Yvette Clarke

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4761 is a bipartisan measure that received the full support of the Committee on Homeland Security to address a capability need identified by the DHS inspector general. The DHS Opioid Detection Resilience Act of 2019 seeks to ensure that CBP personnel have the best and most up-to-date technology to detect and prevent opioids from entering the country and our communities. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 4761, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4739) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to protect U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, agents, other personnel, and canines against potential synthetic opioid exposure, and for other purposes.

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 to include extraneous material on this measure.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be speaking on behalf of my bill, the Synthetic Opioid Exposure Prevention and Training Act. We are at a crucial time in our fight against the opioid crisis in our Nation. Less expensive and extremely lethal synthetic, chemically laced, and derived drugs, rather than first-generation opioid pharmaceuticals, now drive the addiction and overdoses that cripple and break the hearts of the neighbors and families of our communities. We must respond to this changed dynamic in the ongoing opioid crisis with legislation targeted at reducing harm and saving lives. Most of these deadly synthetics, such as fentanyl, are imported into our country. This bill addresses a specific threat by seeking to eliminate the risk of accidental exposure to synthetics for the workers screening packages and cargo entering our country. Much of this screening occurs only a few miles from the neighborhoods I represent in New York's seaports and at the JFK International Airport's International Mail Facility, the largest mail-screening facility in America, where, every day, we are finding fentanyl hidden in packages from places like China. Whether cargo and packages are screened by CBP personnel near my district or thousands of miles away, this bill is directly relevant to the lives of my constituents. Unfortunately, these dangerous and illegally manufactured substances get distributed in communities like mine. This is, of course, true for every district across this country. The universal threat posed by synthetic opioids is reflected by my Democratic and Republican colleagues joining together as cosponsors of this bill. I am grateful for their support and hope that we can continue to fight the opioid crisis as a united and determined legislative body. While there is much left to do on this front, H.R. 4739 takes crucial steps toward enhancing our ability to shut down the importation of synthetic opioids. It requires that training for CBP personnel on synthetics be regularly reviewed and updated to respond to the developing threat environment. This includes making sure workers know how to properly handle synthetic opioids and how to administer the reversal drugs, which can save lives if accidental exposure occurs. Furthermore, my bill requires CBP to ensure that these reversal drugs are in hand at facilities where opioid screenings happen. Fentanyl, according to the CDC, is up to 100 times more potent than morphine or even heroin. Even the smallest dose can kill unless drugs like naloxone are available and quickly administered. If the workers screening packages for substances like fentanyl don't have the training and tools they need to be confident they can do their job safely, more of these deadly opioids will make their way into our communities, and more families will be added to the opioid crisis list of victims. I ask each of my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill, the Synthetic Opioid Exposure Prevention and Training Act. I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC, November 20, 2019. Hon. Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Thompson: In recognition of the desire to expedite consideration of H.R. 4739, the Synthetic Opioid Exposure Prevention and Training Act, the Committee on Ways and Means agrees to waive formal consideration of the bill as to provisions that fall within the rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means. The Committee on Ways and Means takes this action with the mutual understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues within our jurisdiction. The Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation. Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding, and would ask that a copy of our exchange of letter on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of H.R. 4739. Sincerely, Richard E. Neal, Chairman.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, transnational criminal organizations are constantly developing new forms of synthetic opioids and new methods for smuggling these drugs into our country. To combat such activity, Congress must ensure that CBP officers serving on the front lines are protected from accidental exposure. This bill is one step of many that must be taken to slow the opioid crisis and end the devastation brought to our communities by this epidemic. By protecting the CBP officers and agents who operate as our frontline defenders against the importation of synthetics, this bill ensures that they will remain safe and equipped to respond to the constantly changing threat posed by synthetic opioids. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4739, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act and to address the intrusive reality of robocalls. The jig is up for con artists who have time and time again deceived the American people into answering fraudulent calls that put our constituents on the hook for outrageous charges on their phone bills. I am so proud to have my bill, H.R. 3264, the Ending One-Ring Scams Act of 2019, included in the underlying bill to ensure that the American people are protected from this harmful scam culture. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Pallone and Senator Thune for their work on the TRACED Act and for holding these bad actors accountable for their deceptive tactics.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, pursuing the American Dream has become a daunting task for millions of Americans in need of a place they can call home. We must address affordable housing, as we are in the midst of an acute crisis, and it is sweeping across America. From my district in Brooklyn, New York, to Portland, Oregon, families coast to coast are getting priced out of their communities and driven into poverty and homelessness. My newly introduced bill, the Affordable Housing and Area Median Income Fairness Act, will attack this crisis head-on. My bill addresses the clearly flawed model that has been used to calculate area median incomes, which is the basis on which rental rates are set. This outdated model made it harder for our families to afford having a roof over their heads, meanwhile, lining the pockets of big developers. The Federal Government cannot--must not--continue to be complicit in this travesty. As cities grow and communities evolve, the ability to afford having a roof over one's head should not be relegated only to those whose incomes afford them luxury. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in this crusade for human dignity: affordable housing for all Americans, access to affordable housing.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank our colleague, Chairwoman Bass, and our coleaders for this evening's Special Order hour, for providing this moment for us to reflect. Let me start by saying, on behalf of myself, the Clarke family, and the people of the Ninth Congressional District of New York, I rise today to reflect upon the life and the legacy of the great chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Chairman Elijah Cummings, and express my heartfelt and deepest condolences to his wife, Maya Rockeymoore, his family, friends, constituents, and staff. Our great Nation is mourning and is in shock over the loss of a great man. As one of seven children born to parents who were sharecroppers and, just as important, or maybe more importantly, pastors of the Gospel, it is safe to say that Chairman Cummings embodied the epitome of our ancestors' wildest dreams and most fervent prayers. Chairman Cummings represented Baltimore, Maryland, with devotion, pride, dignity, and integrity, and dedicated his career to ensuring that his beloved community was never marginalized. As chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Mr. Cummings used his voice to protect our democracy, to protect our civil liberties, and indeed, our humanity and our Constitution until his very last breath, and we will forever be indebted to his lifelong dedication to public service. He will be remembered as a steadfast, former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, an advocate of the Congressional Black Caucus and black communities across this Nation who used his voice to elevate our colleagues in leadership positions and to mentor black staffers. I recall when I was elected to the House of Representatives in the year 2006, I heard from all of the members of the New York Congressional Delegation, but I got a call from this gentleman from Baltimore, Maryland, with a thundering voice over the phone. That is when I knew I had made it, because I received a call from Elijah Cummings. And he offered his support, his mentoring, and his encouragement, and continued to do that every day that we served in this body together. Let us all take comfort in knowing that Chairman Cummings' legacy will be forever ingrained in the halls of Congress through the next generation of leaders that his work impacted and inspired, and all of us who are his legacy keepers. Chairman Cummings completed his mission. He is now, as he has said, dancing with the angels, and will go down in American history as a pillar in preserving our democracy and our core American values. Words cannot express the void and loss that our collective community feels during this time of bereavement, but we must lift our heads and continue to walk in the light of Chairman Cummings' legacy. We are standing on the shoulders of a giant, and we will live out his mission of creating a better America for all, one where we pass on to our children and grandchildren a nation far greater than the one that we inherited. May Chairman Elijah E. Cummings rest in peace and rise in glory. We will miss him dearly. I thank him.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and my privilege to continue the CBC's Special Order hour, and we are going to call this portion CBC and friends. It is my honor now to yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), one who has served alongside the Honorable Elijah E. Cummings throughout his tenure here and I know would like to bring forth his very special remarks and reflections at this time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Houston for sharing those very inspiring, uplifting comments about our dear, beloved colleague at this time. It is important for us, as we go through the stages of mourning, to recognize, as he has stated, rightly stated, that we were fortunate to have Elijah Cummings with us for 68 years--his family, his friends, even longer--and during the 68 years, we were fortunate to have him as part of our family here in the Congressional Black Caucus and in the Halls of Congress. In that time, he was able to accomplish so much through his God-given talents and abilities that he has become well-known not only here in the United States, but around the world. I am hearing from members of the Caribbean community who have read about and heard about the passing of Elijah Cummings, all of whom have reached out to share with me their comments and their condolences because they understand what Elijah has meant not only to the United States House of Representatives, United States Congress, but, indeed, because he was a world-class leader. Mr. Speaker, I have some friends and colleagues of the honorable chairman of the Oversight and Reform Committee who would like to say a few words, if you will, about our great colleague. It is my honor, at this time, to yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), my classmate and colleague, a member of the Oversight and Reform Committee and the Judiciary Committee, to give his remarks.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee for sharing his insight and his own personal experiences with our dear colleague, Elijah Cummings, who touched so many lives, Members here in Congress, the members of their family, our own constituents. Like Mr. Cohen, so many people in my district were reaching out and expressing their condolences and sharing their stories with me this past week. I attended a church service where, again, people talked about Elijah Cummings. His influence has gone far and wide, and I think that the values that he held about our democracy are reverberating, and that should give us all great heart to move forward and press forward as we fight the battle to preserve our democracy and lift up the Constitution and rule of law. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch), another colleague and also another classmate of mine, who has joined us and would like to share his sentiments, his insights into the life of Elijah Cummings and his interactions with our dear colleague.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Vermont for sharing his insight as a member of the committee led by the Honorable Elijah E. Cummings. As we wind down here this evening, there are a couple of things that have been a running theme among our colleagues this evening, and it is sort of the quiet thunder, the strength, the dignity, the integrity of the Honorable Elijah E. Cummings. And I thought about the fact that still waters run deep. He wasn't a boisterous person, a showboater, but he knew how to command the moral authority that moves a Nation. Whether it was voting rights or civil rights, whether it was the children of Flint or the children of the border, whether it was preserving this democracy and making sure that the rule of law stands above all else in the Constitution of the United States, we could turn to our North Star, Elijah E. Cummings to be a champion, to be a voice, to be the compass that led this Congress into the next level of integrity that we need to move this Nation forward. And so, we are honored this evening that so many colleagues have taken the time to be here in tribute to the Honorable Elijah E. Cummings. We again want to, on behalf of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus and colleagues of the wider body, express our heartfelt condolences to Maya Rockeymoore, the family, the constituents of Maryland's Seventh District, as well as the very dedicated staff of the Honorable Elijah E. Cummings. Congressman Cummings will never be forgotten. As I stated in my comments, we are legacy keepers, and so everything that we have been taught and learned from Elijah will be applied in the days ahead as he would have us do. General Leave

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 extraneous materials on this Special Order.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I hold in my hand several letters received from my constituents in Brooklyn, New York, New York teens who, like me, are disgusted by the ongoing injustice and inhumane treatment of Brown and Black children who are being held in detention centers at the southern border of our Nation. I will read one letter from Charlee, who is 16 years old, living in New York City: ``To my fellow teens, ``After hearing about your situation, I am sorry our country doesn't welcome you with open arms. ``Trust that not everywhere is like this . . . America can be accepting and supportive. ``I hope you'll be released and allowed to become part of a family. ``I hope you'll get to see the better places of this country. ``You deserve to live freely and safely. I wish you luck. ``Believe that your future will be better and someday these detention centers will be shut down.'' She is right. We must shut down these inhumane detention centers. We must put an end to the irreparable mental and physical damage being done to our most vulnerable in the United States. We must reunite these families, and we must stand on the right side of history.