David Cicilline

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, discrimination is wrong. We all know that. As children, we learn the golden rule: Treat others the way you yourself want to be treated. But, right now, discrimination is a fact of life for millions of LGBTQ Americans. The fact is that, in most States, an LGBTQ person is at risk of being denied housing, education, or the right to serve on a jury because of who they are. That is why we are here today to consider H.R. 5, the Equality Act. The Equality Act does no more and no less than say LGBTQ people deserve the same rights and responsibilities as all other Americans, most fundamentally the right to live lives free of discrimination. It builds on the Civil Rights Act and other existing laws to extend anti- discrimination protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans. President Biden has said that getting this bill signed into law is one of his top priorities for his first 100 days in office. I want to thank him and a few other people for making this bill a priority: Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Whip Clyburn, and the co-chairs of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus: Mark Takano, Mark Pocan, Sean Patrick Maloney, Angie Craig, Sharice Davids, Chris Pappas, Mondaire Jones, and Ritchie Torres. I thank them all for being true champions for our community. Madam Speaker, every American deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. That is what the Equality Act will achieve for the LGBTQ community by providing protection against discrimination in employment, education, housing, credit, jury service, public accommodations, and Federal funding. I am proud to say this bill has broad support from across the political spectrum, including groups from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the ACLU and everyone in between. Madam Speaker, 83 percent of Americans support this bill, including 68 percent--more than two out of three--Republican voters. To my friends on the other side of the aisle: As you consider this bill, I hope you will bear in mind how your vote will be remembered years from now. Will you be remembered in the same breath as all those who fought for equal rights in the past: Freedom Riders, suffragettes, the anti- apartheid activists? Or will you be remembered along with those who stood in the way of progress? This bill is personal for me and personal for millions of LGBTQ people and our loved ones. Madam Speaker, you all have family members, friends, and coworkers who identify as LGBTQ. I want you to ask yourself: What does this vote mean for them and how you will look them in the eye if you vote to uphold the current system that allows them to be discriminated against? The LGBTQ community has waited long enough. The time has come to extend the blessings of liberty and equality to all Americans, regardless of who they are or whom they love. Vote ``yes'' and pass the Equality Act today.

Mr. CICILLINE

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

Mr. Manager CICILLINE

Mr. Manager CICILLINE. Mr. President, distinguished Senators, you just heard from my colleagues about the harrowing events that happened here at the Capitol on January 6 and saw that very disturbing video, and now I would like to turn your attention to what was happening on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House. The truth is, the facts are that on January 6, Donald Trump did not once condemn this attack. He did not once condemn the attackers. In fact, on January 6, the only person he condemned was his own Vice President, Mike Pence, who was hiding in this building with his family in fear for his life. In the first crucial hours of this violent attack, he did nothing to stop it, nothing to help us. By all accounts, from the people that were around him, he was delighted. And here is the last thing Donald Trump said that day, and you might remember this from my motions presentation earlier in the week. At 6 p.m. on January 6, after all the destruction that you just saw, Capitol Police and the National Guard fighting to secure this building, here is what Donald Trump tweeted: These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever! He got what he incited, and according to Donald Trump, we got what we deserve. Donald Trump's incitement of this insurrection, including his dereliction of his duty as Commander in Chief to defend the Capitol and the people in it, his complete refusal to condemn the attack while it was going on, and his continuing to incite the violence during the attack require impeachment. Now, let's turn to then-President Trump's conduct that day. I want to start at the beginning, when he addressed his thousands of great patriots, as he called them that morning. Around noon, Donald Trump began speaking at his rally just down Pennsylvania Avenue. Even before Donald Trump finished speaking, his supporters began to walk down toward the Capitol, and they were already starting to chant ``stop the steal'' and ``storm the Capitol'' and ``invade the Capitol'' and ``fight for Trump.'' And by 12:53 p.m., they had violently forced their way through the barricades here at the Capitol. Now, about 1 o'clock that day, with this chaos just starting, Speaker Pelosi, as the Constitution requires, formally commenced the process by which this Chamber certifies election results. Within 10 minutes, at 1:11 p.m., as if almost on cue, Donald Trump concluded his speech with his final reminder to the thousands gathered there: It was time to go to the Capitol. Let's watch. (Text of video presentation of 1-6-2021.) President TRUMP. We're going to the Capitol, and we're going to try and give--and we're going to try and give our Republicans--the weak ones because the strong ones don't need any of our help--we're going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country. So let's walk down Pennsylvania Avenue. I want to thank you all. God bless you, and God bless America. Thank you all for being here. This is incredible. Thank you very much. (People chanting: ``Fight for Trump.'') Now, you have seen what happened when these supporters, following his orders, arrived here at the Capitol. But we want to look at what happened next. Now, you will recall, during the speech, President Trump said, ``We're going to the Capitol,'' sort of suggesting he was going to go with this crowd. Of course, that was not true. But let's hear what he said. (Text of video presentation of 1-6-2021.) President TRUMP. Now it is up to Congress to confront this egregious assault on our democracy. And after this, we're going to walk down, and I'll be there with you. We're going to walk down. We're going to walk down. Any one you want, but I think right here. We're going to walk down to the Capitol. This, of course, was not true. He did not go with them to the Capitol. He left and went back to the White House, and while he was en route to the White House, violence began to grow here at the Capitol. And within minutes of Donald Trump's speech ending, there were significant reports of escalating violence that began to surface. Buildings around the Capitol were starting to be evacuated, and by 1:15, an explosive device had been found at the DNC, and a pipe bomb had been found at the RNC about 15 minutes earlier. The House Sergeant at Arms had called for immediate assistance. At 1:34 p.m., the mayor of Washington, DC, called for additional National Guard troops. I won't go through all of the details of violence that unfolded here. You just saw that. But as we walk through what our Commander in Chief did that day, I want to be very clear about exactly what was happening here at the same time. For 40 minutes, while buildings were being cleared, pipe bombs were being found, and his supporters were literally breaching the perimeter of the Capitol and overwhelming law enforcement. You saw the violence that was occurring. We heard nothing from the President of the United States. We didn't hear anything from Donald Trump until 1:49 p.m., when, while all of this is unfolding, President Trump sent out a tweet. This was the first thing he did when he learned the U.S. Capitol, with all the Members of Congress and his own Vice President, was under violent attack. What was that tweet? Nearly an hour after the rioters breached the Capitol perimeter at 1:49, Donald Trump released a propaganda reel of his ``Save America'' speech that he had given an hour before. I want to be clear. The events I just described--the rioters breaching the Capitol, attacking law enforcement, the violence that is being broadcast all over the television for the whole world to see, including the President of the United States--I want to show you: This is what is happening right before Donald Trump sends that video out again and as he does it. (Text of video presentation of 1-6-2021.) President TRUMP. Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore and that's what this is all about. And to use a favorite term that all of you people really came up with: We will stop the steal. Because you'll never take back our countr with weakness. You have to show strength, and you have to be strong. Even if President Trump claims he didn't know the extent of the violence that would follow his speech, it was now happening in plain view, broadcast on television. His supporters were attacking law enforcement. The mayor and the police chief were calling for help. Members of Congress and the Vice President were inside scared for their lives. He doesn't send help, and he doesn't try to stop it. He doesn't even acknowledge the attack. Instead, our Commander in Chief tweeted the video of the speech that he had given before, that included language like ``our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore and that's what this is all about. . . . You have to be strong.'' Those around Donald Trump--this was later reported--were disgusted. His close aides, his advisers, those working for him, former officials, and even his family were begging him to do something. Kellyanne Conway, the President's close adviser, called to ``add her name'' to the chorus of aides urging Donald Trump to take action. Ivanka Trump, the President's own daughter, went to the Oval Office ``as soon as'' the rioting escalated, and as was confirmed by Senator Graham, ``trying to get [Trump] to speak out, to tell everyone to leave.'' Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called Jared Kushner, ``pleading with him to persuade Trump to issue a statement'' or to do something. And Kushner, too, went down to the White House after that call. And it wasn't just the people at the White House. Members of Congress from both parties, who were trapped here, were calling the White House to ask for help. Some Members even appealed directly to Donald Trump. These Members who had ``been loyal Trump supporters and were even willing to vote against the electoral college results, were now scared for their lives.'' Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy repeatedly even got into a screaming match as the attack was under way, demanding that Mr. Trump do something, issue a statement denouncing the mob. I imagine many of you sitting here today picked up your phone and tried to reach somebody at the White House to ask for help. This wasn't partisan politics. These were Americans from all sides trying to force our Commander in Chief to protect and defend our country. He was required to do that. Now, the extent of how many people tried to reach the President to get him to act is not known. But what is clear, what we know without any doubt, is that from the very beginning, the people around Donald Trump lobbied him to take command. What is also clear is what Donald Trump, our Commander in Chief, did in those initial hours to protect us. Nothing. Not a thing. He knew it was happening. The attack was on TV. We all know that President Trump had the power to stop these attacks. He was our Commander in Chief. He had the power to assess the security situation, send backup, and send help. He also had incited these violent attacks. They were listening to him. He could have commanded them to leave, but he didn't. The first critical hour and a half of this bloody attack, Donald Trump tweeted his rally speech and did nothing else. And we know why. We know his state of mind that prompted his utter, complete refusal to defend us. It was reported by those around him. The President, as reported by sources at the time, was delighted. As he watched the violence unfold on television, President Trump was reportedly ``borderline enthusiastic because it meant the certification was being derailed.'' Senator Ben Sasse relayed a conversation with senior White House officials that President Trump was ``walking around the White House confused about why other people on his team weren't as excited as he was.'' Mr. Trump's reaction to this attack, reportedly, genuinely freaked people out. I understand why. We just suffered a very serious attack, an attack on our country. And we saw them--the people around him--do it. But when Donald Trump saw it, he was delighted. Now, what President Trump did next confirms why he was so delighted, why he wanted this, because it shows that his singular focus that day-- the day we were attacked--was not protecting us, was not protecting you, was not protecting the Capitol, but it was stopping the certification of the election results. The evidence is clear. Shortly after 2 p.m., as the siege was fully under way, then-President Trump made a call. This is the first call that we are aware he made to anyone inside the Capitol during the attack. He didn't call the Vice President to ask how he could help defend the Capitol. He didn't call the next two in line to succession of the Presidency to check on their safety or well-being. Instead, he attempted to call Senator Tuberville. He dialed Senator Lee by accident. (Text deleted.) Let's be clear. At roughly 2 p.m., when Donald Trump was walking around the White House watching the TV delighted and spent 5 to 10 minutes talking to Senator Tuberville, urging him to delay the election results, this is what was happening in the Capitol. (Video presentation.) You saw Senator Lankford stop speaking and leave the floor quickly in that clip because the insurgents had broken through the barricades and entered the building. And as these armed insurrectionists banged on the doors, Members of Congress were told to put on their gas masks, to put bags over their heads for safety, and prepare to evacuate. And Donald Trump was calling to ask the Senator to delay the certification process. Let that sink in. Donald Trump didn't get to finish that call. It was cut off because the Senators had to move to another location, for your security. And thank God they did because as the call was occurring, the rioters got closer to the Senate Chamber, and as we all know now, but for the heroism of Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman and other law enforcement officers who took them in a different direction to the police line, they very likely would have gotten here. Think about that. Armed insurrectionists with guns, weapons, zip ties, brass knuckles, they were coming for us. They were inside the United States Capitol, trying to stop the certification process. The police were outnumbered. And but for the grace of God, they would have gotten us, all of us. And our Commander in Chief makes a call about an hour after the siege began, not to preserve, protect, and defend you and our country and the Capitol but to join forces with the mob and pressure a Senator to stop certification. We just can't get numb to this kind of behavior. There can be no doubt as to the purpose of Donald Trump's call, that he was not calling to assess the security threats or to check on the well-being of you or anyone else. Indeed, later on that evening, while all of the destruction and damage still continued, dozens of officers were being treated for serious injuries. Deaths were confirmed. About 7 p.m., the President's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, made a call, and just in case you don't think there was some coordination, he also called Senator Lee's phone trying to reach Senator Tuberville. We don't have to guess as to what Rudy Giuliani said in that voicemail because we have it recorded. So let's listen to what the President's personal lawyer said on the night of this attack. (Text of audio presentation.) Mr. GIULIANI. Senator Tuberville--or I should say Coach Tuberville, this is Rudy Giuliani, the President's lawyer. I'm calling you because I want to discuss with you how they're trying to rush this hearing and how we need you, our Republican friends, to try to just slow it down. This was the singular focus of Donald Trump during this bloody, violent attack on the Capitol: stopping the certification. Look, as I mentioned, I was a trial lawyer for 16 years. Sometimes, you have to ask a jury to use reasonable inferences to piece together a defendant's state of mind. We don't have to do this here. While our country was violently attacked by an armed mob, President Trump not only refused to stop the attack or even address the attack at all, he made clear his focus was on the same goal of the attackers he incited: to stop the certification process and prevent the peaceful transition of power. The only action we know that he took an hour into this attack was to call Senator Tuberville to ask him to delay the certification. This is as clear evidence as I have ever seen of what Donald Trump really cared about that day. Now, look, the certification process, as we all know, includes debate and objections. Some of us disagreed, but we came here on January 6 to formally administer the certification process pursuant to our constitutional duties. At the end of it, Congress certified the results to ensure that we continue to be a country with leaders who are elected by the people for the people. Donald Trump's objections to the certification are not on trial, but what is on trial is, while we were under armed attack and being evacuated, while our law enforcement officers were fighting for their lives, our Commander in Chief was calling not to determine how to best secure the building and the people in it but to continue to pressure Senators to stop the certification process and a peaceful transfer of power, just as he incited the mob to do earlier in the day. This was a breathtaking dereliction of his duty and a violation of his oath as our Commander in Chief. Senators, before I hand this over to Manager Castro to walk through the rest of the day, please let me make one final point. These attackers stood right where you are. They went through that rostrum. They rifled through your desks, and they desecrated this place. And literally, the President sat delighted, doing nothing to help us, calling one of you to pressure you to stop the certification. It can't be that the Commander in Chief can incite a lawless, bloody insurrection and then utterly fail in his duty as Commander in Chief to defend us from the attack, to defend our law enforcement officers from that attack, and just get away with it. Donald Trump abdicated his duty to us all. We have to make this right, and you can make it right. Mr. Manager CASTRO of Texas. My fellow manager David Cicilline showed you what President Trump did and did not do in thos first critical hours of the attack. He sent a tweet at 1:49 p.m., where he reposted a video of the speech that incited the attack, and he called a Senator to ask him to delay the certification as the Senator was being evacuated for his own safety. We left off around 2:15 p.m. At this point, insurgents were inside the Senate and the House, and the Senate had been evacuated for everyone's safety. As you saw, Vice President Mike Pence and his family even had to be evacuated for their safety. Now, you will recall Donald Trump had made Vice President Pence a target. He attacked the Vice President at the rallies, in speeches, and on Twitter. And during President Trump's speech that morning of the attack, he ramped it up again. After privately pressuring Mike Pence in front of thousands in the crowd, he called Mike Pence out 11 times, including saying: (Text of video presentation of 1-6-2021.) Mike Pence, I hope you're going to stand up for the good of our Constitution and for the good of your country. And if you're not, I'm [going] to be . . . disappointed in you. I will tell you right now. And this was the crowd's response to Donald Trump's days of relentless attacks on his own Vice President: (Text of video presentation.) (People chanting: ``Hang Mike Pence.'') By 2:15 p.m., the crowd was chanting in unison ``Hang Mike Pence'' outside the very building he had been evacuated from with his family. Now, even if President Trump didn't know that his inflammatory remarks about his Vice President would result in chants of ``Hang Mike Pence,'' by 2:15 p.m., he surely knew. The attack was all over television. They were doing this out in the open. This was a Vice President whose life, whose family's life, was being threatened by people whom the President had summoned to the Capitol. And what did President Trump do in response? Did he stop? Did he tell his base: No, don't attack my Vice President. Even when President Trump knew what his words were causing, he didn't do any of those things to stop the crowd. In fact, he did the opposite. He fueled the fire. At 2:24 p.m., he tweeted: Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our country and our Constitution. . . . USA demands the truth. Over an hour and a half into the attack, and this is what he tweeted. And he still, even at this point, did not acknowledge the attack on the Capitol, let alone condemn it. Instead, he further incites the mob against his own Vice President, whose life was being threatened. Well, some of you may say: Well, who was paying attention anyway? Well, that mob was paying attention. (Text of video presentation.) Unidentified Speaker. Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify or correct a set of facts, not (inaudible) defraud ones or inaccurate ones, which they were asked to previously certify. U.S. demands the truth. Unidentified Speaker. Mike Pence, anarchist. Mike Pence, anarchist. Unidentified Speaker. (Inaudible.) Can I speak to Pelosi? Yeah, we're coming, bitch. Oh, Mike Pence, we're coming for you, too, fucking traitor. Unidentified Speaker. Donald J. Trump better (inaudible). Unidentified Speaker. Full house. Unidentified Speaker. (Inaudible) Mike Pence let us down. Mike Pence let us down, people. If you want to get something done, you are going to have to do it yourself. The insurgents amplified President Trump's tweet attacking the Vice President with a bullhorn. They were paying attention, and they also followed instructions. In fact, the insurgents were at one point, as you saw, 60 feet away from the Vice President and the Vice President's family. Some of these insurgents were heard saying ``that they hoped to find Vice President Mike Pence and execute him by hanging him from a Capitol Hill tree as a traitor,'' and then they erected a gallows with a noose. This is what Donald Trump incited. Please take a close look at that picture. It hearkens back to our Nation's worst history of lynching. A President's words have the power to move people to action, and these were the results. And why did the President incite such rage against the Vice President? He was fulfilling his constitutional duty, as we all were that day. Vice Presidents in this country have been carrying out this constitutional duty--overseeing the certification of election results-- without incident, without contest, without a word, for the entirety of our Nation. It is part of our peaceful transition of power in the United States. The Vice President said he reviewed the Constitution and he could not block certification, as President Trump wanted him and was pressuring him to do. He told the President in a letter that morning, a few hours before President Trump's tweet: [I will] approach this moment with [a] sense of duty and an open mind, setting politics and personal interests aside, and do [my] part to faithfully discharge our duties under the Constitution. I also pray that we will do so with humility and faith. And the President's response to that statement was to attack Mike Pence while he was with his family under the threat of a violent mob. The Vice President was following his faith, his duty, and his oath to our Nation. The Vice President and I don't agree on too much in politics, but he is a man who upholds his oath, his faith, his duty, and most of all upholds the Constitution. And Mike Pence is not a traitor to this country. He is a patriot. And he and his family, who was with him that day, didn't deserve this, didn't deserve a President unleashing a mob on them, especially because he was just doing his job. As this was unfolding and the crowd grew more violent, the President, of course, was not alone at the White House, and the people closest to him--his family and advisers--who saw this unfolding in realtime, begged him, implored him to stop the attack. An aide to Mark Meadows, the President's Chief of Staff, urged his boss to go see the President, saying: ``They are going to kill people.'' ``They are going to kill people.'' That is what those around President Trump feared, and still nothing. It wasn't until 2:38 p.m., nearly 2 hours after the start of the siege, that Donald Trump even acknowledged the attack. And when he finally did acknowledge the attack, here is what he said. On the right you will see what had been happening prior to that tweet and as he sent the tweet, and on the left you will see exactly what he tweeted. (Text of video presentation of 1-6-2021.) Unidentified Speaker. I'm going to stop you there for just one moment because we do have some breaking news. We want to bring in congressional correspondent Chad Pergram as this is all developing right now. Chad, I understand the Capitol is now on