Danny Davis

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I oppose the amendment proposed by Representative Hice of Georgia. His amendment would weaken the protections in this bill that safeguard the Census Bureau from partisan manipulation. His amendment eliminates two key provisions from the bill. First, the amendment would remove the provision requiring that the Bureau have a single Deputy Director position, which would be filled by a career official with relevant knowledge and experience, including experience in collecting and analyzing data and a demonstrated ability to manage large organizations. Experts agree that a single, qualified Deputy Director is important for ensuring smooth operations within the Bureau, including when there is an absence of a Senate-confirmed Census Director. Having a single Deputy Director also avoids disruptions that can be caused when multiple Deputy Directors are appointed with unclear job descriptions. That is exactly what happened in the last administration. In August 2020, while the Census count was already underway, former President Trump appointed his third Deputy Director to the Census Bureau. The unclear duties and qualifications of these appointees sparked an internal inquiry by the Commerce Department's Inspector General's Office. The amendment would also remove the cap on political appointees at the Census Bureau. The bill caps that number at four, which is consistent with historical precedent. During the last administration, there were an unprecedented eight political appointees at the Census Bureau. That is far too many political appointees for a nonpartisan agency like the Census Bureau, and it makes the danger of political manipulation much greater. I am committed to protecting the integrity of the Census Bureau and improving each decennial count. Unfortunately, this amendment would make these goals harder to achieve. Mr. Chairman, I urge all Members to oppose Representative Hice's amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I associate myself with the remarks made by my colleagues relative to our tragic loss of Representative Walorski who was the ranking member of the subcommittee that I chair. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This is the most transformative piece of legislation that I have seen. It lowers family healthcare costs, reduces drug and energy costs, makes the largest investment in addressing climate change in the history of this country, and cuts carbon emissions by 40 percent. This bill would create millions of good-paying, union jobs and stimulate economic growth and development across the Nation. It incentivizes manufacturing and reduces our reliance upon foreign-made products. This bill does what we have been trying to do for years, and that is, it empowers Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs. Millions of seniors and disabled individuals will benefit from this provision alone, not to mention what the monthly cap on the price of insulin would do for millions of others. Madam Speaker, this bill would cut the deficit and lower inflation, will not cost the average taxpayer one additional cent, unless they earn $400,000 annually or more. One feature of this bill that I am especially proud of is the enhanced tax credit to bring solar and wind energy to low-income communities. This tax credit will assist these communities. Madam Speaker, this is a great bill, and I urge its passage.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I ran for Congress to help people in Chicago, in Illinois, and across the country. The Inflation Reduction Act represents a transformative investment in families, workers, businesses, and the planet that will improve health and well-being, advance economic and environmental justice, meaningfully address climate change, and grow our economy while asking the wealthiest and most secure to pay their fair share. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I am deeply honored to have played an active role in advancing these policies that improve the health of Americans, workers, our economy, and the environment. The pandemic has harmed tens of millions of Americans--disproportionately hurting African Americans and other communities of color, women, seniors, and children. This bill meets immediate needs for lower costs for health care, medications, and energy as well as long-term needs for good-paying jobs, a healthy environment, a fairer tax system, and deficit and inflation reduction. As a former health care professional, I am proud to vote for this bill that would achieve several important goals in healthcare. The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) would have the power to negotiate certain high-cost prescription drugs for seniors and people with disabilities that are Medicare beneficiaries. It would enhance premium tax credits, subsidies for people who buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, for three additional years. This is to extend the enacted legislative measure by Congress and President Biden last year to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Medicare recipients would not have to pay more than $35 per month of their out- of-pocket costs for insulin. Drug companies will have to pay a rebate to Medicare if their prices increase faster than inflation, and place caps on Medicare Part D out-of-pocket drug purchases at $2,000 yearly. There will be no copayments for vaccines in Medicare Part D, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Each of these health provisions directly helps people spend less of their money on healthcare costs and slows the price increases of medicines, giving Chicagoans, Illinoisans, and Americans extra money to meet their needs and improve their well-being. As the representative of communities harmed by high energy costs and pollution, I am proud to vote for this bill that will save the average American household hundreds in energy bills, reduce emissions by 40 percent by 2030, generate enormous public health benefits via reduced air pollution, and grow our clean energy economy by spurring 9 million jobs. I am pleased that this legislation includes my bill, the Low-Income Housing Renewable Energy Credit Act (LIHREC) of 2021, to provide a larger tax credit for those businesses investing in new wind and solar projects in low-to-moderate income (LMI) communities. I am confident that this provision will help the tax code advance environmental and economic justice by bringing the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy to low-income individuals and communities, spreading the benefits of clean and affordable energy to households like those that I represent that have far too often been neglected by clean energy providers. Current renewable tax benefits typically remain out of reach for low-income communities, which also experience greater power- generated pollution. The new provision would provide an enhanced Investment Tax Credit to solar projects benefiting low-income residents, including multifamily housing, community solar homes, and individual low-income residential homeowners. Some of the leading companies in this sector have raised the need for additional guidance related to the use of the credit for projects benefiting low-income homeowners to ensure that the program within the reconciliation bill will provide environmental justice allocations in a manner that provide businesses sufficient certainty to make the necessary investments in LMI communities. The central concern is clarity that businesses offering rooftop solar to LMI homeowners will receive the credit allocation prior to engaging with potential customers so that businesses can honestly convey the expected energy costs. Critical to the success of this new program will be participation by those businesses providing residential rooftop solar. My intent in drafting the LIHREC Act, the basis for the provision included in the reconciliation bill, was to ensure that residential rooftop solar businesses would be in a position to leap into service of LMI communities when the bill is signed into law. As such, the legislation is designed to provide maximum flexibility to Treasury in designing the application and allocation process for the bonus 10 percent credit. Specifically, the legislation is intended to allow residential rooftop providers to identify potential customers in qualifying census tracts and submit applications to serve these customers up-front, before these businesses have engaged these potential customers. My understanding is that these businesses will need to know if they have received a credit allocation before they can offer the benefits of rooftop solar to new customers in LMI areas to provide accurate pricing information to low-income customers. Without certainty in the availability of the credit allocation, low-income homeowners are at risk of entering deals with shifting costs or of not having the opportunities at all given the uncertainty for businesses. So today, I make clear my understanding that the negotiated text gives Treasury the necessary flexibility to award allocations up-front so that businesses can make new investments in LMI communities knowing that they will be in a position to claim the bonus credit. I also received questions from an insurance company in Illinois about whether companies that only prepare what is known as statutory accounting statements would be required to produce GAAP statements or a hybrid of GAAP. It is my understanding that the legislation provides that applicable financial statements required to be filed with state insurance regulators will be recognized as applicable financial statements for purposes of the new book minimum tax. State insurance regulators already are subject to a robust regulatory financial statement requirement to ensure the continued protection of insurance consumers. After enactment, I will work to convey this understanding to the executive branch. I am honored to vote for this once-in-a-generation legislation. I came to Congress to make this type of momentous change. I urge my colleagues to pass it.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, Nelson Mandela imparted a lesson to all of us when he said: ``Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.'' This summer, we mark the 50th anniversary of the Pell Grant--a program that put postsecondary education in reach for tens of millions of low-income students, a program that gives access to the pursuit of knowledge for those not born into privilege, and a program that allows students to change the world regardless of how much change is in their pockets. It is an honor and privilege to recognize the 50th Anniversary of the Pell Grant Program. There was no Pell Grant when l went to college. The only way I could attend college was by the grace of receiving an academic scholarship that another student turned down. In 1972, Congress recognized the challenges faced by students like me, and it amended the Higher Education Act to provide direct financial aid to low-income students to afford them the same access to higher education and opportunity for success as their higher-income peers. Originally called the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, this program was later named the Pell Grant in honor of its original sponsor, Senator Claiborne Pell, a Democrat from Rhode Island. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon, the program has maintained bipartisan support for five decades. Since its creation, the Pell Grant has helped more than 80 million students attend college. Currently, 40 percent of undergraduate students--nearly 7 million students--receive Pell Grants. In Illinois's 7th Congressional District, nearly 33,000 students use over 142 million dollars in Pell Grants to pursue their higher education goals. The Pell Grant is undoubtedly the bedrock of federal financial aid for students. It is especially critical for students of color, with nearly 60 percent of Black students, half of American Indian or Alaska Native students, and nearly half of Latinx students receiving a Pell Grant each year. Without this pivotal program, many students--especially Black students--would be excluded from higher education altogether or have to dig themselves deeper into debt or struggle so much harder by working multiple jobs while attending college. I am especially proud that, as we mark the 50th anniversary, Congress has restored the Pell Grant to the incarcerated, a policy for which I fought for decades via the REAL Act. Just this week, the Department of Education issued its proposed rule to restore Pell so that incarcerated individuals can complete higher education coursework that improves their reentry, strengthens their economic well-being and that of their families, increases labor force participation, and grows our economy. The Pell grant has undeniable positive impacts on students across the United States, that much is certain. As policymakers, it is our responsibility to ensure that the future of tomorrow--our youth--are not hindered by the monetary challenges of today. I urge my colleagues to join me in fighting to substantially increase funding of this life- changing program so that it can make college affordable in the face of rising higher-education costs as it was intended.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, today, I wish to honor The Soul Children of Chicago headed by Dr. Walt Whitman, Jr. This organization, created in 1981, is the Nation's oldest internationally- acclaimed, Grammy-award-winning, youth, gospel choir. The choir has performed internationally in Sweden, Italy, Holland, Israel, and Switzerland, and across the United States, even performing for nearly 1.7 billion people on the opening day of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as well as at the White House for Presidents George H. W. Bush, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan. The Soul Children of Chicago has recorded with Stevie Wonder, Mariah Carey, Neil Diamond, Yolanda Adams, and many other notables. The list of accomplishments goes on. However, The Soul Children of Chicago is much more than the prestigious awards and accolades it has garnered. The organization is a living testament to the promise of Psalm 37:3, ``Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.'' Under the direction and passion-filled guidance of Dr. Walt Whitman, Jr., The Soul Children of Chicago serves as a catalyst for the education, elevation, and illumination of Chicago's youth. Although it has garnered many awards and international recognitions, these accomplishments have never been the goal. The goal has always focused on utilizing music as the motivator to inspire young people worldwide to have faith in themselves, each other, and God. This dedication to youth uplift is rooted in the principle of ``taking delight in the LORD'' and has marked Dr. Whitman and The Soul Children of Chicago as household names both in the United States and overseas. Please make no mistake; the journey of The Soul Children of Chicago has been challenging. But it has been worth it. The Soul Children of Chicago is bigger than rehearsals. Bigger than a choir. Bigger than an organization. It is family. Further, this family has spawned graduates, artists, pastors, business owners, community leaders, professionals, doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs. This family presents students with the tools and accountability to excel in any task they undertake, whether succeeding in school, staying out of gangs and drug culture, or cultivating a spirit of excellence. The Soul Children of Chicago is a family that takes delight in the LORD, and, for that reason, I believe that He will continue to give them all the desires of their hearts. Dr. Walt Whitman, Jr., the head of this family, began a good work in 1981, and, by the grace of God, he will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. I await their continued success an excellence in the years to come.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of En Bloc 3 that includes my Rules amendment number 110 to increase funding for diversity in the aviation field. Being an aircraft pilot is an in-demand, high-paying profession, with the median annual wage for a commercial pilot being over $99,000. Unfortunately, the aviation industry is impressively homogenous. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 93 percent of aviation pilots and engineers in 2021 were White with only 6.1 percent being Hispanic/Latino, 3.9 percent being Black, and 1.5 percent being Asian. Approximately 95 percent of aviation pilots and engineers are men. Prior to the pandemic, the pilot pipeline was untenably low, We have heard repeatedly this summer about how the recent travel problems occur in part due to a pilot shortage. The high cost of pilot training is a key barrier to entering the profession, especially for people of color. Pilot training can cost between $80,000 to $100,000. My amendment gives Congress an opportunity to help individuals enter aviation careers while increasing the diversity of the field. My amendment increases and decreases the Research, Engineering, and Development program by $10 million to highlight the need to double funding for the Aviation Workforce Development Grants. The Aviation Workforce Development Grants program invests in training and diversification of aircraft pilots and aviation maintenance workers. The aircraft pilot program and the aviation maintenance program each is currently authorized at $5 million. My amendment highlights how doubling funding for these grants would help address the immediate need to increase the aviation workforce with a focus on individuals currently underrepresented in the profession. Further, my amendment focuses on how the Aviation Workforce program could include more students of color by expanding partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and the five Minority Serving Institutions, including: Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions; Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions; Hispanic Serving Institutions; Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions; and Predominantly Black Institutions. These institutions have expertise in educating and graduating low income students of color. Collaborating with these institutions is an effective way to target grants to students from racial/ethnic backgrounds with financial need. In closing, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment to bring attention to the need to increase funding for aviation workforce training and diversity.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, today I introduce the Rent Relief Act to create an innovative tax credit to help millions of struggling renters. Thomas Jefferson once said: ``The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.'' Unfortunately, 213 years later, I still witness thousands of people in Chicago struggling to pay rent. I see people pushed into the streets because they simply could not afford their housing. During the pandemic we saw clearly that the tax code can help provide direct financial assistance to struggling Americans to alleviate poverty and improve quality of life. The Rent Relief Act is an example of good government policy that cares for human life. It is unacceptable that 36 percent of children in Chicago, and 30 percent of children nationwide, wonder if today may be the last day they have a roof over their heads. It is unthinkable that nearly 45 percent of Hispanic and Black children experienced housing insecurity in the midst of a pandemic. Safe housing is at the foundation of social, emotional, and economic well-being, and Congress must do more to meet the profound need of millions of Americans for stable housing. This is why I am proud to join with Representatives Jimmy Gomez, Scott Peters, and Jimmy Panetta to champion the Rent Relief Act. The bill would create a fully-refundable tax credit that would cover a share of the difference between 30 percent of one's adjusted gross income and the actual cost of rent and utilities, capping the benefit at 100 percent of Small Area Fair Market Rent. Importantly, the bill targets the families in greatest need by limiting the credit to those earning less than $100,000. If you earn less than $25,000, the credit would cover the entire income-to-rent gap, with the credit phasing out as one's income increases. Direct grant assistance, affordable housing, eviction moratoriums, and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit are essential federal tools to increasing housing stability. Unfortunately, only 1 in 4 eligible households receives any help, and some households spend years on waitlists due to inadequate funding. A renter's credit could help every eligible taxpayer afford housing and improve their quality of life, working in concert with other federal programs to help end America's housing crisis. By enacting the Rent Relief Act, families will not fall into the spiral of missed payment after missed payment because it wasn't their turn on a waiting list. They will be able to get rental help when they need it to pay the bills when they need to. As a government, it is our duty to care for human life and that begins with making sure that Americans enjoy housing stability so they can live without the fear of eviction or making the horrible choice between a roof over their heads or medicine and food for their children.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, during this month of June, I would like to take the time to recognize Pride Month. Pride is a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and their contributions to our families, communities, and society at large. Pride is an opportunity for Americans to take pride in who we are without fear of discrimination and to stand in solidarity for equality and against hate. As we celebrate, it is imperative that we also recognize that, while our nation has made important progress with respect to LGBTQ+ rights, much work remains to be done. I am proud to have helped advance statutory improvements to support LGBTQ+ rights during this Congress. We enacted the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act that combats hate crimes including crimes motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity. In addition, the law allocates money and resources to collect data on and to support victims of hate crimes. We also designated the Pulse Nightclub as a National Memorial in remembrance of those who lost their lives during the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2019. Further, I'm proud that the People's House championed equality and opposed hate by passing the Equality Act that would afford LGBTQ+ Americans the critical protections under the Civil Rights Act as well as the Global Respect Act to deny visas to perpetrators of human rights abuses against LGBTQ individuals. The Equality Act is a landmark piece of legislation that eliminates discrimination in every major aspect of life, including education, housing, and federal funding programs that have historically excluded members of the LGBTQ+ community. The Senate should act quickly to pass these important bills to protect LGBTQ individuals in our country and internationally. As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support with jurisdiction over child welfare, I am committed to protecting foster youth and foster parents from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. I worked with my late friend and colleague, John Lewis, to investigate the inappropriate waivers of nondiscrimination rules granted during the Trump Administration that promoted discrimination against foster youth and prospective foster parents. A critical step to protecting foster youth is enacting my legislation--the John Lewis Every Child Deservers a Family Act--that would prohibit any entity that receives federal child welfare funds from discriminating against children, youth, families of origin, kin, or prospective adoptive or foster parents based on religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented in the foster care system. An estimated one in three foster youth identify as LGBTQ+, and they are more likely to experience poor treatment, discrimination, or violence while in care. This bill helps increase the number of supportive, loving, and permanent homes for foster youth. I am troubled by the recent wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that threatens the safety, health, and equal rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, policies that restrict access to healthcare and permit discrimination by public/private institutions and businesses against members of the LGBTQ+ community in various ways. Leaders in my home state of Illinois are working to protect the rights of members of the LGBTQ+ community. Unfortunately, not every state offers protection to everyone. I will continue to support my state's efforts and to advance federal efforts to promote equality and protect the civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community. I encourage those in my home City of Chicago, my state of Illinois, and across our country to embrace Pride Month, join in advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, and embrace equality. And, if you're in Chicago, I encourage you to celebrate Pride via a number of wonderful events, including Pride Fest, the Chicago Pride Parade, the Pride in the Park music festival, Navy Pier Pride with wonderful family activities, or the Proud to Run 5k/10k or half marathon.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the 340B drug pricing program in this 30th anniversary year of ensuring access to patient care through our Nation's safety net providers. The 340B program is critical for safety-net providers in my district, including a total of 22 combined hospitals, and medical centers all of which uses its program savings to provide a range of services in response to social determinants of health screening, such as Food pantries within hospitals; Emergency food/meal delivery assistance, and pilot programs focused on providing housing and transportation assistance; and Strengthening the health sciences career pipeline and educational attainment efforts through targeted academic enrichment and youth workforce development for more than 3,000 pre-K thru college students. On a personal level, there is the case of Erika Aguero who was uninsured when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Erika called many places to try and schedule treatment but because of her insurance status, providers were unable to help her access affordable care. She thought cancer was going to end her life. When Erika called Mount Sinai hospital in Chicago the hospital provided her access to affordable chemotherapy treatment using the hospital's 340B savings. Mount Sinai provided Erika with a 340B-supported discount card that enabled her to receive eight cycles of intravenous chemo and seven cycles of chemo medications. Erika says, ``I felt like I had a new opportunity to carry on and keep fighting.'' Today she is healthy and thankful to Mount Sinai. 340B has been vital for 30 years and will continue to be vital for decades to come. We must protect 340B. It is only fitting that we meet today on the 8th day of Black History Month. I am pleased to represent the historic 7th Congressional District, which has been central throughout the nation to the progress of the poor and underrepresented and underserved people of color, namely African Americans throughout American history: It is the location in City of Chicago where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. established his northern Freedom Campaign headquarters to demonstrate against racial discrimination and expose the north's quality of life disparities in 1966. It is the location of the Illinois Black Panther Party headquarters where my colleague Bobby L. Rush risked his life fighting and where Chairman Fred Hampton was assassinated while fighting to close quality of life disparities for poor black people in 1969. Today, it is where there are more hospital beds to care for the sick and the poor than any other district in the Nation. I believe that the 340B Program stands consistently in kindred spirit with the public policies advocated by President Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Chairman Fred Hampton. I am pleased to stand in this tradition with my continued support of this vital program which addresses the critical health needs of the citizens of the 7th Congressional District and indigent populations throughout the Nation.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 7910, Protecting Our Kids Act. You know, I am so tired of hearing about Chicago and other big cities. Local governments do what they can, do what they will. But this is not a local issue. This is a national issue. It is a national problem and it requires a national solution. And so I urge all of my colleagues, no matter where you are from, make sure that you vote to protect our kids. And the only way to do that is get rid of these assault weapons and seriously reduce the number of guns in our society.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I commend and thank my colleague from Virginia for organizing this Special Order. I am pleased to join with all of my colleagues who have spoken strongly in favor of revitalizing, reenergizing, making sure that the 340B program is implemented in a very serious way. I welcomed a young intern to my office this afternoon, and he was coming from Tufts University. I shared with him the fact that it was Tufts University in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, that started the first of the federally qualified health centers and that he was in a good place. I worked with 2 of them personally, and there were only 10 in the country at the time. Now, of course, we have more than 2,000, and they are practically in every State, every community, wherever you are. I represent a large, urban, low-income community with 23 hospitals, many of which are safety net. I think I may have more hospitals than any single area. A discount for the individuals who use these institutions will be more than helpful to them, so I urge that we continue the program, but I really urge that we enforce and make sure that they do what they were designed to do.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Veterans Rapid Retraining Assistance Program Restoration and Recovery Act. I introduced this bill with Senator Durbin and Representative Underwood to ensure veterans receive the rapid retraining benefits they earned. I thank Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Takano and Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Chairman Levin for their leadership in advancing this bill quickly to meet the urgent need of affected veterans. I also thank the multiple veterans' advocates for their support for swift passage to assist affected students. Veterans serving our country with honor have earned their rapid retraining assistance education benefits. The American Rescue Plan established these benefits, known as VRRAP, to help veterans gain new skills to meet the changing workforce demands during the pandemic. Unfortunately, the Veterans Administration lacks the authority to restore benefits to veterans who attended institutions that closed or experienced a disapproval of educational programming. This legislation emerged from casework in Illinois, where more than 300 Illinois veterans were scammed out of their benefits by an unaccredited for-profit institute. I am indeed proud to work with Senator Durbin and Representative Underwood to restore these benefits to these Illinois veterans and protect any other veteran in similar circumstances. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I thank the Committee on Veterans' Affairs for bringing it to us so quickly.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I am fortunate to represent a District with so many wonderful museums and cultural organizations that help make Chicago such a vibrant city. One of these is the world-famous Field Museum of Natural History, which was founded in 1893 and whose exhibitions, research, education, and conservation programs attract more than one million onsite visitors each year. The Museum's 1,300,000-square-foot, 1921 landmark building on Chicago's lakefront resides on the ancestral homelands of the Three Fires Confederacy: Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi. The area was also a site of trade, gathering and healing for more than a dozen other Native tribes. The state of illinois is currently home to more than 100,000 tribal members. I rise today to congratulate the Field Museum on its groundbreaking new exhibition, Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories, which replaces and reimagines its former Native North America Hall and opens to the public on May 20. Over four years in the making, Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories features stories by Native American people of self-determination, resilience, continuity, and the future. It was conceived through extensive collaboration with more than 100 partners and Tribes, including Native American scholars, community leaders, artists, and museum professionals. Throughout opening weekend, May 20, 21 and 22, 2022, visitors can engage with artists and collaborators through a series of free demonstrations and workshops that celebrate the thriving, modern culture of today's Native communities from across the country. Visitors can learn about basket weaving, see bead making, hear hand drums, listen to poetry, and more. I commend the Field Museum for undertaking what many are saying is a fresh, dynamic, and more representative depiction of the Native American experience both past and present. Madam Speaker, I invite you and my esteemed House colleagues to come to Chicago and experience the Field Museum's newest exhibition first hand.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the following Proclamation: Whereas, the Almighty God has called to his eternal rest our friend and brother Mr. David Ware; and Whereas, David was a delightful, well-balanced individual, blessed with high intellect, a humanitarian spirit, a great work ethic, a high energy level and love for humanity; and Whereas, David never forgot his roots and spent a great deal of time in and around the community where he grew up and went to school, especially Farragut, where he, my wife Vera, Heavy Weight Boxing Champion Ernie Terrell, our good friend Frank Lipscomb and Howard Saffold, a founder of the Afro Patrolmen's League were school mates. I always knew David to be a man of principle, he was a good man, creative, always had an idea, a new venture, he contributed to my political campaign efforts, and I am sure to others as well. David was a connector and kept me abreast of his church activities, as a matter of fact it was, he who introduced me to his Pastor and her husband, he took us to lunch, and paid for it. The bible says that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. I am so grateful that the Good Lord blessed me to know the Good Man, David Ware and my family and I extend our heart-felt condolences to this wife, family, and friends.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, and I do so without hesitation or reservation. I do so because there is no way that we could stand idly by and watch the horror that is being heaped upon our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. Rather than just wringing our hands and talking about how unfortunate it is, we are doing something about it. We are bringing aid and help and assistance. I am proud to be part of a country that looks out not only for itself but recognizes that we either stand for something or we fall together. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for her leadership. I also must thank the country of Poland. I thank Poland for standing up in the face of dire circumstances.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, Academician, Attorney, businessman, Civic leader and accomplished American, Mr. Richard Theodore Greener, the first African American to graduate from Harvard University. Richard Greener was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 30, 1844. He quit school in his mid-teens to earn money for his family, but one of his employers helped him enroll in a preparatory school at Oberlin College. He graduated from Phillips Academy in 1865, and he spent three years at Oberlin College before transferring to Harvard College. His admission to Harvard was an experiment by the administration and paved the way for more Black students to attend Harvard. Richard Theodore Greener graduated from Harvard College in 1870. In 1875, Richard Greener became the first African American to be elected as a member of the American Philological Association. He graduated from law school at South Carolina university, and practiced law in South Carolina, then Washington, D.C. before joining the Howard University Law School as a professor, and eventually a dean. In 1875, Richard Greener was chosen by the General Assembly of South Carolina to be a member of a commission to revise the South Carolina School system. In 1880, he became a law clerk of the first comptroller of the United States Treasury; from 1876 to 1879 he represented South Carolina in the Union League of America and was President of the South Carolina Republican Association in 1887. From 1885 to 1892, he served as Secretary of the Grant Association, where he is credited with having led the eventual fundraising effort which brought in donations from 90,000 people worldwide to construct Grant's Tomb, still the largest mausoleum in North America. From 1885 to 1890, he was Chief Examiner of the Civic Service Board for New York City and County; and in the 1896 election, he served as the Head of the Colored Bureau of the National Republican Party in Chicago. In 1875, he was appointed as the United States Commercial Agent in Vladivostok, Russia, and stayed in the foreign service until 1905. Richard Greener was well recognized for his work. While at Harvard in 1868 and 1870, he earned the Bowdoin Prize. He received two honorary Doctor of Laws degrees, one from Monrovia College in Liberia in 1882 and the second one from Howard University in 1907. In 1902, the Chinese government decorated him with the order of the Double Dragon. Phillips Academy has the Richard T. Greener 1865 Endowed Scholarship. The University of South Carolina's Black Alumni Council Sponsors the Richard T. Greener Endowment Fund, the Central Quadrangle at Phillips Academy was named in his honor in 2018, and the University of South Carolina is honoring his legacy by erecting a statue on campus. Richard T. Greener eventually settled in Chicago where he worked for an insurance company, practiced law and lectured about his life and times. Much of this information came from Mr. Greener's Harvard diploma and personal papers discovered in an attic in Chicago. What a great man, what a great history, what a great American.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation. As a type 2 diabetic myself for the last 30 years, I know firsthand the high cost of this prescription. There is nothing in my district more prevalent as a disease entity than diabetes. I strongly support it. It is an idea whose time not only has come but has passed.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I strongly support the Securing a Strong Retirement Act because it will strengthen the retirement coverage and savings of millions of Americans. I applaud the many provisions included to expand retirement coverage and savings, such as automatic enrollment in the retirement plans, modernizing the Saver's Credit, creating new incentives to small businesses to offer retirement plans, and increasing charitable donations permitted through an IRA. I thank Chairman Neal for including my bill, the Retirement Parity for Student Loans Act, that promotes increased retirement savings through an employer match for employees making student loan payments. By allowing employers to contribute an employer-match into a retirement plan based on an employee's student loan payment, younger workers who currently cannot afford to save for their retirement will begin saving much sooner. Although over three-quarters of Americans have access to an employment-based retirement savings account, few Americans can make the maximum contribution of $19,500 to their retirement savings. Any contribution to retirement savings is particularly limited for millennials struggling with heavy student loan debt. The average student loan balance for 2019 graduates was $32,731, and only 30 percent of young workers use 401(k) programs to save for retirement. This policy is an important tool for employers to retain their workforce and for workers to improve retirement savings and lower educational debt. I urge passage of this bill that does so much to expand retirement coverage and savings to improve workers' long-term financial well- being.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, the Putin regime requires every strategy and every action that we can muster to put a stop to Russia and restore sanity to our world order. Russia's aggressive and brutal behavior, brutal actions towards Ukraine is beyond what I call the pale. We have no other choice but to step in and put a stop to it. Madam Speaker, I strongly support this resolution.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Stansbury).

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have been taught and told from an African proverb that when a tall tree falls in the forest it makes a lot of noise, it gathers a lot of attention, everybody and every entity in the forest knows that something has happened. A few days ago, a tall tree fell in the ``Chicagoland'' community where I live. A gentleman, Mr. Pervis Spann, spent the last day of his life. Pervis Spann, to all of us, is known as the ``blues man'' because he was a great artist who projected, promoted, and entertained us for years. Pervis was born in Itta Bena, Mississippi. Like many other African Americans who were born in Itta Bena, Mississippi, and anyone else in Mississippi, individuals migrated to other places. Thousands and thousands and thousands of them made their way to Chicago, Illinois. As a matter of fact, we fondly say that the only place where there are more Mississippians than there are in Chicago is in Mississippi itself. Many individuals left the delta area. So did Pervis Spann. He went to Michigan; worked in Gary, Indiana; and joined the military. But eventually he made his way to Chicago. He came to Chicago and used his GI Bill to go to broadcasting school, and he got to be very good at it, not only as a broadcaster but also as a promoter. Ultimately, the Stack brothers bought a radio station, and they named that station WVON. Eventually Mr. Pervis Spann, Vernon Jarrett, Wesley South and a woman named Gwendolyn Hayes ended up acquiring the station. Spann was the blues part of it. As a matter of fact, he entertained and promoted, entertained and promoted. The station also became a pioneer in talk radio. As a matter of fact, before there was talk radio, Wesley South, one of the partners, had a talk radio program called ``On Target''. And this was years and years and years ago. ``On Target''. It is hard to believe that talk now dominates in many places. So WVON was a pioneer of talk radio. It also has become the powerhouse of communication in the Chicagoland area, especially for African Americans. Talk all day long about whatever is going on in the community, whatever is going on in Chicago, and whatever is going on in the world, WVON. As a matter of fact, many of my neighbors and friends wait to wake up in the morning so that they can listen to WVON especially, beginning at 6:00 o'clock in the morning. But not only was Pervis Spann a tremendous promoter, but he also was a tremendous businessman period. Ultimately the station came into the hands of his daughter, Melody Spann-Cooper, who has taken it to new heights. If it is not heard on VON, it did not happen if it was not part of the discussion on WVON. So it is much more than entertainment. It is the community's townhall all day long, every day, whatever it is, WVON leads the way. So I simply wanted to express condolences to his family on his passing and also let his family know how much Pervis Spann has meant to Chicago, how much it has meant to the socialization of the community, how much it has meant to the business promotion of the community, and how much it has meant to the spirituality of the community. On Sunday afternoons there is kind of a gospel-political atmosphere created, so that some people can hardly wait to get home from church so they can turn on VON so they can listen to the ``Gospel with Pam Morris Walton'' show. So Pervis may have been the bluesman, and he may have entertained all the greats. Pervis Spann was noted and known as the person who named Aretha Franklin the ``Queen of Soul''. He gave her that designation, and it stuck. So Melody will carry on in the tradition of her father as VON is the voice not just of the Negro--that was what the VON stood for--but the voice of the Nation, WVON, Pervis Spann. Of course, Mr. Speaker, this month is Women's History Month, and we celebrate Women's History Month because of the tremendous progress that has been made. I am always reminded that when a group of men sat in the room and stated that we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, they didn't really mean all men. They meant some men. They meant the men whom they felt had enough knowledge, enough resources, and enough interests to make decisions for the country. Therefore, all men were not in the room. As a matter of fact, African-American men who were in slave States were not even considered as a full man. African-American slaves were considered as three-fifths. They had something called the three-fifths compromise which meant that they would only count African-American slaves as three-fifths of a person when they were counting up for the Census, not all men and no women. As a matter of fact, women didn't get the right to vote in this country until a little more than 100 years ago. Yet, as a result of suffrage, protests, struggle, and changes, now a woman is the Vice President of the United States. So there has been movement, although not nearly enough and not nearly what there has to be. So the struggle will continue so that ultimately there will be levels of equity in this country for women, Blacks, and other citizens who don't have it and have not had it. The woman that I chose to mention at this time is a woman, Merri Dee, who was an icon in broadcasting and philanthropy. Merri Dee was born in Chicago in 1936, the youngest of six children. She was only 2 years old when her mother died. Her father ultimately became sick and, of course, he had remarried. She was adopted by her stepmother, and she maintained that life was pretty rough for her until she got to the fifth grade and met a wonderful teacher who helped to change her life. She stated in an interview that this teacher, a Mrs. Robinson, told her that she would be great. She believed in that teacher, and then she went on and became great. She graduated from Englewood High School, went back to New Orleans and enrolled in Xavier University where she studied business administration. She, of course, dropped out and took a job at IBM to help her other brothers and sisters. She then worked, got married, got divorced, had a daughter, got a good job, and she just felt that she was spending too much time away at her job and from her child, so she quit that job, and somebody told her: You have a gift for gab. She decided to study broadcasting and journalism. She did, and she got so good at it, eventually she got her first show, a radio show. She did that for a bit, and then she got a television show, became excellent at it, and became one of the top female broadcasters in the United States. As a matter of fact, she was so good, she did that, then she ran into a little difficulty. She and one of her guests were kidnapped leaving the show, robbed, shot, left for dead, and with two bullets in her head she crawled up to the highway where someone picked her up, took her to the hospital, and she stayed hospitalized for a year. As a matter of fact, she was told that she wouldn't make it and had two last rites given to her, one by the Reverend Jesse Jackson who was indeed a friend of hers. But she prevailed and lived and was in the hospital for a year. She came back, got hired by WGN Television, and she became an anchor. She did that for 11 years. Then they asked her to take the job as director of community relations and public affairs and their children's charities, and she did. She generated $31 million for the charities and for the philanthropic work. She just kept doing it. I have never known anybody who was more open and more giving. I must have gone to at least hundreds of charitable events over the years where Merri Dee was the announcer. She was the facilitator. She was the person making it happen. So when we design and define what greatness is, Merri Dee was obviously a great woman, a great broadcaster, a tremendous communicator, and a person who could stir audiences and groups and convince people to give thousands of dollars for needy causes. So, Mr. Speaker, I salute Merri Dee. I salute her, and I revere her. I know that if people go up that way, that she is up there walking among the angels and putting on events and activities and waiting for other people to come. Remembering Harold Washington

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, finally, I will mention, although it is Women's History Month, I will mention now an African- American male who was a transformative figure in the life, especially of a big city that was the third largest city in the United States of America, a gentleman named Harold Washington, who became the first African-American mayor of the city of Chicago. Harold, if he was alive now, would be celebrating his 100th birthday. He would be 100 years old. Harold was a transformative figure in the political life of Chicago. Chicago was known as the city of the big shoulders, known as many things. But it was a patronage-laden city. Patronage guided the politics of Chicago. For a long time, it had a tradition that if somebody went to city hall or to State government or county government to get a job, the saying was: ``Don't bring nobody, didn't nobody see it,'' basically meaning that unless you had a letter from a ward boss or from some elected official who was part of the system, even if it was a job that you had ten times the qualifications for, you wouldn't get it. You wouldn't get it because you didn't have the hook-up; you didn't have the connection. We actually convinced Harold Washington, I am sure, to run for mayor. He had become a Member of Congress. He had been the Democratic lead on the voting rights bill. Of course, in the mid `60s and `70s, that was still hot, just as it is hot today. It is amazing that we can't get the voting rights extension granted, especially when all politicians in this country basically suggest that they believe in democracy, that they believe in democratic principles, and that they believe that everybody should have a right to participate and express themselves. Then we go through this process of wrangling to make it happen. But somehow or another, there seems to be a block. I don't know; maybe people have changed their minds from what they learned in grammar school or in high school or what they read in the Constitution and all of that. It seems that way. Nevertheless, Harold Washington was convinced by people like Lou Palmer, people like Vernon Jarrett, people like myself and others, to run for the mayor of the city of Chicago. He said: Well, if you guys really want me to run for mayor, you have got to show it. If you don't show it, I won't do it. You have got to get some people registered to vote, and you have got to raise some money. I remember sitting in a room in Lou Palmer's basement, eating watermelon, as a matter of fact, about 10 or 12 of us. We then said to Harold Washington: Well, Harold, you can go on to your next meeting. And we set out to generate the conditions and meet the conditions that he had set. Harold was so astute, such a charmer, such an intellectual, but he also liked to walk the streets and talk to people in the alley and talk to people who other people probably wouldn't. I never will forget that I had set up a meeting with a bunch of motorcycle riders for Harold to go to, and some of his campaign people didn't want him to come. Motorcycle riders, the Born Losers, the Buzzing Bees, and Dragons. Harold said: I will be there. Of course, he came, and everybody had donned their leather jackets and all those things. After he got elected, we ended up with some plaques that the motorcycle riders gave to Harold and to me. I don't know what happened to his. Mine is still around. But when Harold got elected, the city council organized against him. There were 29 people on the other side and 21 of us. We called it the 29-21. Ultimately, we ended up with a 25-25 split. Every item that came up, there would be 25 votes for it and 25 votes against it. Then, of course, Harold would get a chance to break the tie. He had such a sense of fairness that he went all over the city assuring every community that they would be treated the same as every other community, that they would get a part of the infrastructure money, that their schools would be prepared, and that their sidewalks would be repaired and fixed. He became bigger than life. As a matter of fact, when Harold died, people celebrated in the streets and spent days walking through to pay reverence. That is because he helped people understand that government belonged to them, and they did not necessarily belong to government. When people ask what was the transformation, the transformation was that the patronage system was seriously diminished. The transformation was the greatest participation, in terms of turnout in elections, would occur, because the people felt that they had somebody in the highest office who respected and recognized what they had to say. Harold would stop on the street and have a townhall, and 15, 20 people would gather around. It wasn't his intent to stop on the street. He just stopped and would spend time. Someone asked me what was one of my fondest memories or stories about Harold Washington. I told them it was the fact that I drove a car for 19 years. In 19 years, the car had sort of rusted in the floor, and I put a plank there. We were someplace and Harold wanted a ride to tell me something or ask me something, so he told his guys to go ahead and he was going to ride to the next stop with me. When he got in the car, the plank had shifted. He looked down and said: ``What the . . . '' I said: ``Mr. Mayor, don't worry about that. Just push that plank back over, and you won't even know that there is no floor.'' He said: ``Why don't you buy yourself a car?'' Well, I didn't get one right then. Eventually, I did. Harold Washington transformed the politics of Chicago. Harold Washington gave being an elected official in Chicago a new meaning, that it was not just about glad handing and backslapping. It was about trying to serve and serving the people. Harold, you did your job, you did it well, and we pray tribute to you even during Women's History Month. Recognizing Chicago's Ukrainian Village

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as I prepare to close, I can't help but be reminded that I represent a community in Chicago that we fondly call Ukrainian Village. That is because most of the people there are of Ukrainian heritage. We have a rally every week. We have everything that you can possibly have, with the hope and with the faith that our President, that our country, will stay on the course. We have no doubt that we will continue to protect Ukraine as a part of the humanity that this country, ``My Country, `Tis of Thee,'' needs to express, because we know that so goes Ukraine, so goes the other countries nearby, and, ultimately, so will go the United States of America. Ukraine is a part of us. We are a part of Ukraine. Together, I think we will beat back the murderous, cowardly pact. We will be pressed to the wall, but always, as Claude McKay would say, always, always fighting back. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6968, suspending energy imports in response to Russia's barbaric, inhumane, and unprovoked attacks on Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. These imports include crude oil, petroleum, coal, coal products, natural gas, and other products. On March 8, President Biden issued an executive order to prohibit energy imports from Russia, which I totally agree with. Mr. Speaker, I support and urge passive of H.R. 6968.