Steven Horsford

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the historic deal reached by the House Committee on Ways and Means to include paid family and medical leave in the Build Back Better Act. For decades, the United States has fallen behind the rest of the world in the support that we provide for working families. Without a national paid leave policy, families have been forced to make an impossible choice between caring for their loved ones and putting food on the table. Across the Nation, there are millions of Americans like my constituent, Tameka Henry, who has lost $200,000 in wages over the course of her lifetime while caring for her chronically ill husband. Those lost wages mean lost contributions to Medicare and Social Security that push working Americans further behind in our economy. This shouldn't be a partisan issue. Paid leave levels the playing field for our small businesses and lifts up our entire economy. I hope that my Republican colleagues will come forward to help us deliver this historic change for the American people. But if they fail, make no mistake, Democrats will deliver for their constituents and for our own.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. And he said it may be only $300, but in the end, it is help that we are most grateful for. That is what this is about. When the Republicans gave the tax cut to the very wealthy, some of those corporations just went back and bought more stocks for themselves, made themselves wealthier, gave their CEOs bigger bonuses, didn't pay their workers more in wages, didn't expand healthcare, didn't provide childcare, didn't make their workers feel valued. And now because of that, many workers today are having a hard time. But yet Democrats, through the Congressional Black Caucus, are standing up, and we are pushing back, and that is what the Build Back Better Act and the bipartisan infrastructure bill is all about. I yield.

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my coanchor, my distinguished colleague Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee for her tremendous leadership and for anchoring this Special Order hour, and, of course, our chairwoman, Joyce Beatty, for her tremendous leadership in leading the Congressional Black Caucus, which represents more than 17 million Black constituents across this great country. We represent not only Black Americans, but all Americans, diverse Americans. And what those Americans have been telling me in my district back home in Nevada's Fourth District, it is time for us to build back better and to do it in a more equitable and inclusive way. Tonight, we are here to bring attention to the fact that we are standing at a crossroads of history. With the bipartisan infrastructure deal and the Build Back Better Act, Congress has the opportunity to finally rebuild our economy to deliver huge tax cuts to the middle class and to lower the cost of living for families on everything from childcare to healthcare. The question is: Will our colleagues on the other side of the aisle work with us to deliver these important investments on behalf of the American people? Now, we have seen transformative legislation like this before when Congress worked to rebuild the American society in the wake of the Great Depression, but never, and I mean never, have people of color benefited like they could under the Build Back Better Act. I think it is our majority whip, Jim Clyburn, who has talked about the history of these other measures and how they actually left entire communities out. They left women out. They left communities of color out, and we are still dealing with the systemic issues of being left out of those policies for far too long. So I want to again thank our leadership because it wasn't just this bill and the drafting of this bill and, yes, President Biden wrote this bill, he wrote it with the support of his team at the White House, but with a whole lot of good input from colleagues over here in the Capitol, including here in the Congressional Black Caucus. I know that there are colleagues of mine who have been working on key elements of this bill for a very long time. I know that they, like myself, are ready to act on behalf of the American people. So I look forward to having a little bit of a colloquy with my colleague from Wisconsin. I believe that it is so important, Mr. Speaker, that we talk about what is in this bill. For far too long, people have been focused about a top-line number, about the process, about the personalities here on Capitol Hill and whether certain factions are with the bill or working on the bill. With all due respect, I want to talk about policy and the policy that affects people, the people in my district, in Nevada's Fourth District, and the people all across this country. Why? Because the Build Back Better Act will cut childcare costs. For families that are eligible under this bill, they won't pay more than 7 percent of their household income to cover childcare, something that women and communities of color desperately need as we talk about the workforce shortage and the inequities that are in our workforce. What sense does it make when someone who has to work--I will give you an example--Ms. Rosetta, who is a constituent of mine, is a home care worker. I had a roundtable with her and some other home care workers. She shared with me that when she started her job several years ago, she got paid $9.50 an hour. Today, she makes just over $10 an hour. Think about that. For several years, this woman, who is a home care worker, who goes into elderly citizens' homes to take care of them, to make sure that they are fed, that they are bathed, that literally she changes their diapers, she is their companion, she hasn't been given a raise of more than 50 cents over the course of several years. That is unconscionable. Under the Build Back Better Act, we are actually investing in home care workers, not only to help make that profession what it should be, an honorable one that pays them what they are worth, but also equips them with the support that they need for their own families. Why is it okay for them to take care of other people's families and then not even have the resources and the means to take care of their own? It also gives every child a head start with universal pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds. Mr. Speaker, we have talked a lot about how we help young people get the start they need in life, and we know that by investing in