Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 126.

members recorded pursuant to house resolution 8, 117th congress

Allred (Wexton)

Barragan (Beyer)

Cardenas (Gallego)

Costa (Correa)

Crenshaw (Fallon)

Donalds (Cammack)

Gonzalez (OH) (Timmons)

Gosar (Greene (GA))

Grijalva (Garcia (IL))

Khanna (Gomez)

Kirkpatrick (Stanton)

Langevin (Lynch)

Lawson (FL) (Evans)

Leger Fernandez (Jacobs (CA))

Lieu (Beyer)

Lowenthal (Beyer)

Meng (Clark (MA))

Mfume (Connolly)

Moulton (Perlmutter)

Napolitano (Correa)

Omar (Bush)

Payne (Pallone)

Porter (Wexton)

Rush (Underwood)

Sewell (DelBene)

Speier (Scanlon)

Stefanik (Katko)

Trahan (Lynch)

Watson Coleman (Pallone)

Welch (McGovern)

Wilson (FL) (Hayes)

Wilson (SC) (Timmons)

Madam Speaker, as an original co-lead of this legislation, I rise today in support of the bill that is near and dear to my heart, H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act.

As the proud daughter of Jamaican immigrants, I understand the need for the American Dream and Promise Act, and more importantly, we need a humane and dignified 21st century immigration system. Comprehensive immigration reform is what is required.

Let me be very clear, crystal clear: Our immigration system is broken, and the time has come for the values of our Nation to be reflected in our immigration policy.

However, this is not just a moral issue. It is an economic one, as well. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, essential workers are the lifeblood of our economy. They have risked their lives during a global pandemic to serve, support, and protect American communities. We have relied on them during this crisis, and it is time to give them a way out of the shadows.

Let's pass H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act. Let's see it through the Senate, and let's get it signed into law.

Mr. Speaker, due to last-minute congressional business, I was unable to vote on this measure.

Had I been present, I would have voted: ``yea'' on rollcall No. 80 (PPP Extension Act of 2021).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise once again in support of the American Rescue Plan Act. This monumental and comprehensive legislation will bring a sustained critical relief to the American people: $1,400 in the direct payments to the most economically distressed Americans, cutting child poverty in half, $26 billion for emergency rental assistance, and $7.25 billion in new money for the PPP program.

New York City was the outbreak epicenter of the virus. We experienced unprecedented loss and economic devastation. But the American Rescue Plan; Brooklyn, New York; and the Nation can look forward to a future beyond devastating pandemic.

No amount of gaslighting, alternative facts, fear-mongering, and conspiracy theories will fool the American people. President Biden and the Democrats to the rescue.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021.

Under current Federal law, unlicensed sellers can sell guns at gun shows, online, and person to person without conducting any background check on the purchaser. This loophole has dangerous consequences for our communities. In fact, up to 80 percent of firearms used for criminal purposes are obtained without a background check.

I am reminded of my time on the New York City Council where I witnessed the murder of my colleague and dear friend, Councilman James E. Davis.

Just earlier this week, a gunman opened fire on two police officers in my district, hitting one officer in the chest and another in the leg. Guns are not manufactured in Brooklyn, New York.

Time and time again we have been shaken to the core and heartbroken by the news of another shooting in our communities that we call home.

Mr. Speaker, I was participating in critical Committee proceedings and, therefore, was unable to make the first vote. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``yea'' on rollcall No. 41, Bipartisan En Bloc No. 1.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise to support H. Res. 24, the Article of Impeachment against Donald Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors for a second time.

Let us be very clear, what took place on January 6, 2021, was an act of domestic terrorism by rightwing sycophantic white supremacists, promoted, instigated, and advanced by the man in the White House, Donald Trump.

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said: ``The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.''

Madam Speaker, as Vice Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I would like to honor the legacy of the beloved Lenora Lapidus for her steadfast dedication to making this nation a better place than she found it. Lenora was a public servant and civil rights leader passionate about creating equal opportunity for marginalized groups. She was a leader in our community who used her voice to create fair opportunities for women and girls. Lenora began her career in service as an ACLU intern, and later became the legal director of the ACLU of New Jersey, leading the Women's Rights Project for almost two decades. From ensuring that our nation's military is open and accepting to all Americans to creating a means to combat gender-based violence, Lenora won cases on behalf of the ACLU that have elevated our society.

Lenora had a vital role in the Be HEARD Act, aimed at ending and creating consequences for workplace harassment. Her policies and initiatives were always inclusive and addressed the needs of communities that often times did not have a voice. Lenora's legacy will never be forgotten, and she will always be remembered as a trailblazer who fought for equality and justice. I thank her for her commitment to this nation and offer my prayers and condolences to the many experiencing the pain of this devastating loss.

Madam Speaker, I would like to honor the life and legacy of the late Dr. Lamuel A. Stanislaus. Dr. Stanislaus was born on the beautiful island of Grenada and came to the United States in 1945 where he received his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees from Howard University.

Dr. Stanislaus practiced dentistry in upstate New York briefly before moving to Brooklyn Heights, where he would service the Brooklyn Heights community for 32 years. In 1985, Dr. Stanislaus was appointed Permanent Representative of Grenada to the United Nations for five years and served as Ambassador-at-Large and Deputy Permanent Representative for two years. He was later re-appointed as the Permanent Representative of Grenada to the United Nations until 2004. There he became a seasoned, substantive and eloquent voice on behalf of his country Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. On occasion, he was also delegated to speak on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARlCOM) and the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean Countries (GRULAC).

To add to his tremendous achievements, Dr. Stanislaus was also an activist in his community. As a visionary leader, Dr. Stanislaus founded the West Indian Day Carnival Parade--a national day of celebration and valor for Caribbean tradition and culture. He left behind a movement that began in Harlem and was relocated to my district where Central Brooklynites still partake in celebrating our beautiful heritage. Dr. Stanislaus was well-versed in the rich history of the Caribbean. It goes without saying that Dr. Stanislaus' commitment to public service represents leadership, scholarship, integrity and inspiration in our community.

Dr. Lamuel A. Stanislaus was the recipient of numerous professional, civic and political awards. It is my distinct honor to announce that on Saturday, June 15, 2019, Rutland Road between Flatbush and Bedford Avenues in Brooklyn, New York was renamed after his namesake, the Dr. Lamuel A. Stanislaus Way. Sir Lamuel A. Stanislaus' life demonstrated a love of God, humankind, love of country, love of Grenada and its people as well as the Caribbean community at large. Dr. Stanislaus was and will remain a motivation to all.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I am proud to be offering this amendment to prohibit the Census Bureau from sharing the data it collects with other Federal agencies, along with my colleague Congressman

Cisneros. We do this by requiring the Census Bureau to uphold its statutory confidentiality obligations.

The White House is trying to silence immigrant families and make them afraid to participate in the Census.

If the Supreme Court doesn't strike down the citizenship question-- and, sadly, it appears they may not--immigrant families in districts like mine may choose not to participate, afraid that their citizenship status will be shared with ICE. That means my State will receive less representation in Congress, and New Yorkers will be left without a voice in the Halls of Congress, as well as the commensurate Federal funding we will need to adequately deal with the actual population that has been undercounted.

The Constitution says the Census is supposed to be a complete enumeration. That means each and every person is supposed to be counted. However, it is clear that the White House's citizenship question is a blatant attempt to undercount immigrant families and exclude them from our democracy.

We also know the Census has a history of violating its statutory obligation not to share personal data. During World War II, ancestry information was used to identify Japanese Americans for internment. And just last June, a DOJ attorney suggested in an email that the Department should not say too much to Congress in regards to the confidentiality of Census responses in case the issue ``comes up for renewed debate.''

That is unacceptable. Census responses must be kept confidential, period, full stop. And if my amendment passes, during the FY 2020, no funds will be spent to violate the law and share Census information with ICE, law enforcement, or other Federal agencies.

The White House's citizenship question is a blatant attempt to undercount immigrant families and exclude them from our democracy. This body must stand up and say no.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I hope that what my colleague has said on the other side of the aisle is true, and I am happy to hear him stand shoulder to shoulder with this side of the aisle to say that anyone in violation of this will have to stand the consequences.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, to Speaker Pelosi, Chair Nadler, and Chair Lofgren, my colleagues Representative Roybal-Allard, Representative Velazquez, Representative Jayapal, and Representative Chu, their leadership has been tremendous in bringing forth H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act.

2.5 million, this is how many of our neighbors, our friends, and our family members will be able to officially call themselves American citizens because of the Dream and Promise Act as they obtain legal permanent residency on the pathway to citizenship.

I am proud to sponsor H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act, which provides 2.5 million Dreamers, persons with temporary protected status, and deferred enforcement departure recipients with a pathway to citizenship--2.5 million people who already call America home and are mightily contributing to our society.

As chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Immigration Task Force and as a second-generation American myself, it is my passion and my duty to stand up for immigrants.

From rural America to urban America, like in my district in Brooklyn, New York, immigrants are part of all of our communities. Immigrants own, operate, and shop at our corner shops and bodegas; immigrants cheer on their kids at neighborhood soccer games; and immigrants worship with us at our places of worship. Simply put, immigrants are woven into the fabric of our society.

The Dream and Promise Act is commonsense immigration policy, commonsense immigration policy that recognizes today's immigrant dilemmas--Dreamers and TPS and DED recipients who are contributing to our communities and are part of our blended status families--and provides them with a long, overdue pathway to citizenship.

In New York City alone, where my district is located, more than 109,000 people are eligible for the Dream and Promise Act. That number balloons to more than 180,000 people when you take into account the entire State of New York. These immigrants are not only a part of our social fabric, but they directly boost our economy.

I look around in this Chamber and I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn't been positively impacted, directly or indirectly, by the multitude of ways that these immigrants have added value to our communities.

For example, in my home State of New York, immigrants eligible for the Dream and Promise Act own 9,500 homes and pay $228,300,000 each year in mortgage payments. These same immigrants contribute more than $1.6 billion each year in Federal taxes and more.

Having said that, Madam Speaker, I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with my colleagues.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. Chairman, I would like to, first of all, thank the gentlewoman from Delaware (Ms. Blunt Rochester) for introducing this very important legislation, and thank Chairman Scott for yielding me time and for his leadership and support in continuing to provide access to quality healthcare for working families.

As vice chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, I am happy to stand with my colleagues on the Education and Labor Committee to urge my colleagues to support the Strengthening Healthcare and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act.

While H.R. 987 is not a panacea to the many challenges that we face in our Nation's healthcare delivery system, it is sound legislation that will reduce drug pricing and increase market competition to bring generic drugs to the market sooner.

It improves the lives of Americans by lowering the cost of premiums and out-of-pocket expenses and that presents real financial hardships to Americans who have to struggle with limited resources and ask themselves, Do I pay for medication, or do I purchase food, or school fees, or transportation to and from work?

While my home State of New York has banned the sale of short-term health insurance plans, they are legal in other states and often do not provide a comprehensive level of healthcare insurance and coverage in the event of an emergency.

Mr. Chairman, let's do the right thing and enact legislation that will lower the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs and give protections to the consumers of health insurance coverage, lifting the burden of access and affordability from the American people.

Mr. Chairman, I thank our chairman for yielding the time. I thank Congresswoman Kuster for her leadership.

As vice chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and cosponsor of H.R. 986, I am proud to stand with my colleagues in support of the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019.

Healthcare is a right. In the 21st century, everyone must have the right to the best quality and affordable healthcare insurance when they need it most.

This human right must not be only limited to healthy individuals, but, rather, the human right to healthcare must be available to every American who has ever been ill at any time or is born with a preexisting condition. No American should be penalized for a medical condition that started before the individual's healthcare coverage benefits went into effect.

Passage of the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act would rescind the 1332 guidance issued by the Trump administration, which weakens coverage and undermines the Affordable Care Act's protections for people with preexisting conditions.

Our friends on the other side of the aisle made more than 70 failed attempts to replace and repeal the Affordable Care Act between 2011 and 2017.

Mr. Chair, we must do the right thing and enact legislation that strengthens the standards of quality healthcare, affordability, comprehensiveness, and coverage. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 986.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman of our committee for yielding me time.

The Paris Agreement will still stand with or without the U.S. not meeting our commitment, and it doesn't hurt the Paris Agreement, it just hurts the U.S. diplomatically and economically. So it is so critical that we use this opportunity to express to the world and to express to our own Nation that climate change is a priority for this Congress.

Beyond the diplomatic consequences around the world, a decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement hurts Americans right here at home. The U.S. is in the midst of a major transition to clean energy. As consumers demand access to cleaner energy and cleaner air, prices for renewables are falling across the board. With the market forces increasing favoring renewables, dirty energy is no longer a smart investment.

So I want to thank my colleague, Kathy Castor, and I want to thank the members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for continuing to stand strong and stand firm in our commitment to the American people, because ceding the leadership role on the global stage means losing economic opportunities in the global clean energy economy, hurting American workers and businesses.

As we talk about the international framework, we see China, India, and other countries would lead if America does not.

This decision is just another bad Trump deal for the United States of America. It won't bring the coal industry back, and it cedes ground to creating renewable energy jobs that put Americans to work.

This is the new industrial revolution of the 21st century. Let us not cede our leadership to others around the globe but let us lead them. Let us provide the technology that the world will utilize to make sure that we save and preserve this planet, not only for our generation, but generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, in light of the undeniable spikes in hate speech and hate crimes and conversations we have had in the House over the past few days, I rise today in memory of Ari Halberstam, a young neighbor of mine whose life was taken 25 years ago this week when anti-Semitic hatred morphed into terrorism.

Tragically, on March 6, 1994, Ari passed away at age 16 due to gunshot wounds to the head after a terrorist attack on the ramp leading to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Mr. Speaker, we must confront hatred in all of its manifestations, be it anti-Semitic attacks that took our beloved Ari's life or the hate- fueled neo-Nazi march through Charlottesville that took the life of Heather Heyer.

Devorah Halberstam, Ari's mother and my dear friend, is a crusader for justice and a forceful advocate in New York State for the passage of Ari's Law as part of a comprehensive gun control bill prohibiting interstate gun trafficking.

Determined to bring about something symbolic of resilience, tolerance, and beauty, in 2004 Ms. Halberstam established Brooklyn's iconic Jewish Children's Museum in my district in memory of Ari. The award-winning children's museum is Ari's legacy. It is our legacy.

The uptick in acts of anti-Semitism targeting Jewish communities are truly alarming, but must be confronted. Let us remember that these acts are in no way reflective of who we are as a Nation and/or our core values of tolerance, respect, and human decency.

Let us celebrate Ari's life and legacy by coming together in respect, tolerance, and, above all else, love.