Chuy García

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the New Way Forward Act. For too long, unjust, anti-immigrant laws including racialized laws dating back to the 1920s criminalizing migration and the 1996 laws that entangle our civil immigration system with our broken criminal legal system have led to overly harsh punishments and the mass criminalization of immigrants. These laws have resulted in mass incarceration and deportations, separation of families, stripping people of due process and exacerbating racial animus in both our immigration and criminal legal systems. We must end the labels of the `good' versus `bad' immigrant used to dehumanize and divide communities. At this moment in history, we are called to uphold our values of compassion, common humanity, and racial justice. I am proud to introduce the New Way Forward Act to disrupt the prison to deportation pipeline, give all immigrants the dignity of due process, and ensure America remains a nation that welcomes all. The bill corrects racial and anti-immigrant injustices embedded in our immigration laws, many of which have enabled the Trump Administration's inhumane assault on non-citizens in the United States and at our southern border. Our communities deserve dignity, restoration and repair, not further criminalization. It's time for a new vision for the future and for our immigration system. It's time for a New Way Forward. I urge this body to support and pass this bill.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the Diversifying by Investing in Educators and Students to Improve outcomes For Youth (DIVERSIFY) Act. It should be a guarantee that all students in our country are taught by expert teachers and attend schools where the teacher workforce reflects our nation's rich diversity. However, research tells us that while people of color comprise 40 percent of our nations' population and majority of our public school students, only 20 percent of all teachers are people of color. One of the barriers to a well-prepared and diverse teacher workforce is the high cost of college and student loan debt. High quality teacher preparation is also more likely to be financially out of reach for students of color, while the high cost of college and increasing student loan debt burdens hits students of color especially hard as they are more likely to come from families that are unable to contribute financially to their higher education. These facts come at a time when college affordability has reached crisis levels. Today, more than two-thirds of individuals entering the field of education borrow money to pay for their higher education, resulting in an average debt of about $20,000 for those with a bachelor's degree and $50,000 for those with a master's degree. Our nation's service scholarship for teachers--The TEACH Grant Program--has not increased to keep up with the rising cost of college. While college cost have increased, the TEACH Grant has been cut each year for most of its existence. Failing to protect and increase the TEACH Grant limits the program's potential to support high needs schools in ensuring that all students are taught by a well-prepared and diverse educator workforce. I urge this body to pass this bill.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the Bank Merger Review Modernization Act. When big banks get bigger, consumers and taxpayers usually end up losing. Unprecedented concentration in the banking sector is hurting consumers, who pay more for critical financial services when their banks are merged out of existence. Since the 1980s, consolidation has swept the banking industry, with the number of FDIC-insured banks in the United States dropping from more than 15,000 in 1984 to less than 5,000 in 2018. Numerous studies have shown that bank mergers are associated with higher costs of credit, reductions in lending, and decreases in small business formation and local property prices. Concentration in the banking sector also poses risks to financial stability. A wave of bank mergers by Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan, and Wells Fargo in the late 1990s created the ``too-big-to- fail'' banks that became so central to the 2008 financial crisis. Rather than scrutinizing the considerable risks that bank mergers pose, the regulatory agencies tasked with reviewing these mergers have increasingly ``rubber stamped'' them. Bank merger approval rates are at historic highs. Last month, the Federal Reserve and FDIC approved the largest merger since the crash when they gave the green light to the merger between BB&T and SunTrust. I am concerned that the reviewing agencies are not giving adequate attention to the systemic risks that these giant megabanks pose. I am also concerned that the considerable harms to consumers are not being considered when mergers are reviewed. The Bank Merger Review Modernization Act strengthens the bank merger review process to give the CFPB and consumers a voice, and to require that the systemic costs of too big to fail institutions are taken into full account. I urge this body to curb the creation of too big to fail banks and pass this bill.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Tlaib for bringing up this subject of the affordable housing shortage across our country. I want to speak about the affordable housing crisis that is unfolding across this country and affecting thousands of my constituents in the city of Chicago. Throughout the Chicago area, there are just over 90,000 affordable, available rental homes, but the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that there are over 326,000 low-income renter households. That is right. Less than one in three households in Chicago have access to affordable housing. The immense lack of housing is making it impossible for low-income communities to stay in our city. It is transforming my district, driving communities of color away from areas where they have lived for many, many decades. According to the Chicago Community Trust, Chicago has lost more than 100,000 African American residents in the past 10 years alone. The Logan Square neighborhood in my district has lost more than 20,000 Latino residents and nearly 10,000 African Americans over the past 15 years. Five years ago, Chicago's city council passed