Alma Adams

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Madam Speaker, I rise today, on day 27 of the Trump shutdown, to talk about the real-world impacts on those in my congressional district, ordinary Americans who hope and pray for an end to this manufactured crisis. This week, I held a tele-townhall to hear personal stories from my constituents. I heard from an 80-year-old grandmother who is worried sick about what a long-term shutdown means to her Medicare. I heard from a TSA officer who struggles to make ends meet on his $23,000 salary and wonders how he will ever survive if he misses another paycheck. I heard from folks who worry about their tax refunds and their SNAP benefits, their rental assistance and their home loans. And I heard from people who wonder how much longer will their children be able to get a warm meal when they get to school each day. Madam Speaker, enough is enough. It is time to stop the partisan games. Most of all, it is time for the Senate and the President to do their job and shut down this shutdown.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ranking Member Peterson for yielding, also Chairman Conaway for all of his support. I am proud today to speak on behalf of the 2018 farm bill. This bill is a strong, bipartisan piece of legislation. It works for families, for farmers, and for all communities. The farm bill now avoids disastrous cuts to SNAP, a program which helps put food on the table for 44,000 people in Mecklenburg County alone, many of whom are children. Additionally, the bill now avoids the mean-hearted, unreasonable work requirements that had been in the previous version of the House farm bill. As founder and cochair of the bipartisan HBCU Caucus, I am particularly proud to have helped secure key resources for 1890 land- grant universities in this bill. The farm bill authorizes $50 million to create three centers of excellence at 1890s and it ensures equity between land grants by removing provisions that strip away unspent extension funds for 1890 schools, and mandating a report that outlines research and extension funds for all land-grant institutions. This is a major legislative win for our land-grant HBCUs. These are the reasons why I founded the HBCU Caucus, to bring together a coalition of Republicans and Democrats to fight together for greater funding and equity for all of our schools. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all of my colleagues on the conference committee, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill later today.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, after months of negotiation and conference, I am proud to come to the floor today to say the 2018 farm bill is now a strong, bipartisan bill which works for families, farmers, and communities. The bill now avoids disastrous cuts to SNAP, a program which helps put food on the table for 44,000 people in Mecklenburg County alone. It also provides $10 million in funding for urban agriculture research and mandatory funding for programs that support local food systems. As co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan HBCU Caucus, I am particularly proud to have helped secure key resources for 1890 land- grant universities in the bill. It authorizes $50 million to create three centers of excellence at 1890s and ensures equity between land- grants by removing provisions that strip away unspent extension funds for 1890s, and it mandates a report that outlines research and extension funds for all land-grant schools. I thank my colleagues on the conference committee, and I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill when it comes to the floor.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 6382, the Clarity on Small Business Participation in Category Management Act. Small businesses are the heart of American enterprise, and we must ensure a level playing field for all of them to compete for Federal contracts. My legislation is the first step to addressing the many concerns of the small business community regarding the current administration's efforts to expand the use of category management. Although category management has been billed as the procurement strategy that can get Federal agencies the lowest price, the actual numbers tell a very different story. In fact, the data shows us that small business vendors on the Multiple Award Schedule continually provided agencies with lower prices than those offered by category management contract holders. However, due to the changes under this administration, many Federal agencies and contracting officers can no longer take advantage of increased competition and lower prices because some category management vehicles are the only option available. Unfortunately, the current trend of this administration is to increase the number of agencies heading in this misguided direction. This will result in wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars because a reduction of competing vendors means Federal agencies will pay more than necessary for goods and services. Furthermore, the harmful effect of the use of the category management business model could mean further exclusion of minorities, women, veterans, and other already disadvantaged small business owners in the Federal marketplace. My bill requires the Small Business Administration to include in their annual report information on best-in-class contractors, which are the companies that largely benefit from category management. This bill would also provide lawmakers with information on whether category management is reducing the role of small firms, women-owned firms, minority-owned companies, and veteran-owned enterprises in Federal contracting. I am also proud to say that my bill is endorsed by the National Defense Industrial Association, an association whose 1,600 corporate members and over 85,000 individual members are 70 percent small business. NDIA works to help small companies grow and remain a strong part of the defense industrial base. The ability for Congress to see this data allows us to determine the effectiveness of such contracting vehicles for small firms and to make needed changes where appropriate. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this legislation. I thank very much our chairman and our ranking member for their support.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6758, the SUCCESS Act. As the world's leader for innovation and entrepreneurship, the United States has historically been a breeding ground for the best ideas and creative approaches that improve our quality of life and solve some of the world's most complex problems. However, currently, women, people of color, and low-income communities hold significantly fewer patents than other demographics. A recent study even showed that children born to parents in the top 1 percent of income are 10 times more likely to become an innovator and hold a patent than those born into low-income families. Innovation should not be a skill set only available to the superrich or those with the most resources. The SUCCESS Act is an important first step to better understanding why the patent gaps exist. It will take a collective effort to create a more equitable system. With data collected via the SUCCESS Act, timely research and the number of programs across the Nation addressing underrepresentation, the Federal Government can better promote policies that increase the opportunity for those underrepresented groups to successfully qualify. I strongly believe that it is our duty to ensure that all people have an equal opportunity to compete for patents and participate in the innovation economy. The future of American innovation is diverse, and the SUCCESS Act will help us begin to close the gap in patenting and ensure that all innovators, creatives, and patent seekers have a seat at the table. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this legislation.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Chair, I offer this amendment to underscore the importance of the EPA's Environmental Justice Program. H.R. 6147 cuts more than $700,000 in funding from this important program that has made an incredible difference in many communities across the country, including in my State of North Carolina. The Environmental Justice Program supports and empowers communities as they work to address significant environmental and public health issues at the local level. In North Carolina, this program has provided funding for 13 different initiatives since 2001, including the Environmental Justice Education and Research Center at Shaw University, which engages high school and college students in environmental justice research; the Healthy Homes Greensboro collaborative, which works to reduce housing-related asthma hospitalizations in low-income, minority neighborhoods resulting from exposure to toxic chemicals; and Clean Energy Durham, which runs a volunteer-driven, neighbor-to-neighbor energy education program for low-income residents of Lee County. Nationally, this program has helped do everything from cleaning contaminated soil on reservations to managing oil spills from an abandoned power plant in Cleveland. This program has had a measurable benefit for the people who live closest to pollution sites. This is crucially important, as people of color and people with little means are often the most affected by environmental injustice. In fact, the environmental justice movement began in Warren County, North Carolina. In 1982, a small, predominantly African American community in Warren County was designated to host a hazardous waste landfill. In response, the NAACP and others staged a massive protest. More than 500 civil rights activists were arrested during the nonviolent sit-in protesting the landfill. While their protests failed to prevent the landfill's construction, it did spark a movement, and it has served as a model for fighting against environmental injustice since. The EPA's Environmental Justice Program helps communities fight against these same forces. It works to ensure that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of negative environmental consequences from commercial operations or policies. H.R. 6147 cuts more than $700,000 in funding from this program, and that is unacceptable. Funding for this program should be increased, and substantially more than the $6.7 million that was appropriated in fiscal year 2018. Cutting out funding for this program neglects dozens of communities of color, subjecting them to filthy air, unsafe drinking water, and the health impacts that go along with that. This amendment simply highlights that fact and challenges that Congress must do better. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman, but I respectfully disagree with my colleague. The EPA's Environmental Justice Program provides substantial help to communities directly affected by pollution and negative environmental consequences. Too often, it is communities of color or low-income communities that are disproportionately affected by negative environmental effects. A study released this February by EPA scientists found that, in 46 States, communities of color are more likely to be exposed to higher levels of dangerous air pollution than White communities. Additionally, in 2012, a study by the NAACP found that coal-fired power plants are disproportionately concentrated near communities of color. Thankfully, the Environmental Justice Program and their initiatives like the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program have helped to support and empower underserved communities across the Nation as they develop solutions to environmental pollution. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Chair, may I ask how much time I have remaining.