lockdown? Mr. Pergram. They're definitely fired up. The chant, by the way, I heard the most today was ``fight for Trump,'' and that's clearly what many of them feel they're doing. Unidentified Speaker. Hold the line. (People singing: ``O, the land of the free.'') That is what our President saw unfolding in realtime, broadcast all over television, and this is what he tweeted at 2:38 p.m.: Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement. They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful! Much has been made of the fact that in this tweet he says, ``Stay peaceful.'' Senators, ``Stay peaceful''? Think about that for a second. These folks were not peaceful. They were breaking windows, pushing through law enforcement officers, waving the flag as they invaded this Capitol Building. This was a violent, armed attack. ``Stay peaceful''? How about: Stop the attack. Stop the violence. ``Stay peaceful''? How about you say: Immediately leave. Stop. And he said: ``Please support our Law Enforcement.'' How about he actually support our law enforcement by telling these insurgents to leave the Capitol immediately, which he never did. He didn't because, the truth is, he didn't want it to stop. He wanted them to stay and to stop the certification. And his failure had grave and deadly consequences. By 2:45 p.m., the warnings were tragically proven correct. Ashli Babbitt was shot by an officer as she tried to break through a glass door to reach the Speaker's Lobby. At this point, the pleas to Donald Trump, publicly and privately, grew even more desperate. At 2:54 p.m., Alyssa Farah, a former strategic communications director, begged the President: Condemn this now. You are the only one they will listen to. For our country! Mick Mulvaney, the President's former Chief of Staff, his right-hand man at one point, tweeted at 3:01: The President's tweet is not enough. He can stop this now and needs to do exactly that. Tell these folks to go home. He can stop this now. Tell these folks to go home. At 3:06 p.m., Representative McCarthy appeared on FOX News. Here is what he said. (Text of video presentation of 1-6-2021.) Mr. McCARTHY. I could not be sadder or more disappointed with the way our country looks at this very moment. People are getting hurt. Anyone involved in this, if you're hearing me, hear me very loud and clear: This is not the American way. He is saying on FOX News, which the President watches: This is not the American way. Stop the attack. Representative Gallagher, at 3:11 p.m., while secured in his own office, posted a video to Twitter. (Text of video presentation of 1-6-2021.) Mr. GALLAGHER. Mr. President, you have got to stop this. You are the only person who can call this off. Call it off. And then, when the President didn't answer his pleas on Twitter, Representative Gallagher went on live television. (Text of video presentation of 1-6-2021.) Mr. GALLAGHER. I mean, this is insane. I mean--I--I have not seen anything like this since I deployed to Iraq in 2007 and 2008. I mean, this is America, and this is what is happening right now. We need--the President needs to call it off. Like, call it off. Call it off. Representative Gallagher, you see there, said he had not seen anything like this since he was deployed in Iraq. The message around the President was clear, from everyone: You need to call this off. Stop it. But does he? No. His next tweet was not until about 3:13 p.m. Once again, it is important to consider what was happening between Donald Trump's 2:38 p.m. tweet and his next tweet at 3:13 p.m. You will see footage from the attack during that time on the right and Donald Trump's tweet on the left. (Text of video presentation of 1-6-2021.) Unidentified Speaker. We've been informed that protesters have penetrated the Capitol. Unidentified Speaker. This is my fucking building. Unidentified Speaker. I tell ya, the sentiment in the streets is really getting to a different level. This is spinning out of control. This is turning violent. This is getting dangerous. Unidentified Speaker. Stand up for America. Unidentified Speaker. Don't touch me Unidentified Speaker. Don't get in his way. Unidentified Speaker. Get the fuck out of here. This isn't 10 minutes into the insurrection. This isn't just after his speech earlier that day. That is what our Commander in Chief saw happening, and that was his response. You will notice one of the things he says to his mob, to these insurrectionists, rather than to stop or to leave, was to say thank you. Thank you. Thank you for what? Thank you for shattering the windows and destroying property? Thank you for injuring more than 140 police officers? Thank you for putting in danger all of our lives and the lives of our families? How about, instead of ``thank you,'' Donald Trump, on that day, acted like our Commander in Chief and stopped this, as only he could, and told those people to leave. Here is what former Governor Chris Christie, his very good friend, said after that tweet. (Text of video presentation of 1-6-2021.) Mr. Christie. It's pretty simple. The President caused this protest to occur. He is the only one who can make it stop. What the President said is not good enough. The President has to come out and tell his supporters to leave the Capitol grounds and to allow the Congress to do their business peacefully, and anything short of that is an abrogation of his responsibility. He is right. Chris Christie is right. We know how Donald Trump acts on Twitter and otherwise when he has a message to convey. In fact, I asked you to remember those tweets earlier this morning when he yelled on Twitter: ``STOP THE COUNT.'' When he wanted to incite his supporters to show up on January 6, President Trump tweeted 16 times between midnight on January 5 and his noon rally/speech the next day--16 times to get them to do something he wanted. And his message in those 16 times was clear: ``Fight.'' ``Stay strong.'' ``Be strong.'' But when the violence started, he never once said the one thing everyone around him was begging him to say: Stop the attack. He refused to stop it. And as Governor Christie and Representative Kinzinger and others made clear, only Donald Trump could have stopped that attack. (Text of video presentation of 1-6-2021.) Mr. KINZINGER. You know, a guy who knows how to tweet very aggressively on Twitter, you know, puts out one of the weakest statements on one of the saddest days in American history because his ego won't let him admit defeat. He was not just our Commander in Chief. He had incited the attack. The insurgents were following his commands, as we saw when they read aloud the tweet attacking the Vice President. They confirmed this during the attack too. (Video presentation of 1-6-2021.) Senators, ask yourselves this: How easy would it have been for the President to give a simple command, a simple instruction, just telling them: Stop. Leave. This was a dereliction of duty, plain and simple, and it would have been for any President who had done that. And that brings me to my next point. You heard from my colleagues that when planning this attack, the insurgents predicted that Donald Trump would command the National Guard to help them. There is a lot that we don't know yet about what happened that day, but here is what we do know: Donald Trump did not send help to these officers who were badly outnumbered, overwhelmed, and being beaten down. Two hours into the insurrection, by 3 p.m., President Trump had not deployed the National Guard or any other law enforcement to help, despite multiple pleas to do so. President Donald Trump was at the time our Commander in Chief of the United States of America. He took a solemn oath to preserve, protect, and defend this country, and he failed to uphold that oath. In fact, there is no indication that President Trump ever made a call to have the Guard deployed or had anything to do with the Guard being deployed when it ultimately was. Shortly after 3:04 p.m., the Acting Defense Secretary announced that the Guard had been activated and listed the people he spoke with prior to this activation, including Vice President Mike Pence, Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Senator Schumer, and Representative Hoyer. But that list did not include the President. This omission of his name was reportedly not accidental. According to reports, ``Trump initially rebuffed requests to mobilize the National Guard and required interference by other officials,'' including his own White House Counsel. And later, ``as a mob of Trump supporters breached police barricades and seized the Capitol,'' Trump reportedly was ``disengaged in discussions with Pentagon leaders about deploying the National Guard to aid the overwhelmed U.S. Capitol Police.'' President Trump was reportedly ``completely, totally out of it. He made no attempt to reach [the National Guard.]'' And it was Vice President Pence, still under threat for his life, who reportedly spoke to the Guard. President Trump's conduct confirms this too. At no point on January 6 did Donald Trump even reference the National Guard. The only thing that we heard connecting the President to the Guard was from his Press Secretary, who tweeted about the Guard being deployed at the President's direction over half an hour later, at 3:36 p.m. We have seen what Donald Trump does when he tries to take credit for something, and yet, even when the National Guard was finally deployed, he didn't even acknowledge it. In fact, he didn't say a word about the National Guard the entire day. Think about that: the bloodiest attack we have seen on our Capitol since 1812 and our President couldn't be bothered to even mention that help was on its way. These insurgents had been attacking our government for over 4 hours by that point. And we may have been the target, but it was the brave men and women who protect our Capitol who were out there combating thousands of armed insurgents in a fight for their lives, and that is who Donald Trump left entirely unprotected. (Video presentation of 1-6-2021.) This is hard to watch, but I think it is important to understand what the Capitol Police were facing, how severely they were outnumbered while our Commander in Chief, whose job it was to protect and defend them, was just watching, doing nothing for hours, refusing to send help. If he wanted to protect these officers, if he cared about their safety, as he tweeted about, he would have told his supporters to leave. He would have sent help right away. One brave officer was killed. Others took their lives after the attack. More than 140 police officers were injured, including cracked ribs, smashed spinal discs. One officer will lose an eye. Another was stabbed with a metal fence stake. They were completely and violently overwhelmed by a mob and needed help, and our Commander in Chief, President Trump, refused to send it. Senators, you have seen all the evidence so far, and this is clear: On January 6, President Trump left everyone in this Capitol for dead. For the next hour after President Trump's 3 p.m. tweet, he still did nothing. Not until 4:17 p.m., over 3\1/2\ hours after the violence started, did our President send a message finally asking the insurgents to go home. On the right, you will see what happened that day in the hours leading up to his prerecorded video. On the left, you will see his message. Let's watch. (Text of video presentation.) President TRUMP. I know your pain, I know you're hurt, we had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order. We don't want anybody hurt. It's a very tough period of time. There's never been a time like this, where such a thing happened, where they could take it away from all of us. From me, from you, from our country. This was a fraudulent election, but we can't play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you, you're very special. We've seen what happens, you see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home and go home in peace. This is the first time our Commander in Chief spoke publicly at all since the attack began, over 3\1/2\ hours after it started, and these are the entirety of the words the President spoke out loud to the American people or to the attackers that entire day. Nowhere in that video, not once did he say: I condemn this insurrection. I condemn what you did today. Nowhere did he say: I am sending help immediately. Stop this. Here is what he said instead: I know your pain, I know you're hurt. We had an election that was stolen. Even after all the things we witnessed, even after all of that carnage, he goes out and tells the same big lie, the same big lie that enraged and incited the attack. He repeated this while the attack was ongoing and while we were still under threat. And here is what else he said: Go home in peace. We love you, you're very special. Senators, you were here. You saw this with your own eyes. You faced that danger. And when President Trump had an opportunity to confront them as the leader of us all, as our Commander in Chief, what did he tell them? We love you, you're very special. This was not a condemnation; this was a message of consolation, of support, of praise. And if there is any doubt that his supporters, these insurgents, took this as a message of support and praise, watch for yourselves. (Text of video presentation.) Mr. Angeli. Donald Trump asked everybody to go home. He just said--he just put out a tweet. It is a minute long. He asked everybody to go home. Unidentified Speaker. Why do you think so? Mr. Angeli. Because we won the fucking day. We fucking won. Unidentified Speaker. How did we win? Mr. Angeli. Well, we won by sending a message to the Senators and th Congressmen, we won by sending a message to Pence, OK, that if they don't do as--as it is their oath do, if they don't uphold the Constitution, then we will remove them from office, one way or another. I suspect you recognize that man. You will hear him say that ``we won the day.'' Who won the day? We know that at least five people lost their lives that day. The House and the Senate were in life-threatening danger, and so was the Vice President, and think of everyone else here as well. Who won on January 6? That is not a win for America, but it is a win for Donald Trump unless we hold him accountable. Now, a little over an hour after that video, the brave members of law enforcement secured the Capitol, and we as a Congress got ready to continue certifying the results of our free and fair election. A half hour after that, President Trump issued another tweet. In case there was any doubt as to whether he was happy with the people who did this, as to whether he had incited this, he commemorated what happened on January 6. At 6:01 p.m. on January 6, he tweeted: These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Ending with: Remember this day forever! My colleague Manager Cicilline started with this tweet because this tweet shows exactly how Donald Trump felt about what happened on January 6. ``These are the things . . . that happen.'' He is saying this was foreseeable. He is saying: I told you this was going to happen if you certified the election for anyone else, and you got what you deserved for trying to take my power away. [G]reat patriots. . . . Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever! He is saying to them: You did good. He is not regretful. He is not grieving. He is not sad. He is not angry about the attack. He is celebrating it. He is commemorating it. This is the entirety of what President Trump said to the public once the attack began--five tweets and a prerecorded video. On the day of the most bloody insurrection we faced in generations, our Commander in Chief, who is known for sending 108 tweets in a normal day, sent 5 tweets and a prerecorded video. That is the entirety of President Trump's public statements from when the attack began until he went to bed on January 6. That is all he did despite all the people we know who begged him to preserve, protect, and defend. That was our Commander in Chief's response. He began the day with ``Our country has had enough, we will not take it anymore, and that's what this is all about,'' and he ended the attack with letting us know that we got what he forewarned that morning. We will, of course, each of us, remember that day forever, but not in the way that President Trump intended, not because of the actions of these violent, unpatriotic insurrectionists. I will remember that day forever because despite President Trump's vicious attempts throughout the day to encourage the siege and block the certification, he failed. At 8:06 p.m., the Senate gaveled into session, and the counting of the electoral votes continued. About an hour later, the House followed suit. And close to 4 a.m., after spending a significant part of the day evacuated or on the floor or hiding, this great body fulfilled the will of the people and certified the electoral college vote. And I am proud to be part of Congress. I am proud that we ensured that the will of the American people finally prevailed on that day. And I am proud that I and everyone in this room abided by our oath of office even if the President didn't abide by his. President Trump, too, took an oath as President. He swore on a Bible to preserve, protect, and defend. And who among us can honestly say they believe that he upheld that oath? Who among us will let his utter dereliction of duty stand?

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, we have an obligation to ensure that America's workers have every opportunity to get ahead. Apprenticeships are a great way for hardworking folks to hone their trade or learn new skills and earn a higher wage because of it. In fact, graduates of registered apprenticeship programs enjoy an average starting wage of $70,000. And 94 percent of graduates are employed upon completion. Yet, less than 1 percent of the American workforce have completed an apprenticeship. This disconnect disadvantages our workers and puts us behind other industrialized nations. The National Apprenticeship Act will address this gap in our workforce development system by providing for almost 1 million new apprenticeship positions over 5 years. And here is the really important part, it will generate $10.6 billion net benefit to taxpayers. So it is great for workers, great for our economy, and great for taxpayers. These investments will give our economy the booster shot it needs to recover from COVID-19 while giving a new generation of workers the skills they need to achieve their American Dream. I know about this experience firsthand. In my State, the Laborers' International Union of North America has created really a national model for apprenticeship programs. It has improved the lives of thousands and thousands of Rhode Islanders. I include in the Record a letter of support from the Laborers' International Union of North America. LiUNA, February 2, 2021. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative: I write on behalf of the 500,000 hardworking men and women of the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA), to ask you to vote for H.R. 447, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021, when it comes to the House floor for a vote this week. LIUNA is proud to support this important Bill to keep our union apprenticeship programs strong. Registered Apprenticeship Programs, like the apprenticeship programs which LIUNA has implemented for decades, help workers earn while they learn. H.R. 447 invests more than $3.5 billion over five (5) years in expanding opportunities and access to Registered Apprenticeship Programs and Pre-Apprenticeships Programs, among others. The Bill creates nearly a million new apprenticeship opportunities on top of the current expected growth of the apprenticeship system. It would also yield $10.6 billion in net benefits to U.S. taxpayers in the form of increased worker productivity and decreased spending on public-assistance programs and unemployment insurance. The rigorous standards in the Bill ensure top-quality apprenticeship programs for workers. At a time when our Nation's infrastructure needs are so great, H.R. 447 will ensure that we continue to train the best workforce in the world. Again, I ask that you vote in favor of this important Bill on the House floor. If any additional information is needed, please contact Danielle LeClair, Assistant Director, Legislative Department. With kind regards, I am Sincerely yours, Terry O'Sullivan, General President.

Mr. CICILLINE. Again, I just want to say in closing, Mr. Speaker, that this is an opportunity to respond to the economic crisis that has been created by the COVID pandemic. Give people the skills that they need to become more successful and to earn greater wages. That is our job, after all, to make life better for those who we represent. This is an investment in the American worker. I urge all of my colleagues to join us in supporting this excellent piece of legislation.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise in strong support of the budget resolution for fiscal year 2021. It has been said that a budget isn't just a series of numbers on a sheet of paper, it is a statement of your values. Well, if that is true, then this budget is a bold statement of our values as Democrats. This budget paves the way for a landmark COVID-19 rescue plan. It delivers a simple message to the American people: Help is on the way. Mr. Speaker, since the start of this pandemic, tens of millions of Americans have been infected. Nearly half a million have died, with almost a quarter of all deaths happening in the last month alone. Millions of Americans can't find work. It is getting harder and harder to pay for food and housing. Schools are closed. Kids are being left behind. The American people can't afford any more delays or half measures. This is a time for bold action. That is why we have to pass this budget resolution and pave the way for President Biden's American Rescue Plan, an aggressive proposal that tackles our public health and economic emergencies. The President's American Rescue Plan meets the crisis before us. It includes nearly $2 trillion for a new round of survival checks; a national vaccination program; the resources cities and towns need to safely reopen schools; direct housing and food assistance; expanding access to healthcare and safe and reliable childcare; extended and enhanced unemployment insurance; paychecks for the first responders, public health workers and teachers who are still on the front lines of this crisis; and critical support for the hardest-hit small businesses. During this historic crisis, the American people deserve to know that help is on the way. This resolution does just that. We all know from listening to our constituents how much suffering is happening in this country, and that we need a response that responds to the gravity of the economic healthcare crisis that this pandemic has created. This resolution does it. Join us in this effort. Respond to the cries of the American people.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my support for H.R. 335, which would provide a waiver to allow for full Senate consideration of General Lloyd Austin's nomination as Secretary of Defense. While I have great concerns over use of this process to appoint former military leaders to senior civilian positions at the Department of Defense, and I believe that civilian control of the military is critical to our democracy, I support this waiver for General Austin for several reasons. The first is the need for clear and effective leadership at the Pentagon. The previous administration drastically politicized the Department of Defense and hollowed out existing leadership to put in place less experienced political allies to do former President Trump's bidding. This has left our nation even more vulnerable during a number of national and international crises, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the recent cyber attack on our government systems by Russia, and rising tensions with Iran and throughout the Middle East. General Austin brings a distinguished career in military leadership, an unwavering commitment to our nation's security, and the respect of our men and women in uniform and will provide a needed steady hand at the Department of Defense. Second, Lloyd Austin possess the skills and temperament to address the challenges our country faces. President Biden noted when discussing his selection of General Austin that he played a vital role in bringing American forces home from Iraq using diplomatic skill and an ability to work cooperatively with his Iraqi counterparts, further noting that Austin had met every challenge in his career with ``extraordinary skill and profound personal decency.'' These qualities will be necessary as America works to regain its leadership on the world stage, rebuild alliances, and address the many challenges our country faces. Third, General Austin understands the importance of civilian control of the military to our democracy and has expressed his commitment to this principle. Unlike the last time a waiver was sought when Secretary Mattis was prevented from testifying before Congress by President Trump and was unable to reassure American people about the importance of maintaining civilian control of the Department of Defense, General Austin did testify. During his confirmation hearing, General Austin expressed full understanding of the concerns over his appointment given he has been retired from active service for only four years. He highlighted his experience implementing civilian directives, and his understanding of the need for a different perspective as a civilian leader. I am confident that under the leadership of Lloyd Austin and President Biden, that principle will be preserved and protected. Finally, General Austin's confirmation as Secretary of Defense would be a watershed moment as the first African American to hold that office in our nation's history. In a period where racial tensions have led to resentment among Americans, a rise in white nationalist extremism, and peaceful demonstrations in U.S. cities often turning violent, General Austin's appointment would demonstrate that America embraces the diversity of our country, and that representation in all facets of our government and national security structures matters.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, for more than 220 years since George Washington yielded the Presidency to John Adams, the peaceful transfer of power has been a hallmark of our democracy. In this country, the will of the American people reigns supreme over the ambitions of any individual. Every single President has honored and upheld these principles until now. Donald Trump lost his bid for reelection last November. It was a free and fair election. In fact, President Trump's own election security director called it ``the most secure election in U.S. history.'' But for 2 months now, Donald Trump has refused to accept the will of the American people. Over and over again, he has told his supporters he didn't really lose; the election was stolen from him and from them. And as they grew angrier and angrier over this perceived injustice, he told them there was still a way to keep him in power. As Congress prepared to meet for the sacred ritual of certifying the results of the President's election, the President made his move. He directed his supporters to travel to Washington for a rally to ``stop the steal.'' They did. Then, once assembled, he had one final request: March on the U.S. Capitol. Do what it takes to help me hold on to power. ``We will never give up. We will never concede,'' he told them. ``If you don't fight like hell,'' he warned, ``you are not going to have a country anymore.'' The people on the Ellipse that day heard his message loud and clear. They answered his call for insurrection. As the third-ranking Republican in this Chamber put it, he ``summoned the mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack.'' Armed with guns, pipe bombs, bats, shields, zip ties, and more, they set their sights on the U.S. Capitol. They stormed the citadel of our democracy. Hundreds of domestic terrorists did what Donald Trump wanted them to do. They seized the Capitol and tried to end our country's 234- year experiment in democracy, as the Trump family and White House aides watched gleefully on television. They searched the Halls of this building for the Vice President, who they came to hang for treason. They overran the Office of the Speaker, who they came to assassinate. They sought, above all else, to seize control of our government in the name of Donald Trump. Let that sink in: The terrorists who stormed this building planned to hang the Vice President, kill the Speaker, and topple our government. They took down the American flag and replaced it with a Trump flag. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who are not planning to vote for this article: Is this the kind of country you want to live in? What are you going to tell your children and grandchildren when they ask what you did in this moment? Did you stand for the Republic or for this President? Heed the words of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican President, who told our country that ``a house divided against itself cannot stand.'' This great House of which Abraham Lincoln served cannot and will not endure if we do not stand together now. The President and the terrorists who stormed these Halls last Wednesday did not succeed in toppling our Republic. We must ensure they never do. I implore you to join us in supporting this article.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (S. 4996) to ensure funding of the United States trustees, extend temporary bankruptcy judgeships, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, it has been 9 months since Congress delivered a relief package for the American people. Since then, the pandemic has grown worse. Every time Democrats tried to pass a new relief package, the Republicans who control the U.S. Senate have blocked it from reaching the American people. This has gone on long enough. It is long past time to provide the relief that our folks who are living through this pandemic need. We need to provide another round of stimulus payments to workers. We need to extend and expand unemployment insurance. We need to establish a national COVID testing program and make sure our hospitals and community health centers have the resources they need to provide lifesaving care. We need to help small businesses that have already sacrificed so much in the face of this pandemic, and we need to provide funding so that we can get our population vaccinated against this disease and get our lives back to normal as soon as possible. Leaving town without an agreement is not an option. It is critical that we get this done for the American people. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to work together to make this happen.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated our country for 9 months now. More than 15 million Americans have been infected. Nearly 300,000 are dead. Our economy is on the ropes. Folks are struggling just to get by, and Democrats have been trying to pass a relief package for months. Last week, Republicans finally met us at the table to negotiate a solution. We need to get this deal done. It must address the urgent needs of the American people by providing direct cash payments for working families; stronger unemployment payments; relief for cities and towns; new resources for the frontline workers who are keeping our communities safe; and funding for testing, vaccines, hospitals, and community health centers so we can end this pandemic and get back to our lives. The American people sent us here to work for them. They have waited for far too long for Congress to pass a new relief package. Let's get this done on their behalf and let's not leave Washington until we do.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), a distinguished and respected member of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 134) to amend title 18, United States Code, with regard to stalking.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the safety of our children is paramount, and the preservation of their future is critical. Across this country and around the world, we have awakened to a new normal where our lives are tethered to the internet like never before. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced all of us to execute our daily routines online. Children and adolescents across this country are engaged in virtual learning every day. Therefore, they are spending countless hours on the internet. While this approach to learning is vital in keeping our children safe from the spread of the virus, the widespread use of the internet and social media can make stalking easier to carry out, allowing predators to exploit the easy access to our children. The borderless nature of the internet has allowed these types of internet crimes to transcend jurisdictional boundaries. Current Federal law prohibits narrowly defined instances of stalking where they are accomplished via interstate travel or through electronic means. This is why we must make sensible modifications to the stalking statute, especially given that children and adolescents are, in many respects, among the most vulnerable of our population. Stalking affects millions of men and women in the United States. Stalking is common. About 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men have experienced stalking in their lifetimes. Stalking starts early. Nearly 54 percent of female victims and 41 percent of male victims experience stalking before the age of 25 and 16.3 percent of female victims and 20.5 percent of male victims before the age of 18. Stalking impacts the physical and mental health of victims. Research shows that stalking can lead to depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. About 68 percent of female victims and 78 percent of male victims experience threats of physical harm during their lifetimes. I support S. 134, the Combat Online Predators Act, because this bill amends 18 U.S.C. 2261A, which criminalizes stalking when a person travels in interstate or foreign commerce with the intent to kill, injure, harass, intimidate, or place under surveillance with the intent to otherwise kill, injure, harass, or intimidate another person. This can be even more critical when young people are victimized in this way, which may occur in person or online, via cellphones, computers, email, text messages, and on social media platforms, which is sometimes referred to as cyberstalking. Consequently, this bill is timely because it increases the maximum prison term for a stalking offense by adding 5 years if the victim is under the age of 18. The increased maximum penalty for this crime when committed against our children is reasonable. This bill also understands that some behavior among young people should not be subject to enhancement that would apply to individuals who are older and more mature. Therefore, this bill makes an exception where the enhanced penalty shall not apply for the person who violates the stalking statute if the person is under the age of 18 at the time of the offense, or the victim of the offense is not less than 15 nor more than 17 years of age and not more than 3 years younger than the person who committed the offense at the time the offense occurred. The bill further requires that the Attorney General submit to Congress a report which shall include an evaluation of Federal, State, Tribal, and other local efforts to enforce laws related to stalking and to identify and describe those elements of such efforts that constitute the best practices for the enforcement of such laws. Mr. Speaker, this is a sensible bipartisan bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I am proud to be a cosponsor of the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act of 2019, and I urge my colleagues to support this important bill. I want to acknowledge the extraordinary leadership of Congressman Moulton, who has led this effort in the House, and my Senator, Senator Whitehouse, in the Senate, and all the cosponsors. As we all know, ALS is a terribly debilitating disease. For those of us who have friends or family members who have been diagnosed with this, we know what a family endures when the diagnosis is made, and they are overwrought with how they are going to manage this very serious health challenge. Imagine, in addition to all of that, if people have to worry about whether or not they have access to care in those critical first months of this disease. So, I applaud everyone who has cosponsored this bill. Patients and families will benefit enormously from this legislation. They will have one less thing to worry about when they are confronting this very serious diagnosis. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I thank the gentleman again for yielding.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 683) to impose requirements on the payment of compensation to professional persons employed in voluntary cases commenced under title III of the Puerto Rico Oversight Management and Economic Stability Act (commonly known as ``PROMESA''), as amended.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 683, the Puerto Rico Recovery Accuracy in Disclosures Act, or PRRADA, is bipartisan legislation that would promote greater transparency and integrity with respect to the ongoing financial reorganization of Puerto Rico. In response to dire fiscal issues facing Puerto Rico at the time, Congress passed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, or PROMESA, in 2016. That legislation established the Financial Oversight and Management Board with control over Puerto Rico's budget, laws, financial plans, and regulations and the authority to retain professionals to assist the board in executing its responsibilities. Although largely patterned on Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code, PROMESA did not incorporate all facets of Chapter 11 and other relevant provisions of the code. Importantly, this includes the code's mandatory disclosure requirements regarding actual or potential conflicts of interest that professional persons seeking to be retained in a bankruptcy case must make to the court prior to their retention. This bill would close that loophole by conditioning the compensation of professional persons retained under PROMESA upon certain disclosures similar to those required under the Bankruptcy Code. Additionally, the bill would require the United States trustee to review these disclosures and submit comments in response to the Court, and also authorizes the United States trustee to object to compensation requested by professionals. And finally, H.R. 683 would allow courts to deny the compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses if the professional person did not comply with the disclosure requirement, was not a disinterested person, or represented or held an interest adverse to the bankruptcy estate. I thank Chairwoman Velazquez for her leadership in championing this bill and for her relentless dedication to ensuring that the people of Puerto Rico receive the fair, efficient, and transparent restructuring process they deserve. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, which was favorably reported out of the Judiciary Committee by unanimous vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 683 closes a loophole under current law by establishing disclosure requirements regarding actual or potential conflicts of interest in the Bankruptcy Code process under PROMESA. In doing so this legislation promotes transparency and accountability in the Puerto Rico restructuring process. I, again, thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), the author of this bill, for her leadership on this issue, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support this commonsense measure. Before closing, since this will likely be the final bill within this subcommittee's jurisdiction considered on the floor of this Congress, I want to take a moment to recognize the outstanding career of the ranking member of the subcommittee and my friend, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner. As part of his distinguished career, he has left an indelible mark on the Judiciary Committee, on Congress, and on our country. We recently celebrated those contributions in a ceremony held by the committee. Congressman Sensenbrenner has never hesitated to work across party lines in service of hardworking Americans. As the incoming chairman of the subcommittee, I looked to him for leadership in the beginning of the Congress. Since then, he has been a tremendous source of advice and wisdom over the past 2 years. It has been a real pleasure working with him this Congress, and I thank him for his incredible service and wish him well in his retirement. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Madam Speaker, for the roughly 10 million people who, each year, reenter communities from jail or prison, the consequences of a criminal sentence can last a lifetime, creating barriers to accessing safe housing, employment, and even something as basic as a government ID. As the mayor of Providence, I assembled a reentry council to bring together community leaders, including religious leaders, employers, and housing professionals, to help people returning to their communities with the goal of giving people a chance to fully reenter society after they have completed their sentence. During my time as mayor, I saw how providing community-based reentry services helps to ensure that justice-involved individuals have the support they need for smooth transition back into society. When formerly incarcerated people have access to their basic needs being met, like food assistance and employment opportunities, it can significantly reduce the likelihood they will commit a new offense and, as a result, make our communities safer. It gives returning citizens the ability to provide for themselves, for their families, and to be productive members of their communities. That is why I am proud to support H.R. 8161, the One Stop Shop Community Reentry Program Act, which provides 5-year grants to community-based organizations and other eligible entities to create community reentry centers. The One Stop Shop Community Reentry Program Act incentivizes community-based solutions to overcoming barriers to housing, education, employment, and healthcare. It seeks to end the revolving door of recidivism. It promotes healing by encouraging treatment and family counseling. It helps people navigate life after prison and successfully reenter their communities. It makes our communities safer and gives people a fair shot at a second chance, a chance at redemption, and a chance at success. Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chairwoman Bass for her extraordinary leadership on H.R. 8161, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this excellent legislation.

Mr. CICILLINE

Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 2258, the Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act, which was introduced in the House by Congressman Neguse, that is H.R. 8226, a piece of legislation that he relentlessly championed and it finally is before us for final passage. This important legislation protects whistleblowers who report criminal misconduct under the antitrust laws. As my good friend just mentioned, I would also like to acknowledge the leadership of Jim Sensenbrenner, who will be retiring from Congress, but who has made protection of whistleblowers an important part of his work here, and we will miss him on the Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee. This important bill provides employees with a mechanism for reporting retaliation to the Department of Labor. Whistleblowers who report on criminal antitrust conduct and are retaliated against, such as through wrongful discharge, demotion, or harassment will have a path for reinstatement, be able to be compensated for harms that they suffer and reimbursed for litigation expenses for meritorious claims. By extending these protections to employees who report criminal violations of antitrust laws to the Federal Government, this important measure will encourage whistleblowers to come forward to report extreme criminal violations of the antitrust laws, such as price and wage fixing, which are the supreme evil of antitrust. Moreover, this legislation brings the criminal antitrust laws in line with other important laws, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which protects whistleblowers who report corporate wrongdoing. No worker in America should fear for their job or economic livelihood for exposing corporations that engage in criminal activity, and exposing this misconduct is critical for antitrust enforcement purposes. I want to end where I began by applauding Congressman Neguse, the vice chair of the House Judiciary Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee, a really valued and deeply respected member of the subcommittee, for his extraordinary leadership on this vital legislation, which has already been passed unanimously by the Senate. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation.