Earl Blumenauer

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I thank the good doctor, and Ms. Sewell for helping us facilitate the movement of this legislation and make it possible for us to actually maybe even get it enacted in this Congress before the deadline expires at the end of the month. As I referenced, this, I think, is very, very important. The region is home to these eight countries that have provided some 13 million Americans with a country of origin. It is in our neighborhood and it is an area where the United States has been involved from the beginning. As I mentioned in my opening comments, we have not always distinguished ourselves with honor but this is an opportunity for us to do the right thing: to build on this existing legislation; to not have it expire; to demonstrate broad, bipartisan commitment and then get back to the hard work of implementing it. It provides a framework but it is not self-executing. It is something that we need to do with policy, with our actions and words, being able to build on this as a foundation for progress in this critical region. I thank Madam Speaker for the opportunity to advance it, and I strongly urge all of my colleagues to approve this legislation and be able to keep it in force before it expires at the end of the month. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, last week our subcommittee held a hearing on the Chinese Government's use of forced labor for the production of all kinds of goods through a concerted program of oppression and coerced assimilation of China's Uyghur population. You have heard the horrible details that we had expressed in our committee. We have had a long history of grappling with the depravity of forced labor and ensuring that goods produced under such conditions do not eventually make their way into our grocery stores and shopping malls across the country. We passed a law a century ago prohibiting importation of such goods. But, unfortunately, the ban--founded on principles of morality, human rights, worker rights, as well principles of fair competition--has, to be charitable, a history of spotty implementation. We don't pretend that it is going to be easy to stop this. Global supply chains now are complex and interrelated. It is going to require the concerted efforts of us all. But we should not allow complex supply chains to justify the chains of oppression on the Uyghur populations now. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the aftermath of the passage of this legislation, that we work to actually implement it, we work with the expressions that have been positive from the private sector and NGOs, and other partners, to make sure that it is real. It is going to require concerted effort. It is going to require some dislocation. We may even pay a dime or two more for a pair of socks or a T-shirt. But I do think not being complicit with this horrific oppression of over a million--and I agree with Mr. Smith, it may well be more than that. It is time for us to make sure that we take a stand. Make it real. I deeply appreciate the sentiment on both sides of the aisle that we are committed to stop it now. In an era of, shall we say, a little conflict, this could be a bright spot for us going forward.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, it has been a great honor to work closely with Charles Hudson, or Chuck as many know him, for the last twenty-one years. Chuck has been a key part of the team at the Columbia River Inter- Tribal Fish Commission, directing government affairs and serving as an absolutely indispensable resource on tribal fisheries policy and services for the Yakama, Warm Springs, Umatilla, and Nez Perce tribes. This has meant that we have collaborated on any number of issues and projects, from creating the Columbia River Basin Restoration Act to righting historic wrongs done by the federal government with respect to tribal housing along the Columbia. Along the way, Chuck has been a tremendous partner in engaging not just my office, but the entire Pacific Northwest delegation in advancing the fisheries and related priorities of the four Columbia River Treaty tribes. He is an extraordinarily trusted, knowledgeable, and effective advocate. The work that he's done will benefit tribal communities for generations to come. My connection to Chuck is deeper than most, as I've also had the pleasure of working closely with his son, Stone, who served as an intern in my office and then on my staff. It's been a true honor to work with Stone, who, like Chuck, is a skilled communicator, a dedicated professional, and an engaged member of the community. I have deeply appreciated the opportunity to partner with both of these wonderful people on many initiatives. I congratulate Chuck on his retirement and thank him for his tremendous service to tribal communities in the Pacific Northwest, I am proud to call him my friend and co-collaborator. I look forward to continuing to work together, as he writes the next chapter of his remarkable life.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, I am proud to join my friend, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez' leadership and partnership stopping the Trump administration's reckless attack on fair housing. For a century, housing discrimination against Black Americans and people of color was rampant. They were shut out of programs. It has been a struggle to be able to engage in fair housing practices. The Obama administration reversed this disparate treatment by strengthening the Fair Housing Act. But the current occupant of the White House has, instead, rescinded the rule with his thinly veiled racist tweet suggesting that individuals in suburbs will no longer have to be ``bothered or financially hurt by having low-income housing built in their neighborhoods.'' This continues a pattern for over a century, one of the reasons that people of color have been denied housing opportunities and an escalator to the middle class. We ought to approve this amendment, push back, and recommit ourselves on the day that we lay our friend, John Lewis, to rest that we recognize his commitment to fair housing.