an ordinance encouraging transit-oriented development. I believe that improving transportation and mobility for our neighborhoods and tying that to affordable housing is critically important. However, we know that development, when done incorrectly, can lead to gentrification, displacement, and racially inequitable outcomes. Since Chicago's ordinance passed, only one affordable housing development has been completed; another is getting off the ground. I am planning to introduce legislation to incentivize equitable transit-oriented development, legislation to create Federal funding for affordable housing to be built near public transit so workers can get to and from jobs, school, and healthcare, as well as take advantage of the city's fine cultural amenities. This bill will be a crucial step in addressing the enormous problems we are discussing today. If we can address the topics raised by the many speakers who are bringing home the urgency that Congress needs to act in this field of needed affordable housing, we can become a better country. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Tlaib for taking the initiative and for hosting this discussion that can benefit our country.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the memory of my dear friend Tom Vasquez, who passed away on July 23. Tom was one of the founders of our progressive movement in Chicago, and we were partners in many battles. He was born in Matamoros, Mexico, and eventually found his way to Chicago, settling in the working-class community of Little Village. In the early 1980s, Tom was part of a group of young people who saw the disparities and lack of political representation in our community and sought to address these inequalities. He stepped up, led the change, and helped create the Independent Political Organization of the 22nd Ward. He was a precinct captain for many years. He organized block clubs and he was involved in schools in the local community. On election day, he was always getting people to the polling places. He attended many community meetings and mentored many young people in the community. He did this all while holding a full-time job with the Chicago Transit Authority and being a member of a local union. Tom's passing has left a gap not only for his family but for the entire community that benefited from his service and commitment to justice. Tom, may you rest in peace.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, before I begin, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the subject of the Special Order.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank Representative Pressley for dedicating this time in honor of the Transgender Day of Remembrance and, of course, naming many of the victims of violence who have met this fate simply for being who they are. As a member of the Equality Caucus, I am proud to call her my colleague and my friend. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green).

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, tonight, we find ourselves at a troubling time for all workers across the country: Income and wealth inequality are at an all-time high, and union representation is at a historic low. These facts mean that all workers have a harder time making ends meet. It is time to reset the balance of power in our economy between working people and corporate interests. For decades, collective bargaining rights have been under relentless assault, especially by the Republican Party, in an effort to disempower working people and hand our democracy to corporate America. Tonight, I am proud to bring together my colleagues from the Congressional Progressive Caucus and our friends to talk about the PRO Act. The Protecting the Right to Organize Act is a landmark step to restore the rights of working people to join unions and collectively fight for fair wages and working conditions. The PRO Act rebalances the scales between workers and corporations by enacting strong enforcement measures against employers who violate labor laws, strengthening the right to negotiate and organize unions, and empowering workers to report abuses of their rights. I thank my colleagues for joining me to stand up for workers and their right to organize. I also want to recognize the true creators of wealth in our economy, the working men and women of America. To begin tonight's deeper conversation, I call on a person who represents a district that has been at the heart of growing the economy and driving the economy for average Americans over a long period of time. He comes from trade union organizing and represents an overwhelmingly working-class district in the great State of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin).

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Scott, who, of course, is also the Chair of the Education and Labor Committee. Part of the reason why he knows so much about the bill is he happens to be the bill's chief sponsor. Mr. Speaker, we are going to hear from another part of the country, and we are going to the West Coast to get a better understanding of why representatives in this House from all over the country are uniting behind this important piece of legislation. Next, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), who is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and also chairs the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the U.S. Congress.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California. Before we go to the East Coast and hear the voices of working people there and why they support the PRO Act, I would like to share with you a brief story about myself in Chicago. When I was growing up in Chicago, both of my parents were proud union members. In fact, they were both Teamsters. My father worked at a cold storage facility, and my mother worked at a candy factory on Chicago's West Side. Both relied on their union jobs to raise our family, and they retired on their union pensions, which enabled them to purchase a comfortable home for their family. There will be more stories from Chicago, but right now I would like to go to the East Coast and hear from another member of the Progressive Caucus. He hails from the State of New Jersey. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Norcross).

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for sharing that wonderful story. Women in this body overwhelmingly support the PRO Act for good reason. The PRO Act would help level the playing field and move all of us toward a greater sense of economic justice. This evening, we are very fortunate to hear from a voice also from the East Coast who will get to the crux of why this is such an important tool for economic justice in our country. She is a member of the Progressive Caucus of this body and someone who is passionate and compassionate about providing equal opportunity for everyone in our country. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman).

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, if I could inquire how much time is remaining in the Special Order hour?

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Before I introduce and as a prelude to the remarks that we will hear from the following speaker, I would like to share a story about the great city that I hail from and the great State that I represent here, the State of Illinois. It has a proud labor history that is filled with stories of courage and sacrifice by workers striving to organize. Since the 1800s, workers organized in mines and factories fighting the abuses of powerful industrial interests. Chicago earned the reputation as a city of big shoulders, a working-class and hardworking city. Workers were killed in the Haymarket massacre of 1886, a struggle that led to the 8-hour day and the end of child labor. The country's first national strike started in Chicago when train workers across the country joined a strike that began in Pullman, Illinois. Federal troops were sent in to break up the Pullman Strike, but it was so significant that Congress created Labor Day shortly afterward. One of the Nation's most deadly mine disasters happened in Illinois in 1909. The tragedy prompted better enforcement of child labor laws and advanced the movement for workers' compensation. Working people joining forces in unions helped lift up all workers across the country. With that opening remark, Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield next to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Pocan), who also happens to be one of the cochairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for his remarks. So what is the essence of the Protect the Right to Organize Act? We have heard from my colleagues today about the many ways that unions have made America strong. From the 8-hour day to building the middle class, we have a lot to thank the labor movement for. Unions are an integral part of increasing wages and addressing income inequality. Still, special interest-funded attacks on labor laws have eroded union membership for years. For too long, greedy companies have used extreme measures to stop working people from exercising their right to join together and negotiate for their rights and their working conditions. While the economy is working very well for the wealthy, our middle class continues to shrink. The cause is simple: policy choices, especially by Republicans in the House at this time, in the Senate, in State legislatures, and the Presidency that have stripped workers of the power to stand together. The Protecting the Right to Organize Act is a historical proposal that restores fairness in the economy by strengthening the Federal laws to protect workers' rights to organize. We need the PRO Act at a time when Trump wages war against the labor movement. We need the PRO Act to build an economy that works for all working families and not just the wealthy. The lessons I learned from unions--that individual justice is only as good as collective justice--continue to inform my career in public service, and I hope every worker can have the opportunities that unions gave me. I got a chance to work at a young age. I joined a union. It helped me pay for my college education. I did well in the community that I still live in. That is why I approach banding together for the welfare of working people. Tonight, you have heard from people from coast to coast, all over our country, from the South and from the heartland. These are individuals who are fighting for working people to, again, level the playing field and create a real purpose of economic justice to lift everyone up in our country. As we move forward with the PRO Act, I call upon the American public to understand that it is time for economic justice and it is time for prosperity for all. And, with that, I ask them to call on their Representatives in the U.S. Congress to make this law a reality for all working men and women across the Nation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I am proud to introduce the Protecting Consumers from Market Manipulation Act, which guards against market manipulation in a range of industries by strengthening the separation of banking and commerce. For decades, federal banking regulation has established a separation between banking and commerce. This longstanding doctrine--a fundamental underpinning of the Bank Holding Company Act (BHCA)--is spurred by the belief that banks should not use their leverage as financial actors to game economic outcomes. Under the doctrine, banks may facilitate business through the extension and underwriting of loans, etc., but not through direct production or sale of goods. Commercial entities were purposefully walled off from the definition of banking in order to avoid conflicts of