Adriano Espaillat

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I looked at the calendar today and saw there was no Dream Act vote on the floor this week. As we approach tomorrow, a potential CR, Republican and Democrats must support this bipartisan Dream Act. These are hardworking men and women, young people. They are doctors and artists, scientists and police officers, mentors and EMTs. These are Americans through and through. We made a promise that we must keep. We need to protect the rights and principles that our country was founded on and thrives upon. We demand a vote for a clean Dream Act today. We demand a vote for a clean Dream Act tomorrow.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, the GOP tax plan is more than a bad deal for most working class and middle class Americans. It is a tax scam. Many families that will be hit the hardest by this tax plan are New Yorkers. It will cost New Yorkers a total of $17 billion, and they are my constituents. Repealing the State and local tax deduction, also known as SALT, is an assault on my constituents. My district will have the highest tax increases in the Nation without SALT. Mr. Speaker, repealing SALT means that 760,000 New Yorkers residing across the State will have their taxes increased. This is a bad deal for them and all Americans. This will mean an average of almost $5,000 for middle class families. Investing in education, firefighters, police services, and many other essential services keep our cities running. They are not an option. City services are not a luxury, and we should not be punishing taxpayers who pay for them. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this tax scam and negotiate a better deal.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding. Mr. Speaker, there are 2,400 DACA recipients in my district. ``We are not one,'' ``no somos uno.'' There are 30,000 DACA recipients in my home State of New York. ``We are not 100,'' ``no somos cien.'' There are 800,000 DACA recipients in the country. As of this year, there were more than 10,000 noncitizens serving in the U.S. military and an additional 12,000 noncitizens under Reserve status. ``We are millions, count us well,'' ``somos millones, cuentanos bien.'' DREAMers are veterans, teachers, nurses, college students; and DREAMers are also MacArthur genius fellows. Cristina Jimenez is a MacArthur genius fellow, a powerhouse championship for immigrant youth, and, like me, she is also a CUNY alum and she grew up undocumented. This is why I urge my colleagues to bring a clean Dream Act to the House floor. H.R. 3440, the Dream Act, would not provide automatic amnesty, as I have heard some of my colleagues incorrectly say. The Dream Act has an 8-year conditional basis of permanent residency status. You have to either work for 3 years, serve in the Armed Forces, or study. You have to keep a clean record, get a background check, and a medical exam. Then, and only after then, for a few more years, you can apply for citizenship. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote against the previous question so that we can immediately bring the Dream Act to the floor and provide certainty, hope, and opportunity for 800,000 talented young people. Our country needs them and we cannot afford to wait another day.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from the State of California for her eloquent words. Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight another factor that contributes to the problem of the lack of affordable housing, and that is the decreasing affordability crisis in New York City. Historically, New York City was built on inclusivity, and it is here that people from all walks of life come in and they coexist. It is this diversity that contributes to the success of this great experiment called America, this great experiment called New York City. It is young people moving here from Tennessee and immigrant families from the Dominican Republic, like my family, for their own American Dream right here in New York City. And New York City's success is one piece of the national picture of urbanization. This enormous change in cities across the country includes an influx of more people, often young and from diverse backgrounds. This means we need the visionaries in expanding our housing supply, especially our affordable housing supply. Mr. Speaker, that is why we are here today, to highlight on this national crisis of a lack of affordable housing. America has a housing crisis--an affordable housing crisis. Working and middle class New Yorkers have felt the brunt of fewer options available on the market. Countless middle- and low-income families cannot afford to live in the neighborhoods they have known their entire lives. They must give up living close to jobs, schools, familiar neighbors, and everything else that defines their community. The very foundation of our city is threatened when households must make difficult choices between basic necessities and rent. That is truly a fight for the soul of our neighborhoods, our cities; and they are often forced to leave these houses and communities. This is not a crisis that affects only a few. It impacts many New Yorkers. Sixty-nine percent of New Yorkers rent their homes, and nearly half of renters struggle to pay rent every month. Many are one unexpected bill away from debt or eviction. While this situation is dire for those struggling to pay rent in their apartments now, there are virtually no options for low-income New Yorkers. Minimum-wage workers will need to have three full-time jobs or work at least 119 hours per week to be able to afford a two-bedroom apartment at market rate. Not only is it physically impossible, but we should not ask that of workers in our city. The crisis of affordability nationwide will not vanish if ignored. So long as New York's economy is thriving, rents won't plateau or fall on their own. Developers will continue to eye aging buildings for redevelopment and build new luxury apartments. Rather than leave the creation and preservation of affordable housing up to chance or whims of the market, we must be intentional about funding affordable housing. We already have a housing stock of 176,000 units of public housing in New York City alone. That is the lifeline of hundreds of thousands of residents, but it is in dire need of investment. If we care about diversity and care about inclusion, we must put our money where our mouth is and we must repair and preserve public housing for a future of increasingly expensive cities. Another aspect of the lack of affordable housing and the income gaps affecting New York City is the dynamic of gentrification. Mr. Speaker, I have the distinct honor of representing Harlem, which recently was-- there was an attempt to change its name to SoHa by speculators, people who want to turn Harlem, a traditional iconic neighborhood of New York City, into something else. There are Harlems in every State across the country. There are Harlems in every country around the world. Harlem is a personality. It is an attitude. Harlem is for those who feel that perhaps they don't have a voice but they want to fight to get to another level. That is Harlem. It is a spirit. Harlem, which, during the latter half of the 20th century, was plagued with crime and abandonment, is now falling victim to its own success. Rents have risen and many long-term residents have been displaced. The same is happening in Washington Heights, Inwood. Neighborhoods that saw over 100 homicides every year and that now are down to low single digits are seeing a dramatic increase in rent and affordability; and many folks who have been living there for decades, like my family, are now having to make tough choices of whether they remain in the neighborhood that they love or have to move somewhere else. Even among those who remain, they still face additional challenges because the neighborhood they have known for so many years now feels unfamiliar. For many, the fear of displacement is ever-present. Mrs. Gwen Walker, a resident of the General Grant Houses in Morningside Heights since the 1950s, was speaking to The New York Times when she shared her thoughts on displacement, saying the following: ``But the feeling is, `What am I going to do? Where are we going to go?''' Gentrification was a frequent topic of conversation among Mrs. Walker and her neighbors. So I continue to highlight the fact that not only do we have a public housing crisis, not only does that lead to a public health crisis, but also the skyrocketing cost of living has created gentrification, has made it very difficult for working people--the engine of the economy of the city--to make ends meet. These residents are worth protecting, and low-income New Yorkers should not be pushed aside every time a speculator or developer thinks that a building, a block, or a neighborhood could be worth more money. For neighborhoods that have already gentrified, public housing is the only standing thing between them and displacement. They are the lifeline for many tenants, and unlike market rate housing, they will not raise rent on their residents when the neighborhood improves. This is paramount. This is paramount for many low-and fixed-income New Yorkers because they are not further burdened for not abandoning their homes. And the displacement continues to occur in New York City, Madam Speaker. It is a harsh reality after tenants on the private market are evicted, bought out, or cannot afford a rent increase. After losing their home, families have few choices. Some families end up in overcrowded apartments, if they are lucky, living with another family member or living with a stranger. David, who is a Mexican immigrant, lives in Washington Heights. He lives with 12 other people in a 750-square-foot section of the basement. Another 14 people live in the other half. He explained, speaking to New York Magazine, that, for $100 each, they get 40 square feet, a children's bunk bed, and a refrigerator salvaged from the trash. Their basement is hard to move around in and impossible to walk anywhere but to the leaking bathroom down the cramped hall or to the small living room with the scavenged sofa. The basement costs David and his 27 roommates almost $3,000 a month. This is not an uncommon experience. Citywide, two-thirds of all Mexicans live in overcrowded conditions. David described his journey and realization of what living in New York City would be like for him: From the airport, I went to my brother's place in Washington Heights. He was living with his child and pregnant wife, along with another couple and their kid--six people. I was the seventh. In only one room. America should know this: there is a public housing and affordable housing crisis across the country, and HUD proposes to dramatically cut the programs that guarantee the services for this housing. David also experienced the loss of his home and an understanding that his place in the city is always vulnerable. This is all happening, Madam Speaker, while Republicans continue to devise, to plan, premeditatedly, to plan their tax reform that will give the rich, the 1 percent, a handsome tax cut while punishing the middle class and working class sectors of America. There is only one unit of public housing that is worth over $390 million, Madam Speaker, and it is the White House. The White House does not have mold. The White House does not have crumbling pipes. The White House does not have severe water damage or asbestos because the White House is not plagued by disinvestment. President Trump does not pay rent, and he is not in danger of being priced out of his neighborhood. And yet President Trump and congressional Republicans are proposing to strip cities of their ability to create and maintain affordable housing for those who most desperately need it. The Ryan-McConnell tax bill is a lie that is being sold to the American people as a promise, a promise that claims that everyday Americans will benefit and see more dollars in their pockets. But it is a scam; it is a shell game; and it will make richer the rich and leave everybody else behind. The proposed tax plan eliminates funding for low-income housing tax credits, which are responsible for many affordable developments. The need for affordable housing is ever growing, and the low-income housing tax credit must be expanded, not eliminated, to keep up with demand. For New Yorkers, every dollar in their paycheck matters when it comes to being able to pay rent. Removing the State and local tax deduction, called SALT, places an unfair double tax on State residents. States who choose to provide high-quality services through taxation will be unfairly punished. This unjust punishment will be felt mostly by those who live paycheck to paycheck. In some neighborhoods in New York City, residents spend as much as 80 percent of their income on housing and transportation. Removing the State and local tax deduction means that families who already make tough decisions about food, rent, and other bills now have fewer dollars in their pockets to make those decisions. For families that have saved up enough to participate in the American Dream of owning their home, they no longer will be able to use the mortgage interest tax deduction to help them finance their homes. For many hopeful families, eliminating the mortgage interest tax deduction closes the door to that opportunity. The low-income housing tax credit, the State and local tax deduction, and the mortgage interest tax deduction are the foundation from which we can build affordable communities. We will not give in to the GOP tax scam; we will not play in a shell game; and we will not give billionaires even one more dollar. America deserves a better deal. Madam Speaker, I close by saying that, in my home State of New York, the Empire State, and particularly in my district, for the last 75 years, it has been represented by two giants: first, by the late and great Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., who made history right here in these Chambers; and for the last 46 years, by the ``Lion of Lenox Avenue,'' Charles B. Rangel. Underfunding of affordable housing in that district starves public housing and is compromising the health of public housing residents. HUD's capital backlog of $26 billion cannot be added to. We must be responsible and take hold of this challenge. For the public health of our constituents, to preserve the American Dream, I urge my colleagues to vote and make affordable housing a priority. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, earlier, I talked about some of the proposed budget cuts that HUD has brought forward for this fiscal year. Let me tell you, the American people, what some of the programs are that will be negatively, adversely affected by these cuts on a daily basis. Section 8, a program that provides rental assistance to help low- income individuals and families, more than 125,000 households in New York City's NYCHA complexes depend on Section 8 vouchers, 39,000 of which are administered by the city's HPD Department. Approximately half of the voucher recipients are elderly and disabled. Community Development Block Grants help the city enforce housing quality standards. More than half of the city's Community Development Block Grant allocations support housing quality standards funding; 500,000 inspections have been conducted, 8,000 emergency repairs, 16,000 housing litigation cases, and emergency shelters for 1,000 households, just in 2016. The Low Income Housing Tax Credit, nationally, 90 percent of the affordable housing is financed through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit. The Low Income Housing Tax Credit and tax-exempt bonds have helped create and preserve over 116,000 safe, quality, affordable homes in New York City. These programs will be compromised and lead to apartments with mold, chipping paint, leaky pipes, dysfunctioning elevators, failing boilers, and leaky roofs. So this is a major national crisis. Let me share with you some of my constituents' stories. Now that we have talked about numbers, let's talk about what these numbers mean and who they impact. Let's talk about, for example, a lady named Maria Pacheco, who has lived in the UPACA 6 development for 12 years. She is retired from working at the stock market. This is what she had to say about the importance of making capital improvements to her public housing building: If NYCHA fixes the entrance doors and the walkway in front of the development, more seniors would be able to get out of their apartments more often. There are a number of seniors who do not come out of their apartments because they are not able to open the entrance doors. Those doors are really heavy and the walkway is dangerous, and a lot of seniors fear they will fall. Maria Pacheco needs a better deal in housing from Congress. Seniors are too afraid that they will fall. During Secretary Ben Carson's listening tour--by the way, Mr. Secretary, New York City is still waiting for you to see our public housing complexes and the conditions that they are in--during his so- called listening tour, this is what he had to say to a development in Columbus, Ohio, that is partially funded by HUD: ``Compassion means not giving people a comfortable setting that would make somebody want to say: `I'll just stay here. They will take care of me.' '' Mr. Secretary, ``a comfortable setting,'' you said. Public housing often lacks consistent heat and hot water. That is far from being comfortable. Public housing elevators often break down. That