Rosa DeLauro

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Jayapal).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks), the distinguished ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Clark), the distinguished Democratic whip.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), the distinguished Democratic leader.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel), the distinguished ranking member of the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Magaziner).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Kamlager-Dove).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert into the Record the text of Representative Kelly's amendment immediately prior to the motion to recommit.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, President Trump promised to bring down the cost of living. He made it worse. He is illegally stealing congressionally approved taxpayer dollars, and these are services for the American people. If my colleagues want to deal with waste, fraud, and abuse, they have to deal with cutting back on the $4.5 trillion tax cut for billionaires that the Republicans supported and voted on, tax cuts for billionaires and the biggest corporations. If my colleagues vote for this bill, they own every reckless cut crafted by Elon Musk. They are rubberstamping illegal cuts, and they own it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with the heaviest of hearts that I rise today to pay tribute to the life and legacy of an outstanding community leader and my dear friend, James E. ``Red Warrior'' Rawlings, who we lost this week. Over the course of his life, Jim was many things to many people, but at his core, he was a loving family man, a fearless advocate, and a dedicated member of the New Haven community. There are many who talk about visionary leadership and commitment to service. Jim Rawlings was the embodiment of these ideals, dedicating a lifetime to public health and the betterment of our community. Jim came to New Haven via Providence, Rhode Island where he grew up After attending Yale University where he earned his Master's in Public Health, Jim began what would be a 35-year distinguished career at Yale New Haven Hospital. He was dedicated to improving the quality of care people received, particularly those in marginalized communities. Jim brought an innovative and creative mind to the hospital. He pioneered Connecticut's first hospital based adult AIDS and Sickle Cell programs, receiving national recognition, as well as overseeing the administrative operations of critical departments like the emergency department, laboratory medicine, and medical/surgical units. When Jim retired, he did so as the hospital's first African American Assistant Vice President and Executive Director of Community Health. Jim was not only a leader in public health, but in the community as well. Jim served four terms as President of the Greater New Haven branch of the NAACP during which time he modernized the organization and elevated its community impact. His steadfast leadership allowed the organization to grow its potential and its members to make meaningful and transformative contributions to every facet of the New Haven community. Jim was also a respected member of the Connecticut State NAACP, where he served as Health Chair for more than two decades, and at the national level where he served as a Trustee. In all of these roles, Jim gave voice to the multitude of challenges faced by the African American community while also providing a roadmap to overcome those obstacles. He was never one to identify a problem without also pointing to a potential resolution. Though Jim stepped down from his role as President of the Greater New Haven NAACP in 2014, he remained engaged and involved with the organization until his last day. Jim was also well-known for his dedication to conserving and celebrating Native American culture. As an elder of the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe, based in Massachusetts, he dedicated countless hours to ensure that the traditions and teachings of his tribe would be preserved for new generations to learn, under stand, and appreciate. Though Jim was passionate about many things throughout his life, Sickle Cell Disease may have been his greatest. After his retirement from Yale New Haven Hospital, he served as President and CEO of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, CT Chapter (SCDAA.CT). It was here that he founded Michelle's House, the first Sickle Cell Community Center in the Northeast, and championed academic support for students living with Sickle Cell Disease. Jim spearheaded outreach programs for individuals unaware of their SCD and Sickle Cell Trait status. He also advocated for and successfully achieved a partnership with CVS Health to advance equity in healthcare for the Sickle Cell community. It was, in fact, only a few months ago that I met with Jim to discuss his latest project, a Sickle Cell van which would provide a mobile operation to bring testing, counseling, and other services to those who would not otherwise have access to such care. Jim believed this effort could significantly enhance early detection and outreach to those affected by SCD, enabling individuals with the Sickle Cell trait to make more informed decisions and ultimately preventing more children from being born with Sickle Cell Disease. It is my hope that we will one day see that vision come to fruition. In his obituary, Jim was described as ``a man of unwavering purpose, humility, and compassion.'' I cannot think of a more fitting illustration of his character--of his soul. With his trademark Stetson and wonderful bolo ties, James E. ``Red Warrior'' Rawlings was a force of nature who left an indelible mark on our community and the many lives he touched. He will be missed by all those fortunate enough to have known him and his loss will be deeply felt by all those who called him friend as I was honored to do. My deepest condolences to his wife, Jennifer; sons Devol ``Skip'' Joyner, Andre Joyner, James ``Jimmy'' Rawlings and Jason Rawlings, and daughters Julie Rawlings-Dias and Jennifer Rawlings, as well as his eight beloved grandchildren Andre, Isaiah, Brooke, Miles, Maya, Dyami, Jaylyn and Bentley.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and good friend, the Ranking Member of the Rules Committee Jim McGovern. He is a tireless fighter for working families and I am proud to be in that fight with him. I am glad to call out the egregious giveaway to billionaires and big corporations being orchestrated in this Republican tax bill. The $4.5 trillion--and counting, counting because we do not have the full CBO score as this bill is being jammed through the House--is what we are talking about. That is what Republicans are preparing to shower on the richest companies and their billionaire owners, while giving mere pennies to the middle class, working class, and vulnerable families who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. President Trump campaigned on lowering prices. He pledged to ``bring food costs down on day one.'' Instead, the opposite has happened. His own USDA recently reported egg prices could rise 41 percent over the next year. Since taking office, he has done nothing to help families. This is shameful, because the alternative is clear. A few weeks ago, I reintroduced the American Family Act, legislation to reinstate the improved, expanded Child Tax Credit. The American Family Act would create the strongest version of the tax credit ever, indexing the value of the credit to inflation, and it would establish a baby bonus to help families in that critical first year after birth. The data proves that the expanded Child Tax Credit that we passed in 2021 delivered the greatest middle class tax cut in a generation, reaching nearly 36 million families--61 million children. It was the antidote to child poverty and to inflation. It gave real money back to millions of working families in the form of monthly checks, cutting child hunger by a fourth and bringing child poverty down to the lowest recorded levels in history. The watered-down imitation of a Child Tax Credit included in this bill will not continue this progress. I want to take this time to address a few misconceptions about the Child Tax Credit that have been present in this debate so far. According to the Columbia Center on Poverty and Social Policy, nearly one out of four children, 17 million children nationwide, are excluded from full credit because their family incomes are too low to qualify. This is not an issue of work requirements. The current version of the CTC functions as an income requirement, hurting families who work hard or are retired grandparents who are now caring for a second generation, but simply do not earn enough to qualify. Families with parents who work hard will be excluded because their wages are too meager. Are you truly saying that billionaires and corporations need tax breaks more than the youngest of your constituents? This bill would make that problem worse, not better. This bill pays lip service to the Child Tax Credit--I believe the American people need more than that. Our bill is the real deal. The improved, expanded Child Tax Credit fixes this problem. We need that now more than ever. Across the country, families are living paycheck to paycheck while prices for everyday goods and essential services, from eggs to gasoline to medicine and childcare, continue to rise. This should not be a partisan issue. Republicans like former Senator Mitt Romney, Senator Josh Hawley, and even Vice President J.D. Vance have supported the Child Tax Credit because the evidence that it helped families is so overwhelming. But Republican leadership in Congress has been clear: they want to give the corporate lobbyists everything they ask for and then some. They are gutting Medicaid, food stamps, and anything else that stands in the way of more money for billionaires. This bill is not responding to the cost-of-living crisis. This bill is pouring gasoline on the fire. My promise to American families is that I will fight as hard as I can, with every ally I can find, to stop this corrupt giveaway and focus on bringing down the cost of living through a proven policy, the expanded Child Tax Credit--not the meager substitute in this bill.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I was participating in a Congressional Delegation to the Holy See to attend the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV and our military plane experienced mechanical problems. I was delayed in returning to the District of Columbia. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 132, and YEA on Roll Call No. 133.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to defend Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, from an ongoing Republican assault. In a few hours Republicans will meet to advance a bill that abandons Americans who are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. It guts Medicaid, which covers health care for children, people with disabilities, seniors, and low-income workers, and it cuts nearly $300 billion from agriculture and programs that combat hunger, including food stamps. This Republican bill cuts Medicaid, forcing states to pay more or cover fewer people--it cuts benefits. I think of the 64,000 people in Connecticut, including 27,000 children, who can eat thanks to food stamps. If this program is pushed back to the states, who have fewer resources, the children will go hungry, and their families will not be able to afford healthy foods. In this cost of living crisis, the last thing we should be doing is making it harder for families to put food on the table. But that is exactly what Republicans are preparing to do. The results will be devastating--the largest cut to the most successful anti-hunger program in American history. All to pay for massive giveaways to billionaires.