interests between the actors and operators of markets. Now is a crucial moment to strengthen the separation between banking and commerce, with tech giants like Facebook, Google, and Uber moving swiftly into financial services. We know we can't trust big monopolies with our financial information. The potential for collusion and manipulation of outcomes is just too great. This bill will keep tech companies and other large non-financial companies from deriving more than 5 percent of their annual revenue from banking activity. This bill also shores up the banking/commerce separation by limiting commodities ownership by commercial banks. When the lines between banking and commerce are blurred, monopolization and concentration are usually the result. Working people suffer the consequences, whether it's Big Tech undermining small businesses or big banks gouging consumers by manipulating the price of oil, aluminum, and electricity. We must protect consumers from big banks and big tech--and separate banking and commerce. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I am proud to introduce the Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act, which extends important protections to all consumers. In 2006, Congress imposed an interest rate cap on many consumer loans, including payday products, for active-duty servicemembers and their dependents via a bipartisan amendment known as the Military Lending Act. This rate cap has proven successful in cracking down on usury and preventing predatory lending from trapping active-duty military families in a cycle of debt. We know that the Military Lending Act has preserved access to credit while protecting consumers from predatory payday lenders. Some states have extended these proven protections to all their residents, but my constituents in Illinois remain vulnerable to payday loans, debt collection, vehicle repossessions, and more. Veterans and consumers deserve the same protections from vicious debt traps that active-duty service members receive, and the Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act will do just that. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, we lost my dear friend, Marca Bristo, an inspiring civil rights activist from Chicago. Marca had a diving accident when she was young that left her paralyzed from the chest down. She never allowed her disability to define her. Instead, her disability became her superpower. Marca dedicated her life to changing laws and bringing attention to the disparities faced by people with disabilities in the most basic services. She was instrumental in bringing wheelchair ramps to Chicago public buses. She didn't do this by just writing letters or holding meetings. Marca went as far as chaining herself to a bus to force the Chicago Transit Authority to make mass transit more accessible. She worked with the broader civil rights communities to pass key legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act. The organization she founded, Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, will carry on with her legacy. I send our heartfelt thoughts to her son and her daughter. Rest in power, Marca Bristol.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a practical bill that will ensure healthy, safe housing. H.R. 1690, the Safe Housing for Families Act, now named the Carbon Monoxide ALERTS Act, or CO ALERTS Act, would require the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in all federally assisted public housing to prevent needless deaths. The legislation I introduced with my colleague, Joe Cunningham of South Carolina, passed out of the Financial Services Committee unanimously, and bipartisan action in the Senate is well underway. Secretary Carson of the Department of Housing and Urban Development testified in support of our efforts to put an end to carbon monoxide deaths in public housing. Allow me to share a story about Gwendolyn and Anthony Fleming, who were residents of the Hickory Hollow residence in Wayne, Michigan. They moved to their community to be somewhere quiet and safe, but the fact that HUD doesn't require carbon monoxide detectors on its facilities put them in grave danger. On a cold February day this year, Ashley, their daughter, pulled up to Hickory Hollow with her three kids. She expected to find her parents waiting for a routine family dinner. When her parents didn't return her calls or answer the door, she knew that something was wrong and called the police. Ashley's mother had died of carbon monoxide poisoning. When the medical examiner arrived, Ashley knew it was time to leave. ``I didn't want to see them bring my mother's body out in a body bag,'' she said. ``And I didn't want my children to see that either.'' Anthony Fleming, Ashley's father, was found unconscious and was taken to a hospital. He never regained consciousness. These deaths--and many others--were preventable. Since 2003, 13 people have died from carbon monoxide poisoning in federally subsidized housing. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control reports that 50,000 individuals per year are sickened by carbon monoxide poisoning, and over 400 die per year. It is unconscionable that the very people our government seeks to provide shelter for are dying in their homes. All it takes is a detector, just like smoke detectors we already require in every building. Secretary Carson said it himself: ``A simple, inexpensive, widely available device can be the difference between life and death. Given the unevenness of State and local law, we intend to make certain that carbon monoxide detectors are required in all our housing programs, just as we require smoke detectors, no matter where our HUD-assisted families live.'' In April, HUD proposed a rule to require carbon monoxide detectors on its housing units. In May, HUD announced $5 million to install detectors. We know, however, that the rulemaking process can drag on for months. Already, almost 25 States already require carbon monoxide monitors in homes, and it was Secretary Carson who suggested that the patchwork of State laws be aligned around the principle of expanding public safety protections. Testifying before the Financial Services Committee in May, Secretary Carson said that he was 100 percent in favor of resolving this issue and said, ``As quickly as we can get it done, it is going to get done.'' The quickest possible solution is for the House to pass the bill before us today. Secretary Carson's staff at HUD have been engaged in working with Congress to expedite the rule-making process and make sure that protections are put in place before the cold winter months arrive. This bill has already spurred legislative action in the Senate, and the bipartisan efforts moving through the Senate Banking Committee are now aligned in this bill. Let's pass this life-saving legislation and protect those in Federally assisted housing. I would like to thank the staff of the House Financial Services Committee, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and in the Senate those who have worked to ensure that our efforts will effectively prevent needless deaths as quickly as possible. I would also especially like to thank Senator Kamala Harris for working with me to introduce this legislation and to Senators Menendez and Scott for helping us make technical changes to improve the bill. I also want to thank Chair Maxine Waters, ranking members Pat McHenry and Mr. Stivers of Ohio and members of their staff for all their work on this bill, which received unanimous support from the Financial Services Committee. Numerous housing, public health, and home security groups support this legislation.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. The supporters of this bill include the National Association of Realtors, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the American Public Health Association, the National Housing Law Project, the National Housing Trust, the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association, the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, the Latin United Community Housing Association, Justice Innovations, Safe Kids Illinois, and the Security Industry Association. Colleagues, let's seize the rare opportunity to advance straightforward life-saving legislation that has already won bipartisan support in this House. Saving lives in our housing facilities with a simple, inexpensive solution is not a partisan issue. It is exactly what our constituents sent us here to do, work together to find solutions for the American people. I urge you to support H.R. 1690, the CO ALERTS Act.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, to begin Special Orders, I ask for unanimous consent that Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Representatives Pocan, Porter, Tlaib, and Jayapal. We are here today to call for justice for immigrants. We are here to put a spotlight on President Trump's harmful attacks on immigrants and asylum seekers. Since President Trump took office, he has implemented some of the harshest and most racist immigration policies in our country's history. Trump is also repeating one of the worst themes in our history, that of relentless attacks designed to divide our country. Trump wants people to think that brown and black immigrants are not worthy of compassion, legal due process, or human rights. Despite organizing in our communities, the Trump White House has continued to push forward its anti-immigrant agenda. As an immigrant myself, the stories break my heart and make me really angry. A year ago, the separation of families and the caging of children shocked the conscience of Americans. A year later, we all mourned the deaths of Oscar Martinez Ramirez and his daughter Angie Valeria, who were found on the edge of a river embankment, both drowned in an effort to reach the promise of America. We used to think that sharing vulnerable images of the deceased children would elicit our deepest emotions and that would be enough for change, but even after the deaths of Oscar and his daughter, children continued dying at the hands of this administration, and nothing has changed. It is tempting to become desensitized. It is easy to believe that this is the new normal. This is anything but normal. This is unprecedented. Whenever a scandal comes out or the President feels threatened, he comes after immigrants and those who do not look like him. It is unconscionable that the President has put lives, families, children, and communities in danger in a blatant effort to distract the media and our country. Today is an opportunity for my colleagues and me to, one, put a face on the people being impacted by these policies--people are real lives-- frame this as the agenda of a President and a party who seek to hold power by dividing Americans, and to remind our country that every attack is connected. This is all part of a broader agenda of hate. I now yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch).

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Welch, Congresswoman Schakowsky of Illinois, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus for allowing me to lead this conversation. The remarks of the previous speaker are a good segue to some background information from a historical context that I will share in the rest of the proceeding. Migrants are escaping some of the harshest regimes in Central America, where political and economic turmoil have generated abject poverty, abuse, and violent crime. Unlike many previous waves of immigrants, Central Americans are not arriving for purely economic reasons or to pursue the American Dream. Instead, they are coming to seek safety and the chance to live without fear of death, rape, or abuse. Those coming to our border now are families, newborns, children, and pregnant women escaping life-or-death situations as well as poverty. These deeply rooted causes and push factors help explain why so many Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and Hondurans are fleeing their countries and heading toward the U.S. El Salvador. El Salvador has been trapped in a cycle of violence that can be traced back to its civil war, in which the U.S. was complicit. The MS-13 gang, which many politicians like to talk about, and frequently referred to by the President in justification of his hardline immigration policies, was actually formed in L.A., in Los Angeles, California, and introduced into El Salvador when its members were deported, often to a country they barely knew. Guatemala also comes out of a great conflict in that country. Jakelin Caal Maquin, the 7-year-old Guatemalan girl who died in El Paso in December from cardiac arrest caused by severe dehydration and shock, was forced to leave her home due to severe poverty. Her relatives explained that her father did all he could to stay in the land, but necessity made him try to get to the U.S. Honduras. Gender-based violence is the second leading cause of death for women in Honduras. In a country where emergency contraception and abortion are banned even for rape victims, survivors of sexual violence have few options if they become pregnant. They can seek to terminate the pregnancy and risk prison time, or they can go through with it and face one of the highest maternal mortality rates in all of Latin America. As a parent, I understand and empathize with parents who will do whatever it takes to give their children a better life. When you have a gun to your head, people threatening to rape your child, extort your business, or force your son to work for the cartels, what would you do? Aid to the Northern Triangle region of Central America is a long- standing pillar of American foreign policy supported by most Democrats and Republicans in Congress. Providing humanitarian aid to countries in the Northern Triangle will help stabilize those economies and lift millions out of poverty in the process. Establishing economic stability in those nations is at the root of an effective strategy to reduce the current surge in migrants seeking asylum and, ultimately, an effort to solve the root causes of the humanitarian crisis at the border. Despite this understanding from the State Department, the Trump administration is reducing aid. Annual assistance to Central America has declined by nearly 30 percent since fiscal year 2016. Funding is crucial to programs that focus on good governance, economic growth, and social welfare in the Northern Triangle. This is an issue of national security in our country and basic human needs and dignity abroad. Instead of receiving children and families with open arms, President Trump is cutting foreign aid for countries in the Northern Triangle, further exacerbating conditions there and ultimately feeding into his manufactured crisis at the border. Potentially hundreds of thousands more will be forced to make the difficult decision and head toward the U.S., and the administration knows this. Aid is not an immediate fix or the ultimate solution. An investment in the region can, however, help mitigate violence, corruption, and poverty, which can help over the long term. The State Department's recent announcement to put $180 million on hold, to divert further funds, will impact political stability and economic opportunities in those countries and, therefore, the push factors affecting migration. President Trump was right when he declared a crisis at the border. What he failed to explain is the role this administration has played in aggravating the situation. There is real suffering. Every day, refugees arriving at the southern border are being detained and held in inhumane conditions, children locked in cages and infants dying in our care. The bottom line is very simple. The President has made the crisis at the border significantly worse, and it will only intensify with cuts in foreign assistance to the Northern Triangle. President Trump is waging an assault on all fronts against immigrants and asylum seekers and a full assault against the very morals and founding principles of our country, principles of acceptance, inclusiveness, and refuge for those who seek its shelter. In the interior, for Americans living away from the border, it can often seem like the President's assault on immigrants and asylum seekers is a distant issue we see on the news, but the truth is that the President's terrorizing of communities extends to our backyards, our schools, our neighborhoods, and our church congregations throughout the country. I want to take a moment to share a story and give a face to the problem. Without understanding our own personal stake in the well-being of our friends, coworkers, and neighbors, we cannot fully grasp the extent of the President's assault. Nothing we do in these Halls is worth debating if we are not willing to understand how our decisions ultimately affect people's lives. ICE raids are happening not only at the border. These government actions that separate families and tear children from their mothers are happening in well-established immigrant communities around the country, including many in my district in Chicago. Francisca Lino, a mother and grandmother from Chicago, is living this reality as we speak. She is married to a U.S. citizen. She has three U.S.-citizen children and other grandchildren. A law-abiding, hardworking woman who had never received even a parking ticket in her life received an order of deportation under the Trump administration. As a result, she was forced to seek sanctuary in a church, where she has been living for the past 2 years. During this time, besides being away from her children and husband, she also missed the birth of her grandson Diego. Confined to a space that welcomed her but is not by any means suitable for someone to live without the possibility of ever going out, Francisca and her family are asking for our help. If she ever tried to step out for a moment, she can be sure that she would be caught by ICE officials, who are constantly surveilling the church. Her decision to fight back against Trump's cruel immigration policies have taken a toll on her family. Her daughters have suffered emotional trauma, but that is not all. As a provider for her family, the void she left when she took sanctuary has been felt economically as well. In my district and around the country, there are many people like Francisca who have been nothing but law-abiding, hardworking neighbors, contributing to our economy by paying taxes and supporting the community they live in. In return, however, many of our neighbors, who are no different than ourselves, save for the lack of certain papers, have been met with oppression from an administration that is hellbent on using immigrants as scapegoats to explain the deep-rooted problems in our country. It is up to Congress to point out the real problems and stop Trump's xenophobic and irrational policies. ICE raids throughout the country continue to terrorize families and communities, hurt our local economies and small businesses, and rip U.S.-citizen children from their parents. The President's assault on immigrants goes well beyond the border. It is terrorizing those all around us for nothing other than political gain. Blatant suppression of votes and intimidation of communities across the land: Recent news that the Census will be printed without the citizenship question is a victory for everyone in this country. This is especially important for historically undercounted groups, including communities of color, people living in large housing units, and immigrants. Every single person in our democracy counts and must be counted in the Census to distribute Federal funding and resources accurately. The Constitution is clear on this topic. The final Census count determines so much of our daily lives: new hospitals and schools, representation in government, funding programs like Medicaid. Ensuring everyone counts ensures funding for the programs our constituents need and for healthy neighborhoods. Recently released documents have proven what we already suspected, that the Trump administration announced the addition of a citizenship question in yet another attempt to disenfranchise and intimidate the immigrant community. It was a cheap political move to undermine the integrity of the Census. Is this person a citizen of the United States? A seemingly small question, but one with so many implications. This is especially true for children, including U.S.-citizen children living in mixed-status families, families that might avoid the Census for fear of their information being shared. Our fight to count every single person is not over. We still have a lot of work ahead of us. The back-and-forth of the citizenship question left many of my constituents scared and confused. This remains the administration's goal. While President Trump has backed down from his attempt to add a citizenship question to the Census, he is directing U.S. agencies to provide all information they have on U.S. citizenship. In other words, he continues to use any means of intimidation to threaten immigrants. When one method is blocked, he tries another. Ensuring a complete count on the 2020 Census is a fight we can win. I started working on it as a Cook County commissioner and will continue working to ensure that every single person is counted. Our representation, schools, hospitals, and healthcare depend on it. The President continues to weaponize his office in every possible way. We must fight back until we have justice for all and justice for immigrants. Madam Speaker, today, we have heard powerful stories and comments from my colleagues from all around the country about the countless ways that President Trump is driving an anti-immigrant agenda and terrorizing communities all around the country, whether it is the detention of American citizens, Trump ending asylum protections and eligibility, changes to the citizenship test, placing children in cages to send a message, or leaving women and children in inhumane conditions at detention camps. We must remember that this administration is not only hurting immigrants, but it is hurting citizens, mixed-status families, and entire communities, Black, White, Asian, and Latino. These harmful tactics may be aimed at a few, but they are harming us all. Trump's assault on immigrants and asylum seekers is an assault on all Americans, an assault on our values of inclusivity, an assault on our history of welcoming the world's tired and weary. He is leading a full- court press on the very soul of who we are as Americans. Deeply disturbing is the fact that we know that Trump's ongoing attacks on immigrants are deeply rooted in racism. We see it in the Muslim ban, we see it in the 2020 census citizenship question, and the public charge rule. Trump says that criminals, drug dealers, and rapists are invading our country casting a generalization over communities all over the land. That is false. It is the reason he wants fewer immigrants from s-hole countries and more from northern European countries like Norway, or so he has said. When a crowd chanted recently ``Send her back'' in response to Trump's attacks against my colleagues, we knew it was never about legal immigration. As an immigrant, I take this personally. When the President announced ICE raids, we know his intent was to deliberately terrorize Black, Brown, and immigrant communities. Livelihoods and families are at stake and many in the communities, like the ones I represent, were thrown into fear and trauma when the President threatened raids over Twitter. Parents today are forced to have tough conversations with their children to set up emergency plans in the event they would not return home from work. This is sad and tragic. While the President continues to attack immigrants and asylum seekers, I remind my constituents that this is not the time to be fearful or timid, this is the time to keep fighting, to act like courageous Americans, and those who aspire to be Americans, as well. We are a nation of many peoples and certainly of immigrants. America is and has been great, precisely because we have long welcomed immigrants with open arms and will continue doing so. To be American is to be of immigrant heritage, with the exception of our Native American sisters and brothers, all of whom have also suffered because of tactics to divide us by race, by creed, or by country of origin. Together, we are stronger than this President. And no matter how long this assault on immigrants and asylum seekers goes on, it is in our blood, as Americans, to never lose faith in the fight for equal human dignity and opportunity for all. We must fight until there is justice for all and justice for immigrants in America. If we are talking about Trump's assault on immigrants, we cannot leave out what the President has done to Dreamers. At the beginning of his administration, the President rescinded DACA under the authority of then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions. That action was the opening salvo in President Trump's assault on immigrants using the power of the Oval Office. The decision to end DACA and the DACA program was a direct attack on young men and women, all of whom were brought into this country through no decision of their own. Many came as babies. Many DACA recipients or Dreamers call no other country but America their home. Unfortunately, they have to work harder than anyone else to have access to the same opportunities afforded to their friends and classmates in the same country that we all love. That is the case of Elizeth Arguelles, a 23-year-old Dreamer from my district. She is also from my neighborhood of Little Village in Chicago. Elizeth is paying her way through college by making and selling tamales. At age 9, she learned to make tamales and started helping her mother sell them in the streets of Chicago. Since elementary school, she has been waking up at 3:30 in the morning to make the tamales before going out to sell them at 7:30. Elizeth will graduate from college next year, and we could say her story is a hallmark of success and American perseverance. Saying so, however, ignores the dark reality of her situation. Her story is, by all means, a picture-perfect example of America's spirit and hard work and perseverance. She deserves that credit. Her story, however, is far from a feel-good story. Rather, it is yet another example of how our political system has failed hardworking people in our country. Elizeth's success is hers alone. Our government has and continues to fail her by maintaining an anti-immigrant policy that fails to account for children brought here against their own conscious will. It is a reminder that the Dream and Promise Act passed in the House of Representatives must be passed in the Senate immediately. Up to 2.5 million immigrants across the country, people like Elizeth, would be eligible for protection under H. Res. 6, including 37,000 immigrants in Chicago alone. Through the Dream and Promise Act, Elizeth and her family and over 85,000 people in my city who live in mixed-status families would have legal certainty. I applaud Elizeth's perseverance and determination to fulfill her dream of graduating from a 4-year university. But I also hope that the Members of the Senate are hearing the cries of aspiring young Americans who want to continue to contribute to our country, to lead our country, and to be exemplary citizens by giving them a path to legalization and citizenship. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Jackson Lee for her words. To close this evening, I want to call our attention again to what we are seeking to do in this Special Order hour, which is to again highlight and shed a spotlight on the administration's assault on immigration and asylum seekers that is taking place. I do it seeking to express the sentiment, the concerns, and the aspirations of, especially, immigrant groups in my district whom I represent. And who are they? They are people who have come from Asia, who have come from Germany, who have come from Ireland, who have come from Eastern Europe, who have come from Africa and the Caribbean, as well as Latin America, and even other countries. It is my hope that, as the House of Representatives begins its summer recess, this Congress and the White House will reflect on the Nation's great history of welcoming people who are fleeing oppression and, as Congresswoman Jackson Lee noted, that we allow our better angels to impact, to inspire, and to move us. As we continue our path, striving to become a more perfect Union, there isn't a better way forward than by embracing those who are fleeing persecution, those who are fleeing violence, and those who are fleeing terrible conditions in the countries that they were born in. I want to thank the Congressional Progressive Caucus for its assistance in arranging for this Special Order hour. I want to thank those who have joined me tonight to share their stories. Madam Speaker, we can and we must do better.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.