Adriano Espaillat

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, it should offend every one of us that there remains a pay gap between men and women for the same work. Women of color, in particular--African-American women, Latina women, Native American women, AAPI women--are making as low as 52 cents, Mr. Speaker, for every dollar for the same job and work by a man. This is a travesty. Let's make our communities stronger. Let's make our economy stronger. In Harlem, East Harlem, northern Manhattan, and the northwest Bronx, women of color are the majority of workers. I can't go back home to my district and say that somehow they are working the same as men, or maybe more, in many cases, and are making less. I support H.R. 7, the Paycheck Fairness Act, because we need to bring fairness into the discussion. Let's make our communities stronger. Let's make our economy stronger. Gender-based pay discrimination should not be something we are still discussing now in 2021. The Paycheck Fairness Act will put everyone on the line to make sure that we are all doing our best to ensure fair and equitable pay. Closing the pay gap will make women and families financially stronger. Mr. Speaker, let's make our communities stronger. Let's make our economy stronger.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I was in a Zoom meeting with the Secretary of Transportation. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 104.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act. Madam Speaker, how hypocritical and shameful of the other side of the aisle. They want to deny Dreamers, yet those Dreamers provide education and daycare services for their children. They want to deny Dreamers, but those Dreamers take care of their frail and elderly parents. They want to deny Dreamers, but their parents pick the crops and the fruits that they eat at their table. Madam Speaker, how hypocritical. They want to deny Dreamers, yet those Dreamers, as members of the National Guard, protected us right here against an angry, racist mob. Madam Speaker, I know that too well because I came to this Nation without any papers. And I sit as a Member of Congress and my vote is equal to any of their votes. It is equal to any of their votes because, in this country, you can dream and it has promise. Madam Speaker, we will not go back. We will continue to move forward. I support H.R. 6.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, it is well past time for VAWA reauthorization. It should have never been allowed to lapse to begin with. I stand here in support of this bill in honor of Gladys Ricart, a dear constituent of mine, who, 22 years ago, was murdered by her jealous ex-boyfriend on her wedding day, in her wedding gown. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation in her memory. Now you have the Brides' March, an international movement across this continent and across the world that honors the memory of Gladys Ricart. They were right here in this Capitol, and they will continue to come back until further legislation is enacted to protect women all across our country, all across the world.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, improving background checks is common sense. Background checks simply make it harder for guns to end up in the hands of the wrong people--criminals. Mr. Speaker, 75,000 guns have ended up in the hands of the wrong people. The Enhanced Background Checks Act gives the FBI more time to complete background checks. In doing so, it closes the loophole. The Framers didn't think about carrying an AK-47 or a semiautomatic weapon. That is not what they thought about. Mr. Speaker, these guns are dangerous. They leave a pool of blood on corners in cities across the United States of America, and having access to them too soon is a deadly decision. We must pass this legislation to ensure that communities are safe all over America. Let me just end by saying that we have a new item, the ghost gun loopholes. Ghost guns are made to evade law enforcement. There are ghost guns. We should stop them now, dead in their tracks.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and work of a great New Yorker, a great Dominican-American, Ramon Anibal Ramos, who was born in San Pedro de Macoris in Ingenio Angelina. Over 50 years in radio and TV, that is what he gave our community. He conducted Fiesta de Tele Antillas on channel 47. He would listen to rock and roll as a young man, at an early age. He began La Voz del Tropico in 1958. He worked at Radio Radio, Onda Musical, Radio Reloj. In 1973, he went to work for Radio Clarin, ``Entre Carrera y Carrera,'' then Colorvision at a program called ``La Alegria del Pais y Fiebre del Sabado,'' and also Super KQ FM98. He was an advocate for the community, and he worked right in the middle of the pandemic with SOMOS, a group of community-based physicians in the community of northern Manhattan. Madam Speaker, as the newspaper reported flocks of vultures flying over Manhattan in those tough months of February, March, April, during the pandemic, Ramon Anibal Ramos was out there documenting everything that was going on in the city of New York and reporting on what community doctors at SOMOS were doing on behalf of my constituents. He was an advocate for the community. He worked with those doctors. I want to extend my condolences to his wife and family, and to say that Ramon Anibal Ramos and his show, ``El Show de Ramon Anibal Ramos,'' was truly ``lo mejor del cable.'' Madam Speaker, I bring his name up because we are about to pass a $1.9 trillion rescue package, and I am amazed. I am taken aback. I am surprised how many in this Chamber and in the Senate don't see the importance of this rescue package. Madam Speaker, as I said earlier, a flock of vultures flew over New York City. Imagine that, the number of dead people, families mourning, people fighting for their lives on ventilators in hospitals across the city, families quarantined, businesses shut down. Some of them will not be able to open again. Some of them are struggling to open right this very moment. Imagine the heroes, nurses and doctors and police officers and firefighters, community-based physicians, who were out there supporting our community, putting their lives on the line--including Ramon Anibal Ramos, who put his life on the line to help New Yorkers. Yet, many in this Chamber across the aisle and in the Senate don't see the importance of passing this $1.9 trillion package, which provides $75 billion for increased vaccination. As we see a new variant--by the way, it has been determined by researchers that only one out of the four antibodies available work against this new variant. In fact, we are not over this pandemic, and we must bring additional dollars for vaccination. We must bring additional help for small businesses: the EIDL Forgiveness Act, additional PPP money, $25 billion for restaurants that have been hurt; $1,400 for families, for individuals, including those children and young people who are in school and college, and dependent parents who may be living with us. Madam Speaker, the other side of the aisle and some of our Senators fought against the $400 unemployment benefits. They fought over a mere $100. What is $100 in today's cost of living? What can you buy with $100? Yet, they scrabbled and fought over $100 of unemployment benefits. Incredible. Madam Speaker, this is an important package that will not only save America; it will put us on the right track to recuperate from this horrendous pandemic, which may be the crisis of our generation. We are here to support that package, to open up the schools safer. Let's bring health to the American family.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, New York, NY, March 8, 2021. Re H.R. 842, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. Dear Representative: I write to you on behalf of the over 127,000 American members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) to urge you to support H.R. 842, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, and to oppose any weakening amendments or motion to recommit when the U.S. House of Representatives considers the bill this week. The IATSE proudly represents behind-the-scenes workers in all forms of live theater, motion picture and television production, trade shows and exhibitions, television broadcasting, and concerts, as well as the equipment and construction shops that support these areas of the entertainment industry. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has put millions out of work and threatens the safety of countless others. Over the course of the last year, we have seen that belonging to a union can, quite literally, be the difference between life and death on the job. The time to act is now. Labor unions are under assault, with policies across the country undermining workers' collective bargaining rights and stripping union workers of the wages, benefits, and retirement security they deserve. The PRO Act would help level the playing field in an economy pillaged by inequality and anti-worker legislation and would make the freedom to negotiate collectively a reality for millions of American workers. The PRO Act, which passed the House with bipartisan support last year, will restore the original intent of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which was to give working people a voice on the job so they can negotiate for higher wages, better benefits, a safe workplace and protection against discrimination. Among its key provisions, the PRO Act gives the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) authority to ensure employers not only negotiate in good faith but incur financial and legal penalties for union-busting. The status quo gives employers perverse incentives to lie, threaten, and coerce workers out of joining a union. They routinely fire union supporters and force workers to attend mandatory ``captive audience meetings'' where they slander union membership. Too often, when workers choose to form a union, employers stall the bargaining process to avoid reaching an agreement. The PRO Act would establish a process for mediation and arbitration to help the parties achieve a first contract. Employers would also be prohibited from hiding behind subcontractors, or deliberately misclassifying employees as independent contractors, to evade their responsibilities of providing a livable wage, health benefits, or safe work environment. The bill protects the right to strike and makes it illegal for bosses to fire and replace workers who walk off the job in protest of better conditions. Workers must be allowed to picket and withhold their labor in order to have the power necessary to improve their workplaces. Finally, this crucial piece of legislation eliminates the ``right-to-work'' laws of the Jim Crow era that enable union ``free riders'' and ultimately put lives at risk. Each year, dubious special interest groups and their billionaire funders push these laws to give corporations even greater power at the expense of American workers. The last seven decades have shown that people in states with right-to-work laws receive lower wages and reduced access to quality health care and retirement security. The passage of the PRO Act is an important step to rebuilding America's working class, not just from the policy failures of the last few decades, but also the ongoing COVID- 19 pandemic. This crisis has shown the importance of having a voice in the workplace and support for labor unions is at a historic high. Recent studies have found that nearly half of all nonunion workers, more than 60 million people, would join a union today if given the chance. This is that chance. That is why I urge you to support the PRO Act when it comes before you for a vote on the House floor. Thank you for the opportunity to provide input. Sincerely, Matthew D. Loeb, International President.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, the PRO Act puts workers first. During the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all of the critical sectors of our economy that have remained open and functioning have relied on union labor and union workers. They are our frontline workers. We depend on frontline workers in our hospitals, in our transit systems, in our classrooms, our schools, in our essential businesses, like supermarkets and corner stores. Frontline workers are, indeed, essential workers. Every time you go to any of my neighborhoods in Harlem, East Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, and the northwest Bronx, you find these essential workers, 24/7, working to support their families and our communities. The PRO Act puts workers first with the respect and protections and security that they deserve. I urge my colleagues to support the PRO Act. No more lip service. No more empty promises. Let's vote for the PRO Act today.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and memory of Ariel Gibbs whom we lost 5 years ago. Ariel was a beloved neighbor and friend to so many members of our East Harlem community. She loved working with seniors and children and helping improve the lives of those around her. She was a direct care worker at United Cerebral Palsy and often volunteered at after-school programs in her community. Ariel will continue to be remembered as a strong, wise leader and a dedicated friend and daughter, as well as a loving mother. Her two energetic and inquisitive sons, now 6 and 7 years old, as well as her many friends and family members--including her dynamic dad, Eddie Gibbs, a leader in East Harlem--will always hold her in their hearts.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, for organizing this Special Order Hour this evening. The events of January 6 are still burning in the memories of all of us, as well as millions and millions of Americans across the Nation; although some people would like to deny that it never happened, or sweep it under the rug, it continues to burn in everybody. The images are so aggressive that they still burn in the memories of millions upon millions of Americans. I started that day as I start every day. I came to my office at 8:30 in the morning. I couldn't get through Independence Avenue because it was shut down, so I came through the back of my office building, and I noticed that I was walking on the sidewalk with some of the protesters, unimpeded. I felt as though security was very lax. No one stopped them. They were walking right next to me. They were around here as early as 8:30 in the morning. I went to my office, and as I proceeded at one point to leave my office to come down to the floor, I was informed that the Capitol had been breached. So we stayed in our office. Two police officers came to the office trying to escort us out and trying to take me to a site, a room in another office building where other Members were, to protect us. I decided to stay in my office with my team, and we locked ourselves in there. I could see from my window some of the protesters. You see, this assault against the Capitol was not just concentrated on the Capitol steps. It was everywhere, really. And of course, at about 8:00 at night, a little bit before that, I came here to conclude the proceedings. I felt it was very important that we completed our work for the night and not be intimidated by that mob. Democracy could never be intimidated. And so I came here very early. I walked around as agents went around the Capitol and this floor securing evidence. And the scene was pretty horrifying; furniture stuck up against the walls and bloodstains right outside, where someone was shot, was being mopped. So this is a traumatic experience for all of us on both sides of the aisle and for our Nation. It cannot be swept under the rug. We must get to the bottom of this. We must find out if there were Members of this body who aided and abetted that angry mob, who instructed them of the whereabouts of Speaker Pelosi. You see, that mob came here saying they wanted to assassinate her and they wanted to hang the Vice President. So if anybody in this body assisted someone that clearly had an intent to attempt to murder someone, they are an accessory to that crime, and we must look at that evidence. Ultimately, we need to have the truth; and if we want unity in this body, we need the truth. If we want unity in America, we need the truth. That is what will unite us. We must have a deep dive, a deep investigation into what occurred. Did any of our colleagues text, email, or tweet the whereabouts of Speaker Pelosi? Did anybody tweet or share information about the labyrinth of tunnels and hallways in this Capitol building? They seemed to know their way around. So the truth is important for the unity of our Nation. This is a beautiful building and a temple of democracy, but Congress is not this building. It is each and every one of us and, by extension, the people that we represent. So an attack against us was an attack against our constituents. We are their voices here, and we must take a good look at what occurred. We must not sweep this under the rug. We must continue to ascertain and get all the facts and evidence to determine who played a pivotal role in perpetrating that crime. Only then will we have unity. Only then, through truth, will we have peace.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, today I cast my vote for the second time to impeach Donald J. Trump. He is unfit to hold office. He summonsed and dispatched his mob to kidnap and hurt many of us. He is unfit to hold office. He summonsed and dispatched his mob to assassinate Vice President Pence, to assassinate Speaker Pelosi. He is unfit to hold office. He summonsed and dispatched a mob that waved the racist Confederate flag and assaulted this Capitol, resulting in the death of five Americans, including two Capitol Police officers. He is unfit to hold office. We must impeach now.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, we have all known it for a while now, but this past week it has become undeniably clear: Donald J. Trump is unfit. To the Secretaries of Agriculture, Defense, Commerce, Education, and Transportation: He is unfit. To the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing, Interior, and Labor: He is unfit. To the Attorney General: He is unfit. To the Vice President of the United States: He summons his goons. They shut their hoods and came with their racist Confederate flag to assassinate him, to assassinate the Vice President. He is unfit. Invoke the 25th Amendment. If not, we will impeach him tomorrow.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and the underlying COVID relief package: Another $284 billion for PPP loans for small businesses that have been hurting for so long, particularly restaurants that are struggling. Finally, Main Street will get some help. We bailed out Wall Street a long time ago and all the big guys; now we have got to bail out Main Street. $20 billion in EIDL grants for small businesses; another $600 in stimulus checks for individuals and children. It should have been $1,200, but we will take the $600 now, and we will be back after January 20. $300 for unemployment benefits. It should have been a little bit more. You can't live on $300. $13 billion for SNAP. People are starving, the lines are longer, made up of families and children. $14 billion for public transit, in addition to $4 billion for the MTA. The MTA has a $12 billion gap. We will be back for the rest of that money. $68 billion for purchasing vaccines, and $20 billion for distributing them. Broadband. And, finally, Madam Speaker, $4 billion for Gavi, an international vaccine distribution alliance, because it is not an epidemic; it is a pandemic.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. We will not be free of COVID unless the rest of the world is.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a great New Yorker, someone that has made us all proud, someone that we all stand on his shoulders, the late Mayor David N. Dinkins. Words cannot express how we feel in New York with the passing of Mayor Dinkins. Many of us stand on his shoulders, as many of us here in this Chamber stand on the shoulders of other giants that came before us. None of us really stand on our own. We stand on the shoulders of those trailblazers, those pioneers that opened the door to men and women across the country. Mayor Dinkins was such a leader. He was the first and, up to today, the only African-American mayor in New York City, a city that prides itself on diversity. In fact, New York City says that its strength really comes from the depths of its diversity. People from all over the world, immigrants, as I was in 1964, coming from the Dominican Republic, people from all over the world come to New York City looking for that dream. Different races, ethnicities, religions make New York City strong. And Mayor Dinkins often called the city a gorgeous mosaic, and that was its strength. So we honor his legacy and his many years of service as a New York State Assembly member, as a Manhattan borough president, and then, of course, as mayor of the city of New York. His detractors, and those that attempt to be revisionists of history, will never acknowledge the great things that he did. But those of us in the trenches, in the neighborhoods that have been traditionally forgotten, those of us that know that our communities lacked the voices to be heard, the disenfranchised of the city of New York will forever remember him for his accomplishments. Community policing, he got $1.8 billion to establish the community policing program; foot officers, foot patrol officers, in neighborhoods across the city of New York fighting crack and crime but, most importantly, knowing the community, the small business owners, having a daily relationship, almost as family members, preventing the kind of conflict that is plaguing America today. The beacon schools that he opened up, after-school programs that became the center of communities across the city of New York; the Arthur Ashe Stadium for tennis, which houses the US Open and yields more revenue than baseball, basketball, and football for the city of New York. And, of course, that day when he welcomed Nelson Mandela to New York City, it was such an important day. I went to that celebration, and many of us in New York felt that day that New York was the center of the universe. Every neighborhood enjoyed and celebrated freedom for South Africa, and Mayor Dinkins was our mayor. What a great day. What a great mayor. What a legacy, Mr. Speaker. I stand here to honor that legacy so that it will never be forgotten that the great, late David N. Dinkins was an integral part of the gorgeous mosaic that he always called New York.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I would like to thank the author, Congressman Sherman, for his hard work and leadership. Arms control and nonproliferation have been bipartisan pillars of United States security since the earliest days of the Cold War. After a half a century of successfully contributing to the nonproliferation and reduction of nuclear weapons, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons continues to bolster the United States national security and global stability. This important resolution recognizes the importance of the NPT and calls for continued U.S. leadership in global nonproliferation efforts and the further reduction in the number of nuclear weapons. The current administration has undercut and disregarded our important arms control regimes, and I hope that President-elect Biden will immediately change our course after he is sworn in. With this measure, the House is going on record to support a return to the leadership and policies that helped make the world safer for decades. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4636) to authorize the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to prioritize and advance efforts to improve waste management systems and prevent and reduce plastic waste and marine debris, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4636.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, for his hard work on this measure, which I am pleased to support. This bill aims to address a growing problem we all see around the world: plastic waste and other debris in our oceans. Products made from plastic are a part of everyday life. In the morning, we brush our teeth with a plastic toothbrush and wash our hair with shampoo from a plastic bottle. We drink water from a plastic cup, eat snacks out of plastic containers, and consume meals with plastic utensils. We drive cars with plastic components and do our work on plastic keyboards. At the end of the day, when we throw plastic away, we don't often think about where it ends up. Well, every day, more than 8 million metric tons of it end up in the ocean, leading to a host of problems. It damages the health of marine life, chokes off economic development, and harms the environment. Most marine debris enters the ocean from land-based sources, mainly in developing countries that aren't able to manage waste and prevent dumping. This legislation will advance efforts to work with national governments and local communities to develop integrated waste management systems to effectively prevent and reduce plastic waste. It encourages Federal departments and agencies to work with the private sector and nongovernmental organizations, aiming to leverage public and private capital in concert with American assistance programs. It supports local economic development initiatives to assist community members--particularly women, young people, and marginalized populations--to realize the economic benefits to be gained in scaling up waste management systems. It also urges U.S. leadership in international and regional efforts to prevent and reduce marine debris and plastic waste. This legislation supports the commitment that the United States made at both the 2018 Our Ocean Conference and the 2019 G20 Summit to achieve measurable benchmarks in preventing marine debris from entering the ocean and reduce plastic pollution. The United States is one of the world's largest producer and consumer of plastic products, and the top exporter of plastic scrap. So we have a critical role to play in addressing this particular issue. This legislation puts us on the right track to remedy this rapidly growing problem. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on H.R. 7703.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands an additional 1 minute.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, this is an important bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 672) expressing support of the Three Seas Initiative in its efforts to increase energy independence and infrastructure connectivity thereby strengthening the United States and European national security, as amended.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include in the Record any extraneous material on H. Res. 672.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8405) to direct the Department of State to ensure persons representing the United States in international athletic competitions in certain countries are appropriately informed, and for other purposes.