Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the critical need for Congress to act to improve our Nation's supply chain issues.

Last week, the House took a big step to make sure that the products we rely on are available for all Americans by passing the America COMPETES Act.

The pandemic turned all of our lives upside down. What that disruption revealed are longstanding problems in how much we rely on foreign manufacturing and foreign ingenuity.

House Democrats have taken bold, decisive action to authorize $45 billion to fix these issues.

We will build more critical components right here in America.

We will strengthen our national security by cultivating domestic sources and investing in American workers.

And we will never again face shortages of goods needed for the safety and health of our communities across America.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the important work Democrats are doing to strengthen our supply chains and keep the U.S. economically competitive.

Last year, the Biden-Harris administration and their allies in Congress achieved the best record of job creation in history. Let me repeat that: The best record of job creation in history.

Texans continue to find jobs with higher pay or better benefits.

We are seeing the best economy for American workers in decades, with people getting higher wages, better benefits, and better jobs thanks in large part to President Biden's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the American Rescue Plan and an effective national vaccine rollout.

When I visited with leadership from the Port of Houston in my district, they expressed their gratitude for Congress' strong investment in the maritime infrastructure needed to keep America's economy moving in the right direction.

But they also expressed concern that more workers were still needed in technical training than our current system will provide.

Last week, the House took another great step forward to support the job creation and the American workforce by passing the America COMPETES Act.

Now it is critical for the Senate to move on the America COMPETES Act to pass measures like my grant program for training at Domestic Maritime Centers for Excellence.

The America COMPETES Act will also provide real solutions to the problems of how we start making more of our Nation's critical products right here at home. This will provide more job opportunities as jobs return from abroad.

It will also make our futures more secure by shifting away from reliance on foreign countries for the products that you and I and everyday Americans rely on.

Finally, it will invest in critical infrastructure and development we need in science and technology to encourage and support our next generation of scholars, incentivize innovation, and keep the U.S. competitive.

The bottom line, Madam Speaker, is that Americans are back to work and getting their vaccines and boosters at a record pace.

The America COMPETES Act can continue this trend.

We must get this bill to the President's desk now.

I urge the Senate to pass it.

Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Nadler for yielding, and I thank the sponsor of this bill, Cheri Bustos, for her hard work.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for this bill, H.R. 4445. As a former judge, I have a very deeply held belief that everybody should have their day in court. It is a simple principle: Everybody should have their day in court. That is the essence of ``justice for all'' in our country. Every time we say the pledge and we end with ``justice for all,'' we have to demonstrate that we mean it.

Survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace deserve to have their voices heard. By ending forced arbitration in lawsuits involving sexual assault or sexual harassment claims, we ensure survivors are given a real choice of whether to go to court or to arbitrate their claim. Abusers will no longer be able to misuse arbitration law with dubious agreements and fine-print clauses to hide their violence and silence their victims.

I am proud that we are taking firm, bipartisan action to ensure justice for sexual harassment and sexual assault victims. I am proud that we are making sure that when little kids across America say ``justice for all,'' that it truly means for ``all.''

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4445.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Ceole Speight.

Elta Ceole Branam Speight was born on June 8, 1928, and was reunited in Heaven with her husband of 63 years, Joseph, on January 24, 2022.

As a member of the United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 455, Ceole was appointed as the volunteer and programs director at the Harris County

AFL-CIO in 1968. She would go on to give 40 years of dedicated service to the labor movement in Houston and in Texas.

She will be remembered by many as a strong, Democratic woman who fought for what she believed in, who always saw what was wrong and tried to make it right. I will remember her as a hard worker, whose hard work was really infectious. You simply could not sit by when Ceole was around. She guided, she pushed, she advised, she poked, she served as a role model for all of us.

Our thoughts are with Ceole's family and the countless friends and allies whose lives she touched with her time and her generosity on this Earth.

Rest easy, dear friend, you will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the continued positive economic recovery led by the Biden administration.

In December, the Texas unemployment rate dropped all the way down to 5 percent compared to 12.9 percent at the height of the pandemic.

Service sector employment is now up above prepandemic levels, but a strong economy for the future is only possible with smart investment today. That is why the benefits the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will bring to my home State of Texas are critically vital. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is bringing jobs, opportunities, and a better quality of life for Texans.

For Texas, the infrastructure bill means more than $35 billion in projects alone, and that is just our State. These projects include replacing old lead pipes from schools, increasing broadband access, road and bridge repairs, and the maintenance of ports. And all this means jobs, jobs, and more jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to outline some of the biggest provisions for Texans.

First, Texas is expected to receive $537 million to repair 818 bridges across the State, many in my district. This is huge.

Next, Texas will get about $1.2 billion for infrastructure development for airports. Airports are critical, not just for travelers, but because they are hubs for workers. And, of course, that means jobs.

And Texas will receive at least $100 million to help provide broadband internet coverage across the State. These dollars will provide access to at least 1,058,000 Texans who currently lack high- speed internet. Mr. Speaker, every time I go back home to south Texas, I am one of those Texans at my sister's house. She has no high-speed internet.

As we have learned from the pandemic, internet is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. So this funding is critical.

Mr. Speaker, $2.9 billion is headed to Texas to improve water infrastructure. This will ensure that clean, safe drinking water is accessible in all communities, in their homes and their schools.

For decades, Texas infrastructure has suffered due to lack of investment. We have seen it plenty of times, especially from last year's electrical grid failure to the damage to pipelines, roads, and bridges due to regrettably more frequent natural disasters.

It is time for Texans to have working infrastructure that protects them, not hurts them.

This law will kickstart new projects, create jobs, and put Texas on the right track. And that, Mr. Speaker, means that working families will have a better quality of life across the State.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the jobs created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

By passing this historic piece of legislation, we have set in motion adding two million jobs a year for the American people. High-paying, stable jobs filled by skilled, union, American workers.

These are the jobs that hold families together. They put everyday people in control of their future for themselves and for their children.

We are building the roads, bridges, high-speed internet, ports, and airports we need. We are strengthening our frail electric grid.

We are building back better now and for the next generation to come, for all our children.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the North Shore Senior High Mustangs for their victory at the Texas 6A Football State Championship.

This victory reflects the incredible passion and dedication of the students, parents, and staff at North Shore both on and off the field.

I know I can speak for the North Channel community and East Harris County when I say that we are proud of our student athletes.

The Mustangs have now won 3 state championships in the past 4 years, and I know they have a bright future ahead of them.

To each and every member of the North Shore football team, to Coach Jon Kay, and to all of the parents and teachers who have supported this team, I wish them continued success.

Their futures are bright, and I can't wait to see them shine even more.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Federal dollars coming to the Houston area to solve the supply chain issues facing our community and to create more jobs.

Yesterday, the Biden administration announced over $14 billion for projects that will improve our Nation's ports, waterways, and railroads. That includes $147 million for a project to expand the Houston Ship Channel on the way to the Port of Houston.

This project will make it easier for ships to reach the docks and help more cargo move faster from the container ship to the store shelf. This will create jobs, jobs, and more jobs. This is huge for Texas, huge for Houston, and huge for the whole country.

Thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by this Chamber, we are solving the real problems facing everyday Americans.

I am grateful for the leadership of President Biden and my colleagues in Congress for getting this done.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to an urgent problem facing my district. Each and every one of these dots represents children with elevated toxic levels of lead in their blood. The red dots represent the higher levels, the yellow dots, obviously, the lower levels. You could almost draw my district if you follow the red dots.

The fact is, Madam Speaker, that many of these kids are being poisoned by lead in their homes and, yes, even in their schools. This is a problem that disproportionately affects Latinos in our community.

We need action to replace these lead pipes and ensure our kids have clean, safe water, no matter where they live. That is why I am proud of our work in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This law will bring $2.9 billion to replace lead pipes in Texas schools.

While we have more work to do, our work in this Chamber is a critical first step to improving our infrastructure and protecting our children.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act.

Our democracy is built on the sacred principle that every American has an equal and fair right to vote. But States like my home State of Texas are imposing laws that are already limiting that very sacred right.

Between bills like SB1 and extreme gerrymandering, the voices of many Texans are being diluted and silenced, especially Latinos. We cannot let this stand.

It is our responsibility, our duty to protect voting rights for every American, no matter what ZIP Code they live in or what language they speak. The Freedom to Vote Act will do just that for Latinos and for all Americans.

By banning partisan gerrymandering, restoring the Voting Rights Act, and creating new protections for voters, we will ensure every American makes their voice heard.

Mi voto, mi voz.

(English translation of Spanish is as follows: My vote, my voice.)

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the critical investments we are making in our schools. Schools are the pillars of our communities. They are the places where our children learn and grow every day. Making sure that these spaces are safe for our Nation's children is one of our most important responsibilities.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, many of these facilities are not up to the task. School boards have been sounding the alarm for years about lead pipes, poor air quality, and now COVID-19 issues hurting our children's education. And for too long, help has not come.

But this month, during School Board Recognition Month, I am proud to be able to tell schools in my district and around the country that help is on the way.

Thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed by this Chamber, we are bringing billions of dollars to make safe, healthy schools for our kids. That means billions of dollars to remove dangerous lead pipes

from schools; millions of dollars to buy masks and protective equipment for teachers, staff, and students; and millions of rapid, accurate COVID tests so everyone can get tested and stay safe.

