Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Annie Avery, the newly crowned Ms. Alabama Nursing Home 2018. Ms. Avery was the only African American among the top 10 finalists in the 35th annual pageant held at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham on Monday, July 30, 2018. She has lived at East Glen Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation for 6 months and has already established herself as a valuable leader at the facility.

Born in New Orleans, Ms. Avery was a longtime resident of ``The Big Easy,'' graduating from Booker T. Washington High School in New Orleans. Later, she married James Avery, Jr. and together, the couple raised two sons. She is the grandmother of nine grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.

In New Orleans, Ms. Avery served as a historic preservationist, community organizer, and motivational speaker.

Ms. Avery's passion for activism started at a young age. As a young woman, she courageously marched with Dr. King during the Civil Rights Movement in an effort to secure equal voting rights for all Americans. Her passion for equality and justice carried her through countless missions in life and led her on numerous adventures.

Some of her most cherished memories from her many adventures include a walk through Nelson Mandela's prison cell during her visit to South Africa. She says that this moment affected her deeply because of ``the spirit [she] felt knowing he served 27 years in those walls and his carvings on the walls.'' Additionally, Ms. Avery says that her visit to a church in Savannah, Georgia that was built by slaves had a significant impact on her. When asked what the purpose of the holes on the church floor were, she stated that she ``felt a body movement'' because the holes were for the slaves' breathing as they hid from slave holders. Inspired by these experiences, Ms. Avery formed `Ladies in Red,' an organization that recognizes women and the obstacles they have overcome in their lives.

Ms. Avery served as the Director of the African American Heritage Preservation Council of the Preservation Resource Center in New Orleans, which was founded on the idea that African Americans needed to be stewards of their history. She also worked with the First Time Homebuyer's Association, served as chairwoman of the Crescent City Peace Alliance, and as assistant director of the Comeback Alliance, an organization designed to purchase and renovate historic buildings. For all of her hard work and dedication, Ms. Avery was recognized as the 2002 Woman of the Year in New Orleans.

Following Hurricane Katrina, Ms. Avery moved from New Orleans to Denver, Colorado. After a year and a half in Denver, she relocated to Birmingham to be near her son, Calvin, following his retirement. She has said that she likes Alabama, because she enjoys the local jazz and blues music and historic houses. She says it reminds her of her time in New Orleans.

Today, Ms. Avery continues to be an inspiration to both the workers and the other residents at East Glen, going so far as to establish a ``Ladies in Red'' group at the nursing facility. Ms. Avery says she hopes to establish as many groups as she can in nursing homes throughout Alabama, saying it brings her joy to make everyone feel welcome in her home.

Additionally, Ms. Avery is a member of the community prayer line and is the Secretary of Resident Council at East Glen. The staff at East Glenn admire how Ms. Avery never allows her physical impairments to affect her personality or keep her from serving as an inspiration to all at the facility.

I am honored to congratulate Ms. Avery on being crowned Ms. Alabama Nursing Home 2018. Because of her impact at East Glen, her significant contributions to the community, and the respect and praise she receives from those close to her, I know that she is most deserving of this remarkable and respected recognition.

For her exemplary accomplishments, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the life and legacy of Annie Avery, an extraordinary resident of East Glen in Birmingham, Alabama

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the thousands of immigrant families who have been torn apart at our nation's border.

The United States is a country of immigrants with a proud legacy of protecting families fleeing violence and persecution. As a nation, we are a voice for human rights, which is why I was deeply disturbed when news broke that the Trump Administration was ripping innocent children from their parents as their families sought asylum in the United States. I was alarmed when I heard about President Trump's criminal prosecution of all those seeking shelter within our borders.

Last weekend, I went to the border with some of my colleagues to see for myself the impact of President Trump's ``zero tolerance'' policy. After seeing detention centers where children are still separated from their parents, after witnessing the immigration courts where asylum seekers are prosecuted en masse, after seeing the inhumane conditions that families are being held in at processing facilities, I can only report that this President's anti-family immigration policy is a disaster.

Mr. Speaker, there is a humanitarian crisis happening right in our own backyard.

At one detention facility, my colleagues and I met a grandmother who had brought her grandchildren to the United States, fleeing violence in her home country. They traveled across the Rio Grande by boat and she lost one of her grandchildren on the way. When she reached our shores, she thought she would find refuge, but her remaining grandchildren were taken from her and put into a separate detention facility.

After weeks in detention, they still have not been reunited because the process this Administration has put in place only recognizes parents and their children, not grandparents, siblings or relatives as part of the family unit. She told us her story in tears. As someone who grew up close to their grandmother, I can only imagine the pain that she and her grandchildren must feel being separated--after traveling through such horrendous conditions to reach America. In our privilege, it's hard to imagine what conditions this family must have been living in to take that dangerous journey to our shores.

My colleagues and I also visited a federal courthouse in McAllen, Texas, where we observed court proceedings for detained immigrants who were seeking asylum in the United States, fleeing violence in their home countries. Instead of recognizing their right of asylum, the court processed these immigrants en masse. These immigrants also pled guilty en masse, setting them on a course to be deported back to the countries they had fled because of violence. So far, over 400 immigrant parents have been deported without their children! How will they find their way home?

We met with border patrol officers who told us that their jobs have been complicated by the actions of the Trump Administration. Mr. Speaker, we need to support the law enforcement officers who keep our country safe, but this Administration's ``zero tolerance'' policy has failed them, creating a logistical and human rights nightmare that they do not have the support to solve.

This is why I am an original co-sponsor of the Keeping Families Together Act and the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, which provides standards for facilities at which aliens in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security are detained. Additionally, I have cosponsored the Family Unit Right and Protective Act, which requires the reunification of families separated upon entry into the United States because of the ``zero tolerance'' immigration policy requiring criminal prosecution of all adults apprehended crossing the border illegally.

The children who have crossed our borders are looking for safety from violence. Instead, they have found cold cages, and concrete floors with aluminum blankets. For many of the families seeking asylum in the United States, crossing the border is the difference between life and death. However, when these families cross our nation's border, we are not a welcoming safe haven in a time of crisis. Instead, we are criminally prosecuting families seeking safe refuge, separating children from parents, and scattering the children across our nation.

As a country that was built by immigrants, it is disgraceful how we are treating immigrants at our own border. Therefore, I am urging my colleagues to cosponsor and support the Keeping Families Together Act and the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act. As the global leader in the fight to protect human rights, the United States can and must do better when it comes to the treatment of asylum seekers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to shed light on a major loophole in our tax code that favors private schools at the expense of public schools. I have introduced H.R. 4269, The Public Funds for Public Schools Act which would close this loophole that allows the wealthy to profit off their ``donations'' to private school voucher organizations. In 18 states, laws have been passed allowing wealthy donors to claim tax credits for donations that go to private, often unaccredited, schools.

In these states, tax credits are awarded to taxpayers who donate to private school voucher organizations. At least eleven states offer a dollar-for-dollar credit, which allows wealthy donors to donate to Scholarship Granting Organizations without losing any money because the state ends up bearing the full cost of the donation. When combined with a federal charitable tax deduction, the dollar-for-dollar state credit ends up resulting in a taxpayer-funded profit for the so-called ``donor.''

Wealthy donors reap the benefits while our public-school children are left with substandard resources in some of the most impoverished areas of the country. This is a major loophole in our tax code. Not only are states reimbursing the wealthy rather than investing in public education, but federal dollars are being given to the wealthy at the blatant expense of public school children and educators. To be clear, the American taxpayer bears the cost of this lucrative tax shelter, and the American public is left with less funding for our public schools.

Mr. Speaker, I am a proud product of public schools. After the Brown v. Board of Education decision, small private all white academies started to pop up in many Southern states, including one in my hometown. Selma High School, where I graduated, provided me with a quality education. I was on the renowned Selma High School debate team and we won competitions across the state.

Over the decades, many ``concerned'' white parents have taken their kids out of public schools, sending them to the private academy across town. This process has led to re-segregation of schools in many parts of the South. After years of losing revenue to private schools, my old high school is deemed as ``failing'' today by the state of Alabama. Moreover, there aren't enough resources to provide debate and other extracurricular activities to the children.

State laws like the one providing a dollar-for-dollar tax credit to private academies have further exacerbated these trends. Until this year, the academies in my state didn't even have to be accredited to qualify for the voucher program.

Thirty-five states provided less overall state funding per student in the 2014 school year than before the recession in 2008. When the Republican tax bill was signed into law last year, deductions for state and local tax payments were capped at $10,000, leaving some wealthier taxpayers looking for new and creative ways to reduce their tax liability. In response, more state legislatures are considering laws to pass this lucrative taxpayer-funded loophole.

H.R. 4269, The Public Funds for Public Schools Act, would remove this loophole by reducing the double deductions benefit on these donations, saving money that could be reinvested in public schools that are struggling to provide adequate resources for their students.

We have a responsibility to our children and their future to do the right thing. I urge my colleagues to co-sponsor H.R. 4269.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the cornerstone of our democracy: our right to vote.

After the Supreme Court's 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, core aspects of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were invalidated, and eligible voters now face new barriers to casting their ballot, including many voters in Alabama. Because of the Court decision, many states have enacted new voter restrictions. For example, Alabama has implemented a photo identification law, which has barred many from participating in our elections. Twenty-one million Americans, over 10 percent of the eligible voting population, do not have a government- issued ID and, in many states, these Americans are consequently unable to vote.

Senior citizens and the disabled, people who also call my district home, have been adversely impacted by the recent wave of voter suppression laws. My father was one of these voters, and I witnessed firsthand the struggles he faced just to be able to vote for his daughter when Alabama's voting law were changed.

Obtaining a photo ID is no easy task, especially since many handicapped individuals have limited mobility. The decrease in the number of driver's license offices in Alabama over the past decade has worsened this issue. Out of the 10 counties with the highest percentages of African-American voters, which constitute a majority of my district, eight have lost ID offices. Many polling stations throughout the state have also shut down, and at the local level, these changes have disproportionately affected area with a large number of black voters.

Mr. Speaker, voting is a right, not a privilege. We should be working to make our elections more accessible, not less accessible. As the U.S. Representative of Alabama's 7th Congressional District, the Civil Rights District of America, I have made it a top priority to restore the vote. That is why I have introduced H.R. 2978, the Voting Rights Advancement Act. My legislation restores and expands the original Voting Rights Act by providing federal oversight of election changes in states with a history of voter discrimination.

The recent wave of voter suppression laws undermines the progress of our nation's civil rights trailblazers, from the women of Seneca Falls to the marchers in my hometown of Selma. We should not let them down, and we should not let our voters down.

I urge Congress to come together in a bipartisan effort to improve access to the ballot and pass H.R. 2978. It is our responsibility to uphold what our constituents so rightfully deserve: a government of the people, for the people, by the people.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to address Americans' concerns over increasing income inequality that has been exasperated by the Republican Tax Scam bill. The so-called Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Republicans last fall not only fails to provide a significant tax cut for working class and middle Americans, but it also increases the national deficit by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years. Moreover, any marginal income tax reduction that it affords everyday Americans will disappear within the next few years.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, 76 percent of Americans will actually experience an overall tax increase between now and 2027. It is my strong belief that providing tax relief to small business owners, entrepreneurs, and working-class families is key to creating a strong economy that works for everyone. But requiring working families to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy and powerful will not promote real, sustainable economic growth.

Here is what the Republican tax law will do: By 2027, Americans in the first, second, and third quintiles will have their taxes increased, while 83 percent of tax breaks will go to the top one percent. By 2027, 86 million households (more than half of America's middle class) will see a tax increase. In Alabama, the richest 1 percent will see a $4,450 tax cut, where the bottom 80 percent will see a $117 tax increase.

We do not have to look back far into history to learn that these types of tax cuts hurt the American people. Ronald Reagan's 1981 tax cuts were followed by only 3.5 percent average growth between 1982 and 1985, and required base broadening tax increases. Deficits from the Reagan tax cuts led to tax increases by George H.W. Bush in 1990. George W. Bush's tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 were followed by a precipitous decline in growth from 3.8 percent growth in 2004 down to -0.3 percent in 2008. The Bush tax cuts were also a major driver of the growing deficit, and widened income disparities.

We also saw what happened in the state of Kansas when Republicans promised that dramatic cuts to business taxes would bring a new wave of economic growth and thousands of new jobs. Unsurprisingly, the economic growth was never realized and the state was forced to close schools, cut funding to public universities, cut funding to public services, and delay contributions to state pension funds.

Columbia University Law professor Michael Graetz said, ``the historical record is pretty clear that tax cuts don't pay for themselves through economic growth.'' Despite this evidence, Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee rammed through a partisan tax scam bill, passed it through the House of Representatives without a single Democratic vote, and passed it through the Senate in the same fashion.

As the Trump Administration calls for another round of tax cuts for the wealthy, I urge the President and my Republican colleagues to fulfill their promise to work together on bipartisan legislation that will truly benefit all Americans. We need bipartisan legislation that works to uphold America's strong middle class and provides underserved families with the assistance they deserve to escape the cycle of poverty and enter the workforce.

Mr. Speaker, last week, I had the privilege of attending the annual forum on the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), where we focused on forging new strategies for U.S.-Africa trade and investment. It was an honor meeting with African leaders to continue the discussion on how we can continue to develop trade between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa.

I want to thank all of the Members of Congress who have worked together to support and maintain the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Since the legislation's passage in 2000, the strong bipartisan support that AGOA has received is proof of our nation's commitment to expanding global markets for U.S. goods and services. It shows that at our core, despite President Trump's protectionist views on trade and recent attacks on our allies, we as Americans value any opportunity to strengthen international relations and develop strong democracies.

Trade with Africa has greatly benefited the United States and Africa. By allowing duty-free access to the U.S. market for exports from 40 sub-Saharan countries, AGOA offers African countries tangible incentives to continue their efforts in opening their economies, while also reinforcing internationally recognized human rights. While exporting $13.8 billion in goods to the United States under the act in 2017, AGOA nations also continued to make efforts to enact policies that observe the rule of law, political pluralism, and the right to due process, fighting poverty and corruption along the way. As a member of the Ways and Means committee, and as a representative of the state of Alabama, whose economy is highly dependent on trade, I will continue to be supportive of AGOA because it promotes investment and strengthens our global economy.

I applaud both American and African government officials, the private sector, and the people of the AGOA nations for working so hard to maximize the benefits of AGOA. I encourage us to continue working together to enhance our commitment to Africa.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to state my excitement that Democrats and Republicans came together this year and supported my amendments to increase FY 2019 funding for competitive grants to preserve the sites and stories of the Civil Rights movement and grants for Civil Rights Preservation of sites on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In total, our amendments boosted funding for civil rights research by $4,500,000 for Fiscal Year 2019. I greatly appreciate the bipartisan commitment and support from Interior Subcommittee Chairman Calvert, Ranking Member McCollum, and Democratic Assistant Leader Clyburn.

These grants, as part of the National Park Service's Historic Preservation Fund, are critically important to protecting and preserving Civil Rights history. As the Congresswoman representing the 7th Congressional District of Alabama, also known as the Civil Rights District, I can personally attest to the impact these grants have in the community. Many historic events of the Civil Rights Movement took place within my district, including the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, the Children's March, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and Bloody Sunday. We are fortunate that the National Park Service is preserving and interpreting these stories, and I am grateful for the Park Service's dedication to telling a more complete version of America's history.

The National Park Service also brings much needed economic revitalization to communities in my district through tourism. In Birmingham, the Civil Rights National Monument and other sites are playing a critical role as part of the new National Civil Rights Trail. In my hometown of Selma, the NPS Selma Interpretive Center attracts tourism to the rural black belt community. These historic sites will also help generate economic activity beyond tourism. In fact, for each dollar invested in National Parks, 10 dollars is generated in national economic activity.

As the foot soldiers of the Civil Rights movement grow older, it is imperative that every effort is made to preserve the stories and sites of the era. There is no place more equipped for such preservation than Historically Black Colleges and Universities. These institutions and their students have a legacy that is inseparable from the Civil Rights Movement. They continue to play a role in activism and education that would make many of those who came before them proud.

The funding that my amendments provided in the House Interior Appropriations bill for FY 2019 is an investment aimed at both historic preservation and economic development. Not only is it important to preserve history in our districts--we all have important stories to tell that provide education to visitors--but it is also imperative that we help bring much needed development to our communities.

Thanks again to Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum, and I urge all of my colleagues to continue supporting this historic preservation funding as we finalize appropriations for FY19.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the pervasive and ongoing environmental injustice affecting the citizens of the 7th Congressional District of Alabama. Many residents of the Black Belt depend on septic tanks for sewage disposal. Because 35-45 percent of residents in the Black Belt face poverty, many cannot afford spending thousands of dollars on a septic tank and the upkeep it requires.

As a result, many have turned to a far less expensive but more alarming alternative: using ``straight pipes'' to transfer human waste from the home directly to their backyards. This means that folks going for a walk and children playing in their yards are in direct contact with sewage and human waste. During heavy rains, these constituents are left helpless in defending not only their homes, but their health from the effects of raw sewage and human waste. The heavy rains forces waste to go back up pipes and back into homes. The issue of inadequate wastewater treatment is not just a problem in Alabama. It is a problem in communities throughout our country. Additionally, this issue is causing dire health consequences. Several studies have identified parasites specifically in Lowndes County, Alabama. In our great country, the presence of diseases found in third world nations is unacceptable. Wastewater management and other environmental concerns that exacerbate poverty must be addressed.

Most recently, the United Nations weighed in on this issue. After visiting parts of the Black Belt and other impoverished areas in America in December of 2017, United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston was baffled that such a developed and advanced country like the United States could allow its most impoverished to live in such awful conditions. The UN report has confirmed what I have known for a long time: that inadequate wastewater treatment is a persistent issue in poverty stricken communities. I have been working to address this problem by helping secure an additional $1.8 billion in funding for wastewater infrastructure in addition to introducing the Rural Septic Tank Access Act. This Act would provide adequate resources for rural families to afford proper septic systems.

UN Ambassador Nikki Haley publicly stated that the UN report and its conclusion about poverty in America was ``patently ridiculous'' and questioned why poverty in the U.S. needed to be examined. I personally invite Ambassador Haley to my district to witness firsthand the poverty and systemic environmental concerns that millions of Americans experience and suffer from every single day.

Our nation cannot boast such greatness if those suffering the most are left behind. As a proud product of Selma, I know tenacity and grit is commonplace among the great folks of the 7th Congressional District. But to be able to overcome obstacles, basic needs must be met and health concerns should be addressed. We have no option but to stand firm in our fight on the very real and pervasive poverty all over rural America and in the area I call home.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his leadership on tonight's topic. I also associate myself with his comments, as well as the comments of Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton. Congresswoman Norton has been a steward on the issue of judicial appointments in the United States Congress for many decades, and it is an honor to follow her tonight in her leadership against the Trump administration's attempt to stack the courts with extreme rightwing political allies.

Just as President Trump has attacked our Nation's free press, just as he has attacked our intelligence agency, this President is now targeting our Nation's third branch of government, our treasured court system. We cannot let President Trump destroy yet another institution of American democracy.

The importance of a fair and nonpartisan court system cannot be overestimated. It is our Supreme Court, overall, that decided Brown v. Board of Education, the case that ended segregation in America's schools. It was our courts which struck down voter suppression laws, like poll taxes that freed and allowed lots and lots of African Americans in my home State of Alabama to vote. It was the Supreme Court that protected the work of the free press and our Nation's newspapers when President Nixon attempted to silence them. And it was our Supreme Court which struck down discriminatory State laws prohibiting interracial and gay marriage.

Those court decisions were the product of judges and justices in our judicial system, who put our Constitution and the law first, irrespective of the pressure they faced from politicians and from Presidents.

Mr. Speaker, the opposite can be true as well. When our courts are stacked with political allies, who put politics first and justice last, our Nation suffers. We need think of no other than the infamous Supreme Court decision which paved the way for Japanese American internment camps as an example. It is a reminder of all that can go wrong when our courts are stacked with political allies.

Today, our court system continues to decide questions that will have consequences for generations to come. When it comes to gerrymandering and discriminatory voter ID laws, our courts are still considering cases that will impact our right to vote.

As this administration continues its assault on our free press, we should have no doubt that the courts will be

faced with First Amendment questions in the years to come.

That is why President Trump's attempt to stack the court is so concerning. Last year, this administration appointed nine appellate judges, more than any President since President Nixon during their first term in office. And where do those open appellate seats come from? These are judgeships which Republicans systematically held open during President Barack Obama's final 2 years. I can speak with authority on that fact because, in the State of Alabama, we had not one, not two, but three open Federal judgeships that were held open for 2-plus years, and one 11th Circuit appellate judgeship that was held open for 2 years.

Yes, the people of Alabama were not well served by the fact that my Republican colleagues withheld appointing any person to that, in hopes that they would win the Presidential election in 2016. Now it was a good bet for them, but it was a bad bet for the American people and for the people of Alabama. For you see, the judges that were sitting, took on an inordinate amount of caseload that was unacceptable.

I know that for one, in the Middle District of Alabama, there was a senior judge by the name of Myron Thompson, who had 120 percent caseload. Yes, that is right. As a senior judge, he not only had a caseload that surpassed his caseload when he was an active judge, but, as a senior judge, took on an extraordinary number of cases. Why? Because in the Middle District of Alabama, there was only one judge sitting, as well as one senior judge, Judge Thompson.

This is unacceptable. This is an unacceptable play towards politics that, in the end, disserved the people of Alabama and disserved the American public.

The same was true on the Supreme Court level. Yes, Judge Merrick Garland was supremely qualified to sit on the Supreme Court, and was President Obama's choice to sit on the Supreme Court. But a year prior to the 2016 election, the GOP decided that it was not the time for a judge to be appointed when a Federal election was going to take place within a year.

Now, one can say the same thing about the fact that we have a midterm election that is coming up in 2018. But, oh, no, we don't get the same courtesy. This is politics before people, it is unacceptable, and we should not take it sitting down. That is why I am very happy that the Congressional Black Caucus tonight, under the leadership of the gentleman from Pennsylvania, is talking about stacking of the Supreme Court and its importance to all Americans.

I can speak firsthand how important the court system was to the civil rights and voting rights movement of America. As a daughter of Selma, Alabama, and as the first Black congresswoman from the State of Alabama, I can tell you, unequivocally, that it was because of th protections of the equal protection amendment, it was because of the Constitution and those brave judges, judges like Frank Johnson of the Middle District of Alabama, who stood against pressure to do what was right for all Americans, interpreting the Constitution as it was meant to be: that all men and women are created equal, and that the equal protection of the law extends to all Americans, irrespective of race and gender.

So I think it is really important that we remember from whence we all come. This is a proud tradition that is important that we uphold.

What is even more concerning is the temperament displayed by the court picks under this administration and their lack of qualification for the job. Last year, President Trump nominated four judicial nominees who didn't pass the American Bar Association's standard for being rated qualified by the ABA. Now, that is a simple standard.

The ABA standard of requiring that one be qualified is simple: a nominee must show integrity, professional competence, and judicial temperament. During his 8 years in office, President Obama never--I repeat--never selected a judicial nominee who received an unqualified rating from the ABA. Yet, this President nominated four unqualified judicial candidates in a single year, which is the worst record in American history.

One was to a Federal bench in Alabama. The nominee was Brett Talley, who withdrew his name in 2017 for his lack of judicial experience. He had never tried a case, and yet this person was nominated by this administration to a life appointment on the bench in the Middle District of Alabama. Unacceptable. Thank God, calmer and cooler heads prevailed and he withdrew his name. But the reality is, having unqualified candidates should not go under this administration. We should stand up and speak out against it.

That is why I am glad to join with my colleagues from the Congressional Black Caucus as we talk about what is at stake. A heck of a lot is at stake. We have a lot to lose under this administration, and it starts with the Federal courts.

The reason President Trump has elected so many unqualified judges to fill our courts is that they are political allies of the extreme right. Every single one of President Trump's judicial nominees are allies of the rightwing, attacking women's rights, attacking human rights, attacking healthcare and workers' rights, and, of course, attacking voting rights.

President Trump's recent nominee of Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is no different. A review of Judge Kavanaugh's record shows that he will drive the Supreme Court further to the right, threatening and further attacking healthcare, our right to vote, affirmative action, and all of the important progress that we have made as a Nation when it comes to civil rights and civil liberties.

It was Judge Kavanaugh who upheld a discriminatory voter ID law as a judge on the D.C. Court of Appeals. Faced with a South Carolina voter ID law, which the Obama administration reported would disenfranchise tens of thousands of minority voters, Judge Kavanaugh ruled that the measure was not discriminatory.

The Obama administration said this same voter ID law violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a similar piece of legislation, and Judge Kavanaugh approved it. That is bad news for voting rights. And where I come from, representing Alabama's Seventh Congressional District, the voting rights, and the civil rights district of America, that is bad news for Americans. We should stand up for the equal rights of all Americans to vote. There should be no modern-day barriers to voting. And to have a Supreme Court nominee who has so blatantly gone against that is unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, on voting rights and so many other issues, from healthcare to police brutality, the American people cannot trust Trump's judicial nominees to put the law before politics. We must call on the Senate to stop President Trump's attempt to stack the courts. Nothing less than the third branch of government, our democracy, is at stake.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for allowing me to speak on this issue, and I ask that all Americans oppose this nominee to the Supreme Court.

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Pennsylvania is exactly right. The swamp only needs to be cleaned up when the swamp doesn't agree with this President.

We have seen, in the nomination of Brett Talley to Alabama's Middle District, that he did not report that his wife worked for the White House counsel. Now, this, to me, is an important disclosure. You can't be more on the inside, in the swamp, drowning in the swamp, than to have a relationship like your wife working for the White House.

I think it is really hypocritical that this White House would talk about draining the swamp, and yet choose judicial nominees that are clearly in line with far rightwing views and are clearly a part of the problem, not a part of the solution.

I think that we, the American people, need to really speak out when it comes to the Supreme Court nominee, and, actually, all Federal judgeships.

I had the great honor of clerking for the first African American judge in the State of Alabama, Judge U.W. Clemon. It was a great honor of my life as a young lawyer to sit at his feet and to learn. And I have to tell you that it is disheartening to me to see people who are woefully unqualified getting the opportunity to be nominated to a Federal bench. These are life appointments, life appointments that allow people to sit in those seats for decades to come and, therefore, decide decisions decades to come.

