Joyce Beatty

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to open our first Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour of this year, during Black History Month, utilizing to the fullest extent possible: Our Power, Our Message. I would like to thank the Congressional Black Caucus members for having the confidence to elect me to be chairwoman during the 117th Congress. I stand on the shoulders of greatness as I acknowledge the past members and chairs for their tremendous leadership. For the next 60 minutes, we have an opportunity to speak directly to the American people about the issues of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus and the millions of constituents we represent. Tonight's Special Order hour topic will serve as part of a rollout of our policy agenda and celebrate our 50th anniversary in the context of the many critical issues facing the Black community. The Congressional Black Caucus kicked off Black History Month, Madam Speaker, with the powerful Travon Free film ``Two Distant Strangers,'' a moving story about a young Black man caught in a George Floyd type of nightmare with his local police department. During tomorrow's CBC meeting to be held at 12 p.m., the ``Living Black History'' vignette, featuring all 58 members of the CBC, will be unveiled to the public via Facebook, TheGrio, and my YouTube page. We are also hosting a virtual film screening of director Lee Daniels' film, ``The United State vs. Billie Holiday,'' tomorrow evening. In that spirit, later this week, I will be introducing the Black History is American History Act to close out our Black History Month. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the CBC with the largest CBC group ever, 58 members who represent the diversity, hope, and promise of this great Nation. It has been stated before, and it certainly bears repeating, the CBC is commonly referred to as the conscience of the Congress and over the decades has forcefully advocated on policies that our Nation cares about, ranging from economic justice and reparations, healthcare, voting rights, consumer protection, education, and fair policing to far beyond. The killing of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd drew America closer to another watershed moment last year, amid a pandemic that has disrupted life as we knew it, triggering an intergenerational cross-class collective of people demanding change, which led to the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, a bill that is the first-ever bold, comprehensive approach to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement, empower our communities, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities by addressing systemic racism and biases to help save lives. I also wear another hat, and that is as chairwoman of the Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee. Though it may speak for itself, I appreciate that kind of transformative change which we seek in the spirit of policy, legislation, and regulation that will, hopefully, result in building a record that we can use as we promote diversity and inclusion in our democracy. As CBC founder member Bill Clay noted, we have no permanent friends or enemies, just permanent interests. The CBC's priorities will allow us, in many instances, to work with the Biden administration to deliver relief to our constituents who have been so devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic and to work on long-term plans for recovery. To that end, we are so pleased that we will announce our domestic policy team tomorrow, as we have met with Ambassador Susan Rice, who is head of the Biden domestic policy team. It is so important that I end by saying the Congressional Black Caucus is committed to dramatically reversing these alarming trends by working with our community leaders, allies, and colleagues in Congress to pass critical legislation and by working with the Biden-Harris administration to encourage responsible executive branch policies and actions using Our Power, Our Message. Now, I am honored to announce our CBC anchors for tonight: Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a scholar, a strategist, an orator, a woman who has sponsored legislation and helped craft much of the changes that we will be talking about through the 117th Congress; and I am equally as proud to say that the Special Order hour will be co- chaired by her coanchor, Congressman Ritchie Torres, a freshman, a member of the Financial Services Committee, a giant in public housing legislation. Tonight, you will hear from them. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, it is a shame that we must use precious time on the floor of the people's House to address the inflammatory remarks of Member Marjorie Taylor Greene. But just as we are in the midst of three crises of the coronavirus, the economic distress, and social injustice, we must also act against a crisis of extremism and unhinged conspiracy theories. Disturbing and dangerous words and actions like those we have heard and seen from this individual in this House are below the dignity of a Member of Congress. And if they did not stop when we were all sworn in, then, if anything, these backward views gained a national platform. Well, I stand here to tell you, Mr. Speaker, I will stand up to bullies who threaten students and threaten and celebrate violence towards our Speaker and our colleagues. Today, as the conscience of the Congress, it is important that we take this step to affirm that conspiracy theories and outrageous lies have no place in the Congress and no place in the people's House. No place. No place.