Adriano Espaillat

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, and I would like to thank Congresswoman Kaptur for her leadership and hard work. This is a strong, bipartisan resolution that seeks to promote and encourage Europe's independence from Russia's coercive energy influence and ensure greater interconnectivity of infrastructure in the region. Our Eastern European allies and partners know all too well the need to get out from under Russia's stranglehold on the region's energy resources, and this resolution sends an important message that Congress stands with our close friends as they look to build up their own capacity. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), who is the author of this important resolution.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank Congresswoman Kaptur for her work on this measure and for being an advocate for energy security and the United States-European cooperation on this particular issue. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to support this measure, I urge all Members to do the same, and 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. 1145) condemning the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and calling for a robust United States and international response, 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 extraneous material on H. Res. 1145.

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 want to thank Mr. McGovern for his leadership and hard work. In recent years, a number of Russian journalists, human rights activists, politicians, whistleblowers, and others have been killed or died under very mysterious circumstances in Russia and overseas. The poisoning of Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition leader, is yet another horrific example of the ruthlessness under President Putin's government. I am proud to support this bipartisan resolution which condemns the brutal poisoning of Mr. Navalny on August 20, 2020, calls for U.S. support for a credible and impartial international investigation into the attack, and urges sanctions against those responsible. It is important that the House go on record in a bipartisan way to send a clear and unequivocal message to the Kremlin that we reject their criminal tactics and we will demand accountability. There must be consequences for this egregious act. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Financial Services, Washington, DC, November 13, 2020. Hon. Eliot Engel, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing concerning H. Res. 1145, the ``Condemning the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and calling for a robust United States and international response.'' In order to permit H. Res. 1145 to proceed expeditiously to the House Floor, I agree to forgo formal consideration of the bill. The Committee on Financial Services takes this action to forego formal consideration of H. Res. 1145 in light of the mutually agreed changes to provisions within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Financial Services. We are also doing so based on our mutual understanding that, by foregoing formal consideration of H. Res. 1145 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that our Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this or similar legislation moves forward with regard to any matters in the Committee's jurisdiction. The Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation that involves the Committee's jurisdiction and request your support for any such request. Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding, and I would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during Floor consideration of H. Res. 1145. Sincerely, Maxine Waters, Chairwoman.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), who is the author of this important resolution and the co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 825) celebrating the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), recognizing the importance of the NPT's continued contributions to United States and international security, and commemorating United States leadership in strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation regime since the dawn of the nuclear era, 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. Res. 825.

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 extraneous material on H.R. 8438.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge my friend, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, for his hard work on this bill, along with our other colleagues who helped move this measure forward, Mr. McCaul, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Kinzinger, and Mr. Keating. In Belarus, Lukashenko's illegitimate regime continues his brutal crackdown on the peaceful protesters of that country that have taken to the streets in historic numbers to protest the elections he stole back on August 9, 2020. It was the right thing to do when the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the EU worked together to impose sanctions of those responsible. But the people of Belarus still need our help. This bipartisan bill makes clear that Congress will stand with the Belarusian people and against their oppressors, and that they will support their long-term goals of building a freer, more democratic, and more western-facing Belarus. To support the citizens of that country, this bill authorizes assistance to promote democracy, human rights, and civil society. It also calls on the administration to ramp up our assistance efforts. And for those trying to stifle the democratic aspiration of the Belarusian people, this bill imposes stiff new consequences. It expands the list of Belarusian authorities and complicit Russian officials who may be targeted by U.S. sanctions. This bill is more than just words of support. It would make a real difference for the people of Belarus as they strive to build a better future for themselves and their country. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC, November 11, 2020. Hon. Maxine Waters, Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Waters: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 8438, to reauthorize the Belarus Democracy Act. I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this legislation. I acknowledge that provisions of the bill fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Financial Services under House Rule X, and that your Committee will forgo action on H.R. 8438 to expedite floor consideration. I further acknowledge that the inaction of your Committee with respect to the bill does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the matters contained in the bill that fall within your jurisdiction. I also acknowledge that your Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this or similar legislation moves forward, and will support the appointment of Committee on Financial Services conferees during any House-Senate conference convened on this legislation. Lastly, I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill. Thank you again for your cooperation regarding the legislation. I look forward to continuing to work with you as the measure moves through the legislative process. Sincerely, Eliot L. Engel, Chairman.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, again, let me thank Mr. Smith and other colleagues who have worked so hard on this bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, 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. 5408) to oppose violations of religious freedom in Ukraine by Russia and armed groups commanded by Russia, 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 extraneous materials on H.R. 5408.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, Russia and Putin are responsible for illegal and destabilizing actions all around the world. We need a comprehensive strategy to put a stop to their aggression and impose tough consequences. It is going to take a lot of different tools, and this bill will give us one of them. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4802) to amend the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 to authorize rewards under the Department of State's rewards program relating to information regarding individuals or entities engaged in activities in contravention of United States or United Nations sanctions, and for other purposes.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on H.R. 4802.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this measure brought forward by my friend from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), to provide continued funding for the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act, what we call the TFCA, for fiscal years 2021 through 2025. The purpose of the TFCA is to offer developing countries the option to direct a portion of their debt payments to local forest and coral reef conservation activities instead of making those payments to the U.S. Government. Since the TFCA was enacted in 1998, it made real differences in efforts to preserve and protect these fragile ecosystems. The State Department has reached 20 separate bilateral agreements with 14 countries, resulting in over $339 million in long-term commitment to conserve tropical forests. This bipartisan legislation takes significant strides to build stronger relationships with countries around the world, while ensuring that irreplaceable tropical forests and coral reefs are protected and preserved for future generations. I am pleased to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on H.R. 7954.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, today we reconvene our monthly Special Order hour of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for the first time, really, since the COVID-19 pandemic reached America's shores. As we speak here today, America's staring down the barrel of a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the worst one, perhaps, that we have so far faced. We are adding a million cases a week--yes, a million cases every week. We are approaching a total of 11.5 million cases, more than any other nation in the world by far, despite many more populous countries with outbreaks. Even more grim, we lead the world in the number of confirmed COVID- related deaths and quickly are approaching 1,000 deaths per day, more than any other nation facing this new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. States and cities are careening towards lockdowns. Just today, Madam Speaker, New York City ordered a shutdown of its schools. It had attempted to open, partially, the schools, but today the mayor of the city of New York ordered another shutdown of the school system. Over 1 million children will stay at home with their family members. And so States and cities are locking down as we speak, right now, as we near the Thanksgiving holiday. Many States across the country, Governors and mayors have spoken to their constituencies and asked them not to congregate in their homes with more than 10 people, family members, during Thanksgiving. It is a wise recommendation by mayors and Governors. Show your loved ones that you love them by keeping them alive. Don't expose them to the COVID-19 virus. As we speak right here, as I said, New York City has announced that it has indefinitely closed schools. Madam Speaker, we all know why America is facing such a terrible outbreak of this virus: The abject failure by this administration to act and numerous Republican leaders to take this pandemic seriously. It was minimized, underestimated, yet it was deadly to over 250,000 Americans. The failure of leadership--the failure of leadership to encourage something as simple as wearing a mask. The phenomenon of the COVID-19's unbridled spread throughout the United States is a serious one. But there is even more serious phenomenon taking place, and that is the alarming disparate impact on communities of color. So this pandemic zeroes in on communities of color with high rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, and other respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular problems. Deadly conditions for those that are infected by the COVID-19 virus. When my home State and the city of New York became the Nation's first epicenter of the pandemic, the racial disparities were very clear. The hardest hit ZIP Codes were those with the highest number of minority population. My district that has Harlem, East Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, and the Northwest Bronx was devastated by the pandemic. Some of the ZIP Codes had the highest numbers of deaths in the country. As the pandemic began to subside in New York, but took hold in other parts of the country, the disparities continue to go unabated. Studies conducted in June bore out statistically what I had seen with my very own eyes and on the ground. Now, as the U.S. surpasses 250,000 COVID-19 deaths and quickly approaches 12 million confirmed cases, racial data is more complete, and the trend of this pandemic is crystal clear, it discriminates. It discriminate poor people, people with preexisting conditions, with diabetes and high blood pressure. It discriminates communities of color, disproportionately hurting and killing individuals every single day. The system is broken in so many ways that the pandemic has both laid bare and exacerbated many of these communities. Both African Americans and Latinos are consistently at higher risks for health conditions both environmental and inherited that have detrimental effects on quality of life. NPR recently did an analysis using information from the COVID Tracking Project, and it shows how the disparities are consistent State by State. One key finding is that Hispanics are consistently dying from COVID-19 at higher rates than their share of State populations, no matter where they are. In May, this was true in only seven States, but it has spread now much more. Latinos also have a disproportionate rate of infection in 45 States and the District of Columbia. It is, unfortunately, easy to see why this trend is happening. These communities are often more likely to face economic hurdles that have kept them from receiving the quality healthcare that they deserve. The kinds of preventative treatment that many of us take for granted are a luxury to those folks who cannot afford health insurance. We made some major improvements with the Affordable Care Act, lowering costs and getting millions more Americans insured. But the Trump administration has done everything in its power to hamper that law. As the pandemic raged across this country, they went into court to take away, steal the healthcare for those that need it. And we have begun to see a decline in the rate of those with insurance rather than the other way around. Preventative care is important because it ensures that other comorbidities are detected early and well-managed. In the absence of that care, something like an infectious disease can make the difference between life or death. Furthermore, things like food deserts leave many low-income families of color without healthy food options, driving up the rate of problems like diabetes, heart disease and more. Heavy air pollution in densely populated urban centers, which many communities of color call home, means higher rates of asthma and other chronic respiratory illnesses. So when a highly infectious virus that attacks the respiratory system comes along, it is more likely to take its toll on those that already have respiratory illnesses. And need I mention that Latinos and African Americans make up a disproportionate share of our frontline workers, putting them at much higher risk. As all of it piles up, it plays out in an obvious way. More Black and Brown bodies in the morgue than there should be. Madam Speaker, it doesn't have to be this way. Not only can we turn this pandemic around, we can also turn the disparities around. With a national strategy to contain and combat the virus, we can reduce its spread. With a targeted campaign to communities of color, we can keep our fellow Americans safe. And with aid to communities who need it the most, we can keep families economically stable until finally we are out of the woods. Since enacting the CARES Act, Democrats have twice passed the HEROES Act to get critical aid to our communities. Billions of dollars for testing, tracing, and treatment. The three Ts. Testing, tracing, and treatment. Billions of dollars for hospitals and needed personal protective equipment. Billions of dollars for small businesses, and the entertainment and food service industries, which are taking a devastating hit. Billions of dollars for public transportation and their frontline workers, who have heroically kept service going despite months of plummeting ridership because they need to get doctors and nurses and first responders and supermarket workers to and from work, back home. Billions of dollars for State and city governments who are facing dire revenue shortfalls through no fault of their own. The President has blamed States, divided our country, pointed fingers. This is a time of leadership in crisis. There are no blue or red States. There are the United States of America. And many of those State governments are hurting. They are at the precipice of a fiscal crisis of unprecedented proportions. Madam Speaker, billions of dollars directly into the pockets of fellow Americans through a second stimulus payment, and the $600 unemployment benefits. I have seen with my very own eyes the food lines getting longer and longer around the block. People need the $600 unemployment benefits. People need another stimulus check for $1,200. They need the help. America needs the help. But the White House is silent and Mitch McConnell is Doctor No. But Republicans in the Senate have refused to even consider the HEROES Act. The Trump administration has dragged us along as we have tried to negotiate to get robust help for the American people, as they should have it in this moment of crisis. It is long past time for them to come to the table and work with us to get the HEROES Act signed into law right now. The people need the help. Finally, Madam Speaker, while we have seen terrible news about the rise in cases and deaths these past couple of weeks, we have also been given a light at the end of the tunnel. But before I speak about that, I also want to highlight that many families across the country are backed up in their rent payments--2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, and maybe 6 months--and they just don't know where they are going to get the money to pay their rent at the end of the road. So we must provide also the rental assistance, the $100 billion in the HEROES Act for renters across America that can't sleep at night because they do not know where they are going to get the money to pay the rent. They are backed up 3, 4, 5, 6 months' worth of rent. This is a crisis. However, in just the past few days, we have received the good news that the COVID-19 vaccine may be more than 90 percent effective at an incredible rate. It is within our reach. And while it may take time to produce the doses that we need to treat everybody and stand up the infrastructure to get the vaccine to those who really need it, we must make sure from the outset that the vaccine distribution is fair and equitable. The ethics of the vaccine distribution must be fair and equitable. We cannot make the same mistake with the vaccine that we made with testing. We can't leave States and communities on their own to fight in the free market to wing it on their own for such a vital public health resource that is of life and death. We cannot allow important things like a vaccine that will be in such limited supply to flow to those who are able to pay the highest prices. We cannot allow rich folks to muscle in and get the vaccine while poor people that suffer from preexisting conditions are exposed to the virus. We need a comprehensive plan to ensure that the vaccine gets to the most vulnerable, the quicker the better. And we must make sure that communities that were hardest hit by the pandemic are attended first. Communities of color, the African-American community, the Hispanic community, Native Americans and others were left out of testing and they were short-changed. We must not do that again. They were left out of the ICU beds. We must not do that again. But they must not be left out of the vaccine distribution. They must be fair and equitable. The distribution must be fair and equitable. Given the disparate way which this virus has hit our communities, they should be amongst the first to receive the vaccine and get treated. I thank the Madam Speaker for allowing me to address the House on this issue of crisis, of imperative action that must be taken immediately to address the millions and millions of families that are scared in their homes with this pandemic raging across the country. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Garcia).

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 in the Record extraneous materials on H.R. 8259.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7703) to authorize appropriations for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, enhance the United States-Caribbean security partnership, prioritize disaster resilience, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank Chairman Engel for his leadership of the Foreign Affairs Committee and his role in passing this important bill. I also want to thank my colleague, Mr. Rooney, a staunch supporter of the Caribbean, for leading this bill with me, and Ranking Member McCaul for his collaboration. The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative is a vital tool to combat the illicit drug trade, promote good government, and improve civil society. The international narcotics trade has a devastating impact across our hemisphere, and much of the demand for illegal drugs, unfortunately, comes from right here in the U.S. We have worked hard to stop drug trafficking and combat corruption in Central America and Mexico, but all too often, our allies in the Caribbean are overlooked. The Caribbean is our third border and, for decades, has been growing as a hub for the illegal and illicit drug trade. Proper investment in the Caribbean will help to improve our allies' capacity to combat transnational crime, violence, and regional instability, while also enhancing our security. Crime from the drug trade has rattled many of our allies in the region, and this funding will go to programs that interdict traffickers, provide programming for at-risk youth, and improve the independence of the judicial system in those Caribbean countries. This bill also adds a focus on disaster resilience, given the increasingly frequent and worsening hurricanes in the region, which I believe is of primary importance as we continue to see the impact of climate change on national and regional security. We have seen the success of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative over the last decade, and this bill will build on the success by authorizing $74.8 million per year for the next 5 years to further deepen our commitment to that region. By partnering to increase the security and stability of our Caribbean allies as we combat the narcotics trade, we will also be reducing the flow of illicit drugs into the United States. I believe CBSI is a crucial program, and I ask my colleagues to join in bolstering it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett).