Chuy García

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of S.J. Res. 15, a resolution to repeal the OCC's so-called true lender rule. Earlier this year, my State, Illinois, passed a law that protects our consumers from predatory, high-interest loans. Eighteen other States have done the same. I introduced the House version of this resolution because the true lender rule undermines laws like ours, laws that keep working-class people out of cycles of debt they can't pay back. The rule is a rubber stamp for rent-a-bank schemes, where a lender can dodge State law by having a bank's name on the loan paperwork. That is all. No skin in the game, no investment in our communities; just a name on the paperwork. This rule doesn't encourage innovation. It encourages playing games. This isn't a partisan issue. As a matter of fact, last year, 82 percent of Nebraska voters joined States like Arkansas and South Dakota to protect their communities from unpayable debt, and this rule from the OCC provides bad actors with a new tool to ignore them. So a broad coalition of over 400 organizations--rural, urban, suburban--have come together in support of this measure, and they include consumer advocates, labor advocates, veterans, credit unions, and many other actors, including evangelical congregations. Madam Speaker, I urge this body to pass this resolution and empower working-class communities like mine that are targeted by predatory lenders, and voters across the country who support consumer protections.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to honor my friend and activist Marcos Munoz, who lived a life of service and commitment to workers' rights. Marcos migrated to the United States from Coahuila, Mexico, when he was 13 years old. He was looking to make money to help his mother and his siblings after his father left them. He worked for a Texas rancher, who had him deported when Marcos asked for money he was owed after 5 months of backbreaking work. When Marcos returned to the U.S. in his twenties, the abuse he experienced turned him into an activist, fighting for basic labor rights for farmworkers. The late Cesar Chavez, leader of the United Farm Workers, recognized Marcos' leadership skills and asked him to lead efforts across the United States on behalf of the United Farm Workers union. I met Marcos when he came to Chicago seeking support for the second grape boycott. I was a student at the University of Illinois at Chicago and learned a lot about labor organizing from him. Marcos later made Chicago his home, settling in our neighborhood of Little Village, where he organized block clubs to create unity and elect representatives from the community. He later became a steelworker, joined the United Steelworkers union, and spent his last years before retirement as manager of supplies and linen at Cook County Hospital. Marcos passed away on May 15. I was lucky to call Marcos a mentor and a friend. My wife, Evelyn, and I are thinking about his family during these difficult times. May you be in glory, my brother.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Courtney Ann Neale, my office's press secretary and digital manager. Courtney passed away suddenly on May 23. It is still hard to fully express how much my staff and I feel Courtney's spirit, her energy, and her strength, and we miss her. She was an activist to the core and a dedicated public servant, an untiring advocate for women, for working-class people, immigrants, and communities of color. In the year before she joined our office, Courtney was diagnosed with several medical conditions that changed her daily life. Still, she continued her fight for a world where healthcare and education are guaranteed rights. Courtney stood strongly by her principles and--this I can tell you from personal experience--challenged those around her to do the same. As press secretary and digital manager, Courtney was a member of my office's communication team. Now, communications on the Hill can feel a bit like a one-way street, getting the message out fast before turning to the next thing. But Courtney took the meaning of communications seriously. Even under the greatest time crunch, she seemed to approach each tweet, each press statement, as a two-way dialogue. She not only got out our message; most mornings she would bring new messages in, raising attention to feedback on social media or local angles on national news. True to her title as a communicator, Courtney didn't just tell, she also learned and responded, ensuring that constituents were heard. And while she was known as our office's authority on all things social media, she gracefully filled many other roles in her personal life. She was an adventurous traveler; an avid reader; a doting dog mom; and beloved daughter, sister, and friend. Despite the hectic Hill schedule, she still prioritized time with colleagues, friends, and family. Principled work was a passion, but a principled life was the goal. So her memory is more than a legacy. It is a call to action, to take care of yourself, and take care of others as well, to give selflessly, and to savor what you have. Courtney dared to dream. She challenged us to act. Alongside the many joyful memories she leaves with us, it is those actions that we remember. On and off Capitol Hill, Courtney helped advance the progressive cause and, through it all, remained a kind and grounded person. As my staff and I mourn her passing, we also resolve ourselves to honor her legacy by continuing to fight for the better, fairer world that she so passionately believed in. My prayers are with Courtney's parents, Jill and Kevin; her sister, Marissa; and the incredible network of friends she made along the way in Milwaukee, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Rest in peace, Courtney.