Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 204) to direct the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to carry out programs and activities to ensure that Federal science agencies and institutions of higher education receiving Federal research and development funding are fully engaging their entire talent pool, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 204, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas for introducing this bill, which I am also proud to cosponsor.

I thank all of the Members on both sides of the aisle who have cosponsored the bill, the 25 organizations that have endorsed it, and the many more organizations and individuals who contributed to it.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us all the importance of a robust U.S. research enterprise. Not only has this been essential during the pandemic, it will continue to be crucial to maintaining U.S. global leadership in science and technology.

Unfortunately, this position of global leadership is eroding. To maintain our leadership position and to lead the world in the development of technologies that may dramatically reshape our lives, the U.S. needs a talented STEM workforce that is fully representative of our population.

We have a lot of work to do on that front. Women and people of color remain severely underrepresented in STEM. As we have learned from numerous studies, this underrepresentation results from numerous cultural and institutional barriers, as well as a lack of access to resources and adequate support. It is not because of a lack of talent or interest in STEM. We have made progress on increasing the diversity of the STEM fields in recent years, but it is nowhere near enough.

We must act now to address these inequities and begin building a more diverse STEM workforce for the 21st century.

The STEM Opportunities Act requires comprehensive data collection by Federal agencies so we can better understand the challenge we are facing. It also requires the development of consistent Federal policies for recipients of Federal research awards who have caregiving responsibilities, an issue the pandemic has brought into sharper focus.

The bill requires OSTP to develop consistent guidelines and best practices for grant reviewers and program officers, as well as universities and Federal laboratories. These guidelines and best practices will assist in reducing the effects of implicit bias and identifying barriers limiting the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women and minorities in STEM.

The bill also authorizes the National Science Foundation to expand research aimed at improving the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women and minorities in STEM. NSF is also directed to award grants through the existing Tribal Colleges and Universities Program to support computer science education.

We cannot leave anybody behind in the STEM fields, and H.R. 204 will help. We give better decisions when we have people from all backgrounds around the table.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure this important bill is signed into law. I strongly urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, a few years ago, I held an innovation roundtable in northwest Oregon, and I remember clearly one very successful tech entrepreneur answered the question: What is the best thing we can do for innovation?

He said: We need to diversify the STEM workforce because people from different backgrounds and different experiences bring different perspectives and help identify problems that others may not.

This bill will help in that effort.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I, once again, urge adoption of the bipartisan STEM Opportunities Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2027) to direct Federal science agencies and the Office of Science and Technology Policy to undertake activities to improve the quality of undergraduate STEM education and enhance the research capacity at the Nation's HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2027, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2027, the MSI STEM Achievement Act.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how important scientists and engineers are to helping us respond to crises and move toward a brighter future.

Whether it is a deadly pandemic or the climate crisis, we need all of our Nation's talent to help us understand the challenges and contribute to solutions. We also need all of our Nation's talent to fill the high- skilled jobs of the future.

Our Nation's demographics are changing, and we are not keeping up in diversifying our STEM workforce. Hispanics represent 18 percent of the U.S. population, but only 9 percent of the bachelor's degrees in mathematics and physics. And for Black students, STEM degree attainment has either stagnated or declined since 1996.

The United States can rightly celebrate our great research universities and the STEM talent they cultivate in their laboratories. But these institutions represent a small fraction of the hundreds of institutions across the Nation that graduate students with STEM degrees, and an even smaller fraction in terms of the number of Black and Hispanic students.

In 2018, the Academies released a report highlighting the outsized contributions made by minority-serving institutions, or MSIs. These institutions have a remarkable record of success in recruiting, retaining, and graduating underrepresented minority students in STEM. For example, HBCUs graduate 25 percent of all African-

American graduates with STEM degrees. Unfortunately, MSIs have relatively insufficient resources and infrastructure.

The MSI STEM Achievement Act would make sure that education and research opportunities are more accessible to STEM students at MSIs. The legislation would require more transparency and accountability in Federal science agency support for MSIs. The legislation directs the National Science Foundation to support research on effective practices at MSIs for recruiting and retaining minority students in STEM, and offer strategies to build on and scale best practices.

It further directs NSF to support research and STEM education capacity building at MSIs. The legislation also directs OSTP to develop a strategic plan for increasing MSI participation and success in competitive Federal research funding opportunities.

Supporting our country's minority-serving institutions through targeted investments and outreach is essential to building our STEM workforce for the future.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2027, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bipartisan MSI STEM Achievement Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2695) to provide for research to better understand the causes and consequences of sexual harassment affecting individuals in the scientific, technical, engineering, and mathematics workforce and to examine policies to reduce the prevalence and negative impact of such harassment, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 2695, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2695, the Combating Sexual

Harassment in Science Act, which I am pleased to cosponsor.

In 2017, the Me Too movement sparked a national reckoning with the pervasiveness of sexual harassment. The academic workplace has not been spared. One study found that 58 percent of faculty and staff at universities have experienced sexual harassment.

Sexual harassment is detrimental to individuals, often impeding career advancement and leading some to leave academia entirely. Sexual harassment also has significant consequences on the entire scientific enterprise, depriving our most critical STEM fields of skilled researchers, particularly from groups already underrepresented in STEM.

In 2018, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a report examining the contributing factors to sexual harassment in academia and the effects on women in science, technology, and medicine. The Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act includes key recommendations from the Academies' report and takes further steps to combat sexual harassment in STEM.

The National Science Foundation and other agencies have already taken significant steps to address the scourge of sexual harassment in STEM. Unfortunately, not all agencies have taken this issue as seriously, and the patchwork of policies and approaches causes confusion and increases administrative burden on grantees. This legislation helps make sure that we have consistent, governmentwide policies.

H.R. 2695 requires a coordinated approach to address sexual harassment at grant-receiving institutions and across our Federal agencies, including by requiring OSTP to issue uniform policy guidance for sexual harassment reporting at Federal science agencies.

The bill also authorizes NSF research on the contributing factors to STEM workplace harassment.

Finally, the bill would require an important follow-up study by the National Academies.

The Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act was developed following extensive consultation with experts on sexual harassment and key stakeholders, including universities. At present, 24 organizations have endorsed this bill, representing a wide spectrum of scientific disciplines, student groups, and professions.

I want to thank Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas for introducing this important bill. I also want to thank all of the cosponsors of this bipartisan effort. I urge everyone here to help us take action toward eliminating sexual harassment in the sciences.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2695, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I, once again, urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this important and bipartisan legislation, the Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

I rise in strong support of the bipartisan Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. As a mom and policymaker, I know how important it is to protect the health, well-being, and economic security of pregnant workers and their families. Unfortunately, under current Federal law, pregnant workers do not have access to reasonable workplace accommodations.

Simple accommodations, such as providing seating, water, or an extra bathroom break, would allow pregnant workers to stay safe on their job during pregnancy. But when pregnant workers do not have access to the accommodations they need, they are at risk of jeopardizing their health and the health of their baby, losing their job, being denied a promotion, or not being hired in the first place.

It is unacceptable that, in 2021, pregnant workers can still be forced to choose between a healthy pregnancy and a paycheck.

Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act more than four decades ago, but pregnant workers still suffer discrimination at an alarming rate.

Megan, a manufacturing worker in Oregon, was forced to take unpaid leave after her employer denied her modest request for light duty 3\1/ 2\ months before her due date. Oregon has since passed a State version of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and it is working very well. But pregnant workers across the country need fairness, too.

We know that women of color are overrepresented in low-wage, physically demanding jobs and are, therefore, disproportionately harmed by a lack of access to reasonable accommodations. By clarifying the right of pregnant workers to reasonable accommodations on the job, we will finally give them the ability to work safely without fear of facing discrimination or retaliation.

I thank Chairman Scott and Chairman Nadler for their leadership. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the National Partnership for Women & Families in support of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

National Partnership for

Women & Families,

Washington, DC, May 11, 2021.

Dear Member of Congress: The National Partnership for Women

& Families is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy

organization committed to improving the lives of women and

families by achieving equity for all women. Since our

creation as the Women's Legal Defense Fund in 1971, we have

fought for every significant advance for equal opportunity in

the workplace, including the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of

1978 and the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). We

write in strong support of H.R. 1065, the Pregnant Workers

Fairness Act. This bipartisan legislation will support

pregnant workers on the job, improving women's and families'

economic security and promoting healthier pregnancies.

More than 40 years ago, Congress passed the Pregnancy

Discrimination Act of 1978, outlawing discrimination on the

basis of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions,

yet pregnancy discrimination is still widespread and impacts

pregnant workers across industry, race, ethnicity and

jurisdiction. Nearly 31,000 pregnancy discrimination charges

were filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission (EEOC) and state-level fair employment practice

agencies between 2010 and 2015, and the reality of pregnancy

discrimination is likely much worse than illustrated by EEOC

charges. As a result of this discrimination, too many women

must choose between their paychecks and a healthy pregnancy--

a choice that no one should have to make.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would create a clear

policy standard requiring employers to provide reasonable

accommodations to pregnant workers. Support for a law like

this is nearly universal and bipartisan. Eighty-nine percent

of voters favor this bill, including 69 percent of voters who

strongly favor it. Just this Congress, thirty-five leading

private sector employers endorsed the Pregnant Workers

Fairness Act in an open letter to Congress.

More than 85 percent of women will become mothers at some

point in their working lives. And sometimes, an accommodation

is needed in order for a pregnant worker to continue

performing their job. Those accommodations are often small

changes to their work environment such as additional bathroom

breaks, a stool to sit on or the ability to have a water

bottle at their work station. Although minor, these

accommodations allow pregnant workers to stay in the

workforce and continue to provide for themselves and their

families. When pregnant workers are fired, demoted, or forced

into unpaid leave, they and their families lose critical

income, and they may struggle to re-enter a job market that

is particularly harsh for people who are currently or were

recently pregnant.

Pregnancy discrimination affects women across race and

ethnicity, but women of color and immigrants are at

particular risk. They are disproportionately likely to work

in jobs and industries where accommodations during pregnancy

are not often provided (such as home health aides, food

service workers, package handlers and cleaners). Black women

are much more likely than white women to file pregnancy

discrimination charges, they are also at a higher risk for

pregnancy-related complications like pre-term labor,

preeclampsia and hypertensive disorders making reasonable

accommodations on the job even more important,

and loss of wages and health insurance due to pregnancy

discrimination especially challenging.

To date, thirty-one states including the District of

Columbia and four cities have passed laws requiring employers

to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant workers. But

the ability to maintain a healthy pregnancy and keep a job

should not depend on where a pregnant person works. Women are

a crucial part of the workforce and their participation

matters for the growth of our economy and for the stability

and wellbeing of families nationwide.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the conditions of

pregnant workers. Pregnant people are at a higher risk of

falling ill from COVID-19 and experiencing complications, and

thus require increased protections against the virus. Since

the beginning of the pandemic, pregnant workers have

experienced increased levels of workplace discrimination by

being denied accommodations and leave. The Pregnant Workers

Fairness Act would ensure that pregnant workers have access

to the accommodations they need in order to have a safe

workplace experience.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would strengthen existing

federal protections, ensure more equitable workplaces and

allow women to remain in the workforce and maintain their

economic stability while having the accommodations necessary

for healthy pregnancies. It is time to clarify and strengthen

existing federal protections for pregnant workers by passing

the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

Sincerely,

Debra L. Ness,

President,

National Partnership for Women & Families.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this en bloc amendment.

I have done financial counseling for low-income clients at Legal Aid and I learned firsthand that people don't struggle by choice.

I was an attorney at the Federal Trade Commission where my work involved enforcing the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. I have seen how predatory debt collection tactics hurt our families and our communities. Consumers face harassment at home and at work. They frequently get misinformation about debts they might not even legally owe. The problems around debt collection are pervasive.

Data from the Urban Institute shows that 68 million Americans had a debt in collection before the pandemic, and most consumers sued by collection agencies don't have legal representation.

My amendment will update the law so consumers get advance notice of legal action against them and accurate details about what they legally owe. Strengthening protections for consumers will help individuals and families get through this economic crisis and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support the en bloc amendment and the underlying bill. I thank Chairwoman Waters and Chairman Perlmutter for their leadership.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse, who represented the people of Oregon's First District in this chamber from 1993 to 1999.

I am privileged to have called Elizabeth a friend and a mentor. My first experience volunteering for a political campaign was when I made calls and knocked on doors working for her Congressional race for re- election in 1994. She inspired dedication to worthy causes, including co-founding the Oregon Peace Institute, and embodied the traits all public servants should strive to uphold--to meet the needs of their community and drive meaningful change. Her trailblazing example helped shape my life and my career, and the lives of so many others.

Elizabeth was only the third woman to represent Oregon in the House of Representatives, and as an immigrant she was fully committed to protecting the rights of all. Her start in advocacy came at a young age in Kenya, and in her youth she courageously participated in the protests against apartheid in South Africa. From there she continued to grow as a leader and advocate, pursuing a career path that allowed her to serve as a fierce champion for tribal sovereignty, social justice, and peace. She aided countless people during her time in Congress and throughout her life, and her many achievements include helping the Grand Ronde, Klamath, and Coquille tribes gain federal recognition, as well as increasing access to public transportation in our region by extending light rail service to Hillsboro. After leaving Congress, Elizabeth continued to stay involved in her community and enjoyed spending time with her husband John at their winery.

Our world, and especially NW Oregon, is a better place because of Elizabeth's tireless devotion to improving the lives of those around her. Let us continue to serve others in her memory.

Mr. Speaker, in Northwest Oregon, raging wildfires have made the air unhealthy to breathe. Ocean acidification, harmful algal bloom, and hypoxia threaten our fisheries. Droughts and extreme weather patterns jeopardize the livelihoods of our farmers.

But there is hope. By recognizing the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, we can take meaningful action to address it.

Today, the Biden-Harris administration is convening a group of world leaders to commit to ambitious action. We stand ready to work with them to enact policies that reduce emissions, create jobs, and support frontline communities.

Last year, I joined my colleagues on the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis in releasing our bold, comprehensive, science-based Climate Action Plan to reach net-zero emissions no later than mid- century, and net-negative thereafter. It includes bills like my bipartisan Blue Carbon for Our Planet Act, which I am reintroducing today, to help capture the power of the ocean and coastal ecosystems in mitigating the climate crisis.

The Climate Action Plan is our road map. Now, on this 51st anniversary of Earth Day, we must all reaffirm our commitment to the Earth and to taking bold action to solve the climate crisis.

Madam Speaker, I rise today, joined by my colleagues from the Oregon congressional delegation and others, to announce the passing of our esteemed former colleague, Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse, who represented the First District of Oregon--the district I am honored to represent--from 1993 to 1999.

Congresswoman Furse was not only a friend, but a mentor. My first experience volunteering for a political campaign was during her reelection in 1994. She inspired dedication to worthy causes, including cofounding the Oregon Peace Institute. She embodied the traits public servants should strive to uphold, to meet the needs of their community and drive meaningful change.

Our world, especially northwest Oregon, is a better place because of Elizabeth's tireless devotion to improving the lives of those around her.

On behalf of the Oregon delegation and all who served with Elizabeth and all who are present, I express our sincere condolences to her family and friends. I ask that the House observe a moment of silence in her memory.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act.

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the increasingly harsh workplace conditions that nurses, doctors, social workers, and other healthcare workers have endured to keep our communities going. But even before the pandemic, healthcare and social service workers faced a disproportionate risk of on-the-job violence and injuries.

A few year ago, two workers in Oregon were tragically wounded in a workplace stabbing at an organization that provides essential services to youth who are facing addiction, homelessness, and behavioral health issues. Following the incident, Oregon AFSCME members organized to improve working conditions that were compromising the quality of services for vulnerable clients and the safety of the employees.

Workers across the country, like the workers at Outside In, in Portland, need an evidence-based workplace violence prevention plan tailored to the needs of the vulnerable populations they serve. Today, we have a chance to support their safety and well-being in the workplace.

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a letter in support of the legislation from the Emergency Nurses Association.

Emergency Nurses Association,

February 23, 2021.

Hon. Joe Courtney,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Courtney: On behalf of the Emergency

Nurses Association (ENA) and our more than 52,000 members, I

am writing to express our support for H.R. 1195, the

Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social

Service Workers Act of 2021. This important and timely

legislation will ensure that health care and social service

employers undertake steps to protect their employees and

patients from violence in the workplace.

As you know, workplace violence against health care

workers, including emergency nurses, has become a national

crisis. According to the Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA), workers in the health care sector

accounted for only 20% of workplace injuries yet comprised

approximately 50% of all victims of workplace assault. The

same study found that between 2002 and 2013, serious

incidents of workplace violence were four times more common

for workers in the health care sector versus all workers in

the U.S.

Unfortunately, assaults and batteries directed at workers

occur at especially high rates in emergency departments

(EDs), which are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and

are required under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor

Act (EMTALA) to stabilize and treat all patients. Often,

health care professionals in the ED interact with members of

the public when emotions run high and their behavior can

sometimes become violent. Research has found that emergency

nurses and other personnel in the ED experience a violent

event about once every two months. Further, a 2011 study

reported that one-third of emergency nurses had considered

leaving the profession due to workplace violence.

The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and

Social Service Workers Act will ensure that health care

employers, including hospitals, take specific steps to

prevent workplace violence and ensure the safety of patients

and workers. This bill will require health care and social

service employers to develop and implement a comprehensive

violence prevention plan which must include procedures to

identify and respond to risks that make workplaces vulnerable

to violent incidents. In addition, the legislation will help

ensure that employees are appropriately trained in mitigating

hazards.

Emergency nurses are disproportionately victims of assaults

in the workplace. We would like to thank you for introducing

this important legislation and your leadership on this

critical issue.

Sincerely,

Ron Kraus, MSN, RN, EMT,

Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Courtney for his leadership on this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Paycheck Fairness Act.

The Equal Pay Act has been the law for more than half a century, but, in 2021, equal pay for equal work is still not a reality for many women, especially women of color. This is an injustice to millions of working families. Closing the wage gap is an economic imperative.

Last month, I was honored to chair the hearing on persistent gender- based wage discrimination. We heard witnesses describe the barriers to detecting wage discrimination and holding employers accountable. Most importantly, we heard how the Paycheck Fairness Act can address the problematic loopholes in the current law, empower workers to better detect and combat wage discrimination, and create mechanisms for better pay data transparency.

By advancing the Paycheck Fairness Act, we can restore the original intent of the Equal Pay Act and finally make equal pay for equal work a reality. I thank Congresswoman DeLauro for her steadfast leadership. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter in support of the Paycheck Fairness Act from the American Association of University Women.

Madam Speaker, these are challenging times for everyone, including for our Nation's young people, who are trying to cope with growing up and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At this challenging time, arts education is more important than ever. The arts provide a way to help people connect and cope; and after this crisis, the arts will continue to play an important role in helping to heal.

In recognition of Music in Our Schools Month, I want to highlight the value of music education. My mom was a piano teacher, and I took lessons myself. I know music is an important part of a well-rounded education. It helps students become critical, creative thinkers across subjects and eventually in their careers.

Yesterday, I spoke with band and choir educators from Oregon, who are working to safely reengage students in in-person music classes. I thank them, and I am grateful that the American Rescue Plan will provide funding to help schools open safely, including those important band and choir classes.

Please join me in supporting music education.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for workers to have the right to negotiate for better wages, stronger benefits, and safer working conditions.

To keep our communities going, nurses, grocery store workers, firefighters, childcare workers, educators, healthcare workers, and more have been showing up to work every day, despite the risks. We have the opportunity to honor their work and to help restore fairness to our economy by making it easier for workers to form unions and collectively bargain.

The PRO Act will establish substantive and enforceable penalties for unlawful tactics employers take to interfere with workers' organizing a union. The legislation closes loopholes in labor laws that allow workers to be misclassified, provides them with protections of the National Labor Relations Act, bans captive audience meetings, and prohibits employers from interfering in union elections. It is the most significant workers' rights legislation in years and an important step in restoring the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the BlueGreen Alliance in support of the PRO Act.

March 8, 2021.

Dear Representative: As a coalition of some of the nation's

largest labor unions and environmental organizations,

collectively representing millions of members and supporters,

the BlueGreen Alliance and its partners write to express our

support for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act of

2021, H.R. 842.

In the United States, we face a critical juncture for the

rights of employees to organize. Workers have faced wage

stagnation, difficult working conditions, and a wholesale

effort to decimate their ability to organize for the past

several decades. Exploitation by employers of labor laws that

have been made toothless has caused union membership to fall

dramatically from 33 percent in 1956 to ten percent in 2018.

As it stands, no meaningful penalties exist for corporations

using illegal tactics to eliminate the option to organize.

Workers, already facing record income inequality, now face

job losses due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. And

we know the reality is that we went into this pandemic with

three ongoing interconnected crises: economic inequality,

racial inequality, and climate change.

Based on the National Bureau of Economic Research's

statistics, we know that unions consistently provide working

Americans with ten to twenty percent higher wages than non-

unionized workers. Workers who are union members fare better

in crises--whether the crisis is COVID-19 or climate change.

During crises, unionized workers have better access to

enhanced safety measures, unemployment insurance, additional

pay, paid sick time, and input in the terms of furloughs or

other job-saving arrangements. Empowering workers, whether

they are in the private sector or in the public sector, to

band together to negotiate better wages and safer working

conditions is the best path forward to protecting our workers

and rebuilding America's middle class.

Organizing does not just affect job quality, though:

unionized workers are better equipped to handle potentially

hazardous workplace situations, and have more freedom to blow

the whistle in dangerous situations. This can avert

industrial accidents and result in safer communities, as well

as cleaner air and water. Many unions also take firm

positions on environmental issues because they understand the

impact that clean air and water have on workers. Unions have

supported the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and other

actions designed to both reduce the carbon pollution driving

climate change and grow good-paying jobs in the clean

economy. This bill can also help us close the gap in union

density and job quality in our growing clean energy sectors.

The PRO Act empowers employees by strengthening workers'

rights to bargain and to organize. It does so by ending

prohibitions on collective and class-action litigation,

prohibiting employers from permanently replacing striking

employees, amending how employees are defined so that no one

is misclassified as an independent contractor, strengthening

remedies and enforcement for employees who are exercising

their rights, creating a mediation and arbitration process

for new unions, protecting against coercive captive audience

meetings, and streamlining the National Labor Relations

Board's procedures.

The PRO Act would take tangible steps to stem the tide of

continued violations of the rights of working people to

organize and would provide real consequences for those who

violate the rights of workers. We must restore fairness to

our economy so that workers no longer get a raw deal, and

strengthen the right of workers all over the country to

unionize and bargain for better working conditions. For these

reasons, we urge you to vote yes on the PRO Act. Thank you

for your consideration.

Sincerely,

BlueGreen Alliance, American Federation of Teachers,

International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers,

International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, League of

Conservation Voters, National Wildlife Federation, Natural

Resources Defense Council, Service Employees International

Union, Sierra Club, United Steelworkers Union, Utility

Workers Union of American.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand with workers and support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Equality Act, important legislation that will secure the civil rights of our LGBTQ community.

Our LGBTQ friends, neighbors, colleagues, and community members

should not miss an educational opportunity, or be denied housing or credit, because of who they are or who they love.

I was proud to help pass the Oregon Equality Act when I was in the State legislature. The same arguments were being made back then, in 2007, that some of our colleagues are making today. Do you know what came to pass? Those concerns did not come to pass. What happened? The law brought dignity, security, and peace of mind to the LGBTQ community.

It is long past time that LGBTQ Americans across the country have the same protections. As the chair of the Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee, I have heard from students and workers who were discriminated against, people who were deeply harmed by antigay and transphobic attacks.

Today, I am thinking about the trans people in Oregon and around the country who are bravely standing up for equality. We stand with you. We will keep working to create a world where you are safe, free, and supported.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Cicilline for his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bipartisan National Apprenticeship Act, which I am honored to co-lead with Chairman Scott.

Last summer, I held a roundtable discussion with apprentices and pre- apprentices from around northwest Oregon. I spoke with Melissa, who said that joining the Boilermakers Local 242 apprenticeship was a ``life-changing decision.'' And Lacy, who talked about her apprenticeship with Laborers Local 737; she said it ``made it possible to pay my bills and feed my kid.''

By supporting the National Apprenticeship Act, we will help more workers like Melissa and Lacy gain the skills and support services they need to provide for themselves and their families.

As our Nation recovers from the economic consequences of the pandemic, registered apprenticeships provide especially meaningful upskilling and reskilling opportunities for displaced and dislocated workers to help them secure good-paying jobs.

I am glad that my bipartisan PARTNERS Act is included to help small and medium-sized businesses develop registered apprenticeships and provide workers with support services like tools, work attire, transportation, childcare, and mentorship.

The legislation we pass today will help more Oregonians and Americans get the skills they need to succeed.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the National Task Force on Tradeswomen's Issues in support of the National Apprenticeship Act.

[From the National Task Force on tradeswomen's Issues, Jan. 28, 2021]

Comments of the National Taskforce on Tradeswomen's Issues on the

National Apprenticeship Act Reauthorization

The National Taskforce on Tradeswomen's Issues (TWTF) is a

national coalition of women's organizations and tradeswomen

whose mission is to create access, opportunity and equity in

nontraditional employment and training for women. TWTF very

much appreciates the reauthorizing of the National

Apprenticeship Act (NAA) of 2021 (H.R. 447) in a way that

best protects apprentices and best serves other stakeholders

in the apprenticeship system. In particular, TWTF is deeply

grateful for the careful attention that H.R. 447 pays to

enhancing opportunities for women and people of color--

populations that have historically been too often unfairly

denied such opportunities because of their gender, race, or

ethnicity--to gain access to and retain high-skill, high-wage

jobs through registered apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships,

and youth apprenticeships. TWTF is also highly appreciative

of the significant investments that H.R. 447 makes to the

national apprenticeship system.

Our organizational members, such as Chicago Women in the

Trades, Oregon Tradeswomen Inc., Tradeswomen, Inc. (in

Northern California), ANEW (in Washington State),

Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) (in New York City),

and Nevada Women in Trades currently operate, and for years

have operated, pre-apprenticeship programs and other programs

for encouraging women's participation in the trades and in

other occupations in which women have not traditionally

worked. Together we have over 152 years of combined

experience in operating such programs.

Our organizational members also provide a wide range of

technical assistance services and resources that support

apprenticeship programs, employers, training providers and

the workforce system in enhancing equity for diverse

apprentices and potential apprentices through the National

Center for Women's Equity in Employment and Apprenticeship.

This technical assistance includes EEO planning guidance,

toolkits, best practice briefs, curriculum, staff training,

replicable program models, and other resources and strategies

that have proven successful in attracting and retaining women

in these fields. (The National Center for Women's Equity in

Employment and Apprenticeship was funded until 2020 in part

by a contract with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office

of Apprenticeship (OA).)

TWTF's individual members--current and former tradeswomen--

have, in our scores of years of lived experience in all

aspects of apprenticeship and employment in the trades, seen

it all. A number of these individuals also serve in

leadership positions within apprenticeship programs and their

sponsors

and have intimate knowledge of registration, especially as it

relates to EEO/AA. We have known the exhilaration of

acquiring mastery of skills, the sense of accomplishment of

working with the tools, the pride of being part of building

something tangible and important, the comfort of genuine

mentoring and support from our co-workers and colleagues, and

the satisfaction of supporting our families with a living

wage and real benefits. We have also known the financial

struggle of being ``last hired, first fired'' and the sting

and humiliation of hazing, harassment, and discrimination.

Many, many of us have had successful careers in the trades;

many others have been unable to continue in those occupations

due to discrimination or other barriers. Indeed,

historically, tradeswomen have been at the forefront of work

to change conditions that prevent women from being fully

integrated into well-paid, blue-collar jobs.

These comments are informed by the experiences of both our

organizational and individual members.

TWTF is pleased to support H.R. 447 in general. In

particular, we support the bill's incorporation of certain

nondiscrimination and affirmative action standards for

apprenticeship programs currently codified in 29 CFR part 30;

the requirement that funded entities devote a minimum of 5

percent of grant funds to direct financial assistance to

apprentices, pre-apprentices, or youth apprentices for

supportive services; and the significant investments that the

bill makes in registered apprenticeship, preapprenticeship,

and youth apprenticeship programs and technical assistance to

make progress on equity and inclusion for women and people of

color.

However, we do have some critical concerns about some of

the language in the bill. For example--

Unlike current law, the bill does not clearly and

unambiguously require registered apprenticeship programs

(RAPs) to set goals for the proportions of their apprentices

who are women, Hispanics, African Americans, Asians, and

other racial categories that reflect those each of those

groups' proportions among the people in the areas they

recruit from who meet the minimum qualifications for the

apprenticeship. Nor does it clearly and unambiguously require

RAPs to take steps to target their recruitment, hiring, and

retention practices to the underrepresented group(s) if they

fail to meet those goal(s).

The bill is subject to the interpretation that it

completely preempts continuation or reinstatement of the

positive requirements that are in 29 CFR 30, the current law

but not clearly included in H.R. 447.

Some of the requirements for pre-apprenticeship programs

contained in H.R. 447 were designed for registered

apprenticeship programs but are not appropriate for pre-

apprenticeship programs.

Some of the conditions on grants to be awarded under the

bill may make it difficult for pre-apprenticeship programs to

receive funding under the bill.

We plan to work provide more detail on these concerns as

the bill moves forward in the Senate, and will ask that

Congress address them before the bill becomes law.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Scott for his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for President Biden's nomination of the uniquely qualified General Lloyd J. Austin III (U.S. Army, Ret.) to serve as Secretary of Defense. Today, we are debating whether in the case of Gen. Austin's confirmation there should be a waiver of the requirement that former military officers be separated from active service for seven years before serving as Defense Secretary. Civilian control of the military is foundational to our democratic republic, and any action that could be perceived as affecting that principle must be carefully considered.

I do have reservations. If such an exception becomes a pattern, it may become a routine practice. Yet we find ourselves in times that

are anything but routine, and I am convinced that current circumstances warrant this waiver.

On January 6, 2021, violent insurrectionists stormed and attacked the U.S. Capitol attempting to overturn the will of the voters and impede the peaceful transfer of power to a new, democratically-elected administration. The current state of heightened security risks, the lack of cooperation by former President Trump for a successful transition, the emboldening of white supremacists and serious threat of domestic terrorism, and numerous other unprecedented challenges make it imperative that President Biden's national security team be in place as expeditiously as possible. This certainly includes a Secretary of Defense, a role that is also critical to vaccine distribution and other elements of our response to the coronavirus pandemic.

President Biden has been elected by the people to serve as our Commander in Chief, and I respect his decision to nominate General Austin, a well-respected, experienced, and barrier-breaking nominee, to meet the many challenges our nation faces.