Danny Davis

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, the coronavirus has brought to national attention the huge disparities in health status and economic status of African Americans and other population groups in this country. We have seen how some financial institutions overlooked and denied small, struggling businesses. This bill will do something about both. I hope it does, and I am confident that it will. After we have arrested the coronavirus, let's do something different and help equalize America so that Blacks and other population groups are not dying in disproportion to our population. Let's make America the great equalizer, the America that has never been and yet the America that we know can and must be, and let's save our Postal Service.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act which is designed to put families first, protect and stabilize our economy, and provide Americans with assurance that this House has their needs and interests at the top of our priority concerns. I support this measure because--during this period of uncertainty--it helps provide critical paid sick and family leave for workers affected by this public health crisis. Approximately 80 million workers aged 16 and older are paid hourly, which means they typically lack paid sick and family leave. Around 75 percent of workers live paycheck to paycheck. These benefits will help cover employees who are sick, quarantined, or caring for loved ones who must remain at home. If a worker is furloughed, laid off, or exhausts their paid leave, it provides enhanced unemployment benefits and flexibility in eligibility requirements to help. The bill provides free testing to determine who is affected. It provides substantial dollars to nutrition for low-income individuals--including pregnant women, mothers with young children, food banks, students receiving free and reduced lunch whose schools have closed, and seniors. It safeguards Medicare benefits and payments, protects frontline health care workers, and directs special attention to the hardest hit communities. I am pleased to support this bill because it is an important step by our country's leaders to say to the American people that we've got your back. We are not done. This House will take further action when needed to help our residents weather this crisis.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the Ghanaian Americans and their contributions. The United States of America is home to hundreds of thousands of people of Ghanaian heritage--including those who were born on this soil, those whose family emigrated for economic opportunity, and those who recently traced their roots to ancestors taken from Ghana as part of the Transatlantic slave trade. The U.S. and Ghana share a long history with Kwame Nkrumah studying in American universities and working alongside Civil Rights leaders before becoming President of the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from colonization on March 6, 1957. Today, the relationship between the two countries has deepened with the Year of Return and Ghana being among the top five African countries with a fast-growing immigrant population in the U.S. Last year Speaker Pelosi led a Congressional delegation to Ghana, where she called the trip ``transformative,'' recognizing the great strides the country has made since gaining independence. However, today more than ever, Ghanaians living in the United States worry about immigration policies as well as accessing health and economic opportunities once promised by the American dream. In 2020, when everyone should be counted by the U.S. Census, many Ghanaians will surely be undercounted and underrepresented due to viral misinformation. Ghanaian Americans are an essential fabric in the tapestry of America from the cab driver to the medical doctor. You will find them in all parts of the country from Chicago to New York to suburban Ohio and Massachusetts. The culture is hard to ignore with sumptuous food, the iconic Kente cloth, storytelling, inventions, architecture, and music. This is important to remember as the United States continues to encourage democracy and bolster partnerships with Ghana in recognizing the 63rd anniversary of Ghana's independence, its thriving heritage, and the longstanding positive relationship between our two countries.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my condolences to the family of my friend Dennis Hood, a man who liberated himself and believed in fighting for the rights of others. Unfortunately, I cannot be there with them because we are voting on a supplemental budget to provide money with which to fight the coronavirus, and I figured that I ought to be here to perform that duty. Therefore, I have asked one of my young staffers, Gerard Moorer, to read the following statement at his service: Dennis Hood lived at ABLA and Lathrop. He was actively engaged and involved in the activities of these developments. Dennis was a colorful character with an outgoing personality. He never went any place and you didn't not know that he was there. He made use of the section 3 provision in the Public Housing Act and developed a small construction company. Dennis argued, protested, marched, demonstrated, swore, drank whiskey, cussed and did everything under the sun to try and have his way, and if he could speak, I am sure he would say, I did it my way. ``For what is a man, what has he got, if not himself, then he has naught, to say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels. The record show I took the blows and did it my way.'' Yes, it was Dennis' way. He was my friend and supporter, and I was his friend and supporter.