Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly support your bill to protect older Americans against discrimination.

It is unfortunate, Mr. Speaker, but age discrimination and ageism are still very common in many American workplaces.

During the worst of this pandemic, older workers and women experienced many of the demotions and layoffs that we have heard about so much.

Protections against age discrimination are more important than ever as we seek to ensure that employers do not use someone's age as a motivating factor to deny them a promotion, to demote them, or to even fire them.

When age discrimination occurs, many people do not report it. But when they do, under current law, it is incredibly difficult to prove that age was the motivating factor.

Therefore, Congress must ensure that we do not place burdensome requirements of proof of age discrimination on those who actually bring age discrimination claims to the forefront.

That is why this bill is so very, very important, and I thank the chairman for his tireless efforts on this cause.

While this is an excellent bill, there is one provision I wish we had included that currently is not. In the fight against age discrimination, we need to clearly protect folks at the very first opportunity, the hiring process.

That is why I introduced a bill last week, the Protect Older Job Applicants Act. It simply clarifies that the provisions under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act also apply to job applicants. Most people already assume this is the case. However, it is not.

After two recent Federal court cases about age discrimination, there has been confusion about the applicability of protections to applicants or employees only.

My bill seeks to provide clarity and ultimately protect older Americans from the very beginning, at the application.

I know that this is a priority for the chairman also, and I will continue to work with him to make sure that we continue the conversation on this shared priority, because nobody should be denied a job opportunity solely because of their age.

Mr. Speaker, I also include in the Record a statement of support for this bill from AARP.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bipartisan Elder Abuse Protection Act.

I proudly sponsored this legislation because, quite frankly, back in the day, when I was a geriatric social worker, I saw firsthand the abuse targeted against our seniors as consumers.

This bill will help ensure that our seniors today, the group that most disproportionately was impacted by COVID-19, are not continuing as targets of fraudulent crimes. I thank Representative Spartz for joining me in this legislation.

This March, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center released its 2020 internet crime report, noting it received 105,301 complaints--over 100,000 complaints--from victims over the age of 60.

That was a whopping 54 percent increase from the 2019 numbers of 68,000 complaints. If you look at the cost and value of these complaints, it was $966 million, an approximate 15 percent increase from the 2019 number of $835 million.

What is worse, Mr. Speaker, is that these statistics reflect only those complaints in which the victim voluntarily provided their age range as over 60. So there may be even more.

Victims over the age of 60 are targeted by perpetrators because they are believed to have significant reliable financial resources.

The evidence is clear, as the United States ages, diversifies, and modernizes, the number of older adults experiencing elder abuse is, unfortunately, also projected to increase.

Elder abuse assessment measures and interventions are critical. This intervention is even more urgent for Latinos in our country who lack access to resources and information in their preferred language.

In 2017, the United States Department of Health and Human Services estimated that the Latino population in the United States age 65 and over was over 4 million people. By 2060, the Department projects the population of elderly Latinos in America to grow to 19.9 million, or 21 percent of the overall American elderly population. That is a huge number and growing.

Given these rapid growth rates and projected increases, public online resources should be made available to Americans with limited English proficiency. Providing Spanish language resources to the public will therefore reach an underserved population and will provide an important resource to millions of residents in the United States of America, especially to my home State of Texas.

Unfortunately, due to the quarantine measures and limitations on visiting facilities and nursing homes, it has made it easier for abuse, neglect, and fraud to go undetected.

That is why this important legislation makes permanent a National Elder Fraud Hotline and requires the Elder Justice Coordinator to consult with the Office of Tribal Justice and designees on legal aid issues.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in celebration of 100 years of the Mexican Consulate's presence in Houston. This is huge for the diplomatic relationship between two neighbors. The consulate was first established in 1920, and today it is the largest diplomatic mission in the city, providing services to tens of thousands of people a year. It is proof of the need to strengthen, now more than ever, our diplomatic ties and tackle our shared opportunities and challenges.

Congratulations, Consul General Alicia Kerber, the first woman to head the consulate's office in Houston. A good neighbor, we have worked together on food drives, COVID testing and vaccines, trade, and immigration rights.

Tomorrow, June 18, the consulate will be opening its new headquarters. Congratulations to the Mexican diplomatic mission in Houston. May we continue to work together the next 100 years.

Congratulations. Felicidades.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to invest in an inclusive care economy to help our families recover from the devastating effects of this pandemic.

As the price of childcare and eldercare increases, many mothers and women in my district had to leave the workforce. In a country like ours, this is totally unacceptable. Mothers are the backbone of our society and the pillar of my district.

This is why, during our week of action last week, I visited a childcare center run by a constituent in Deer Park servicing children with special needs; and I also visited an eldercare center in Pasadena, in my district.

I witnessed firsthand the lifesaving, life-changing benefits out of an inclusive care economy for our children and our seniors.

Investing in an inclusive care economy could benefit my district and communities of color that lack resources to overcome the impacts of this pandemic.

Let's invest in our most vulnerable with the American Families Plan.

We can recover. ``We can do it,'' ``Si se puede.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to emphasize the importance of the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit for my constituents in my district. Because of the severe winter storms earlier this year, Texans can still file their tax returns until June 15--I repeat, until June 15.

Single filers who make $75,000 or less annually and heads of household who earn $112,500 annually could benefit from the full earned income tax credit and child tax credits if they file their taxes on time.

In my district alone, President Biden's new 1-year expansion of the child tax credit will lift 213,500 children out of poverty. That means that 95 percent of the children in my district would benefit.

Because of this, I am urging all of my constituents to file their taxes even if they don't normally do so. Working families and children need these dollars now more than ever.

I am glad that the improved and expanded child tax credit will be arriving soon to help families in my district and in Texas.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for Israel's right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas and other terrorist groups in Gaza.

These attacks against Israel must be condemned. I applaud President Biden for actively engaging across the region to help bring about peace through diplomacy. Further conflict will certainly claim the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians, including children, and that is unacceptable.

As a Latina and a Catholic, it is my sincere prayer that Jerusalem will be a city of peace for all faiths, all nationalities, and all backgrounds. This lasting peace will only be possible if everyone, Palestinians and Israelis alike, have the opportunity for freedom and security promised by a two-state solution.

Those who plan for peace will have joy. Let it be so.

Mr. Speaker, today I want to wish Jacinto City and community in my district a happy 75th anniversary. Jacinto City is a beloved community in our district full of hardworking Americans who contribute to our economy and work every day to build a country we love.

In the 1940s the city became the meeting point for immigrant families who worked in shipyards, nearby steel mills, and war plants. These workers were here seeking the American Dream, a dream that became a reality thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit of its immigrant community.

This is inspiring, and it reminds us now more than ever that our workers play a vital role in empowering and transforming our country.

Today, Jacinto City is a beacon of hope for the State's great economy and for our Nation. Its diverse community is led by a Latina mayor, Ana Diaz. It is an example of our country's social fabric and how our immigrants make us a stronger and more vibrant country.

I couldn't be prouder to represent this great community, and I am thankful to the families for their hard work and their contributions to our country.

Happy anniversary, Jacinto City. Feliz aniversario.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my friend, Maria Esther Estrada Campos, on receiving an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Houston.

Esther has been a trailblazer in public education and is a public servant and a champion for civil rights. After Jefferson Davis--now Northside--High School, she went to the University of Houston. While raising four children of her own, Esther completed her degree and became one of the first bilingual instructors hired by the Houston Independent School District, and later was a counselor and an assistant principal--something that was almost unheard of back in the fifties. All of this was nearly unheard of, but she continued on.

She retired early from HISD to win a seat on its board of trustees. In Houston, if people were organizing for the

betterment of the Latino community, Esther Campos was there. Esther continued her own education and began earning a Ph.D., but serious family challenges made it impossible for her to finish. We hope that an honorary degree from her alma mater serves as a recognition for all she has done.

Congratulations to Esther for her great work.

Felicidades. Bien hecho.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 1- year anniversary of Vanessa Guillen's death.

Vanessa was one of my constituents before she was transferred to the Fort Hood military base for her Army training. She was a rising star before her life was tragically cut short.

As Members of Congress, and as a nation, we have the moral obligation to honor Vanessa's memory and enact change that will end violence in our military installations. Her story has captivated Americans of all backgrounds. It brought much-needed attention to sexual assault in the military. It has led to changes being implemented at Fort Hood and at military bases throughout the world.

Madam Speaker, I will not rest until there is justice for Vanessa Guillen and her family. My thoughts and prayers are with them today.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the NO BAN Act. In 2017, when the Trump administration implemented the first travel ban, nearly a thousand college students around Texas were forced to make a choice. Either stay in the United States to earn a world-class education or visit their family abroad and risk being blocked from returning to their studies. This is a choice that aspiring students should never be forced to make. Evidently, these travel bans were not in place because of national security. These bans were used as a tool to discriminate against the Muslim population. Texas is home to one of the largest and fastest growing Muslim populations in the country, and these bans separated families across many of our districts. I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for revoking these discriminatory bans. But, now is the time for Congress to deliver to the American people by ensuring that no future administration works to discriminate against vulnerable communities. I urge a yes vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm about the ongoing efforts to pass voter suppression laws across our Nation and in my home State of Texas.

Republicans have made it a priority to pass so-called ``election integrity bills.'' These misnamed bills are solely aimed at limiting access to the ballot box, particularly in urban counties like mine in Harris County.

In the 2020 election, Harris County saw record turnout despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We implemented drive-through voting, authorized voting sites to stay open until 10 p.m., and several locations were open for 24 hours. Hundreds of thousands of voters used these options to exercise their constitutional right without endangering themselves or their loved ones.

Now, Republicans in the State legislature are trying to ban and limit these measures under the false premise of ``election integrity.''

Madam Speaker, I strongly urge the Senate to pass H.R. 1, which would expand access to the ballot box and prohibit restrictions on drive- through voting for members of my community and all the voters across Texas.

Voting is a right that should be encouraged, not restricted.

Madam Speaker, I am here today to express my support for this very important piece of legislation. This is simple; it is much needed; and it is just a commonsense bill.

For my friends across the aisle who think that this is some intellectual exercise, that we are trying to find some mandate, or that we need to listen to the front lines, well, I am here to tell you what happens on the front lines.

It was not yesterday; it was when I was a geriatric social worker. We had

received a report of a street child taking care of a senior, and there was concern about the senior and the street child.

I went to the door to make an assessment. I knocked on the door, and I was greeted by a Saturday night special right in my face, as a social worker just trying to do my job. She kept saying: ``You ain't gonna take my baby. You ain't gonna take my baby.'' I was scared, scared, and scared, never having had a gun to my face.

Madam Speaker, I am sure you know what I am talking about because you have probably had similar experiences.

I was a social worker just trying to make an assessment to see if this senior needed help at home. I had nothing to do with trying to take her child away, but she confused me for a child welfare worker.

This is what can happen. It has happened to me. It happens today. As Representative Stevens pointed out, it happened at 2 a.m. this morning, not to a social worker but to a FedEx worker. We must do something to make sure that we can protect workers and that we end workplace violence.

This is a small step. It is not an intellectual exercise. It is real. I am speaking personally, and I am here to stand with social workers across America to make sure that we do everything we can to make their workplace safe and that everyone is protected.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the horrific anti-Asian American sentiment that has been brewing in our country.

Like all of you, I was heartbroken by this week's shooting in Georgia. This violent act of hate has no place in our country. While this tragedy deserves all our outrage and attention, it is important to remember that this was not an isolated incident.

COVID-19 has worsened the racism and xenophobia our AAPI brothers and sisters face. Many elected officials have used the pandemic to fan the flames of hate, and now they refuse to accept the consequences of their actions.

My district is home to over 10,000 Asian Americans. They make our community whole, and they do not deserve to live in fear because of hateful rhetoric that has spread across America.

As President Biden has said, violence against Asian Americans is un- American, and it must stop.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the American Dream and Promise Act.

Before I continue with my remarks, I want to remind Mr. Jordan and the others across the aisle that no human being is illegal. We are all children of God.

I have dedicated my life to public service to help immigrants who come to the U.S. in search of a prosperous and dignified life.

Since 2001, when the Dream Act was first conceived, Dreamers have waited.

In 2012, DACA enabled eligible young adults to work lawfully, attend school, and contribute to society without the constant threat of deportation.

However, Dreamers are still waiting.

In Texas, over 213,000 Dreamers contribute $963 million in local, State, and Federal taxes and have played a critical role in our State's response to the COVID pandemic.

Dreamers have waited.

It is time for us to deliver. We should treat them with respect. I urge passage.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill. Agricultural workers are crucial to our economy, and this bill would establish a legal and reliable farm workforce.

I support this bill because it recognizes the humanity--yes, the humanity--of farmworkers and their families.

This is personal to me. I grew up poor, picking cotton in the fields of south Texas. I can testify firsthand about the incredibly hard, backbreaking work that farmworkers do, especially in the heat of the south Texas sun. Not much seems to have changed since I worked in the fields. Things pretty much still are handled about the same.

This bill is long overdue and would provide farmworkers with important worker protections and legal rights that I never had and that they desperately need today. Texas is home to nearly 250,000 farms, and the need for a strong agricultural workforce is vital. It is vital to Texas; it is vital to this country; and it is vital to this world.

Madam Speaker, I urge passage.