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, what I am going to say is for the American people because, for the past year, American people's lives and livelihoods have been turned upside down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether contracting the virus, losing their jobs, working on the front lines, at the risk of eviction or struggling to keep their businesses open, many of my constituents--Republican constituents, Democrat constituents--have been forced to make unimaginable decisions and sacrifices. In response, Congress passed the strong bipartisan CARES Act. However, 10 months later, the virus is still wreaking havoc on our way of life, in large part due to the failures of the prior administration. So we are here to right the wrongs, and under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi and the Biden-Harris administration, we are doing just that. We must meet the moment and bookend this pandemic with a big, bold package to ensure workers, families, and small businesses have the support and resources to break through the dark winter and start the process to build back better. Think about this, Mr. Speaker: The budget reconciliation will pave the way to doing just that. Who is against extending emergency unemployment? Who is against providing another round of direct stimulus? Who is against offering rental assistance to ensure that no family is forced to live on the streets? Who is against instituting a quicker rollout and production of vaccines after the disastrous rollout, or lack thereof, by the previous administration? Who is against expanding funds for child care and increasing the child tax credit? Who is against giving aid to the very States that we represent and localities? So I say to my colleagues: Think about what your constituents have called for. Think about what they are losing, and let's give our constituents hope. Let's join together to meet the moment; not for us, but for the American people, for the economy, and for the future.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, domestic terrorists attacked our democracy, urged on by a sitting President. These insurrectionists believe Donald Trump's lies about the stolen election. They obeyed his call to attack. They literally carried his banner while storming the Capitol. Last week's insurrection was shocking and tragic. It was the culmination of 4 years of assaults on our democracy. We must impeach this President. And the Congressional Black Caucus stands ready to join in a bipartisan message to the likes of Donald Trump.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, I was absent from the House Chamber on January 5, 2021, to attend a funeral in my district. Had I been present, I would have voted yes on Roll Call number 9.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, I was absent from the House Chamber on January 5, 2021, to attend a funeral in my district. Had I been present, I would have voted yes on Roll Call number 9.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding. I rise today to support this legislation because my constituents desperately need the unemployment benefits, the stimulus checks, the food assistance, the eviction moratoriums, the small business Minority Development Institution funds and the CDFI assistance funds, and other protections in this bill. Seven months after the House passed the Heroes Act, Republicans have finally relented to allow more support to the American people who are struggling through the three pandemics: COVID-19, economic hardships, and social injustices. So let me be clear: The GOP has had a knee on Americans' necks by holding this bill up, and it still falls short of what we need to get through this crisis. But I will continue to stand up for my constituents of the Third Congressional District and for people across this Nation and my colleagues to work with the Biden administration to get people the support they need to build back better.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute and salute a person who has dedicated 20 years of her life to this institution, coming here in 2000 as a young, brilliant regulatory attorney to work in the Senate as a senior LA, then to the House as a legislative director, then to be the staff attorney for the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, and, finally, to my office as chief of staff and counsel, the only chief of staff I have had since 2013. She is one of the most loyal, hardest working, dedicated, and intelligent individuals I have worked with. I consider it an honor to have worked with her. Her footprints are deep. They leave an impression to guide others. Her words of wisdom, generosity, historical knowledge, quickness to speak, analytical thoughts, late night conversations, and early morning pickups to work make her my national treasure. This woman is Kimberly Ross, Esquire, Chief of Staff, who serves faithfully to this institution and to me. Kimberly, you have climbed every mountain, now enjoy the view. Happy retirement. And to you and your wonderful husband, Bernard, good luck and congratulations on your next venture.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my fellow Congressional Black Caucus members for coming together this evening to recognize and acknowledge the 155th anniversary of the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Mr. Speaker, 1865 was certainly a turning point in the history of our nation, with the end of the Civil War and the assassination of one of our greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln. But the ideal over which the Civil War was fought and President Lincoln died was not fulfilled until late in that year--155 years ago yesterday, in fact. When Georgia became the 27th state to ratify the 13th Amendment, on December 6, 1865, our country formally put an end to the practice of chattel slavery in this country. In the following years, Congress and the states added to the Reconstruction Era Civil Rights Amendments, with the 14th Amendment in 1868, providing for equal protection and due process, and the 15th Amendment in 1870, guaranteeing the right to vote regardless of race. These constitutional amendments were absolutely critical in our pursuit of a more perfect union where all men, and women, are created equal. In the first four-score-and-9 years of our Republic, slavery was allowed and, indeed, enshrined in our Constitution. While that changed with the 13th Amendment, over the last 155 years, we have still had to struggle for true equality. The 13th Amendment may have ended slavery, but it did not stop the Black Codes or Jim Crow. The 14th Amendment promised equal protection, but it didn't prevent 100 years of segregation. The 15th Amendment says that the right to vote shall not be denied or abridged, but it hasn't kept tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people of color from being disenfranchised at the hands of voter suppression tactics. That is why I think it is so important that we do things like this-- come together to talk about our history and the steps we need to take to complete the work. Despite the progress over the years, we have not yet solved the problem of systemic racism. We have work yet to do to make sure that a child's future isn't determined by her zip code; to overcome disparities in our health care system that have been exacerbated by a global pandemic; to prevent innocent Black men from being killed in the street. As we approach another milestone--the 50th Anniversary of the creation of the Congressional Black Caucus--I am proud to join with my colleagues in the CBC to do that hard work, and to finally ratify the 13th Amendment, not just in law, but in truth.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, for bringing this bill to this Chamber. I stand here as the chair of the Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion. I have probably spent more hours and time looking into the difference diversity makes, whether it is a small business, whether it is an educational system, whether it is a child. I remind us to history. In 1960, a little Black girl by the name of Ruby Bridges was denied the right to enter a school--against the Supreme Court of this land--by a Governor. I stand here on this floor and hear indictments about President Obama. Mr. Speaker, let me say to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, anything that his educational Secretaries did was better than what we have now with Secretary Betsy DeVos. Let me just say that it is so important when we think about diversity and inclusion and we think about those little children, Black children, marginalized White children. When I look at the votes for what my colleagues on the other side have said about us--and they don't vote for budgets; they don't vote for funding that can save lives--their arguments are weak. Their arguments are unfounded. This bill is about equal opportunity. This bill is about removing systemic racism. We already know that racism is a national crisis. So when I think of housing, when I think about feeding a child, what kind of Member of Congress would stand here against Congresswoman Fudge, Congressman Bobby Scott, who is the chair of this committee and has done more in his lifetime on education than anyone who has been to this microphone on the other side?

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, America has lost a national treasure, one of the world's greatest fighters and defenders of freedom and justice. Congressman Lewis' words and work and legacy will live forever. I am so fortunate to have traveled to Africa with him and to have marched in my hometown with him. You see, Mr. Speaker, when Mr. Lewis spoke, you heard the voice of history, a voice that helped stir the conscience of America at a time of ugliness and struggle, but also at a time and in an era of hope and accomplishment. My colleagues, there is no greater time for us to stand up against injustices that we are facing, no greater time for us to fight for justice and fairness at the ballot box. So, my colleagues, let us make some noise. Let us get in trouble, good trouble. God bless you. Rest in peace. Rest in power, my friend. Good trouble.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, I rise to support House Joint Resolution 90, a resolution to overturn the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's ill-conceived rule to dilute and weaken the Community Reinvestment Act. Originally passed in 1977, the Community Reinvestment Act was enacted into law to fight against systemic racism in the banking and housing system, otherwise known as redlining. This practice ensured that the American dream of homeownership and living in good neighborhoods with good schools would never become a reality for Black families because of the color of their skin. The peaceful protests since the murder of George Floyd against the persistent injustice and unequal treatment of Black people are a testament to why our society must keep our foot on the pedal of CRA to ensure that its intentions are fully realized to right the wrongs of the past. At a time when the homeownership rate of Black Americans is only marginally better than it was in 1977, we should be strengthening the Community Reinvestment Act to form a more inclusive America, not gutting it like the OCC's rule would do. The COVID-19 pandemic has further proved that we need to fuel Black businesses, entrepreneurship and enterprise in Black communities to add value and make them more stable. This resolution will overturn the OCC's rule and ensure that the gains that we have made are not rolled back to the era of Jim Crow and protect investments in Black communities. I urge my colleagues to vote for this resolution.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, it is indisputable that George Floyd should be alive today. His killing was the result of police violence that too many Black Americans have experienced, many in my district. Black lives matter. I was honored to attend George Floyd's funeral and proud to support this historic bill in honor of his name. Today I breathe--today we breathe--in honor of George Floyd. This bill will honor his life. And in the words of his daughter: My daddy will change the world. I ask all of my colleagues to help change the world by ending some of the most dangerous and egregious practices of law enforcement in our Nation. Beyond this bill, we must get to the root of structural racism that has plagued our country for centuries. As I have called out in my resolution, H. Res. 990, racism is a national crisis. We must move toward a truth and reconciliation process. Today, my colleagues, we go from agony to action. I support this bill, and I ask you to join me.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today on the United States House floor to say thank you to my colleagues who voted for House bill 7120, Justice in Policing Act 2020. Tomorrow, I go back home to the Third Congressional District, and I say to them, ``This is what we did for you.'' Mr. Speaker, it was worth me marching. It was worth me kneeling for 8 minutes and 46 seconds so many times in my district. And now, today, I can say that I was Speaker pro tem when this bill came to the floor. It sends a great message home to my district. It tells them if we can do this at the Federal level, then we can do this at the State, the county, and the city level. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to stand here and say: From agony to action.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise for this big and bold For the People legislation. We have been called back again into this great Chamber because we can't quit living, because the world placed us here in unprecedented times, not in control of this virus and events happening to us, but to bring bold and big legislation for the people to speak to the human conditions by creating a heroes fund to give frontline workers the hazard pay they deserve, to make significant investments in State and local governments, direct payments to families, fair elections, housing, testing, contact tracing, and other priorities I proudly support. The bill also includes language that I have championed to put a moratorium on consumer debt collection, to open up forgivable loans to more nonprofits, ban the box for small business loans, and to make sure that the smallest businesses can get a PPP loan, only to name a few. I challenge my colleagues to join us and vote for this big and bold bill. Americans deserve every penny of it.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise with the good, the bad, and the ugly for small businesses. The good: Democrats fought hard and won in providing more than $310 billion for small businesses. The bad: It may not be enough. The ugly: Thousands and thousands of small businesses and minority businesses may be left out again. The past weeks of economic history and trends offer reasonable predictions of what we should do in this financial assistance funding bill. The longstanding economic inequalities already undermine any ability to close the wealth gap, and COVID-19 will undeniably exacerbate this paradigm. I am asking that we match the language that the Democrats fought so hard for. It is not enough just to allocate funding to institutions; we must hold the Secretary of the Treasury accountable that minority and small businesses will not be left out. Just like in the film ``The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,'' we must be the one to shoot the COVID-19 noose to save small businesses. I know that we will do more in the weeks to come because this a great victory for Democrats, but still not enough.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, the world is watching us. Today's $2 trillion aid is relief and economic security for all Americans. We worked hard to provide healthcare disaster needs and to ensure Americans, workers, and families come first: $350 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses, independent contractors, like barbershops and beauty salons, and more; first-time funding for not-for-profits and churches, which we must include minority-led and minority-serving not- for-profits; and $1,200 in direct payments to individuals and couples, $500 for children. The Nation is watching us. Vote for this bill.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to observe Black History Month, remembering a few legends whom we lost this past year--for them, we unite and celebrate our shared history--to build a more perfect Union for all Americans. Standing on the shoulders of: Ohio's Toni Morrison, poet laureate, who voiced the struggle for justice and equality for all Americans; Congressman Elijah Cummings, sharecroppers' son, friend, mentor, civil rights giant, and first African American male to have a committee room named after him; Katherine Johnson, the famed NASA ``Hidden Figure,'' who was behind Ohio's John Glenn's orbit of the Earth and putting a man on the Moon. Standing on their shoulders, I empower the next generation of leaders, like this third grader, Paris, who dressed up as me for her Black History project. Madam Speaker, we thank Paris. We fight every day for her future. Paris is brave and talented. She is our future. She embodies why Black History is American history. Thank you, giants; thank you, America; and God bless America for Black History Month--American history.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Chair, I want to start by thanking Chairwoman Waters and the House Democratic Caucus for bringing this package of bills to the House Floor, the Comprehensive CREDIT Act, which includes my bill, the Free Credit Scores for Consumers Act. This bill would require the three national consumer reporting agencies to include a free credit score with a consumer's free annual credit report. Under the current law, Mr. Chair, every consumer is entitled to a free annual credit report from the three national credit reporting agencies but not a credit score. It is important for consumers to have free access to the three-digit number that affects so much of their financial lives; yet too many Americans do not actually even know what their credit score is, how it is calculated, or where to find it. This bill would help remedy that problem. Critics may say that consumers can already receive a free credit score online, but what they don't tell them is that these products use your credit data to sell to third parties so they can, in turn, market financial products back to you. This bill allows consumers a one-stop shop to get their credit scores directly from the credit reporting agencies who hold the information that makes up those scores, no strings attached. Moreover, my bill would require more financial literacy information about credit scores and credit reports to be sent to consumers along with these reports. I urge my colleagues on the other side to stand up for this bill, to stand up for their constituents, and to allow consumers to take greater control of their own financial data. And do you know why they can do this? Because their constituents are our constituents, and they have asked for this. So we are asking them to vote ``yes'' on this piece of legislation.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, I rise to claim the time in opposition.

Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, the current credit reporting system is broken and does not work for consumers, nor does this motion to recommit. Madam Speaker, I am going to take a few moments to address what my colleague just said, to address his jangling discords of words. Today, they are trying to slow down this bill. We have had four hearings, two markups in this Congress alone. Never once did this come up. And now they want to make it about false fears? Now they want to make it about free speech and China? Let me tell you something: We don't have free speech when credit bureaus own our information and it is wrong. Madam Speaker, the current credit reporting system is rigged in favor of the credit reporting agencies, plain and simple. They have all the power. They are accountable to no one. Ordinary American consumers are not their customers but their products. In 2017, Madam Speaker, one of the three credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, exposed personal information of more than 148 million Americans--nearly half the country--in the largest data breach ever, and there was nothing that our constituents could have done about it to protect or stop their sensitive personal information from being exposed. Even the ranking member of the Financial Services Committee admits that the system is broken. But what was the response of my Republican majority colleagues in 2017 when the American people found out that their data was breached? Did they bring any legislation to the floor to address it? Did they bring anything to fix it? No. Instead, they tried to repeal protections for people with preexisting conditions in affordable healthcare. Instead, they passed massive tax cuts for the 1 percent. Well, there is a new Democratic majority in this Congress, and we are acting to fix this broken system with the Comprehensive CREDIT Act. I thank Congresswoman Maxine Waters. There are few numbers as important to an individual as their credit score. Whether you are applying for a home loan, an auto loan, a credit card, or even applying for a job, a credit score plays a crucial role in the financial lives of all Americans. Despite its importance, the system is broken. The FTC found that 42 million consumers had errors found in their credit reports, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's complaint database shows that the number one topic by consumers, 39 percent of all complaints, was consumers reporting errors. Do the credit reporting companies care? No, they do not. Why should they? There is no incentive for them to care, because the consumers have no say. This package of bills would fundamentally overhaul the broken system and give the power over credit files back to the consumers where it belongs. This package of bills is For the People. Madam Speaker, I stand with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and her bill to remove predatory private education loan information from credit files. I stand with Congresswoman Tlaib and her bill to prohibit medical debt to be reported to credit bureaus for 1 year. I stand with Congressman Lynch and his bill to give regulators oversight over credit scoring models. I stand with Congressman Lawson and his bill to ensure employers don't use credit files to discriminate in hiring decisions. I stand with Congresswoman Adams and her bill to put the power to dispute credit inaccuracies back into the hands of consumers. And I stand for my bill to give consumers free access to their credit scores directly from the three national credit reporting agencies, with no strings attached. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand with us, stand with the consumers. Support us and your constituents. Vote ``yes'' for this bill and ``no'' on the MTR. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, first, let me start by thanking the chair of the Committee on Financial Services, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, for allowing me to bring this bill before the committee and for her support. Also, I thank the rest of the members on the Financial Services Committee for supporting this bill and moving the bill out of committee unanimously with a vote of 57-0. Madam Speaker, I also thank my colleague, Congressman Hill, for his words and his support on this very important piece of legislation. My bill, the Expanding Opportunity for Minority Depository Institutions Act, H.R. 5315, would formally establish and codify the United States Department of Treasury's Financial Agent Mentor-Protege program into law. This mentorship program was established by the Treasury Department under the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion, otherwise known as OMWI, to facilitate the program. The relationship between minority-owned banking institutions and larger banks--which is very important and key to this piece of legislation--helps minority-owned banks improve their capacity to better serve their communities and their customers. At the same time it allows larger banks the opportunity to expand their network and facilitate potential subcontracting relationships with their proteges as well as receive credit under the Community Reinvestment Act. I am talking about a win-win, Madam Speaker, for everyone, especially the communities served by these minority-owned banks who have been hurt the most since the dramatic decline in the number of these institutions during the financial crisis of 2008, which has left many communities of color unbanked and underbanked. While there are no minority-owned banks in the State of Ohio where my district is, this bill could help change that calculus. I know because I remember when we had a minority-owned bank