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Pocan for yielding. To Members of the body, the occupation must end, and there must be a just solution for both peoples. We cannot keep turning a blind eye to the practices that rob people of their generational homes or detaining children. Israeli and Palestinian families want to raise their children in safety and in peace, and we have got to take firm, diplomatic steps to support those goals. While the evictions in west Jerusalem and the hostilities around Al Aqsa Mosque seem to have provoked the latest escalation in violence. We have got to take a hard look at how the situation has changed in recent years. The Biden administration must reverse Trump's detrimental actions and take steps to ensure that U.S. aid to Israel cannot be used for the seizure or destruction of Palestinian homes. We have also got to continue humanitarian aid to Palestinian territories. The use of war-grade weapons and the killing of civilians must stop. I have always strongly supported a rights-based approach and a two- state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the current situation makes it more crucial than ever to pursue viable pathways toward equality, self-determination, and peace. I sincerely thank Mr. Pocan and the Progressive Caucus for putting this Special Order hour together. I hope and pray that the death and self-destruction will end and that we may work toward a peaceful solution centered on the humanity and the rights of all involved.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I represent a working-class district in Chicago, and my community has been especially hard-hit by the pandemic. I have one of the largest percentages of school-age children in my district, and my neighbors are worried about putting food on the table. I have seen the lines at food banks grow and grow. But the expanded child tax credit in the American Rescue Plan changes that. Nearly 90 percent of the children in my district will benefit. And more than 40,000 households will get an average of $3,300, parents like Jaime in Logan Square, who will finally be able to send his son to college this year at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign thanks to this tax credit. This program is about helping their children thrive, and in my community, it is already working.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, the killing of Adam Toledo shook the Nation. The video released a week ago shows a 13-year-old boy being chased by an officer, complying with instructions to drop it, and it show his hands up. Still the officer shot Adam in the chest. He complied and still died. It is hard to watch the video and not imagine a son or a nephew in his place. It brought about very powerful, personal emotions for people. I know it did for me. I was around the same age as Adam when I moved to the neighborhood of Little Village. I have known countless youth who have died on our streets, whether it was gun violence from gangs, or in this case, the police. We must pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and end qualified immunity. But in Black and Latino communities, we know the police play by a different set of rules too often. Change requires more accountability. We must invest in families and youth rather than violent policing. (English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:) ``To rest in peace, Adam Toledo, our families and our community need justice and hope that this doesn't happen again.'' Para descansar en paz, Adam Toledo, nuestras familias y comunidad necesitan justicia y esperanza de que esto no se repetira.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, as a proud member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I rise in strong support of the Tri- Caucus resolution promoting COVID-19 vaccine equity among communities of color. I represent the large immigrant population that has been especially hard hit by this crisis, and now these are the same communities who are still struggling to get the vaccine. Yes, vaccine hesitancy remains an issue, but the reality is that access is an even bigger problem. If we are serious about fighting COVID-19, we need to meet people where they are and bring vaccines to those who need it most, and we can't do this without engaging with trusted community leaders. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge one of these leaders in Chicago. Illinois Unidos, a coalition of health professionals and community leaders, is one of a kind and stands as a national model. From testing, to the vaccine rollout, to housing and food assistance, Illinois Unidos has stood shoulder to shoulder with the Latino community in Chicago.