Jahana Hayes

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Goldman).

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to thank all of my colleagues who participated in tonight's SNAP Special Order. I will close by saying that these cuts will affect Summer EBT, which is how most families feed their children over the summer, by $500 million in this farm bill. I am not really sure if there is a full appreciation of who is affected by these cuts. I have been very transparent about my story and the fact that I grew up in a household that received food stamps. As a young college student and a single mom, I was working two jobs, attending community college, and still qualified for benefits. I promise you that my story is the same as a constituent in the district of every single Member of Congress who just wants a shot, who just wants a chance at raising their children with dignity, who just wants a chance at moving their family from poverty into being contributors to society. Every single one of you has someone in your district just like me, hundreds of families going through the same thing, working families that will be affected by the $11 billion in cuts that would affect their households and their earnings. I urge my Republican colleagues to rethink these proposals, to come back to the table and let us work on a bipartisan farm bill that helps everybody in America. Of all the things that we can say that we have done, I don't want taking food out of the mouths of children to be one of them. Tomorrow, we will go into a markup on this farm bill, and we will review it title by title. There are 12 titles. The Thrifty Food Plan, which is what many of us have spoken about tonight, which is a mathematical system by which benefits are evaluated and based upon, was moved from title IV, which is the nutrition title, to title XII, miscellaneous and others. Nutrition is not miscellaneous. It is something that should be a priority in this country. It is something that we have the ability to do. Once again, it is a policy choice. I held out until I saw the text because I prayed about it and I hoped and I wished that the cuts were not as bad as I had read about in the papers and heard talk about, but they are. Mr. Speaker, $30 billion in cuts are devastating to a program that is the most effective antihunger program that we have. I urge my colleagues to really consider their votes on this farm bill and the impact that it will have on children and families. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, which would reauthorize workforce development programs. Right now in Connecticut, there are 119,000 young people disconnected from school or work. These could be students who dropped out of school during the pandemic, are involved in foster care, or have become homeless. YouthBuild programs in Connecticut and across the country help these opportunity youth complete their education and develop in-demand skills. I am also pleased to see that my legislation, the YouthBuild for the Future Act, was included in this bill, which provides opportunities for young people. My legislation would allow YouthBuild programs to fund meals for participants, ensuring that no one has to choose between finding food and completing the program. This bipartisan legislation creates a workforce system that is more responsive to employer needs and puts more Americans on the pathway to a successful career. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter in support of H.R. 6655 from LinkedIn. Linkedin, December 11, 2023. Hon. Virginia Foxx, Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Robert C. ``Bobby'' Scott, Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairwoman Foxx and Ranking Member Scott: LinkedIn is pleased to support H.R. 6655, A Stronger Workforce for America Act, and applauds your bipartisan commitment to strengthen the value and impact of programs currently authorized under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). We are particularly pleased the legislation puts a skills- first approach at the forefront of workforce development systems. Current methods of finding talent often exclude large swaths of talent: workers who may have the capabilities that businesses are looking for, but don't have traditionally accepted experience or credentials. A skills-first approach increases opportunities for workers in the U.S. while ensuring critical parts of our economy are staffed. Skills- first hiring could lead to a nearly 20-times increase in qualified candidates here in the U.S., where nearly 70 percent of jobs require a bachelor's degree but only 37 percent of the workforce have one. We explored this approach in detail in our April report Skills-First: Reimagining the Labor Market and Breaking Down Barriers, and within the testimony of our Chief Economist, Dr. Karin Kimbrough, at the House Education and Workforce Committee's hearing on ``Competencies Over Degrees: Transitioning to a Skills-Based Economy'' in June. We're proud to have recommended a number of provisions in our work with the Committee that can expand talent pools and get more Americans to work. Specifically, this includes language to allow both State and local funds to be used to carry out technical assistance for the use and validation of employment assessments as well as the creation of skills- based job descriptions. This support, which may be provided through a variety of intermediaries, is critical to help employers who are often interested in implementing skills- based hiring but do not have the tools and resources to do so. Linkedln is also a strong supporter of leveraging the skill assessments currently required under WIOA. We are pleased to see the expansion of career services to support competency- based assessments that leverage prior work experience, military service, and education to accelerate time to employment. Furthermore, we support funds being used by States (including in partnership with other States) for the development and implementation of new skill assessments. We are excited to see that the majority of funds will go toward individual training accounts and employer-driven training, alongside increases to the current caps on incumbent worker training for new streams of funding at the State and local levels, which will support employer-driven upskilling. Finally, we have advocated for sector partnerships in carrying out work-based learning opportunities, which are also included in the bin. This provides new opportunities for the creation of a fund to support performance-based payments to employers and sector partnerships, to support new or existing employees in upleveling skills for in-demand industries and occupations. A Stronger Workforce for America Act is a significant step forward to transform how we prepare the U.S. workforce for the jobs of the future and more efficiently and equitably match talent to opportunity. We applaud your bipartisanship on this issue and look forward to continuing our work with you to advance this legislation. Sincerely, Blake Lawit, Senior Vice President and General Counsel.

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill, which will help youth get back on the right track.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I was unavailable to vote because of travel delays due to weather. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 11.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, today, as we solemnly mark the 11th anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and remember the 26 beautiful lives murdered in a senseless act of preventable violence, I ask my colleagues in this body to remember your commitment to the people we serve. I ask that we work together to make our schools and our communities safe to ensure tragedies like Sandy Hook Elementary School are a thing of the past. I am committed to honoring the memory of my constituents with action. Today, I remain committed to working toward an assault weapons ban. I remain committed to working toward universal background checks. I remain committed to working toward legislation like Ethan's Law, which will provide for safe storage of firearms. I remain committed to implementing the provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. I ask my colleagues to join with me so that no child, no family, and no community ever has to endure this again. I also ask that you pray for my community on this 11th anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook, for the families, for the people who live there, for the town of Newtown, who will forever be bound by their grief.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. HAYES. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to the CHOICE Arrangement Act. This bill, as written, makes healthcare less accessible and affordable for our most at-risk workers. My amendment prevents older workers from obscene healthcare premiums and discrimination. As of January 2023, a record 16.3 million people, including older Americans, were insured under the Affordable Care Act. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, under the Affordable Care Act, older adults' uninsured rate has dropped by one- third, a factor that is a key indicator their health and wellness has improved. Further, they are now protected from coverage exclusions and cost increases due to preexisting conditions. In 2019, people aged 55 to 64 had the lowest uninsured rate among nonelderly adults, but instead of working to build upon this success, my colleagues are bolstering individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements and association health plans which have a long, well- documented history of cutting costs for themselves by cherry-picking the cheapest people to cover, leaving the more expensive and vulnerable ones behind. This raises costs for those not chosen and causes premiums to go up for the rest of the insurance market. Republicans have been pushing these efforts for decades, and experts have consistently found it to be harmful. In its final rule adopted in 2018 by the Trump administration, the Department of Labor acknowledged as much, noting the ``AHPs could use their regulatory flexibility to design more tailored, less comprehensive health coverage . . . Which will necessarily lead to some favorable risk selection toward AHPs and adverse selection against individuals and small group markets.'' They predicted this would raise premiums for consumers who are left behind in the small group and individual markets. For decades, independent experts at the American Academy of Actuaries and the Congressional Budget Office have repeatedly found premiums for older workers would be higher as a result of the association health plan legislation. The bill has only superficial protections from discrimination based on health status and is entirely silent on discrimination and pricing against older individuals. In fact, by explicitly allowing associations to base premiums on the risk factor on each employee within the group, it invites them to discriminate against other characteristics. My amendment requires the Department of Labor to certify that the bill would not raise premiums for older Americans before taking effect. I ask my colleagues to support my amendment to protect older Americans and implore that we work together to address the real healthcare problems in our Nation and move toward a more equitable healthcare system for older workers. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. HAYES. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), who is the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Mrs. HAYES. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment to protect older Americans with preexisting conditions. The ACA expanded Medicaid for low-income Americans and protected coverage for people with preexisting conditions. We want to make sure we continue that tradition and make sure that the CHOICE Arrangement Act will not go into effect until the Secretary of Labor certifies that this bill will not result in higher premiums for older Americans and seniors. It is critical that we protect this access. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. HAYES. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I was unavailable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 270 and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 271.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, we are just days away from catastrophic economic default. House Republicans are playing politics with the lives of the American people to further an extremist agenda. Putting the American economy at risk is reckless and dangerous. In my district, default would eliminate 7,300 jobs, jeopardize Social Security for 93,000 families, and put health benefits at risk for 281,000 people who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, or VA health coverage. Their proposals do not solve any of our economic problems. In fact, the default on America is an egregious bill that puts vulnerable families at risk. Their plan would be disastrous in my State of Connecticut, resulting in 2,800 kids losing access to preschool and childcare, 12,000 mothers would be blocked from food assistance, and it would threaten medical care for 57,000 veterans. It is a disgrace that leading into Memorial Day, House Republicans have ghosted the city and left. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to come back to Washington, pay our bills, and end this now.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the default on America act because I did not come to Congress to starve children. Thirty-four million Americans struggle with food insecurity, 9 million of which are children. This bill would strip millions of hardworking Americans of benefits by expanding so-called work requirements in SNAP. SNAP already has a work requirement for individuals ages 18 to 49, but Republicans want to expand this to older Americans and seniors who face age discrimination in the workplace already. It is also important to note that the House subcommittee in charge of nutrition programs, the one who would be in charge of this, has yet to hold one hearing. So while proposing work requirements, the Committee on Nutrition has yet to begin work. It is horrifying that Republicans are choosing to hold the economy hostage and using vulnerable families as a bargaining tool. I urge my colleagues to have some compassion and vote against this devastating legislation.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 1, the polluters over people act. Besides increasing the deficit by $2.4 billion, this bill eviscerates bedrock environmental protections. These protections are in place for a reason. My community has been stifled by decades of environmental abuses, and as a result, economic growth in many areas is a challenge and the health and safety of my constituents are at risk. My district was once a thriving manufacturing community, but factories dumped waste in rivers, buried toxic materials, and disposed of materials with no oversight. Now my district is littered with abandoned factories, fragile ecosystems, and unusable land. Sites once used for industrial, manufacturing, or commercial uses have been abandoned or underutilized due to known or suspected contamination of the past. Environmental liabilities have been preventing developers and investors from restoring these properties to productive use and revitalizing impacted communities. During my time in Congress, I have fought to bring back millions of dollars to my district for brownfield remediation in places like Waterbury, New Britain, and Torrington. Places where asthma-related illnesses are on the rise as a direct result of environmental factors. We are working to clean decades of pollution in the rivers of the Housatonic, Naugatuck, and Farmington valleys. These once-blighted properties have been transformed into fisheries, art spaces, and even affordable housing. After years of hard work, we were able to secure wild and scenic designations for miles of rivers in Connecticut. My State is literally beginning to breathe again. This legislation rolls back environmental protections and regulations and gives billions in handouts to Big Oil and Gas. In Connecticut's Fifth, we are learning hard lessons about cleaning up environmental messes of the past. Mr. Chair, I urge a ``no'' vote on this dangerous and harmful legislation, and for us to listen to the science and follow what we already know to be true.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mrs. HAYES. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, in our 16-hour markup, committee Democrats offered strategies for parent engagement. We offered amendments to provide videoconferences so parents could be involved, and we offered legislation to say that kids should have healthy meals in school so that they would be ready to learn. Every single one of them was rejected. This politics over parents legislation creates unnecessary reporting requirements in our schools and diverts resources. I am a parent, and this bill actually removes my rights as a parent at the local level and places them in the hands of Congress. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill and listen to what parents are saying. They are saying that they want diverse curriculum, diverse books, teachers who are highly qualified and prepared, and for all students, not just some, but all.

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this rule and the underlying bill, H.R. 5. I look around this Chamber, and I think that arguably I have spent more time in a classroom than anyone in this Chamber. I was a classroom teacher for 15 years. I ran before and afterschool programs and summer programs. I led programs for parent engagement. I am also the mother of four children. One of them is a public school student right now. As a teacher and a parent, I know that parent-teacher partnerships are critical to student success. I know that when a teacher can reach out to parents and discuss challenging curriculum and come up with strategies to support their child, students thrive. I know that when parents can reach out to their child's teacher and ask questions and voice their concerns, or even more, offer their personal perspectives, students benefit. But this bill does not do that. It does not promote parent-teacher partnerships. It just creates division in our schools at a time when both parents and teachers need all the help they can get. I have served on curriculum committees, and it is a requirement that there be a parent representative on those committees. These are the committees that select the books that will be read in classes. Teachers don't arbitrarily do that. I have addressed my local board of education. There was always time for public comment, and parents were encouraged to join. Parents of varying opinions were asked to show up and give their input on what we were doing in our schools. I have gone to a student's home because their parents could not attend a parent-teacher conference, but I knew that they cared deeply about their child and wanted to have conversations with me. So after school, on my own time, I reached out to connect with those parents. That is what teachers do. All of this misguided direction is from people on the floor who have very little information about what actually happens on the ground level. During COVID it wasn't that teachers were exposed and parents got an inside look at what happens in classrooms. The best teachers are always inviting parents into the classroom.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 5, the politics over parents act. One of the most dangerous provisions of this bill is the banning of books. Across our Nation, books that illustrate our rich history and our diversity are being pulled from library shelves. According to PEN American's ``Index of School Book Bans,'' of the 2,500 books banned last year, 41 percent of these books explicitly address LGBTQ themes, and 40 percent contain prominent characters of color. My colleagues across the aisle say that nothing in this legislation will ban books or censor libraries. If this is true, I invite them to support my amendment, which ensures this legislation will not go into effect until the Comptroller General of the United States can confirm that the bill will not lead to censorship or banning books for children or affect learning outcomes for students. Throughout history, the voices of women, persons of color, and members of the LGBTQ community have been suppressed. Their voices, experiences, and stories have been labeled controversial, oversexual, and even un-American. As a teacher, you do not get to pick the parts of history you deem worthy to teach. When I was a teacher, I told the entire story honestly, the good and the bad, and gave students the tools that they needed to participate in their communities in a conscientious and productive way. I will tell you a personal story. My son is currently reading ``To Kill a Mockingbird,'' one of the books on this list of banned books. In his initial observation of this book, he said: ``Mom, they use the n- word a lot.'' I mean, a lot, and I don't like it, but it opened the door to broader conversations between me and my son about segregation and Jim Crow laws, and it led him to ask some very difficult questions of me. In his final observation of Harper Lee's novel, he said: ``But yet and still, Atticus Finch defended Tom Robinson.'' Through this complex story, his takeaway was not hateful, hurtful, or angry. It was that, even then, good people existed. That is what books do. That is how kids learn, not through censorship. Teachers do not have the autonomy to indoctrinate students. Everything we are talking about here today is already published. Budgets are public. Curriculums are public. Parents are marching in, being a part of our classes. When I was introduced by the ranking member, he mentioned that I was the National Teacher of the Year. That doesn't happen without parent- teacher partnerships. This bill will not improve educational outcomes. This bill caters to a small group of individuals who seek to impose their world views on entire school districts, on my child. Madam Chair, I strongly encourage my colleagues to oppose this bill, and I include in the Record the text of my amendment. Mrs. Hayes of Connecticut moves to recommit the bill H.R. 5 to the Committee on Education and the Workforce with instructions to report the same back to the House forthwith, with the following amendment: Add at the end the following:

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Rachel Davino, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Ana M. Marquez-Greene, Dylan Hockley, Dawn Hochsprung, Madeleine F. Hsu, Catherine V. Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Anne Marie Murphy, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, Victoria Soto, Benjamin Wheeler, Allison N. Wyatt. Those are the names of the 20 children and 6 adults who were killed at Sandy Hook 10 years ago today. I want them to know we will never forget them, and we will continue to honor their memory with our action.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 26 beautiful lives that were lost on December 14, 2012. Today marks 10 years since 20 innocent children and 6 selfless educators were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Newtown is a small community with a big heart, a community that changed forever 10 years ago. Bonded by a shared grief no one can ever truly comprehend, the lives of my constituents in this community were reshaped forever. While this community has mourned the loss of their loved ones, they have also honored their memories through service. Every single family who lost a loved one at Sandy Hook has found a way to be of service, with everything from violence prevention programs like Sandy Hook Promise, to Embrace Hope, which is an equine therapy program. There is the Ana Grace Project and Ben's Lighthouse, Charlotte's Litter Therapy Dog Program, the Emilie Parker Art Connection, and everything from butterflies to puppies. There is the Vicki Soto Project, which is a fund to promote a love of teaching. These are just a few, but every single family affected honored the memory of their loved ones through service. These families have all found ways to turn their grief into action. While I recognize that we have so much work to do as legislators in this body, my only ask of you today, colleagues, is that we not let the deaths of these children be in vain and that we recommit ourselves to making our schools and our communities safe and find ways to turn solemn moments like this into action.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 5230, the Help Find the Missing Act, also known as Billy's Law. I thank Senator Murphy for his leadership on this bill, and I am honored to introduce it in the House. This bill is named for Billy Smolinski. Billy went missing from my hometown of Waterbury, Connecticut, on August 24, 2004, nearly 20 years ago. Unlike with missing children, Federal law does not require law enforcement to report missing adults or unidentified bodies. Without it, families are left to unravel the mystery of what happened to their loved ones without any support. The Smolinski family was left to navigate a complicated and disjointed system. In the absence of a vigorous and sustained effort to solve the crime, the family created a personal tip line, placed billboards on highways that I drove by every day for many years, and worked closely with a private investigator. When Bill and Janice Smolinski received tips, they would organize search parties, which worked with rescue teams and brought in highly trained cadaver dogs to sniff the woods in search of their son. Each year, nearly half a million people go missing, and sadly, many of them will never see their loved ones again. Yet, over 40,000 sets of unidentified human remains are either held at coroners' offices or disposed of after going unclaimed. Due to gaps in missing persons databases, missing persons and unidentified remains are rarely matched. Billy's Law will fix this critical gap by directing the Department of Justice to continually operate NamUs, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, and connect it to the FBI's National Crime Information Center. It will also provide guidelines for local law enforcement agencies, medical examiners, and coroners on how to best handle missing person cases. This bill has the support of the National Fraternal Order of Police and the Consortium of Forensic Science Organizations, as well as both the Smolinski family and the family of Gabby Petito. This bill will also help to bring home the missing, many whose names never make headlines or who are never talked about in the media, and offer closure to the families of those who will never make it home. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bipartisan, commonsense legislation to deliver justice to countless families.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1156, building on 20 years of success of the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. For two decades, the McGovern-Dole nutrition program has led the way in alleviating hunger and improving food security around the world. I deeply believe in the core values of this nutrition program because, as a teacher, I saw with my own eyes that hungry kids don't learn. It is one of the greatest investments Congress can make. By providing at least one nutritious meal per day to vulnerable children in schools across the world, we are also investing in their development and their education. Beyond these children and their families, we also continue to support U.S. producers. During my time as the 2016 National Teacher of the Year, I traveled abroad to many countries as an ambassador for education. While abroad, I learned the degree to which other countries look to us to lead the way for food security and childhood nutrition. I was greeted by numerous children on the African continent who thanked me as the American teacher for all of the American programs. Our international food aid programs are not just an exercise of good will. They are absolutely critical to communities protecting themselves from the devastation of food insecurity. It is our moral obligation to ensure that we contribute to the food security of the global community--particularly children, pregnant women, and new mothers-- whenever possible. I have been a proud supporter of McGovern-Dole funding during my time in Congress, and I will continue to do so. I urge my colleagues to vote for this in support of the House Resolution.

Mrs. HAYES

Mrs. HAYES. Mr. Chair, as a teacher, I rise in strong support of the Mental Health Matters Act. This crucial legislation will help rebuild schools and address the mental health crisis plaguing our country by providing schools with resources to help students and educators heal and recover after this pandemic. I am excited that this package includes my legislation, the Supporting Trauma-Informed Education Practices Act. My legislation specifically will help develop and improve prevention, screening, referral, treatment, and support services to students. It will implement schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and provide professional development to school personnel. This legislation will also engage with families and communities to increase awareness of child and youth trauma. The broader impact of the pandemic on students and their families is often overlooked. We talk about the number of children who were lost as a result of being low, but I remind everyone that those children lost parents, grandparents, neighbors, and community members to the COVID-19 pandemic. That loss has taken a tremendous toll on their ability to learn and thrive in school. The impact of trauma is greater than just one incident. No person, especially a child, should ever have to carry that weight alone. As students continue to heal from the most traumatizing interruption to their academic journeys, they need strong, reliable, and accessible support services. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this bill to ensure students recover completely.