Jamaal Bowman

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Cherfilus-McCormick for her leadership and for bringing together the CBC this evening to once again discuss racism in America. How long are we going to have to have this conversation? It seems like day after day, month after month, year after year, since 1619, we have had to have this conversation in some context. The Supreme Court's decision, unfortunately, is not surprising because three of our Court Justices were chosen by one of the most, if not the most, racist Presidents in American history, former President Donald Trump. He chose three of the Supreme Court Justices. His slogan is to Make America Great Again, take America back to a time when African Americans did not have the rights that we have fought for and died for throughout American history. Here we go again. This Supreme Court has now become a Supreme Court that legislates as opposed to a Supreme Court that simply implements the pillars of our Constitution, the same Supreme Court that rolled back Roe v. Wade not too long ago, that is now making it easier to carry concealed weapons in Democrat-led States with strong gun laws like New York, the same Supreme Court that says it is okay to turn away LGBTQ customers if you do not want to do work for that particular demographic. This Supreme Court has gone rogue, and this Supreme Court has lost its legitimacy. Look at the reports: members of the Supreme Court receiving gifts from billionaire donors over the course of their careers, members of the Supreme Court allowing billionaire conservative donors to pay for their children's tuition as they attend private schools. This is unacceptable. This is unethical. There are members of the Supreme Court who should immediately resign or be impeached because of taking these gifts from conservative billionaire donors. These recent decisions rolling back Roe v. Wade and definitely the one as it relates to affirmative action are in alignment with MAGA Republicans and extreme conservative Republicans in our country. Notice the hypocrisy. Notice the disgusting decision to use the 14th Amendment, which was designed to protect the civil rights and citizenship of newly freed slaves. They use that argument to now take away rights from African Americans as it refers to entry into our most prestigious institutions. This decision is going to prohibit millions of African Americans across this country who are brilliant from receiving the same access and opportunity as their White peers. I think all of that is captured in this chart behind me when we look at the issue of wealth inequality in America. Look at this chart and the median family wealth gap. The average White family median wealth is $171,000. Compare that to the average Black family. The median in an average Black family is $17,409. The average Hispanic family is $20,920. It is the consistent attack on Black and Latino communities that contributes to this wealth gap. It is not just the affirmative action decision in terms of the higher education institutions of America. It is also as it relates to employment opportunities, to career opportunities, to private investment in Black and Latino businesses, to the Federal budget, and where our money is allocated toward right here in this body, the United States House of Representatives. It goes back to the issue of globalization and blue-collar jobs leaving Black and Brown communities as part of a race to the bottom for profit based on low-cost labor in other countries. When those factory jobs left our country and left Black and Latino communities, nothing replaced those jobs. As a matter of fact, I have misspoken. Something did replace those jobs: heroin, the numbers game, and crack cocaine replaced those jobs. Do you know what else replaced those jobs? Law enforcement. You take away access and opportunity from a jobs perspective, from an economic perspective, from a higher education perspective--also, by the way, because of our support of redlining Black communities, the White middle class in the 1930s and 1940s was able to buy homes at very low interest rates, very low cost, move to the suburbs, out of public housing, and build their wealth. Do you know who was forced to stay in public housing? African Americans and Latinos. Those communities were considered devalued, less valuable because of the race of the people who lived there. This is historic. This is not just the enslavement of Africans, not just Jim Crow, not just the Black laws, not just the Homestead Act. This is redlining, the Iran-Contra scandal, and drugs in our community. Now, in 2023, we continue to have these conversations because of the Supreme Court's recent decision. I am also here to say that to us in the Congressional Black Caucus and to African Americans across this country, these setbacks are only that. They are only setbacks. Each setback makes us stronger, makes us more powerful, makes us more united, and gives us a deeper sense of commitment and self-determination as we work to reclaim our Black sovereignty not just here in America but throughout the African diaspora, in the Caribbean, on the African Continent, and in Central and South America. We don't die; we multiply. We will continue to multiply exponentially as we weather this storm, grow our enrollment in historically Black colleges--a shout-out to HBCUs for doing the great work that they do so that is going to grow. We also are going to let our voices be heard as we vote with our feet and go to the polls next year because we have to bring transformational change to the United States of America. We have to build a nation that works for everybody, and right now, we do not have that nation. I will close with this: The Supreme Court has not only revealed its illegitimacy through receiving gifts from billionaire conservative donors. We have to look at complete Supreme Court reform as it relates to ethics reform and ending lifetime appointments. We also need to look at the size of the Supreme Court. It is time to expand the Court beyond the nine members. This nine-member Supreme Court has been in place since 1869. America was 30 million people in 1869. It is now 330 million people, over 10 times the size. There are 7,000 cases presented to the Supreme Court every single year. They hear only 80 of them. They do not have the capacity to respond to the complexity, diversity, and nuance that is American society today. It is time for democracy reform, and it begins with the Supreme Court. It also begins with the electoral college. It also begins with ending the filibuster. We change all that by voting the right people into office and getting the wrong ones out of office.

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, I had technical difficulties. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 232.

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, last Sunday, May 14, marked the 1-year anniversary of the horrific mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. America can only move forward if we acknowledge what is killing us in droves--white supremacist extremism. Congress needs to lead and say clearly to the country that white supremacy is an existential threat. Last year, a man, radicalized by the great replacement theory, drove 2 hours to a Black neighborhood in Buffalo with an assault rifle and opened fire. Ten lives were lost, and we are still collectively mourning. We are also mourning the lives of those lost in other racist attacks, including in Allen, Texas, at the hands of a neo-Nazi extremist. These once-fringe ideologies are now being openly promoted by too many in the Republican Party, which is seeking to criminalize migrants, ban Black history curricula, take away food from children and healthcare for all, and fan the flames of a culture war. It has to stop.

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to express my love and appreciation for the Pakistani-American community. I am proud to be introducing a resolution supporting a designation of March 23 as Pakistan Day. The holiday of Pakistan Day, coming up tomorrow, marks the creation of the world's first Islamic Republic. Of course, Ramadan begins at sundown today, so I extend my best wishes for a happy Ramadan to Muslims around the world. Pakistan Day is an opportunity for people of Pakistani heritage, wherever they live, to join with their neighbors in joy and celebration of their culture, their achievements, and their aspirations for the future. We are all enriched by this spirit. I am deeply inspired by the contributions of Pakistani Americans who have given their brilliance to my district and our country as educators, innovators, public servants, organizers, and so much more. Thank you to the American Pakistani Advocacy Group for your work which makes our democracy stronger. I look forward to joining all those who will be observing Pakistan Day tomorrow, from Islamabad to Yonkers.

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, we must all do everything in our power to organize and communicate with Mr. Biden to stop the Willow project. We are living in a climate catastrophe. We have one human race; we have one planet; and we have people organizing across the country to make sure the Willow project doesn't happen and to make sure we invest in the clean, green, renewable energy that is going to save the human race and save the planet. Mr. President, it was young people that organized across this country to help you get into office. Their number one issue is climate change. Mr. President, it was young people who organized across this country to help us push back against the so-called red wave and maintain balance in the House. And it is going to be young people who organize to help us win back the House in 2024 and help America to reach its ideals. Stop the Willow project.

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the CBC for putting together this Special Order hour. I just want to start out by saying this is not just a CBC issue. We need the Tri-Caucus to be involved in this issue, and we need the Tri- Caucus to be speaking out on this issue. We also need action and courage from the Senate in terms of stopping the unnecessary killing of Black people throughout our country. Tyre Nichols should be alive. Trayvon Martin should be alive. Breonna Taylor should be alive. Atatiana Jefferson, Freddie Gray, Laquan McDonald--they all should be alive. Michael Brown, Eric Gardner, on and on and on and on. Police brutality in our country is a disease that needs to be cured. It is rooted in historical racism and systematic oppression in our country. This has to stop. Federal legislation needs to be implemented to stop it. One of the things we are asking for is simple accountability; that is all. We support law enforcement when they are doing the right thing, but when they commit a crime, they should be held accountable. They are not above the law. What is really painful is taxpayer money pays the salary of law enforcement. Taxpayer money pays the pensions of law enforcement. Taxpayer money pays for the settlements when law enforcement is sued in court. Taxpayer money pays for the lawyers. Cities go into debt using bonds to pay settlement claims. There is a billion-dollar industry of police brutality that comes out of the pockets of taxpayers. If we are going to reach the ideals of our democracy and our Constitution, we need to stop the unnecessary killing of Black people in our country. I will close with this: It is not just policing; it is the overall system of mass incarceration. We incarcerate more, and there are disproportionately more Black and Brown people in our country.

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and celebrate the life of Colonel Johnnie Pantanelli. Colonel Pantanelli embodied so many of our values. She fought for freedom, broke glass ceilings, and made sure the next generation of women flew. Colonel Pantanelli served in the Marine Corps Reserves in 1944 and 1945, and soon after was told her service was no longer needed because the men were coming home. Instead of quitting, she joined the Civil Air Patrol in White Plains and served as a wartime mission observer searching for German subs. After the war, Colonel Pantanelli earned her pilot's license and survived a plane crash during her flight training. She served for decades as commander of the squadron that is now named after her. In 2011, she earned the rank of colonel. Colonel Pantanelli passed away on January 14, 2023. She would have been 98 in March. New York's 16th District and I thank her for her service and send our deepest condolences to everyone impacted by this monumental loss.

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk, No. 92.

Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Chairman, according to my friends across the aisle, the purpose of this bill is to promote energy security and lower costs for consumers. I hope they will agree that if our goal is to protect Americans, then we cannot allow price-gouging corporations to participate in any increased drilling on Federal lands under this bill. That would defeat the entire purpose. My amendment to H.R. 21 simply says that if you price gouged the American people last year, you should not be allowed to participate in a plan whose goal is to reduce prices and promote the public interest. Nobody can deny that Big Oil and Gas engaged in price gouging in 2022. They raked in record profits--$343 billion in the first three quarters of last year--at the same time that historically high gas prices were pummeling American workers across the country. Inflation gave these companies cover to jack up prices even higher. Supply chain disruptions and a refinery crunch gave them cover to keep supply restricted and to engage in market manipulation. This is not my interpretation. This is what they broadcast to their investors. Exxon and Chevron executives, for example, bragged about maintaining capital discipline and about funneling billions back to shareholders in the form of dividends and stock buybacks. We should not accept that behavior. Let's come together on a bipartisan basis and protect the American people from corporate price gouging. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, the rent is too damn high. The rent is too damn high. We have people across the country struggling to keep a roof over their heads. We are the wealthiest Nation in the history of the world, outside of ancient African civilizations, yet we cannot provide housing for every single person in our country. We have CEOs making record profits. We have corporations making record profits. We have corporate landlords suppressing and oppressing and evicting tenants without just cause while continuing to raise the rent. We call on President Biden to take executive action on this issue. We do not have a healthy democracy or a healthy society unless we take care of our tenants and our working-class people who are working 40, 50, 60, 70 hours a week just to survive.

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 544.

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, today, I was proud to vote for the Puerto Rico Status Act and supporting its passage in the House of Representatives. Now, it is time for the Senate to do its job and free the Puerto Rico community and the Puerto Rican island to chart its own path toward self-determination. Puerto Rico has been a U.S. territory since 1898 without proper representation in the United States Government. That is unacceptable. Now, finally, if the Senate does its job, the people of Puerto Rico can chart their own path forward and decide for themselves what is best for them. I was proud to take that vote today in support of my constituents, as well as my family, as I am married to a Puerto Rican woman and my children are Puerto Rican, as well. Let's continue to support the self-determination of the people on the island and the self-determination of people all over the world.

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Carter so much for his powerful words and leadership and for being here this evening. When we consider the toll of a nationwide youth mental health crisis, our mission must be to show love to our youth and to help our young people learn to love themselves, their communities, and our planet. In the face of so many real-world challenges, like the climate crisis, the pandemic, and extreme inequality and discrimination, it is essential that children's learning prioritizes creativity, innovation, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration as these approaches all support the mental health and the overall development of our children. These are the 21st century learning skills that will empower and teach our students how to think, not what to think. When the purpose of education is about fostering the value and ethic of lifelong learning as a fundamental pillar of democracy, it is abundantly clear that promoting positive mental health is fundamental to that work. But when we try to apply a business model to our schools and treat our students as commodities, making the necessary investments in mental health support and social and emotional learning gets sidelined in favor of a more simplistic bottom line that improperly fixates on the results of an annual assessment. We have subjected our public schools to this model for 20 years, and it hasn't addressed inequity in our schools. It has not closed any gaps. What it has done is limit what gets taught and how it gets taught. It has prioritized doing well academically over developing the lifelong skills that you need, including your emotional health and well-being. It has made students feel that their chance to live a quality life with opportunities hinges on how they do on a singular exam. We have the opportunity to change this, finally, and do right by our students. The idea that our schools should be equipped to meet the holistic needs of their students is not one that should exist only in a time of a pandemic. We cannot go back to our old ways of thinking about schools just in terms of narrowly defined academic performance. Even before the pandemic, rates of young people experiencing mental health issues were rising. Between 2007 and 2019, the percentage of adolescents reporting a major depressive episode increased by nearly 60 percent. By 2019, mental health disorders had exceeded physical conditions as the most common cause of impairments and limitations amongst children. I saw the gaps in our health system up close. Schools are the most common place for children to access mental health services, but most schools do not meet recommended ratios for school psychologists, social workers, or counselors. Instead, even before the pandemic, we saw pediatricians, teachers, school leaders, and more stepping in to try to provide mental health services, despite many of them not feeling fully equipped to do so. The pandemic only exacerbated all of these issues and put further strain on a health system that was already not built to adequately support youth mental health. As COVID surged, emergency room visits for young people having a mental health crisis increased dramatically. Since 2019, ER visits for suspected suicide attempts rose 51 percent amongst girls ages 12 to 17. But high COVID hospitalization rates and, later, the surge of new variants, combined with inadequate vaccination rates, mean that we had and continue to have a shortage of hospital beds and emergency rooms to service young people having a mental health crisis. In an op-ed by a constituent of mine, Jonathan Slater, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, described children and teenagers at his hospital having to wait 3 to 4 days for an inpatient bed. The strain on hospital capacity caused by the ongoing pandemic means our ability to adequately treat all other physical and mental health is jeopardized. The more people get vaccinated and boosted, that means fewer people in the hospital, and it means the 15-year-old who lost her parent to COVID and hasn't experienced a normal school year since she was 12 can get access to the emergency mental health care that she needs. I want to express immense gratitude for the many people, teachers, school leaders, pediatricians, school bus drivers, emergency room physicians, and staff who have stepped in to confront the youth mental health crisis head-on. But we cannot address youth mental health without addressing issues we face in our broader healthcare system and without addressing workforce issues in mental health professions. As we continue to face compounding public health and mental health crises among our young people, we have to recognize that cultivating a better Nation, marked by healthy and happy young people who are equipped to engage critically and collaboratively with their communities and our democracy, requires us to continue on the path of rethinking schools and their purpose and potential. We need Federal investments and resources in our schools that reflect these priorities, and that means putting the mental health and well- being of our students front and center as we move forward. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib), and I thank her very much for being here.

Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank Rashida for her voice. It is good to see her and be with her. Tonight, we have heard from Members who represent communities across the country. The youth mental health crisis is a national crisis that requires an all-of-government response. Our children deserve nothing less. There were so many voices that contributed to these remarks this evening from my district, New York-16. I recognize them at this moment. Making the necessary investments in our youth mental health will take all of us at every level of government and in every community. I give a special shout-out to constituents of mine who shared their priorities around youth mental health. Jonathan Lewis, a Scarsdale Village trustee, shared how important it is to understand the relationship between a mental health crisis and learned outcomes to our students, not just in an academic sense but also with respect to school climate and the importance of creating a learning environment that is safe from violence. Stephanie Marquesano from the harris project in Ardsley highlighted how important it is that communities, youth, and all levels of government be in dialogue with each other about the intersection of mental health and substance use disorders, particularly as it relates to our youth. Ron Hartridge, educator and advocate in the Bronx, expressed his deep concern regarding the impact that trauma and fear have on our children and how important it is to equip our schools to support students instead of prioritizing compliant behavior, which is so often used to justify and perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline. Jonathan Alvarez from 914United in Yonkers called for meaningful juvenile justice reform in the Lower Hudson Valley. Darryl Taylor, a Tuckahoe Village trustee, wrote in about the toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly on our youth who lost loved ones, parents, siblings, or friends, and the urgency we must have to reach out to our youth who may be feeling alone in their grief and hopelessness. Mary Graves, Mount Vernon's Democratic chair, shared how important it is that we make mental health resources and support available to the whole community and consider how there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to mental health. Julie Cordin from my district shared how troubling it is to learn that suicidal ideation and attempted suicides amongst children increased during the pandemic and that this will not go away on its own. We have to work on this together. I am so grateful to all of my constituents who care so deeply about our youth, both locally and nationally. The youth mental health crisis is a national crisis that requires an all-of-government response. Our children deserve nothing less. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, tonight, I am convening a Special Order hour for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and we are focused on the urgent matter of our children's mental health, which is in crisis. Madam Speaker, I want everyone listening to me now to think about their childhood. What stressors, if any, did you experience? What kept you up at night? What made your heart skip a beat or your palms sweaty? What seemed completely overwhelming? Now think of who was there to help you, listen to you, and comfort you. Now imagine that stressor, and imagine dealing with that same issue in a time when the worldwide pandemic forced you to remain at home for more than 1 year before you returned to school with constantly fluctuating COVID policies; in a world where the book you read last year is banned in school now; in a world where you spend a significant amount of time on social media consuming stories and pictures of other peoples' lives, and that includes coming across lies and disinformation; in a world where a former President wanted to build a wall, where death is ubiquitous, and where food, gas, and housing prices are so high you often go without the basic necessities; in a world where the Supreme Court has stripped basic human rights that your parents and grandparents were able to enjoy. Could you imagine being a child right now and juggling your mental health? Mental health is essential for overall health, and ignoring that basic fact is harmful to our children who are counting on us to do everything in our power to support them during this difficult time. This pandemic has exacerbated many preexisting challenges, stressors, and trauma experienced by our youth. It has also caused many new challenges. In December 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued an advisory highlighting the urgent need to address the Nation's youth mental health crisis. Last fall, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children's Hospital Association jointly declared a national state of emergency in children's mental health. Prior to coming to Congress, I had the privilege of serving New York City children in our public schools for over 20 years. I served as an elementary school teacher, a high school guidance counselor, and a middle school principal. The education, care, and well-being of our children are my life's work, and it is an honor to speak on the floor tonight to highlight an urgent issue that is critical to the health and safety of our children and the future of our democracy: our children's mental health. During the 2017-2018 school year, 34 children died within the K-12 school system in the Bronx, and 17 died via suicide. In early 2018, the horrible Parkland High School shooting happened, killing 17 children and wounding 17 more while leaving a nation reeling in despair. During this time as a middle school principal, I saw a rise in student self-harm and suicidal ideation in kids as young as 11 years old. It was these factors that ultimately led me to run for Congress in the first place. Since the pandemic, an unprecedented number of our young people feel helpless and hopeless right now, and we need to make an unprecedented effort for a coordinated, comprehensive response. That is why at the end of last year we called for a new COVID relief package that considers the needs of the whole child to support overall health, including youth mental health. The toll of the pandemic is daunting when we consider its impact on children. In the past 2 years, more than 167,000 children across the country have lost a parent or primary caregiver to COVID-19. These caregivers provided a child's most important basic needs: love, security, food, and shelter. More than 13,000 of these children lost their only caregiver. In fact, for every four COVID-19 deaths, one child in the U.S. loses a parent. A student in my district in Yonkers shared her experience of suddenly losing her father to COVID followed by her mother testing positive. She described her fear and not being able to sleep while her mother was in an induced coma for 9 days. She couldn't eat, and she couldn't go to school. Because of her father's immigration status, he was excluded from almost all types of medical insurance and was forced to choose between basic healthcare and food. Her story is not the only one like this, which is why we need to drive resources so that schools can directly support students' mental health and so we can break down barriers to basic, necessary healthcare for all regardless of immigration status. After experiencing the major traumatic loss of a parent, we know the world as these children knew it has ended. Loss and grief are a part of life, but in children grieving, a major loss can have lifelong impacts of depression, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety. For parents and those of us who work directly with children, it is heartbreaking to see one child grieving. With this vast number of grieving children, our entire community must be ready to empathize and mobilize the help they need to cope. In addition to the stress youth are under as a result of COVID-19 and this ongoing pandemic, they are also facing other mental health issues as they navigate puberty and being an adolescent. Youth across the country are battling substance abuse, eating and body image disorders, facing various forms of peer pressure, anxiety, and overall trying to learn how to manage their emotions and feelings during their formative years. This is a reality across racial and economic lines. Still, meaningful mental health care is out of reach for so many children. Native American or Indigenous children are 4\1/2\ times as likely as White children to have lost a parent to COVID. Black children are almost 2\1/2\ times more likely than White children, and Hispanic children are nearly twice as likely than White children to have lost a parent or caregiver. When we also consider that many families who face job losses, loss of insurance, financial hardships, and a lack of school-based mental health professionals, the barriers to youth mental health support are unacceptable. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman).

Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank Mrs. Watson Coleman for her leadership and her voice in this important matter. Madam Speaker, I want to talk briefly before yielding to Representative Carter from New Orleans. I want to speak briefly about the role of schools in addressing the issue of mental health. Our schools play an essential role in supporting positive mental health for our youth. In order to serve the whole child, we cannot limit our Federal support to only academic outcomes. Children are much more likely to receive mental health services in the school than anywhere else, but the problem is that too few of our schools have enough mental health professionals on staff, including psychologists, social workers, and counselors. The ratio of students to school psychologists is roughly 1400 to 1. Just this year I hosted a town hall with students in my district who shared how hard it was for them to meet with a counselor or mental health professional at school. The students with more access to mental health resources went to schools in wealthier parts of my district. As a former principal, I know firsthand how important it is that the schools have the resources to employ mental health professionals. More than 14 million students attend a school with police officers or school resource officers, but no counselors, nurses, psychologists, or social workers on staff. The way we allocate resources is a reflection of our priorities and our values, which is why I support unprecedented levels of funding that prioritizes the mental health of all our students by making sure there are trained, culturally competent mental health professionals in every public school, including more Black and Brown mental health professionals. For the last 2\1/2\ years, we have seen our schools at the front lines of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. In many ways, we as a society have shifted how we think about what it means to care for our young people in the face of multiple public health crises. Together, with our schools leading the way, we worked to create a safety net for our children and prioritize the well-being of the whole child. These are the kinds of investments that can buffer children from chronic stress that can lead to adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs. It should go without saying, our kids are so much more than any one test score or academic measure. Children are individuals who are members of their community, and our schools should be subsequently funded and equipped as community hubs. Supporting our children's success is fundamentally intertwined with supporting the whole child in a well-coordinated ecosystem of wraparound services. Madam Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter).

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, 1 year ago, the remnants of Hurricane Ida came through my district, resulting in catastrophic damage to our New York-16 community. This hurricane originated in the Gulf Coast and arrived in New York several days later, still so strong and dangerous that it led to the tragic death of several neighbors. Among those killed were Fran and Ken Bailie, who were professors at Iona College. I stand here today in their memory, and in community with families, friends, and neighbors who lost loved ones. Hurricane Ida brought historic levels of flooding to New York-16. The evening the storm hit was scary and chaotic. We were not collectively prepared for the amount of rain we received, and people watched with shock as their homes and neighborhoods flooded. At times in the night we got tornado warnings, followed by flood warnings, and then followed by more tornado warnings. This is not an area of the country that is used to these sorts of hurricanes, and I remember feeling terrified and confused as we all tried to stay safe. In the days that followed, instead of a joyful return to New Rochelle High School for its students, students found themselves with a destroyed, completely destroyed library. Congregants in Bronxville were left with a flooded synagogue during Rosh Hashanah. The First Baptist Church in Mamaroneck was destroyed, and congregants are still picking up the pieces. I visited constituents' homes and small businesses in Yonkers, Mamaroneck, Mount Vernon, Rye, and Pelham, and the sense of despair was palpable. People could not even travel to check in with loved ones because the Sawmill, Bronx River Parkway, Hutch, Sprain Brook, and Cross County Expressway were deep underwater. Our immigrant neighbors in Mamaroneck had to reckon with the damage to their community resource center, and the Rye YMCA was left completely destroyed. For thousands of neighbors, Hurricane Ida fundamentally changed their financial well-being and housing stability. The recovery process and trauma from that storm continues today. In the days following, our community showed an incredible amount of resilience. And as I reflect, these moments of hope and solidarity come to the forefront of my mind. First responders ensured everyone was safe. The Rye soccer team, Mamaroneck volleyball team, and countless others took to the streets to support our neighbors. Teams like the Mamaroneck Tigers volunteered with the Fuller Center for Housing of Greater New York City to help members of the First Baptist Church remove pews that mothers would pray on and the hymnal books that contained songs of strength and power. Organizations like the Red Cross and Feeding Westchester provided food to those in need. The incredible mayors, managers, councilmembers, trustees, and community leaders in the Bronx, Ardsley, Bronxville, Eastchester, Greenburgh, Hastings-on-Hudson, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Pelham, Pelham Manor, Rye, Scarsdale, and Tuckahoe, mobilized emergency resources to keep people safe. We worked alongside County Executive Latimer, Bronx Borough President Diaz, Jr., and Governor Hochul to expedite damage assessments. These efforts led to President Biden declaring a state of emergency in New York and the allocation of much-needed FEMA resources. From there, we helped constituents with FEMA applications and hosted multiple visits with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to plan long-term recovery. Let me be clear: The climate crisis is here, and it is real, and I refuse to let my district bear the brunt of inaction. We have worked to secure flood mitigation funds, advance flood prevention studies in Westchester County, and vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, which will help make our communities resilient and kick-start the clean energy revolution that we need. But more needs to be done. As a father and former educator, I am deeply concerned about the impact that increased flooding will have on our children. That is why I introduced my Green New Deal for Public Schools to ensure our school buildings are resilient and that students can thrive. As we mark this anniversary of Hurricane Ida, let's continue to recommit to supporting one another, to healing our communities, to confronting the climate crisis head on, and to ensuring that no one gets left behind.

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted yea on rollcall No. 386. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress Amodei (Balderson) Babin (Sessions) Blumenauer (Beyer) Brown (MD) (Trone) Bush (Blunt Rochester) Carter (TX) (Weber (TX)) Cherfilus-McCormick (Bishop (GA)) Crist (Wasserman Schultz) Curtis (Garbarino) DeFazio (Pallone) DeGette (Blunt Rochester) Demings (Soto) DeSaulnier (Beyer) Duncan (Norman) Evans (Beyer) Fulcher (Johnson (OH)) Gottheimer (Neguse) Graves (MO) (Fleischmann) Guthrie (Barr) Jackson Lee (Cicilline) Jones (Blunt Rochester) Kahele (Correa) Kelly (IL) (Blunt Rochester) Khanna (Neguse) Kind (Beyer) Kirkpatrick (Pallone) McBath (Blunt Rochester) McCaul (Reschenthaler) Meeks (Jeffries) Meng (Kuster) Moore (UT) (Garbarino) Moore (WI) (Beyer) Murphy (FL) (Rice (NY)) Ocasio-Cortez (Tlaib) Omar (Blunt Rochester) Owens (Garbarino) Rice (SC) (Meijer) Ruppersberger (Trone) Rush (Blunt Rochester) Ryan (Kuster) Sarbanes (Beyer) Scott, David (Correa) Simpson (Johnson (OH)) Sires (Pallone) Smucker (Joyce (PA)) Stevens (Kuster) Stewart (Garbarino) Taylor (Fallon) Thompson (CA) (Beyer) Thompson (MS) (Bishop (GA)) Vargas (Correa) Walorski (Banks) Welch (Pallone) Williams (GA) (Neguse) Wilson (FL) (Neguse) Wilson (SC) (Norman)

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 328. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress Allred (Neguse) Barragan (Correa) Bentz (Obernolte) Brown (MD) (Trone) Cardenas (Correa) Castro (TX) (Neguse) Cohen (Beyer) Crist (Schneider) DeFazio (Pallone) Deutch (Stevens) Doggett (Beyer) Evans (Neguse) Fallon (Carl) Gonzalez (OH) (Armstrong) Hartzler (Bacon) Jacobs (CA) (Correa) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Kahele (Correa) Katko (Meijer) Kirkpatrick (Pallone) Langevin (Lynch) Lawrence (Stevens) Leger Fernandez (Kuster) Lieu (Beyer) Moore (WI) (Beyer) Moulton (Stevens) Newman (Beyer) Panetta (Beyer) Pappas (Kuster) Pascrell (Pallone) Pingree (Kuster) Porter (Neguse) Pressley (Neguse) Reschenthaler (Keller) Ryan (Beyer) Salazar (Dunn) Sires (Pallone) Smith (NJ) (Kelly (PA)) Soto (Neguse) Taylor (Armstrong) Timmons (Armstrong) Trahan (Stevens) Upton (Meijer) Walorski (Baird) Wasserman Schultz (Schneider) Wilson (SC) (Lamborn) Amendment No. 49 Offered by Ms. Speier

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge support for my amendment that will take an important step toward restoring congressional war powers. This amendment will bring our unauthorized military presence in Syria to a long overdue debate in Congress so we can ultimately do our constitutional duty to vote to authorize or reject military action. Members on both sides of the aisle have long recognized the Constitution and the War Powers Act of 1973 grant Congress the exclusive power to send our servicemen and -women into war. Members of Congress are duly elected by their districts to represent them in Washington to vote and decide on legislation and determine how the U.S. uses the power of the purse and sword. Unfortunately, unauthorized military presence undercuts this role. A Member of Congress should never learn about an air strike from the news. This is why the American people must decide when and where we use our military might, and that decision is made through their congressional Representatives. Ensuring that Congress continues to authorize military activity is not only about guardrailing good democracy, it is also about fiscal responsibility and integrity. Washington is known for military contractors lobbying for endless wars to ensure endless profits, even when our lowest paid servicemembers have to rely on food pantries to feed themselves and their families. That is a policy choice, and our bloated Pentagon budget compared to our investments in schools, healthcare, and jobs at home is a policy choice. Our military footprint extends across dozens of countries far from public scrutiny and accountability. My bipartisan amendment, which I am honored to be joined by Representatives Khanna, DeFazio, Schakowsky, Blumenauer, Lofgren, Bush, Jones, and Cammack in offering, is a fundamental next step toward breaking that cycle. This is a question of war and peace that should be debated and answered with a recorded vote in Congress. This amendment does not take a position on substantive Syria policy questions. It merely requires this body to follow the Constitution, hold a debate, and vote to authorize military action. I hope that my colleagues will agree our troops and the American people deserve to see this body hold that debate and then cast their vote. Under the last administration, former President Trump made it clear that U.S. military troops in Syria were there to secure the oil, but explicit authorization from Congress was never obtained for that purpose. I disagree with claims that the 2001 AUMF, which was about responding to the September 11 attacks, authorized our troops to engage in hostilities against these forces which nobody argues had anything to do with those attacks or to guard oil fields. My colleagues who believe that the President does not need specific authorization to deploy U.S. military forces to seize Syria's oil in an unconstitutional war should just admit that to their constituents. They don't care about the duty of Congress, the Constitution, or the War Powers Act; and they certainly don't care that our military budget is even larger than our domestic budget. I agree with President Biden who has called for a new era of relentless diplomacy and that U.S. military power must be our tool of last resort, not our first, and should not be used as an answer to every problem we see around the world. One step in the right direction would be to restore war powers, which is the solution put forth in this amendment. I honor and respect the incredible sacrifices made by our Kurdish allies. Nothing in this amendment supports abandoning the Kurdish people, nor do I personally support that. Let me be clear: this is simply a vote to restore the power of Congress in authorizing military presence in Syria. The current unauthorized U.S. military presence of indefinite duration means that the U.S. may pull troops with little warning and with little regard for what will happen once the troops are gone without a gradual release. Let's learn from the horrors in Afghanistan. I want to have a transparent and vigorous debate in front of the American people on the role of the U.S. military in Syria. When we have that debate and vote, it may be that this body authorizes support for such a military action to support the Kurdish people. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BOWMAN

Mr. BOWMAN. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 290.