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Our Homes Our Votes Act along with my colleague from Pennsylvania, Mary Gay Scanlon and my colleague from Georgia, Nikema Williams. This bill will help close the voter turnout gap between rich and poor by making it easier for eligible tenants in federally subsidized housing to register to vote. People have fought and died for the right to vote in this country, but many still face barriers to voting. Tenants in federally subsidized housing already have their residence and identity verified by public agencies, and this bill will allow them to register to vote as they sign their lease and verify their income without duplicating information or finding additional paperwork to fill out. The best way to confront this country's history of voter suppression is to remove barriers to voting that exist today. Eligible voters in working class districts like mine vote at lower rates than wealthier voters, and that discrepancy undermines our democracy. This bill is a step toward fixing that, and I urge this body to advance it.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce this joint resolution to repeal the OCC's so-called ``True Lender Rule.'' Predatory loans trap working families into cycles of debt they can't pay off, and the Trump Administration's True Lender Rule helps lenders get around state laws that protect consumers. Just this week my state of Illinois enacted a law that caps interest rates on consumer loans at 36%, but my constituents won't be fully protected until the True Lender Rule is repealed. People are more vulnerable than ever to predatory loans as they struggle to make ends meet due to the economic crisis caused by the COVID pandemic. Congress should act quickly to repeal this flawed rule that undermines important safeguards set by state governments like mine.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, this bill is critical for millions. That is why I supported it in the previous Congress, but it also contains some deep flaws that perpetuate racial injustice. I, along with 47 Members, worked to eliminate those racially motivated barriers to legalization from this bill. These harmful provisions will deny immigrant youth a better future. In this moment of racial reckoning, we have missed an opportunity. Yet I will vote for this bill, and I urge support because we can do better so that every immigrant child has a fair chance to call America home.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chair Nadler and my colleagues for their leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8 and H.R. 1446, two gun violence protection bills that would help keep our communities safe. Mr. Speaker, I am from Chicago, and we are no strangers to gun violence. In 2020 alone the city recorded 3,261 shootings and 769 murders. Some of my colleagues might point out that Illinois has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. That is true. But studies tracking the guns show that guns often come from neighboring States with weaker gun laws. People drive one or two States over, and they come back with deadly weapons. The reality is that State laws aren't enough. We need stronger Federal laws, too. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass these critical laws that have bipartisan support among voters across the country that would help keep guns off the streets.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. Workers sacrifice so much to keep our country going during this pandemic. They risk their safety, and many have lost their lives. But workers everywhere are also organizing to improve their working conditions and keep our communities safe. This bill simply guarantees the right to fight for safety and dignity on the job. It is for Amazon workers in my neighborhood in Chicago fighting for their safety on the warehouse floor; for nurses demanding safe staffing levels in hospitals and nursing homes; for rideshare drivers and delivery workers who don't even have basic rights at work. I urge this body to pass the PRO Act for them and for all of us.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to honor a family man, a caring neighbor, and a selfless public servant, my dear friend Raul Montes, Sr. Raul was the ward superintendent for the 22nd Ward in the city of Chicago, a community known as Little Village. Raul and I share a common background. We both came to this country at a young age, settled in the Chicago neighborhood of Little Village, and started organizing for the improvement of our neighborhood and for the greater political representation of Chicago's Latino community. Raul created a block club in our neighborhood that worked to improve and beautify homes, backyards, and streets. They installed lamps in their front lawns, planted sod in the parkways, and established block watches and activities for children and teens. This deep involvement in community life is why I appointed Raul as a Democratic precinct captain of the sixth precinct when I was a member of Chicago City Council. He was the most effective and beloved precinct captain in Chicago's 22nd Ward. His hard work helped me and many others win elected office. As ward superintendent in the Department of Streets and Sanitation, he was frequently seen driving down streets and alleys, conversing with neighbors, and paying personal attention to their service requests. Even after he retired, he would ride around the neighborhood, asking people if they needed anything to be fixed in their homes or streets. Raul organized the best block parties and loved to sing and dance with his wife, Maria. They enjoyed traveling, spending time with their grandchildren, and, of course, having big parties. He also enjoyed helping out at the corner grocery store or restaurant to stay busy and catch up on what was going on in the neighborhood after he retired. Last month, Raul died of COVID-19, leaving a huge void in his