We are also investing billions to improve air quality in schools across America.

The impact of these investments cannot be overstated. We all know how dangerous lead contamination is for our kids. Lead poisoning can cause developmental problems, mental and physical health issues, and even death. No child should be poisoned by their own school water fountain-- not in Texas, not in America, not anywhere. That is why this law is investing $2.9 billion to replace lead pipes in Texas schools and make sure our children have clean, safe drinking water.

It is for those same reasons, Mr. Speaker, that we are also putting tax dollars to work for cleaner air in schools. Poor air quality hurts students every day, making it harder to learn and contributing to illnesses like asthma.

Recently, poor air circulation and filters have been driving up COVID-19 cases in schools. We can keep our kids safe in their schools by installing better filters that clean out the COVID virus before it travels between classrooms; we can keep our kids safe by providing them and their teachers with masks to help stop the spread; and we can keep our kids safe by making sure that if anyone does feel sick, they can immediately get a free COVID test.

There are over 193,000 schoolchildren in my district. I am proud that the investments we are making will help each and every one of them. These are important measures we are taking right now to make schools safe and a great place to learn and grow for our students, for the teachers, the bus drivers, the cafeteria workers, and all those that keep our schools open and safe.

Houston ISD alone has over 29,000 employees working hard every day for our kids. They have been on the front lines of this pandemic, helping our children stay on track, even as this disease has disrupted almost everything in their lives. It is absolutely vital that we bring these important tools for safe schools to them as well. Making sure that our educators and staff have rapid tests, masks, and vaccines will keep everyone in schools stay safe and healthy.

But we must also finish the job and build back better, which will include billions for universal pre-K, which boosts our education system, and reinstate the child tax credit, which will lift children out of poverty.

I am proud of the work of this Congress, and I am proud of the critical investments to my district, in our schools, in Texas, and across the country.

We have made incredible progress this past year to help our educators, our students, and our communities bounce back from COVID-19. I am thankful for the hard work of President Biden and my colleagues in the House and the Senate. Thanks to our collective efforts, students, teachers, and faculty will have safe schools, clean water, and a brighter future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans.

For 50 years, AAMA has helped Latinos achieve their potential.

AAMA has motivated Latino youth to finish school and encouraged many to go on to college.

As a Mexican American, I know first-hand how important it is to have someone fighting for you on your path to success.

AAMA has always fought for every single one of our children, especially the most at risk and marginalized among us. Truly never has one been forgotten or left out.

For half a century, if you were working for the greater good in Houston's East End, then you have been a part of AAMA's work or been a fruit of AAMA's labor.

AAMA has helped unlock the American Dream for countless American Latinos. It has established itself as the heart of the Houston community.

So today, I want to thank everyone who has served at AAMA for their incredible passion and dedication.

Your service to the Latino community has been extraordinary.

I look forward to what the next 50 years will bring to the AAMA and to Latinos everywhere.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to a mounting problem which is affecting every Texan: our deteriorating infrastructure.

Now, I know a thing about infrastructure. When I was a county commissioner, I saw firsthand how a lack of investment directly impacted people in my area. As a State, we regularly have received scores of C and D on our infrastructure. In my own area, it was even worse because of the damage that hurricanes and flooding did on a regular basis.

These deteriorating roads and bridges cost Texans over $700 a year in damages and extra vehicle maintenance. That is an entire paycheck for many of the people in my district. On top of that, Houstonians have had to deal with the twin trouble of decaying roads and rapid growth.

Harris County is now home to over 700,000 more people than it had in 2010. Without significant investment, we are trying to fit more and more people onto the same deteriorating roads.

Mr. Speaker, the traffic is so bad in parts of my city that I and many other Houstonians simply avoid entire neighborhoods altogether. This directly hurts small business owners who depend on infrastructure for people to reach their stores.

Mr. Speaker, poor infrastructure does more than hurt families' pocketbooks, it has already cost us lives. Everyone in Texas remembers the winter storm this past February that left millions freezing in their homes without power.

The extreme cold weather brought State power systems to the brink of collapse. Over 200 Texans died in this storm, many of them seniors, from cold weather exposure. It didn't have to be this way. The State government had the choice the last time this kind of storm happened in 2011 to take the advice of Federal regulators and prepare our power grid for winter emergencies. Instead, the State has done nothing and will have to bear the cost.

Many Houstonians will also remember Hurricane Ike, Hurricane Rita, and Hurricane Harvey, it comes one after another. Every year, another ``storm of the century.''

These storms have caused hundreds of deaths, billions in damages, and displaced thousands from their homes in Houston. Mr. Speaker, I could go on and on, but the point is clear: my district is facing a clear and present danger from the failure to invest in reliable infrastructure.