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, since 1996, when California voters made that State the first in the country to legalize medical marijuana, we have seen a revolution taking place in cannabis policy. This has been driven almost entirely by advocates and activists mounting successful campaigns to have voters in 33 States legalize medical marijuana. Starting in 2012 in Washington State, in Colorado, followed quickly by Oregon and Alaska, voters legalized adult use. Today, 10 States, and the District of Columbia, have legalized adult use. In all, 47 States have legalized some form of cannabis use. This year, voters in 6 more States will decide on future progress. Through this revolution, we have watched, across the country, shifting attitudes and moving forward. The Federal Government, sadly, is still trapped by the dead hand of Richard Nixon's ``war on drugs,'' declaring cannabis a Schedule I controlled substance--wait a minute-- despite objective evidence that it is not highly addictive and it does have therapeutic benefit. That is why we are making progress in this Congress to catch up with the rest of America, and the multi-billion dollar--$12 billion by some estimates this year--industry, which pays $2 billion to State and local governments, much of it, sadly, with $20 bills in duffel bags. Mr. Speaker, we passed the SAFE Banking Act on the floor of this House earlier in the Congress with 321 bipartisan votes. Sadly, it is still languishing in the Senate, but luckily, it is in the HEROES Act that we passed over to them. We have passed out of the Committee on the Judiciary, the MORE Act, which would fully legalize cannabis. And make no mistake, that day is coming. Over two-thirds of the American voters support it, including a majority of Republican voters, and that support is what fueled a situation today when 47 States have some form of cannabis that is legalized. In the meantime, until that day of reckoning comes, we must pass this amendment to assure the Federal Government does not interfere with State-legal cannabis activities, and that we extend those same protections to Tribal interests. This modest extension of existing protections, which we have achieved through the appropriations process in the past, is critically important we retain and continue. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I would respectfully disagree. As a practical matter, it is easy to verify that it does have therapeutic value. That is why voters in 33 States have approved it. I have had experience with what has happened with our veterans, who make the strong argument that this has actually saved their lives: People with extreme nausea from chemotherapy. Babies with extreme seizure disorders are being tortured, and the only relief comes from the use of cannabis. That is why even States that haven't approved medical marijuana have passed it, because it works. The existing scheduling is an outright lie. That is why we have problems, a Federal policy that is so out of touch with a majority of the American public, with objective evidence, what people have seen with their own eyes, protecting babies from being tortured or veterans with PTSD. That is one of the problems we have, a policy that is so out of sync that it is hard to convince children that they should believe the admonition. We ought to legalize it, tax it, regulate it, keep it out of hands of kids, but don't deal with what is, for many adults, a medicine or a choice in terms of what they want to do. This is where the American public has been going. The existing policy of prohibition is an abject failure. In the gentleman's home State, we watched, just this last week, a veteran from Phoenix driving to North Carolina was discovered to have medical marijuana in his possession and subject to a 5-year prison sentence. That is outrageous. That is not where the rest of America is. That is one of the reasons people are outraged in terms of Black Lives Matter. This selective enforcement of nonsensical policy has posed huge problems for Black Americans. I strongly urge approval of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy in permitting me to speak on this, as I applaud his leadership. Under his leadership, the Ways and Means Committee has been in the middle of the recovery efforts. There are many of these elements that we are proud of, but none is more significant than what we are doing here today to strengthen the opportunities for childcare. I hear my friends on the other side of the aisle lament the fact that they feel, well, this is not going to go anywhere; they would like to work with us. Well, work with us. The Senate is moving in our direction, as they have with the major package. If you would come work with us, move this forward, we would be able to accomplish it. Putting at risk half our childcare slots is unacceptable. This is essential if we are going to recover, protect our families, move forward. Childcare is an essential service for workers today, for families tomorrow, for children for generations to come. I am proud to lend my support. I appreciate what our Ways and Means Committee has done, and I anticipate we have got more in store.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for convening our Committee on Ways and Means' family. It was a bittersweet moment this morning as we gathered outside the Capitol saying good-bye to John. His visits to Portland touched thousands of people, and I heard so much about them. He was not just a civil rights icon and a tremendous human being and an inspiration, he was a moral compass of our Committee on Ways and Means. He was the living, breathing manifestation of policy that impacts every family in America, not just merely numbers and dry policy, but things that matter. Too seldom does the consideration of everyday citizens--especially the poor, the weak, and the disadvantaged--get the same attention as the rich and powerful and well-connected. Well, that is not the fault of John Lewis. And I would hope that all of us here who are celebrating his life, would be inspired by his deeds, by his life's work. As John would say, ``not just our words, but our deeds.'' And I hope our moral compass of the Committee on Ways and Means will guide us as we move forward to give the American people the policies that John would have expected.