Yvette Clarke

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Chairman, I would like to, first of all, thank the gentlewoman from Delaware (Ms. Blunt Rochester) for introducing this very important legislation, and thank Chairman Scott for yielding me time and for his leadership and support in continuing to provide access to quality healthcare for working families. As vice chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, I am happy to stand with my colleagues on the Education and Labor Committee to urge my colleagues to support the Strengthening Healthcare and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act. While H.R. 987 is not a panacea to the many challenges that we face in our Nation's healthcare delivery system, it is sound legislation that will reduce drug pricing and increase market competition to bring generic drugs to the market sooner. It improves the lives of Americans by lowering the cost of premiums and out-of-pocket expenses and that presents real financial hardships to Americans who have to struggle with limited resources and ask themselves, Do I pay for medication, or do I purchase food, or school fees, or transportation to and from work? While my home State of New York has banned the sale of short-term health insurance plans, they are legal in other states and often do not provide a comprehensive level of healthcare insurance and coverage in the event of an emergency. Mr. Chairman, let's do the right thing and enact legislation that will lower the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs and give protections to the consumers of health insurance coverage, lifting the burden of access and affordability from the American people.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Chairman, I thank our chairman for yielding the time. I thank Congresswoman Kuster for her leadership. As vice chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and cosponsor of H.R. 986, I am proud to stand with my colleagues in support of the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019. Healthcare is a right. In the 21st century, everyone must have the right to the best quality and affordable healthcare insurance when they need it most. This human right must not be only limited to healthy individuals, but, rather, the human right to healthcare must be available to every American who has ever been ill at any time or is born with a preexisting condition. No American should be penalized for a medical condition that started before the individual's healthcare coverage benefits went into effect. Passage of the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act would rescind the 1332 guidance issued by the Trump administration, which weakens coverage and undermines the Affordable Care Act's protections for people with preexisting conditions. Our friends on the other side of the aisle made more than 70 failed attempts to replace and repeal the Affordable Care Act between 2011 and 2017. Mr. Chair, we must do the right thing and enact legislation that strengthens the standards of quality healthcare, affordability, comprehensiveness, and coverage. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 986.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman of our committee for yielding me time. The Paris Agreement will still stand with or without the U.S. not meeting our commitment, and it doesn't hurt the Paris Agreement, it just hurts the U.S. diplomatically and economically. So it is so critical that we use this opportunity to express to the world and to express to our own Nation that climate change is a priority for this Congress. Beyond the diplomatic consequences around the world, a decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement hurts Americans right here at home. The U.S. is in the midst of a major transition to clean energy. As consumers demand access to cleaner energy and cleaner air, prices for renewables are falling across the board. With the market forces increasing favoring renewables, dirty energy is no longer a smart investment. So I want to thank my colleague, Kathy Castor, and I want to thank the members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for continuing to stand strong and stand firm in our commitment to the American people, because ceding the leadership role on the global stage means losing economic opportunities in the global clean energy economy, hurting American workers and businesses. As we talk about the international framework, we see China, India, and other countries would lead if America does not. This decision is just another bad Trump deal for the United States of America. It won't bring the coal industry back, and it cedes ground to creating renewable energy jobs that put Americans to work. This is the new industrial revolution of the 21st century. Let us not cede our leadership to others around the globe but let us lead them. Let us provide the technology that the world will utilize to make sure that we save and preserve this planet, not only for our generation, but generations to come.