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Well, thank you, sir. I want to thank you indeed. As a matter of fact, as I was listening, I was saying to myself, after a good sermon, all that you really say is ``Amen.'' And I want to say ``Amen'' to you. And I say that in all seriousness, because the number one advocate for an expanded Social Security in this House of Representatives is none other than Representative John Larson. I thank you for your diligence, for the consistency. When you walk in my office, there is a photograph of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and that photograph has been there ever since I have been here. I had that photograph before I came here, because the work and the leadership, the vision that Franklin Delano Roosevelt had, has been transformed and passed on to people like yourself and to you. I am so proud to be able to say that I serve with you in this House of Representatives, on the Ways and Means Committee, and that you chair the Social Security Subcommittee and the Social Security effort. The only other thing that I really would need to say and would want to say, I have always been told that you can measure the effectiveness of a society, that you make an assessment by how well it treats its young, how well it treats its old, and how well it treats those who have difficulty caring for themselves. I couldn't help but think of my father, as I listened to you, who was 92 years old when he died. But he had a good life. As a matter of fact, he spent the last 5 years living with me on the weekends whenever I came home. He always wanted to pay for things. You know, we would stop for dinner, and he would say to my wife: Vera, I am going to treat you for dinner. His Social Security check was $500-something a month, which obviously would not have been enough if he had to live alone and care for himself and all of that. But I would go ahead and let him pay. I would say: Okay. Well, if you want to pay for dinner, go right ahead--and he would pay. When I stopped to get gasoline, as the tank was being filled, he would say: Here, let me pay for it. He would reach and get his money. We were getting gas. At the time, gasoline was very high. It went up to $40, $50, $60, $70. He would say: I guess you better go ahead and pay for it. You don't have to worry.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. But, again, we have got to expand it. We have got to keep it. We have got to make sure that it provides for the individuals it is designed to provide for. It is not a gift. It is not a giveaway. It is an entitlement that people work for. And so I am proud to join with you in saying that we have got to make Social Security everything that it ought to be. Where you lead, I will follow, and we will help make it happen. So, thank you very much. I am going to conclude, and this just about ends my day.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. I agree wholeheartedly. As a matter of fact, if you really want to touch and move the economy, it is to make sure that those individuals at the very bottom are able to contribute. You see, I always say that money to a community is like blood to the body. No matter how sophisticated we are in terms of medicine and health, if all the blood leaves your body, in all likelihood, you are going to die. In communities that are considered low income, senior citizen villages, places where people live in senior housing, unless those individuals have resources to plow back into the environment, then those will always be low income, no money, no resources, no business, no opportunities, no hope. So, if we really want to make America be the America that we dream about, talk about, hope about, but has never been, then Social Security is the way to do it. Every person who works, who reaches a certain age, you know, retirement can be a good thing.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. You have got enough resources to retire without wondering if you are going to have to cut your pills in half or not pay the light bill or pay the rent or have enough money to purchase the food that you want, where you are not scraping and looking for coupons and looking for special sales and special opportunities. That is what happens to many of our senior citizens. They have to look and see if there is an item on sale so that they will be able to acquire it. So, if we make sure that there are sufficient resources for people to live on, then, at my church, they would say that you are doing the work of the Master. So there is no better way to do it, no more effective, no more efficient way. I am just pleased that we have this opportunity to do this, and do it now.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, the final word is only to make sure that Social Security is in your plans, and be ready to accept it when we get it.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New York for yielding and for his leadership on this issue. You know, I have never appreciated being discriminated against, but I have always been told that if you fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. And there is one thing that we do know. We know from evidence-based research that tobacco products that are smoked, inhaled, or chewed, have no measurable health benefits. Tobacco product usage is still one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States, resulting in an estimated 480,000 lives each year. Cigarette usage is still declining in the United States. Some analysts have reported that 34 million American adults smoke cigarettes on a regular basis, and there are 1.2 million American middle and high school students who smoked cigarettes in the last 30 days. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8.1 million American adults used e-cigarettes every day or some days in 2018, and about 5.4 million American middle and high school students have used an e- cigarette in the last 30 days. I support H.R. 2339, Protecting American Lungs and Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2020. This bill would stop the manufacturing and use of fruity and flavored tobacco products in all electronic nicotine delivery systems that are battery operated containing nicotine and other chemicals. In addition, this legislation would provide grants to community health workers and educational awareness to cessation programs for tobacco. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a friend of mine who passed away a few days ago. His name is Dennis Hood. Dennis lived in public housing and has been a fierce advocate for implementation of the Section 3 program. Despite the many illnesses that Dennis had, he developed himself a small contracting business, worked it well, but unfortunately passed away. Mr. Speaker, I salute Dennis for his efforts to advocate for those low-income residents who live in public housing.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, let me thank the gentleman for yielding, and, of course, I come to join with all of those who have extolled the virtues of this bill and urge its passage. I also reflect on the fact that I grew up in the State of Arkansas. My father, who was a tremendous historian, would often point to places and show us sites in trees where lynchings were supposed to have taken place. The fact that we are now saying that any lynching activity should be a Federal crime is one that I concur with. I want to thank the Reverend Jesse Jackson because that is really who called me one day and said: You know, we need to do something about this. So I was pleased to interact with Congressman Rush and say: Let's do something about this. I want to thank Congressman Rush for taking the leadership on this bill. I want to thank the Judiciary Committee for passing it.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to come to the floor at this time. I come to pay tribute to a person who is not easy to describe. As a matter of fact, he has been called many things, has been many things, and will always be many things. As a matter of fact, his name is Richard Barnett. He held no title and he held no office. As a matter of fact, he never ran for public office, to my knowledge. But he probably helped more individuals get elected to judgeships in Cook County than anybody in the history of the county. As a matter of fact, he also happened to have been the manager of my first campaign for public office which was about 40 years ago. After the campaign was over, he went into the hospital. He had taken ill but would not go into the hospital until after the election was done. He finally did go after we had won, and he looked as though he only weighed about 90 pounds which means that he was just that sick, he was just that ill. But he bounced back and went back to work at his actual job which was that of a postal clerk. He went back and worked until retirement. Then he became very actively engaged in the election of Harold Washington for mayor of the city of Chicago. He took a job and worked for the city until he quit that after Harold had passed away, because he really was not looking for a job or didn't want a job. He became significantly important because we have all heard the term political machine. We don't hear it as much now as we did in the past, but political machines have been described in many different ways, sometimes good, sometimes not so good, and sometimes bad. One definition that people generally accept as being fairly common is that a political machine is a political group in which an authoritative leader or small group commands the support of a core of supporters and businesses, usually campaign workers, who receive rewards for their efforts. The machine is based on the ability of the boss or group to get out the vote for their candidate on election day. The term ``political machine'' dates back to the 20th century in the United States. In the late 19th century, large cities in the United States--Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Kansas City, New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and others--were accused of forming, building, and making use of political machines. Chicago, being one of those, emerged as one of the big cities with a strong political machine. The machine was known to totally dominate and control all the machinery of government, especially in the immigrant and Black communities. When I came to Chicago in 1961, Chicago was seriously segregated, as it is today, and seriously politically organized, much more than it is today. These were what was called the movement years. This is the period when Dr. Martin Luther King came into Chicago. This is the period when we experienced the War on Poverty, great efforts to reduce and work on some of the issues plaguing individuals who were at the bottom of the socioeconomic scale. That was when I met Richard Barnett. He was part of a small group of activists who felt and believed that the machine could be defeated. Notables like Leon Despres, Richard Barnett, himself, and others worked in ways to try to undercut the power and influence. People were meeting a great deal in Chicago, and there were meetings all the time, almost every day. We were young activists and would almost be looking for meetings. People would talk about everything. They talked about race issues. They would talk about poverty. They would talk about the need for programs. But very seldom would they talk about electoral politics. Richard was one of the persons who would, and he kind of checked people out at the meetings. When there was a campaign going on, he might call you up. I never will forget, he called me and asked me if I would be a poll watcher. I said, what am I going to watch? Am I going to watch the polls? He said, well, that is not exactly what it means, because I really did not know. I mean, I would go to the meetings and all. He said: No, you are going to go and watch to make sure that the election is fair. And I am trying to figure out how in the world can I make sure that an election is fair by watching the poll. The next time he called, he says: Would you like to be a LEAP judge? I said: Leap judge? Does that mean I am going to jump over somebody? He laughed and said: Well, that is not quite exactly what that means either. That means ``legal elections in all precincts,'' and we are working to try to make sure that the elections are fair and that the votes are accurate. That was Richard. Richard always had a telephone book and a bunch of names, and he was most effective with that. I also say that it was him and some other folk who got me to run for the city council. I had no intention of running, but I did agree to be chairman of a committee to help find a candidate. But we couldn't find anybody; nobody would run. We broke up the committee, and I ran into the person we were going to run against. He started to do what we call sell wolf tickets. He says: You guys have been talking about what you are going to do to me, and you can't even find a candidate. I went home that evening and said to my wife: I think I am going to run for the city council. She said: Who, you? I said: Well, yeah, me. She said: You can't run for no city council. You are not even a precinct captain. And I said: Well, I didn't know you had to be one to run. At any rate, I called Richard, and Richard said: Well, if you decide you are going to run, I will help you. That is exactly what he did, and he has been helping me ever since. He has been helping me every time I run. He has been helping other people every time they run. Never to my knowledge have I known him to get 1 cent for working a campaign or working in anybody's campaign. He became sort of an icon to those of us who believe in what we called independent politics, meaning independent of bossism, independent of not being able to make up your own mind and make your own decisions. I guess when I went to his funeral on Saturday, the individuals who were there, they were just down the line, down the line. I think some of what I experienced with Richard, I am sure that you experienced some of it also. Madam Speaker, I am delighted that Mr. Rush came over to join me as we talk about this community icon from our city. I might also add that Bobby's district was the first district that an African American won after African Americans were all put out or left or didn't come back at the end of the 18th century. Madam Speaker, I yield time to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush), the Representative from the First District in Illinois.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, the gentleman just talked about Representative Garcia, who has just joined us and come in. I think we have got about 5 minutes left.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Garcia). We call him ``Chuy'' in Chicago, but everybody knows him that way.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members may have 5 days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Brother Hubert Leroy Reynolds, an Air Force veteran who spent 35 years working for the Federal Aviation Administration after he got out of the military. Hubert was a stellar member of our community, a mentor of young people, an active member of the Carey Tercentenary AME Church, and a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Although I sometimes wore different colors, black and gold, I am still proud to call him my brother. Brother Hubert, may you rest in peace.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, let me, first of all, thank Representative Rush for his leadership, his vision, his diligence, and how well he has reminded us of those glory years during the 1960s and 1970s that we call movement years. As I looked at the photograph of Mayor Hatcher, I couldn't help but smile thinking that, in 1967, that is the way we looked. We obviously had more hair. It was a different color. And it is a great reminder of what it was like during that period of time. There was so much momentum in the air in terms of hope for change in America from what America had been to some to what America was to become. I was thinking that, with just a little different twist, I might have ended up in Gary, Indiana, rather than in Chicago, Illinois; because, as we were leaving the South, coming to other places to live and work, I didn't know that I had a bunch of relatives who lived in Gary who were also involved in politics: the Allen family who grew up, some of them, with Mayor Hatcher at the same time. My cousin Dozier Allen, and then his son, who is now on the county board, and his cousin, who was on the county board before that, Roosevelt Allen. If I had known that the Allens were there and were my cousins, I might have gone to Gary instead of coming to Chicago. But I remember 1967. I remember 1972. I can remember those huge crowds of people who converged on Roosevelt High School where the National Black Political Convention was taking place and all of the eloquent speakers who were there: poets, Baraka, Ron Dellums, and Charlie Diggs from Detroit. It was the most exciting thing I had ever done, I mean, just to be in the presence of all this action. It seemed as though each speaker would be more eloquent and more compelling than whoever spoke before them. And, of course, Mayor Hatcher, as the host and the person who had brought everybody together, was just off the charts. You have pointed out how much his presence, not only on an individual basis, means as a motivator, stimulater, and activator for so many others throughout the country who decided they wanted to do this. They could do this because Richard Hatcher had shown the way. And the individual cities that looked at Gary. Of course, Gary was a different Gary: steel mills, steel jobs, opportunities, people were flocking. So a lot of folks who don't look at history in terms of understanding and knowing how things became and have become the way that they were, I mean, it is good to see Gary on the way back. It has been good to work with Mayor Rudy Clay, with Mayor Karen Wilson, and with others who are using what Mayor Hatcher did. It is good to know his daughter. It is good to have come in contact with the individuals who are there who have refused to give up. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Mr. Visclosky for being a real part of the rebirth and redevelopment and reconstitution and reinstitution of Gary, Indiana, to become one of our cities that we knew in the past and so we can think of what is yet to come. I thank Congressman Rush again for his vision. I thank him for his foresight, for his insight, and for giving us to share, along with Representative Carson and Representative Visclosky and himself, so that people who really didn't know the history of Mayor Richard Gordon Hatcher might have a better understanding of what his presence has meant, not just to Gary, but to America.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 100th season of the National Football League. Chicago is home to the 1986 Superbowl XX Champion Chicago Bears and the 7th Congressional District is one of the 13 ``Original Towns'' from which came the 14 charter teams that formed the American Professional Football Association, which would become the NFL. During its inaugural 1920 season, the founding teams that competed in the new league included: the Akron Pros; Buffalo All-Americans; Canton Bulldogs; Decatur Staleys; Racine Cardinals; Chicago Tigers; Cleveland Tigers; Columbus Panhandles; Dayton Triangles; Hammond Pros; the Heralds (Detroit); Muncie Flyers; Rock Island Independents; and the Jeffersons (Rochester, N.Y.). Two years later, the new league was renamed the National Football League. From its humble beginnings, the National Football League is now a preeminent sports league, comprised of 32 teams from 22 states across the country. In the span of a century, the league has become intricately woven into the fabric of American life and the foremost steward of what is now known as ``America's Game.'' The league's annual ``Super Bowl'' Championship is the single most-watched annual television event in the United States, bringing together individuals of all ages, races, and backgrounds through a common enthusiasm for and appreciation of the game of football. The two pillars of the NFL are football arid community, which are demonstrated through the volunteerism and philanthropic efforts of players, owners, coaches and staff, including through programs and initiatives ranging from honoring our nation's veterans and service members to promoting cancer awareness to encouraging youth to maintain active and healthy lifestyles. These efforts, both on and off the field, reflect the character, commitment, fortitude and teamwork that make our communities resilient and strong. I therefore, recognize the National Football League as a great sports league of the United States and congratulate the NFL for 100 seasons of uniting communities across the country, and look forward to another century of NFL football.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I have always been told, if there is righteousness in the heart, then there is beauty in the character. I think what we have seen this week and what we are seeing today is the righteousness of the Members of this House who take the position that neither side will get everything that it wants. I certainly won't get everything that I want for the State of Illinois, but I have got dairy farmers--not as many as Ron Kind may have in Wisconsin--I have got corn growers in Illinois and soybean growers--maybe not as many as there are in Iowa. But the comprehensiveness of the communities that we represent demand that we come together. So I want to commend Chairman Neal, our ranking member, the working group, and the Speaker of the House because it took all of them to make this work. So, Madam Speaker, I am going to vote for it. I admit that I feel a great deal like Bill Pascrell, but I am going to vote for it because we need to come together and do what we can for the American people.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, my congressional district is one of the most affected congressional districts in the Nation, ranking 38 among districts in highest average SALT deductions. Over 105,000 households benefited from SALT in my district in 2017, with an average benefit of $19,400. Then the Republican tax law increased taxes on millions of Illinoisans and tens of millions of Americans. The SALT deduction is a bedrock part of the tax code since its inception. It has been around since the beginning of time. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. We need to restore it and make sure that citizens get the benefit in their communities from their State government and then be able to use it as a part of their income tax.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, this is, indeed, a sad day for our country. This is, indeed, a sad day for America. But it is a good day for our Constitution. It is a sad day for our country because President Trump has defied our Constitution, our rules, our requirements, and our expectations. It is clear that President Trump places himself above the law, above our Constitution, and above the expectations of the American people. At my last townhall meeting, which was held Saturday, December 15, at Malcolm X College in Chicago, someone asked the question: What is our position on impeachment? Madam Speaker, every person there rose and said: Impeach. When I speak, I speak for the people of the Seventh District of Illinois, and my vote will be impeach, impeach, impeach.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I was unable to cast votes on the following legislative measures due to flight delays. If I were present for roll call votes, I would have voted ``Aye'' for the following votes: Roll Call 656, December 9, 2019: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, H.R. 4739, Synthetic Opioid Exposure Prevention and Training Act, and Roll Call 655, December 9, 2019: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, H.R. 4761, DHS Opioid Detection Resilience Act.