family, his neighborhood, and the entire southwest side of Chicago. Today, we recognize his labor in the House of Representatives. (English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:) A few words in Spanish. Today in the United States Congress we recognize the friendship, work, and efforts of a great public servant. Raul Montes was a great superintendent of the 22nd District and Little Village community. We celebrate his life, all his efforts, and we'd like to express to Raul's family that his life was well lived, and for that reason, we give him this recognition. Unas palabras en espanol. Hoy en el Congreso de los Estados Unidos reconocemos la amistad, las labores, los esfuerzos de un gran servidor publico. Raul Montes fue un gran superintendente de nuestra comunidad en La Villita y el Distrito 22. Celebramos su vida, todos sus esfuerzos y le comunicamos a su familia que la vida de Raul Montes fue bien vivida, y por eso le hacemos ese reconocimiento.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Raul Montes, rest in power, my friend.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Robust International Response to Pandemic Act, along with my colleagues Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and Mark Takano of California. The COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis it has generated are global problems and both require global solutions. The United States must show leadership by supporting each country's ability to fight the virus, and the Robust International Response to Pandemic Act will do that by supporting an issuance of Special Drawing Rights from the IMF that will boost the global economy and aid our response to the virus. ``Special Drawing Rights'' will help countries avoid depleting their reserves during the turbulent economic times ahead; 2 trillion SDRs will help all of us--and especially emerging markets and developing economies--avoid financial catastrophe. I urge this body to advance this important legislation.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it has been almost 1 year since COVID hit the U.S., and the sick are still splitting pills, diabetics are still rationing their insulin, and families are doubled up in homes to keep relatives off the streets. I saw it in 2008, and I am seeing it again. Up and down the streets of my neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago businesses are closed. Every week I am attending another wake. It is happening across this country. This has been a failure of the American Government. But finally, we have a President willing to move a significant relief bill. Congress needs to pass this legislation and get people the relief that they need now. Transit, stimulus checks for working people and immigrants, rental assistance and small business grants--we can't nickel and dime our way out of this pandemic. Let's do our job. Let's get the vaccine out, and let's save our economy. We need to pass the $1.9 trillion budget and get the American people back on their feet now.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today in the strongest possible support for the impeachment of Donald J. Trump. When Trump made a last desperate attempt to steal the Presidency, to reject the will of the people by encouraging insurrection, he became the first President to incite an attempted overthrow of the institutions he is sworn to protect. That is a horrifying first, and his actions necessitate another. He should be the first President impeached and removed from office in the history of our country. I voted to impeach him once, and I am willing to do it again.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, today, I rise to honor Guadalupe and Maria Lopez, who were taken from us by COVID-19 in Chicago only a few weeks ago. Like thousands during this pandemic, their children--Erica, Richie, and Andy--weren't even able to say a proper good-bye. Guadalupe and Maria were loving parents, grandparents, and active members of the community who raised their family in Archer Heights in Chicago. Lupe, as most people knew him, was a beloved 911 dispatcher for 33 years. Chicago police officers described him as a ``voice of security and reassurance'' who guided them on the radio through some of the most dangerous situations. Colleagues remember him as always ready to help jump-start a car or change a tire, even after a long, stressful shift. Maria owned an income tax service in my neighborhood of Little Village. She served the community and, particularly, immigrants with kindness and dedication. Lupe and Maria's marriage was a love story, and their children and grandchildren were the center of their universe. They are reunited in Heaven. My wife, Evelyn, and I are keeping the Lopez family in our prayers.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, we are close to finalizing a relief package, but I ask my colleagues: Relief for whom? A relief package without survival checks is not a relief package at all, nor is a relief package that leaves out millions of immigrants and their families. Any deal that we strike must include survival checks to families and immigrants, and mixed-status families must be included. Earlier this year, countless families that I represent were denied stimulus checks, including U.S. citizens whose spouses are immigrants. We even excluded children who may have an immigrant parent. How in the world did we exclude U.S. citizen children? In this season of sacred holidays, I implore all of us to be compassionate and not punish kids for their parents' status. Families are struggling to put food on their tables and keep roofs over their heads. Circumstances are dire. We need to put money directly into working families' pockets. I urge my colleagues that any relief package must include survival checks for everyone, including immigrant children.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Community Driven Recovery for Puerto Rico Act along with my colleague from New York, Adriano Espaillat. This bill strengthens transparency and local oversight of federal recovery efforts in Puerto Rico by establishing a Civil Society Task Force to ensure that Puerto Ricans have a seat at the table in decisions about recovery efforts. More than three years since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, the island is still devastated and Puerto Rican voices have been shut out of the federal recovery process. The Civil Society Task Force established by this bill will represent different sectors of Puerto Rican society including community organizations, unions, nonprofits and small businesses. The Task Force will be embedded within federal recovery agencies to ensure that the Puerto Rican community's ideas and concerns are incorporated into the recovery process. The federal recovery effort in Puerto Rico has been removed from the people of the island for too long, and this bill provides an important mechanism to bridge that gap and enhance the accountability, transparency and credibility of the process. I urge this body to advance this bill.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution declaring that public transit is a national priority which requires funding equal to the level of highway funding along with my colleagues Hakeem Jeffries from New York and Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts. Joining us in this introduction are 30 other members from across the country and dozens of organizations invested in ensuring we build a more just, equitable, and sustainable transportation system in America. The near 40-year precedent of an ``80-20'' split between highway and transit funding does not reflect our citizens, businesses, and communities' needs for safe, reliable, and convenient public transportation. The split underfunds transit needs leaving too many reliant on deteriorating transit systems with infrequent, inconvenient, and unreliable service. The 80-20 split was agreed to in 1982, when 1 cent of a 5 cent gas tax increase was dedicated to transit. But since 2008, over $144 billion in taxpayer dollars have supplemented gas tax revenues for highway and transit spending. The user fee is not working as intended, yet the 80-20 funding split persists. Transit is an essential lifeline for the over one million rural households without a car and millions of Americans of color disproportionately reliant on public transit. 2.8 million essential workers and millions more rely on transit to access their jobs, food, and health care. In Chicago, CTA trains and Pace Buses are the arteries of our city and they've kept our people moving--especially frontline workers who keep our country moving despite the raging pandemic. Rebuilding a stronger, sustainable economy will require robust, reliable, and frequent transit and we must fund transit equitably like the vital public good and toll for economic empowerment that it is.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Our Homes Our Votes Act along with my colleague from Pennsylvania, Mary Gay Scanlon. This bill will help close the voter turnout gap between rich and poor by making it easier for eligible tenants in federally subsidized housing to register to vote. People have fought and died for the right to vote in this country, but many still face barriers to voting. Tenants in federally subsidized housing already have their residence and identity verified by public agencies, and this bill will allow them to register to vote as they sign their lease without duplicating information or finding additional paperwork to fill out. The best way to confront this country's history of voter suppression is to remove barriers to voting that exist today. Eligible voters in working class districts like mine vote at lower rates than wealthier voters, and that discrepancy undermines our democracy. This bill is a step toward fixing that, and I urge this body to advance it.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, on November 8, we lost a trailblazer for the Latino community due to COVID-19. Maria Cerda was the first Puerto Rican woman and first Latina appointed to the Chicago Board of Education. In that role, she secured funding for bilingual education programs and culturally responsive curricula that helped children like me, whose first language was not English, succeed. She went on to cofound the Latino Institute and later served as an appointee to President Jimmy Carter's National Council on Educational Research. In the 1980s, Mayor Harold Washington appointed Maria Cerda to head the Office of Employment and Training to oversee Federal job training programs. The role she played in turning Chicago into a sanctuary city also deserves recognition. Maria was once accosted by immigration agents in a clear case of racial profiling. The incident prompted Mayor Washington to issue the Nation's first ordinance preventing harassment of people of immigrant background. We celebrate her for her outstanding commitment to social, educational, and economic equity for Latinos in Chicago and throughout our country. Rest in power, Maria Cerda. We are eternally grateful for your work.