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman's courtesy and her courage, and I welcome this commission's coming forward. It is part of a dynamic that is playing out across American cities. In my community, the cries for racial justice and the recognition of the challenges that have been faced by Black men and boys in this commission is a step in that direction. But I would say this Congress can take another step. We have the MORE Act which would legalize cannabis. The selective enforcement of the prohibition of marijuana against Black men and boys has been a tragedy. It has ruined hundreds of thousands of lives. This Congress can take action. The bill has already passed out of our Judiciary Committee with a bipartisan majority. We ought to include that in our next package and start to right the wrongs and pry away the cold hand of Richard Nixon's misguided war on drugs that has had such a vicious impact on Black men and women. We ought to start with that now.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor and a joy to acknowledge my one-quarter century relationship with our friend, John Lewis. The better I got to know him, the deeper my respect for his courage, his determination, and his strength. People have remarked about his gentle spirit, his kindness, and his generosity. I watched countless young people be introduced to him in awe, including my own grandson. I just heard Leader McCarthy acknowledge being in Selma with John on the 50th anniversary of that Bloody Sunday. It was beyond my ability for words to express watching John. On that stage near where he was once almost beaten to death, he spoke as a Member of Congress and then he introduced the first Black President of the United States, Barack Obama. It is heartening to hear so many who were polar opposites of John politically honor and praise his life and his service. They sincerely mourn his passing and salute his career. I would hope, Mr. Speaker, however, that we would not just repeat his words, but listen and understand and honor his lifework and his lifetime commitment to lifting people up and helping them find their voices and express their wishes by exercising the precious right of voting. When John started, the vote was suppressed by violence and intimidation. Today people are suppressing the votes using computers, legal challenges, and capricious voting standards against the poor, people of color, the young, and the marginalized. These are people John knew should have special help, but instead he was outraged in his own gentle but forceful way that they got special barriers shutting them out. I would hope that those who come to the floor to issue their tributes to John Lewis would join me in respecting his life's work. Let's find ways to work together to protect the political process for those whom he fought so valiantly to be able to engage and protect. I will be forever grateful for his friendship and his example. I hope we will all find it in our hearts to honor his mission which should be the mission of us all.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, it was sad to hear my colleague with his recent comments. Let me tell you what it is like on the ground in Portland. This is a serious problem in Oregon where people are attempting to peacefully demonstrate their opposition to a whole range of racist practices by law enforcement. There are, to be sure, occasionally a few people who are doing things that they shouldn't, and they should be arrested, tried, and convicted. But the vast majority of people are peaceful. And it is no fault, frankly, of what has happened with the Trump administration, who have moved in with what can only be described as an occupying force, making the situation worse. They were unwanted, unwelcome, and unprepared. Nonetheless, they have moved in, been involved with episodes that people can watch on YouTube, where peaceful demonstrators were attacked. One of my constituents, asking a simple question, was beaten with a baton, breaking his wrist, and pepper sprayed in the face. This is outrageous. This is a made-for-TV initiative by the Trump administration and should stop.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, I fear that people don't really appreciate what is going on in my hometown of Portland, Oregon, with the Federal interference, so let's put a face on it. Christopher J. David, a 53-year-old Navy veteran, graduate of the Naval Academy, college wrestler, was concerned about the Pinochet-type behavior of Federal officials in our community--uninvited, unwelcomed, and unprepared. He felt that their actions as Federal agents was in violation of their oath to support, uphold, and defend the Constitution, which our new colleague just accepted. When he asked officers how they justified what they were doing with their oath of office, he didn't get an answer; he got pepper sprayed. He was beaten. His hand was broken. He is facing surgery to install pins, screws, and plates. This is the face of the Trump administration's unprecedented interference in our community, taking a difficult situation and making it worse. Madam Speaker, I hope my colleagues will take a hard look at what is going on here, because the Trump administration is trying to overshadow its other failures with tactics like this. There is more on the horizon.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam President, I am proud to talk about the National Defense Authorization Act, which has come to this body with a strong bipartisan vote from the Armed Services Committee where I serve. I am proud to have helped to craft this legislation, and I am proud to be voting for some of the amendments that have been permitted votes on the floor. One that has not been permitted relates to the Insurrection Act, a 213-year-old law that has been invoked at various points in our history to protect civil rights as it was during the era of desegregation, but President Trump has threatened to use this slavery-era law to silence calls for justice from Americans protesting centuries of racist oppression. In effect, he has threatened to invert the Insurrection Act to deprive Americans of their First Amendment right. So I introduced a bill called the CIVIL Act that would preserve Presidential accountability to Congress whenever the Insurrection Act is invoked. It would require the President to consult with Congress prior to invoking the act and provide certification to Congress to justify the use of this authority. It has other provisions. It was voted down in the markup of the Armed Services Committee, but I sought