is far from being comfortable. Public housing often has no heat and hot water and mold on the wall. That is far from being comfortable. I think my constituent Birdie Glen, age 78, who lives in the Jackie Robinson Development with her husband and great-grandson would disagree with you, Mr. Secretary. She is retired from the Department of Education, and this is what she had to say: If they fix the boilers in the Jackie Robinson Development, the residents would be more grateful and appreciative. The lack of consistent heat and hot water has caused a lot of the residents to get sick. Adults as well as children have been visiting the doctor's office more frequently due to getting sick because of no heat and hot water. This has become a public health crisis as well. During the winter months, residents experience more illnesses in the Jackie Robinson complexes because the boilers need to be replaced. Another resident, Felicia Rodriguez, 70 years old, who lives in the Gaylord Houses, says: In my 2 years living at Gaylord, I have experienced severe flooding, water damages in different areas of my apartment. If we had repairs and upgrades in our development, we will value our homes and neighborhood. We need to ensure we get the repairs completed in a timely manner to avoid further damages to our infrastructure. Gaylord has significant leaks due to the pipe damage, brick gaps, roof damage. These problems affect our health, our hygiene, and economic issues for many seniors in Gaylord development. By making major roof and brick repairs at Gaylord White Houses, we will eliminate leaks, flooding, and damage to the top floors of these apartments. This is a public health crisis. Let's talk, Mr. Speaker, about public health and mold. In every city, there is an aging public housing development complex, and a lack of investment for decades means that many buildings pose great, great health risks to the residents. In New York City, a majority of NYCHA buildings are more than 60 years old. Public housing authorities have endured decades of Federal disinvestment. For many, a lack of affordable funds means that repairs have spiraled out of control. Some units are so damaged that they cannot be lived in. Citywide, there are 2,300 NYCHA units that are vacant, and many need extensive renovations to become safe homes again. Not only is the lack of Federal investment hurting the number of public housing units available, but vacant units almost always make public housing less safe for current residents. Speaking to DNAinfo, Jisele Hearne elaborates how vacant units make the Harlem River Houses less safe: ``Of course, we are worried. Anyone can come in and you don't know what they are going to do. They can . . . leave the gas on. It's not safe living someplace where nobody is monitoring.'' Harlem River Houses has been plagued with mold for many years, and units on the top floors have remained uninhabited. Mold affects 328 NYCHA properties, and the situation has only worsened after Hurricane Sandy. That was in 2012. We need capital investment not just to eradicate the appearance of mold; we need to address the root cause of that. We need to replace leaky roofs, crumbling pipes, and all ventilation systems to make sure the mold is gone forever, for good. The health of children, families, and seniors is at stake. The CDC reports that exposure to mold can lead to coughing, wheezing, eye and skin irritation in otherwise healthy people. For small children, exposure to mold may lead to asthma, leading to absenteeism in the schools. For vulnerable residents, such as seniors or small children, mold may lead to much more serious medical conditions. The government is the landlord of public housing complexes across the country, and we cannot expect public housing residents to deal with conditions that would be deemed unacceptable in the private market. It is our solemn duty to make sure that public housing residents have homes that allow them to lead healthy and productive lives. If we can afford to spend $1.75 million remodeling one unit in public housing--that is the White House that I am referring to, which is public housing. If we could spend $1.75 million to renovate the most expensive public housing unit, the White House, then surely, Mr. President, we can afford to guarantee safe homes for public housing residents. If President Trump can spend $291,000 on office walls, then America's 1.16 million units of public housing should have walls free of mold, like the one we see right here, and other safety hazards. Unlike the White House, residents of public housing cannot afford lavish renovations. They depend on us, and we must not fail them. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), my distinguished colleague.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Texas for her eloquent remarks regarding this pressing need, this national crisis of housing. Let me just share with you some other numbers that will further ensure that the American people understand in full depth this crisis. In my district, as I said earlier, there are 75,463 residents of public housing out of 400,000 citywide. There are 34,035 NYCHA families in the district out of 174,283 citywide. Twenty-five percent are children who are subject to mold like you see right here on this easel, Mr. Speaker, mold that contributes to asthma and to other respiratory diseases that then lead to absenteeism in the schools and long-term problems for young people and children who live in these public housing units. In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, 21 percent of the residents of these housing developments are seniors over 62 years old who are also subjected to mold, chipping paint, and elevators that don't work. They have to go up and down 18 or 20 stories. Some of them are in wheelchairs or have some real challenges getting around. Yet the Federal Government and its Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, continue to be an absentee landlord abandoning them to their own fate. Fifty-two percent of those residents, Mr. Speaker, are on fixed incomes, and 46 percent across the city have an employed family member. So these are the numbers that are very telling to this national crisis. The reduction in capital funding which leads to the deterioration of buildings' roofs and facades, failure of boilers, leaks, mold like we see right here, and other unacceptable conditions are devastating to my constituents, and they contribute to a public health crisis, asthma, respiratory disease. Americans need a better deal for housing. As we continue negotiations on the fiscal year 2018 appropriations and the administration prepares the fiscal 2019 budget proposal, we need to ensure that public housing is adequately funded. Sufficient capital funding is imperative for my district and the country, and it ensures the creation of jobs through capital work. Investing capital dollars in public housing repair would also yield employment in our communities. It also ensures the reduction of negative health outcomes and healthcare costs related to the deterioration of housing conditions. It also results in quality, stable housing for low-income Americans, which is one of the most important factors in the alleviation of poverty. Americans need a better deal for housing. I hope that my colleagues remember the constituency that we serve, particularly the most vulnerable ones like the residents of public housing, and we continue to fight back against budget cuts. Growing the public housing capital fund must be elevated as a priority. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Gomez).

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to shed light and to put a face on an imperative issue, the imperative issue of affordable housing. I am here representing neighborhoods like Marble Hill, Inwood, Washington Heights, Hamilton Heights, Morningside Heights, Harlem and east Harlem, and the northwest Bronx. Public housing and public housing capital funding is imperative for many of my constituents. Just to shed some light on the magnitude of this problem, Mr. Speaker, in the 13th Congressional District, there are 62 housing developments--62 public housing developments. There are a total of 340 buildings, and, within those buildings, there are 34,609 apartments where families live; so 62 housing developments out of 326 for the entire city of New York, 340 buildings out of 2,462 buildings in the city of New York, and 34,609 apartments out of 176,692 apartments across the city of New York. In fact, Mr. Speaker, public housing houses over 400,000 residents. It is larger than many cities in many States across the Nation, and public housing capital funding is imperative and necessary for my constituents. Not only do these residents rely on stable, affordable housing to stay close to their families and be near their jobs and schools, but our city relies on these residents who are also teachers, home healthcare workers, caregivers, and taxi drivers. They run our city. In fact, they are an integral part of the economic engine of the city. They are part of our local economy. They fuel our economy on a daily basis. Mr. Speaker, these folks really represent the economic engine of New York City. As you will hear from my colleagues, affordable housing--public housing--and its residents are under threat. After a decade of funding reductions, the President's administration made one thing clear: they plan to drastically accelerate funding reductions for HUD. This turns that housing agency, essentially, into an absentee landlord, into a slumlord, if you will, administrating public housing developments across the country that are in decrepit and seriously embarrassing conditions. The administration's fiscal year 2018 budget proposal revealed a $7.6 billion cut, almost a 20 percent cut to HUD, and a two-thirds cut to public housing capital needs. Now, New York City has a need of $17 billion to do point work, roof work, boiler work, and elevator work to improve the quality of life of the residents of these housing developments. Yet the administration has proposed a $7.6 billion cut. This is a national crisis, an affordable housing national crisis. We have Members from California to Texas to New York who all believe that affordable housing should be at the forefront of our progressive priority. It is a fundamental cornerstone of the American Dream that we cannot afford to let slip away. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentlewoman from the State of Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, marking the 48th day since Hurricane Maria made direct landfall on the island of Puerto Rico. Wreaking havoc for over 3.4 million American citizens living on the island, this administration's response has been beyond atrocious. I witnessed it myself a couple of weeks ago, and so did a group of 50 registered nurses from across the country who volunteered for a two- week disaster relief fund and mission. What these courageous women described upon returning was not at all reassuring. The lack of efficient action has led to deadly conditions and consequences: lack of food, water, medicine, proper healthcare services, houses with roofs blown off or infested with black mold, and leptospirosis outbreaks across the island. Laura Maceri, a registered nurse, said: ``It's hell there. The people have nothing, yet they are the first to offer you the shirt off their back.'' Another nurse, Hau Yau, expressed: ``We couldn't believe this is part of the United States. We did home visits in low-income communities with the public health liaisons there who identified those in need, and helped them do basic blood pressure checks, blood sugar checks, to refill their medicine, et cetera. They have already had chronic diseases going on, and now their environment is full of hazardous materials, and the sanitation is very, very poor.'' From another nurse, Erin Carrera: ``Spent the day in Rio Grande, a hard-hit area right outside of San Juan. No power or water here since Maria. We set up a clinic at the FEMA site for the first time here. People lined up blocks since 10 p.m. last night. But FEMA was only handing out papers--papers, which need to be filled out in order that they may receive some reimbursement eventually. Each person received a small bottle of water, a mini bag of Cheez-It and a little pack of vanilla cookies. Outrageous. We were able to provide care to some, not nearly enough, but one small contribution to this tragedy today.'' Another nurse said: ``Today we went to a town called Barranquitas. They had almost no water or food there. They were desperate. They are relying on rainwater. One million chickens died during the storm and are now decomposed and causing people to get sick. Overwhelming is the only thing I can say to describe it.'' Mr. Speaker, I stand with these nurses in their demands to address the humanitarian crisis on the island of Puerto Rico. This administration must respond immediately. We need to waive FEMA's cost-sharing requirements in Puerto Rico. Yesterday, Representative Gutierrez and I introduced the WEPA legislation--the Waiver of Emergency Payments Act--that chooses and aims to do exactly that.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a constituent of mine, Dr. Joachim Frank. Dr. Frank is a faculty member at Columbia University who, earlier this month, along with his international research colleagues, was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Dr. Frank becomes the third constituent from New York's 13th Congressional District who has received this tremendous honor and crowning achievement from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Dr. Frank's work and success is the foundation for scientists to explore and illuminate an almost unimaginable world that exists much beyond what you and I can imagine. We will see new medicines, curative therapies, and access to more information than we have ever seen before: the true product and potential of unrelenting intellectual curiosity. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to congratulate my constituent, Dr. Joachim Frank, and his research partners as the distinguished recipients of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3441, the so-called Save Local Business Act. This bill virtually eliminates joint employer liability under the National Labor Relations Act and under the Fair Labor Standards Act. As my colleagues have highlighted, there are numerous unintended consequences presented by this bill. I want to highlight the impact on an often overlooked segment of our workforce: our Nation's farmworkers. Farmworkers are among our Nation's most vulnerable workers. Farmworkers work long hours in poor conditions for low pay. Many farmworkers are undocumented and subject to severe abuse. The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act is the principal labor statute protecting agriculture workers and establishes wage, health, safety, and recordkeeping standards for both seasonal and temporary farmworkers. Joint employment standards under this law and the Fair Labor Standards Act are vital to protecting the rights and protections afforded to these workers. Oftentimes, farmworkers are recruited, hired, supervised, or transported by intermediaries, sometimes referred to as farm labor contractors. Farm operators utilizing farm labor contractors maintain control over working conditions seeking to ensure the financial success of their operation. Despite this shared responsibility, farm operators may argue that the farm labor contractors they engage are the farmworkers' sole employer responsible for compliance. Farm labor contractors are often thinly capitalized. This means if a farmworker seeks redress for a violation, he or she may not be able to collect from the farm labor contractors. Under the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, joint employer liability helps ensure covered workers can also hold liability from farm operators that share responsibility.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. By amending the Fair Labor Standards Act's broad definition of ``employ'' and creating a new extremely narrow definition of ``joint employer,'' H.R. 3441 upends the Fair Labor Standards Act's joint employer framework upon which we rely on. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a statement from Farmworker Justice in opposition to this bill. Statememt on ``Save Local Business Act,'' House Education and Workforce Committee--Bruce Goldstein, President, Farmworker Justice, October 2, 2017 Farmworker Justice appreciates the opportunity to submit this statement to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. Farmworker Justice, a national advocacy, education and litigation organization for farmworkers founded in 1981 and based in Washington, D.C. Farmworker Justice has played a leading role in advocacy, education and litigation regarding the joint employer concept to remedy and prevent labor abuses. I am President of Farmworker Justice and have 37 years of experience as an attorney, including at the National Labor Relations Board, Legal Services, in private practice and at this organization. Farmworker Justice opposes the ``Save Local Business Act,'' HR 3441 because it would remove an important mechanism to protect farmworkers and other low-wage workers from suffering violations of the minimum wage and child labor requirements. The bill would make it extremely difficult to hold two businesses jointly liable as ``joint employers'' of the same worker or group of workers. This bill, if enacted, would result in massive violations of the minimum wage and other labor abuses that would harm farmworkers and harm the reputation of the entire agricultural sector. This bill, if enacted, would reverse more than 130 years of knowledge developed in the quest to eradicate sweatshops. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which sets minimum wage, overtime, and child labor standards, adopted a definition of employment relationships based on 50 years of experience under state laws that evolved to address employers' efforts to evade child labor and other labor laws. During the mid- to late-1800's states adopted laws to regulate and limit the hours of employment of children and quickly confronted employers' efforts to evade the laws. Business owners that operated a manufacturing plant would claim that the children in the plant were employed solely by a subcontractor within the plant or had been brought to the plant by a parent or sibling and therefore should not be considered to have ``employed'' the child. Even if the subcontractor or parent were punished, in the absence of liability on the part of the plant operator it would suffer no adverse impact and would be free to find another subcontractor or parent to bring children to do the work. In addition, often a labor contractor lack sufficient assets to pay a court judgement, leaving workers remedy-less. One of the responses of state legislatures was to adopt a broad definition of employment relationships that imposed employer status on the larger business owner even where there existed a labor intermediary. Numerous states adopted language defining employment relationships that later became the model for the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. The state laws and the FLSA defined employers as entities that directly or indirectly employed a worker and defined the word ``employ'' as including not just the restrictive common law definition's ``right to control test'' but also as ``to suffer or permit to work.'' 29 USC Sec. 203(g). To ``suffer'' in this context means to acquiesce in, passively allow or to fail to prevent the worker's work. This broad definition imposed liability on a company that had the power to prevent the work of the worker from happening and denied the business the ability to hide its head in the sand about what was happening in its business, including where it utilized labor contractors or other intermediaries which were considered employers of those workers. See Goldstein et al., ``Enforcing Fair Labor Standards in the Modern American Sweatshop: Rediscovering the Statutory Definition of Employment,'' 46 UCLA Law Review 983 (1999). The purpose of establishing joint responsibility is also reflected in FLSA's definition of ``employer,'' 29 USC Sec. 203(d), `` 'Employer' includes any person acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer in relation to an employee.'' The facts in the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Rutherford Food Corp. v. McComb, 331 U.S. 722 (1947) illustrate the concept. A slaughterhouse company retained a contractor to assemble a crew of workers to de-bone meat in a special room within the slaughterhouse. The Department of Labor sued the defendant company for recordkeeping and overtime violations. The company denied that it employed the meat de-boners, arguing that the contractor was their sole employer. The Court found that the definition of employment relationships in the FLSA imposed liability on the slaughterhouse. The Save Local Business Act would alter the longstanding meaning of employment relationships under the FLSA and the National Labor Relations Act. The NLRA excludes agricultural workers from its protections, so I will focus on the FLSA. The FLSA's minimum wage applies to farmworkers on most (but not all) larger farms; small farms generally are excluded from the minimum wage. 29 USC 213(a)(6). Agricultural workers are excluded from overtime pay. 29 USC Sec. 213(b)(13)-(16). FLSA prohibits certain types of child labor although it allows large agricultural employers, as well as small family farms, to employ children at younger ages than is allowed in other occupations. Id. at (c)(1)-(2). The bill would set criteria so onerous that it would be rare for two businesses that shared responsibilities regarding workers to be held to be joint employers; just one business would be held to be an employer. Because the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (AWPA) refers to the definition of ``employ'' in the Fair Labor Standards Act, the proposed law may also apply to AWPA. 29 USC Sec. 1802(5). AWPA is the principal federal employment law for farmworkers, regulating employment contracts and the use of farm labor contractors. Many agricultural workers suffer violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act's minimum wage and other basic labor protections. Often, when such workers try to remedy illegal employment practices, they run into a problem: the farm operator that really determines their job terms and has the capacity to prevent abuses, denies that it is their ``employer'' for purposes of the minimum wage and other labor protections. Instead, the farm operator claims that a ``farm labor contractor'' or other intermediary is the sole ``employer'' of the farmworkers on its farm. Often a labor contractor competes for business by promising low labor costs and when sued by victimized workers cannot afford to pay a court judgment. In most such cases, the definition of employment relationships in the FLSA enables courts and the Department of Labor to ensure compliance with the law by considering the farm operator and the farm labor contractor to be ``joint employers'' and jointly responsible for meeting FLSA's obligations. This issue has been the subject of numerous lawsuits in which farm operators have been held to be joint employers with their farm labor contractors. This Committee played a historic role in addressing abuses of migrant workers at the hands of farm operators and their labor contractors and recognized the importance of the joint employer concept in ensuring a law-abiding, prosperous agricultural sector. The Farm Labor Contractor Registration Act of 1964 was passed in part in response to the powerful documentary by Edward R. Murrow, ``Harvest of Shame'' that aired during Thanksgiving weekend in 1960. Congress revised its provisions and replaced it with the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act of 1983, 29 U.S.C. Sec. 1801 et seq. At the heart of this Committee's motivation was ensuring joint employer responsibility. ``This broad scope of joint employment--and joint employer liability--is one of the AWPA's most important features. The AWPA's legislative history indicates that Congress considered the joint employer doctrine ``a central foundation'' of this new law. 29 C.F.R. Sec. 500.20(h)(5)(ii); citing House Report, n.2 at 4552. It is the ``indivisible hinge'' that allows workers to hold accountable all those responsible for violating the AWPA's protections. Id, citing H.R. Rep. 97- 885, 97th Cong., 2d Sess.1, reprinted in 1982 U.S.C.C.A.N. 4547, 4552 (1982) (``House Report''). The economic reality is that few farm operators will risk their profitability and the survival of their business by delegating all responsibility to a labor contractor. Most farm operators who engage labor intermediaries exercise substantial decision-making regarding the impact of subcontracted workers on their business. If strawberries or grapes are harvested when they are over-ripe or under-ripe, are subjected to pathogens transmitted on the footwear or hands of farmworkers, or are not handled carefully to prevent bruising, huge financial losses could result. A farm operator generally makes these and other major decisions to ensure its profitability, even if it uses a farm labor contractor, instead of its own supervisor, to ensure that its decisions are carried out. Such farm operators should not be able to avoid complying with the minimum wage or child labor requirements by blaming a labor contractor as the sole employer. In most cases, there is shared responsibility among the farm operator and the labor contractor so that the workers on the farm ensure the profitability of that business. That shared responsibility means shared liability is appropriate. The joint employer concept does not deprive farms or other businesses of the ability or right to engage labor contractors or other intermediaries such as staffing agencies. Nor does it prevent businesses from entering into agreements that require labor contractors to comply with all employment-law obligations, purchase liability insurance against employment-law claims and hold the larger business harmless for any litigation and liability that may result. Joint employer liability creates an incentive to ensure that a business selects its labor contractors, as well as its directly-hired supervisors, wisely and ensures compliance with employment laws. In addition to ensuring protections for workers, joint employer liability helps protect law-abiding businesses from unfair competition by unscrupulous employers that keep their labor costs low by using labor contractors that violate employment-related obligations. The joint employer concept is an important, longstanding approach to minimizing sweatshops and its elimination would result in a return to an era in which sweatshops are more prevalent. The joint employer concept also helps create consumer confidence regarding their purchases. People want to feel good about the food they eat. Agriculture has a reputation for poor treatment of farmworkers that would be exacerbated by the increases in abuses that would flow from this legislation. Congress should reject the Save Local Business Act because it contradicts 130 years of experience in preventing sweatshops in factories and at least 50 years of consensus regarding policies needed to remedy and prevent abuses of the people who labor on our farms and ranches to produce our food.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize and congratulate an immigrant advocate, and now MacArthur genius, Cristina Jimenez Moreta. Like me, she is a CUNY alumni and she grew up undocumented. Since founding United We Dream in 2008, Cristina Jimenez Moreta has become a powerhouse champion for immigrant groups across the country. By elevating the stories of DREAMers and putting faces and names to a discussion that was, at times, dismissive and dehumanizing, she changed the dialogue surrounding undocumented young people. Her work has impacted the lives of young immigrants nationwide, and in honor of her significant contributions, she was recently selected as one of 24 MacArthur Fellow winners worldwide in 2017. I congratulate Ms. Jimenez on her MacArthur Fellowship, and I applaud her decision to use the grant money to further the development of other undocumented young people. Cristina, your work is paramount now more than ever now that we brace as a nation to give rich people a big tax write-off that will put our country in jeopardy, a big gambling casino effort that has seen a failed attempt in the past with trickle-down economy. ``Because we are not one. We are not 100. We are millions. Count us well.'' ``Porque no somos uno. No somos cien. Somos millones. Cuentanos bien.''

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my greatest sorrow for the New Yorkers, their families, and visitors who were affected by the tragedy in Lower Manhattan just 2 days ago. I offer my sincere condolences and prayers to their family members. After this senseless and indiscriminate attack, Mr. Speaker, we cannot wait for another tragedy to pass before we decide to better protect pedestrians and bicyclists, especially in areas of high foot traffic. The sidewalks and bike lanes of Times Square, the Financial District, and other city centers nationwide remain vulnerable. The STOP Act is a bipartisan bill that I have introduced, along with my colleague Congressman Dan Donovan from New York, just this last month and was recently introduced by Senator Gillibrand in the Senate. As we saw in Charlottesville, Barcelona, and in Times Square months ago, vehicles are increasingly utilized in terror attacks worldwide. We must prioritize the safety of our constituents first, including the safety of pedestrians and of our communities. The STOP Act will provide for the installation of bollards in areas of high foot traffic. This attack does not define New York, just as no other attack can crush the spirit of our city. We rise above those threats when we continue being a city that embraces people of all cultures and teaches love and respect.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Boy Scout Troop 728. This troop's longstanding commitment to instilling positive social values and building self-esteem and self-reliance in young men has provided a great benefit to our community. Opened in 1947, Troop 728 has produced a tradition of excellence. It has been led by many dedicated Scoutmasters over its 70-year history, each of whom has contributed to the legacy of the troop. These passionate, active leaders allow the memories of past leaders to continue to flourish in the troop's culture today. Traditions of Troop 728 include Scout breakfasts, hiking, camping trips, and summer camp. Additionally, Scoutmasters focus instilling leadership skills in troop members and developing leaders for the 21st century. Troop 728 has produced over 30 Eagle Scouts, the most prestigious award that any young man can earn in Scouting. This demonstrates their continued commitment to their long legacy of service throughout the community. On this special anniversary, I would like to congratulate the leaders and members of Troop 728 for all of their successes.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, imagine waking up with no lights, imagine waking up with no running water, you cannot bathe yourself, you cannot feed your children, you get so desperate that you break into chemically contaminated water, into untreated sewage water, you are on dialysis, Mr. Speaker, and there is still no electricity, or you are running out of medication and supplies in hospitals that are very low. What I am describing to you, Mr. Speaker, is not a dream. It is a living nightmare, and it has been a living nightmare in Puerto Rico for over a month. For over 4 weeks, while we now begin to focus and speak about tax reform and how this Congress attempts to assist the 1 percent--the wealthiest, the well-heeled--with a handsome tax break, with the elimination of the estate tax, when we attempt to shelve, to forget, to turn our head on this nightmare unfolded in Puerto Rico, it continues to be a living nightmare. That doesn't stop there, Mr. Speaker. Puerto Rico could lose funding also for thousands of low-income housing units if power to the island isn't restored soon. The Department of Housing and Urban Development, which subsidizes 203 housing projects on the island, is prohibited by law from providing Section 8 assistance to buildings that are not decent, safe, and sanitary. Every day that Puerto Rico goes without resources, potable water, medication, and electricity, the situation becomes more dangerous and the death tolls continue to go up. This has now become, Mr. Speaker, our Caribbean Katrina. The official death toll reported by the government increased today to 49 deaths, but many folks fear that it is much higher than that, after confirming a death due to leptospirosis. According to the CDC, leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals. Without treatment, this disease can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death. To date, the island has reported 76 possible cases of the disease. Investigative reporting from various sources have tallied up deaths to potentially north of 450 people. As of Friday, October 6, at least 14 people have committed suicide in Puerto Rico. They are traumatized and in distress. This is our Caribbean Katrina. A list of 113 people remain missing after Maria's passage. I was just in Puerto Rico for the second time this past week with Congressman Luis Gutierrez. The Congressman and I helped distribute supplies and necessities to Comerio, a small town in a remote part of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico continues to need help. It needs to be woken up from this living nightmare. S.O.S. S.O.S. Get resources to them now. It is our Caribbean Katrina. Let's own it. Let's resolve it.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I was joined by many of our colleagues to echo the pleas of over 100 women who came dressed as brides here to D.C. to put a face on the brutal murder of Gladys Ricart, a victim of domestic violence who was killed in 1999. Yesterday I said that I was Gladys Ricart and that we were all Gladys Ricart. While this was happening, Mr. Speaker, I am distressed to inform you that a woman in my district in Inwood was fatally stabbed to death and beaten with a dumbbell by her long-time boyfriend. Police officers found Claudina Cruz dead, with multiple stab wounds to the torso and head trauma. She is also Gladys Ricart. We are all Gladys Ricart. I ask my colleagues to join me in denouncing domestic violence for Gladys, Claudina, and every victim of domestic violence across the country. Congress must reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act when it comes before us next year.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, earlier today, close to 100 women in wedding gowns from all over our country came to Washington, D.C. They came here to give a face and a voice to victims of domestic violence. I was also floored by the courage of my colleagues, other Members of Congress, whose loved ones had been victims and had even been killed because of domestic violence. Domestic violence is something that can impact anybody on any day, even on your wedding day. The Brides March honors the memory and tragedy of Gladys Ricart, who, on September 26, 1999, lost her life on her wedding day at the hands of her abusive ex-boyfriend. This march has now spread beyond New York, to Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Florida, Washington, D.C., and even other countries like the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Brazil, and Spain. That is why, Mr. Speaker, today I am Gladys Ricart. We are all Gladys Ricart. The Brides March and the advocacy of New York Latinas Against Domestic Violence is a thundering statement against domestic violence and a reminder that domestic violence remains a pressing issue in our communities and sometimes in our families. Mr. Speaker, domestic violence and violence against women is unacceptable.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, this is a critical time of life and death for millions of U.S. citizens on the island of Puerto Rico and also in the Virgin Islands. The efforts to rebuild will be great, and we each have a critical role to play to help these families recover following the aftermath of these catastrophic storms. We have witnessed so much devastation this hurricane season, and the impact has been particularly destructive and wreaked havoc. It has left millions of U.S. families without shelter, electricity, and their lives in ruin. We all have a part to play in the recovery efforts and must answer the calls to provide relief and aid in the immense rebuilding efforts that will take place to assist all of them who have been affected. The amount of help and heart I have seen in my home State of New York, including a recent effort of Uptown United this weekend, and from constituents of mine like Lin-Manuel Miranda, and even from children willing to crack open their piggybanks has been overwhelming. If the Federal Government could have matched that compassion, then Puerto Rico would be well on its way to recovery. Last night, the House Appropriations Committee released a $36.5 billion disaster relief package: $5 billion of that will go directly to Puerto Rico; $14 billion for FEMA's disaster fund; and $16 billion for the National Flood Insurance Program. I see this as an initial downpayment. I hope this is just the beginning. Nearly a month into this crisis, the status of Puerto Rico today is such: The Jones Act. On Sunday, the White House let the 10-day shipping waiver for the Jones Act expire for Puerto Rico, meaning that foreign ships can no longer bring aid to the hurricane-ravaged island from U.S. ports. I have been pushing for at least a 1-year waiver and a permanent waiver for oil. Electricity. To date, only 15 percent of Puerto Ricans have power and electricity, not being able to get in contact with their loved ones and the great impact the lack of electricity has on patients with dialysis. Water. Access to clean drinking water lingers around 20 percent. It is reported that seaborne bacteria are contaminating the water supply. This may lead to bacterial infections such as cholera, dysentery, E. coli, and typhoid. That can be really disastrous. The typical treatments for these illnesses, like tetanus shots and powerful antibiotics, are not readily available on the island where medical supplies are quickly running out. The damage estimates. It is calculated around $95 billion. This is roughly 150 percent of the Puerto Rican annual gross national product. The downpayment really should be $10 billion to $15 billion. The budget. The White House has reported that they have asked Congress to authorize approximately $30 billion in new disaster-related funding. Fatalities. Mr. Speaker, the official death toll has increased to 43 deaths directly or indirectly related to Hurricane Maria. The death toll, unfortunately, will continue to rise, and this is becoming more and more our Caribbean Katrina. I urge my colleagues to pass the Disaster Relief Fund for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Caribbean.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Chairman, a budget is a moral contract between elected officials--the government--and the people we were elected to represent. That is why I am proud to rise in support of the people's budget, presented by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. This budget serves as a Progressive alternative to the GPO's cruel budget plan, a plan that prioritizes tax breaks for billionaires over the need to fund care for seniors in nursing homes and children and struggling families in places like Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. I was proud to help draft the people's budget, which invests $200 billion to ensure that families in Texas, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Florida, and the U.S. territories have the immediate assistance they need right now. The people's budget would also reduce the deficit by $700 billion over the next 20 years by investing in human capital. We would do this while enacting comprehensive immigration reform, protecting DREAMers, and ending funding for family detention centers. Mr. Chair, I encourage my colleagues to support the people's budget and reject H. Con. Res. 71. Let's stands with the working class, the middle class, and the immigrants in our country. This is the right thing to do for our people and for our economy.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, any comments that I make in Spanish, I will provide translation in English. Madam Speaker, I witnessed the devastation and humanitarian crisis this weekend when I traveled to the island of Puerto Rico with my colleague from Chicago, Illinois, Luis Gutierrez. As I traveled throughout the area, I met dozens of emergency workers from various cities around our Nation on their way to provide assistance to families in Puerto Rico. (English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:) I had the privilege of travelling to Puerto Rico this weekend along with my colleague from the State of Illinois, Congressman Luis Gutierrez, and witnessed the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. But most importantly, I saw how the Puerto Rican people has united to work in restoring Puerto Rico from its current state. Thousands and thousands of people, including Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz and the Governor, are compromised with the well-being of the Puerto Rican people. I saw firefighters and emergency workers at the Philadelphia airport trying to reach Puerto Rico to help their brothers and sisters. This has moved me and I understand the Puerto Rican people have a very big heart and immense solidarity. Tuve el privilegio de viajar este fin de semana a Puerto Rico con mi colega del Estado de Illinois, Congresista Luis Gutierrez, y fui testigo ocular de la devastacion causada por el Huracan Maria. Pero mas importante, vi como el pueblo puertorriqueno se ha unido a trabajar para levantar a Puerto Rico del estado donde se encuentra; miles y miles de personas, incluyendo la alcaldesa Carmen Yulin Cruz y el mismo Gobernador estan comprometidos con el bienestar del pueblo puertorriqueno. Vi a bomberos, trabajadores de emergencia, en el aeropuerto de Philadelphia tratando de llegar a Puerto Rico para darle ayuda a sus hermanos; algo que me ha conmovido y que entiendo que el pueblo puertorriqueno tiene un corazon muy grande y una solidaridad humana inmensa. Madam Speaker, I met with Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello and San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz. It bewilders me how someone could criticize the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, from a cozy clubhouse in a well-heeled golf course when she was chest deep in water contaminated with toxic fuels and human excrement, bringing help to those who need it in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We discussed with them efforts currently under way and ways that the Federal Government and Congress can improve our response to address immediate and long-term goals to help rebuild the island of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands--let's not forget them. Yesterday, I released a 10-point plan following my assessment, and I offer this as a solution to provide an immediate emergency relief package for the humanitarian crisis we are witnessing in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is my hope that we, as Members of Congress, will work together to find solutions quickly, as the lives of U.S. citizens and the efforts to rebuild have remained encumbered. Madam Speaker, I call for an immediate $20 billion emergency relief package for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Congress needs to act on a humanitarian emergency relief package for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands no later than this week. They cannot wait another week. It is estimated that Puerto Rico will need $85 billion for their recovery efforts. At a minimum, Congress need to enact a $20 billion emergency relief package for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Also, I call for a hearing on Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands recovery efforts. A congressional task force for coordinated relief efforts must be put in place. The delayed response in Puerto Rico was egregious. I join my colleagues in calling for a hearing on Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands recovery efforts and for a full assessment on how to mitigate delayed reactions in the future and a strategic plan on a long-term recovery effort not only for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, but for the entire Caribbean region that, unfortunately, stands on the pathway of natural disasters, including hurricane season. As my colleagues have stated, the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force resulted in a comprehensive plan developed by Federal and local stakeholders, which then helped aid the recovery efforts in U.S. and elsewhere. A similar plan is needed for all of the areas affected during this hurricane season. We must also create a permanent waiver of the Jones Act for diesel and fuel. The latest 10-day waiver by the Trump administration is not nearly enough. The Jones Act needs to be waived for at least a year so that response and rebuilding efforts are not encumbered. I also call for a permanent waiver for diesel and fuel. I also call for immediate deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. I joined 145 Members of Congress in urging the President to deploy the USS Abraham Lincoln. We need to repair telecommunications and authorize the Army and engineers to repair hospitals. Madam Speaker, I have four other points that I will later present to you.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, Puerto Rico is facing a humanitarian crisis. Puerto Rico is in desperate need for us to assist them. Hurricane Maria, soon after Hurricane Irma, has left a trail of destruction for Puerto Rico's residents. Currently, 3.5 million American citizens in Puerto Rico are without power, 20,000 people are on a waiting list to leave the island, and about $85 billion is needed in recovery funds. The island and its towns have been completely cut off by water flooding, broken bridges, lack of electricity, and no cell phone service. As a result, there are displaced senior citizens and children who cannot get basic goods and medical supplies. The people of Puerto Rico need supplemental funding not next week, but today. The Jones Act must be waived. Price gouging by airlines should not be allowed. Clean water needs to be shipped to the island, and hospitals need to be set up. It is our responsibility as Members of Congress and U.S. citizens to provide relief to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the small Caribbean countries in that area. Please, let's save Puerto Rico.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to join the voices that echo the deep, troubling concern that we shared this weekend when we saw our President engage in a sterile fight, a childish, almost, type of fight with the NFL players. We all know that football, baseball, and many of our sports have been a level playing field where many people of different races, ethnicities, and economic backgrounds come together and cheer for a particular team from their hometown or their region. Instead of concentrating on bringing healthcare to millions of Americans or retreating on failed attempts to repeal and replace ObamaCare, the President chose to engage in another activity: tweeting that insulted Americans across the country. Instead of engaging in a real, substantive discussion about the Dream Act and DACA recipients, looking at the provisions of the bipartisan legislation that has been put forward and cosponsored by close to 200 Members of this House, led by Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican from Florida, and Lucille Roybal-Allard, a Democrat from California, instead of going through the provisions of that bill that could bring relief for 800,000 young people who otherwise would be potentially deported-- they are larger than any of the congressional districts that any one of us may represent in this House. Instead of looking at the provisions of that, rolling up our sleeves and coming here this week to discuss how we bring relief to 800,000 young people who are working, going to school, and are members of our Armed Forces, he chose to engage in distraction. Instead of looking at a real humanitarian crisis about to ensue in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and some of our neighboring countries of Barbuda, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, and the Caribbean, as well as the challenges of Florida and Houston, instead of taking a look at a potential humanitarian crisis that may ensue in Puerto Rico and bringing about relief for those 3.5 million Americans, he chose to look the other way. We remember how a President hovered in his airplane over New Orleans and Louisiana as people drowned and died without getting the help they needed. This could be our modern-day Katrina, and yet our President chose to look the other way. He could have engaged in bringing about results. Today, I join Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez and Congressman Adam Smith in signing on to a letter asking the Department of Defense to step it up in Puerto Rico. We ask for a senior general to be appointed to work with FEMA to manage the crisis in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands the same way it was done for Katrina. We ask for Department of Defense engineers and aviation assets to be deployed to Puerto Rico, as many of the municipalities up in the mountains are still cut off from the general population and have not been heard of for nearly a week. We ask for technicians and experts to bring restoration of power and to work with telecommunications on the island because people are still disconnected from government, from hospitals, from the police department. There is no cell service; there is no energy on the island; and we ask for that as well. We ask, in this letter, for the USNS Comfort, an offshore medical treatment facility, to be deployed to the island of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico only has two hospitals that have been able to restore power, yet the President looked this weekend the other way. For three major pieces and issues that confront the American people: healthcare, as it pertains to close to maybe 30 million people that may lose their services if this failed attempt to repeal and replace ObamaCare goes through; DACA, impacting over close to a million young people who go to school, who work, who are part of our future economic recovery, who are members of the Armed Forces; and the humanitarian crisis, a new-day Katrina that is about to ensue in Puerto Rico--for those three issues of great importance to America, our President looked the other way. He chose to engage in tweets; he chose to insult our local athletes in an un-Presidential manner; he chose to turn his back on the American people.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, September 5, 2017: that is a day that will forever be ingrained in the minds of immigrants and DREAMers as the day that Donald Trump crossed a moral line. The President is playing hot potato with a group of young people who, like me, came to this country ``with heart,'' ``con corazon;'' ``with humility,'' ``con humildad;'' and ``with a desire to do more,'' ``con el deseo de hacer mas.'' DREAMers are ``fighters,'' ``luchadores.'' They are fighters, and so we will not rest until the Dream Act is the law of the land and until DREAMers and their parents can go to sleep without the fear of ICE knocking on their door and showing up in their place of worship, school, or at a hospital. To my colleagues, we urge you to stand with us, stand with 800,000 DACA recipients, and stand with their parents in passing the Dream Act.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 3440, the DREAM Act, to protect New York DREAMers like Lisette, who graduated from Harvard with honors thanks to DACA. We are here to stay--aqui estamos y nos quedamos.