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Espaillat for organizing this Special Order hour. Madam Speaker, we are more than 8 months into the COVID pandemic, and I know that each and every one of us has been impacted. For months, we sounded the alarm on the pandemic's disproportionate impact on Latinos, minority communities, and especially frontline workers. It is no coincidence that the top five most impacted zip codes in Illinois are in my district. And as many as one in 15 Chicagoans has COVID-19, with a vast majority being either Latino or Black. But this is a different moment. We are heading into a dark winter and working families cannot wait for Congress to act. Unless we take immediate action, more will die. The sick are splitting pills to pay rent. Diabetics are rationing insulin to save money. People are going hungry or doubling up in homes to keep off the street. This falls on us. Congress. The White House. How can I continue to go back home and explain to my constituents again why Congress can't pass relief for families? We expect everyone to do their part. Stay home or continue working the frontlines. It is way past time that we do ours. $1,200 is all people were given to get through the lockdown, and many of my immigrant constituents didn't even get that. Three, five, four. U.S. citizen-born children could not get their $500 checks. U.S. citizen spouses could not get their $1,200 checks because they may be married to someone who doesn't have a Social Security number yet. We call them essential workers, but really, they are expendable as far as Donald Trump and the Republican Senate are concerned. We call them essential, but they are expendable in the eyes of those who hold the keys to relief. What do I tell the exhausted doctors and nurses working days at a time at hospitals quickly reaching capacity? How do I explain our inaction to the mother who had to wait 4 hours just to get tested? Or patients trying to figure out how they are paying next month's rent? Or children who won't have parents sitting at the table this Thanksgiving? Most of my constituents don't have the luxury of working from home. They are essential workers. They are on the front lines making sure we keep this country running. Workers are having to make tough choices these days. Go to work with fears of contracting or spreading COVID-19, or stay home and risk losing a job, health insurance, or their home. All they are asking for is help to get by. People are afraid, frustrated, and worried. I am pissed off, and you should be, too. What are we doing here? What the heck is the Senate doing sitting around confirming judges while 246,000 families grieve? Yes, we are all exhausted. But months of willful neglect and recklessness from the White House, most Republican Governors and the Senate is devastating the Latino community and our entire country and economy. We have got to get a handle on this virus and our inaction--rather than the failure for the Senate or the White House to act--will only lead to more death and suffering. We must pass the Heroes Act now. Working people cannot wait until January. Lives are literally depending on it. I plead with all decision makers to come to their senses to save people's lives and to help restore our economy by doing the right thing. Passing COVID relief legislation that families, small businesses, and communities are dying, literally dying, to receive. Now is the time for that action, before it gets colder and darker in America. We have the solution and the power to act and bring relief to all of those grieving and hungry and sick families if we act today. It is time for action and no more words. It is time to rise to the occasion and restore our people and our economy.

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of Congresswoman Jayapal's resolution to condemn unwanted and unnecessary medical procedures without the full, informed consent of individuals. From the 1930s to the 1970s, Puerto Rican women were sterilized in order to control population growth. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, anti-immigrant sentiment resulted in the highest number of recorded state-sanctioned sterilizations of Mexican women in California. Now, in 2020, we learn of allegations that immigrant women in ICE custody are being subjected to forced hysterectomies. The stories we have heard from Georgia's Irwin County Detention Center are horrendous but, sadly, not new. They are a reminder of our country's dark history of forcing women of color to be sterilized. Robbing Black and Brown women of full autonomy over their bodies and reproductive freedoms is white supremacy in action. In any other country, we would denounce these horrific incidents as violations of human rights. I stand with my colleagues in strong support of the resolution to condemn these atrocities and hold those involved accountable. I am disgusted but not surprised. This administration has dehumanized immigrants time and time again. Those seeking asylum have been stripped of their dignity, and some are now scarred for life. This is a violation of human rights, a violation of human dignity, and an atrocious violation of privacy and safety. What happened in Georgia is criminal and must be condemned so that it may never happen again. I strongly urge adoption of this resolution.