cams, targeting people based on their race or the sound of their voice, and detaining people without cause, that is not law enforcement. That is lawlessness.

The result is a tragedy. Renee Good is dead.

In the days since, there has been no remorse and no accountability from the White House. Instead, the President doubled down with more agents and more confrontation. It is violence they want to happen, with no apologies and no shame; far from it. In fact, they want more.

This is not normal, and it is not right. We must stand united against this illegal and immoral agenda. History is watching.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Congresswoman Hayes, for hosting this Special Order Hour and for her leadership on this critical issue.

Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago Congress passed the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, because America rejected exclusion and finally recognized a simple truth: Every child,

regardless of ability, deserves to learn, grow, and succeed.

Yet, today, that promise is under attack. Disabled students are more vulnerable than ever, facing threats to their funding, their services, and the Federal protections that make equal education possible.

At the same time, this administration is laying off the very civil servants whose job it is to protect those children and enforce the law. When you cut special education funding, cut the Department of Education, and cut the staff, no one can speak out for the children who need these programs the most--children like my nephew RJ, who was born premature and has dealt with developmental delays all his life. His condition requires special care and attention. He didn't choose to be disabled or to have additional needs, but he is made in God's image, and he deserves every opportunity to reach his full potential.

Because of programs established by IDEA, children like RJ can access the same educational assistance and support that other students enjoy. I think that is a good thing. I think that is what should make America America, but this White House disagrees.

The Trump administration believes that the rights and opportunities available to students like RJ can and should be limited. They have spun abandoning programs as efficiency and told us that they are cutting waste and saving you money.

What it really is and what it really costs is paid for by underserved students and their families, because without the protections and funding provided by IDEA, more students are left behind. Without federally supported services that help with early detection, children are less able to navigate a world that wasn't built for them.

IDEA doesn't provide special treatment. It provides children with fair and inclusive treatment, and it doesn't waste Federal resources. It breaks through the barriers that children with disabilities face and levels the playing field.

Today, that lifeline for children with disabilities is under threat. In my own State, nearly one in five students have disabilities. That is more than a quarter million children in Ohio who rely on IDEA programs to get the education they need and deserve.

I have one question today: How exactly does gutting special education programs and staffing make America great? It doesn't. We should be strengthening IDEA, not weakening it. We should be protecting civil rights, not gutting them. We should be recommitting our promise to every child, not pulling out the rug.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, a true champion in the education space, for the leadership she has demonstrated on this critical and, yes, personal issue to me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5457, the Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act.

The SAMOSA Act is a straightforward, good-government bill that has strong bipartisan support from members of the Oversight Committee. I reintroduced this legislation earlier this year with Congresswoman Mace, the chair of the Oversight Committee's Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation; Congressman Pat Fallon; and Congresswoman April McClain Delaney as co- leads. I thank them for their support.

I will also take a moment to recognize the late Congressman Connolly, who worked tirelessly on this legislation and who had introduced the SAMOSA Act prior to his passing.

This is legislation that will improve the acquisition process for Federal agencies, help the government better manage software needs, and ultimately save taxpayer dollars.

Agencies across the Federal Government spend around $33 billion in taxpayer money on software every year, but right now, many agencies don't actually have a list of what they own, what they are fully using, or whether they are buying the same thing twice.

That doesn't make any sense, and this bill solves the problem.

This bill streamlines how agencies track, manage, and report their software assets by requiring complete assessments on the software paid for, used, or deployed at each agency.

It also requires agencies to submit these assessments to the Office of Management and Budget, the General Services Administration, and Congress so that Congress and these agencies can oversee spending and contracting software practices.

By requiring agencies to do these assessments and review software assets, this bill can improve planning for software management, automate processes, train staff, and improve our cybersecurity.

Here is a key point: Industry experts estimate the bill could save up to $750 million each year in taxpayer funding. This is real government efficiency, and it is from legislation that has gone through committee with support and input from both sides of the aisle.

As the legislative year comes to a close, let's pass the SAMOSA Act and lower costs for taxpayers.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Cuyahoga County's Myesha Watkins on her latest and well-earned recognition for serving the people of northeast Ohio.

Last month, Myesha received the Capstone Achievement Award from the University of Chicago's Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy. This distinction highlights her as a local and national leader when it comes to violence prevention.

As the executive director of the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance and in her current role as the administrator of the Cuyahoga County Office of Violence Prevention, Myesha has dedicated herself to the hard work of public safety.

For years, she has been there for the people of Cleveland--in our schools, our community centers, our emergency rooms, and our most overlooked and underserved neighborhoods. She has been there taking direct action to mediate conflict, deescalate crises, and stop the cycle of violence.

This work isn't easy, but as Myesha often says, it is a calling, and it makes a difference.

That is why I was outraged earlier this year when the Trump administration rescinded Federal grants awarded to the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance. Grants that had been awarded by the past administration were stripped away. It was a betrayal of northeast Ohio, but Myesha and our community have never stopped doing the work to make our neighborhoods safer because we know that community-oriented solutions work and are needed.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Myesha on her recognition from the University of Chicago. On behalf of a grateful district and a grateful nation, I thank her for her service and commitment to making our Cleveland communities safer.

Trump's Attacks on Black America

Mr. Speaker, there is a saying: When America catches a cold, Black America gets pneumonia.

Since January 20, make no mistake, this country has been running a fever, a moral sickness, one that begins at the very top, a twisted agenda that pardons the powerful, protects the predators, and punishes the people. Black Americans are paying the price.

Mr. Speaker, buried in the last jobs report was this number: The Black unemployment rate is now 7\1/2\ percent. That is a recession- level rate, the highest rate since the pandemic.

Do you think they care at Mar-a-Lago? I will tell you who does care: the people in the community I represent. They are watching as prices keep going up while funding for programs people need, like SNAP, Medicaid, and the ACA, keep going down.

It doesn't stop at the kitchen table. No, we are witnessing a whole- of-government effort to erase Black history, to diminish Black voices, and to stifle Black progress.

More than $3 billion in Federal funding has been cut from HBCUs, Black communities, and Black entrepreneurs. Over 6,000 Federal research programs and datasets related to racial disparities have been deleted, putting us in the dark on everything from sickle cell anemia to maternal health.

We have seen Black authors pulled from school shelves and government websites quietly erase information on figures like Harriet Tubman and Jackie Robinson.

Just last month, we learned that memorials honoring the contributions of Black American soldiers during World War II were stripped from a military cemetery in the Netherlands.

This is not a coincidence. This is an all-out attack on our past, our present, and our future.

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. Black Americans will not be erased. We will not be silenced, and neither will the millions of people of all backgrounds who are being harmed by this White House.

It is time for us to take up their voice and carry on their fight before this sickness spreads further.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize the Honorable Jane L. Campbell for her distinguished career in public office and public service. As a Clevelander, a Member of Congress, and a representative of communities across Northeast Ohio, I truly appreciate the varied ways in which she served the people throughout her many years of service.

In 2001, Campbell became the first woman elected Mayor of the City of Cleveland. As Mayor she helped spur economic development in downtown Cleveland and our lakefront, and stabilized the city's finances. And to date, she remains the only female Mayor in Cleveland's history. Campbell's historic mayoralty was preceded by six terms in the Ohio House of Representatives and two terms as Cuyahoga County Commissioner.

Following her time in office, Campbell also served as Chief of Staff for Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Senior Advisor to Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, and worked in leadership roles for the National Development Council, the International Economic Institute, and the National Democratic Institute. Through her years of service, uplifting underserved communities has been a consistent theme.

In 2019, Campbell was appointed as the President and CEO of the United States Capitol Historical Society (USCHS). Chartered by Congress, the USCHS was founded to foster patriotism and to connect the American people with the history that is made inside their Capitol here in Washington. As President, Campbell strengthened and expanded the Historical Society's public events, educational programming, outreach to students, online programming and more.

This week, I join people from across Ohio and the country in celebrating her career and sharing my thanks for her dedication to the ideals of our country.

Jane Campbell made history in Cleveland, and in Washington she led the effort to preserve history. From City Hall to the halls of the Capitol, she championed the virtues of our Republic.

I thank the Honorable Jane Campbell for all the ways she has served. We wish her the best upon her retirement.

