Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 95th birthday of David De La Cruz. He is 95 years old. His loving family and friends will gather to celebrate this Saturday.

Mr. De La Cruz is one of our district's last surviving World War II veterans. At the age of 17, David volunteered for the Army, leaving behind his family in the east end of Pasadena, Texas. He fought in World War II for 3 years, stationed in Germany. He returned to technical school for electronics and then was stationed in Korea to serve in the Korean war from 1950 to 1951.

David had a 57-year career in electronics, both in the Army and as a

local businessowner. David is an advocate for Latinos, a businessowner, and a lifetime member of The American Legion.

As David likes to say, ``When people see a veteran, they should thank them.'' Today we thank David and celebrate his birthday.

``Happy birthday''; ``Feliz cumpleanos.''

``May God bless you''; ``Que Dios te bendiga.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Ben Taub Hospital.

The Harris County hospital district was created in November 1965 by a voter referendum. The hospital district remains a leader in indigent care in my home State of Texas, and the center of the system is the acute trauma center at Ben Taub Hospital.

The hospital cares for more than 80,000 emergency patients each year who are in the most critical need. At Ben Taub, world-class doctors treat everyone regardless of their income, their gender, their insurance, or their immigration status.

The doctors, nurses, support staff, and administrators are not just well known and respected locally for their training and patient care but also internationally.

I am so grateful to have them serving my district and my constituents. I thank Ben Taub Hospital for 60 years of level one care, and may they have the best and most successful 60 more years to come.

Mr. Speaker, through no fault of my own, my flight from Houston, Texas to Washington, D.C. was significantly delayed on May 11, 2023. The voting time for the evening votes on May 11 closed before I could arrive and cast my vote that evening. I would have voted YEA on both Roll Call No. 203 and Roll Call No. 204 had I been present.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, scheduled for a vote on the House floor today.

This bill is extreme and wrong. This bill in no way secures the border. In fact, it would only make security worse.

It is an assault on asylum seekers and those who flee poverty, hunger, and violence, including unaccompanied minors and families with children. It exploits challenges on our border for political points. It adds to the human suffering of those who come to our country seeking safety and a better life. It is also about putting politics over people.

We all expect our government to effectively manage our borders and thoroughly vet those who seek to enter as refugees, to join their family already in the country, or to work. We all agree on that.

Instead, what we see is children are in danger, families are separated or detained, and people are dying.

We need reform and we need it now.

The last time Congress passed immigration reform was in 1996, 27 years ago. This Republican-led bill eliminates several legal immigration pathways, essentially making fewer people eligible for legal status while making more people deportable.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is extreme and wrong. Again, session after session, we talk about reform but nothing ever passes, not a single immigration law update, again, since 1996.

Time and time again, Republicans block meaningful legislation for safe and legal immigration from moving beyond this floor. Our job as public officials is to serve and protect our constituents, but we have been failing them for 27 years.

House Republicans focus solely on immigration as a border issue, providing billions of dollars in so-called border security, building walls, increasing personnel, and rapid expulsion policies. That hasn't worked, has it?

The promised security involves a militarized border, wasting the taxpayers' money, and increased violence for those seeking asylum.

Since 1988, at least 8,000 undocumented immigrants have died attempting to cross the border from Mexico to the United States. People are dying every day while we wait on Republicans to budge.

While rightwing media and extreme MAGA Republicans call immigrants ``illegals,'' seeking asylum is a legal right. It is in our immigration law. They are following the law. This law and this right would be denied to thousands under this bill.

The administration and Congress must act. Again, this bill is simply extreme and wrong and does nothing to secure our border.

Meanwhile, we continue to see the violence at the border and violence in my home State of Texas. I was born and raised in South Texas. I am not from Long Island or Boston or somewhere else talking about the border. I am from South Texas. I am talking about our South Texas border.

Over the weekend, it was heartbreaking to see that 8 people were killed and 10 injured when a vehicle was driven into a group of people waiting in line at a migrant shelter in south Texas.

We all know that there will be a surge of migrants coming in as of tonight, and cities like Brownsville, where this occurred, are preparing. We are preparing in Houston because we know we will get some of the impact, too.

We must keep in mind that since migrants will no longer have the protections they have been afforded in the past--this bill will eliminate all that. People are losing their lives as they wait, even at this shelter. People are losing their lives on their way over.

Now more than ever, safe and legal immigration reform is necessary. We must protect all God's children. We must always put people over politics and rhetoric.

Now more than ever, we need safe and legal immigration reform. Now more than ever, we cannot wait another moment.

Mr. Speaker, I oppose this bill and ask my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023, scheduled for a vote on the House floor later today. This legislation is harmful, dangerous, irresponsible, and just plain wrong.

Instead of securing the border, this bill will separate families, put human lives at risk, lead to more unlawful migration by blocking off lawful pathways to protection, and waste taxpayer dollars on an ineffective wall that can't even withstand wind much less criminal smuggling cartels.

Instead of treating this like the emergency that it is, House Republicans focus on immigration solely at the border, providing billions of dollars in so-called border security, building walls, increasing personnel, and rapid expulsion policies.

Since 1998, at least 8,000 undocumented migrants have died attempting to cross the border from Mexico to the U.S.

People are dying. They are dying every day. Children are exploited. They are exploited every day. Families are being separated. They are being separated every day.

We have all been waiting for many years, 27 years, in fact, since the last meaningful legislation on immigration reform was passed by this body.

Since then, Republicans have rejected every bill that has been proposed. This bill, again, is wrong. It is not a solution. It is a slap in the face to our immigration system.

There is no time left, Mr. Speaker. This bill is extreme, it is wrong, and what we really need is safe immigration law now.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to add the text of my amendment into the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, enough is enough. How many more times must public officials stand here before our colleagues demanding commonsense gun reform?

Malls are not safe. Schools are not safe. Places of worship are not safe. We should not be afraid to step outside our own homes for the fear of losing our lives at the mercy of an assault weapon.

We should not be afraid that we may never see our child again when we drop them off at school. We should not be afraid to attend a place of worship with loved ones.

Madam Speaker, it has been 19 years since the Federal assault weapons ban expired, 19 years since Congress has acknowledged the lives lost because of assault weapons.

In this year alone, there have been 203 mass shootings. That is 203 in 5 months. Over the past 10 years, this has resulted in 14,798 deaths, 617 of which were children and teens.

In my home State of Texas, there have been 17 mass shootings resulting in 29 deaths and 61 injured. Texas accounts for 8 percent of nationwide mass shootings. It is very troubling.

In my home county, 11 people have already died as a result of gun violence. Just this weekend, eight were killed and seven injured in Allen, Texas, at the hands of a gunman, killed for simply shopping at a mall, something we all do.

How many more victims must die before we decide that enough is enough? Instead of being concerned about human lives, House Republicans are choosing to focus on beating up on Social Security and banning books.

Our own Texas State leadership prioritizes political points over lives, politics over people. How long can leadership in Austin fail to do a single, meaningful action to take weapons of war out of the hands of violent extremists, domestic abusers, or even teenagers?

Except for the Santa Fe shooting, all of the Texas shootings have been with an assault weapon.

When five people, including a child, were shot and killed in Cleveland, Texas, our Governor tried to deflect the situation by talking about and blaming undocumented immigrants who were the victims. This is ridiculous. Immigration status has nothing to do with it. It is irrelevant. It is about people. It is about making sure we put people over politics, about making sure we put people's lives over the NRA.

I call upon my Republican colleagues to enact commonsense gun reform legislation now. We must stop making excuses. The only path toward fewer deaths as a result of gun violence is commonsense gun reform.

I call on the Supreme Court, as they approach a case that could strike down State and local laws banning AR-15s in all 50 States, to please look at precedent. Please look at the true meaning of the Second Amendment.

We must protect our children. We must protect our lives. My hope is that no more needless deaths will occur before Congress can unite against mass shootings. No more deaths. No more grief. No more waiting on legislation. It is time to put people over politics. It is time to put people over the NRA. It is time for change, and the time is now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of American Libraries Week.

This is a perfect time to thank our local libraries and the employees who keep them open to the public to ensure access to reading and learning.

While extreme MAGA Republicans are banning books and bashing librarians, House Democrats are protecting and recognizing their public libraries. We are putting people over politics. That is why I am proud to honor my local library, the Houston Public Library.

Mr. Speaker, they have announced that with local support, our library will no longer charge late fees on overdue books or other borrowed items. This is one of the many efforts that they are making to make sure that libraries are more accessible.

In honor of public libraries, I am reintroducing my bill, the More Social Workers in Libraries Act, today. Public libraries are vital community hubs, and this bill will reinforce America's social worker talent pipeline by creating a paid social worker internship in public libraries across the Nation.

Libraries are for learning. They are for seeking resources and finding job opportunities. We need to lift them up and not bash them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Thomas Street Health Center's legacy as the first freestanding HIV clinic in Houston and the Nation.

Since 1989, Thomas Street Health Center has been a vital source of care for over 5,000 patients living with HIV/AIDS.

This outstanding achievement is a testament to the exceptional research and collaboration between healthcare providers, patients, and the broader healthcare community.

Thomas Street Health Center is moving to a new facility next month. This is a significant step forward, opening many possibilities for enhancing the patient experience. We bid farewell to this historic old location as it created many positive memories and contributions to the community.

The Northside community will miss the people and the patients, but the building will forever remain as a reminder of the work that created such a difference in the lives of so many people at that site.

We look forward to a bright future for Thomas Street Health Center in this new era. We congratulate them and we bid them well.

Mr. Speaker, across the country, State legislatures, including my home State of Texas, have advanced legislation seeking to ban transgender kids from participating in sports. Very sadly, this bill here today in Congress is seeking to do the same.

The so-called Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act up for consideration today is nothing more than another extreme MAGA Republican political stunt, taking away the focus from the real issues affecting American people.

It would stipulate that Title IX compliance ban gender and intersex girls and women from participating in sports.

Denying children access to a place where they can gain mental and physical benefits does not protect women in sports. It harms women in sports.

This bill sanctions discrimination against transgender students, which is mean-spirited and just plain bullying. This is not the role of Congress.

I have heard directly from trans and intersex constituents in my district. They are worried every day about what political stunt and what political attack will come next. No one should live in fear just for being who they are.

I strongly oppose the rule and strongly, strongly oppose final passage of this bill.

Mr. Chair, this week my Republican colleagues are fast-tracking a bill that puts polluters over people, H.R. 1.

Let's be clear: This bill won't do anything, not one thing to help American consumers and families to lower their energy costs. Yes, we do want that light on, but this bill is not going to help us get there.

Instead, it would simply repeal household energy rebates passed by House Democrats, like those from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

We shouldn't have to choose between dirty air and polluted water just to meet the energy needs of the future. We simply don't have to. We could work together in a bipartisan way to address energy costs, but extreme MAGA Republicans refuse to do that.

We could work together on issues like the electrical grid liability and security, an issue that is all too important to us in my home State of Texas.

Instead, Republican-backed H.R. 1 picks winners and losers. The wealthy and well-connected win and workers lose. I stand with workers. Workers in my district know that new energy jobs and clean energy jobs are the jobs of the future. We depend on them.

Mr. Chair, I oppose this bill because this bill does not protect those workers. I urge my colleagues to do the same. Oppose this bill.

Mr. Speaker, this week, House Republicans are moving forward with the polluters over people act.

The polluters over people act does nothing to lower energy costs for everyday American families and will increase our deficit by $2.4 billion. Let me repeat that. It will increase the deficit by $2.4 billion.

This bill will eliminate bedrock environmental protections, safeguarding public health, and keeping our air and water clean, leaving Americans with higher energy costs.

Instead of tackling climate change, extreme MAGA Republicans are focused on undoing our historic clean energy plan, which has already created 100,000 jobs.

We need more energy production across the board.

Oil and gas workers in my district know that energy jobs can mean a real shot at the American Dream for working families. We shouldn't have to choose between dirty air and polluted water to meet the energy needs of the future.

I see the consequences of pollution within my own district in Houston as we rank eighth in the country for the highest ozone levels.

Neighbors in and around my district face respiratory problems, heart disease, and other health issues caused by exposure to air pollution and smog.

Constituents in my nearby neighborhoods suffer the most, often living in the shadows of these polluting industries.

Houston is not alone. Across the country, we see the impacts of pollution on public health. We have a responsibility to reduce pollution. Clean air is a public health issue. We need to do more to help our communities.

That is why I am fighting for strong, robust funding for clean air programs and air monitoring in my district.

