Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Brooklyn, New York (Mr. Jeffries), my good friend and colleague, for yielding, and the gentleman from Nevada, the Honorable Mr. Horsford, for anchoring the Special Orders of the Congressional Black Caucus.

I join with my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus in rising this evening to address the issue of income inequality that continues to splinter the foundation of our Nation.

In Brooklyn, the lowest income and the lowest fifth of households took home about 2.5 percent of the borough's income in 2011. The top 5 percent claimed 24 percent. Almost 22 percent of the population of Brooklyn lives in poverty.

While the causes of this polarization are complex, I believe they are not insurmountable. The people of Brooklyn have started to stand up and demand action on the issue.

We know that the wage stagnation contributes largely to income disparity, so let's raise the minimum wage.

We know that education is the true ladder of opportunity in our communities, so let's make the vital investments in education.

We know that unemployment insurance is not only an essential tool for individuals, a bridge to find new work, but it is also a stimulus to our local businesses, so let us extend unemployment insurance.

Most importantly, we must make every effort to make sure that no American is allowed to fall through our social safety net and that we, as their national representatives, truly look out for those that have been driven deeper into desperation and poverty by the recent financial crisis.

So our message today is simple: the economic disparity that has crept across our Nation is threatening America's fundamental promise of opportunity for all. We must take action: opportunities for entrepreneurship and job creation; maintain our social compact so that no American has to go hungry, that we provide the food assistance through a robust Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; provide the unemployment insurance that families need to maintain until they get those jobs they have been seeking.

We must take action. That is what we have been sworn to do.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here before you to acknowledge, and in remembrance of, the fourth anniversary of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti in January 2010. I come in honor and in awe of the unmitigated strength, hope, and faith of the Haitian people.

Although there is still significant progress to be made, let us take this time to remember those who have died and those who continue living with the visible and invisible scars of trauma.

We cannot forget those who still remain in IDP camps, subject to forced evictions, and living in squalid and precarious conditions. We must remember those who are victims of sexual and gender-based violence, and we cannot turn a blind eye on those Haitians suffering from cholera, which was introduced to the country through no fault of their own.

Mr. Speaker, the passion of the Haitian people continues to inspire a sense of community, generosity, strength, and drive throughout the Caribbean diaspora.

Therefore, I urge my colleagues to draw on the energy, will, and determination of the Haitian people and continue to fight to help Haiti to truly recover from the devastating earthquake of 2010.

Mr. Speaker, as a proud member of the Brooklyn Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, it is my deepest honor to extend warm wishes to my sorority on our 101st Founders Day.

Established on January 13, 1913, by 22 young women at Howard University in Washington, D.C., the women of Delta Sigma Theta soon demonstrated their commitment to social justice, public service, and active participation in our civil society.

The women of Delta Sigma Theta worked to support academic excellence at their colleges and universities and to provide assistance to women in need.

In 1950, its first overseas chapter was established in Port-au- Prince, Haiti. The sorority currently has more than 900 chapters located in the United States, England, Japan, Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the Republic of Korea.

Many very prominent corporate, public, and community leaders are members of the sorority, including the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Honorable Marcia Fudge, who is a past national president of Delta, and the Honorable Congresswoman Joyce Beatty of Columbus, Ohio.

My predecessor in Congress, the Honorable Shirley Chisholm, was also a member of Delta Sigma Theta. Her work as an activist and an elected official provides an example of the capacity of leadership that the sorority has developed in generation after generation of young, college-educated women.

To the women of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Happy Founders Day.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Las Vegas (Mr. Horsford) for his leadership and guidance during this CBC Special Order.

Today I rise to support the extension of emergency unemployment benefits. Since 2008, both parties have come together to provide extra weeks of unemployment benefits for our fellow Americans. These Americans are our neighbors, our relatives, our friends, and constituents who are unemployed through no fault of their own. They have consistently tried to find employment, having pounded the pavement each and every day but, unfortunately, to no avail. They deserve our help.

Unemployment benefits help Americans pay for their most basic survival needs: food, housing, and medical care. If unemployment benefits are not extended, approximately 5 million Americans are expected to lose emergency unemployment benefits over the next 12 months; and of that number, 383,000 are New Yorkers.

Failing to extend the emergency benefits will reduce economic growth by 0.4 percent in the first quarter of 2014 and cost our economy 310,000 jobs next year. Is this really another problem that we want to have our Nation face?