their early success, it improves academic skill attainment, allowing them to read at an early age. Reading is essential to every other subject that they have to learn. It will ensure that they improve their graduation rates, which improves their life chances of success. To my colleagues on the other side, when you say that we are spending too much in this package, are we spending too much for that home care worker, for Rosetta, and so many other people like her? Are we spending too much to give working families the support they need to be able to afford childcare? Are we spending too much so that every child in our country has a good start through universal prekindergarten? These are but just a few of the benefits. Now, before I go on and I yield to my colleague here, I want to talk about one other important element. We have spent a lot of time on the Build Back Better Act, but I am also for the bipartisan infrastructure deal. Why? Yes, it is going to create millions of good-paying, union jobs. Yeah, I have no problem saying ``union'' here in this body, because it is the unions that helped build the middle class. If we are going to build this country back better, we need to do it with unions at the center of it. Not only does it do that, it expands broadband access, providing broadband connectivity in our households in rural communities and in urban areas. My district covers 52,000 square miles. I have parts of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas that need broadband, but I have six rural communities throughout Nevada, many of them that do not have adequate broadband. In fact, it is a broadband desert throughout certain parts of my rural communities. They need the investment. It also makes the largest Federal investment in public transit in history. Mr. Speaker, maybe more Members of Congress should have to ride the bus, and they would understand the investments that are in this bipartisan infrastructure bill. Yet, the minority leader on the other side is literally trying to whip votes against this bipartisan infrastructure bill, a bill that 19 Senate Republicans voted for, along with every Democrat. Now, it is our turn to vote for it, and they won't work with us to deliver the largest investment in public transit in history? You have constituents that rely on public transit. That is the only way some veterans can get to their doctors' appointments. Seniors, college students, working people. This has direct implications on the climate crisis as well. When people have to stand outside for hours in order to catch a bus, that affects their exposure to everything from heat to snow in Wisconsin. We don't have that in Vegas. Finally, it will remove lead from the water our children and other vulnerable populations drink. These are just three of the very important provisions that are in the bipartisan infrastructure deal. I am ready to vote for these bills, Mr. Speaker. I wish we could schedule the vote tomorrow, because these are investments that people in Nevada's Fourth District are depending on. They sent me to Congress to solve problems and to make their lives better. These two bills do that, and they do it in very significant and meaningful ways. In fact, it is probably the largest investment in people in a generation, and we have a chance to do it. It is the Congressional Black Caucus, among others, that are leading. I want to yield to my colleague, Congresswoman Moore. Let me ask you, because I know as a member of the Ways and Means Committee, you have been a champion on the racial equity. You have been a champion for the poor, particularly women, women of color, who have been disproportionately affected by this pandemic and its recession on our economy. So what is it in this bill that makes you so excited to vote for it, and how will other communities benefit, beyond just some of the things that I have touched on? Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Wisconsin makes a very valid point. I heard you over the weekend on one of the news outlets making the same point. Both of these bills are economic packages. I really resent, in fact, some of the inferences that have been made during this debate that somehow providing economic support for people to benefit and to fully participate in our economy is somehow an entitlement program. The child tax credit, for example. You talked about the earned income tax credit. I will talk about the child tax credit. This is a tax program. It is not an entitlement program. Just like we give tax cuts to the very wealthy and the big corporations--that is what the Republicans did when they were in the majority. They spent the majority of their time trying to figure out how to provide 83 percent of the benefits to the top 1 percent and a tax cut that some of the businesses did not even ask for, as much as they got. Now, Democrats are in charge, and what have we done? We started with the American Rescue Plan. In that, we provided a tax cut for middle- class families, the child tax credit, which actually has already lifted about 50 percent of children out of poverty, higher rates for Black, Latino, and Native American children out of poverty. Now, there was a debate a couple of weeks ago that we now need to put a work requirement, means test, and we need to change the threshold to make people with lower incomes eligible and those with higher incomes-- like $90,000 is enough to not receive a tax credit. I am glad that President Biden rejected those ideas. But it was the Congressional Black Caucus that stood up and said no, because this is an economic package, and we need provide economic supports to families. The other part that you so ably noted is what are some of the barriers that women face in the workforce. You talked about this in our committee: childcare, healthcare, transportation. These are the basics that people need, particularly women. Who was the hardest hit during this pandemic and recession? Women, particularly women of color, Black women, Latinas, and Native American women. So if we are going to build back better, we need to do it in a way that is intentional in a way of helping them and making sure that they're supported. I just want to share one story. Keeonn, who is a constituent of mine, is a young father in my district. He wrote to me about how he is using that child tax credit, which is a tax cut, and the advance payment that we provided, that $300 a month. You know what he is using that money for? To buy healthy food for his daughter.