a vote on the floor. Apparently, it will not happen. If the President uses force against Americans at home, Congress should demand at least the same check that applied to his use of force against adversaries abroad. I offered this act as an amendment, and I am grateful to all my Democratic colleagues on the committee for supporting it. I am also grateful to the House of Representatives, which, just yesterday, passed an NDAA amendment to its bill modifying the CIVIL Act, which I introduced. It is called the Curtailing Insurrection Act Violations of Individuals' Liberties. I would like to thank my colleagues on the House side who supported this amendment, particularly Congresswoman Escobar, who led the charge in the House Armed Services Committee and on the House floor. I urge our colleagues, whether it is now in the course of considering the NDAA or at some point in the future, to hold the President, any President--we are talking not only about this President but any President--accountable when he uses military force against Americans. When the American military and troops of our country are used against Americans, there ought to be at least the same accountability as when American troops are used abroad, with the same kind of checks--maybe not identical, but the same kinds of checks--because the President using troops against our own citizens denies, potentially, fundamental freedoms, and the need for accountability is even more urgent. Our military should defend liberties, not endanger them, misdirected by a misguided President. Despite my disappointment in the Senate's lack of action to curtail the President's unaccountable use and abuse of military power, I am proud of a number of provisions that I also authored in this bill that invest in our most valuable military asset, our servicemembers and their families. I am grateful to all of the military spouses and advocates from across the country who shared their challenges with me and my office. Their stories, their voice, and their faces made an immensely impactful difference. We used their experience to craft these overdue policies. I want to say to those families--to the spouses and loved ones--that they serve as much as the men and women they support in uniform. The NDAA includes important provisions that I championed to hold commanders accountable to military families, make childcare more affordable, expand support for military moms, and prevent mental health discrimination. These measures are profoundly important. Provisions I authored with Senator Kaine will make childcare more affordable by authorizing hardship waivers, requiring fee reductions for families with more than one child. And the NDAA will support those military moms by extending TRICARE to include other kinds of services. The Connecticut military industrial base will benefit from the increased expenditure and the robust investment in two Virginia-class submarines. My priority during the negotiations on the conference committee will be to advance this cause. These provisions for expanding our production of submarines and other military platforms must also focus on our supply base, on the workforce that keeps us safe, and on men and women who comprise, indeed, the most talented workforce, using and building unmatched military technology to keep our countries secure. We should keep in mind the families of our military and continue fighting for even more provisions that enable them to continue their great work, but these military platforms assure that our troops will never have a fair fight--that they will always be superior, no matter what the terrain or arena or the fight. I am pleased that the NDAA makes robust investments in Connecticut's industrial base. I will make as my top priority during negotiations of the conference committee to restore full funding for two submarines, even beyond the commitment in this NDAA, to a second Virginia-class submarine in this budget authorization. I was pleased, again, to see action by the House, which provides for two fully funded Virginia-class submarines in the House Armed Services Committee version of the NDAA. In addition to fully funding the first Columbia-class submarine--a historic milestone for this program--the Senate version added an additional $175 million for Columbia-class supplier development. The heroes in this story are not only the big contractors. They are the supply chains--not only the companies with hundreds of employees but the components makers and the parts manufacturers that may make tiny pieces of the submarine by comparison to its massive length. They are all heroes of our defense industrial production. People are the foundation of the submarine industrial base, and this bill authorizes an additional $20 million in workforce development funding. I will seek to expand the supplier development program, which provides the kind of support that the supply chain needs. We must ensure that the final bill preserves not only the necessary levels of funding for the Virginia-class and the Columbia-class submarines but also for continued growth of our fifth generation fighter fleet. It is a key component of our national defense. The Senate version of the NDAA authorizes the growth of the F-35 fleet by 93 aircraft, including 14 aircraft above the President's budget request. I remain a staunch advocate of the CH-53K program. I was happy to see the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee fund nine CH-53K helicopters. I am going to work to ensure that the final NDAA also authorizes nine helicopters. I want to congratulate and thank Sikorsky, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Technologies, and, again, the many suppliers throughout Connecticut that contribute to an aerospace program second to none in the world. Finally, let me talk a little bit about the Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act of 2020. Later this week, we will vote on an amendment to the NDAA based on a bicameral Fair Care for Veterans Act of 2020. In March, I, along with Senator Tester and 30 Senate colleagues, introduced this legislation to require the VA to provide benefits for veterans suffering from bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, Parkinsonism, and hypertension. The National Academy recognizes that these illnesses have an association with herbicide exposure. It reached that conclusion in 2016. Since then, I have been fighting, along with many of my colleagues, to get the VA to include these four conditions as presumptive conditions linked to Agent Orange, only to have this administration's officials block us at every turn. Despite the scientific proof--the incontrovertible science that these conditions are linked to Agent Orange--and despite more than 83,000 veterans who suffer from these conditions, the Trump administration's VA resisted and refused to acknowledge the connection. I look forward to voting to add bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonism to the list of Agent Orange presumptives. One condition in our bill, hypertension, was not included in this NDAA amendment, but I am committed to adding it during conference. It is supported by the science as a condition linked to Agent Orange. The Trump administration says it doesn't want to spend the money to cover the four conditions in this bill, but when we send people to war, we make a commitment. We make a commitment, and we accept an obligation to treat them, no matter what the cost, no matter what the cause of their service-related injuries are when the science and the facts support it. Facts are stubborn things, as many have said. To the veterans in Connecticut and nationwide, I will never stop fighting to get good healthcare for our veterans. I know this issue is bipartisan in its support. I look forward to voting in favor of the fiscal year 2021 NDAA, but I also think our colleagues must recognize that military spending alone does not guarantee our national security. These weapons platforms and the hardware that we produce does not constitute, alone, our national defense. It is the quality of our people, whether they are in the supply chain or the defense establishment or our troops on the ground or in the air or at sea. To recruit and train the best possible military, we need to have a strong nonmilitary infrastructure. Education, healthcare, housing--our national defense includes those essential components. So I believe that we must scrutinize this budget with a view to reducing any expenditures that are unnecessary. I will state as a matter of principle that when we vote on this NDAA, I will be supportive of amendments that might potentially achieve more equity and effectiveness in the way we make commitments in support of our national defense. We must interpret as broadly as is necessary how that defense must be supported. It is not alone the money in this NDAA; it is also what we commit to racial justice in this country; the quality of our policing and our education, which should not depend on a young person's ZIP Code; the quality of our healthcare, which right now has racial disparities that are inexcusable; housing that often results from redlining; and protections in the workplace, which could be achieved by a fairer, more effective use of OSHA. The quality of our society and our projection of power abroad depend on our quality of life and the quality of services that we provide on education, healthcare, housing, and all of the other infrastructure, including transportation. We need to consider those factors and do what is necessary to assure that our warfighters and our military never have a fair fight, that they always predominate on the battlefield. We must protect our veterans to whom we make the commitment that we will always have their backs when they come home. I yield the floor.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today with a heavy heart. I see Donald Trump's administration declaring war on my hometown of Portland, Oregon. After failing the American people in the coronavirus, in the face of 6 months of not just weak leadership, but virtually no leadership at all, there are tens of thousands of people dying unnecessarily. It is hard to focus on the unprecedented assault on our environmental protections that they have unleashed, but now they are declaring war on America's cities, sending in an occupying force drawn from Homeland Security, particularly the Customs and Border Protection patrol, ostensibly to protect monuments and statues. What about protecting the American people and their constitutional right to protest? Don't attack our people with tear gas without warning, seriously injuring people exercising their right to protest, things that people can see on video with their own eyes; watching the gentleman hit with a projectile, requiring serious surgery, inflicting facial injuries; a person just asking what was going on having officers assault him, breaking his hand. They can't be that inept. It must be purposeful, taking a very challenging situation in my hometown and making it worse. But make no mistake. This isn't just about Portland, Oregon. We watched what they did in Lafayette Park across from the White House, again assaulting innocent protestors in order to have a photo op for the President of the United States. There are indications that they are moving to Chicago, Atlanta, Kansas City, Seattle. Who is going to be next? Talking about the challenges that have been taken in Philadelphia with a reforming district attorney, Larry Krasner, and somehow holding him up as an example of breakdown in law and order and an assault on the American public. It is just crazy. Portland, Oregon is not out of control. To be sure, there are some people who have strong feelings, and there are some who have done things that are inappropriate and unlawful. But that is the challenge of our local and State officials to manage it; not having somebody unwelcome, uninvited, and unprepared coming in to take this difficult situation and make it worse. I deeply appreciate the congressional leadership, chairmen of the Armed Services Committee, Adam Smith, the Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler, Bennie Thompson, Homeland Security, who have decried this activity. It is important that we deal with Trump's weaponizing law enforcement for his own agenda, not driven by people's needs, but by his poll numbers, and becoming an occupying force in our community and, sadly, I fear, elsewhere. We need to move forward dealing with what they are doing. We want to pursue legislative initiatives, spending limitations, oversight hearings. This needs to be front and center. At a time when we have so much to deal with, people cannot ignore what is happening in Portland and what may be coming to their city. With the administration becoming more hysterical in their charges leading up to the election and falling poll numbers, there is no community that is safe from this interference. We must do all we can to not just spotlight but push back. Our democratic process and our constitutional rights are literally at risk, and you can see it in terms of what has been happening in Portland, Oregon.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, night after night, young people in Portland, joined by thousands of their neighbors, gathered to demand justice that Black lives matter. Yet, today, thousands are caught in the legacy of Richard Nixon's cynical ``War on Drugs.'' It targeted young, and especially Black people, for selective enforcement. Too many are in jail or prison for nonviolent, often trivial offenses. Today, over two-thirds of Americans--and the majority of Republicans--think that cannabis should be legal. Let's pass the MORE Act, with many of Barbara Lee's marijuana justice provisions already approved by the Committee on the Judiciary. Stop discriminatory, selective enforcement. Let's legalize it and stop enforcement all together. Mr. Speaker, it is time to finally protect young Black Americans from the dangerous, discriminatory, selective enforcement on the War on Drugs. Time to finally legalize marijuana.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, people every day are struggling to make sense of the most challenging times our Nation has seen in more than a century, and that is saying something. A hundred years ago, we were recovering from the Spanish flu pandemic that hit America hard and people around the globe. Ten years later, we had the stock market crash, the Great Depression, and massive unemployment. But today, we have all of those circumstances and more. We are in the middle of a pandemic. We have the resulting economic upheaval. We reached near depression-era levels of unemployment, and rather than take 3 years, as happened in the 1930s, it has happened in a matter of 3 weeks. We have the climate crisis which my colleagues have addressed so eloquently today both in terms of the challenge and what we can do about it. Luckily, the world is finally acknowledging that, but it is still too slow to respond. We have some lessons that we, I think, have learned from what we quaintly called the Great Recession of 10 years ago. As somebody who was legislating in the middle of it and watching the impact in my community and around the country, it seemed horrific. But it pales by comparison with what people are facing today and the demands for racial justice. My colleagues in introducing their handiwork of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis all acknowledged that that is at the forefront of our thinking. There is a recognition that demands for racial justice, long overdue and now widely acknowledged, is more than just law enforcement and criminal justice reform. Racial justice means addressing the dramatic health disparities that have been put in the spotlight as a result of the COVID-19 disaster. It means they must address the housing defunction in this country, the lack of affordable housing, a crisis of homelessness, people on the verge of losing their homes to eviction, and foreclosure that is looming on the horizon. We need more affordable housing and we need more of it if we are going to deal with those demands for racial justice. We need safer, sustainable communities and economic justice and opportunities. Luckily, the House this week is dealing with ways to advance a vision that addresses all of those. The climate blueprint that has been acknowledged, the hard work of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis to protect the climate, protect the planet, also has embedded in it: opportunities to improve the quality of life in every community, new economic opportunities that will be widely shared, reducing costs for families, and strengthening the capacity of local government to meet their climate challenge. H.R. 2, the handiwork of my friend and colleague, Peter DeFazio, the chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is a modest 1,067 pages. It is full of opportunities to rebuild and renew America in a sustainable fashion, to share economic opportunity, to have a low- carbon future, energy efficiency, and electrification of the transportation system. Part of it rescues the post office, replacing hundreds of thousands of their vehicles with electric cars which will help build the platform for further electrification. These are a variety of elements that, woven together, is a new vision for Congress and this country. It can start yet before we adjourn this Congress. I hope that we will have some bipartisan cooperation to embrace these critical principles and move that forward. But the extent to which there is delay, we are setting the stage for the next Congress, for the next administration being able to engage people around the country with a new way of rebuilding and renewing America, making our families safer, healthier, and more economically secure.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2, which reflects years of hard work with my staff, with hundreds of advocates, innovators, and local officials to deal with the challenges of a sustainable transportation future, especially in a time of upheaval. I appreciate the committee and staff reflecting these opportunities. It includes a national clearinghouse to research the secondary impacts of autonomous vehicles that my friend from Washington just talked about. It adds bikeshare as an eligible expense for CMAQ funding. It provides Federal funds for cities and States to establish and implement Vision Zero plans to protect quality of life and reduce the carnage on the highways. It increases funding for State road user charge pilot projects that is the vision for the future of how to fund transportation. It increases small starts reauthorization. It increases the volume cap on private activity bonds issued for surface transportation. It increases the value of the historic tax credit and makes it more accessible for different types of projects. Most critically, when we are dealing with renewable energy projects, it provides for direct payment in lieu of tax credits for renewable energy projects at a time when there is less appetite for traditional tax credits. It clarifies that energy storage projects qualify for investment tax credits to spur the development. It increases the value of section 179D energy efficient commercial buildings that we have worked on with them for years. It reinstates the bicycle commuter tax, increases the value of the benefits, and allows them to be used with transit funds. These are the nuts and bolts of often technical elements that form the basis for action and progress in the future. I look forward to working with the vast array of stakeholders that are counting on us to make this visionary document a reality.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I deeply appreciate the gentleman's courtesy, and I appreciate the work that he has done. I admire his restraint in his response to the gentleman from Louisiana, who in the beginning of his comments acknowledged that Chairman DeFazio spent time with him going over a variety of things, for a person in the minority party, a relatively junior Member. That is how Congressman DeFazio operates. He studied under Bud Shuster and Jim Oberstar back when we were putting things together big picture, standing up to Newt Gingrich and Bill Clinton, dealing with those financing issues. This piece of legislation, I think, is the most consequential since we had the ISTEA legislation. And in a sense, I think it is more consequential, because it ties together all of these pieces in terms of resilience, climate change, dealing with decades of neglect in terms of resources and people who are too timid in moving forward. I am in awe of all of the pieces that have been fit together. And if people will examine the elements of this bill, they will understand that. Yes, there are incentives for electric vehicles. There are also resources here to study a new way of financing, dealing with road user charges. The pieces fit together and provide a foundation for us going forward. This is a blueprint. It is a point of departure. It is not the finished product, but it is what we are going to be dealing with in the House, I think, throughout the next year-and-a-half as we are meeting the challenges that have been given to us. There may be people like Trump who claim that they want to spend $1 trillion or $2 trillion. This is a plan for the future. This ties the pieces together. This is climate friendly. This is economically visionary. This provides the tools to local governments that have been waiting for the Federal Government to step up and honor that partnership. I thank the gentleman for what he is doing and look forward to working with him to build on it as it moves its way through the legislative process. And ultimately this is going to be enacted into law. It is a framework for where America will go.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, I am proud of the rapid action that the House took--$3 trillion approved on a bipartisan basis with the Senate. And we have moved forward with the HEROES Act, another $3 trillion that is pending action. We fixed the PPP to better meet the needs of small businesses, but one area needs special attention. Madam Speaker, over 500,000 independent restaurants with 11 million employees are going to face catastrophic consequences this year. In April alone, one-half of the unemployed, 5.5 million people, were from the independent restaurants area. Without special, tailored Federal help, we are going to see 85 percent of them disappear for good. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have introduced, on a bipartisan basis, the RESTAURANTS Act, H.R. 7197, which would establish a $120 billion fund tailored to provide assistance for independent restaurants. I strongly urge my colleagues to talk to their independent restaurants, the cornerstone of a vital community. If we act now, we can save them yet this year, a vital element in each and every one of our communities. Madam Speaker, the H.R. 7197, the RESTAURANTS Act, will provide massive support at a time when it is needed.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I was excited to see the House take action to promote racial justice this last week. Under the leadership of Karen Bass, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Democratic leadership, we put forth a comprehensive effort to deal with the crying need that we are hearing demands in the street for more racial justice in America. The House has acted. There are many provisions there that are going to make a big difference in terms of being able to balance the scale and protect the interests particularly of minority Americans. Unfortunately, there is one area that remains unaddressed. Perhaps one of the darkest hours in the assault on people of color is Richard Nixon's war on drugs. Nixon's cronies have cynically admitted that it was targeted directly towards people of color and young people. The phony war on drugs contradicted the advice that President Nixon got from his own Blue Ribbon Commission on how to handle cannabis in our country. Instead, the goal was to criminalize, to amp up enforcement, and was specifically targeted toward people of color and young Americans. This has been admitted by John Ehrlichman, who was assistant to President Nixon for domestic policy. They calculated this would be a way to curry favor from the voters, be able to demonize and target the young and people of color. Unfortunately, that war on drugs continues to this day. Last year, there were tens of thousands of young people of color, particularly Black Americans, who were caught in the net of law enforcement with citations or arrests for something that the majority of Americans now think should be legal. Indeed, the majority of Republicans think marijuana should be legal. And action has been taken in State after State, usually with a vote of the people; that is the case in my State of Oregon, California, Arizona, and Nevada, where the decision has been made by voters that this mindless prohibition against marijuana makes no sense. Ten States have completely legalized adult use. Over 33 have legalized medical cannabis. And then you take some of the specialized legislation that deals with children with extreme seizure disorders for whom an extract of cannabis is the only thing that gives these children relief from that torture of dozens, sometimes hundreds of seizures a day. Overall 47 States have acted to legalize cannabis in some form. With the House leadership in Democratic control, we have taken key steps. We passed the Safe Banking Act with overwhelming bipartisan support. 321 Members voted for the legislation that would extend banking services to this large and growing sector of our economy. It is one of the other elements that is languishing in the Senate, but it demonstrates that broad bipartisanship support. In the House Judiciary Committee, the MORE Act, under the leadership of Chairman Jerry Nadler working with the Cannabis Caucus, has produced legislation that has been approved by the Judiciary Committee with a bipartisan vote. I am pleased to note that it incorporates many of the provisions of Barbara Lee's Marijuana Justice Act, which was endorsed by the CBC with over 60 percent majority. It is time for us to take the next step. These needless traffic stops sometimes start with looking for a broken taillight, as law enforcement are involved with fishing expeditions looking for marijuana. Too often it catches young people, especially young people of color in the net. Indeed, they don't target White Americans who use cannabis at the same rate. It is targeted specifically against people of color. Too often those interactions with law enforcement lead to tragic results. It is time for the House to act to end this failed policy of prohibition, protect young Black lives and be able to fully legalize cannabis by passing the MORE Act. We can do this quickly and easily, and I hope we do.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, I listened to my colleagues cry out for a bipartisan cooperation and progress. I listened to them talk about somehow having promises not kept. Think for a moment. My colleagues--the promise of Donald Trump and the Republicans to replace and enhance the Affordable Care Act. They are going to eliminate it, and they are going to replace it with something better. No, they could not do it. They have been assaulting the Affordable Care Act since the moment it was passed and they got their hands on part of the political control. They fought to protect Big Pharma so that we have this corrupt bargain where Americans have to pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world in order to bribe pharmaceutical companies to continue research. And they wouldn't unless Americans pay more than anybody else in the world--including, in many instances, people who can't afford their prescription drugs. That corrupt bargain needs to be rejected. Madam Speaker, now we are hearing, I think, starkly, the difference between Republicans and Democrats--night and day--that active sabotage of the Affordable Care Act, today with the Republican attorneys general and the full weight of the Trump administration to try again to repeal it in its entirety. Madam Speaker, our legislation would increase coverage for 4 million people. You know, it is interesting watching people fight against the efforts of the Trump administration and the Republicans to deny them coverage. Almost one-half million people figured out a way to apply, demonstrating the need in the time of coronavirus. Madam Speaker, my Republican friends have nothing to offer. They have no plan. The Trump administration only wants to destroy the Affordable Care Act at a time when it is more important than ever. Madam Speaker, I strongly urge approval of this package.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I am intrigued listening to my colleagues waxing eloquent about the divine creation of the District of Columbia. Give me a break. It was old-fashioned horse trading between Hamilton, Madison, and Jefferson like the declaration of enslaved people being three-fifths of a person without being able to vote for themselves, just simply power for White people. It is time to recognize the reality of what I think was a corrupt bargain and give the District of Columbia the statehood it deserves.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to stand for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, an important step for racial justice. I hope our approval will soften the hearts in the Senate because there is much to do. I am honored to work with another champion for justice, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, whose Marijuana Justice Act would be the next step, repealing Nixon's blatantly racist prohibition of marijuana with its selective enforcement against young Black men, which continues to ensnare tens of thousands of young Black men every month for something that Americans think should be legal. Let's approve the MORE Act, already passed out of the Judiciary Committee, the next critical step in racial justice reform and protecting young Black men from oppression.

Mr. BLUMENAUER

Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, it is with mixed emotions that I congratulate Deb Marriott, the founding and long-time Executive Director of the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, on her well- deserved retirement. For twenty-five years, Deb has very capably led the Estuary Partnership to educate youth, restore Columbia River ecosystems, and advocate for culturally appropriate, science-based management. She has proven to be a committed and collaborative partner for Tribes, schools, shippers, and fishing communities, as well as municipalities along the Columbia. And she has left the River, and its communities, all the better through her work. Deb was instrumental in designing--and ultimately helping to pass into law in 2016--the Columbia River Basin Restoration Act, legislation that I and fellow Oregon colleagues created to reduce toxics in the Columbia. She worked to bring people together around a common theme-- cleaning up the river--and kept true to the science. This is just one example of her work; throughout the years she has developed a reputation for honesty, hard work, and exceptional quality, and that standing has been passed on to the Estuary Partnership. The resiliency of so many on-the ground projects, the result of many long hours and much collaboration with partners, and of the National Estuary Program itself, show Deb's meaningful mark on the River and its communities for generations to come. Issues of salmon recovery and watershed protection are not always the easiest in the Pacific Northwest, yet I have known Deb to be not just a tireless advocate, but also a skilled listener. Whether it has been through work with Tribes, politicians and agency officials, volunteers, students, or any number of other stakeholders, Deb has always kept her eyes on the bigger picture. Her work has played a tremendous role in connecting people to this special part of our amazing planet. I thank Deb from the bottom of my heart, for her decades of service. I wish her the best in a well- deserved retirement.