During the previous administration, we heard promise after promise from Republicans. They were going to address this with the so-called infrastructure weeks. I can't even remember how many of those we had, but it certainly stretched for 4 years. Promises made, promises broken.

But I am proud that today I can go back to my district and say that these critical investments are finally--finally--on their way. Thanks to President Biden's commitment to working with Congress to get this done, Texas will receive $35 billion to rebuild our infrastructure.

For all the problems I have spoken about, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has a solution. This law will invest over $26 billion in funding for better roads and bridges built to last and to handle future growth. It will also invest $3.3 billion to improve public transit options that reduce congestion and improve transportation for everyone. Texans will also benefit from a $3.5 billion program in this law that will protect power systems from weather emergencies like the winter storm.

But this law doesn't just solve today's problems. It is also about preparing us for tomorrow's opportunities.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will deliver reliable internet access to rural Texas communities by investing over $100 million in expanding coverage. This will allow rural Texans to finally access jobs and commerce that were previously locked away.

This bill will also prepare Texas for electric vehicles of the future by investing nearly half a billion dollars to build our charging station network.

Mr. Speaker, Texas is facing serious infrastructure problems. But this law is the solution. I am proud that this money will soon flow directly to communities in my State and improve lives.

Thanks to the leadership of President Biden, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, and some of our friends across the aisle, this bipartisan infrastructure bill will send help, and it is on the way.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the billions of dollars coming to Texas to provide clean water and to weatherize our power grid.

In just the past year and a half, my district has faced a devastating winter storm and a massive pipe burst that put lives at risk. These two events, pictured beside me, demonstrate a simple truth. We are long past due for investments that modernize our electric grid and restore our aging water systems.

That is why I am proud that the infrastructure bill will invest $3.5 billion to prepare power grids for weather emergencies and bring $2.9 billion directly to Texas for clean water. Thanks to this funding, communities like mine will benefit from clean water, reliable power, and peace of mind.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the critical investments coming to my home State of Texas.

This week, the President signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This bipartisan bill is bringing over $35 billion to Texas for important projects that will rebuild our communities. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, that this is long overdue.

When I was a Harris County commissioner, I built a few roads. I saw firsthand how badly our roads and bridges had deteriorated. We regularly scored Cs and Ds on infrastructure that my precinct relied on every day, creating extra costs and putting lives in danger. In fact, roads in terrible condition have forced Texas drivers to pay over $700 in extra costs each year. Since 2011, Texans have seen their commute increase to about half an hour because our roads haven't kept up with our growth.

In that same time, Texans were hit with 60 extreme weather events that cost taxpayers over $200 billion. More than that, crumbling infrastructure has taken the lives of thousands in our great State. Just this February our electric grid nearly collapsed, and over 200 people--many of them seniors--froze to death in their homes.

We are past due in the work to improve our State's infrastructure. That is why I am proud to have voted for this jobs bill and for all of the investments coming to Texas.

The bill that we passed is over $3.5 billion to weatherize our grid and prepare it for future crises. We also invest $27 billion in our State's highways and bridges. We will also get $3 billion to bring safe, clean water to every Texan, especially in our rural communities. This is not small potatoes.

We know how dangerous lead pipes are for growing children. Lead contamination can cause developmental problems, mental health issues, and serious medical emergencies. Because of this funding, we can remove lead pipes from Texas schools and ensure that every child can drink clean, safe water.

Thanks to all of these investments, Texans will have safer commutes, cleaner water, and lower bills for reliable electricity.

But this law does not solve just today's problems. It prepares us for tomorrow's opportunities. Thanks to this law, Texas will receive nearly half a billion dollars to expand the electric vehicle charging network. We will also receive over $1 billion to improve our State's airports which are some of the Nation's busiest. We can also expect over $100 million to bring internet access to 1 million Texans who currently lack it. This is especially important to rural Texans like my sister who has to drive all the way into town to get to the library to access the internet.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to solve these problems and create jobs for our community. That is what this law is going to do. The bill will create thousands of jobs in my State from construction

workers and laborers to engineers and scientists, and all of these are good-paying jobs. For every mile of road that is repaved from Houston to El Paso, we will be supporting roadway workers and construction workers. For every electrical line that is repaired to be more reliable in the cold, we will be supporting electricians and engineers. And for every lead pipe that is replaced to keep our children safe, we will be supporting plumbers, laborers, and other workers.

Altogether, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is just about that: rebuilding our infrastructure, investing in the future, and bringing jobs, jobs, jobs to our communities.

I am looking forward to seeing these projects come together in my home State, and I am grateful for the leadership of our President and this Congress in making sure that this can get to all communities in our country.

Together we will truly build back better for Texas.