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I want to laud her and the members of the Congressional Black Caucus for all of the tremendous work on behalf of our families, on behalf of children, on behalf of communities. I want to just point out one additional thing that Ms. Jackson Lee has worked on as the chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security in the Judiciary Committee and for her tremendous leadership on this. In her capacity on the Judiciary Committee, last year the United States saw the highest increase in gun homicides since national recordkeeping began. That was in 2020. And, sadly, we are still on track to see that number continue to increase this year. This violence, Mr. Speaker, falls disproportionately on young Black men. Even though we make up only 6 percent of the U.S. population, we account for about 50 percent of gun homicide victims. Now, those statistics aren't just numbers. They are lives. And they are lives that every one of us should be held to account for. For me, as a Black man, raising three children with my wife--two sons and a daughter--it hits me very directly because this is what we worry about every single day when our children leave our homes, because these are our friends, they are our children. I am proud, Mr. Speaker, that the Congressional Black Caucus made this issue a priority, and we went to President Biden and to Vice President Harris, and we talked to them about the need to stop the onslaught of deaths. And he listened. He listened, and he included $5 billion of funding and a bill that I am proud to have sponsored, along with my colleagues, the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, which funds community-based violence intervention programs to save lives. Now, this is proven to work. These are community-based programs and partnerships with faith-based, community-based organizations to provide mental health and wellness, job training and placement, and intervention programs so that when we pass the Build Back Better Act, it will include $5 billion of funding over 8 years and an additional amount of funding specifically for workforce development and placement. For months now we have negotiated in good faith. We have worked with our colleagues. We have listened. Now it is time for us to move forward. No more delays. No more excuses about process, no more focusing on personalities here in Washington. Let's focus on the people and the policy that will benefit them and their lives. Four years ago, when the Republicans were in control of the White House, the House, and the Senate, they used their majority to pass tax cuts for the wealthiest 1 percent and the biggest corporations in our country. Today, Democrats are in the majority, and our priority is to deliver for the people. I am proud to work with my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus and the House Democrats to deliver this historic package. We are going to get it done. I yield back to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, 7 months ago, Democrats passed a historic tax cut for middle-class families and lifted millions of children out of poverty. Since then, some of my conservative colleagues have had the audacity to complain that we helped too many children. In my district, here is what it means when 97 percent of families are eligible for the child tax credit: For Yvette, it means healthy food on the table. For Sara, it means being able to afford her child's preschool tuition. This money goes straight into our local economy, helping parents get back to work and build the future that their children deserve. But without a clean extension of the child tax credit, American families will lose this critical support just as the economy begins to recover. This tax credit isn't a handout. It is about putting hard-earned tax dollars back in the pockets of working families with children. For any of my colleagues who won't vote to help their constituents, let me be clear: I will vote for the families in your districts and mine because our children deserve nothing less.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a champion for the Build Back Better Act's $5 billion investment in community violence intervention. Last year, our country witnessed the largest spike in murder rates since national recordkeeping began in 1960. In my home city of Las Vegas, murders are up nearly 70 percent this year already. This violence doesn't happen in a vacuum. It happens when people don't have hope or faith that there are better paths forward, to make money to resolve a conflict, or to feel safe. For decades, politicians in this Chamber have stoked fear about urban crime to divide us while refusing to invest in real solutions. I lost my father to gun violence, so this is not about politics for me. We need to focus on stopping the bloodshed before it starts. This summer, I introduced the Break the Cycle of Violence Act along with my colleagues proposing $5 billion in funding that is now part of the Build Back Better Act. This money will invest in proven, community- based violence intervention programs to build safer communities. This is about saving lives, and our constituents are counting on us to get this done.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Helen Anderson Toland. Ms. Toland has been a Las Vegas resident since 1964 and served as the Clark County School District's first African American female school principle at the former Kit Carson Elementary School, now renamed Helen Anderson Toland Elementary School in her honor. Originally from Marceline, Missouri, Ms. Toland attended University of Illinois and worked as the first black speech correctionist in Louisville, Kentucky before receiving a master's degree in speech therapy from University of Southern California (USC). While in Los Angeles in the early 1960s, she became active in the NAACP, through which she met Jim Anderson, whom she married in 1964. When Ms. Toland arrived in Las Vegas, she was initially hired as a speech therapist by the Clark County School District, before becoming principal of Kit Carson in 1965, a position she held for seven years, after which she became principal at Robert E. Lake Elementary School. While principal, Ms. Toland took great pride in providing for her students, including by organizing field trips to Disneyland and Mt. Charleston. Following the passing of Mr. Anderson, she married Elton Toland and moved to Los Angeles in 1972 before moving back to Las Vegas in 1980. Throughout her lifetime, Ms. Toland has been very active in community work in Las Vegas, as well as in Africa. In addition to her work with the NAACP and the civil rights movement, Ms. Toland was also a board member of an environmental group called Foresta, and was involved with the National Association of College Women and Les Femmes Douze. Ms. Toland is also a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and was one of the founders of the local chapter. Ms. Toland also has held community yard sales to raise funds for the schooling of young people in Las Vegas and Africa, contributed to the first preschool speech therapy program in Kubwa-Abuja, Nigeria, and shares artwork and artifacts from her travels to Africa with members of the local community, including university and school children. Earlier this month, the Historic Preservation Commission, joined by Councilman Cedric Crear, preserved Ms. Toland's Westside home as part of the City of Las Vegas Historic Property Register, and she will be included among the icons to be enshrined at Historic Westside Legacy Park later this year, in honor of her years of accomplishments and dedication to the Las Vegas community. We love and appreciate everything Ms. Toland has done for the Southern Nevada community, and want to take this opportunity to say thank you

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the glorious Thunderbirds of Nellis Air Force Base, who are celebrating 65 years in Las Vegas this month. Since their establishment, the Thunderbirds, America's Ambassadors in Blue, have performed in front of millions worldwide, defying gravity with stunning aerobatics that showcase our military power and might. Their mission is to recruit, retain, and inspire. With each dazzling performance, they rouse America's future heroes to serve our Nation. Congratulations on 65 years, Thunderbirds. You are the pride of Nevada's Fourth District and the pride of our Nation.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Professor Edmund W. Gordon, who was born on June 13, 1921. Professor Gordon is an extraordinary professor of psychology whose career work has heavily influenced contemporary thinking in psychology, education, and social policy. Professor Gordon's research and initiatives have focused on the positive development of under-served children of color, including advancing the concept of the ``achievement gap.'' Professor Gordon grew up in a highly segregated area of North Carolina to parents who encouraged the importance of schooling. He received both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Howard University, and went on to pursue a PhD in psychology at the Teacher's College at Columbia University. In 1956, after working with mentor and friend W.E.B. DuBois, Professor Gordon was commissioned by President Lyndon B. Johnson to help design the Head Start Program, aimed at providing early childhood education and family services to under-resourced families. After six months working on Head Start, Professor Gordon and his team had built a program to serve nearly half a million children. Professor Gordon also conducted research that would later be used to prove to the Supreme Court that school segregation had harmful effects on children. Professor Gordon strongly advocated the importance of understanding the learner's frame of reference in the development of education action plans. Professor Gordon is the John M. Musser Professor of Psychology, Emeritus at Yale University, Richard March Hoe Professor, Emeritus of Psychology and Education and Founding Director of The Edmund W. Gordon Institute of Urban and Minority Education (IUME) at Teachers College, Columbia University. From July 2000 until August 2001, Professor Gordon was Vice President of Academic Affairs and Interim Dean at Teachers College, Columbia University. Professor Gordon has held appointments at several of the nation's leading universities including Howard, Yeshiva, Columbia, City University of New York, Yale, and the Educational Testing Service. He has served as visiting professor at City College of New York and Harvard. Currently, Professor Gordon is the Senior Scholar and Advisor to the President of the College Board where he developed and co-chaired the Taskforce on Minority High Achievement. As a clinician and researcher, Professor Gordon explored divergent learning styles and advocated for supplemental education long before most scholars had recognized the existence and importance of those ideas. From 2011 to 2013, Professor Gordon organized and mentored the Gordon Commission, bringing together scholars to research and report on the Future of Assessment for Education. Professor Gordon has authored 18 books and more than 200 articles on the achievement gap, affirmative development of academic ability, and supplementary education. He has been elected a Fellow of many prestigious organizations, including the American Academy of Arts & Science, and has been named one of America's most prolific and thoughtful scholars. Today, Professor Gordon still pays close attention to the state of education, and has stated that he would love to be able to change national education policy ``to get a more equal focus on out-of-school and in-school learning.'' On April 12, 2021, Professor Gordon was appointed as the first ever Honorary President of the American Educational Research Association. I wish Professor Edmund W. Gordon the very best as he and his family celebrate his 100th birthday.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman from Texas, the esteemed Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, for her yielding and her leadership in anchoring this Special Order hour along with our colleague, Congressman Torres. I commend both of them for the leadership that they provide in bringing our voice as the Congressional Black Caucus to the floor of the House of Representatives during this Special Order hour. Madam Speaker, I thank our Chairwoman Joyce Beatty for recognizing just how important it is for the Congressional Black Caucus to speak on so many important issues. Today is the commemoration for the Juneteenth holiday that we now recognize and to commemorate June 19th, 1865, when some of the last enslaved people in the United States learned that they were free. But as my colleagues have spoken about here tonight, more than 2 years before the first Juneteenth, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing enslaved people in Confederate States. Instead, though, slave owners hid the news of emancipation and kept free people in captivity, but on Juneteenth the truth set them free. And Juneteenth is now a celebration, a commemoration of the power of that truth. A lot of people want to hide our history, they want to not speak about the truth of our history, but there are truths, like emancipation, that merit us speaking and celebrating and commemorating, as we are doing. But we also must reckon with the horrors of this past that is also part of the United States history. As we honor Juneteenth, we must remember the decades of Jim Crow laws and white supremacist terror that followed even after the freeing of enslaved Black peoples. We must remember the Tulsa race massacre and the destruction of Black Wall Street as we do other race massacres that have occurred during our history. And we must commit to understanding how systemic racism has shaped our Nation's past and, sadly, its present. I am the first African-American Congressman from the State of Nevada, so I feel uniquely honored to bring the voices of my community and my constituents to the floor of this House. I am also proud that in my district and across the Silver State, Juneteenth celebrations have multiplied in recent years with the help of scholars and leaders, including Diane Pollard, who literally was one of my educators in high school; Al Gourrier, Sr.; Deborah Evans; and many other luminaries who have carried on the spirit of Juneteenth. This week, throughout my district, we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Las Vegas Juneteenth Festival, which supports educational programming for underserved youth through the Rainbow Dreams Education Foundation and the Rainbow Dreams Academy Charter School. I also want to recognize the Save Our Sons Juneteenth Festival, which brings our community together to celebrate Juneteenth and to support mentoring for underserved youth. You see, Madam Speaker, Juneteenth isn't just about what happened in the past. It is what is continuing to happen right now, today, in the present. As Juneteenth celebrations grow, so does our collective understanding about the vibrant Black culture and history that have shaped our Nation since its founding. So let us embrace Juneteenth 2021 as a day of truth. Let us remember the joys and sorrows of our history. And let us build from them toward a more perfect Union, with true liberty, true justice, and true equality for all. Madam Speaker, I thank the anchor for yielding, and I thank my colleagues for coming to the floor to bring commemoration for Juneteenth 2021.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize and celebrate Ms. Juliana Urtubey, a Nevada teacher whose commitment to joyful and just education has led to her well-deserved selection as the 2021 National Teacher of the Year. Ms. Urtubey is a first-generation immigrant and bilingual educator who works in special education at Booker Elementary in Nevada's Fourth Congressional District. At Booker Elementary, she is known as Ms. Earth for beautifying the community with gardens and murals. She teaches her students to take pride in themselves, their identities, and their strengths. She is the best of Nevada, the best of our educators, and we are so proud of her.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 398, the resolution recognizing the forthcoming centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. One hundred years ago, the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was home to the Greenwood district, a thriving, prosperous community where Black families could pursue the American Dream. On May 31, 1921, this vibrant community was attacked and destroyed by white supremacists in one of the worst acts of racial violence in American history. But today, Greenwood is rising again. H. Res. 398 commemorates the victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre and mourns the loss of Black Wall Street to hatred and bigotry. It celebrates the strength and perseverance of Black Americans, and it calls on all Americans to work toward a more perfect Union, one that will finally fulfill our Nation's promise of liberty and justice for all.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Paycheck Fairness Act. This morning, women across America drove to jobs where they will be paid lower salaries for equal work. Today, Black women make 63 cents and Hispanic women make 55 cents for every dollar earned by a White man. Over a lifetime, that gap grows to $400,000, enough to pay off the mortgage and put two kids through college. The Paycheck Fairness Act will not fix the systemic racism and sexism that are embedded in our Nation's treatment of women, but it will take us a step closer to making equal pay a reality. I am proud to be voting, once again, to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. I am calling on all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me and pass this long-overdue bill into law.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove the name of the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins) as cosponsor of H.R. 1346, the Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the American Rescue Plan. Last year, as the COVID-19 pandemic first spread, I worked across the aisle to pass the CARES Act. Passing that bill required compromise, and the final legislation omitted key provisions that I wanted us to deliver on. But the American people got the relief they needed, and that was what was the most important thing. One year later, with Democrats in the White House, Republicans won't help us in this pandemic. Why? Because Donald Trump's name won't be on the stimulus checks? Is that how easily they will abandon their constituents? The American Rescue Plan will deliver $1,400 stimulus checks, cut child poverty in half, and provide critical support to help our communities recover and reopen. The time for action is now, and if Republicans won't help us crush the coronavirus, we will do it without them. For the sake of my constituents and all Americans, I am voting ``yes'' on the American Rescue Plan.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. For more than a decade, I helped lead the Culinary Training Academy of Las Vegas, the largest job training program in Nevada and one of the largest in the country. Our work to train and place thousands of Nevadans in good union jobs taught me a lifelong lesson about the power of organized labor to uplift working people. As a founding member and co-chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus, I am proud to support the PRO Act, which will return power to the hands of workers instead of Wall Street. The PRO Act will ensure that workers have a seat at the table to advocate for higher wages, fair benefits, and security in employment and retirement. Passing this legislation will protect the right to organize and provide basic labor protections to millions of workers who are not currently in a union. Passing the PRO Act means undoing the damage of the Supreme Court's Janus decision, revitalizing the National Labor Relations Board, and rebalancing the scales between corporations and working people. So I am proud to support the PRO Act because I know that when unions are strong, America is strong. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the PRO Act.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I thank the designees for this Special Order hour, Congresswoman Sewell and, of course, our chair Joyce Beatty and all of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Today I rise to honor my friend, my mentor, my colleague, the late Congressman John Lewis and all of those who marched for justice across the Edmund Pettus Bridge 56 years ago. As they marched, each of those heroes carried an unshakeable belief that America would answer their call for racial equality. But at the end of that bridge they were met with a violent mob that was determined to preserve the status quo of brutality against Black Americans. Bloody Sunday shocked the world, and it shamed our government into action. Just days after Bloody Sunday, President Johnson sent a voting rights bill to Congress. By August of 1965, the Voting Rights Act had passed the House and Senate with bipartisan majorities. For decades, the Voting Rights Act protected the right to vote and was reauthorized. But 8 years ago, a conservative majority on the Supreme Court turned their back on decades of progress and struck down critical sections of the law. After the Supreme Court's decision, State governments began to immediately purge voter rolls and institute burdensome requirements on voting to block communities of color from the ballot box. In the last election, many States refused to expand vote-by-mail options that would have kept voters safe. Instead of using billy clubs and dogs, they used the pandemic's deadly toll on communities of color to try and suppress the vote. In the face of this cruelty, we fought back with record setting voter turnout. But voter suppression continues to be a stain on our democracy. So we must restore every inch of the Voting Rights Act, and we must do it now. Two years ago, House Democrats introduced and passed H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act. This bill, which is now named for Congressman John Lewis, would restore the protections that were eliminated in Shelby v. Holder and end voter suppression. Last Congress, this bill passed with just one Republican vote. This session, I am calling on all of my colleagues to follow the example that our predecessors set back in 1965 and to come together for the American people. Because the right to vote is fundamental. I wanted to share in closing this picture that I treasure in my office. As a freshman Member, I had the honor to stand with Congressman John Lewis and Steny Hoyer, the minority leader at the time, when we introduced the Voting Rights Act. And the picture captured me in the middle as we were talking about the Voting Rights Act, and its importance, and it is something that I look at for inspiration. And so to Congressman John Lewis I say to you my friend, We will carry on your baton. We will carry on your legacy. And we will carry on the fundamental right to protect the vote for all Americans. That is our message. That is our power.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the expanded Child Tax Credit and Federal unemployment assistance included in the American Rescue Plan. In my State of Nevada and across the country, hardworking families are suffering. The United States has lost more than 10 million jobs since the beginning of this pandemic, with a particularly devastating effect on women and people of color. Americans need help, and they are counting on the Members of this body to deliver. Interestingly, my colleagues on the other side say this bill does not have bipartisan support. Whom are they listening to? Seventy-six percent of Americans support this bill, including 60 percent of Republicans. So I would urge my colleagues on the other side to actually listen to their constituents and to deliver on their behalf. In just a 2-week period, more than 8 million American children go hungry because their families can't afford enough to eat. That should not happen in the wealthiest country on Earth. By passing an expanded Child Tax Credit, we can bring millions of children above the poverty line and put money in their parents' pockets. By passing my legislation to increase and expand Federal unemployment insurance, we will provide critical relief to those who have lost their jobs in this pandemic. So while we are working to recover and rebuild, we must invest in the American people. Stop the lies and listen to your constituents.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the working families who are counting on Congress to pass this American Rescue Plan. America is strong. American families are resilient, and American families are counting on this body to do its job. Earlier this week, Morning Consult and Politico released polling showing that the American Rescue Plan earns support from 76 percent of Americans, including 60 percent of Republicans. For months, my Republican colleagues have waged a campaign of misinformation against the new coronavirus relief package, but the American people know the toll that this pandemic has taken, and they are united around the need for this bill to pass. This bill will invest millions in public health to make sure every community gets the COVID-19 vaccine. It will deliver $1,400 stimulus checks to most Americans, following up on the $600 payment we made last December. It will extend the employee retention tax credit to keep workers on payroll and create new jobs. It will provide critical assistance to frontline workers, struggling families, and the communities that have been hardest hit by this pandemic.

Mr. HORSFORD. I am proud to cast my vote and to listen to my constituents. Ranking member, please do not talk about the seniors in my district.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021. I started my career leading the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas, the largest job training program in the State. This experience instilled in me the importance of workforce programs that create pathways for hardworking people to get good-paying jobs. Passing this legislation is a vital step to begin our economic recovery by training Nevadans for new careers in high-demand fields, including at the Westside Education and Training Center in historic west Las Vegas, which my office was just able to secure nearly $7 million to help build. By providing nearly 1 million additional apprenticeship opportunities over 5 years, and adding $10.6 billion in net benefits to our economy, the National Apprenticeship Act will help working families and small businesses restore the financial security that was lost during the pandemic. As a co-chair and founder of the Labor Caucus, I am proud to support this legislation, which is endorsed by some of our Nation's largest labor unions, including the AFL-CIO, UNITE HERE, the Laborers, and the Teamsters. I am glad that my amendment to support the recruitment and retention of nontraditional apprenticeship populations, including women and people of color, is included in this bill. My constituents and all of our constituents deserve the opportunities this bill affords. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 11. And before I start, I want to just let the ranking member know, my job is to get as many resources to my State as possible from this COVID relief. So, I hope you report how much money my State has received, and please say ``Nevada'' correctly when you do it. That money is needed to help workers, families, and small businesses who are struggling during the worst pandemic that we have experienced in a generation. Now, 3 years ago, Republicans pushed through the biggest tax cuts in American history for the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations. Those tax cuts added nearly $2 trillion to the national debt without a whisper about fiscal conservatism from my colleagues on the other side. Now, in the middle of a pandemic, one that has resulted in more than 400,000 deaths of our fellow Americans, millions of jobs that have been lost, and countless small businesses that have been shuttered, my colleagues on the other side want to talk about the deficit. Well, I am calling your bluff. This isn't about the deficit; it is about obstruction. And if Republicans would rather watch their constituents--to the ranking member, you have the same constituents. You have talked to me about the fact that your district is one of the poorest districts in the country. You and I have talked. You are also a member of the Ways and Means Committee. I have relatives in Missouri, so I am just as concerned about those workers, those families, and those small businesses. We want to crush the virus, but in my home State, we can't recover and reopen our economy until we crush this virus. So, I need you to work with us. There is nothing in this resolution that says Republicans can't join on board. The President said today that he is willing to entertain suggestions on how to move forward. But my vote for this resolution is a call to my colleagues to work with us to get this done because our constituents are counting on us, not blue State constituents or red State constituents but American constituents. I represent rural parts of my district that are conservative, and I have urban parts of my district that are not. I am fighting for all of them. I am taking a stand, and I am asking you to work with us to pass this American Rescue Plan for all families, for all workers, and for all small businesses that have suffered for far too long. I know that these are divided times, but bipartisanship can change that. Mr. Ranking Member, I am asking you to work with us, not in the majority, but as colleagues to do the right thing on behalf of all of our constituents because that is why each one of us was elected. Courage is what American people deserve most, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of granting a waiver for retired Army General Lloyd Austin and this historic nomination to serve as the 28th Secretary of Defense, the first African American in U.S. history. For four decades, Secretary-designate Austin served our Nation valiantly in the United States Army. Before retiring, he led one of the most important commands in the military, CENTCOM, or Central Command, where he oversaw America's military strategy and joint operations throughout the Middle East. During his service in the Middle East, he oversaw the safe return of 150,000 brave American troops, working closely with our allies as a statesman and a diplomat. As our Commander in Chief, I support President Biden in his selection of Lloyd Austin to protect our national security, strengthen our global alliances, depoliticize the Defense Department, and be a leader and role model for our brave servicemembers. I had the opportunity to speak directly with Secretary-designate Austin about the needs of servicemembers and their families in Nevada's Fourth District. He committed to work with me on issues important to those servicemembers and their families stationed at Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases and the Nevada Test Site, including issues dealing with housing, mental health, childcare, and education. His leadership, his experience, and his commitment to civil control of the military will ensure our country meets its national security needs. As our Secretary of Defense, he will also send a powerful message of belonging to all servicemembers but particularly to members of color, who represent more than 40 percent of our armed services today. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this historic nomination, approve the waiver required today, and confirm Secretary- designate Austin's nomination.

Mr. HORSFORD

Mr. HORSFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Article of Impeachment. Last Wednesday's events were not just a breach of a building, but a breach of our democracy, a threat to our Republic and to who we are as Americans. Donald Trump incited insurrection against America and attempted to overturn the will of the people. We must send a clear message that committing sedition disqualifies a President from serving another day in office. I urge this body to vote for impeachment. I will.