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, in light of the undeniable spikes in hate speech and hate crimes and conversations we have had in the House over the past few days, I rise today in memory of Ari Halberstam, a young neighbor of mine whose life was taken 25 years ago this week when anti-Semitic hatred morphed into terrorism. Tragically, on March 6, 1994, Ari passed away at age 16 due to gunshot wounds to the head after a terrorist attack on the ramp leading to the Brooklyn Bridge. Mr. Speaker, we must confront hatred in all of its manifestations, be it anti-Semitic attacks that took our beloved Ari's life or the hate- fueled neo-Nazi march through Charlottesville that took the life of Heather Heyer. Devorah Halberstam, Ari's mother and my dear friend, is a crusader for justice and a forceful advocate in New York State for the passage of Ari's Law as part of a comprehensive gun control bill prohibiting interstate gun trafficking. Determined to bring about something symbolic of resilience, tolerance, and beauty, in 2004 Ms. Halberstam established Brooklyn's iconic Jewish Children's Museum in my district in memory of Ari. The award-winning children's museum is Ari's legacy. It is our legacy. The uptick in acts of anti-Semitism targeting Jewish communities are truly alarming, but must be confronted. Let us remember that these acts are in no way reflective of who we are as a Nation and/or our core values of tolerance, respect, and human decency. Let us celebrate Ari's life and legacy by coming together in respect, tolerance, and, above all else, love.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today during Black History Month to honor a man who represents Brooklyn, New York, to the fullest, a trailblazer, an innovator, and a cinematic genius: Brooklyn's own Spike Lee. On behalf of the people of the Ninth Congressional District of New York, I would like to congratulate Spike Lee, a son of Brooklyn, on receiving the first-ever best director Oscar nomination despite a more than 30-year career in film. He joins the ranks of only six other African Americans to ever be nominated for the category. Mr. Lee was raised in Brooklyn and attended Morehouse College, where he received a bachelor of arts in mass communications. He received a fine arts degree from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Many of Mr. Lee's films have examined race relations, colorism in the Black community, and the role of the media in contemporary life and political issues. Spike has never ceased to speak out against injustice in the Black community. He has been outspoken on police brutality, environmental injustice, and other issues that affect communities in Brooklyn and beyond. His love of Brooklyn is reflected in his activism and his work. Forty Acres and a Mule, Spike's production company, is based in Brooklyn, contributing in part to the economy that keeps our city running. He shot films like ``Do the Right Thing'' and ``Crooklyn'' in Brooklyn, allowing viewers to experience all that we know and love about Brooklyn. Spike Lee continues to produce work that pushes the envelope on topics that need to be discussed. ``BlacKkKlansman,'' for which he is being nominated, has received praise and adoration for its topics around combating racism.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss the impact of Donald Trump's government shutdown. Today marks the 19th day that the United States has been in a partial government shutdown. How did we get here? Let's be clear: This government shutdown is not about a border wall. Our country is in the midst of a government shutdown because a man who has fashioned himself after a banana republic dictator, a con man engaging in the proverbial bait and switch, has decided to pickpocket the American people for an immoral border wall policy that the American people do not support. This billionaire bully is intentionally imposing pain, anguish, and anxiety on 800,000 Federal workers, including over 14,000 New Yorkers, holding them and their families hostage in order to extort billions of dollars from the American taxpayer to satisfy a broken promise to his supporters that Mexico would pay for his wall. Meanwhile, real lives are at stake and hang in the balance. On Friday, our Federal workers will face a clear uncertainty without a paycheck. Families are struggling to pay for their basic needs, their mortgages and rent, groceries, life-sustaining medications, and more due to this cruel, vindictive, and senseless shutdown. Due to this absurd, mean-spirited government shutdown, many hardworking Americans will not receive their tax refunds in a timely manner, because the Department of the Treasury and IRS are closed. Due to this irrational government shutdown, many families that rely on SNAP will struggle to put food on their tables. Due to this malicious government shutdown, Federal contractors and their employees may never recover from the loss of their investments in doing the business of service to our Nation, their employees facing an economic crisis that could lead to unemployment, all because Donald Trump is running for reelection and he has no regard for the very people that he swore to protect and defend. Our national parks and monuments are consumed by trash. Our Transportation Safety Administration is stretched, with personnel on the job unable to afford their meals or the cost of travel to our Nation's airports to report for duty. This reckless shutdown has placed us all in harm's way by impeding the mission of the EPA, lacking the requisite personnel to complete critical activities that protect the public health and environment. Due to this pointless government shutdown, thousands of hardworking Americans all over this country residing in government-funded or subsidized properties risk eviction from their homes. On our first day in the 116th Congress, House Democrats immediately got to work by introducing and passing a complete funding package to reopen the government for the people. House Democrats passed legislation that honors our responsibility to keep Americans safe while securing our borders. Let's be clear: Democrats want sensible border security. Democrats