G.K. Butterfield

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, the House is honored today to welcome a great theologian and humanitarian, my friend and constituent, the distinguished William J. Barber, II. I have known Bishop Barber since he was a college student. A native of Roper, North Carolina, Bishop Barber has dedicated his life to preaching God's word of salvation and embracing the least of these in civil society. Bishop Barber's trajectory to national prominence began when he organized a multiracial, multigenerational social justice movement in Raleigh, North Carolina, to expose the racial and economic inequities facing our Nation. The Moral Monday protests catapulted Bishop Barber to a place where he is now a nationally recognized voice for the poor. As the founder of Repairers of the Breach, Bishop Barber leads a movement that challenges systemic racism, systemic poverty, ecological devastation, and what he calls the distorted narrative of religious nationalism. Bishop Barber seeks to build an agenda rooted in love, justice, and morality. Bishop Barber is the senior pastor of the Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina. He and his wife, Rebecca, have five very accomplished children who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields. We are honored today, Madam Speaker, to have Bishop Barber with us today to pray over this sacred institution that we call the House of Representatives.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize my dear friend, Earle Francis Jones who recently announced his retirement from Comcast NBCUniversal. Earle has been a fixture on the Hill for many years and I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating him on a successful and storied career. Furthermore, I'd like to acknowledge the contributions Earle has made to the CBC community. They are too many to list here, but suffice it to say, the CBC can't thank Earle enough for his support and counsel to the CBC and the CBCF throughout the years. Earle was born in Washington, D.C. to Earle Sr. and the former Sylvia Carroll. He is a product of the District of Columbia Public School system where he attended historic Coolidge High School. There, he excelled in sports, music, and community service. Earle furthered his education by attending American University in Washington, D.C. He then went on to attend the University of California at Berkeley where he received his Juris Doctorate from the prestigious Boalt Hall School of Law. Following law school, Earle practiced law at Holland and Hart in Denver, Colorado before entering private practice. During that time, he served on the Judicial Ethics Advisory Board as the Ethics Counselor for Colorado lawyers and as an adjunct Law Professor at the University of Denver. Upon returning to Washington, D.C., Earle joined Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI) in 1989 where he served as Division Director for Government Affairs and then its Federal Communications Commission Washington Counsel. For three years, he led Washington, D.C.'s District Cablevision as its General Manager and oversaw Comcast's acquisition of District Cablevision from AT&T in 2001. In 2009, Earle joined Comcast Corporation's Washington Federal Government Affairs where he cultivated a reputation for being an expert on issues and a sought-after counselor and mentor to many on the Hill-- especially in the CBC community. Madam Speaker, I'm proud to say Earle Jones is my friend. I've always been impressed by his integrity and his ability to have empathy for others. I'd like to thank him for all the years he served on the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Board where he always provided excellent counsel and support. Please join me in congratulating Earle Jones on a remarkable career and wishing him the best as he spends more time with his son Steve, daughter-in-law Heather and grandchildren Ryan and Rachel. On behalf of the United States House of Representatives I congratulate Earle Francis Jones on his remarkable career and his contributions to our Country and our community.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, in closing, let me thank the gentlewoman from Michigan for supporting this amendment. It is a very simple amendment. It is a very commonsense amendment. It will allow and authorize nonprofit organizations, as Mrs. Dingell said, to compete for funding. It will not be a guarantee of funding. It will be an opportunity to compete for funding. It is a worthwhile amendment, and I ask my colleagues to vote ``yea.'' Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, I listened very carefully to the gentleman from Arkansas, and I respect his position, but I just want to remind my colleagues that in my State and most States these organizations that are not nonprofits who care about the environment and care about protecting endangered species--in most States and in all of your States--these are not radical groups. These are good grassroots nonprofit organizations who really care about the environment and want to do their part in protecting our economy and our environmental economy. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to please vote for this amendment. I understand the gentleman's concern, but I assure him that the nonprofits that I speak of are not radical groups, they are good environmental organizations. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Dingell).

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, I thank Mrs. Dingell and the ranking member for their courtesy, and I also thank the Natural Resources Committee for all the work they do. I am not on that committee, but I have great respect and admiration for the committee and its chairman. I thank you for letting me have 5 minutes to present this amendment. Madam Speaker, this amendment is rather simple. It is straightforward. The underlying bill establishes a new, competitive grant program to support innovative strategies to help species recovery. That is the underlying bill we have been debating all afternoon. However, as drafted, the bill limits those competitive grants to only State wildlife agencies. Specifically, my amendment expands the eligibility of the grant program to include nonprofit organizations like the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, the Pamlico Albemarle Wildlife Conservationists, and so many more wonderful organizations in my State, and perhaps in your States all across the country. Many of these nonprofits have tremendous expertise in helping species recover and they should be eligible to participate in this new program under this amendment. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, which will strengthen our species recovery efforts. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina. On April 14, 1897, Voorhees College was founded by 23-year-old Elizabeth Evelyn Wright as Denmark Industrial School. A native of Georgia, Ms. Wright went on to study at Booker T. Washington's Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Knowing the importance of education, Ms. Wright moved to South Carolina and started the first of several schools for Blacks in the rural area of southeastern South Carolina. On May 14, 1902, the Denmark Industrial School was renamed to Voorhees Industrial School after Ralph Voorhees, a New Jersey philanthropist, gave Ms. Wright $5,000 for the purchase of 280 acres of land on the outskirts of Denmark The generous donation allowed the school to expand. In 1924, the American Church Institute for Negroes, which was a part of the Episcopal Church, agreed to support the school beginning a long relationship that continues to this day. In 1947, Voorhees Industrial School became a junior college and was renamed Voorhees School and Junior College after the industrial department was discontinued. The junior college was accredited in 1946 by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and in 1949 it became the first Black college in South Carolina to be recognized by the regional body. In 1962, the school became Voorhees College and five years later it became a senior degree granting institution. Shortly thereafter, it received full accreditation as a liberal arts college from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools For the last 125 years, Voorhees College has educated thousands of students. Its educational scope has expanded from the days of teaching vocational skills to becoming a liberal arts college to now having a presence in Ghana, Liberia and other countries in West Africa. Today, 125 years after Denmark Industrial School was founded, it will be renamed once again to Voorhees University with the start of a Masters programs. Madam Speaker, today, I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating the 125th anniversary of Voorhees University, its history, and its founder, Elizabeth Evelyn Wright.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, as many of you know, the United States is one of the only developed nations in the world where the maternal mortality rate continues to rise every year. The rate of mortality is especially higher in minority populations and rural communities--those who most often sit on the wrong side of the digital divide. This women's health crisis has had a particularly disparate impact on the African American community. African American women are three times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth than their counterparts. Physicians and scientists continue to study the cause of these high numbers, citing lack of access to resources as one of many reasons the maternal mortality rate continues to rise. These resources include, but are not limited, to broadband access. My bill, the Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act, focuses on overlaying broadband connectivity data held by the FCC with health information held by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Armed with this information, policymakers will be able to target connectivity resources where telehealth may be able to assist medical professionals remotely monitor the health of pregnant women. We must act to address this crisis and my bill will give us the needed information to target our interventions. I urge my colleagues to help protect our Nation's mothers and vote yes on H.R. 1218, the Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the following letters of support for the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5746. National Urban League, New York, NY, January 13, 2022. Dear Representative: As President and CEO of the National Urban League, and on behalf of its 91 affiliates in 37 states and the District of Columbia, I am writing to express our strong support for the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5746, the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, as it is considered in the House and Senate in the coming days. As a historic civil rights organization dedicated to ensuring that all people are able to exercise their fundamental right to vote, we stand with our fellow civil rights organizations in supporting this bill. The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act will ensure that voters can safely and freely cast their ballots, protect against election sabotage, stop partisan gerrymandering, and limit the influence of dark money in politics. In 2021 alone, 19 states have enacted 34 new laws that suppress the right to vote for all Americans and more are under consideration today. In addition, states are pursuing manipulative redistricting effoits which discriminate against and dilute the representation of Black and Brown voters. This legislation would fight back against these attacks and ensure the ability for every American to participate in safe, accessible, and transparent elections. Our organization fully endorses this bill, which responds to the current needs of this nation in the fight for voting rights, and urges you to support this legislation. For more information, please contact Yvette Badu-Nimako, Senior Director for Judiciary, Civil Rights and Social Justice. Sincerely, Marc H. Moria, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Urban League.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume in order to close. First of all, Madam Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) for his kind words. When Members of Congress say to each other, ``you are my friend,'' I just want the world to know that we mean that sincerely. Mr. Davis and I are genuinely friends. I am the chairman of the subcommittee. He is the ranking member of our full committee, and we have a whole relationship. We respect each other. I thank Mr. Davis so much. And I thank our chair of the full Committee on House Administration, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, who allowed me to manage the floor today. And I want to thank her for her leadership, not only on this committee, but also on the Committee on the Judiciary. Madam Speaker, this has been a healthy debate. This is the way Congress should work. This is a healthy debate, and I look forward to debate in the Senate. I hope it will start forthwith and conclude on Monday. I look forward to passage in the United States Senate. Madam Speaker, the choice before the House today is clear. We must protect our democracy. It is past time for this Congress to act. Historically, we have come together to protect the right to vote. From the Voting Rights Act of 1965, that I remember so well, its subsequent reauthorizations, and various election administration bills, we have protected and expanded the right to vote. And Madam Speaker, we must do that again. The Voting Rights Act works. Along with Lani Guinier, and Julius Chambers, and Leslie Winner, and Jack Greenberg, of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, I joined with them in the 1980s and successfully litigated Voting Rights Act cases in North Carolina. The Voting Rights Act works. Throughout my career, I have witnessed this body come together to ensure all Americans have a voice in this democracy. We must do that again now. One of our most sacred rights in this country is the right to vote. Indeed, as the Supreme Court observed in Wesberry v. Sanders: ``Other rights, even the most basic''--the most basic--``are illusory if the right to vote is undermined.'' As a Congress, as a Nation, we cannot, we must not tolerate any voter suppression, any voter discrimination of any kind in any State in America. And so, I respectfully urge all of my colleagues, Democrat and Republican, all 435 of us, I urge all of us to support this bill. Vote ``yes.'' Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time for a vote.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, I say to the gentleman that I am prepared to close. Mr. Davis is my friend, and I want the world to know that. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, again, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, at this time in the interest of time, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Allred), my friend from Dallas, who represents the 32nd Congressional District.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), who is my friend and chair of the Appropriations Committee who stays in perpetual motion.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, I want to remind my friend from Arizona who just spoke that this bill sets uniform national standards for States that choose to require identification to vote. The bill gives States the flexibility--flexibility--to choose whether to require voter IDs. It is not a mandatory voter ID law. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jones), who is a thoughtful leader on the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Madam Speaker, may I inquire about how much time each side has remaining.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Selma, Alabama (Ms. Sewell), who is my dear friend and a sponsor of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the Democratic whip, who has led the way in this House and the South for generations.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), my friend, the distinguished Democratic leader.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from the Commonwealth of Virginia (Mr. Beyer), my friend.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Garcia), my friend who serves on the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), who serves on the Committee on House Administration and the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), the distinguished and unrelenting chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes), the author of the For the People Act.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the dean of the Florida delegation.

Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence), the second vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.