I know that when you talk to our Senators, they will, if they are truthful, tell you that some of the most pressing legacy issues for them are the nominations to the Supreme Court and the nominations to the Federal court. Why? Because these nominations, life appointments, have lasting effects that yield way beyond the actual nomination itself.

It is unfortunate to me, because when we think about, of the three branches government that worked for the civil rights movement and worked for all those freedom fighters, it was the Federal court that, with its independence, was able to grant so many opportunities to those freedom riders.

I think about Frank Johnson, a young judge from Montgomery, Alabama, who grew up in rural Alabama and had the temerity, had the audacity, had the courage to do what was right in the face of mounting pressures that came from his White citizenry around him to do the right thing and to actually issue that injunction that allowed marchers, such as our colleague, John Lewis, to march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which brought us the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Where is our courage today? I ask the gentleman from Pennsylvania. We have to stand up in the face of such overt partisanship and speak out against it.

The balance of the Court is so important. So much of the progress that we have seen as a Nation, we have always been one Supreme Court Justice away from a lot of that progress being eroded. It is with great sadness that I see Justice Kennedy leave, but it is with greater sadness that I see the nominee, Kavanaugh, coming before the Senate for confirmation as the next Federal Justice.

I do know that politics and elections have consequences, but when I think about the scale of progress and what affects that progress, nothing is more telling, nothing is more important, than the Supreme Court.

I hope that aggrieved persons, irrespective of their gender, irrespective of their race and who they love, that they can come before the Supreme Court and get a fair hearing.

Well, he has a very expansive record. He sat on the bench now for over a decade, so there is an expansive record there. I believe in looking at a person's record to be able to tell what they will do in the future.

His past has shown that he is squarely aligned with the Federalist Society, squarely aligned with the far right. It is because of his extreme views that he is now the nominee.

Now, I would love for him to prove me wrong, but one's history, one's past, is a judge of what one will do in the future. So my great fear is about issues such as the right of the executive branch to overreach. His decisions that relate to that, to me, are why I believe this President chose him, because there has been some overreaching going on in the executive branch, and this President feels that this judge will be more partial toward him.

Now, let's just be very clear. The judge should be about being partial toward the facts and toward the law, irrespective of who the petitioner is. I can tell you that often people say that justice is blind. But the reality is justice often is seen through the eyes of the experience of the judges. That is why it is important to have a bench that is diverse, a bench that has diversity of thought, diversity of philosophy and ideas, because, at the end of the day, we are not monolithic as a people. We all have different views, and we come to those perspectives based on our experiences.

Frankly, this particular judge, this particular nominee, Kavanaugh, does not show that diversity of experience. His views have been clearly aligned with the far right, and I believe that that is woefully out of character with the American public.

I believe that the American public is far more centrist than that and that the American public deserves better than that.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the U.S. Department of Commerce Section 232 investigation into automobile imports and the negative impact that it could have on Alabama's economy. In my district, I have both a Hyundai and Mercedes auto manufacturing facility. Not only do they produce cars for the U.S. and foreign markets, but they provide thousands of high paying jobs for my constituents. Last year alone international automakers invested $10.2 billion in the state of Alabama, employing more than 80,000 citizens, and providing good wages and benefits to their employees.

On May 23rd, Secretary Wilbur Ross announced that the Commerce Department would begin an investigation into whether imports of automobiles and auto parts threaten national security. However, before the Department of Commerce could begin their investigation, President Trump delegitimized the entire process by prematurely stating that he wanted a 25 percent tariff on automotive imports. We now know that this investigation is just a justification for this administration's desire to implement 19th century style tariffs on America's allies around the globe.

The Peterson Institute for International Economics predicts that if the new auto tariffs are implemented, the United States will lose 624,000 jobs and production would fall by 4 percent. As Members of Congress, we cannot stand by and allow this administration's destructive trade policies to hurt American workers. As a result, I led a bipartisan letter, cosigned by 149 Members of Congress, to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross expressing concern with the Section 232 investigation into auto imports. The letter highlights the auto industry's importance to working families and the nation's economy, as well as the vast network of international suppliers that the industry relies on to stay competitive.

I strongly urge the Trump Administration to think carefully about the impact of the autos 232 investigation, and the devastating effect tariffs could have on American workers. Rather than endangering American jobs through a trade war with our allies, we need to strengthen our trading relationships to better position U.S. workers in the global marketplace.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment, which would increase the funding for competitive grants to preserve the sites and stories of the civil rights movement by $2.5 million.

My district, the Seventh Congressional District, is also known as the Civil Rights District. Many historic events, from the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, to the Children's March, to the Montgomery bus boycott, to Bloody Sunday, all took place in my district.

These events are of national significance, and we are fortunate that the National Park Service is working with States, local communities, and nonprofits to preserve and interpret these stories. I am so grateful that the National Park Service has a strong presence in my district, and I have seen firsthand that they not only preserve the sites and stories of our great American history, but they also bring economic revitalization to the communities.

In my hometown of Selma, Alabama, the National Park Service Selma Interpretive Center brings tourism dollars to a rural Black Belt county that would otherwise not have such economic development.

In Birmingham, the civil rights monument is already playing a critical role in the downtown redevelopment. In fact, for every dollar invested in the national parks, $10 is generated in national economic activity.

The National Park Service also supports more than a quarter million private sector jobs. Therefore, I believe that making a small, additional investment in the Historic Preservation Fund will yield great dividends and results in economic revitalization in communities across this country.

The civil rights preservation fund has benefited civil rights sites from Iowa, to Nevada, to Massachusetts, and beyond. Grant projects from these additional funds would help provide for interpretation, education, surveys, oral history documentation, as well as physical preservation. It will also help lesser known civil rights sites get known.

The National Park Service's own 2008 study found that civil rights history and landmarks are underrepresented in the National Park System, so this grant will also give us an opportunity to increase the amount of money and funds that we give for historic preservation of civil rights sites.

From reconstruction, to the era of Jim Crow, to the birth of the civil rights movement, to the current struggle for equality and justice, there is so much history that deserves to be preserved and interpreted for the benefit of future generations.

I want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Calvert, and the ranking member, Ms. McCollum, for their help in preserving civil rights sites all across the United States. Now is the time to do that preservation.

Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), my friend, the Democratic assistant leader, who will also support increasing the Historic Preservation Fund.

Madam Chair, I want to personally thank Chairman Calvert as well as Ranking Member McCollum for working closely with me on this amendment.

Madam Chair, I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I rise today as a supporter and cosponsor of this amendment, which would add $2 million for the Historic Preservation Fund grants for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

HBCUs have always been a hub for bright, young African Americans to come together and to promote both individual development and community development.

These institutions are national treasures, and their legacy and history deserves to be protected for the benefit of future generations. The Historic Preservation Fund grants for HBCUs are a perfect tool to help these institutions protect their historic civil rights sites and buildings, and I look forward to continuing to work with the 14 HBCUs in my home State of Alabama to seek these funds.

Madam Chair, I again thank Assistant Leader Clyburn for his leadership on this matter over the years. I thank him for the opportunity to speak on this amendment. I also thank the chairman and ranking member.

Mr. Speaker, during Roll Call votes held on July 13th of 2018, I was inescapably detained handling important matters related to my District and the State of

Alabama. Had I been present, I would have voted YES on the Democratic Motion to Recommit H.R. 50, and NO on final Passage of H.R. 50.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal years 2018 and 2019. This bill recognizes the critical work that every member of the intelligence community performs to protect our Nation: first, by enhancing resources and authorities for our highest priority intelligence initiatives, and secondly, by enforcing and reinforcing the principles of good governance, transparency, and accountability to the American people.

Mr. Chairman, I am a strong advocate for transparency, which is a challenge for the intelligence community because of the need to protect sensitive sources and equities, but a challenge that can be met. One groundbreaking example is the unclassified January 2017 intelligence community assessment that notified Americans about the Russian attack on our democracy in the 2016 election.

This bill directs the intelligence community to continue public awareness reporting related to election security because the threat from Russia is still ongoing.

As a ranking member on the HPSCI Subcommittee on Department of Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture for the last 3 years, one of my priorities is to ensure that the United States achieves and maintains a leadership position in next-generation technologies, especially in space.

Space is an emerging battleground, so it is imperative for our national security that America maintains a strategic advantage in space as well as we do on the ground and at sea. Over the last year, the subcommittee has continued our dialogue with the intelligence community about its accomplishments, but also the challenges it faces and the resources it needs to meet these challenges.

I am pleased to report that this bill includes provisions that strengthen our Nation's access and resilience in space by investing in next-generation technologies and assets.

Mr. Chairman, I am also a strong believer that the success of our Nation's intelligence operation hinges on our most important asset: our people. As our intelligence missions and objectives continue to evolve, we will undoubtedly require a more diverse workforce in the intelligence community to meet our needs. We must work together to build and promote an intelligence community that is truly representative of the rich diversity and inclusive society that makes our Nation great.

In order to more effectively address these emerging and ongoing threats, we need an agile workforce with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, skill sets, and talents. For that reason, Congress has invested in American universities and colleges to provide all students with the skills that they need to serve in our intelligence community.

As smart investors, we want to see that the investment is accomplishing the objectives and encouraging qualified graduates to apply to join the intelligence community. This bill directs the Director of National Intelligence to take a more active role in ensuring that one program, in particular, the Intelligence Community Centers for Academic Excellence, achieves that objective of diversity.

I also strongly support the Hastings amendment that directs the intelligence community to intensify recruitment outreach at every corner of our Nation. Encouraging geographical diversity in the intelligence community will naturally also enhance racial, gender, cultural, and economic diversity.

I want to see that every interested student, whether in a big city or a small town, is aware of the career opportunities in the intelligence community. It is a path that is most important.

Mr. Chair, in conclusion, I believe for these reasons and others that my colleagues should support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Judge Helen Shores Lee, who passed away on July 2, 2018, at the age of 77. Judge Lee was the first black woman to serve as a judge on the Jefferson County Circuit Court, and was a daughter of the prominent civil rights attorney Authur Shores. Throughout her life, Judge Lee put her family and her community first. Her contributions as a public servant and advocate for equal justice will not be forgotten.

On May 3, 1941, Judge Lee was born in Birmingham, Alabama, a city which would become the beating heart of the civil rights movement. Born to parents Arthur Shores and Theodora Warren Shores, Judge Lee grew up with her younger sister Barbara in Birmingham's historic Smithfield neighborhood, an area that was at the forefront of Birmingham's struggle for equal rights. Home to black leaders including A.G. Gaston and Peter Hall, Smithfield became known as ``dynamite hill'' because houses in the neighborhood were bombed so frequently by the Klu Klux Klan.

Judge Lee's home was no exception. Because of her father's role as a prominent attorney in the civil rights movement, Judge Lee's family was regularly targeted. During one two-week period during the summer of 1963, her home was bombed twice, injuring Judge Lee's mother and killing their pet.

But Judge Lee's father refused to give up on his fight for equality. As an attorney, he worked for Autherine Lucy in her effort to desegregate the University of Alabama. Later he helped secure admission for Vivian Malone and James Hood, who successfully desegregated the school.

Despite violent threats against her home, her family, and her neighborhood, Judge Lee pursued her education. Judge Lee graduated from A.H. Parker High School and then attended Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, to earn her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Judge Lee then went on to earn her Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University in Los Angeles, California.

After graduating from Fisk University, Judge Lee married the love of her life, Robert Lee, Sr., and started a family with her new husband in California. For 55 years, until Judge Lee's passing, the couple remained happily married.

Judge Lee practiced as a clinical psychologist for several years before following in her father's footsteps and becoming an attorney. With a law degree from Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Judge Lee joined her father's firm in 1988.

From 1996 to 2000, Judge Lee served as a member of the Alabama State Ethics Commission. During her last two years on the Commission she served as the Commission's chairwoman.

After 16 years of working with her father's firm, Judge Lee was appointed Circuit Judge of the Tenth Judicial Court of Alabama by Governor Don Siegelman. Assuming the bench in 2003, Judge Lee became the first black woman to serve in the Civil Division of the Circuit Court of Jefferson County.

As a Circuit Judge, Judge Lee continued her commitment to community service, pushing herself and those around her to give their time to promote the welfare of the Birmingham community. For her tireless work, Judge Lee was recognized by the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Central Alabama with the Jeana P. Hosch Woman of Valor award in 2013.

Judge Lee is preceded in death by her father Arthur Shores and mother Theodora Warren Shores. She leaves to cherish her memories her devoted husband of 55 years Robert Lee, Sr., her loving children, Robert Lee, Jr., Arthur Shores Lee (Vera), and Keisha Lee, her five beautiful grandchildren, Vincent, Ashely, Trenton, Trevon, and Leigh, her sister Barbara Shores, niece Danielle, nephew Damien, and a host of many cousins and special friends.

On a personal note, Judge Lee was a true inspiration to me. Her keen intellect, calming influence, and fierce determination made her a role model and mentor to many. I am so grateful for her friendship and counsel over the years. I know that I serve in Congress today as Alabama's first black Congresswoman because of amazing black women like Judge Lee who paved the way. Her extraordinary legacy will continue to live on in the many people she impacted.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 7th Congressional District and the State of Alabama, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the life and contributions of Judge Helen Shores Lee. She was a community leader and a Birmingham treasure whose community service and whose fight for justice touched countless lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Marion Military Institute on 176 years of service to our nation's Armed Forces. Located in the heart of Alabama's Black Belt, and only thirty minutes from my hometown of Selma, MMI is a pillar of the 7th Congressional District. Since its founding, MMI has achieved a national reputation for preparing young men and women for successful civilian and military careers.

Marion Military Institute is one of only four military junior colleges in the United States, and is the nation's oldest military junior college, tracing its origin back to 1842 with the founding of Howard College in Marion, Alabama. MMI is also one of the first schools to establish a Student Government Association and a student honor system. Former President Howard Taft was the president of the board of trustees, and former president Woodrow Wilson was the keynote speaker of the convocation at MMI chapel in 1905. Marion Military Institute continued as a private high school and junior college until 2006, when the Alabama State Legislature incorporated the military institution into the Alabama Community College System.

I was reminded of Marion Military Institute's legacy when I recently addressed the impressive Corps of 446 cadets. As our country's oldest military junior college, MMI has produced over 210 Generals and Admirals for our Armed Forces. I am also proud to say that there are 348 men and women MMI graduates in all five Service Academies.

College students across the nation attend MMI to establish a strong foundation for their careers and to take advantage of its leadership development opportunities. Marion Military Institute teaches students to never give up, to push forward, and to excel in all of life's pursuits.

In the student body, about 40 percent of the cadets will pursue a civilian career and are enrolled in the Leadership Education Program. Others are working toward receiving an appointment to one of the five U.S. Service Academies. Unique to the four military junior colleges is the Early Commissioning Program, which provides an opportunity for qualified students to earn a commission as a Second Lieutenant after receiving their associate's degree to serve in either the National Guard or the U.S. Army Reserve. Students also can enter the U.S. Marine Corps Program that allows students to work and train with a Selection Officer. Lastly, students can enter the Air Force ROTC, a program that is designed to give men and women the opportunity to become Air Force officers while completing their degrees.

This summer, I was also pleased to have a wonderful Marion Military Institute graduate named Jordan Ceasar intern in my Washington, D.C. office. Jordan learned about a new side of public service as he assisted constituents, studied the legislative process, and learned how to advocate for policy reforms.

Marion Military Institute has a strong history of developing our country's future leaders for military, government, and community service, and I am thrilled to celebrate their 176th Anniversary. With college enrollment averaging an all-time high, I am sure Marion Military Institute will continue to be a pillar of the Black Belt and produce America's leaders for another 176 years.