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, as vice chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I rise today to thank the House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone and Ranking Member Walden, and Subcommittee Chair Mike Doyle and Ranking Member Latta, for their leadership on this bipartisan effort to bring this important piece of legislation to the floor. Today, I want to speak to the intrusive reality and damaging repercussions of robocalls and voice my support for H.R. 3375, the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act. While the illegality of these calls is an issue, the insistent presence of them is causing American citizens to no longer view their phone as a legitimate form of communication, thus impacting legitimate business. Adding to this, robocalls are actively hurting the pockets of Americans, as multitudes are scammed daily, costing the American public millions of dollars. During committee markup, I introduced the Clarke-Bilirakis amendment based on the base bill, Ending One-Ring Scams Act of 2019, and, Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Bilirakis for his leadership. This was a bipartisan effort to ensure that the American people are protected from this harmful culture of one-ring scams. The nature of these one-ring scams may seem ridiculous. However, they have been effective in scamming the American people. With one-ring scams, the goal of the scammer is not for you to answer, but, rather, for you to make the call back. One-ring calls may appear to be from phone numbers somewhere in the United States, including initial digits that resemble U.S. area codes. If one calls back, these citizens risk being connected to a phone number outside of the United States, thus resulting in one being charged a fee for just connecting. Ad nauseam, the good people of Brooklyn's Ninth Congressional District have voiced their outrage with the state of their security and privacy as the threat of one-ring scams grows more prevalent. Madam Speaker, before I conclude my remarks, I would be remiss if I did not thank my colleagues who helped lead on today's effort, Congressman Bilirakis and Congressman Van Drew. Madam Speaker, I want to say to those who are fraudulent: Today, game over.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, as Vice Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I would like to honor the legacy of the beloved Lenora Lapidus for her steadfast dedication to making this nation a better place than she found it. Lenora was a public servant and civil rights leader passionate about creating equal opportunity for marginalized groups. She was a leader in our community who used her voice to create fair opportunities for women and girls. Lenora began her career in service as an ACLU intern, and later became the legal director of the ACLU of New Jersey, leading the Women's Rights Project for almost two decades. From ensuring that our nation's military is open and accepting to all Americans to creating a means to combat gender-based violence, Lenora won cases on behalf of the ACLU that have elevated our society. Lenora had a vital role in the Be HEARD Act, aimed at ending and creating consequences for workplace harassment. Her policies and initiatives were always inclusive and addressed the needs of communities that often times did not have a voice. Lenora's legacy will never be forgotten, and she will always be remembered as a trailblazer who fought for equality and justice. I thank her for her commitment to this nation and offer my prayers and condolences to the many experiencing the pain of this devastating loss.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, I would like to honor the life and legacy of the late Dr. Lamuel A. Stanislaus. Dr. Stanislaus was born on the beautiful island of Grenada and came to the United States in 1945 where he received his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees from Howard University. Dr. Stanislaus practiced dentistry in upstate New York briefly before moving to Brooklyn Heights, where he would service the Brooklyn Heights community for 32 years. In 1985, Dr. Stanislaus was appointed Permanent Representative of Grenada to the United Nations for five years and served as Ambassador-at-Large and Deputy Permanent Representative for two years. He was later re-appointed as the Permanent Representative of Grenada to the United Nations until 2004. There he became a seasoned, substantive and eloquent voice on behalf of his country Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. On occasion, he was also delegated to speak on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARlCOM) and the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean Countries (GRULAC). To add to his tremendous achievements, Dr. Stanislaus was also an activist in his community. As a visionary leader, Dr. Stanislaus founded the West Indian Day Carnival Parade--a national day of celebration and valor for Caribbean tradition and culture. He left behind a movement that began in Harlem and was relocated to my district where Central Brooklynites still partake in celebrating our beautiful heritage. Dr. Stanislaus was well-versed in the rich history of the Caribbean. It goes without saying that Dr. Stanislaus' commitment to public service represents leadership, scholarship, integrity and inspiration in our community. Dr. Lamuel A. Stanislaus was the recipient of numerous professional, civic and political awards. It is my distinct honor to announce that on Saturday, June 15, 2019, Rutland Road between Flatbush and Bedford Avenues in Brooklyn, New York was renamed after his namesake, the Dr. Lamuel A. Stanislaus Way. Sir Lamuel A. Stanislaus' life demonstrated a love of God, humankind, love of country, love of Grenada and its people as well as the Caribbean community at large. Dr. Stanislaus was and will remain a motivation to all.