Instead of keeping our families and communities safe, House Republicans are making it easier for big companies to pollute without consequences.

While House Republicans play games and raise the deficit, House Democrats will do everything to continue to put people over politics-- not polluters--every day to meet the real needs of the American people because everyone deserves a good job with benefits and a shot at the American Dream without giving up their right to breathe clean air.

It is our duty and responsibility to protect our God-given right to clean air for ourselves and for our future generations.

We cannot afford to wait any longer.

Mr. Speaker, I was hopeful that this Congress would be able to work together on bipartisan permitting reform. Unfortunately, it looks like extreme MAGA Republicans are hijacking H.R. 1 to put polluters over people. They seek to silence the voice of the community while doing little to nothing to lower energy costs.

Climate change is real. We need more American energy production across the board. Oil and gas workers in my district know that energy jobs can mean a real shot at the American Dream for working families.

This extreme MAGA proposal won't create all the energy jobs we must to remain globally competitive, but it does do this: It increases the deficit by $2.4 billion.

We shouldn't have to choose between dirty air and polluted water just to meet the energy needs of the future. H.R. 1 picks winners and losers. The wealthy and well-connected win; workers lose.

I believe in workers. House Democrats will continue to lower energy costs for everyone and give future generations a cleaner, healthier environment because we put people over polluters.

Mr. Speaker, this week, we mark the 13th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act. Thanks to President Obama, Americans have been reassured that they can receive the care they need.

Since it was passed into law, the Affordable Care Act has lowered healthcare costs for families and insured more than 35 million Americans.

Democrats' passage of the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act made ACA subsidies more generous, which lowered health insurance

costs and helped 29,000 people in my district, Mr. Speaker. Now, they have access to affordable health insurance.

House Democrats continue to protect the Affordable Care Act today. While MAGA Republicans support proposals to cut Americans' healthcare, House Democrats will always stand to protect Americans' healthcare.

I will always put people over politics--today, tomorrow, and every day.

Mr. Speaker, MAGA Republicans continue to use political stunts to try to distract the American people with unnecessary legislation.

This week, House Republicans are advancing the Politics Over Parents Act. This legislation is part of a harmful and nationwide extreme MAGA Republican crusade toward censorship and book bans.

It would deprive our students of an accurate and fact-based education. Extreme Republicans are bringing culture wars into our classrooms.

I want to be clear, Mr. Speaker. I support a parent's right to be involved in their child's education. That is why, together with President Biden, Democrats are delivering the support and resources our schools need. House Democrats are working together to provide our American children with the highest quality level of education everywhere in America. That is what parents want for their children.

Parents want their children to feel safe in their schools. Moms worry every day, everywhere, about whether or not they are going to get that text or that call about a shooter at their child's school.

Recently, Mr. Speaker, I spoke at a seniors' event, and afterwards visited with the seniors for Q&A. This question came up from a grandmom. She is worried about her grandbaby. When will we do something about guns? Will her grandbaby be safe?

Sadly, today, the leading cause of death in children is firearms, but House Republicans have not held a single hearing on gun safety. Instead, they have found the time to ban and censor books in school libraries.

House Republicans continue to waste time on political stunts.

House Democrats, on the other hand, are focused on improving public education and making our schools safer.

Americans want Congress to work together to solve real problems. House Republicans need to stop wasting time on circus-style hearings and divisive legislation that, frankly, will go nowhere.

The real problem in our schools isn't books or critical race theory; it is keeping guns out of schools, addressing teacher shortages, and keeping students and staff safe.

House Democrats will always continue to put children over guns, books over bullets because every child deserves to go to school without fear of losing their life.

Mr. Speaker, this month we are celebrating Women's History Month. Women's History Month is a time to recognize all the work remarkable women across the world, past and present, have achieved. It is important to reflect on our accomplishments and recognize women trailblazers worldwide. It is incredible to see how far we have come.

Mr. Speaker, while we have cause to celebrate all our achievements, our work isn't finished, and more must be done. Reproductive rights are being threatened. Many women are still fighting for equal pay for equal work, and the ERA is not in the Constitution.

The fight continues until women are given the respect and dignity they rightly deserve. Let's celebrate and fight for a better tomorrow for women across the world.

``Long live women.'' ``Que viva la mujer.''