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum).

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 1700, the SCORE for Small Business Act of 2018. There are nearly 30 million small businesses in the United States, representing more than 99 percent of all businesses. These small firms employ nearly 50 percent of all private sector employees in the United States. These trailblazers play a critical role in the American economy. They take great risks by launching new ventures, developing new products, and establishing new industries; and, ultimately, these brave efforts help spur growth in our economy. The Small Business Administration, SBA, is a vital part of their support system. The SBA administers a portfolio of Entrepreneurial Development programs, which includes the Service Corps of Retired Executives, better known as SCORE. Through this program, the SBA has undertaken efforts to connect new entrepreneurs and small-business owners with more experienced businessmen and -women. This expansive network consists of entrepreneurs, business leaders, and executives who volunteer as mentors to small firms both in-person and online. SCORE has grown to become one of the Federal Government's largest volunteer business adviser and mentoring programs. In 2017, 59 percent of SCORE's clients were women, 39 percent minorities, and 11 percent veterans. My legislation reauthorizes this essential program so that it will continue to have the ability to meet the needs of entrepreneurs. With technology enhancements and streamlined service processes, SCORE mentoring will now be accessible to business owners, no matter their location. I urge Members to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I do have the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans), who will speak on this issue.

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans).

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I do want to thank Chairman Chabot for his support. There is no question that we need to support our small businesses across the country, no matter their location, industry, or expertise level. My bill, H.R. 1700, provides that critical support by reauthorizing a major component of SBA's entrepreneurial programs and clarifying the utilization of the volunteer base. This bill is supported by the SCORE Association and is reflective of the growth of this program that actively engages business owners, as well as retired executives, to mentor the next generation of job makers. I want to again thank Chairman Chabot for working in a bipartisan manner to help our Nation's small businesses and for his support to reauthorize SCORE. I would urge all of the Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise to support H.R. 2655, the Small Business Innovation Protection Act of 2017. Innovation is an indispensable driver of economic growth and it ensures America's competitive edge in the global marketplace, but many small innovators who should have IP rights are disadvantaged by a complex system which allows their property to be pirated. Much of the time, all they needed was access to the resources, the expertise, and the knowledge to obtain, monitor, and enforce their rights. H.R. 2655 corrects this by creating a partnership between the two agencies best suited to help these innovators: the Small Business Administration and the United States Patent and Trademark Office. By leveraging existing IP education and training programs and utilizing the immense network of Small Business Development Centers, innovators will have all the necessary resources to better protect their interests both domestically and internationally. I applaud Representative Evans for recognizing the problem and working to advance the interests of our Nation's small businesses. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans).

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, intellectual property protections offer small innovative firms and entrepreneurs much needed protection at home and in other countries. In fact, small business firms with IP rights earned 32 percent more in revenue on average per employee when compared to their counterparts without IP rights. Without those protections, our economy may not be what it is today. H.R. 2655 offers necessary education and training to sustain America's competitive edge and drive continued economic growth. As such, I once again urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the thousands of families being ripped apart by President Trump. Like the majority of Americans, I vehemently oppose Trump's cruel and immoral zero-tolerance policy. In less than 2 months, nearly 2,000 children have been snatched from their parents. Why? Because this administration is willing to use toddlers as bargaining chips for a wall. This Trump-created nightmare is absolutely unacceptable. This executive order does nothing to stop immigrant families from being detained. What a shame. Congress has the responsibility to act and create a bipartisan solution. The Ryan immigration bill is not that. It codifies hatred, putting families at greater risk. I urge my colleagues to abandon this hyperpartisanship and find a way to keep all families together and to reunite these children with their parents.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York and the gentleman from Pennsylvania for organizing this event tonight. Thank you for allowing me some time. Like many of my colleagues, I have come to the floor to speak on this topic too many times. In the last year, we witnessed dozens of school shootings, and each time we say it is too soon to discuss a solution to the violence. Instead, we call for a moment of silence. Mr. Speaker, it is not too soon, but it will soon be too late. Thoughts and prayers and silence, they just aren't enough. We need action, and we need it now. In 2018, there have been more than 20 school shootings, which have resulted in more deaths than lives lost in military combat. Students and their parents shouldn't have to wonder whether they are safe in school. They shouldn't have to fear going to school. As a grandmother and mother and retired educator, that shocks me. As an American, that infuriates me. It is time Congress has the moral courage to act. Like Fannie Lou, I am sick and tired of being sick and tired of the same old 1 minute, 1 minute, 1 minute rhetoric. We owe the students and families of Santa Fe and Stoneman Douglas and Sandy Hook and Columbine and all of our children all over this country so much more. No more executions. Let's pass some legislation to help end this tragic epidemic immediately. We must not wait. Our Nation can't wait any longer and our children can't either, so let's do the right thing because it is the right thing. You know, the time is always right to do what is right.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Chair, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chair, I rise today to voice my strong opposition to the 2018 Republican farm bill. As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, I have participated in countless hearings about the needs of our Nation's farmers and families that depend on SNAP to fight hunger. Tragically, this bill doesn't reflect any of that testimony. It is a shortsighted, partisan bill that will have a detrimental impact on communities like mine. I cannot support it. In my home county of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, more than 55,000 households depend on SNAP to eat every day. This bill would rob them of access to quality nutrition programs. In North Carolina, it is estimated that more than 133,000 people will lose their SNAP benefits if this bill passes, including over 51,000 children. Nationwide, 2 million people would be kicked off the program and an estimated 265,000 children would lose access to free or reduced meals at school. No eating at home. No eating at school. Adding new work requirements through an unfunded, untested mandate will bankrupt States and force more needy people out of the program. Let's scrap this flawed partisan farm bill and let's work together in regular order to draft a bill that helps America's farmers and families who depend on nutrition assistance. Mr. Chair, I include in the Record a letter from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, opposing H.R. 2 because of the detrimental effects and impact that it will have on our children and families there. Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, North Carolina, April 17, 2018. Congresswoman Alma Adams, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Congresswoman Alma Adams: As you mark-up of the Farm Bill reauthorization, H.R. 2 this week, I write to you in support of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding, formerly known as Food Stamps, which has historically made up a significant part of this legislation. This vital program offers nutrition assistance to millions of eligible, low-income individuals and families and provides economic benefits to communities. In total, more than 40 million low-income people depend upon this program to keep their families fed. The Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2) is the legislative vehicle for reauthorizing and reforming the programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2023. The last enacted Farm Bill (PL 113-79) is set to expire on September 30. The proposed reauthorization bill is scheduled for markup with the House Agriculture Committee this Wednesday, April 18. It contains several provisions and budget cuts that are troubling and could detrimentally impact our community. The bill includes provisions that expand work requirements and punish the least fortunate members of our community who are often times unable to find employment. Specifically, the bill makes it mandatory that recipients of SNAP, who are able-bodied adults, ages 18 to 59, are either employed or are participating in state-run employment or job-training programs. Participants could be denied benefits for not meeting the new work requirements. The first suspension of benefits would be for 12 months, while a second suspension of benefits would be up to 36 months. Under current law, the SNAP program already has work requirements for able-bodied adults aged 18 to 49. Additionally, the new Farm Bill would include spending cuts, which would make fewer people eligible for benefits and directly harm working-poor families. Mecklenburg County has real concern that these proposed changes in H.R. 2 would negatively impact some of our poorest citizens and cause serious difficulties for our community's most vulnerable populations. Mecklenburg has 55,472 households that rely on SNAP to help provide sustenance. The County also has specific concerns with language in H.R. 2 that reduces spending by $5 billion over 10 years through the ending of a broad-based categorical eligibility that allows states to consider working poor beneficiaries with higher incomes that put them above 130 percent of the federal poverty level. We look forward to working with you on this important effort. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Sincerely, Dena R. Diorio, Mecklenburg County Manager.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Raskin for putting this Special Order hour together. I thank him for his commitment and for his concern. I join all of my colleagues in opposing what is being proposed in terms of this farm bill. Three weeks ago, my Republican colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee sat silently while Chairman Conaway introduced a partisan farm bill. Then they allowed him to preach about the many reasons why he feels that SNAP should be transformed from a feeding program to a work program, uninterrupted. Then they voted for this flawed bill that takes food off of the tables of veterans, seniors, and children. Now they want to pass it through the House and push it forward with their agenda to starve our Nation's most vulnerable. My Republican colleagues ought to be ashamed of this because Proverbs 22:9 says: ``The generous will themselves be blessed, for they share their food with the poor.'' I have said it once, and I will say it again: I don't believe that the Lord is pleased with what we are considering in this bill. In my home county of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, more than 162,000 people are considered food insecure. Worse, 50,000 of those are children. In my community, more than 55,000 families depend on SNAP to help put food on their tables. No one should wonder where their next meal will come from. But, sadly, this is a reality for many, many people. Last year, North Carolina Republicans introduced a bill on the State level that would have a similar impact to this partisan farm bill. Analysis of that bill shows that roughly 130,000 North Carolinians will lose their SNAP benefits if this bill passes, including 50,000 children. Nationwide, the impact of this bill would even be worse: kicking 2 million people out of the program and causing an estimated 265,000 children to lose free or reduced lunch at school. So, no work, no eat? If we are lawmakers and we aren't protecting our Nation's children, then I don't think we deserve to be here. Republicans continue to push the idea that we need entitlement reform just to appease the Speaker. Well, I understand the Speaker has announced his retirement, and I would like for us to just retire the idea that this so-called reform is just numbers on a page because it is not. Real people depend on SNAP programs and, without it, they will go hungry. No one can expect to work if they are hungry. No child can expect to learn if the child is hungry. More than $8 in $10 in nutrition assistance go to households that include a child, a senior, or a person with a disability. Additionally, many working Americans depend on SNAP to make ends meet in expensive cities where earning the minimum wage doesn't pay all of the bills. People work two and three jobs a day at minimum wage, leave work, and go to a food bank to eat. Additionally, many American families depend on SNAP. Working hard is not enough if you don't make enough. Instead of punishing working Americans, let's address the cause of the issue, and let's raise the minimum wage to a living wage. Mr. Speaker, I join my Democratic colleagues in urging Chairman Conaway to scrap this flawed bill and return it to the drawing board. We can, and we should, craft a bipartisan farm bill that benefits all communities.

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, there are probably some lazy folks in here, too.

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Raskin is so absolutely right. I think that is why people have generally lost faith in their government. I mentioned a Scripture from the Bible, but there are 3,000 references--more than 3,000--that speak to how we should treat the poor. We are, I think, being derelict in terms of our duties. Yes, there seems to be a lot of corruption going on. We are not placing our priorities on the people. We are putting profits over people. That is so unfortunate because we were elected to serve everyone, including the poor. The poor will be with us always. We have a responsibility to reach out and to give a helping hand, a help up. We are not talking about people who some folks think are lazy and they are not working. They are working, and they are the caregivers of the children. Children live in poverty because their parents do. We must ensure that we can help those adults who help our children. We want our children to go to school and we want them to do well. Children will not do well if their stomach growls because they are hungry. Mr. Speaker, I think Mr. Raskin is right. We have two worlds here: the haves and the have-nots. It is time to give something to those who have not.

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Raskin for those comments. One of the reasons that I wanted to serve on the Agriculture Committee was because of the issues that are impacted not only in my district but throughout this Nation. Having so many people who are food insecure gave us an opportunity, I think, to do good in this farm bill. It is my understanding that we have never had a bill that was not bipartisan, and I think we need to think about that. The citizens of this country are looking to us to do what is right because it is the right thing to do.