want commonsense immigration reform. So why is the United States in a government shutdown? We can all recall that, while on the campaign trail, the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue promised the American people that a border wall is the solution for border security and that Mexico would pay for the wall. However, the American people can see the immorality of this and did not like his policy of family separation at the border, and the Mexican President said, no, he would not pay for the wall. Now, to feed his obsession to keep his ill-advised campaign promise, he is threatening to keep the government shut down for years. Agent 45 is happy to keep hardworking Federal workers from being paid for years over an ineffective, immoral, and expensive border wall. Trump's government shutdown keeps 420,000 Federal employees, including FBI agents, Customs and Border Protection agents, and Forest Service firefighters, working without pay. Trump's government shutdown caused 400,000 Federal employees from the Department of Transportation, the Department of Commerce, and NASA to be furloughed, plunging their families into complete uncertainty. Instead of funding a $5 billion wall, let's talk about how we can invest in real priorities for the people. With $30.5 million, case management for immigrant families could expand to 25,000 families annually.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, on July 23, 2018, I was unavoidably detained and missed recorded votes No. 366 through 367. Had I been present: on Roll Call No. 366, H.R. 2345, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act, I would have voted Yea; on Roll Call No. 367, H.R. 4881, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act, I would have voted Yea.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the U.S. Virgin Islands and quasi-Brooklynite for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues' support for H.R. 5238, the Major Robert Odell Owens Post Office designation. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of a former colleague, a groundbreaking legislator, who is credited and lauded for being a forerunner of the progressive political movement in Brooklyn, New York, my predecessor, the Honorable Major Robert Odell Owens. Congressman Owens served in this body from 1983 to 2007, and he served in both Brooklyn's 12th and 11th Congressional Districts of New York. Congressman Owens still brings to memory for many the fond recollections of his groundbreaking legislative accomplishments as a senior, longstanding member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Mr. Owens spent 8 years in the New York State Senate before he was elected to serve in Brooklyn, New York's 12th Congressional District, a seat previously held by the Honorable Shirley Chisholm, his predecessor. Mr. Owens then went on to serve his community for over two decades. Through his committee work and work with the Congressional Black Caucus' Education Brain Trust, Major Owens became known as the Education Congressman, but he was also deemed with another moniker, the Rapping Rep, due to his ability to intertwine his political perspective into rhythmic poetry. Mr. Owens will always be remembered for the legislative victories he achieved on the Hill, and his spectacular fight, particularly for the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, for which he is credited with its passage. His accomplishments in Congress are vast, and many are stemmed from his lifelong passion for education, community development, and equality. Mr. Owens' passion for education began during his career in librarianship where he served as the community information librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library for a decade. His friends and fellow activists in the Brooklyn community note that Mr. Owens was known to place collections from the Brooklyn Public Library in local stores, restaurants, laundromats, and more because his passion lay within sharing knowledge and resources to those who may not have immediate access to it. Mr. Owens was one of the founders of the New York Social Responsibilities Roundtable which was an organization that is now a part of the New York Library Association. Their mission is to create a central position for libraries and librarians in the battle for civil rights, social justice, peace, and ever-improved public access to education and information. Congressman Owens' dynamic passions for public education, information sharing, equality, and civil rights became driving forces for him to run for Congress as a former head of the Congress of Racial Equality. His legacy in Brooklyn led him to become a continued featured speaker at the White House Conference on Library and Information Services, as well as a recipient of the American Library Association's highest honor: honorary membership. Fittingly nicknamed the Librarian in Congress, Mr. Owens was dedicated to helping communities of color receive access to information resources through local public libraries. Mr. Owens was a pillar within the United States Congress as an advocate for Americans with disabilities, social justice reform, library funding, education reform, as well as development in public schools and libraries to ensure that underserved communities did not lack access to information and education resources. As a young public servant myself, I was inspired by Mr. Owens' work with the disabilities activists who often visited his office and eventually provided testimony before Mr. Owens' House Subcommittee on Select Education where he fought to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ADA. Today, Brooklynites benefit from public library resource initiatives because of his advocacy for funding. The ADA still stands as a law to prevent discrimination against Americans with disabilities, as it guarantees to create equal opportunity for the special needs community. To this day, my colleagues and I work to protect this law at all costs, thanks to Congressman Owens' dedication to ensure that this law was enacted. I am so proud to be his successor. H.R. 5238 would designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1234 Saint Johns Place in Brooklyn, New York, the Major Robert Odell Owens Post Office. Congressman Owens will always be remembered in the district that he represented, and I am extremely pleased that the House will consider this bill in honor of his rich legacy and contributions to our great Chamber. As I continue the distinct honor of representing the Ninth Congressional District of New York, I look forward to commemorating the life, memory, and integrity of our former House colleague, Congressman Major Robert Odell Owens, my trailblazing predecessor. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to anchor this CBC Special Order hour. I would like to thank our Congressional Black Caucus chairman, Representative Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, for his leadership in this effort. For the next hour, we have an opportunity to speak directly to the American people about issues of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus and the 78 million constituents we represent. Tonight's Special Order hour theme is High Stakes on the High Court: Justice Hanging in the Balance. As one-fourth of the Democratic Caucus, we are emphatic in our opposition of Donald Trump's USA Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. During the 2016 election, a then-candidate Trump, in his sole attempt to appeal to African American voters, asked: ``What do you have to lose?'' Well, it turns out, my fellow Americans, we have so much to lose. In fact, we have lost already under Donald Trump. Every time Donald Trump and the congressional Republicans undermine and sabotage healthcare, Black and Brown folks lose. When congressional Republicans and Donald Trump give their billionaire donors and the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans such a massive tax cut and then raise taxes on low and middle class families, working class families, Black and Brown folks, lose. When Donald Trump threatened temporary protected status, TPS, Black and Brown folks lost. And with the recent announcement of Brett Kavanaugh as the President's nominee, Black and Brown folks now have even more to lose. The stakes have never been higher. For nearly eight decades, African Americans have arduously, through generations of sacrifice and protest, successfully fought to secure historic legal victories that have significantly bent the moral arc of the universe towards justice. Republicans want to destroy a generation of progress for civil rights, women's rights, LGBTQ rights, workers' rights, and healthcare. Brett Kavanaugh's nomination solidifies the Republican agenda to roll back major social legislative victories that would impede our advancements in social justice. With the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, we are looking at the most conservative Supreme Court in over 75 years. Everything we hold dear as American ideals--our freedom, our tolerance, our values and progress in improving the human condition in our Nation--are at risk. We know Brett Kavanaugh has a record of ruling against affordable healthcare and women's rights, but what is even more troubling is how his record on racial issues have flown under the radar. We cannot consider a Supreme Court Justice without analyzing their views on such issues as voting and workforce rights that will have an overwhelming effect on the life and liberty of all people of color. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia, Eleanor Holmes Norton, the chairwoman of the judicial task force of the Congressional Black Caucus, whom it is now my honor and privilege to present and who has an extraordinary record of legal acumen and has been an outspoken advocate for criminal justice reform, social justice, and has been scrutinizing judicial nominations so that we can provide for the American people an analysis of what we have to lose.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia for her scholarship, her legal acumen, and really providing a snapshot--because I am sure there are many more troubling decisions that you have uncovered--but giving us this snapshot into the breaking of norms that this nominee presents to the American people. It is really important that we do everything within our power to educate and inform the public so that they can make an informed choice in terms of how they would like to proceed in appealing to the United States Congress, which has the authority for the nomination process. At this time, again, I would like to thank the gentlewoman. Mr. Speaker, I yield now to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson), who is my classmate and a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from the Fourth District of Georgia for sharing his analysis this evening. Indeed, he has raised some very important points that we need to consider and that I would like the American people to consider. There is a McConnell rule. That rule held up the nomination of Merrick Garland for almost a year. The context which that was done was that apparently there were going to be elections down the road and the American people should speak. Well, here we are less than 5 months out before there will be an election here in the United States of America. I think the people have an opportunity, and should use that opportunity through their franchise, to register their concerns about this nomination process. Nearly 150 years ago, Black Americans were granted the right to vote. It will be another 100 years before people of color could freely vote in every State, county, and city in the United States of America. We have fought tooth and nail for the most sacred power in America--the power to vote--and now that power is being challenged with the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. In 2012, Judge Kavanaugh wrote an opinion that upheld South Carolina's restrictive voter ID laws, despite knowing they would disenfranchise voters and disproportionately harm people of color. Voter ID laws are another thinly veiled attempt at preventing people of color from participating in elections. Kavanaugh's support of these laws show what side of history he is on. This isn't the only questionable decision he has made regarding race relations. He has a long history of concerning decisions and writings. In 1989, Kavanaugh published his first piece of legal writing challenging a Supreme Court ruling that barred prosecutors from excluding jurists based on race. Imagine that: 1989. Kavanaugh also wrote a brief for the Center for Equal Opportunity, a conservative think tank that opposed affirmative action and opposed the issue in a number of different court cases. Kavanaugh is also a firm supporter of the NSA, and its surveilling techniques that have been known to disproportionately target people of color. The NAACP opposed Kavanaugh's nomination to the D.C. Circuit Court, and their concerns were only strengthened by his proven track record of only supporting the already wealthy and powerful. In 2000, Kavanaugh was on the legal team that helped stop the Florida recount and secure the Bush Presidency. Just last year, Kavanaugh wrote a dissenting opinion concerning whether a pregnant 17-year-old being held by immigration authorities was allowed to leave their custody to obtain an abortion. We are not dealing with someone who is a mystery here. It is very clear where he stands in terms of turning back the hands of time. And, as my colleagues have already stated, his opinions have been so far to the right of even a Republican D.C. Circuit Court, that it is alarming that at a time when we need justice at the Supreme Court level that is blind, that will advance humankind, this is the nominee, the nominee that was put forth by the Heritage Foundation, the nominee that is a part of the Federalist society: very telling. Well, let me just say this: In Texas, the court ruled in agreement that that teenager, who was seeking an abortion, was legally entitled to access it. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I will just say a few remarks. As a Black woman, I know how critical the Supreme Court is to American liberty and freedom. It was the Supreme Court that ended segregation with Brown v. Board of Education, ended the process of poll taxes and voter suppression with Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections, and has continued to stand up for American justice when Donald Trump and our Congress could not. The legacy of this great institution will crumble if we confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, on June 25, 2018, I was unavoidably detained and missed recorded votes No. 289 and No. 290. Had I been present, On Roll Call No. 289, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended: H.R. 299--Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2018, I would have voted YES. On Roll Call No. 290, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, H.R. 5783--Cooperate with Law Enforcement Agencies and Watch Act of 2018, I would have voted YES.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, on June 26, 2018, I was unavoidably detained and missed recorded votes 291 through 295. Had I been present, on rollcall No. 291, On Ordering the Previous Question, Providing for consideration of the bill H.R. 6157, making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes; and the bill H.R. 2083, the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act, I would have voted ``no.'' On rollcall No. 292, On Agreeing to the Resolution, Providing for consideration of the bill H.R. 6157, making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes; and the bill H.R. 2083, the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act, I would have voted ``no.'' On rollcall No. 293, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, H.R. 4294--Prevention of Private Information Dissemination Act of 2017, I would have voted ``yes.'' On rollcall No. 294, On Passage, Final Passage of H.R. 2083-- Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act, I would have voted ``no.'' On rollcall No. 295, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, H.R. 5841--Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018, I would have voted ``yes.''

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this evening's special order.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, this evening the Congressional Progressive Caucus is going to be sharing some thoughts with the American people about this extremely horrible zero-tolerance policy that Mr. Trump has subjected our Nation to. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this administration's cruel and inhumane zero-tolerance policy at the border that has resulted in the separation of more than 2,000 children from their families and their loved ones. This policy calls to mind the worst of our history, including the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, our refusal to grant safety to Jewish refugees during the Holocaust, and the treatment of Africans who were brought here as chattel slaves during and throughout the Middle Passage. Unlike what the administration says, this policy is not required by law, and I think that has been made plain to all Americans. It is not President Obama's doing, and I think that has been made plain to all Americans. It is not in any way justified by the Bible. In fact, as a Christian and someone who grew up in the church, I know that these very same verses were falsely used to justify four centuries of chattel slavery, and that the Bible teaches us to welcome the stranger and to beware of spiritual wickedness in high places. So don't be deceived. This policy of choice is solely the result of a racist, xenophobic, anti-immigrant, and antifamily values agenda adopted by this administration to intimidate immigrants of color seeking asylum from violence and persecution for their own political gain. The Trump administration has also sought to avoid responsibility for its decisions by cowardly claiming that no such policy exists, as Secretary Nielsen claimed in a reply to my March 20 letter and then reiterated more recently via Twitter--more lies and deception. However, when 2,000 children are separated from their families, many of whom have been dispersed across this Nation as a result of a decision made by the Trump Department of Justice, a policy of depravity indeed exists. But that is not all. Children are now, as I have stated, being shipped all across this Nation, including to New York City where there are currently at least 239 children being detained just a few miles from my district and thousands more who are miles away from their caregivers. Yesterday, Donald Trump finally gave way to public pressure by signing an executive order that he claims will end this horrific policy. Unfortunately, he did so by abrogating his responsibility under the Flores agreement to release children without unnecessary delay and to keep those who are in custody under the least restrictive conditions possible. This means that children will be detained with their families, which is also unacceptable. Unfortunately, this body, too, is neglecting its responsibility to the American people by debating the most restrictive immigration bills that ignore past commitments to Dreamers and the diversity visa lottery program, and would build an unnecessary and ineffective border wall with Mexico. To add insult to injury, Republicans, who control every branch of government, blame Democrats for their failure to legislate and offer these regressive, dead-on-arrival bills as solutions to problems that they themselves have created. So, tonight, I call on this administration to stop playing politics with immigrant lives and on my Republican colleagues to pass meaningful, comprehensive immigration reform that not only protects Dreamers, but protects individuals who are under temporary protected status, and stop separating families. Mr. Speaker, it is now my honor and my privilege to yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy). Representative Joe Kennedy represents the Fourth Congressional District of Massachusetts.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for his eloquence and putting what has been a very disturbing period of time for the American people in perspective. Indeed, as our children born in the United States witness what is taking place under the Trump administration, we all have to ask ourselves a question about who we are as Americans and what it is that we are leaving as a legacy for our children and our grandchildren to inherit from us. I believe the gentleman from Massachusetts has really put it all into context. Indeed, here in the United States, where we have the access to the best of everything, we have limited ourselves by the artificial divisions that would subjugate some of humanity while elevating others. Having said that, I have been joined by one of the most eloquent speakers here in the House of Representatives. She is the chairwoman of our Steering and Policy Committee for the Democratic Caucus and has been a fierce fighter for children and families. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to yield to the gentlewoman from the Third Congressional District of Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut for her impassioned plea and for enumerating for us the type of work that we are going to have to engage in to redeem ourselves by looking at reunification of these families to the best of our ability. We are going to need the resources. We are going to need the will. We are going to have to redeem ourselves by getting these children back to their parents by whatever means we possibly can muster. Rosa DeLauro also raised some very important questions about investigation and oversight about child abuse. It is my hope that we will continue to be vigilant because, indeed, all of our souls are tied to what has transpired here. None of us can feel as though we don't have a role to play in redeeming our country in what has just occurred. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and privilege to yield to the gentleman from the Fifth District of Illinois (Mr. Quigley), someone who has been a part of this body fighting for justice and human dignity.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for bringing to the fore the concerns of children in our country who are looking at what is taking place on our border and not quite understanding, not grasping, the weight of why and how something like this could happen in this country, the home of the brave and the land of the free. We are really in a space in time right now where every American is really questioning what we value in terms of one another's humanity. Someone I know who has been a part of solution-driven policy is Ms. Carol Shea-Porter, the gentlewoman from the First Congressional District of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea- Porter) at this time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New Hampshire for her impassioned plea, for really setting the table with regards to the type of child abuse that we have all witnessed and with which we are all trying to grapple at this time, and for appealing to the administration to correct course. Right now we are still in need of answers. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, to speak at this time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman of the Ninth Congressional District of Illinois, a very prominent member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, for really drilling down on a number of the issues that we all have to grapple with here in Congress as Members of the House of Representatives and of the U.S. Senate, that the administration under Donald Trump has to grapple with, and the American people. We really have to search our souls at this time and think about the children. We are talking about infants, who are breastfeeding, taken away from their mothers. We are talking about toddlers who are barely able to walk, who aren't potty-trained, who have to be stacked up with a whole bunch of other children who they have no relationship with. We have heard reports of children trying to console one another and being chastised because they are afraid. They only have one another to cling to, and no one is there to hug them, to soothe them, and to make them feel okay. This is unreal in the 21st century that we would sink to such depths to prove a point. And what is the point again? That you cannot come to the United States seeking refuge from violence, from death and destruction, as so many others have done in prior generations. These people, in particular, have no claim to asylum. That if you dare come and claim it, we will take your children, and we will extract from you even more pain than you left in the country that caused you to flee. I can't believe that this is the United States of America in the 21st century. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), who has something that she would like to share, from the 12th Congressional District of New York, and a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for her sentiments as well. And as she has stated--I didn't state this in the beginning of my remarks--I happen to be a second generation American myself. My parents came from the beautiful island nation of Jamaica in the Caribbean as foreign students in the 1950s. They came to this Nation where they knew that their talent and their work ethic would enable them to reach their God-given potential, but could never have dreamt that they would live this long--they lived more time here in the United States than they ever did in the Caribbean--as naturalized Americans to see this type of behavior take place in our country on the auspices of our government. I look at my octogenarian parents, and I say to them, this is not who we are as a nation. And that we stand with all the people of goodwill in this Nation who see this behavior from the Trump administration as totally abhorrent. That we will not stand by idly and see this continue. We will be part of the resistance to make sure that these families' human dignity are restored, and that these children, where possible, can be returned to their families, at whatever cost it may be. It may mean that we will have to do DNA testing, or it may mean that we will have to hire private investigators. Whatever the cost, it is up to us to make these families whole. They only came to this Nation seeking refuge, and what we gave them was heartache, was pain. What we have given these children is trauma, is pain, is heartache. What we are hearing of reports now from some of these privately hired-out contractors is children being abused, which was inevitable because, indeed, we are irresponsible in the behavior that this administration took. These organizations were not vetted. They tried to do all of this in the dark, and now we all pay a very dear price. We have all been stripped this much, a little bit more, of our humanity due to the behavior of the Trump administration, Donald Trump, and his Cabinet members who saw fit to hide this from the American people and to treat human beings as though they didn't deserve the human dignity that all human beings on this planet deserve. So, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for giving us the time to share the perspective of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all of my colleagues who came to the floor this evening. We stand shoulder to shoulder, united with the American people to make this right, to end this zero-tolerance policy, and to push back at every turn on the dehumanization of mankind, womankind, childkind across this globe that still regard this Nation as a shining city on a hill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, let me take this time to express my appreciation to Chairman Walden and Ranking Member Pallone, for their leadership in addressing the opioid epidemic