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Chairman, I am proud to be offering this amendment to prohibit the Census Bureau from sharing the data it collects with other Federal agencies, along with my colleague Congressman Cisneros. We do this by requiring the Census Bureau to uphold its statutory confidentiality obligations. The White House is trying to silence immigrant families and make them afraid to participate in the Census. If the Supreme Court doesn't strike down the citizenship question-- and, sadly, it appears they may not--immigrant families in districts like mine may choose not to participate, afraid that their citizenship status will be shared with ICE. That means my State will receive less representation in Congress, and New Yorkers will be left without a voice in the Halls of Congress, as well as the commensurate Federal funding we will need to adequately deal with the actual population that has been undercounted. The Constitution says the Census is supposed to be a complete enumeration. That means each and every person is supposed to be counted. However, it is clear that the White House's citizenship question is a blatant attempt to undercount immigrant families and exclude them from our democracy. We also know the Census has a history of violating its statutory obligation not to share personal data. During World War II, ancestry information was used to identify Japanese Americans for internment. And just last June, a DOJ attorney suggested in an email that the Department should not say too much to Congress in regards to the confidentiality of Census responses in case the issue ``comes up for renewed debate.'' That is unacceptable. Census responses must be kept confidential, period, full stop. And if my amendment passes, during the FY 2020, no funds will be spent to violate the law and share Census information with ICE, law enforcement, or other Federal agencies. The White House's citizenship question is a blatant attempt to undercount immigrant families and exclude them from our democracy. This body must stand up and say no. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Chairman, I hope that what my colleague has said on the other side of the aisle is true, and I am happy to hear him stand shoulder to shoulder with this side of the aisle to say that anyone in violation of this will have to stand the consequences. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. CLARKE of New York

Ms. CLARKE of New York. Madam Speaker, to Speaker Pelosi, Chair Nadler, and Chair Lofgren, my colleagues Representative Roybal-Allard, Representative Velazquez, Representative Jayapal, and Representative Chu, their leadership has been tremendous in bringing forth H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act. 2.5 million, this is how many of our neighbors, our friends, and our family members will be able to officially call themselves American citizens because of the Dream and Promise Act as they obtain legal permanent residency on the pathway to citizenship. I am proud to sponsor H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act, which provides 2.5 million Dreamers, persons with temporary protected status, and deferred enforcement departure recipients with a pathway to citizenship--2.5 million people who already call America home and are mightily contributing to our society. As chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Immigration Task Force and as a second-generation American myself, it is my passion and my duty to stand up for immigrants. From rural America to urban America, like in my district in Brooklyn, New York, immigrants are part of all of our communities. Immigrants own, operate, and shop at our corner shops and bodegas; immigrants cheer on their kids at neighborhood soccer games; and immigrants worship with us at our places of worship. Simply put, immigrants are woven into the fabric of our society. The Dream and Promise Act is commonsense immigration policy, commonsense immigration policy that recognizes today's immigrant dilemmas--Dreamers and TPS and DED recipients who are contributing to our communities and are part of our blended status families--and provides them with a long, overdue pathway to citizenship. In New York City alone, where my district is located, more than 109,000 people are eligible for the Dream and Promise Act. That number balloons to more than 180,000 people when you take into account the entire State of New York. These immigrants are not only a part of our social fabric, but they directly boost our economy. I look around in this Chamber and I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn't been positively impacted, directly or indirectly, by the multitude of ways that these immigrants have added value to our communities. For example, in my home State of New York, immigrants eligible for the Dream and Promise Act own 9,500 homes and pay $228,300,000 each year in mortgage payments. These same immigrants contribute more than $1.6 billion each year in Federal taxes and more. Having said that, Madam Speaker, I am proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with my colleagues. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore