David Cicilline

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the House for the last time as a Member of this esteemed body. It has been the honor of my life to represent the people of the First Congressional District of Rhode Island in Congress. At the end of this month, I will be stepping down from this position to become the president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, one of the Nation's oldest and largest community foundations. I am excited to begin this extraordinary opportunity to build upon the work that I have been leading in Congress and to continue to make a meaningful impact on the lives of Rhode Islanders. I would not be standing here today if not for the people of Rhode Island who placed their faith and trust in me to represent them in Congress. Every day over the past 12 years, I have put my heart and soul into the work we do here to improve the lives of every Rhode Islander and to protect our great democracy. I thank my current and former staff, especially my longtime chief of staff Peter Karafotas and my district director Christopher Bizzacco. I cannot thank them and the rest of our staff enough for all of their hard work and dedication over the years. I am particularly grateful for two people who have worked for me for more than two decades: Rita Murphy and Roger Suchite. I have been blessed with the most committed, passionate, and talented staff on the Hill who have established a reputation for our office of excellence and effectiveness. They allowed me to take the lead on many more things than anyone thought possible. Every day, they showed up and gave their all to help the people of Rhode Island, even when their own personal safety was at risk. I am so proud of everything we have accomplished together, and I know that everyone on my staff will go on to do bigger and better things. Mr. Speaker, it has been an incredible honor to work with my friends and colleagues day in and day out to address the challenges facing our country. It has been a special honor to serve alongside my colleagues in the Rhode Island delegation, Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and Congressmen Jim Langevin and Seth Magaziner. While our delegation may be small, we never let that stop us from delivering big for our State. Their collaboration and friendship have meant the world to me. One of the hardest parts of leaving this job is leaving behind so many dear friends: Hakeem, Joe, Terri, Jamie, Pramila, Robin, Frederica, Bill, Mark, Lucy, Veronica, Maxine, Melanie, Eric, Deborah, Grace--and the list goes on and on. We have been through so much together over the years, and I will always cherish our friendship. I know that we will continue to stay close even after I leave Washington. Let me say a special word about two colleagues, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. I first came to know Speaker Pelosi while serving as mayor of Providence. I will forever remain in awe of her genius and extraordinary leadership and all the kindness she has shown me over the years. She has been a powerful ally in all of my biggest priorities during my time in Congress. I thank Speaker Pelosi for the honor of serving as an impeachment manager to defend our democracy. Rosa DeLauro has been my most important mentor, my friend, and my inspiration. She set a standard for all of us of hard work and deep commitment on every important issue facing our country. At every single moment I have turned to her for advice or support or help of any kind, she has been there. She has been like a sister to me, and our friendship will endure forever. In fact, the only time she has ever been wrong is her claim that New Haven pizza is better than pizza in Providence. I was first elected to Congress in 2010 as one of only nine new Democrats in the House. We modestly called ourselves the Noble 9. We were one of the smallest freshman classes ever. The country and Rhode Island were just starting to recover from the Great Recession, and Democrats had lost the majority by 60 seats. Let's just say, it wasn't the easiest time to be a freshman Democratic Member of Congress. Like most Americans, I was convinced that this place was completely broken, but I was determined to try to change that. I came to Washington with my eyes wide open. I knew there were Members of Congress who were only interested in being combative and making headlines, but then I realized there were some Members who were interested in working together to get things done for the country. Don't get me wrong, at times it could be incredibly frustrating and even disheartening to work with people who may agree with you on one issue but completely disagree with you on everything else, including how you live your own life. I think it is important for the American people to know that there are a lot of people in Congress who put their country over party and work hard every day to improve the lives of their constituents and all Americans. My first few years in Washington, I immersed myself in my committee assignments, the Small Business, Budget and Foreign Affairs Committees. I focused on trying to bring back American manufacturing jobs and help Rhode Island get back on its feet after the recession. In 2014, I left the Budget Committee and moved over to the House Committee on the Judiciary to try to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing our country, including immigration, gun safety, LGBTQ+ equality, and campaign finance and criminal justice reform. During the committee organizing meeting in 2016, Chairman Nadler convinced me to take the ranking member spot on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust Subcommittee, which at the time, to be honest, wasn't exactly the first choice for most committee members. Chairman Nadler gave me great advice. He told me that sometimes you should take an assignment to stretch your mind and learn something new. I took that to heart. From that moment forward, I learned all I could about antitrust, and I quickly realized just how important antitrust policies were in promoting competition and innovation to protect workers, small business, and our economy by providing consumers with more choices. As the ranking member, I developed a great working relationship with Chairman Sensenbrenner. Over dinner, we would discuss our work on the subcommittee, and more importantly, we got to know each other better outside the Capitol and without the partisan noise. It showed me that Washington wasn't completely broken and that you could get things done by developing productive working relationships and even friendships with colleagues on the other side of the aisle. In 2016, I was elected by my colleagues to serve in House Democratic leadership as co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, which was responsible for developing the long-term messaging for House Democrats. Working alongside now-Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Member Cheri Bustos, we developed the For the People agenda that helped bring Democrats back into the majority in 2018. It was during that time that I developed a real friendship and deep respect for the remarkable talent of Hakeem Jeffries, who I know will be the next Speaker of the House. Even though I was responsible for the Democratic messaging in the House, I stayed committed to finding Republican colleagues who I could work with to get things done for the American people. That is what I did, on some of the biggest issues facing our country, from protecting our democracy to gun safety to LGBTQ+ equality and antitrust reform. I developed strong working relationships and friendships with some of my Republican colleagues, including Ken Buck and Brian Fitzpatrick, as we found common ground on important issues. Even when we didn't see eye to eye on other policies and priorities, I respected their commitment and dedication to public service. As chair of the Antitrust Subcommittee, I expanded on the bipartisan work of Jim Sensenbrenner and I and started by launching a 16-month bipartisan investigation into the digital marketplace. In partnership with Ranking Member Buck, we examined Big Tech's anticompetitive practices, documenting them in a 450-page report that informed our bipartisan, six-bill package to rein in Big Tech and finally modernize our antitrust laws. For decades, our government failed to enforce antitrust laws on the burgeoning tech industry for fear of stifling innovation, which led directly to the problems we see in the industry today. I am proud that some of our measures became law last Congress, reviving antitrust law and drawing important attention to these issues. I am especially thankful for the friendship and dedication Ken Buck brought to this effort at great political cost to him. None of this would have been possible without the extraordinary work of my chief counsel, Slade Bond. While Democrats held the majority, I also tried to end discrimination against LGBTQ+ Americans through the Equality Act. This bipartisan bill, which would end discrimination against LGBTQ+ Americans in employment, housing, credit, education, and public accommodations, is the most extensive civil rights legislation to pass the House since the 1964 Civil Rights Act. It passed out of the House twice, in large part because of the extraordinary leadership of Speaker Pelosi, with bipartisan support. It is only a matter of time before it becomes law, especially with my dear friend Mark Takano now leading the effort. I will be forever grateful also for the early and really critical support of the late John Lewis in this effort. On the Foreign Affairs Committee, I have had the privilege of working with the great Chairman Gregory Meeks, and I have worked with Republicans, including Mike McCaul, Joe Wilson, and Ann Wagner to advance American national security interests abroad and promote diplomacy throughout the world. With some of these colleagues, I established the House Diplomacy Caucus in the wake of attacks on U.S. diplomats in Ukraine following the first impeachment. I also led numerous efforts to promote international human rights. Last Congress, we passed the Global Respect Act in the House to prevent individuals who commit gross human rights violations against LGBTQ+ people from entering the United States. In January, President Biden signed the Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act into law, legislation I authored with Republican Congresswoman Victoria Spartz and with a bipartisan group of Senators. On the Judiciary Committee, I was able to continue the work I started on gun violence prevention as mayor of Providence and as a founding member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Following the Pulse nightclub shooting in the summer of 2016, I worked with the late John Lewis, now-Minority Whip Katherine Clark, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, and Congressman John Larson to organize the first-ever sit-in on the House floor to demand that the Republican majority take action to address gun violence in this country. Over the past 12 years, I have sponsored numerous gun safety bills to ban assault weapons, outlaw ghost guns, close the fire sale loophole, ban bump stocks, prevent people convicted of violent hate crimes from owning a gun, improving the background check system, and to create an active shooter alert system. Once again, I was able to find colleagues on the other side of the aisle to work with me on some of these bills, including the assault weapons ban and the active shooter alert. Last summer, we passed legislation to reinstate the assault weapons ban with bipartisan votes in the House for the first time in 30 years. Even during the most difficult times, like January 6, two impeachments, and a global pandemic, I have never lost faith in the resiliency and strength of our democracy. It is not always pretty or easy, but we have always come out stronger on the other side because of the powerful heroes of democracy who serve in this place and fight to preserve it every day. I still believe in our democracy and the ability of Congress to tackle big challenges and improve the lives of all Americans. We did that with the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Respect for Marriage Act, and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. I leave this body knowing that I left it all on the field and did everything I could to keep Americans safe from gun violence, to end legal discrimination against LGBTQ+ Americans, and to shine a bright light on the antitrust issues posed by Big Tech. Every day, I woke up and came to work with the goal of improving the lives of Rhode Islanders and all Americans. That is what has motivated me every day for the last 28 years in public office, and I have done my very best to deliver on that promise. While I may be leaving Congress, I will never stop fighting for what I believe in, and I will always be proud of the work we have done together. I have taken this final opportunity to speak on the floor of this historic institution to highlight some of what we have been able to achieve over the past 12 years when we let understanding, integrity, and the willingness to find common ground take the lead in our work. I come from a State whose motto is ``hope.'' As I leave Congress, I want to leave with this parting word, hope. Hope for our democracy and for this institution. For centuries, the United States has been the hope of the world. We are the Nation where freedom, equality, opportunity for all, and unity have made us a beacon of hope in some of the darkest times in human history. For generations, men and women have fought to preserve our way of life, and many have given their blood, sweat, and even their lives for it. Yet today there are forces working to undermine our democratic institutions and our shared values. This institution has the sacred responsibility to honor the sacrifices made by so many in the work we do every day, in the way we treat one another as colleagues, and in our commitment to let truth, not fear; reason, not extremism; and respect for all, not division; lead our every effort. Our unity as a Nation and the ability of our democracy to withstand the test of time depends on the resolve of this institution, those who serve in its Halls, and the people whose votes are their voice in this government to keep that hope alive. Mr. Speaker, I once again extend my deepest gratitude to the people of Rhode Island for giving me the greatest honor of my life, the opportunity to represent you for the past 12 years here in the Congress of the United States. May God bless you and protect you. May the spirit of hope forever endure in this institution and the people who serve in it. May God bless the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the final time to speak in this Chamber. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Magaziner).

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, this month, Rhode Island District Court Judge Anthony J. Dennis celebrated his 98th birthday and remains an important and active member of his community. Born in Bristol, Rhode Island on May 15, 1925, Judge Dennis was raised in Naugatuck, Connecticut. In 1942, at the age of 17, he made the brave decision to enlist in the Navy Seabees. During World War II, he was stationed in the Pacific Theater on Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands and on Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands with Unit CBMU 549. His unit's courageous efforts helped lead to the Japanese surrender of Wake Island in 1945. Judge Dennis returned safely to the United States and was honorably discharged in 1946. After the war, he resumed his education at Bristol's Colt High School and then continued to Providence College. At the age of 29, Judge Dennis obtained his law degree from Boston University Law School and then became a member of the Rhode Island bar in 1954. He was elected Bristol Town Clerk in 1956, serving in this role until 1969. He was also a member of the Rhode Island Democratic Party Executive Committee, serving as Secretary from 1963 to 1969. Judge Dennis was appointed by Governor Frank Licht and confirmed by the Rhode Island Senate in 1969 as a District Court Judge where he served honorably for 21 years before retiring in 1990. During those years, I had the privilege of appearing before Judge Dennis as a practicing attorney. He was always a compassionate, profound, and thoughtful Judge with a deep commitment to justice. Rhode Island thanks the Honorable Anthony J. Dennis for his dedicated service to our state and country and wishes him a happy birthday.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this bill, which should be titled banning kids from school sports act. No group of kids should be banned from school sports, period. We all know what school sports are about. It is about teamwork, determination, physical well-being. The Federal Government doesn't belong in our classrooms, in the locker rooms of these kids, or between these children and their parents. There is this creepy idea that this bill is going to require genital inspections of children. I mean, this is outrageous. There was an invocation of some liturgy just a few moments ago saying children are the creations of God. All children are the creations of God. It is not up to you to decide which children don't belong. These are all God's children. And don't accept this phony claim that this is about the safety of kids. In fact, we know otherwise. A very conservative advocacy group came up with this idea. The President of that advocacy group said: ``We knew we needed to find an issue that the candidates were comfortable talking about, and we threw everything at the wall.'' They came up with this campaign against trans kids, a sinister, political operation to use these kids to advance their success in politics. It is wrong. All kids belong playing in sports, to play with their friends, to enjoy their childhood. There are more than 450 anti-trans bills being introduced all across this country. It is terrible. These children matter. We see them. We value them, and we have to respect them. Actually, trans kids belong and deserve to participate in every school activity. Mr. Chair, if my colleagues really cared about the well-being of kids, let me remind them that the leading cause of death in this country is gun violence. Yet, our Republican colleagues will not do anything to protect children from being slaughtered in their schools-- the leading cause of death in this country. Instead, we are going to spend time debating a bill to insert the Federal Government into elementary schools and middle schools to prevent all children from participating in sports. What a terrible idea. Shame on you. This is a disgrace, and I urge Members to vote ``no'' on this hideous piece of legislation.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, today, I join with my colleagues, Representatives Dean Philips, Deborah Ross, and Seth Magaziner, to celebrate the extraordinary career and accomplishments of Carlos Lejnieks, the first Latino person to ever be elected President of the Brown University Alumni Association. Though his tenure as President may be coming to a close, the important work he does in and for the community will undoubtedly continue. Born in New Jersey, Carlos has always been a compassionate and selfless individual. In the 1990s, Carlos dropped out of high school to help support his single mother by working at baseball-memorabilia shows. This is who Carlos is, a person always willing to step up for his loved ones and community. Carlos was eventually encouraged by mentors to pursue higher education, which led him to Brown University in the Fall of 1996. He graduated from Brown in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in international relations and later, from the London School of Economics with a master's degree in 2004. Carlos has spent his career giving back to the communities that put him on his path to success. In 2008, he became the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson, and Union Counties in New Jersey. Under his leadership, the organization went from serving approximately 100 youth in the community to serving more than 1,100 within four years. Carlos returned to Brown University in 2015 to begin his service with the Brown University Alumni Association. He was selected to serve as the chair of the First-Generation and Mentoring Committee in 2017 and later as both the President and the Diversity and Inclusion Chair in 2019. For the last 2 years, Carlos Lejnieks has greatly contributed to Rhode Island and the extensive Brown University Alumni network. Though his time as President may be ending, his impact at the University, in Rhode Island, throughout New Jersey, and all across this country will continue to be felt. We look forward to seeing what is next for Carlos and extend to him our sincerest thanks for all he has done for our alma mater.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, America's youth are in crisis. According to a recently released report by the CDC, more than one in five LGBTQ teenagers have attempted suicide in 2021, and one in three teenage girls seriously considered suicide in that year. It should be no surprise that students are struggling in a country where certain politicians refuse to regulate the guns that kill their classmates and fight to ban books that tell their stories. There is a mental health crisis throughout our country that we need to address now. President Biden and Democrats in Congress enacted the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act to save lives by expanding access to mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment. Now, my Republican friends are calling to cut Federal funding to FY22 levels, slashing funding for vital youth mental health programs when the assistance they provide is so desperately needed. For too long, Americans struggling with mental illness and substance abuse have suffered in silence, intimidated by stigma and unable to access treatment. We must change this. I invite my Republican friends to join us as we fight to change this in our country for young people.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Pete Reed, an alum of the Community College of Rhode Island and former U.S. Marine who was killed while on a humanitarian mission delivering aid to evacuees in Bakhmut, a besieged city in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Pete dedicated his life to the service of others. He deployed twice to the Helmand Province in Afghanistan, joined Team Rubicon after Hurricane Sandy, and helped to train medical teams in both Haiti and Iraq. Pete and fellow veteran Derek Coleman decided to form Global Response Medicine, an NGO dedicated to serving the world's most vulnerable people in the midst of conflict, war, or disaster after seeing the need for such an organization during the battle of Mosul in Iraq. His work brought him to Global Outreach Doctors, which he joined in January, to lead its efforts in Ukraine. A remarkable man, Pete Reed was not only a veteran and a humanitarian but also a mentor to CCRI students and veterans. It is impossible to know how many lives he touched. My thoughts and prayers are with Pete's entire family and all those who loved him and called him a friend.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, this week, we mourn the death of Eugene Lee, a celebrated and innovative set designer from Providence, Rhode Island. Perhaps most widely known as production designer for Saturday Night Live, he was longest serving member of the show's production staff, joining the team for the show's debut in 1975. During his tenure, he created iconic sets including Wayne's World, Putin's office, and the More Cowbell recording studio. He was also production designer for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon from 2014-2018, creating the Manhattan skyline-inspired set, and for Late Night with Seth Meyers. He is a three-time Tony Award winner for Broadway's Candide, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Wicked and was nominated for 18 Emmys, winning 6. His is also a three-time recipient of the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design, and was presented with the Lucille Lortel Award, the Elliot Norton Award for Sustained Excellence, the Pell Award, and the DesignxRI Lifetime Achievement Award. He is an inductee of both the New York Theater Hall of Fame and the American Theatre Hall of Fame. Eugene shared his talents with the Providence community as the resident designer at Trinity Repertory Company, and our arts community was proud and lucky to have him as a member. Beyond his immeasurable talent, Eugene was a wonderful person, and I am grateful to have called him a friend. My thoughts are with his wife Brooke, their sons Willie and Ted, his entire family and all of those who knew and loved him. The world is a bit darker without his light. May he rest in peace.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 21, the Strategic Production Response Act. My amendment would prohibit offshore drilling for oil and gas along the coast of New England and the contiguous waters of the State of New York. In Rhode Island and throughout New England, the health of our coast is sacred. Rhode Island's coastline supports good-paying jobs and economic growth in every city and town across our State. Crucial coastal industries like tourism, commercial and recreational fishing and boating are really the lifeblood of our communities. According to NOAA, the NOAA Office for Coastal Management, Rhode Island's coastal economy employs more than 467,000 people and contributes $59.3 billion in Gross Domestic Product annually. Rhode Islanders do not want oil and gas drilling just a few miles off our shores threatening our health, our economic livelihoods, and our way of life. When the former President announced a plan in 2018 to open New England's coastal waters to offshore drilling, I introduced the New England Coastal Protection Act to ban his administration and any future administration from taking this disastrous action. So I am here, Mr. Chairman, to ask my colleagues to support this amendment that really, without it, this legislation threatens the economic stability of my constituents and the quality of life for those who live in coastal communities all across the New England coast. Make no mistake: This legislation would have catastrophic effects on the ocean and many of the other invaluable natural resources that we hold so dear and that we are obligated to protect. While my colleagues on the other side of the aisle continue to place the profits of Big Oil above all else, I oppose these dangerous and shortsighted policies at every turn, and I am committed to protecting my constituents and the communities that I represent. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 21. A poll was released today that 73 percent of Americans think that the Republican leadership has the wrong priorities, and today we consider a bill which demonstrates how true those poll results are. With this bill, the Republicans are giving a big, wet kiss to Big Oil. They are making it more difficult for families to afford gas at the pump and rewarding Big Oil with record profits. Once again, they are demonstrating they care more about protecting the profits of Big Oil than protecting the wallets of hardworking Americans. This legislation would make it impossible--or nearly impossible--for the President to lower gas prices by tying releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to this notion of expanding leasing on Federal lands, which would make it almost impossible, as Mrs. Fletcher explained just moments ago. Linking releases from the reserve to increases in drilling on Federal lands will result in higher prices for Americans and an exacerbation of the climate crisis already facing our country. What is more startling is this isn't even necessary. There are over 9,000 leases available right now where drilling is not taking place. Why? Because Big Oil wants to keep the price up high to maximize their profits and continue to gouge the American consumers. Let's not continue to help them to do that. The President was very wise to strategically use that reserve to lower the price at the pump. I urge all my colleagues not to embrace this crazy idea of protecting the profits for Big Oil, gouging our constituents with higher gas prices, worsening the climate crisis, and instead, focus on the priorities of the American people to lower the cost of goods, to lower the cost of gas at the pump, to lower the cost of food at the grocery store. That is what Republicans ran on, Mr. Chairman, and their first act was to gut the IRS to make it harder for people to get their tax returns back, and today they are trying to protect Big Oil and make it more expensive for our constituents. Vote ``no.''

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer Amendment No. 135.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the brave women and men in Iran who are risking their lives to speak out against the Iranian regime's human rights abuses. Today marks 131 days of ongoing protests in Iran. It has been 131 days since Mahsa Amini was laid to rest after being harassed, arrested, and ultimately killed by Iran's so-called morality police for simply wearing her hijab incorrectly. Since her murder, the people of Iran--women and men alike--have taken to the streets in more than 133 cities across the country to demand their basic rights and freedoms be respected. For nearly 19 weeks, protesters have gone out into the streets making their voices heard and demanding to be treated with dignity. But instead of listening, the Iranian regime is brutally cracking down on its own citizens, gunning down protesters, arresting people en masse, and resorting to torture and sexual violence. Since the protests began, human rights activists in Iran have reported that nearly 20,000 people have been detained and more than 500 people have been killed, including children. What is more, the Iranian regime has also executed four protesters, with many more being sentenced for crimes that carry the death penalty. These brutal human rights abuses must stop immediately. The international community must stand with the Iranian people and against this violent suppression. The Iranian regime must stop supporting Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, stop spreading terror across the region, and start listening to its own people. Today, the House is coming together to condemn unequivocally the Iranian regime's brutality and to express support for the Iranian people. Their bravery in the face of suffocating repression and increased impunity is inspiring the world and deserves our respect and strong support. They must know America stands with them. Mr. Speaker, I will end by applauding the Biden administration for working with our allies and our partners to hold the regime accountable for the human rights abuses by imposing sanctions on Iranian officials deemed responsible for the violent crackdown on peaceful protesters. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to continuing our bipartisan work to advance the cause of human rights in Iran.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose H.R. 22, the Protecting America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act. Let's get one thing straight: The reason we are here today considering this bill is because Republicans in Congress voted in 2015 to repeal a 40-year ban on the export of crude oil, including to our foreign adversaries. Despite this being a problem of their own making, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have seemed more interested in playing political games with our country's energy security than offering concrete, effective solutions for the American people. When Vladimir Putin's brutal invasion of Ukraine and Big Oil's unchecked corporate greed caused gas prices to spike last year, the Biden administration took decisive action to lower prices for working families by releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Not only did this move help protect the wallets of my constituents and Americans all across the country, reports also indicate that our government returned a nearly $4 billion profit on these sales. So if my Republican colleagues would like to get serious about standing up to our adversaries, I would be happy to consider such proposals. But I cannot support this piecemeal legislation drafted for the purpose of scoring cheap political points rather than actually solving the problem of high energy costs. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, after all the excitement over the Speaker's race last week, it was good to get down to work this week, or not. Let's recap. The new Republican majority protected rich donors from paying their fair share in taxes, naturally, and in the process delayed working families from getting their tax refunds. Way to go. Next up, a select committee on the so-called weaponization of the Federal Government. Nothing like a Joe McCarthy-style committee to stoke more fear and distrust of the Federal Government only 2 years after the attack on our Capitol. And then criminalizing women's healthcare, because, of course, that is why the American people gave the Republicans the majority. The red wave the Republicans dreamed about never materialized because the American people rejected their far-right agenda up and down the ballot. Clearly, they didn't get the message. Yet, they did nothing to tackle inflation, the biggest issue for the American people in the last election. Mr. Speaker, this isn't what the American people signed up for. It is going to be a long 2 years if this is all they are going to do.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I unequivocally condemn all acts of violence, vandalism, and destruction of property. However, these acts are not all the same. Graffiti on the side of a building is not comparable to the stalking of doctors and nurses and the assaulting of patients who try to access healthcare. Yet, 38 of the 39 incidents listed in this resolution concern attacks on property, not people. In fact, the lone act of assault mentioned in this resolution took place when an individual targeted a healthcare facility for providing abortions and then attacked police officers, striking them multiple times. So, yes, the only threat to human life mentioned in this resolution was an attack on abortion providers and on patients who are seeking care and the law enforcement officers defending their right to provide and seek such care. Today, I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join me in condemning the countless acts of violence against abortion providers and patients that they face every single day accessing care in this country.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, today we will vote for equality and against discrimination by finally overturning the exclusionary, homophobic Defense of Marriage Act and guaranteeing crucial protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. By passing the Respect for Marriage Act, we will ensure that all Americans continue to be afforded the same rights by the government--no matter what the Supreme Court may decide in the future. As we take this vote, we can take pride in the progress that we have made but also must acknowledge the work that lies ahead. The idea of marriage equality used to be a farfetched idea; now it is the law of the land and supported by the vast majority of Americans. Marriage bans used to be a partisan tool. Now, the Respect for Marriage Act has received strong bipartisan votes in both Chambers. Protecting marriage equality is now a bipartisan idea that I hope all my colleagues will embrace. I urge all those here today who previously voted against this bill to reconsider, be part of history, and join us in voting for its passage today. Today's vote is a monumental win in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, but the work does not stop here. We remain the only minority group in America where in a majority of States it is still legal to discriminate against us in several key areas of life. We must continue to work for full equality for the LGBTQ+ community, including by enacting additional protections at the State level and finally passing the Equality Act to ensure explicit Federal protections against anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination. I want to end by thanking Chairman Nadler for his extraordinary leadership. He has been a champion of this bill for more than 13 years. I was proud to join him and others in introducing the Respect for Marriage Act again this Congress. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' vote for equality, and vote to be certain that we live in a country where all Americans have equal access to the important institution of marriage.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6878, Pregnant Women in Custody Act of 2022. While Congress made important progress on this issue through the First Step Act, which prohibited the use of restraints on pregnant women in the Bureau of Prison's custody, more clearly needs to be done to protect pregnant women. Many incarcerated women do not have access to the prenatal care they need. They are often unjustly placed in restrictive housing, which can lead to unfair and unequal treatment just because a woman is pregnant. Shockingly, this is still legal and widely used in Bureau of Prison facilities. By passing H.R. 6878, we will establish a much-needed and long- overdue national standard of care to address pregnancy-related needs of incarcerated women while also ending the Bureau of Prison's restrictive housing policies for pregnant women. Being incarcerated should not strip these expectant mothers of their dignity. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support passage of this legislation and thank Congresswoman--and future mayor--Karen Bass for her leadership on this issue.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3372, the One Stop Shop Community Reentry Program Act. Every year, more than 600,000 people in the United States are released from State and Federal prisons. But even after they are released, in many ways their sentences continue. Criminal records create unbelievable barriers to securing housing, education, employment, healthcare, and other basic necessities. And there is no Federal agency currently responsible for helping newly released people to navigate these issues. This bill provides much-needed funding for the creation of a community-based solution to help formerly incarcerated people access vital services that will help them return to their families and neighborhoods successfully. As mayor of the city of Providence, I assembled a reentry council to support similar reentry programs in the city. I witnessed firsthand how such services deliver desperately needed support and effectively reduced an individual's reoffending and thereby making our communities safer and more prosperous. That is why I am proud to support this legislation. I am confident it will help people who are exiting the criminal justice system effectively get back on their feet. I thank Congresswoman and future Los Angeles mayor, Karen Bass for her great leadership on this bipartisan, bicameral bill, and on so many other important issues facing our country. Madam Mayor, you will be sorely missed in this Chamber and for your work in the Committees on the Judiciary and Foreign Affairs. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill today.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark Transgender Awareness Week. In recent years, we have seen increased transgender visibility, whether on our TV screens with Angelica Ross on ``Pose'' and ``American Horror Story'' and Amy Schneider's success on ``Jeopardy!'' or in the Federal Government with the confirmation of Admiral Levine, the Assistant Secretary for Health. Transgender people want and deserve the same thing we all want: to be treated with respect and to be equal members in our communities under our laws. To the transgender community, I am standing here on the floor of the House of Representatives today to tell you that you are valued, you are loved, and your stories matter. Your identities should not just be affirmed but celebrated. As chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, I will never stop fighting for your ability to reach your full potential without fear of discrimination, violence, or stigmatization. You deserve full equality, nothing less.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, this bill is proof of the extraordinary leadership of Chairman Nadler and the Judiciary Committee. He has led our committee in a principled, determined way. I think as a result of his leadership, the Judiciary Committee has been the most productive, impactful, and effective committee in the Congress. While my colleagues on the other side of the aisle look forward to a different chairman, I acknowledge the extraordinary leadership of our current chairman. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 4524, the Speak Out Act. I applaud the sponsors, Ms. Frankel, Mr. Buck, and all the other bipartisan leaders who were part of this effort, including you, Madam Speaker. This commonsense legislation will prevent the enforcement of predispute nondisclosure and nondisparagement agreements in sexual harassment and sexual assault disputes. It will ensure that any survivor who wants to share their story without fear of judicially enforced reprisals can do so. In fact, it is unthinkable, I hope to all of us, that widespread sexual misconduct can be covered up and swept under the rug because of NDAs snuck into these take-it-or-leave-it contracts. It is well beyond time for this abusive practice to end. Enacting the Speak Out Act will bring sunlight and transparency to a system that relies on the shadows to hide horrific conduct. It will make our society more just. It will help end the culture of silence that allows predators to evade accountability. I look forward to sending this bill to the President's desk and taking another step in our critical and ongoing work to eliminate the forced silence that prevents survivors of sexual misconduct from having their voices heard. Before closing, I want to address the argument raised by some of my Republican colleagues that the Speak Out Act interferes with the rights of States to establish their own laws on this issue. They are missing the point. This legislation protects an American value by prohibiting survivor censorship and defending the freedom of survivors to tell their own stories. This baseline freedom should not vary from State to State. Finally, I want to say that the Speak Out Act creates a floor for the basic protection of survivors' rights to speak out, not a ceiling. States remain free to enact stronger protections for survivors. According to reports, 15 States have done just that, with some States like California banning the use of NDAs entirely. Federal legislation is still necessary because survivors should not have to rely on a patchwork of varying States, uncertain which might apply to them. Finally, I end by noting that I am a little bit confused and, I will be honest, disappointed by the opposition I have heard from some of my Republican colleagues in light of their previous statements. For example, during consideration of legislation that prohibited the enforcement of forced arbitration clauses in the same kinds of cases, Mr. Jordan, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, said: ``Victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault must have their claims heard. They must never be silenced or intimidated into silence.'' The Speak Out Act provides precisely that protection. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation that was passed unanimously in the Senate that builds upon the great work of you, Madam Speaker, in H.R. 4445 so that, once and for all, we can no longer provide protection to predators and abusers that are acting with impunity in workplaces all over America.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this continuing resolution. In addition to averting a disastrous government shutdown, this legislation provides critical funding to continue our support for Ukraine, resettle Afghan refugees, support communities impacted by natural disasters, and help low-income families heat their homes this winter. However, we still have work to do as this package lacks funding to support our public health response to COVID-19 and monkeypox, also known as MPV. Our public health workforce is depleted and exhausted from battling the COVID-19 pandemic over the last 2 years. They cannot stop the spread of these outbreaks without additional Federal support. Both viruses disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color. Congressional inaction will deepen these disparities. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote today to avert a government shutdown and then join us in working on long-term funding bills that address these public health crises and the other priorities of the American people. I want to end by thanking the extraordinary chairwoman of the Committee on Appropriations, Rosa DeLauro, for her leadership in negotiating today's legislation and thanking her for all she has done.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman again for yielding. I just want to make clear, once again, that this bill does not appropriate money to the FTC, and I think the chairman of the Judiciary Committee and I will continue to advocate for more funding. But this is not an appropriations bill. The ultimate decision about whether money will be appropriated to the FTC or the Department of Justice will be made like every other appropriation: by the Members of the Congress of the United States after a robust debate, and the Congress will decide. This generates revenue and makes certain that big mergers are paid for by gigantic near monopolies of big corporations and not by our constituents, and it lowers the price for merger reviews on smaller transactions. So that is all it does. Secondly, it is important to remember that, as Mr. Buck said, this isn't a Republican or Democrat bill. I want to read to you a statement from Senator Klobuchar and Senator Durbin: ``The Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act is the product of years of bipartisan work in both the House and Senate to improve the enforcement of our antitrust laws and protect competition and consumers. This package of bills will update merger filing fees and help ensure that the Federal antitrust agencies can be properly funded, that information on foreign subsidies is made available to Federal enforcers, and that State antitrust enforcement can proceed more efficiently and without needless delays.'' I have a statement from Senator Lee, Senator Cotton, and Senator Grassley--Republicans in the Senate--who say: ``This package represents a strong, bipartisan consensus approach to strengthening enforcement of the Federal antitrust laws, against both Big Tech and other bad actors.'' So this is widely supported by Republicans and Democrats in both Chambers, and I think it is an example of where we can work together collectively to respond to a serious problem: the consolidation of economic power. Antitrust is important because we know competition is the single greatest driver of innovation. Without competition you don't have innovation, and innovation produces more choices, better quality, and lower prices. It benefits consumers, small businesses, and workers.

Mr. CICILLINE. I say again, this is about supporting competition with some very commonsense proposals that have strong bipartisan support in both Chambers. We can finally let Big Tech know that the time in which they can do whatever they want and continue to behave as monopolists is coming to an end. Overwhelmingly, the American people support reining in Big Tech--over 70 percent in poll after poll. But one other thing I wanted to just mention is that with concentrated economic power often comes concentrated political power. That is one of the dangers of monopoly. They have too much political power. Let's prove them wrong and pass this bill.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding. H.R. 3843 is a modest yet critical first step to modernizing the antitrust laws. It generates revenue; it makes foreign adversarial interests in transactions more apparent; and it allows more streamlined antitrust enforcement by State attorneys general. On the first issue, I think there is general agreement that the fees that are involved in mergers haven't been raised in decades. This simply allows smaller mergers to pay less and larger mergers to pay more. There is no question about it--this issue came up at the Committee on Rules--this bill does not fund a single additional dollar to any agency. This is a revenue generator. There is no appropriation. The appropriations process will require that this be treated like any other revenue the Federal Government generates, in that the Appropriations Committee, in regular order, will decide how to spend the money. People should also not be concerned because, under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, the DOJ Antitrust Division's use of appropriated funds is limited to ``expenses necessary for the enforcement of antitrust and kindred laws.'' There is already a limitation. It doesn't provide any additional funding. It simply generates revenues and shifts burdens to the largest transactions so that the taxpayers don't have to be responsible for their review. In recent decades, the rising tide of economic concentration has given rise to monopolies that exercise outsized influence over our democracy and our political institutions. At the same time, the budgets for antitrust enforcement agencies have not kept pace with the demands placed on them. As Brian Deese, the director of the National Economic Council, explained: ``It is unacceptable for these agencies' resources to lag so far behind the growth of the economy they are charged with protecting.'' That is why the Biden-Harris administration issued a Statement of Administration Policy in support of this bill. We can have the fight about whether additional resources are necessary during the appropriations process. This bill simply raises the fees, gives smaller businesses a break, and doesn't appropriate a single dollar. Title III of the bill strengthens antitrust enforcement by preventing the State antitrust actions from being dragged into private litigation in another venue. This legislation enjoys wide support among the States. Last year, the National Association of Attorneys General and every single State attorney general in the United States wrote a letter urging Congress to pass the bill's amendment to the multidistrict litigation statute ``as soon as possible so that our citizens can benefit from more efficient, effective, and timely adjudication of antitrust actions.'' Mr. Speaker, I, too, urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation, and I applaud them for their sponsorship. I thank Mr. Buck, who has been a tremendous leader on this package of bills. There should be no question. Senator Lee, Senator Cotton, and Senator Grassley have said that this package represents ``a strong bipartisan consensus.'' These bills improve antitrust enforcement without appropriating any more funds. You don't have to believe me. Those are your Republican colleagues who made the same point. In addition to that, this multijurisdiction litigation robs State attorneys general who bring a Federal antitrust action in Federal court from the ability to litigate in that court, which often, by dragging them to another State, is a great benefit to the big corporations, to the monopolists, but it is harmful to their own constituents, their consumers, their businesses, which is why they support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a number of items to reflect the broad support enjoyed by H.R. 3843. First, is a strong Statement of Administration Policy, which makes clear this legislation is necessary to support the President's mission to enforce the antitrust laws, to combat the excessive concentration of industry, the abuse of market power, and the harmful effects of monopoly and monopsony. Second, is a letter of support for the State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act of 2021, signed by every attorney general in the United States, including California's Rob Bonta, who makes clear that: ``States should accordingly be on equal footing with Federal enforcers in deciding where, when, and how to prosecute cases'' and not subject to a system where their enforcement actions ``may be subject to transfer to a multidistrict litigation at the request of the defendant,'' where the cases are typically ``postponed and may be joined with other lawsuits brought by private plaintiffs.'' Third, is a letter from a broad coalition of 36 labor, consumer, and public interest groups, including Public Citizen, Public Knowledge, Open Markets Institute, AFL-CIO, Teamsters, and SEIU, which states: ``This bipartisan, bicameral legislation represents a critical first step for Congress to reverse the course of lax antitrust enforcement that has proved to be destructive to small businesses, workers, communities, and innovation.'' Fourth, is a statement from Chris Jones of the National Grocers Association, who says that: ``This bipartisan bill does not change the antitrust laws; it takes the simple step of helping enforcers have a better shot of deterring abusive marketplace conduct that American consumers cannot afford right now.'' Finally, a statement from Diana Moss, president of the American Antitrust Institute, states that: ``Additional resources are needed to enable the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission to review and investigate billion-dollar deals.'' For all of those reasons, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense package that will help to enhance competition, give us the ability to improve our economy, and benefit consumers, workers, innovators, and small businesses. Statement of Administration Policy, H.R. 3843--Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022--Rep. Neguse, D- CO, and 39 cosponsors The Administration supports House passage of H.R. 3843, the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022. Open, fair, and competitive markets are essential to the welfare of American families, workers, farmers, and businesses. As the President stated in his Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, ``it is the policy of my Administration to enforce the antitrust laws to combat the excessive concentration of industry, the abuses of market power, and the harmful effects of monopoly and monopsony.'' The Act would support this critical mission in three important respects. First, to vigorously enforce the antitrust laws, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) need the resources to do their jobs. Yet even as the number, size, and complexity of mergers has grown, the amount oft he filing fees that parties must pay in advance of premerger review by the DOJ and the FTC has not kept pace. Moreover, both agencies' annual appropriations support many fewer employees today than they did in 1979, even though the economy has grown significantly since then, and even though the agencies' core missions involve bringing complex cases against some of the best-resourced companies in the world. The Act would update the regime for merger filing fees to make it fairer and better targeted. The Act would reduce the size of the fees required for smaller transactions, while raising them for the largest mergers that often require the most extensive reviews. Second, the Act would respect the important role of State Attorneys General in Federal antitrust enforcement by harmonizing the process for transferring antitrust cases filed by State Attorneys General with those filed by Federal agencies. This would increase the efficiency and efficacy of antitrust enforcement. Third and finally, the Act would require disclosure of merger subsidies by foreign adversaries. Requiring disclosure of foreign subsidies, such as by Chinese and Russian entities, in the premerger notification process would assist the DOJ and the FTC in preventing anticompetitive transactions through which adversaries could gain influence over important parts of the economy. The Administration encourages the House to pass the bipartisan Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022 and looks forward to working with Congress on this important legislation.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, to honor all those suffering and all those who have lost loved ones, and to pay tribute to a remarkable Rhode Islander. Carrigan Nelson was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer, osteosarcoma, in 2019. Unfortunately, her story is not unique. Every 3 minutes a family receives the devastating news that their child has been diagnosed with cancer. And yet, Carrigan nearly lost access to her lifesaving care when she lost her mother's employer-sponsored health insurance 1 month before her chemotherapy was scheduled to end. However, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Carrigan's family was able to enroll in Rhode Island's health insurance exchange, allowing her to complete her treatment plan. As we raise awareness about childhood cancer this month, and the importance of screenings, early detection, and care--we must recommit ourselves to ensuring that every single family has access to affordable, quality care, and ensuring protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions so that survivors like Carrigan will never be denied the coverage and care they need. I am honored to know and represent such a brave young woman and will not stop fighting for Carrigan and every young person battling cancer.