Yvette Clarke

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. I rise today in support of H.R. 5376, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This monumental generational investment in our Nation's future will lower prescription drug prices and energy costs, extend healthcare coverage for millions of Americans, and deliver a vital down payment of resources in our stand against the climate crisis, all while creating millions of well-paying jobs across America. Moreover, it makes good on our promise to always fight for this country's most vulnerable communities, now and forever. The journey to today has been challenging, to say the least, but I am at long last elated to know that the change Americans need and demand is finally here. Thanks to the hard work and ceaseless resolve of President Joe Biden, my Democratic colleagues on the Senate side, and every individual who took seriously their duty to fight tooth and nail to better the lives of every American in our care, our pursuit of progress has never been stronger. For communities of color, our seniors, pregnant and postpartum people, individuals and families living on low wages, and everyone else who has long borne the brunt of too many hardships to list, this legislation represents the initial steps they have long and desperately awaited. The Inflation Reduction Act will prevent thousands of premature deaths by improving air quality in densely populated communities with high environmental justice needs.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize and congratulate Mr. Harry William Baumgarten and Dr. Deepika Kennedy Murala on their wedding on June 10, 2022. This special day is worthy of recognition and commendation. A former voting rights litigator, Mr. Baumgarten spent three years working in my office, where he served as an advisor on foreign policy, judiciary, as well as a plethora of other matters. Serving in roles as Legislative Counsel and Legislative Director, Mr. Baumgarten showed great skill in leading our team to best serve the interests of the people in New York's Ninth Congressional District. His dedication to serving this country is worthy of praise, and our team is exceptionally grateful for his work and contributions. Dr. Deepika Murala is a pediatric critical care doctor from Southern India. She has been committed to providing health care to underserved communities, both in India and the United States. She has shown great dedication to this cause, and continues to work tirelessly supporting this effort. Her current contributions help fill a critical doctor shortage in Lewes, Delaware. Dr. Murala and Mr. Baumgarten met on June 14, 2020, while living in Philadelphia. They share a mutual love for traveling and cooking, and serve as an example of the character, capability and professionalism that serves our Nation well. Mr. Baumgarten proposed in front of Independence Hall in December of 2021. Independence Hall serves as the founding site of this country and additionally, the founding site of their marriage. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Deepika and Harry. I join with the couple's family and friends in extending my best wishes to them and celebrating this wonderful milestone. I wish them happiness and blessings in the years to come.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to stand against the vile war for reproductive rights of the women in America. Just under 50 years ago, Roe v. Wade established that every woman holds autonomy over her own body and her reproductive choices. To reject this critical ruling one-half century later at a time when America's maternal healthcare standards are so disgracefully abysmal, particularly for Black and Brown women, is as hateful as it is cruel. We will not stand for this blatant and brazen attempt to control women. We will not stand for yet another assault that diminishes women by taking away their autonomy of their bodies. We will not stand by and watch extremists erase us from our Constitutional protections. No. We will not stand for it today. I and my Democratic colleagues will pass the Women's Health Protection Act of 2022 and the Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act of 2022. Madam Speaker, I urge our Senators to find the compassion, courage, and their humanity for the women of America by doing the same.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, due to a personal matter, I missed votes on July 12, 2022. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 300, and YEA on Roll Call No. 301.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud New Yorker deeply troubled by the epidemic of gun violence that has plagued our Nation for too long, leaving a wake of sorrow and grief that extends from generation to generation. I cannot overstate how yesterday's reckless and detrimental Supreme Court ruling that struck down a 100-year-old New York State law puts innocent Brooklynite lives at risk. What is more, there are no gun manufacturers in New York City. Yet, despite removing thousands of guns from our streets, illegal guns are arriving by car, train, and bus every single day through the Iron Pipeline. That is why today's vote on the Safer Communities Act is an imperative. It addresses the issue of straw purchasing and the gun trafficking that is prevalent across New York City. Let me take this opportunity to thank and give honorable mention to Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Congresswoman Lucy McBath for their courageous and unwavering fight to stop this sea of gun violence in our Nation. Mr. Speaker, we must pass commonsense gun legislation, and I am proud to vote ``yes.''

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman from Houston, Texas, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, for anchoring us this evening as we commemorate Caribbean American Heritage Month. Let me acknowledge our chairwoman, Joyce Beatty, and, of course, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who speaks for me. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud Caribbean American and on behalf of my fellow Americans of Caribbean descent in celebration and recognition of the National Caribbean American Heritage Month. Let me take this opportunity to thank Congresswoman Barbara Lee for her vision in establishing this designation of Caribbean American Heritage Month in June 2006. I rise today to honor the tremendous contributions Caribbean Americans have made and continue to make in the building of our great Nation. Mr. Speaker, our contributions are not just reflected in the tapestry of American culture. They are brightly reflected in the heritage of this Nation's first woman Vice President, Kamala Harris. It is reflected in the first African-American woman to serve in Congress, my predecessor, the Honorable Shirley Chisholm. Mr. Speaker, the list of noble Caribbean Americans is too long to list, and so I rise today as a proud Caribbean-American representative of our sheer glory and significance in American history. I rise today to remind the world of the continued excellence demonstrated by Caribbean Americans in every sector of our civil society. From government to the private sector, to entertainment and sports, Caribbean Americans continue to exemplify a unique distinction of creativity, innovation, and excellence that engenders a deep sense of pride in our accomplishments. Let me be clear: We essentially represent our homes of origin as de facto goodwill ambassadors while, simultaneously, we represent some of the best talent that the United States has to offer. Having a month to highlight our tremendous contributions gives us a special perspective on the collective benefit of such a diverse people of African descent, Latin, Asian, and the European diaspora. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give honorable mention to one of the Founding Fathers of our Nation, Alexander Hamilton, born in the Caribbean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. I rise today to sanctify the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey, a proud Caribbean man from the island nation of Jamaica who formed one of the largest Pan-Africanist movements in our Nation's history. I rise today to call for justice, his exoneration, and his rightful place in our American history. I rise today on behalf of our ancestors of Caribbean descent, in recognition and in celebration of National Caribbean American Heritage Month. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mark this moment on June 22, 2022, to honor and reflect on the lives and contributions of all those who planted the seeds of freedom and prosperity, knowing that they would never live long enough to feel the liberating power of the freedom they fostered. Their fight, now our fight for justice, fairness, equality, and equity, is certainly not over, but thanks to their legacies, the perpetual contributions of Caribbean Americans manifested through us in this generation, we are on our way to fulfilling the American dreams of our ancestors. Mr. Speaker, as we mark the 16th anniversary of the National Caribbean American Heritage Month, it is with a profound sense of gratitude that we will finally have this opportunity to celebrate our history, heritage, and unique place on our American journey and in our American journey. During the month of June, we are blessed to celebrate the freedom of Juneteenth and commemorate the lives sacrificed through the indignities of human bondage. But we reclaim the human dignity afforded to the waves of Caribbean immigrants who have been a beneficiary and significant part of the battle from the very foundation of our Nation's existence. We use the month of June to educate and acknowledge our rightful place in American history.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the American people to express my support for the maintenance of effort of the robust housing provisions of the Build Back Better Act that is before us as a body. I would like to thank the chairwoman of the Financial Services Committee, a champion for all of us in the United States of America, but particularly for the poor and disenfranchised. I rise on behalf of all our American families who are directly impacted by our affordable housing crisis, and I rise today, Mr. Speaker, because despite the proposed solutions Democrats fought to secure in the bill to address our housing crisis head-on, they are at risk of being eliminated, negotiated away from the revised package. The housing crisis in America is real and growing exponentially each and every month. Housing insecurity is very real in the lives of far too many American families. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of my constituents in central and south Brooklyn who continue to struggle due to the lack of affordable housing and for whom overdevelopment of market-rate units has created a gentrification juggernaut that has swollen the ranks of the homeless in New York City and across this Nation, working families stuck who can't afford to stay in their apartments but can't afford to leave their towns. The effects of gentrification and COVID-19 have truly compounded this crisis, causing many to be evicted from their homes and experiencing homelessness at a rate we have never seen, all due to the lack of real and sustained investment in affordable housing.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, due to a personal matter, I missed a vote on September 20, 2021. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 262.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1833) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for the responsibility of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to maintain capabilities to identify threats to industrial control systems, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1833, the DHS Industrial Control Systems Capabilities Enhancement Act. This bill seeks to give the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, a stronger hand in securing industrial control systems and would help to clarify its central coordination role across the Federal Government. The importance of securing industrial control systems cannot be overstated. We rely on these systems to provide vital services, like water treatment, energy distribution, and critical manufacturing. As control systems have grown more and more connected to business and IT networks that rely on the internet, we have seen systems become more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Industrial control systems have been targeted by groups closely aligned with nation-states like China and Russia who seek to undermine the United States and advance their own geopolitical interests. We have also seen criminal groups, like the perpetrators of the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline, create great economic disruption while extorting companies. It doesn't take a criminal mastermind to infiltrate an industrial environment, either. Earlier this year, an unsophisticated, unknown perpetrator was able to breach a water treatment plant in Oldsmar, Florida, and manipulate chemical levels in ways that could have poisoned nearby residents. H.R. 1833 will strengthen CISA's authority as the lead Federal coordinator for securing industrial control systems and empower CISA to hunt for threats, respond to incidents, and to promote strong cybersecurity for critical infrastructure. The Department of Homeland Security has been working on control system security since 2004. H.R. 1833 recognizes that role at a pivotal time as cyber threats to critical infrastructure reach new heights. Importantly, this bill also includes a GAO review of whether CISA has the resources, staffing, and authorities it needs to effectively implement these provisions. Such oversight will be key, given that these systems are complex, diverse, and there are a limited number of skilled cyber experts capable of securing them. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1833, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close after the gentleman from New York closes. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. I would like to start by thanking the gentleman from New York for his outstanding leadership in this regard. Industrial control systems are a rich target for cyber adversaries looking to disrupt, extort, and simply wreak havoc. These systems underpin the functions and services we rely on for our day-to-day lives, and the threats they face have never been higher. Successful disruption of one of these systems could have dire consequences for public health and safety, public confidence, and even the national and economic security of the United States. CISA is well-positioned to help owners and operators better understand risks to operational technology and work with them to close security gaps. I again want to congratulate the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko), my committee colleague and ranking member, on authoring this bill to codify the role that CISA plays in leading Federal efforts to secure industrial control systems. Enactment of H.R. 1833 will help to raise our cybersecurity posture across the board. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3223) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency the National Cyber Exercise Program, and for other purposes.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1850) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 relating to the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory, and for other purposes.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

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

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3263 is a measure that this country needs. I believe all of us in this body can agree that protecting the health and safety of DHS personnel is critical to homeland security, and to that end, we must pass this bill. Enactment of H.R. 3263 would strengthen medical countermeasure protocols within the Department and help DHS prepare for and respond to homeland threats. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3263, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3138) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize a grant program relating to the cybersecurity of State and local governments, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, the recent Colonial Pipeline, JBS, and Kaseya ransomware attacks have brought the Nation's attention to the tremendous national security threat posed by ransomware. The Colonial Pipeline breach alone disrupted the supply of gasoline for a large portion of the Nation and contributed to gas shortages across much of the Southeast. It also spurred conversations about how much of our Nation's critical infrastructure is privately owned and operated. Lost on many Americans is how much vulnerable critical infrastructure is actually in the public sector. Today, emergency services, public schools, hospitals, and agencies involved in providing essential services or regulating important industries are all housed in our State and local governments. In recent years, we have seen communities, big and small, that lacked dedicated cybersecurity resources fall victim to ransomware attacks. The types of incidents we have seen include a ransomware attack on Baltimore that cost city taxpayers $18 million; a hack on the D.C. police department that resulted in leaked sensitive personnel files; and a cyberattack against a Massachusetts school district that forced it to cancel its first day of in-person instruction earlier this year. In May, my subcommittee held a hearing on the ransomware crisis where experts shared their views on the policy solutions that the Federal Government can consider to address this challenge. Our witnesses uniformly urged greater investment in prevention, particularly at the State and local levels. We cannot just focus on responding to cyber incidents. We must help our communities reduce their vulnerability and better mitigate incidents when they occur. In the long term, front-end cybersecurity investments save money, protect infrastructure, and prevent disruption to our economy and in our communities. That is why I introduced the State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act. It authorizes $500 million annually for grants to State, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to upgrade their cybersecurity. It requires States to pay a graduated cost share to incentivize them to budget better for cybersecurity, and it requires them to develop cybersecurity plans so we ensure these funds are well- spent. My bill also requires DHS to create a plan to improve the cybersecurity posture of State and local governments to ensure that States have goals and objectives to which they align their own cybersecurity plans. We have spent considerable resources enhancing the security of our Federal networks, and President Biden's recent executive order, along with investments included in the American Rescue Plan, demonstrate a continued commitment to strengthening Federal cybersecurity. These actions are incredibly important, but we need to do more to address the vulnerabilities at the State and local levels, where there has been inadequate investment in cybersecurity for years. It is essential for the Federal Government to be a partner in protecting State and local digital infrastructure. As Congress considers ways to invest in our Nation's infrastructure, State and local digital infrastructure must be a part of that conversation. As we have seen in recent months, the gap between the digital world and the physical one is smaller than ever. I appreciate the bipartisan recognition of that and the strong support this investment in our infrastructure security received in the Homeland Security Committee. In particular, I want to thank Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member Katko, Ranking Member Garbarino, and Representatives McCaul, Ruppersberger, Kilmer, and Slotkin for cosponsoring this legislation. By passing the State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act today, we can demonstrate to the American people that Congress can work in a bipartisan way to make a meaningful difference in addressing our Nation's cybersecurity risk. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, while cybersecurity threats are not new, this year has highlighted the serious impact cyber incidents can have on our national security. The United States has as much cybersecurity expertise as any country. But without adequate resources, State and local governments cannot implement the policies and practices we know will make their digital infrastructure more secure. Enactment of the State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act will ensure that they have the funding, planning, and support to adequately invest in securing government networks and reducing risk. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3138, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2980) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for the remediation of cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.