Suzanne Bonamici

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson), who is a member of the Education and Labor Committee and a lead cosponsor of the legislation.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, how much time is remaining?

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes. Madam Speaker, we all agree that the inclusion of faith-based organizations and faith leaders is important for the community action network. In fact, they have a long history of being involved with community action since the very beginning of the war on poverty in the 1960s, and I have no doubt that they will continue to do their important work. In recent years, the Supreme Court has made clear that religious entities cannot be excluded from participation in publicly funded programs because of their religious status. This legislation, despite what the ranking member and others claim, would not change that. We are here today to reauthorize and modernize the community services block grant program, which is almost 20 years past its authorization expiration. I also note that the bipartisan bill introduced in the previous Congress, the 116th, also removed the charitable choice provision with broad bipartisan support, and H.R. 5129 reflects the same sensible compromise on this issue. In fact, some Members would have liked the legislation to go further to expressly address other nondiscrimination issues, but I did not take that approach as we crafted the bill because I wanted to maintain the bipartisan agreement we reached to make real progress toward the much- needed reauthorization of CSBG. Twenty years is too long for this program, our community action agencies, and the communities they serve. It is too long for them to wait for us to reach an agreement, and we have reached an agreement. Additionally, Madam Speaker, for 60 years, community action agencies have had relationships with faith-based organizations. The involvement of faith-based organizations in community action programs long predates the charitable choice provision, and their involvement will continue without this controversial provision. We also know that HHS regulations have existed for nearly 20 years incorporating many of the same principles. Eliminating the duplicative charitable choice provision in CSBG allows us to move forward with a reauthorization that is vital to so many of our agencies and allows HHS to apply a single set of rules across programs. This is a distraction that should not prevent us from moving forward with this reauthorization and maintaining the bipartisan consensus we have achieved. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the Coalition Against Religious Discrimination, a broad and diverse group of leading religious, civil rights, labor, and health organizations supporting the removal of the charitable choice provision from the community services block grant program. The Coalition Against Religious Discrimination, May 11, 2022. Dear Representative: As members and allies of the Coalition Against Religious Discrimination (CARD), we write to support the changes in H.R. 5129, the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Modernization Act of 2022, that would remove charitable choice, a highly controversial policy. CARD is a broad and diverse group of leading religious, civil rights, labor, and health organizations that formed in the 1990s to oppose adding charitable choice to social service program authorizations. Since then, CARD has continued to advocate for strengthening the constitutional and legal safeguards that apply to such partnerships in this and other social service programs. We appreciate the important role that religiously affiliated organizations historically have played in addressing many of our nation's most pressing social needs, including in some cases, with the use of government funds; indeed, many members of CARD know this firsthand. We also recognize that the separation of church and state is the cornerstone of religious freedom. Contrary to claims of its supporters, charitable choice provisions did not remove any ``barriers'' to participation for faith-based providers. Faith-based organizations partnered with the government to provide services long before the addition of charitable choice to the Community Services Block Grant programs. Charitable choice instead changed the rules. But faith-based organizations should follow the same rules as all other providers, and effective government collaboration with faith-based entities does not require government-supported discrimination. Charitable choice removed traditional church-state safeguards that applied to social service providers that accept taxpayer funds. It allows taxpayer-funded faith-based organizations to discriminate in hiring, including by undermining state and local nondiscrimination protections, and threatens the rights of beneficiaries when delivering services. People in need should never be faced with the stark choice between accessing the services they need or retaining their religious freedom protections. And no one should be forced to choose between conforming to a religious litmus test or losing a government-funded job. Charitable choice does not protect religious freedom, rather it uses the guise of religious freedom to justify discrimination against employees and put people who need government services at risk of harm. Thus, we support the removal of the charitable choice provisions from the CSBG authorization. Sincerely, ADL (Anti-Defamation League), African American Ministers in Action, American Atheists, American Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Teachers, American Humanist Association, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, B'nai B'rith International, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC), Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, Catholics for Choice, Center for Inquiry and the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason & Science, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Disciples Center for Public Witness, Disciples Justice Action Network. Equal Partners in Faith, Family Equality, Freedom From Religion Foundation, GLSEN, Hindu American Foundation, Human Rights Campaign, Interfaith Alliance, Jewish Women International, Lambda Legal, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, Metropolitan Community Churches, Global Justice Institute, NAACP, NARAL Pro-Choice America. National Center for Transgender Equality, National Council of Jewish Women, National LGBTQ Task Force, National Women's Law Center, People For the American Way, PFLAG National, Presbyterian Church (USA), Secular Coalition for America, Secular Policy Institute, SPLC Action Fund, Union for Reform Judaism, United Church of Christ, Justice and Local Church Ministries, The United Methodist Church--General Board of Church and Society.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the chairman of the Education and Labor Committee.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a Statement of Administration Policy from the Executive Office of the President supporting H.R. 5129 and praising the legislation's commitment to ensuring that communities have the tools they need to address poverty and achieve economic mobility. Statement of Administration Policy H.R. 5129--Community Services Block Grant Modernization Act of 2022-- Rep. Bonamici, D-OR, and 126 cosponsors The Administration supports the poverty-fighting goals of H.R. 5129, the Community Services Block Grant Modernization Act of 2022, to provide states, territories, and Tribes with resources for critical community services. This legislation will reauthorize the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) for a decade and help ensure that communities have the tools they need to fight poverty and build economic mobility. The CSBG has been supporting tribal and local governments and community organizations across the country for over 50 years with funding to help them serve low-income individuals and families. Local administration of some of the most essential community programs--such as job training and placement, food and nutrition assistance, Head Start, housing and homelessness assistance, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program--is supported by CSBG funds. While these services and strategies have always been key to helping Americans get ahead and stay ahead, the COVID-19 pandemic underscored just how vital it is to invest in the organizations that deliver them. Faced with unprecedented demand and the operational challenges of the pandemic, the more than 1,000 organizations supported by CSBG continued working to help low-income communities address housing and food insecurity, provide high-quality early childhood education, and support individuals re-entering the workforce. Now, as this Administration works to build a strong and equitable recovery, it is more important than ever to invest in locally based solutions to the causes and conditions of poverty in communities. The CSBG update proposed by this Act would result in greater equity for Tribes, expanded income eligibility data modernization, strengthened performance management, and support for community-based services and strategies. In addition, this Act would support new broadband navigator efforts and continues critical support for community economic development and rural development activities. And reauthorizing CSBG for the first time since 1998 would provide organizations and the millions of families they serve with the confidence and stability to make the long-term investments communities need. The Administration looks forward to working with Congress to ensure that this bipartisan legislation achieves its purposes, continues expanding opportunity for all Americans, and ultimately is enacted.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative McCollum for supporting H.R. 5129. I am thankful for her leadership in the 116th Congress' legislation to reauthorize CSBG and her continued strong support for this program. Madam Speaker, I also include in the Record letters from various organizations, individuals, and localities supporting this bipartisan legislation to reauthorize this community services block grant.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, millions of families and individuals across our country benefit from the locally driven antipoverty programs and services backed by the community services block grant program. We are here today to make sure it continues to meet their needs and the unique needs of our communities. I am pleased that the House is taking up this long-overdue update to the community services block grant program with strong bipartisan support. CSBG enables community action agencies to be innovative, leverage public and private resources for their communities, and cost- efficiently administer many programs, including Head Start, LIHEAP, nutrition assistance, weatherization, job training, housing, and assistance for those experiencing homelessness. This bipartisan legislation will strengthen funding for community action agencies, raise the CSBG program's income eligibility threshold to expand its important services; promote innovation in the CAA network through a federally administered community action innovations program; and, importantly, modernizes accountability, which is an important part of the bill, and performance standards. The bottom line is that this legislation will better help low-income individuals and families achieve economic stability and access housing, childcare, utility assistance, employment, and other services. I, once again, urge my colleagues to support this important bipartisan bill to renew our Nation's commitment to reducing poverty through community action, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, pursuant to section 11 of House Resolution 1097, I rise to offer amendments en bloc No. 1.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, these amendments en bloc containing additional Democratic amendments from my colleagues continue to improve the implementation of the community services block grant program and strengthens partnerships with communities served by this program. Ms. Escobar's amendment adds entities who support innovative community-based approaches and research-driven responses as partners for community action agencies in their work to broaden the resources directed to eliminating poverty. Ms. Adams' amendment clarifies that institutions of higher education, including HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, can be considered as partners for CSBG projects. Mrs. Hayes' amendment ensures that States provide notice on their website that CSBG services are offered at no cost and information about fraudulent activity related to CSBG. Mr. Horsford's amendment adds language regarding Federal activities on place-based poverty alleviating strategies, clarifying that they can address health inequities. Ms. Houlahan's amendment updates the use of funds to include behavioral health needs that an eligible entity may use CSBG funds for. Ms. Jackson Lee's amendment requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study to identify the uses, programs, and activities that have the greatest impact and uses of funds under the program. Ms. Moore's amendment authorizes States to use their statewide funds to ensure that eligible entities have the necessary supports to address food insecurity needs of low-income individuals, families, and communities. Mr. Payne's and Ms. Tlaib's amendments ensure that CSBG funds can be used for home repairs for health and safety, energy, and water for low- income individuals. Mr. Payne's amendment clarifies that CSBG funds can be used to address emergency needs, including emergency needs due to a national or public health emergency. Ms. Pressley's amendment ensures that eligible entities take into account trauma prevention and mitigation when establishing partnerships to promote healthy communities. Ms. Tlaib's, Mr. Payne's, Ms. Newman's, Ms. Barragan's, and Mr. Torres of New York's amendments add a requirement for the State to describe how the State and eligible entities will coordinate programs related to utility and water assistance services. Mr. Torres of New York's amendment revises the reporting requirements of the Community Action Innovations Program to include an analysis of best practices for reducing poverty. And Ms. Wild's amendment requires that eligible entities post their strategic plan, community needs assessment, and community action plan on their website. These amendments en bloc contain commonsense proposals that strengthen the underlying bill. I thank my colleagues for their contributions. I strongly urge support of the amendments en bloc and the underlying bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford).

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan).

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Hayes), a member of the Committee on Education and Labor.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining?

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Madam Speaker, once again, I reiterate that these amendments en bloc contain commonsense proposals that strengthen the underlying bill. I appreciate my colleagues for their contributions and their strong support of improving access to services, combating poverty, and uplifting low-income people in our communities. I strongly urge support of the amendments en bloc and the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to these amendments en bloc. The amendments contained in this en bloc are either a distraction from the bipartisan work we are doing today or fundamentally undermine the improvements we are putting forth in this legislation. Notably, this en bloc includes yet another Republican attack on women's rights and liberty. Instead of focusing on what we have accomplished together to strengthen this program in a bipartisan way, some of my colleagues across the aisle are trying to further divide us. Madam Speaker, it has been 24 years since the last reauthorization of the community services block grant program in 1998. Our communities need a comprehensive reauthorization, not a partisan controversy that will delay the urgent need to renew this program. From the beginning of the program, community action agencies have addressed the health needs of low-income individuals in their communities, particularly important to rural communities. The 1964 Economic Opportunity Act, which first authorized the community action program, the predecessor to CSBG, specifies that such program shall be conducted in those fields with the purposes of this part, including employment, job training and counseling, and health, indicating that health has always been and continues to be a core part of addressing poverty conditions that is the central mission of these agencies. Additionally, this en bloc would seek to strip out language from H.R. 5129 allowing CAAs, community action agencies, to serve individuals up to 200 percent of the Federal poverty line. Congress supported, in a bipartisan manner, allowing community action agencies to serve individuals up to 200 percent of the poverty line to provide flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act, for example, the FY 2022 Labor/HHS appropriations bill, and the recently passed omnibus all included an allowance for CAAs to serve individuals up to 200 percent of the poverty line. The CSBG statute, which we know now is more than 20 years out of date, sets the income eligibility for CSBG services at 100 percent of the official poverty line or 125 percent if the State chooses. Currently, the very low-income eligibility criteria--this is equivalent to about $27,180 for a single person in 2022--for CSBG creates a cliff. Individuals will be cut off from public assistance and services as soon as they make a dime over the income threshold. We must remember that community action agencies are unique, as they do not operate a single program. Rather, CAAs operate and often coordinate an array of Federal, State, and local programs, all with varying eligibility requirements. For example, more than half of community action agencies operate the Weatherization Assistance Program. That uses 200 percent of the poverty income guidance as the eligibility criteria. I will share a story of Daniel from North Dakota. When the pandemic struck, Daniel was working in a fast-food restaurant, and his hours were reduced. With his employment income, he is above the statutory 125 percent, but below the 200 percent flexibility Congress has provided with bipartisan support. Unfortunately, Daniel's housing was unstable, and he was couch surfing. He received case management to assist with his housing search. Through CSBG funds provided under the CARES Act, he received assistance with a security deposit in February of 2021. With this assistance, Daniel has maintained stable housing for over a year. Madam Speaker, Daniel's story is just one example of why raising the Federal poverty level eligibility to 200 percent is so critical to this legislation. Unlike the underlying legislation, these amendments en bloc would weaken CSBG, or it offers solutions in search of problems. One of the needless proposals in this en bloc actually duplicates the current funding restriction in the bill and statute for voter registration activities which, of course, are nonpartisan activities. Madam Speaker, we are here today to support a bipartisan CSBG reauthorization and the important work of community action agencies in our communities. These amendments en bloc would move us backward. I strongly urge my colleagues to reject these amendments in this en bloc and support the underlying bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I have a lot to say in response to the gentleman, but I am going to take a deep breath and say, this is a bill about helping to lift low-income Americans out of poverty. It is a bipartisan bill we have been working on for many years. It is time to update the community services block grant program and help lift low- income Americans in Oregon and across the country out of poverty. I oppose these amendments en bloc, and I encourage my colleagues to oppose them. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, again, I reiterate my strong opposition to this en bloc amendment and support for the underlying bill. This bipartisan bill is about improving services for our communities through community action, and these efforts are long overdue. Unlike the underlying bill that enjoys broad bipartisan support and reflects the input of stakeholders who represent these agencies and their vital work in our communities, this en bloc amendment ignores what we have accomplished together to strengthen this program and seeks to further divide us. Rather than addressing the real needs of low-income individuals, this en bloc amendment attacks women's reproductive rights at a time when they are under attack nationally. The sponsors of this en bloc amendment have injected controversy into a policy on voter registration, which is nonpartisan. Head Start has had a nearly identical policy for the last 40 years with little evidence of a problem. Together, these amendments all failed in our bipartisan committee markup, and they should again. Madam Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to reject this en bloc amendment and support the underlying bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Gottheimer for his amendment and for his leadership in addressing the needs of our country's veterans. Madam Speaker, this amendment will help community action agencies meet the needs of veterans, particularly homeless veterans. Although many community action agencies already implement other Federal programs serving veterans, this amendment will emphasize that all eligible entities are able and equipped to serve veterans and their communities. Again, I thank my colleague for offering this amendment, and I thank the ranking member for supporting it as well.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Scott for yielding, and I thank him for his leadership on this and so many important issues in the Education and Labor Committee. I rise in strong support of the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022 or SECURE 2.0, which makes important and bipartisan improvements that will improve enrollment in and access to retirement savings plans. As employers have shifted from pension plans to retirement plans such as 401(k)'s, workers have increasingly become responsible for tracking, managing, and consolidating their retirement accounts when they change jobs. There is no standard way for workers to consolidate their accounts, and many workers actually lose track of their hard-earned investments. According to a Government Accountability Office report, about 25 million people changed jobs between 2004 and 2014 and left one or more retirement accounts behind. This problem is only expected to grow as young workers transition between jobs at greater rates than previous generations. The SECURE Act 2.0 includes provisions from my Retirement Savings Lost and Found Act which will help address the challenge of tracking retirement savings. My bill creates a national lost-and-found registry for retirement accounts housed at the Department of Labor. The lost-and-found registry will provide workers with a centralized way to track their retirement accounts, and it will also help workers claim their hard-earned retirement funds regardless of how often they transition from job to job. I strongly support the commonsense improvements in the SECURE Act 2.0, including the creation of a retirement savings lost-and-found registry which will help working families retire with dignity. I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of passage of this important legislation.

Ms. BONAMICI

Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the America COMPETES Act. Our country is home to some of the most cutting edge research, innovative discoveries, and unparalleled national laboratories in the world. Unfortunately, in some ways, we have fallen behind competitors during the past several decades, but with this legislation, we will strengthen our enterprise, bolster research and development, grow our domestic semiconductor manufacturing base, and make sure critical supply chains are based in the U.S. This legislation includes a provision similar to my Regional Clean Energy Innovation Act to help cutting-edge technologies achieve commercialization by leveraging regional clean energy capabilities and markets. As co-chair of the House Apprenticeship Caucus, I am thrilled that the America COMPETES Act includes not only the National Apprenticeship Act but also my PARTNERS Act, which will promote workforce training and help more people access good-paying jobs. I am very grateful to Chair Johnson for her leadership on this bill and for Chair McGovern for making in order six of my amendments. If incorporated, they will help address climate change, improve workforce development, and enhance STEM education. In particular, the Blue Carbon for our Planet Act, BLUE GLOBE Act, and COAST Research Act will strengthen coastal acidification research and monitoring, expand efforts to map and conserve blue carbon ecosystems, and enhance ocean data collection. And my bipartisan BUILDS Act, which provides grants for infrastructure industry partnerships, will play a pivotal role in helping workers get the skills they need to fill the jobs created by the bipartisan infrastructure law. And my amendment with Mr. Langevin to enhance NSF's Mathematics and Science Education Partnership program will support innovative research and provide professional development for educators on how to boost creativity in STEM by integrating the arts. The America COMPETES Act will reinvigorate America's research enterprise and restore its competitive edge. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this important bill. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Johnson for yielding me the time.

Ms. BONAMICI. Madam Speaker, as the designee of Chairwoman Johnson, pursuant to House Resolution 900, I offer amendments en bloc.