It is important to realize that unemployment not only negatively affects individuals and their families but also our economy, in particular, small business owners. The mom-and-pop shops that are the pillars in our communities suffer more when their customers cannot patronize their businesses.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, has found that every $1 spent on unemployment insurance grows the economy by $1.55.

These dollars circulating through the economy create jobs. Despite statements to the contrary made by some of my Republican colleagues, no one wants to be unemployed. Americans want to work. It is part of the American ethos. It is also part of the American ethos to help our fellow citizens out when they are down. We all must remember that, but for the grace of God, go I.

I close by asking Speaker Boehner to bring an emergency unemployment benefit extension bill to the floor, and, in doing so, help not only our economy but, most importantly, millions of deserving and unemployed Americans.

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, five decades after President Johnson declared a war on poverty, economic inequality is pervasive in our society; and our work to reduce substantial disparities in income and wealth must continue. But we must not forget that the war on poverty has and will continue to improve the lives of millions of Americans.

For who among us would tell a senior citizen that Medicare was a failure? Or tell the parents of a child who attends preschool under Head Start that that program doesn't work? Who among us would tell the families who have had access to desperately needed--and often lifesaving--health care as a result of Medicaid that that program was not worth the cost?

Mr. Speaker, our work has not yet been completed. In December, we returned home to share the holiday season with our families, to gather at the dinner table, and to exchange gifts. However, millions of Americans were not as fortunate because Congress returned home without extending unemployment benefits to 1.3 million Americans, not including the millions of people who rely on them and their families.

If unemployment benefits are not extended, approximately 5 million Americans are expected to lose emergency unemployment benefits over the next 12 months; and of that number, 383,000 are New Yorkers. Additionally, the lapse in unemployment benefits is likely to result in an increase in demand for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP.

This is occurring at a time when the Republicans are contemplating making $40 billion in cuts to nutrition assistance. Already, 3,185,000 New Yorkers are dealing with the impacts of the SNAP benefit cut that happened this past November due to an expiration of funding made available under the American Recovery Act.

This is unfair. This is unjust. It makes no sense and, more importantly, it does not help Americans regain their economic footing. But we have the ability to correct this mistake by extending unemployment benefits and preventing further cuts to SNAP.

Congress can affirm the common priorities that we share as a Nation and

work together to make them a reality. We, as a Congress, must continue to work together to end poverty in America. Having said that, I yield back to the gentlelady in remembrance of President Johnson's 50-year war on poverty. We need to take up the battle once again.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1, I was in the Chamber trying to vote at the voting box when the Speaker gaveled down the vote. I was present. I would have voted ``present.''

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the official Congressional Delegation to Johannesburg, South Africa to attend the memorial services for former President Nelson Mandela, I missed the votes on Tuesday, December 10, 2013 and Wednesday, December 11, 2013.

Had I been present, I would have voted: ``yes'' on rollcall No. 630, H.R. 3521--Authorize VA Medical Facility Leases; ``yes'' on rollcall No. 631, H.R. 1402--VA Expiring Authorities Extension Act; ``no'' on rollcall No. 632, H.R. 2019--Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act of 2013; ``yes'' on rollcall No. 633, H.R. 2319--Native American Veterans' Memorial Amendments Act of 2013; ``yes'' on rollcall No. 634, S. 1471--Alicia Dawn Koehl Respect for National Cemeteries Act; ``yes'' on rollcall No. 635, H.R. 3212--Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2013; and ``yes'' on rollcall No. 636, H.R. 1992--Israel QME Enhancement Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the gentlelady from California for yielding time for me to speak in support of H.R. 3509, the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act. As a representative of the second largest population of first- and second-generation Haitian Americans and Haitian immigrants, I appreciate the importance of the bill.

It is critical that we expand communication between the executive branch and Congress to keep track of all monetary aid sent to Haiti, ensuring increased accountability and transparency.

After the alarming findings of the GAO report and since the January 2010 earthquake, Haitians still live in IDP camps; they continue to fight the cholera epidemic; and with the Haitian Government's very evident challenges in maintaining a sustainable democracy, it is imperative that Congress has all the information necessary to ensure that U.S. foreign aid is being administered effectively.

Mr. Speaker, as we look to the fourth anniversary of the horrific earthquake, I am hopeful of the day when we can witness the full recovery and rebirth of the beautiful Caribbean nation of Haiti. But until then, we have a lot of work to do, and that is why I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 3509, the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act.

I thank Congressman Fattah for leading us in this Special Order in commemoration of ``Madiba.''

I stand today to honor the memory of President Nelson Mandela of South Africa, a world leader of the highest order: an icon. His commitment to justice, equality, and the right to human dignity that must be afforded each individual person accorded him a moral authority that just could not be denied.

Nelson Mandela, affectionately known as Madiba, understood that the policy of apartheid was pure evil--a violation of our shared commitment to human rights and to the dignity of each individual.

Trained as an attorney, he became an activist. And for his activism, he was imprisoned in the very year that I was born, confined to a cell on Robben Island.

Through activism, he affirmed the ability of women and men to achieve freedom from the harshest forms of racial oppression and created a movement that inspired people worldwide. I, myself, as a young person was inspired by his example on the campus of Oberlin College, where, like many campuses across this Nation, we led a divestment movement.

I was within the enormous crowd of people in Brooklyn who cheered President Mandela upon his release from Robben Island. I remember the electricity in the air. Who could forget the experience of cheering a man who had come to our shores, arrived in the very district that I represent today, and who transformed his Nation and the whole world, in saying the words: Free Nelson Mandela.

Mr. Speaker, I was honored and humbled to be a part of the congressional delegation that attended his memorial earlier this week and to pay my respects and that of my constituents in the Ninth Congressional District.

Nelson Mandela will remain forever an inspiration to those who believe in justice and equality and the promise of a better future for all of God's children.

Today, Madiba is truly free. We all mourn in tribute to a hero to men and women everywhere.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries) and the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford) for their leadership in anchoring this year's CBC Special Order hour and thank them in particular for this evening here in review.

Mr. Speaker, it has been a long road. From fighting to keep SNAP funding to rehashing the Affordable Care Act to advocating for immigration reform that is truly diverse and comprehensive, the CBC has come a long way.

As one of the cochairs of the CBC immigration task force, I am proud of the work we have done to ensure that everyone, including immigrants of the African diaspora and African Americans, were adequately included and represented in this conversation.

It feels like it was just yesterday when we stood here in February introducing the CBC's perspective on the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform. That night, we laid the foundation of what was to be an uphill battle between politics, policy, and procedure. The CBC, along with our Tri-Caucus colleagues, argued that the burden of the broken immigration system does not encumber one group of immigrants alone. For example, there are approximately 3 million immigrants from the African diaspora in the United States, the vast majority of whom entered the country with legal documentation, but there are millions more from all over the world, including eastern Europe and South Asia.

As the conversation increased, the CBC immigration task force tried to highlight the impact of immigrants of the African diaspora from the continent of Africa, the Caribbean region, and South and Central America, which has been large in scale. Their contribution has not been mentioned in the Main Street stories representing reform. Many did not recognize nor understand that the road for many immigrants of the diaspora was significantly different than the proverbial stories in the media.

Many entered our Nation with legal student visas, like my own parents did, to pursue careers in medicine, science, education, and other professions. Many are proud business owners of law firms, restaurants, grocery stores, shipping companies, and hair-braiding venues. There are those who have come as asylum seekers fleeing the tumult of war, famine, and genocide. Like any other immigrant group, they come to the United States to be productive, tax-paying members of our civil society, to attain the American Dream.

Like the other immigrant groups, immigrants of the African diaspora are dealing with backlogged immigration processing, families being ripped apart, falling out of status because they have aged out of the legal immigration process; racial and status discrimination; unfair criminal aggravated felony laws that prohibit judicial review; deportation processes that violate civil and human rights; an insecure, prohibitive student visa program; and limited access to work permits and much more.

Mr. Speaker, it is imperative for us to acknowledge the fact that many immigrants arrive on our shores during a time of their lives when they are in the most productive years of their lives. Any delay in processing these individuals, bringing them to the fore, would deny us as a Nation the opportunity to access their talent, their skill, and abilities in the prime of their lives.

Additionally, it was important for us to note that African Americans, those descendents of the transatlantic slave trade, whom I fondly call ``longtime stakeholders'' of this Nation, have been affected by our broken immigration system as well.

Let me thank the gentleman from New York for saving me. I have recovered now and would just like to bring forth a few more points.

Working class Americans of all backgrounds, races, and ethnicities are adversely affected with a broken immigration system. As we stated, they are dealing with depressed wages because of unscrupulous and illegal corporate hiring practices. Urban communities aren't even being adequately counted via the census and other surveys, resulting in the reduction of adequate government services and Federal resources to meet the needs of actual populations in our communities, increasing the strain on current public services.

Urban communities are exposed to more crime as the undocumented are more reluctant to report crimes, and African Americans are dealing with increased racial and status discrimination as many are subjected to interrogation based on citizenship.

Imagine our delight, Mr. Speaker, when the immigration reform debate gained some traction this year with the actions taking place in the Senate. There were tangible legislative fixes in the works.

The CBC quickly expressed our concerns to both the House and the Senate leadership over the elimination of the Diversity Visas, used largely by African and Eastern European immigrants.

We voiced our concern over the ability of American children, particularly those from underrepresented and underserved areas to be successful in STEM fields without the proper education, especially since much of the emphasis in the debate relied on increasing incentives of migrants in those fields.

We also expressed the need to address our immigration judicial system. The current state is not aligned with our criminal justice system, leaving many immigrants forced to experience double jeopardy for nonviolent crimes.

We stood up against racial profiling language that does not include religion or national origin and expressed concerns over the switch from family-

based immigration to an economic-based system.

Now, as the House looks to different vehicles to consider comprehensive immigration reform, I implore the House leadership to understand the importance of diversity; that is, racial, ethnic, religious, national, and especially economic diversity, the visa equity that must be afforded immigrants from around the globe.

If we eliminate country caps without including other avenues for smaller countries, we are jeopardizing the beautiful mosaic that makes this country unique and great.

We must evaluate consideration of the SAFE Act, which is a bad idea and a slap in the face to our immigrant history.

Additionally, we have to have an honest conversation about the relationship between legalization and border security. Allowing those who are here a pathway to citizenship but creating an obstacle course based in fear to obtain the citizenship is not the way to go.

We will never realize the true potential of this country if anyone in our society is held back from realizing their individual dreams. And relying heavily on an economic-based immigration system will exclude many immigrants, creating yet another stratified immigration system, forcing people back into the shadows.

That is why, as we look at the next session of the 113th Congress, I ask my colleagues to take the opportunity to revisit these proposals, sans political pressure, sans the haste to get it done, and take a real look at how we can improve the lives of all Americans and all those who strive with the hope to be an American.

Mr. Speaker, we must get this right. Our national security is at stake. Our moral standing in the world depends upon it. The American people, many of whom are first- and second-generation immigrants, have demanded it.

If we turn our backs on those law-abiding contributors to our civil society that come to our shores only to embrace the American Dream, to labor in the rebuilding of our great Nation, strengthen our economy, and to serve honorably in our military, we turn our back on ourselves and our future.

I can definitely say that the CBC Immigration Taskforce looks forward to continuing this conversation into the new year, ensuring that any comprehensive immigration reform measures mirror the diversity of this Nation.

So I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from New York, whose district is right next to mine in Brooklyn, for yielding time to me today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate former Public Advocate and a dear friend of mine Bill de Blasio on his election as Mayor of New York City. He will be New York's 109th Mayor and the first Democrat to hold the office in 20 years.

Mr. de Blasio is a compassionate and intelligent man who believes that every person in New York should have access to a quality education, attend college or vocational training, find a job, and start a family.

He is ready to address the enormous challenge that income inequality poses for New York City and our nation, which threatens to undermine our shared commitment to the American Dream. This is a great victory for the people of New York City, and I know that he will unify all New Yorkers and lead the City forward into a new era.

New York City has a new incredible leader and I look forward to working with him on initiatives that will keep New York City and our nation on the path to prosperity. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the election of Bill de Blasio, and urge us all to continue the fight for an America that is a true champion of equity and opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to promote awareness of the growing concern for one of the deadliest cancers in America--Pancreatic cancer.

Some of you may not know, but the threat of Pancreatic cancer is growing in the United States. Pancreatic cancer is not only one of the deadliest cancers, but it's the 4th leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the United States.

It is estimated that in 2013, 45,220 Americans will be diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer and 38,460 will die from this disease; while overall cancer incidence and death rates are declining, the incidence of Pancreatic cancer and death rate due to this cancer have been increasing. According to a recent report issued by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Pancreatic cancer is expected to become the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States by 2020.

In my home state of New York, the projection of Pancreatic cancer deaths in 2013 is 2,500. Specifically, in Kings County, which is where my congressional district is located, there have been on average 256 deaths per year between 2006 and 2010. This information is particularly troubling to me and underscores the fact that we need to put forth more effort to support cancer research.

The Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act was signed into law on January 2, 2013. This law calls on the National Cancer Institute, also known as NCI, to develop scientific frameworks for Pancreatic and Lung cancer, which will help provide the strategic direction needed to make true progress in these deadly cancers.

Although we enacted this piece of legislation, our work is far from over. Pancreatic cancer statistics call for aggressive measures NOW to develop early detection and treatment tools before incidences of the disease dramatically increase--but NCI funding is falling dangerously behind. In fact, over the last decade the National Institutes of Health has lost approximately 20% of its purchasing power because funding has not kept pace with the rate of biomedical inflation. Added to that, the NCI budget was cut by 5.8%, largely as a result of sequestration.

As members of Congress, we can give current and future Pancreatic cancer patients a fighting chance by ensuring that the provisions of the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act are fully implemented and provide sustained, adequate funding for the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.

We cannot have success in fighting diseases like Pancreatic cancer if research funding levels do not improve. So, I stand here today to urge my colleagues to support cancer research and ensure that the provisions of the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act are fully implemented.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast Cancer is the most common cancer among women in the U.S. and also the

most common cancer found among every ethnic and racial group in America. Thanks to continuous research efforts to improve breast cancer treatment, the mortality rate for this cancer is gradually declining.

According to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Organization, in 2013, it is estimated that among U.S. women there will be 232,340 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 39,620 breast cancer deaths. It is also estimated that 27,060 new cases of breast cancer and 6,080 deaths are expected to occur among African American women.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among African American women and the second leading cause of cancer death among African American women exceeded only by lung cancer. Studies have found that African American women often have aggressive tumors with a poorer prognosis which leads to a higher mortality rate.

Breast cancer incidence in African American women is lower than in White women overall. However, for women younger than 45, incidence is higher among African American women than White women. Breast cancer mortality is 41 percent higher in African American women than in White women. Although breast cancer survival in African American women has increased in recent decades, survival rates remain lower than among White women.

Over the past 20 years, progress in both early detection and treatment has led to improved survival for people of all ages and races, and with all stages of breast cancer. Between 1990 and 2009, breast cancer mortality declined by 33 percent among women in the United States.

According to the National Cancer Institute, between 2003 and 2009, 89.2 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer survived 5 years or more after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Death rates have been falling on average 1.9 percent each year over the last 10 years and this is due to the advances in treatment.

Though we have been successful in improving our treatment of Breast Cancer, we still must provide adequate research funding to find a cure for the disease. I therefore stand in honor of all breast cancer patients and survivors to urge my colleagues to support cancer research and ensure that the current and future breast cancer patients have an increased fighting chance for survival.

Mr. Speaker, my colleagues, we were all saddened last Monday evening to hear of the passing of my predecessor, the Honorable Congressman Major R. Owens, and I stand here with colleagues to commemorate his life and his record of dedicated service to the people of central Brooklyn.

Congressman Owens was committed to the children and families who had been marginalized and ignored by the body politic. He worked to involve the community in the control of local public schools in Brooklyn and was a strong advocate for education as a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. His efforts were critical to the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Congressman Owens had always been dedicated to expanding access to information and the empowerment of the citizenry. Before being elected to the New York State Senate, he was a proud librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library, and he remains the only librarian to have been a Member of Congress; and he was a mayoral appointee of Mayor John Lindsay as commissioner for the Community Development Agency, fighting on behalf of impoverished New York citizens.

Congressman Major Owens retired from elected office. He devoted himself to training the next generation of leaders. As a professor, he shared his experience with the students at Medgar Evers College.

Mr. Speaker, the example of Congressman Major R. Owens' public service will remain an inspiration to this and future generations of elected officials in Brooklyn and across the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House stand to offer a moment of silence in honor of the late Congressman Major R. Owens.

Mr. Speaker, I am deeply concerned that Republican- Majority has brought a bill (H.J. Res 79) to the floor that would provide funds solely for specific offices within the Department of Homeland Security. DHS deemed 86 percent of its employees essential during this forced Republican government shutdown; however, this bill only provides funds for: Immigration and Customs Enforcement, National Protection and Programs Directorate's office of Biometric Identity Management, Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The bill does not provide critical funding for many of the other offices within the DHS that play a vital role in protecting our country. As the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies, I advocate for funding of the offices and programs that protect our nation from cyber attacks and monitor our critical infrastructure.

The consequences of accepting this piecemeal bill are very severe, a very risky impediment to the daily duties and services that DHS provides for our country's protection. Providing funds for the DHS, as a whole, is vital to our homeland security. Republicans continue to use this piecemeal approach; showing a reckless disdain for the Federal government and her dedicated employees, which fails to grasp the bigger picture, and have failed to bring an end to this government shutdown. We must, and cannot accept these extortion tactics.

I urge my colleagues to reject this bill and vote for a clean CR, and to raise the debt limit now.