in the U.S. House of Representatives. On April 24th of this year, I had the opportunity to work across the aisle in introducing bipartisan legislation with my Energy and Commerce colleague, Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. We were joined by two additional colleagues as original co-sponsors, who sit on the House Ways and Means Committee--Rep. Darrin LaHood, my Republican colleague from Illinois and Rep. Danny K. Davis, my CBC Colleague who hails from Illinois as well. Our bill, The Opioid Addiction Action Plan of 2018, is a roadmap to not only abating the opioid epidemic, but to engaging industry to be innovative in the development of new pain management therapies. There are many players and much is at stake. According to the National Institutes of Drug Abuse, there are more than 115 opioid related deaths per day. The CDC estimates that the economic burden of prescription opioid misuse is roughly $78.5 billion a year--and that's in the U.S. alone. Since we know the enormity of this issue plaguing our country, passing H.R. 5590 would require that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) seeks stakeholder feedback as well as public comment, before producing an Opioid Addiction Act Plan report to Congress. It is going to take all of us to tackle this national opioid epidemic. And Mr. Speaker, with the opioid crisis at epic levels, government cannot do this alone. That is why we are calling on all of our partners to aide in the fight against opioid addiction in our communities--for both addiction to prescription painkillers and addiction to synthetics, including heroin and fentanyl. Overdose deaths that were once perceived as largely a rural white problem have now become widespread among black Americans in urban communities who are dying from horrific rates of fentanyl overdoses. While white Americans die at greater rates of overdose deaths, overdose death rates have been steadily increasing among black Americans since 2011--at the time that fentanyl and heroin, as well as other synthetics began to climb. One of the solutions to the ever-growing problem to the opioid crisis in the black community is access to addiction care treatment. Traditionally, African Americans have had unequal access to quality health care in comparison to our white counterparts. This legislation would also mandate improved data collection to better understand the opioid crisis. H.R. 5590 directs the CMS to develop an Opioid Addiction Action Plan to address challenges for treatment of substance abuse disorders. Additionally, this bill also identifies non-opioid pain management options and make considerations for Medicare and Medicaid coverage and reimbursement of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorders. In addition to making sure our communities have access to medication- assisted treatment, it is important that we help them in the event someone is in the midst of an overdose. Mr. Speaker, we cannot leave those behind who need us most. We are our brother's and our sister's keepers.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5583, which I introduced together with the Representative from Oregon, Greg Walden, chairman of our committee, and the Representative from Tennessee, Marsha Blackburn. As you have heard throughout today's floor debate, more than 115 people die every day from an opioid overdose, and in my hometown of New York City, someone dies every 7 hours from an opioid overdose. The African American community, in particular, is dying at an alarming rate from opioid abuse. The overdose death rate among African Americans in urban counties rose by 41 percent in 2016. Mr. Speaker, this is more than an epidemic. This is a full-blown crisis, and Congress must act to protect our most vulnerable communities. To address this epidemic, I have introduced a bill that would support the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' efforts to monitor and track quality care, especially in behavioral health related to the use of opioids. Currently, State reporting on these measures is strictly voluntary. H.R. 5583 would make such reporting mandatory. Doing so allows us to better collect data for research purposes. H.R. 5583 is one of 57 bills that the House Energy and Commerce Committee has brought forward to combat the opioid crisis. Now is the time for House leadership to bring the issue to a vote. We need data that will help us understand opioid prevalence and incidence trends amongst our most vulnerable populations. We know that the vast majority of people seeking addiction treatment rely on Medicaid. We require quality reporting in our other Federal health programs. Medicaid beneficiaries deserve the same consideration. This bill is a bipartisan effort with Representatives Walden and Blackburn, and this crisis goes beyond a rural or urban issue. From coast to coast, the opioid epidemic has raged in our communities. Regardless of where we are from--urban, suburban, or rural communities--we must come together to find a solution to opioid abuse. H.R. 5583 enables Congress and our Nation's public health agencies to examine and better understand how to support States in treating substance abuse and opioid use disorders. Mr. Speaker, instead of undermining and sabotaging the ACA and gutting Medicaid, let's think of the American people first. 115 people die every day from opioid-based overdoses. How many hundreds more before Congress takes action? This is straightforward policy that will give us insight on how to be most effective in helping our most at-risk communities.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.