Mr. Speaker, how do we know if this President is working for us? He is working for us if we make over $4 million and are about to pocket a new tax cut of $300,000.

He is working for us if we attend Great Gatsby parties at his club or plan to sip cocktails in his new White House ballroom.

He is working for us if we bankroll his crypto schemes or pony up for Presidential pardons.

He is working for us if we are wealthy, well-connected, and don't want the Epstein files to see the light of day.

Mr. Speaker, if we are struggling to afford rent or groceries, if premiums are breaking our budget, he is not working for us. No, he is driving up our costs by imposing reckless tariffs and cutting SNAP, Medicaid, and ACA subsidies. This President works for the wealthy, and working people are paying the price.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for leading tonight's Special Order hour. I thank my colleagues in the CBC for standing up for this fight.

The fight to protect healthcare is another reminder of why I am so proud to be part of the Congressional Black Caucus. The members I serve with are truly the conscience of the Congress.

Since January 20, 2025, we have not given 1 inch to this cruel, callous, chaotic, and corrupt White House. The truth is, the communities we represent, including my hometown of Cleveland, cannot afford Trump's agenda. Working people cannot afford Trump's agenda, and Black America cannot afford Trump's agenda.

There is an expression: When America catches a cold, Black America gets the flu. I would argue it is more like COVID before the vaccine.

We can't afford the tariffs. We can't afford the bailouts. We can't afford the tax giveaways to the Mar-a-Lago guest list. We can't afford the largest cuts to Medicaid and to the Affordable Care Act in this Nation's history.

Let's be clear about what is happening. We are living through a reverse Robin Hood story in America.

It hasn't always been this way. Because of the work of President Obama, President Biden, and Democrats in Congress, the Black uninsured rate fell to historic lows last year. That is right. We went from 20 percent of Black Americans being uninsured to just 10 percent.

It is not just Black Americans or people living in cities who have benefited. In fact, some of the Whitest and most rural parts of America rely on the Affordable Care Act the most, including a lot of farmers in my State of Ohio.

There were a lot of gaps in the old system. There were a lot of holes in the safety net. If Trump has his way, there are going to be a lot more holes in the net and a lot more people without healthcare-- millions more, to be exact.

Mr. Speaker, 38,000 people in my district are facing huge healthcare cost increases because of Trump's ACA cuts. The average cost increase is $700 per person per year. A lot of families will have to pay thousands more. Their voices should be heard, and we are uplifting their voices.

Here is what Talia from Cleveland shared with my office: ``I logged into healthcare.gov to renew my plan for next year, and my monthly premium multiplied by a factor of four. It is currently set to be four times as much for health insurance as it was this year. I didn't go ahead and enroll yet because I am hoping Congress gets their heads in the game to do what is right. I am not making any more money this year than I did last year. My income is the same. Rent is going to increase. Gas is increasing. Groceries are increasing. Utility bills are increasing--and now my healthcare, too. It is becoming impossible to survive in this country.''

Mr. Speaker, I completely agree with Talia. To my colleagues across the aisle, I implore you to stop protecting the powerful. Stop serving the wealthy. Start listening to the people.

Truly, it is time for Congress to get their heads in the game. I thank Talia for sharing her story, and I want to assure her we will not give up on this fight.

It is time we work together to cancel the cuts, lower the costs, and protect healthcare for all Americans.

Madam Speaker, I have just come back from our district work period in northeast Ohio, and let me tell you, Madam Speaker, there is nothing better than being home being in our churches, in our union halls, and our community centers listening to the people I serve.

Let me tell you what I heard, Madam Speaker. It was crystal clear. People are getting squeezed.

Groceries--a very old fashioned word--are too expensive. Gas is too expensive. Housing is way too expensive, and Trump's chaos and corruption are making it all worse.

I heard how tariffs are jacking up prices, crushing small businesses, and threatening workers. I heard how the one big, ugly bill is about to make utility bills, student loans, and grocery costs skyrocket, all to give the richest Americans more tax breaks.

I heard how the President's cancellation of community safety funding will make our neighborhoods less safe, and I heard how his attacks on unions at the VA and FEMA will ripple right into the private sector, hurting working men and women everywhere.

Donald Trump's latest stunt, firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, is illegal, reckless, and a straight-up power grab designed to give him control of the Fed and raise costs for families.

An independent Federal Reserve is the bedrock of American prosperity. If you undermine it, retirement savings vanish, mortgage rates climb, and life gets more expensive for everyone.

Madam Speaker, this is bigger than economics. This is about freedom. Take a look around our country. We have military patrols in American cities, political investigations of the President's critics, mass detentions without due process, Federal agents hidden behind masks, museums ordered to rewrite history, the government bullying private companies and universities, and banners of the President's face that would even make Kim Jong-un blush.

This is a toxic agenda, and the President knows it. That is why he is changing the rules in the middle of the game. Need I remind you, 4 years ago, he demanded Georgia find him votes? Now, he is demanding red States find him more seats in Congress.

All this for what? So Donald Trump can enrich himself and his billionaire allies while everyday, hardworking Americans pay the bill.

I just have to ask, Madam Speaker: Where are the so-called constitutional conservatives? Will even one of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle find the courage to stand up? Have they not learned that cowering before this man only works until he decides you are expendable?

It may be easy to look away when people are without welfare status, when they suffer, or when people you don't like are targeted, fired, or erased. It may be easy when the victims live in places like Cleveland, Chicago, or Washington, but be clear: It never ends there.

As a Black woman, I know who the cruel and oppressive executive orders and policies punish first, but I also know this: Once it starts, everyone is punished.

This is the moment to defend our economy, to defend our Constitution, and to defend our freedoms and elections.

Madam Speaker, let me close with this. Last week, President Trump said: I have the right to do anything I want to do. I am the President of the United States.

He said it and laid it on the table in plain sight for all of us to see. He wants no checks, no balances, not from the courts, not from Congress, and not from the voters.

It is time to wake up, America, before it is too late.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member McGovern for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this rule and the underlying bill.

For the first time in history, this bill would force States to pay for part of SNAP benefits, and it would require States to increase their share of administrative costs.

This is an unfunded mandate, plain and simple.

Let's be clear. The costs are staggering, the consequences are devastating, and the cruelty is deeply disturbing.

This policy punishes those who can least afford it: seniors on a fixed income, veterans, and families already forced to choose between gas and groceries.

States will be stuck in a corner. They will cut benefits, cut eligibility, or cut public safety, education, housing, and mental health programs just to stay afloat.

This isn't just a budgeting decision. It is a values decision, and for what? All to take from the hungry and give it to the wealthy. To slash SNAP benefits just $6 per day hands a quarter-million-dollar tax break to the top 0.1 percent. That is not policy. That is plunder. The math doesn't lie.

In North Carolina, it is $400 million. That is more than the entire State budget for child development and early education. In Georgia, it is $500 million, double what the State spends on child welfare. In my State of Ohio, it is $300 million, four times the transportation budget.

My colleagues are writing checks that the government can't cash. When the money runs out, the food runs out. Children will go hungry. Seniors will skip meals. Veterans, working moms, and working dads will be turned down

and turned away all because of a vote taken here today.

This mandate isn't just unfunded. It is unfathomable.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this provision, reject this rule, and reject this betrayal. Don't reward the rich on the backs of hungry Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to amend the rule to make in order the amendment at the desk that protects against any cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.

Mr. Speaker, include in the Record the following proclamation:

Whereas, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated was

founded in 1913 on the campus of Howard University by 22

visionary collegiate women committed to public service with a

primary focus on the Black community;

Whereas, for over 100 years, Delta Sigma Theta has

championed the causes of economic development, educational

advancement, international awareness, physical and mental

health, and political involvement, uplifting communities and

inspiring generations of women leaders;

Whereas, the Greater Cleveland Alumnae Chapter has served

as a beacon of sisterhood, scholarship, and service in

Northeast Ohio, exemplifying the sorority's mission through

impactful programming, civic engagement, and unwavering

advocacy for social justice and equity;

Whereas, in 2025, the Greater Cleveland Alumnae Chapter

proudly celebrates its Centennial Anniversary, marking 100

years of transformative leadership, dedicated service, and

lasting contributions to the region and beyond;

Whereas, the Centennial Celebration, joined by

International President Elsie Cooke-Holmes and Mistress of

Ceremonies, actress, comedian, NAACP Image Award Winner, your

Soror, Kym Whitley, highlights the legacy and continued

excellence of this dynamic organization;

Now, therefore be it resolved, that I, Congresswoman

Shontel M. Brown, representing the 11th Congressional

District of Ohio, do hereby recognize and commend the Greater

Cleveland Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,

Incorporated for a century of distinguished service and

meaningful impact, and extend heartfelt congratulations on

this historic milestone.

Be it further resolved, this resolution honors the enduring

legacy of the Greater Cleveland Alumnae Chapter and its

commitment to uplifting, empowering, and transforming our

communities for the better.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member McGovern for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this rule and the underlying bill.

Let's be clear, Republicans are paying for massive tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires by cutting $300 billion from SNAP.

Instead of owning those cuts, Republicans are punting their problems to the States, forcing Governors and legislators to do the dirty work of denying food assistance. That is not fiscal responsibility. That is political cowardice.

This is an unfunded Federal mandate, plain and simple. States would have to cover at least 5 percent of SNAP benefits and up to 25 percent.

What they call skin in the game is unworkable. The hits to States' budgets would be massive, up to $4.5 billion over 10 years in Louisiana, $4 billion in Alabama, $15 billion in Florida, and $7.5 billion in my home State of Ohio.

Mr. Speaker, what does that mean? Well, I am glad you asked. It means fewer dollars for schools, opioid response, and basic services. Any way you cut it, families lose.

If States can't pick up the bill, they will have to cut benefits or kick folks off the program, a program that currently provides $6 a day, on average.

This plan will take away food from kids, working families, veterans, seniors, and the disabled. It will hit red States, blue States, and every State and every district.

Even Republicans know how damaging this is. That is why they have delayed implementation until when? After the next election.

Hiding the consequences doesn't make them less real. Their own State legislators, Democrats and Republicans, oppose this plan. The National Conference of State Legislatures calls it fiscally unsustainable and warns it will harm the very people SNAP is meant to help.

This is a shameful attempt to dodge accountability while handing out tax breaks on the backs of hungry families.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.'' Protect SNAP. Don't make struggling Americans pay for tax breaks for the wealthy.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand with Leader Jeffries and my Democratic Women's Caucus colleagues to oppose harmful cuts to food and health assistance.

Today, I rise to share the story of Cheryl from Cleveland Heights, a constituent whose life could be upended by cuts to SNAP and Medicaid.

Cheryl is a retired small business owner who ran an advertising company with her husband for 25 years. They were forced to close that business due to their health issues.

Cheryl lives with chronic respiratory issues and arthritis. Her husband is disabled. She also takes care of her 90-year-old father who is disabled, too. None of them can work, and they depend on SNAP and Medicaid to survive. If Congress guts these programs, it will gut a lifeline for Cheryl and her family.

Mr. Speaker, we must remember who we are here to serve. These are real people with real lives, and we must stand up for them.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous materials on the subject of this special order.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to co-anchor this CBC Special Order hour along with my distinguished colleague, Representative Kamlager-Dove.

For the next 60 minutes, members of the CBC have an opportunity to speak directly to the American people on erasing Black history, an issue of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus, Congress, the constituents we represent, as well as all Americans.

It is with great honor that I rise today to lead this CBC Special Order hour. For the next hour, members of the CBC will speak directly to the American people on the topic of Black history and ongoing efforts to erase that history.

Mr. Speaker, this is a time of fear, worry, and anxiety for millions of Americans. President Trump said that he was going to usher in a golden age. However, after 119 long, long days of this Presidency, it hasn't felt like a golden age. It has felt like a dark age, especially for Black Americans.

President Trump and his administration have attacked diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the government, in schools, and in the private sector.

President Trump has rolled back anti-discrimination laws, and Trump has tried to freeze Federal funds that benefit Black communities, including in my district in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

It is not just about his actions. It is also about his words, his rhetoric, and what he values.

President Trump and his allies have blamed diversity, which is just code for Black people, for the January plane crash at Ronald Reagan Airport; for the South Carolina wildfires; for the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge collapse in Baltimore; and even the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment; and on and on and on.

If something goes wrong somewhere, anywhere, in their mind, diversity, equity, and inclusion is to blame. In President Trump's vision, every Black American on the job, every woman, and every immigrant is a DEI hire, a DEI hire who is blocking more qualified White men from the jobs and the positions of power that are rightfully theirs.

Moreover, President Trump has the audacity to talk about his agenda being about restoring meritocracy. They use that word over and over and over again in their executive orders.

Meritocracy: The meritocracy of his Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, who is an unqualified TV host and who texted war plans to people by accident; the meritocracy of his Health and Human Services Secretary, Mr. Robert Kennedy, Jr., who is a conspiracy theorist and whose primary experience in healthcare and science is using Google; the meritocracy of Elon Musk's unvetted, unqualified, and unaccountable minions at DOGE.

The spoken and unspoken message behind all of this is that Black Americans and other minorities don't deserve a seat at the table and that we don't have merit.

The impact is real. Last month, in my district, a man checked out 100 books on Black, Jewish, and LGBTQ topics from the Beachwood Public Library. He didn't check out those books to read them. He checked them out to burn them, and he didn't do it in secret. No, he didn't hide behind shame. He posted this on social media because he wanted people to see.

See, this kind of hate doesn't happen in a vacuum. It is part of a disturbing wave we are seeing across the country, a wave fueled-- sometimes with a wink and a nod, sometimes with a bullhorn--by leaders who should know better than to fan the flames of division for political gain, a wave normalized by the Secretary of Defense banning books about diversity and deleting Pentagon websites highlighting the service of women, LGBTQ people, and minority servicemembers, including Major League Baseball legend Jackie Robinson.

Mr. Speaker, what happened in my district isn't just censorship. It is an act of hate, plain and simple.

I join leaders from across northeast Ohio in condemning this act. These attempts to erase the voices of marginalized communities are an attack on the values of inclusion, empathy, and understanding.

Mr. Speaker, you can only truly have a community with understanding, and to understand your neighbor, you have to understand history.

That is our topic tonight: history. I am deeply concerned about the ongoing effort to erase Black history from our museums, schools, and American life.

Last month, President Trump issued an executive order on ``restoring truth and sanity to American history.'' Of course, there are all kinds of debates when it comes to history. That is how we advance knowledge.

Is that what Trump cares about when he talks about truth? Of course not.

His executive order directed Vice President Vance and the Secretary of the Interior, two individuals who are not historians, to remove objects, exhibits, and funding from the Smithsonian museums and national parks that don't fit Trump's agenda or Trump's incorrect version of history. That bears repeating: Trump's incorrect version of history.

Think about all the Smithsonian museums, all the national parks, and all the historical exhibits around the country. Where do you think they directed most of their attention? That is right. Their main focus has been on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, right down the street on The National Mall.

Are you surprised? You shouldn't be. Trump's executive order mentioned that museum by name out of hundreds across America and laid the foundation for denying future Federal funds.

One thing we have seen from this administration is that they mean what they say. This is such a radical shift, and it has happened in just a short time. Trump's takeover of the Republican Party seems like it has been forever, but it hasn't always been like this.

When the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened in 2016, it was a bipartisan celebration. Joining President Obama that day were President Bush and Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. These aren't woke individuals by any means, but they understood the importance of that museum being on The National Mall. In a perverse way, Trump does, too. That is why he is attacking it.

Black America is not taking this sitting down. In the last month, Black churches from across the country have organized trips to the museum and fundraisers to support it.

Black America raised their voices when Pete Hegseth tried to erase the history of Jackie Robinson because our history matters.

Black excellence should be celebrated. The role we have played in shaping our country should be recognized, and the pain and legacy of slavery and discrimination should be understood. If we don't reckon with our past, we will never understand the present, and we will never build a better future.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I know it is not just the President who wants to erase Black history, and I know the backlash didn't start just this year.

In 2023, the State of Florida, our Nation's third most populous State, released education guidelines that included that slavery provided benefits because slaves were able to learn skills. They now require that as part of their curriculum, that slavery was beneficial, some type of workforce training program.

Florida also launched a comprehensive effort to ban advanced placement courses on Black history, while local school districts were newly empowered to ban books on Black history.

This is a nationwide problem. In fact, there are now more States where teaching Black history has been restricted than there are States where it is required. That is right, only 12 States out of 50 require Black history to be taught, while there are now 18 States that have passed legislation restricting Black history education.

Here is why this matters. We know there is inequality in this country. No one would deny that. We know who overwhelmingly has the wealth, power, and influence and who doesn't. In America, for every $100 in wealth owned by White households, Black households own $15. You can find statistics like that, no matter how you slice it, on housing, health, savings, you name it.

Last week, we were debating nutrition benefits and food stamps in this body. In my district, one in three Black households relies on food stamps. For the White households, it is 1 in 10.

This is the heart of the issue. Do you recognize, like I do, like my CBC colleagues do, that this discrepancy did not happen by accident? It didn't happen by accident. It happened by design. Do you deny that and think that all the racial inequality in this country is really the fault of Black people?

That is really the argument. The only way you can make that case is to erase history, whitewash history, and rewrite history.

That is why history matters. That is why our museums matter. That is why our books, literature, and experiences matter. That is why we are going to keep fighting back.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to lead this Special Order hour tonight. I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Kamlager-Dove), my friend from the 37th District.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Troy Carter).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter), a place with rich culture.

Mr. Speaker, it is my distinguished privilege to yield to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. McClellan), my good friend who represents the Fourth District.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her personal and powerful story about the benefits of history, as well as healing.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland, the Honorable Glenn Ivey.

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

Mr. Speaker, as we talk about the importance of Black history tonight, I also want to highlight northeast Ohio's rich connection to Black history.

In northeast Ohio, our Black history legacy stacks up against anyone's. In fact, one of the first places to celebrate Black History Month for a whole month was Kent State University. After decades as just a week-long event, Kent State made it a full month in 1970, 6 years before the White House did.

Northeast Ohio is also home to the great Jesse Owens who smashed the myth of white supremacy on a global stage, right under Hitler's nose at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Northeast Ohio has shaped the life and stories of Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison and the poet, Langston Hughes.

Cleveland is where Larry Doby integrated the American League. Carl Stokes made history as the first Black mayor of a major city, and Garrett Morgan invented the traffic light.

Black leadership from Cleveland also changed the calendar. In 1890, Ohio Representative John Patterson Green, the first Black-elected official in Cleveland, authored legislation to establish Labor Day as a State holiday 4 years before it became a Federal holiday.

Frederick Douglass spoke in Cleveland multiple times, beginning in the 1840s, connecting us to the abolition movement nationwide.

In 1851, Sojourner Truth delivered her famous speech, ``Ain't I a Woman?'' down the road in Akron; a landmark event in Black feminism.

A century later, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke frequently in Cleveland and lent his support for our local civil rights efforts.

Northeast Ohio's Black history legacy includes three Representatives who came before me: Representatives Louis Stokes, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and Marcia L. Fudge represented northeast Ohio for over 50 years. They chaired committees and subcommittees and served on some of the House's most powerful committees.

Congressman Stokes and Congresswoman Fudge both chaired the Congressional Black Caucus.

In 2021, Congresswoman Fudge was confirmed as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the first Black woman to lead the agency since the 1970s.

Mr. Speaker, it is important that we continue to celebrate Black leadership, Black achievement, and Black excellence because we have been so frequently ignored, erased, and minimized.

Finally, Black history is American history and local history in Ohio and across the country. In 1967, Dr. King spoke at Glenville High School in Cleveland. Speaking that day, he talked about how our history isn't separate from the country's; it is part of it. He said: ``Abused and scorned as we may be, our destiny is tied up with the destiny of America.''

Speaking in Cleveland, Dr. King concluded with a simple message which should be our charge today: `` . . . we must keep moving, we must keep going.'' The goal of the Congressional Black Caucus is to keep us moving forward.

Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues and I have highlighted over this past hour how this administration is intentionally attacking Black history, which is an attack on American history, we will not allow this attack to continue.

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

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

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 8 o'clock and 27 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.