not far from my district in Dayton, Ohio. Madam Speaker, focusing on this important issue will allow Congress to stand up and get something done, especially for African Americans and other minorities who find themselves unbanked or underbanked. Congress needs to incentivize and formally establish programs such as this to turn around this downward trend because minority-owned banks have a history of making a difference in the communities. Let me just give you an example, Madam Speaker. Just a few years ago the FDIC surveyed my district, Columbus, Ohio, and reported that 25.2 percent of those in that district were either unbanked or underbanked. Also, I wanted to be able to say that the Main Street financial institutions that provide mortgage and small business loans to communities are often unbanked and underbanked. Just ask African Americans right here in Washington, D.C., what it means to them. Finally, let me say, in fact, minority-owned banks originate a greater share of mortgages and Small Business Administration 7(a) loans to borrowers in low- and moderate-income areas than nonminority-owned banks. They also originate a greater share of loans to minorities in general than nonminority-owned banks. That is why, Madam Speaker, it is so important for Congress to pass this bill to formally establish the Treasury Department's mentor- protege program so that minority-owned financial institutions can receive resources, as you have heard Congressman Hill say, and training and technical assistance, as Congresswoman Maxine Waters has mentioned, from larger financial institutions to better serve their community and their customers. Madam Speaker, I am asking my colleagues to support this opportunity for this program and for H.R. 5315 to become law.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record my remarks supporting the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Madam Speaker, I rise today--a day that will certainly be looked back upon by future generations. Many years from now, when conspiracy theories are put aside and the truth made plain, the American people will know that President Trump broke his oath, abused the power of that great office, and thought himself above the law. But they will also know that many members of this body--the People's House--kept their oath to defend the Constitution and held President Trump accountable. History will note each of our names and where we stood today--for democracy, for justice, and for this great country. When we vote to impeach this president this evening, I can tell you that I will do so with a clear conscience and with the full confidence that future generations will judge us on the right side of history.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, when we go home, our constituents ask us: What is the Congress doing? What has the Congress done? So, Mr. Speaker, I rise proudly to let the American people know that Democrats are fighting for the people. In 2019, alone, we have passed nearly 400 bills, over 275 of which were bipartisan. To name a few: a once-in-a-generation gun violence prevention bill, raising the minimum wage, protecting people with preexisting healthcare conditions, and keeping the United States in the Paris climate agreement. I am proud that I have authored two bills that have passed the House: one to make home buying more affordable--we have a problem with affordable housing--another to make the financial system more diverse and inclusive, H.R. 281. In addition, I have three bills that were adopted as amendments into legislation. Unfortunately, 300 bills are over there with Mr. McConnell. Let's get them out of the graveyard so they don't die on the vine.

Mrs. BEATTY

Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the residents of Ohio's Third Congressional District, I salute Jerry Revish on his illustrious broadcasting career of 42 years. In 1972, Jerry got his start in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio at WBBW Radio and in June 1980 he became a reporter for WBNS-TV. Over the course of his more than four decades in journalism, Jerry won 13 Emmy awards, four Edward R. Murrow Awards, and the Silver Circle Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In addition, he was recognized by the Associated Press for best feature, best documentary and best spot news coverage; honored with the Carl Day Award for Outstanding Achievement; and was the recipient of the Best International Reporting Award from the National Association of Black Journalists for a series of reports on the liberation of Haiti and a half-hour documentary on the new South Africa. His reporting skills have taken him around the world. He was the first Columbus TV reporter to go to Saudi Arabia to cover the Persian Gulf War, and he has reported from Haiti, Barbados, South Africa, Bosnia, Bahrain, Cuba, and Japan. Among his numerous career highlights, Jerry covered many national political conventions, Ohio State University bowl games, the dedication of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall, the Lucasville State Prison Riot, and the September 11th terrorist attack. He also interviewed President Barack Obama and helped Columbus bodybuilder Walter Smith--wrongfully convicted of rape--win his freedom through DNA testing. In 2005, Jerry was inducted into the Ohio Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Outside of the newsroom, Jerry is the founder and senior pastor of the Unity Temple Church of God in Christ in Columbus, Ohio alongside his wife of 45 years, Danielle. As he signs off at 10TV, I salute Jerry Revish for his commitment to excellence and service to Central Ohio--and wish him all the best as he begins the next chapter of his life.