Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3285, the ``21st Century President Act''--an insightful, common-sense measure, of which I am an original cosponsor. In considering this bill, I think back to 1970 when Representative Shirley Chisolm, speaking on the need to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, asked: ``Why is it acceptable for women to be secretaries, librarians, and teachers, but totally unacceptable for them to be managers, administrators, doctors, lawyers, and Members of Congress?'' At that time, it was almost unthinkable that a woman could be elected President of the United States. Although we have yet to ratify the ERA, our country has made great strides in the struggle for gender equality since then--from the groundbreaking presidential primary campaign of Representative Chisolm in 1972; to the first-of-its-kind vice presidential nomination of Geraldine Ferraro; to the 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling made by Hillary Clinton; and the historic election of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, which began with a field that included six women and one member of the LGBTQ community. Given the diversity of candidates for the presidency in recent years and the more inclusive times in which we live, our laws should evolve to reflect this societal progress. That is why H.R. 3285 amends section 879 of title 18 to do away with the assumption that the president is male and his spouse female by removing gendered terms such as ``wife'' or ``widow.'' I hope we can all agree that ``immediate family'' means much more today than the 1982 law provides and that the spouse of our President should be protected regardless of gender. Indeed, we have come very far in the pursuit of gender equality since this statute was enacted. Yet H.R. 3285 makes clear there is still much work to be done. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX, women's rights are once again under threat and the push for genuine gender equality-has been renewed. Each of us must remain vigilant and ensure that equality of rights under the law are neither denied nor abridged by the United States or by any state on account of gender in any manner. I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin, Representative Mark Pocan, for his efforts to bring us into the 21st century and for recognizing the importance of ensuring the safety and security of those who may come from the wide, vast diversity of America to serve as President. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill and hope we can pass it by voice vote as we did in the 116th Congress.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6538, the ``Active Shooter Alert Act of 2022.'' In recent weeks, months, and years, we have mourned the loss of life resulting from an ever-increasing number of active shooter incidents where perpetrators committed mass shootings in multiple locations. Communities in every corner of this country have been subjected to the fear and uncertainty created by active shooters in their midst. Last year, there were 61 active shooter incidents in the United States. Approximately 27 of those incidents involved an active shooter moving from one location to another. For instance, 8 people were killed roughly 30 miles apart at three spas in the metro Atlanta area last year. The gunman was later apprehended some 150 miles south of Atlanta. And we are all still reeling from the gruesome murder of 19 fourth graders and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas that began when the perpetrator shot his grandmother in the home they shared. He then drove away, crashing his vehicle outside Robb Elementary. He encountered several people before entering the school and committing unspeakable acts on those helpless children and teachers. While the actions of these individuals and other active shooters are unacceptable and require Congress to enact measures to put an end to such evil acts, we must also be prepared if these situations occur, and do all we can to help law enforcement save more lives. Law enforcement's response to an active shooter is a dynamic situation--oftentimes chaotic--that involves many variables, requires swift, consequential decision-making, and places great strain on law enforcement command staff and their officers on the ground. Their goal is to save the lives of victims and prevent others from unknowingly entering the area or walking into the line of fire--at all times focusing on containing, neutralizing, and apprehending the shooter. Centers of higher learning and primary education, businesses, local jurisdictions, and law enforcement agencies have already implemented some systems to alert students, employees, patrons, and community members of the presence of an active shooter, and to help manage the response, and provide updates about the ongoing crisis via text message and/or social media. Many of these systems face low enrollment and messaging delays that sometimes contribute to confusion around the incident. In the case of social media--insufficient account visibility means fewer people are made aware of an existing threat to their safety. Recently here in Washington, D.C. a sniper-style attacker set a rifle on a tripod and fired randomly at passersby walking below his window. D.C. Metro Police used their Twitter account to warn people to avoid the area and shelter in place. But the tweets, or posts, received minimal attention during the actual attack. An Active Shooter Alert might have saved the life of the woman who unknowingly walked directly into the line of fire of the Buffalo shooter in the Tops parking lot. Law enforcement needs a reliable method of communication to rapidly notify as many people as possible within the vicinity of an ongoing active shooter incident; provide instructions to avoid the area or shelter in place; and announce when the area has been restored to safety. H.R. 6538, the Active Shooter Alert Act of 2022, would authorize the Department of Justice to coordinate the creation of an Active Shooter Alert Network, enabling law enforcement to send active shooter alerts within their communities using the same system that issues AMBER Alerts, severe storm and extreme weather events warnings, and other emergency situations. That system--the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System can send alerts to mobile devices in locally targeted areas down to 1/10th of a mile. This legislation would ensure that an advisory panel--comprised of law enforcement officers, public safety experts, and emergency response officials experienced in responding to active shooter situations--has input in the development of best practices for issuing alerts effectively. DOJ by way of an appointed Active Shooter Alert Coordinator would be responsible for establishing the advisory panel; establishing and promoting adoption of the best practices; and coordinating with FEMA, the Department of Transportation, and the FCC on using the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System to issue alerts for the network and to provide a report to Congress on the effectiveness of the network. Although this system would be available to law enforcement agencies to use on a voluntary basis, I expect that many agencies would elect to participate based on the numerous endorsements previously mentioned by the Chairman. I thank ACAL Subcommittee Chairman Cicilline for his leadership on this lifesaving, bipartisan legislation that I am proud to cosponsor along with Representatives Deutch, Spartz, Upton, Thompson, Meijer, and Mace. I ask my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to assert the sovereignty of the United States of America, to applaud the bipartisan commitment to the Ukrainians who are fighting for democracy, and to acknowledge Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh, who are fighting as volunteers in the Ukrainian Army and have now been captured by the enemy. The enemy wants to call them a name that I refuse to say on the floor of the House. They are, in fact, volunteers, and they should be subject to the international obligations that Russia must adhere to and must look at the conventions that may be relevant. Their lives must be protected. They are soldiers who desired to fight for democracy. I am proud of them, as I am of the Americans who are held around the world falsely, in particular Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner, who are held as hostages in Russia. They are wrongly held, and I ask that we pursue this as Americans and the American Government to help release Brittney Griner, release Paul Whelan, stop the false judicial system and legal system of Russia, and bring our Americans home. We should not leave Alex Drueke and Andy Huynh on the battlefield. We need to protect them as a sovereign nation.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to rise as the anchor of the CBC Special Order addressing Caribbean American Heritage Month and to welcome my colleagues to the floor to be able to engage in a very important and provocative discussion. Let me just say that last weekend, in fact, yesterday, was the national holiday, the Juneteenth independence day. All over America this commemoration brought about knowledge, understanding, jubilation, and honor. So we are delighted to be on the floor today to, in fact, provide an opportunity to expand and to talk about the heritage of so many in this Nation. General Leave

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. It is my privilege now to, first of all, thank the Honorable Joyce Beatty, who is the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, for her continued efforts to ensure that the American people know our message and our power, know the work that we are doing, know the success that we are having, and also give us an opportunity to articulate the historical record of African Americans and those who have heritages from elsewhere. I also take a moment to congratulate her for receiving the Juneteenth honors in Washington, D.C. last Thursday from the Juneteenth Foundation. It was a privilege not only to be with her and to acknowledge many others who received those honors but to be there on such a special night. She was well-deserving. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), who is the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Beatty for laying the framework of how enriched the Congressional Black Caucus is with the vast diversity of Members who have these enormous connections and heritage and to honor the leader of this legislation making June Caribbean American Heritage Month and to be astute enough to continue her work as the chair of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee on Appropriations. She has been a lifeline to the Caribbean and astute on many issues from immigration to disasters to the issues of dealing with democracy and humanity. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership. Might I add that she also has a strong heritage in Texas and was a very powerful contributor to our celebration of Juneteenth in Texas. Along with her relatives she was at the Ashton Villa site where General Granger came to announce the freedom of the slaves. She did that during Juneteenth in Texas. We were glad to have her. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for capturing so well the unfinished business as it relates to the Caribbean and overall, and I thank her for being the leader of the resolution to establish Caribbean American Heritage Month that we now are able to commemorate year after year. It is appropriate that the gentlewoman is the chair of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee because she can have a very large voice on the changing of our treatment of the Caribbean, along with the leadership of our chair of the CBC and CBC members. I thank the gentlewoman so much for that. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege, of course, to now yield to the gentlewoman who hails from Brooklyn that has such a sizable representation of Caribbean Americans. She is a senior member and vice chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the founder of and collaborator with the Caribbean-American Caucus here in the United States Congress, and she has worked on a number of immigration issues that really impact our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean. I must say that, just a few years ago, I think we were shuttling during the Christmas holiday--it seems like it was near the Christmas holiday--from the Hill to the World Bank, trying to work on redoing the treatment that they were giving to Jamaica. I thank the gentlewoman for that leadership. I was pleased to join her in that effort, and we were successful. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke), and I better say Brooklyn, New York.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the gentlewoman from Brooklyn, New York. What a powerful display of the richness of the Caribbean, the family connections, her pride for this wonderful opportunity to speak about the people in the Caribbean. I am very grateful to you for relating both your familial connections but your predecessor. So we all have stakeholders in Shirley Chisholm. I guess my pride is as a very young person having introduced her at a church program and then as a lawyer at a lawyer's program, those moments were very special; working in her district for, you might remember her, Carol Bellamy, and getting to know and be around her during that time. I am delighted to make mention at this point of Representative Jamaal Bowman, who will be presenting his statement into the Record, a very strong, new Member who has exhibited such leadership. He will be one of those that will submit statements into the Record along with Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. She will likewise present her statement into the Record. I will proceed now to make my concluding remarks as I celebrate Caribbean American Heritage Month. I thank Congresswoman Barbara Lee for H. Con. Res. 71. I think it was introduced at that time in 2006, and she has done that every single year. She has made the Congressional Black Caucus better for being worldly enough to acknowledge the connection. I will build on what you have said, Congresswoman Lee. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, we considered the Caribbean, just a few years back, after 9/11 as the third border of the United States, and it had key importance for the role it played in the security of the United States. We have not continued that. And I believe as we look to reenhancing our communications and collaboration with the Caribbean, it is to recognize the important role that they are in securing America and securing the Caribbean and the work that they have done with our military, but also our drug enforcement, in a way that protects them and protects the United States. Millions have emigrated from the Caribbean to the United States since our Nation's founding. Congress should continue to recognize the important contributions of Caribbean Americans to our Nation's history and their role in our Nation's future. Those were the words from that legislation and from Barbara Lee as this bill was introduced. Today, we celebrate the vibrancy and diversity of the Caribbean- American communities as well as the strong ties reinforced between the United States and our Caribbean neighbors. We certainly recognize Cuba and know that there are immigration policies that apply to Cuba. I think at this point, I want to make that sure that all of us in the Congressional Black Caucus continue to work on the issues dealing with Haiti, in particular: The natural disasters, the issues of democracy, the fact that they are a strong and resilient people, that they have many, many needs, but we also want fairness. As the former ranking member on the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, working with the Caribbean Caucus, we are looking forward to the administration working on humanitarian parole on some of the persons here of Haitian decent, so there is a balance and a fairness of their immigration status with others. These are things that we, in the Congressional Black Caucus, are looking to work on as we cite the very strong ties that we have. Shirley Chisholm certainly represents sort of an iconic figure. Most persons see her from Brooklyn. I remember her saying as she was appointed to the Committee on Agriculture, a tree does grow in Brooklyn. She was not going to let herself be denied the status of importance, Mr. Speaker, when this urban member was appointed to the Committee on Agriculture as a point of, you better sit here. She made much out of that and was a great leader on food stamps and other issues dealing with the urban community. We might not know that W.E.B. Du Bois, a prominent African American, the first to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. And, of course, Vice President Kamala Harris, the First African American of Jamaican heritage to serve as Vice President of the United States. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a Latina of Puerto Rican heritage and the first to serve in the United States Supreme Court. We have noted Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury. James Weldon Johnson, the writer of Lift Every Voice and Sing, and a key figure of the Harlem renaissance. I can assure you that he was very prominent. This song was very prominent during the Juneteenth celebrations. Gloria Estefan, one of the best-selling female artists of all time from Cuba with the hit songs ``Conga'' and ``Rhythm is Gonna Get You.'' Then a name that we might not be familiar with: Bad Bunny, Spotify's most streamed artist and album globally of 2020, and the first time a non-English language music artist topped the year-end list. The history, however, of the Caribbean is many. It is filled with natural resources, natural beauty. It is, along with CARICOM, a perfect partner to the United States. In addition, I too want to applaud President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the Summit of the Americas. We understand, as we were participating as Members of Congress with Speaker Pelosi, that there was an outstanding meeting that went on with CARICOM to re- cement the relationship between the Caribbean and the United States. That is important because, as I said, natural resources, natural beauty, a third border against terrorists and against other aspects of danger to the United States, but a partner so that the Caribbean is secure as well as the United States. A bastion of democracy. That is why we must continue to fight for Haiti as it restores itself, rebuilds itself. We met with the Haitian president there to try to find a pathway for that country to restore itself. As indicated, we can be on the front line working with our Members of Congress, both Democratic and Republican. I believe that there are a number of codels that have recently gone to the Caribbean, including one led by the chairwoman of the Committee on Financial Services, Maxine Waters, who, in fact, is a member and co- chair of the Caribbean caucus. But as we study the history, let us realize there is much more synergism than one might imagine, because as we celebrated Juneteenth, it is important for America to remember that slaves were also in the Caribbean. It was a tragic experience. Over 40 percent of all Africans who were enslaved were sent to the Caribbean islands; estimated at 5 million enslaved Africans beginning as early as the 16th century. Within the Caribbean, the death rates of enslaved populations were extremely high. It was very hot, and there were a lot of insects, if I might say, that took a toll on many, but they kept on surviving. Untold numbers, however, suffered from inhumane working conditions. However, the rise of abolitionist movements, coupled with anti- slavery sentiment, and several military and political crises, sowed the seeds for prohibition against slavery in the Caribbean countries. In fact, I believe Haiti was one of the first free countries, securing independence from France at a very, very early stage. We honor Caribbean heroes who rebelled against slavery which led to official emancipation in anglophone countries in 1823. Major revolts shocked the world: The Tacky's Rebellion in the 1760s in Jamaica; the Haitian Revolution; Fedon's Revolution in the 1790s in Grenada; the Barbados slave revolt in 1860; and the slave revolt in Jamaica led by Sam Sharpe. What a unique difference and experience, but yet there was slavery. Emancipation was achieved because of the movements and the legal efforts within respective Caribbean countries. Those revolts inspired the abolitionists in the United States. The parallel histories of Caribbean countries and the United States are rooted in oppression and the ongoing struggle for lasting true liberation, justice, equality, and freedom. What is good about this discussion is to reflect on the fact that those enslaved Africans that were in the Caribbean, now, their descendants are the heads of state of all the Caribbean countries and our leaders in the CARICOM. This is an important partnership for the United States, and it is one that we must utilize and teach our children. We embrace them as our ancestors who suffered in hopes that future generations would not; supporting their children so that a time would come when freedom would reign. We now have the responsibility as we deal with the Caribbean to reflect on the Caribbean immigrants who have come here to the United States. It has already been noted how they have achieved and succeeded. We mentioned members of our caucus who are Members of the United States Congress who have that heritage. Since 1820, people of the Caribbean descent have immigrated to the United States. We want to make sure that the process is fair. We want to make sure that these individuals are not deported randomly. As I said, we hope to have a response to the Haitians as to the Cubans, those who come from Cuba and have the wet foot, dry foot effort that are not Haitians. We see them being deported from the Mexican-U.S. border. That is not fair. We have had a relationship with Haiti for centuries. Haiti fought alongside of Americans in the Revolutionary War. They came to be at our side. Since 2000, the population increased 26 percent to 3.7 million Caribbean-Americans in 2010 and grew another 18 percent to 4.4 million in 2017. Today, there are 13.4 million Americans of that heritage; always hardworking, ready to serve, ready to serve in the United States military, and often found at the front line of aid here in this country. The fight reached its apex with the Haitian Revolution in 1804. As I indicated, the fight did not end with Britain's Slave Trade Act of 1807 that sought abolish the British slave trade. The point of my comments is to make sure everyone knew that they were always fighting for justice, they were fighting for equality, and their history is worth studying. I do want to draw to our attention the connection of H.R. 40, the commission to study slavery and develop reparation proposals. Juneteenth: Healing, restorative, repair as well. Know the story. I can tell you, across America, I heard one colleague, if I might, from Chicago who said there were so many moments of celebration. Our majority leader indicated in his own home State, there was one event, Mr. Speaker, that had 6,000 people celebrating Juneteenth. It warms my heart. It was a decade-long fight, and here we are today, really in the eye-opening experience of Juneteenth. I had the privilege of speaking at the Ashton Villa, the place where General Granger came to make that announcement of the No. 3 order. And to have, as well, the statue of Al Edwards, a State representative who was the first probably in the Nation to drive a State holiday in the State of Texas. He achieved that more than 20 years ago. Being trained up under that kind of leadership, it was instilled in me that we should have a national holiday, a national Independence Day on the Juneteenth basis. I am so excited about the overwhelming support, unanimous in the Senate, 415 votes in the House, if anyone can imagine. So, as we talk about these issues, I want the world to see and the Nation to see that over this weekend, the Juneteenth events all over the Nation reflected people coming together from many different backgrounds. There was a degree of excitement. There were children there, families there, and our celebrations were focused around peace and unity, and they were focused around prayer. That is what we did in Houston, Texas, at the historic--historic-- Antioch Baptist Church founded in 1866 by Jack Yates. Can you imagine, only 1 year after the Emancipation Proclamation that was issued in 1865, after 2\1/2\ years when the South did not pay any attention to Abe Lincoln's order, President Lincoln's order, that he had to dispatch this general, a West Point grad, a hero on the battlefield, to announce in Texas--I can remember the words. It seems like they are loud in my ears. To the people of Texas, I now declare that the slaves are free, and they are free to be able to achieve property, they are no longer property, and they are citizens of the United States. Slavery had not been abolished, but he indicated that the slaves were free and that they could maintain themselves as employer and employee. I would venture to say that even with that pronouncement, most of them, uneducated, had ever heard the words employer and employee. It was master and slave. The one thing they knew, they were not staying. They were leaving and going up the trail, the Emancipation Trail, into the areas of La Marque in Texas and in Houston, a place called Freedmen's Town and Independence Heights. They were going under the leadership of Jack Yates, when they got to Houston, who bought in 1872 the first park ever bought in Texas. It was bought by freed slaves, and it was a place where the emancipation Juneteenth celebrations would go for decades and decades and decades. That history should allow us to pass with ease the commission H.R. 40 that has been percolating now since 1989 and the commission to study slavery and develop reparation proposals. It was modeled after the Civil Liberties Act that was passed in 1988 and signed by Ronald Reagan. We championed that for the Japanese Americans. It was based on the internment that had happened wrongly of Japanese-Americans, patriots who love the country, who were rounded up, belongings left, take what you can take, properties left to their own devices, if you will, and held in an internment camp. To this day, the Japanese-American association is a strong advocate for H.R. 40 because of the friendship and collaboration and the work we did, in particular the late John Conyers, who worked with them and then introduced H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act. I would imagine most people would wonder where that name came from. It came from General Sherman, who wanted to give 40 acres and a mule to the freed slaves. Unfortunately, this is what happens. Elections count, and the next President after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln did not hold to that commitment. With that in mind, just know that we have built this Nation on that labor; built this Nation on making cotton king; providing resources to the enriched South, the landed South; creating the Wall Street banks, if you will; and providing an economic engine that propelled this small country into a growing international force. Mr. Speaker, I think that H.R. 40 is a perfect complement because one of the things it does is it gets a study just to look at the landscape of how slavery impacted this Nation and how it impacted the people, how it impacted New England, the Midwest, California, the South, the Deep South, and the southeastern region where African Americans began to move all across this Nation. Interestingly enough, California, of course, has already implemented this bill, H.R. 40, and a task force is now working to do enormous work. I refer everyone to a Harvard University medical study that indicated that if reparations had been given preceding COVID- 19, that horrible pandemic would not have so lopsidedly impacted the African-American community. Let me be very clear that this idea of reparations is a sense of looking systemically at what would be the solutions. The commission is to be able to hear from people across America and to be able to recommend and to engage with people from all backgrounds, not just one background, not just African Americans. I am excited about that dialogue. I think it will be a powerful dialogue. As we celebrated Juneteenth, as we had this memorial service at the Antioch Baptist Church, what an emotional time we had with song and words and dance and prayer. People left there saying that they were more inspired than they have ever been before to bring us together. It was a diverse audience of people who came even from out of town to do something that was part of my vision that on Juneteenth, and that was happy Father's Day, we would take a moment to honor slaves who were born, who lived and died as a slave and never knew freedom, to give them the honor that they never got. As I reflect on how this Nation was built by immigrants and how it was built by the ancestors of African Americans today, I do want to continue to emphasize the Members of Congress who have this wonderful heritage and to honor the late Shirley Chisholm, who both became the first African-American woman in the United States Congress and as well became the first African-American person to run for President. As I do so, let me cite my relatives, Sybil Gooden, Willie Gooden, they excelled as leaders coming from the Caribbean; the Lockets; the Rashfords; and, of course, my grandparents, Olive Clarke Jackson and Albert Jackson, who worked on the Panama Canal. It was so powerful to go to the Panama Canal and see his name written there. It was an emotional experience. Eric Jackson, Allen Jackson, Charles Jackson all served in World War II; Ezra Jackson, my father; and his older brothers who served in World War II. Elaine Oliver and Ollie Oliver, both of those individuals came and made great strides. Their son served in the United States Air Force. An outstanding daughter, Elaine Oliver, worked for me. Of course, Eric Holder, Colin Powell, Patrick Gaspard, Harry Belafonte, many others, our outstanding communications director. Tonight, we have had a storytelling night of truth. We have had a great celebration of Caribbean American Month, and we have told the history and story of the powerful connection between the Caribbean and the United States of America. That should be a moment of celebration, friendship, unity, heritage, knowledge. I am delighted to have anchored the Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour on the Caribbean American Heritage Month, and I thank the chairwoman and the officers of the Congressional Black Caucus and all of our members for continuing to tell the truth. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, civilians and soldiers are dying in Ukraine and the American people are feeling it in their pocket, even as they rise up to support democracy. The American people know there is a problem. As we stand on the floor today, the good news is that Democrats care. That is why we rise today to offer the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act because the American people see it. They see it at the gas station on their way home or to work, they see it at the grocery store when their carts are half empty, and they see it with their hard-earned paychecks that don't meet what they need. Inflation--they know about it. You know what, they are looking for a fighting team like the Democrats to make something happen, not a whining, complaining, get- nothing-done. In my community, the interest rates are 8.5 percent of the cost of goods in Houston, Texas. I am not going home and telling them that we are out here working. I ask for our colleagues to recognize the importance of lowering costs at the grocery store, ensuring robust competition, and helping farmers. Let us fight to pass this bill. We care. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7606, the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act, that would shore up the food and agriculture supply chain, assure fair competition in the meat and poultry sectors, and lower food and gasoline costs to the American consumer. The American people know that there is a problem. They see it. They see it at the gas station on their way home from work. They see it when they leave the grocery store with a half empty cart. They see it when their hard-earned paychecks stretch less and less. Inflation rose by 8.6 percent in May, a 40-year high. The price of all goods in the Houston metro area have jumped by 8.5 percent since April 2021--the highest year-over-year jump since 1981. My constituents aren't suddenly making 8.5 percent more than they did a year ago, mind you. No, they are now going without. The cost of the most basic commodities--electricity, oil, meats, and dairy--have gone up at alarming rates, and our people are disproportionately bearing the burden of inflation. An income that previously fed and housed a family, provided life- supporting medication, and got people to work and back is now capable of paying only half of those bills. Our constituents are forced to choose between picking up a prescription or paying for childcare, between keeping the lights on and keeping the pantry full. These are not choices American families should have to make. Congress must act to rebalance the financial scales in this country. This package includes the following bills: H.R. 7606--``Meat and Poultry Special Investigators Act'' which Establishes an Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters in the Agriculture Secretary's Office. H.R. 7764--``To direct the Secretary of Agriculture to provide additional payments under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program for implementation of nutrient management practices'' which would provide additional assistance to specialty and row crop producers who undertake USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service practice standards to use fertilizers more efficiently, do soil testing, or seek out other sources of plant nutrients. H.R. 2518--``PRECISE Act--Producing Responsible Energy and Conservation Incentives and Solutions for the Environment'' which explicitly states precision agriculture eligibility in Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program, allows a producer who receives payments under EQIP to also receive a conservation loan guarantee, and allows up to a 90 percent cost share for precision agriculture under EQIP. H.R. 1542--``Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Investment and Market Expansion Act of 2021'' which would deploy additional storage and dispensing equipment to ensure that higher ethanol blends and other biofuels are more readily available across the country. H.R. 4410--``Year-Round Fuel Choice Act of 2021'' which would build on a recent Biden Administration action allowing voluntary year- round sale of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol, know as E-15 or Unleaded 88. H.R. 7675--``Strengthening the Agriculture and Food Supply Chain Act'' which would create an Agricultural and Food System Supply Chain Resilience and Crisis Response Task Force at USDA, headed by a Special Advisor on Supply Chain Resilience and Crisis Response. H.R. 4140--``Butcher Block Act'' which would provide assistance to create new and expand current local and regional livestock and meat processing capacity with direct or guaranteed loans. From the soil in which our farmers plant their seeds, to the fuel that transports vegetables to our grocers, to the very meat on our tables, this package will enact positive legislation that the American people will be able to see. The spike in food and energy prices are at the center of inflation. Beginning at the root, as producers across the country face skyrocketing fertilizer prices, we must help producers reduce their input costs so planting decisions are not impacted. Expanding access to precision agriculture technology is critical now, as we face climate change and fertilizer costs that have doubled or almost tripled. Breakdowns and bottlenecks in the food and agriculture supply chain, resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, have been well documented and have caused significant losses and concerns to our agricultural constituents. Over the last few decades, there has been an influx of domination in the meat packing industry by four large companies resulting in raised prices and reduced options for products. COVID-19 highlighted the country's dangerous reliance on large beef plants run by the four biggest processors. The pandemic caused slaughterhouses nationwide to close to contain outbreaks of the virus among workers. Ranchers were and still are frustrated that cattle prices drop when major plants close, while meat companies still benefit from rising meat prices. Farmers' share of profits have gone down, while American consumers continue to pay more, with meat prices being the single largest contributor to the rising cost of food people consume at home. A fair and competitive market is fundamental to a well-functioning U.S. economy. When firms have to compete for customers, it leads to lower prices, higher quality goods and services, greater variety, and more innovation. Strengthening enforcement of the Packer and Stockyards Act will lead to greater competition in the meat and poultry processing, fairer access to markets for producers, and more price stability for consumers. Increased processing capacity will alleviate some supply chain bottlenecks and provide producers with more options to market their cattle and receive a fair price. The supply chain will be more resilient and competitive long term as a result. With regard to our energy and fuel crisis, further use of biofuels will reduce prices at the pump for all Americans and increase the supply of fuel available. Biofuels adoption and investment helps reduce our reliance on foreign oil and the supply shocks facing our gasoline supply while also bolstering a revenue stream for farmers across the country. E-10 gasoline, gasoline containing 10 percent ethanol, is currently sold year-round, while the sale of E-15 gasoline, gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol, is dependent on receiving special waivers despite both having very similar emission profiles when it comes to smog formation. Year-round sale of gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol (E-15) will reduce the price at the pump for American drivers by giving consumers the choice to purchase a fuel that is substantially cheaper than standard gasoline. The American people need legislative intervention in a market that is increasingly becoming more concentrated and suffering from supply chain disruptions. This package provides small concrete actions that will invoke change and provide both short-term immediate and long-term continuous relief. I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 7606, the Lower Food and Fuel Cost Act.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, this morning I introduced the 2022 Observance of Juneteenth Independence Day Resolution. I thank my cosponsors and those who recognize this important Federal holiday. H. Res. 1182 is to celebrate Juneteenth, but I was pleased to be the first Member of Congress, after years of introducing resolutions, to introduce the actual language of the Federal holiday signed by President Biden on June 17, 2021. What is Juneteenth? It is a recognition of one of America's original sins, the slaves that were held over 200 years, and the brutality that they experienced but the freedom they experienced on June 19, 1865. We can come together as a Nation to celebrate freedom in many, many ways. I am delighted that over the weekend in Houston and Galveston, we will be lifting up our voices of celebration, but we know that there are next steps. As I have been introducing the resolution on Juneteenth, I also commend my colleagues to move forward on H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act. Again, what are reparations? It is healing, it is restoration, it is repair. We look forward to responding to the indicia in African- American communities that should be fixed. Happy Juneteenth, America. Let's celebrate together.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2543 represents a seismic and powerful response to racial discrimination in financial products. Thank you to Chairwoman Waters, and to my colleague who is managing, for the leadership given. My amendment is very important. I am pleased that my amendment is included in the en bloc amendment that the Financial Services Committee has today. It requires the Federal Reserve Board to submit a report to Congress about the prevalence of racial discrimination in lending to victims of a Federally declared disaster. I know it well. This amendment merits the support of all of my colleagues because no district is exempt from natural disasters. I am reminded of 2017, among others, in my district where it was devastated by Hurricane Harvey over an area of 41,500 square miles, 21 trillion gallons of rainfall, and one-third of Houston underwater. There was major discrimination against Black and Brown Houstonians who sought loans or home loans or financing to pay for repairs. They faced obstacles, delays, and outcomes that were different than their neighbors. Mr. Speaker, this endemic discrimination was seen in efforts to gain assistance from the Small Business Administration. Mr. Speaker, as an outspoken advocate for equity in this country's economy, I rise in support of the Financial Services Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Economic Justice Act. This bill requires that financial services regulators and companies establish procedures to ensure racial equity and eliminate racial disparities in all aspects of their operations including employment, income, wealth, and access to affordable credit. In addition to the reforms in H.R. 2543, the bill requires regulators to provide reports to Congress about economic inequality, especially within the labor force, and enact plans to minimize said inequalities. America's economy has only rarely worked to the advantage of working- class people. Worse still, there has been an endemic and vile trend of implicit and perhaps explicit discrimination against people of color within policies and overall economic policy. However, unfair monetary policy is not just an anachronism from long ago or a relic from a different era. It is happening now. Recent analyses have found that algorithms used by lenders often are designed in such a way that they result in black and brown Americans being charged higher interest rates. This legislation takes a major step toward fixing long-overdue-- disparities and fundamentally changing the financial services industry to make it proactive in fighting economic discrimination. I am also very pleased that my amendment is included in the En Bloc Amendment that the Financial Services committee is bringing before the House today. My amendment requires the Federal Reserve Board to submit a report to Congress about the prevalence of racial discrimination in lending to victims of a federally declared disaster. This amendment merits the support of all of my colleagues because no district is exempt from natural disasters, and with the acceleration of climate change, it is increasingly likely that these events will occur even in areas of the country that previously felt insulated from them. When disasters occur, our Nation has a moral and legal duty to facilitate their recovery and rebuilding. It is totally unacceptable and abhorrent for racial or ethnic discrimination to be injected into decisions on financial factors impacting remedial action. However, in some instances, discrimination--whether by intent or effect--has occurred during these moments of greatest need. For example, in 2017, my district in Houston was one of the many in Texas devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Over an area of 41,500 square miles spanning Texas and Louisiana, the storm dropped nearly 21 trillion gallons of rainfall and damaged 203,000 homes, of which 12,700 were destroyed. At its peak on September 1, 2017, one third of Houston was underwater, and over 300,000 structures of all types were flooded in southeastern Texas, where extreme rainfall hit many areas that are densely populated. Hurricane Harvey was the largest housing disaster to strike the U.S. in our Nation's history. When the cleanup began, thousands of Houstonians needed loans to help rebuild their homes and their lives. But black and brown Houstonians who sought loans or home loan refinancing to pay for repairs faced obstacles, delays, and outcomes that were different from their other neighbors. This endemic discrimination was seen in efforts to gain assistance from the Small Business Administration. If there was ever a moment when our financial systems need to fully support minority communities, it is after they have been decimated by a natural disaster. For majority Houstonians who applied and received a $200,000 loan from the Small Business Administration or $25,000 by virtue of a government declaration, the process was streamlined. They could also apply for and receive $40,000 from the SBA to replace or repair personal property--such as clothing, furniture, cars, and appliances-- that was damaged or destroyed in the disaster. The SBA asks applicants for collateral, such as a first or second mortgage on the damaged real estate, which are common forms of collateral for an SBA disaster loan. In the case of majority applicants, it was found that the SBA usually would not decline a loan for lack of collateral. However, for black and brown families, the system worked differently. Financing was difficult to access. Applications for loans from black and brown residents were less likely to be approved than applications from their white counterparts. My amendment protects black and brown Americans who face the consequences of a debilitating natural disaster. It would guarantee their protection from unfair policies in their most vulnerable moments. Fighting economic discrimination should be a bipartisan issue. No American deserves to be left behind because of antiquated monetary policy or a federal government that refuses to fight on their behalf. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to recognize the discrimination and to fix it by adding the Jackson Lee amendment. I include in the Record an article titled: ``Black Communities are Last in Line for Disaster Planning in Texas.'' [From the Washington Post, May 12, 2022] Black Communities Are Last in Line for Disaster Planning in Texas Houston.--Lawrence Hester worries every time it rains. During heavy storms, water overflows the dirt drainage ditch fronting his yard and the bayou at the end of his block-- flooding the street, creeping up his front steps, pooling beneath the house, and trapping his family inside. ``We are always underwater here,'' said Hester, 61. And yet, the state of Texas allocated none of the $1 billion in federal funds it received to protect communities from future disasters to neighborhoods in Houston that flood regularly, according to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD has now found the exclusion of those majority Black and Hispanic urban communities to be discriminatory. The state ``shifted money away from the areas and people that needed it the most,'' disproportionately benefiting White residents living in smaller towns, the agency concluded. Houston has faced seven federally declared disasters in the last seven years and suffered an estimated $2 billion in damage from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. That storm devastated Kashmere Gardens, where Hester has lived his entire life. The floodwaters from Harvey deposited black mold throughout Hester's home and left his daughter chronically short of breath. The state, which is appealing HUD's findings, denied discriminating, saying the Texas General Land Office administered the federal grant program based on HUD approval. The situation in Texas illustrates the challenge facing the Eiden administration, which has pledged to focus on racial equity but is struggling to protect low-income communities of color from the growing threat of climate change. Even after HUD's finding of discrimination, the agency said it does not have the power at this time to suspend the rest of the $4.3 billion in disaster mitigation money awarded to the state under criteria approved by the Trump administration. ``What is happening here with these federal dollars going through the state and not one dime coming to the City of Houston post-Hurricane Harvey is absolutely crazy, and it cannot be justified,'' said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. ``What do I say to the people in Kashmere Gardens when these storms keep coming, and we are not putting in the infrastructure that they desperately need to mitigate the risk of future flooding?'' Black and Hispanic communities in northeast Houston, including Kashmere Gardens, are especially vulnerable to the more frequent storms and catastrophic flooding expected due to climate change, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Many of the residential streets lack curbs and gutters--common storm drainage infrastructure in predominantly White neighborhoods in Houston--and rely instead on open ditches dating back to the 1930s. ``Sometimes we can't get out because the water is so high,'' said Jackie Spradley, Hester's wife. ``You're literally trapped until the water starts to subside.'' She can't get to work. Their 12-year-old daughter can't get to school. The whoosh of traffic and trains permeates the triangular neighborhood of modest single-family homes penned between two highways and two sets of railroad tracks. During large storms, runoff from impervious highway surfaces flows onto residential streets. Piles of trash--old tires, mattresses, furniture, home insulation--accumulate for weeks in the drainage ditches along many streets, blocking water from flowing through the ditches to the bayou. Silt and other debris clog many of the culverts beneath narrow driveways and footpaths spanning the ditches. In the summers, standing water breeds mosquitoes. The city of Houston had hoped to use $95 million in federal grants to upgrade Kashmere Gardens' storm drainage infrastructure. The proposed improvements, including converting some of the ditches to a curb and gutter system, would have removed the flood risk to nearly 1,400 properties. But without the money, the city shelved those plans. Hester's daughter Ashlei was 7 years old in 2017 when Harvey floodwaters breached their family room, lapping at the legs of the card table on which the family played dominoes. Her cough worsened, and doctors prescribed four different medications for asthma. She was hospitalized in 2018 for more than a week. But doctors still did not know what was causing her illness. It wasn't until December 2019, more than two years after Harvey, when Hester and his wife discovered the black mold that was making their daughter so sick. A city inspector recommended that the house be condemned. ``I was so ashamed,'' Hester said. ``We didn't have nowhere else to go.'' His mother had purchased the home in 1960, paying the mortgage with wages from her job flipping burgers 16 hours a day. Hester was born in the house months later. He had stayed in the house after Hurricane Alicia flooded the home in 1983. And after Ike in 2008. Even after Harvey, Hester stayed, hoping to someday pass the three-bedroom ranch-style home onto his daughter. But Hester, who is on disability for herniated disks in his back and neck from his years as a long-haul truck driver, and his wife, who sells insurance, never had the money to adequately repair the storm-ravaged roof and mold-covered walls. Hester said the city informed him after Harvey that he was ineligible for funding to fix the home because of unpaid property taxes ``It's not just about the storm drainage,'' Hester said. ``It's about everything.'' Hester said that the rainbow-hued oily waters he had splashed in while playing in the drainage ditches as a child had been polluted with cancer-causing creosote used to treat wooden railroad ties and utility poles. A 2019 state health department investigation confirmed elevated cancer rates among residents in the southern end of Kashmere Gardens, located near two Superfund sites. Residents fear that flooding will carry toxic deposits into their yards. Hester's mother had died of cancer. So had his father. And one of his brothers. ``Cancer is killing the whole neighborhood,'' said Hester, who is too afraid to visit the doctor about his own health problems. Federal disaster mitigation grants are supposed to improve the inferior flood infrastructure in lower income communities. But the HUD investigation found that competition rules set by the Texas General Land Office unfairly favored smaller towns with less urgent needs and where residents are more likely to be White and less likely to be lower income. The state knowingly adopted scoring criteria that prioritized lower-density areas and excluded communities that HUD designated as the most impacted by disasters from half the grants, HUD said. ``Because the criteria had these unjustified discriminatory effects, their use failed to comply with HUD's regulations,'' the agency found. No other state adopted Texas' method of distributing the funds, according to HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. The agency concluded that without Texas's discriminatory criteria, nearly four times as many Black residents and more than twice as many Hispanic residents would have benefited from the grants. The General Land Office said in its April 1 appeal that the state ``does not discriminate, and the projects it has funded help minority beneficiaries across Texas.'' The state said more than two- thirds of residents in communities that received awards are Black, Hispanic or Asian. The state pointed out that its plan was approved two years ago and characterized HUD's new objections as ``politically motivated.'' In addition to Houston and surrounding Harris County, the General Land Office denied grants to the predominantly Black and Hispanic cities of Port Arthur, Beaumont and Corpus Christi as well as Jefferson and Nueces counties--all of which experienced significant flooding from Harvey, according to the civil rights complaint. Texas Housers, a nonprofit focused on housing in low-income communities, and Northeast Action Collective, a grassroots advocacy group of Houston residents, filed the complaint with HUD last year. Instead, funds were steered toward inland, Whiter communities that were far less severely impacted by hurricanes and used to fund routine infrastructure, the complaint said. That includes $17.5 million for a new community center in Caldwell County that is supposed to double as an evacuation center; $10.8 million to install a sewage system in the 379-person town of Iola; $6 million for a new sheriffs department radio tower and radios for Gonzales County; and $4.2 million for a 2,000- foot-long road in Bastrop County to connect a Walmart parking lot and a Home Depot, justified as an alternate path for emergency vehicles in case the adjacent freeway is clogged with hurricane evacuees from the Gulf Coast 161 miles away. ``These mitigation funds are a strategy to undo the systemic racism of the past, but that's not what we're seeing Texas interested in at all,'' said John Henneberger, co- director of Texas Housers. ``This is a test of how serious HUD and the Biden administration are in enforcing civil rights.'' HUD's Office of Community Planning and Development, which oversees disaster mitigation aid, wrote to the Texas General Land Office in March expressing ``grave concerns'' over the distribution of the first round of grants. ``The State has not identified a plan to protect communities while guarding against competition criteria that could disadvantage minority residents,'' HUD wrote. If a voluntary resolution cannot be reached, HUD said it could refer the matter to the Department of Justice for enforcement. But advocates worry that could come too late for communities like Kashmere Gardens. While HUD said it cannot stop the state from awarding the rest of the grants ``due to prior decisions,'' it would begin monitoring how the money is distributed and warned it could claw back the funds if necessary. ``Texas has a history of sending money to those who are politically connected,'' said Shannon Van Zandt, a professor of urban planning at Texas A&M University whose research focuses on hazard reduction and housing. She noted that racial disparities occurred with the distribution of disaster funds after Hurricane Ike in 2008. Civil rights advocates say HUD has the authority to suspend Texas's ability to spend federal grant money; it has done so under previous administrations. But Sara Pratt, former deputy assistant secretary in HUD's fair housing office who is now representing Texas Housers as an attorney, said there is long-standing division among HUD staff over enforcing civil rights violations when making funding decisions. ``There is deep disagreement internally,'' Pratt said. ``The secretary's job is to resolve disputes like this.'' HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge declined to comment because the Texas investigation remains open, HUD spokesman Michael Burns said. ``Her commitment to civil rights and fair housing is well documented and unwavering, and she is committed to ensuring that all HUD funds are used in compliance with all relevant laws and program requirements,'' Burns said. In response to widespread criticism over how the first $1 billion in Harvey disaster grants was distributed, Texas now plans to allocate $750 million to Harris County. Houston is due to receive an additional $9 million out of $488 million that the state plans to send to the Houston-Galveston region. City officials point out that the $9 million amounts to less than one tenth of the cost of its proposed improvements to Kashmere Gardens. In Kashmere Gardens on a recent morning after a thunderstorm inundated streetside drainage ditches, bulldozers and dump trucks worked to widen and deepen Hunting Bayou to absorb runoff from future storms. The work is a small portion of a $2.5 billion flood protection bond that Harris County passed in 2018. The bulk of the bond money was directed to wealthier neighborhoods because the county expected to receive federal disaster funds for poorer ones, according to county commissioner Rodney Ellis. But without money to upgrade the ditch system to drain storm water from neighborhood streets, it's unclear if the bayou expansion will be effective. ``This is the Texas two-step in Houston. You have to get the water from the neighborhoods to the bayous. And then you have to get the water from the bayous to the Gulf of Mexico,'' said Ellis, who represents the area. Residents, too, remain skeptical. ``It's a wait and see situation,'' said Dorothy Wanza, another Kashmere Gardens resident whose street turned into a river during Harvey and flooded her home with more than a foot of water. The experience left the So- year-old so traumatized that ``every time it rains, I get the hell out of dodge.'' She spent the previous night fully dressed, prepared to evacuate to one of her children's homes. ``The ditches overflow, and once they are full, the water comes back on you,'' Wanza said. On the other side of the bayou, Hester said the city had recently cleaned out part of a ditch lining his street for the first time he could recall in more than a decade. Dirt and bricks still block some of the culverts. ``Right up under there, look,'' he said, pointing beneath the concrete walkway leading from the street to his front yard. ``It's stopped up on both sides.'' He nodded farther down the street to another culvert: ``That whole drain hole was flooded.'' He and his next door neighbor had removed as many bricks as they could to move the water through. ``If we don't do things around here, ain't nothing going to get done. I have to go around here and try to help, and I'm in bad shape myself.'' Hester limped around the perimeter of his home and pointed two feet up the siding where Harvey floodwaters had reached--a reminder of the catastrophe he says he failed to protect his daughter from. A nonprofit had removed the mold inside when it fixed up the house in 2020, installing new cabinets, a new roof and laminate flooring. But the entryway still slopes. The floor joists need to be repaired. The porch is lopsided, its wood rotted. Hester is stooped from years of pain. Yet he remains intent on doing what he can to make things right. ``It's not my life I'm worried about. It's my daughter's,'' Hester said. ``I'm half dead.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, it is very meaningful that we are holding this special order today in honor of the First Focus Children's 4th Annual Children's Week. I would like to thank Congresswoman Sara Jacobs for leading today's effort, which serves as a reminder that we must always be mindful of the needs of our nation's children in all our efforts. As a mother and grandmother, I am intimately invested in First Focus Children's invaluable work to bring awareness and attention to the needs of our nation's children, and I applaud recognition provided by the 4th annual Children's Week. This week, we celebrate the successes made in the fight to improve the lives of children across the country and lament the many heavy burdens still weighing on the shoulders of our youth. I have been fighting on Capitol Hill for the rights and needs of children and families for over 25 years. Why are we still fighting for so many of the same things we were fighting for in 1995? Why in one of the richest countries in the world are children still going to bed hungry? Why are families begging for affordable childcare? Why are mothers and fathers choosing between making rent and keeping the lights on? I speak to you today with a heart full of grief, anger, and still unrelenting hope. Hope, because what are our children if not the promise of a better tomorrow--if we can only be watchful stewards of today? Frederick Douglas once said that ``it is easier to build strong children, than to repair broken men.'' As the founding Chairperson of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I overwhelmingly urge Congress--let us work together in bipartisan action. Let us build strong children. When passing the American Rescue Plan, Congress demonstrated its commitment to keeping children fed, cared for, and supported. The bill provided direct housing assistance and nutrition assistance for 40 million Americans, expanded access to safe and reliable childcare and affordable health care, extended unemployment insurance so that 18 million American workers could pay their bills, and supported 27 million children with an expanded Child Tax Credit. As a direct result of this legislation, 7.8 million children were prevented from falling into poverty. Importantly, the American Rescue Plan made the provision of safe and affordable childcare a priority. At the age of 5 most American children are ushered into schools where they and their families will be provided with community and supports. And yet children under 5, who have as many if not more needs than their older counterparts, have no such universal resources available to them. How is a caregiver expected to work to provide for their family if they have a young one at home? Each of us, whether a parent or not, has a stake in the success of child care in this country. High-quality, accessible, affordable childcare will allow our early learning system to provide opportunities for self-reliance, agency, and personal growth for millions of caregivers--ultimately leading to the success of our children and our national economy. I had the pleasure of congratulating a class of exemplary high school graduates in Texas over the weekend. Before receiving their accolades, regalia, and diplomas, these young scholars had to overcome many obstacles--obstacles that many of my fellow Congressmen did not face in our childhoods. I implore us today to absorb the impact of the First Focus Children's 4th Annual Children's Week. Let us remember the core of our responsibility to our nation, to create and preserve a future in which our country's children can flourish.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to be yielded to by the gentlewoman. I thank her for championing this outstanding legislation, and I thank my good friend for acknowledging the en bloc. I will say that there is good news. The good news is that the Recovering America's Wildlife Act is once-in-a-generation funding for the conservation of threatened species of animals and plants as well as habitat preservation. I will discuss the importance of it as I also present to the body my amendment. Let me, first of all, say I pay tribute to Ellison, 7 years old, and to Roy, 7 years old, my twin grandchildren who love every species that they can find within their backyard or anyplace else that you would take them. I see in their lifetime the vision of this legislation. They love the outdoors. They love to see crawling things, and they are a boy and a girl. Yet, what are we facing today? The world is facing an unprecedented loss of wildlife. Bird populations have declined almost 30 percent in the U.S. and Canada since 1970. Over 40 percent of America's freshwater fish are at risk of extinction, and State agencies have identified 12,000 species of wildlife in need of conservation. The Speaker pro tempore knows that Texas and Louisiana experienced a catastrophic oil spill some years ago. I remember visiting oyster fishermen and others who were devastated. We need to get in there and make a difference. Mr. Speaker, 12,000 species are currently identified as endangered in the United States, and 1,300 of them are in my State of Texas. As I said, fishermen are still crying out for help. Climate change poses an unprecedented challenge to plant and animal species due to wildfires, droughts, floods, and temperature shifts. Hurricane Harvey devastated the coast and the opportunities for wildlife. The resulting threat to biodiversity has the potential to disrupt our ecosystem and, with it, human quality of life and sustainability. Urban sprawl as well as development of suburbs and exurbs also encroach on the habitat that supports biodiversity, and it has ripple effects that compound the gradation of our environment from climate change. We want to be hanging in there with fisherman, sportsmen, bikers, hikers--bikers in the appropriate atmosphere, but hikers in particular. Our children deserve to know the natural beauty of their country. They deserve to see the beauty of wildlife. They deserve to be good custodians of that, and the children need to be diverse. So the amendment that I offer is to ensure that children will continue to spend their days fishing, gardening alongside bees, watching the migratory birds, but also looking at the wilds and the species that are in them. The Recovering America's Wildlife Act provides $1.3 billion in funding to protect our Nation's wildlife, $50 million of which will go to Texas.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, this is a great effort. My amendment fixes and adds to this. By adding title IV, we stipulate the Secretary of the Interior must, no later than 1 year after passage, provide a report on the dollar amount of grants, contracts, and subcontracts that were allocated to historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving educational institutions, tribally controlled colleges and universities, and women- and minority-owned businesses. My amendment goes into the broad span of Americans, brings them into the arena, and gives a needed investment in people of color who deserve to be not only included but intentionally targeted in new conservation investments to open their eyes, to give them the opportunity, and to ensure our Native American friends are included as well along with women- and minority-owned businesses. Let them have an investment as well. In addition, with the enactment of this legislation, my amendment would create a framework for prioritizing historically disadvantaged groups in environmental efforts, bring them, again, into the fold, which should be replicated in future efforts. This is an important step. I want you to listen to me, historically Black colleges and Hispanic- serving institutions, this is also a day for you. Support this legislation, and we will expand and build and support America. Mr. Speaker, as a staunch advocate for the environment I rise in support of the Recovering America's Wildlife Act of 2021. This bill provides once-in-a-generation funding for the conservation of threatened species of animals and plants, as well as habitat preservation. 12,000 species are currently identified as endangered in the United States. 1,300 of those are in my home state of Texas. In addition to providing $1.3 billion in funding to protect our nation's wildlife--$50 million of which will go to Texas--the Recovering America's Wildlife Act of 2021 designates portion of this federal funding for special projects that revitalize species facing a conservation need. In addition to my support of H.R. 2773, I rise to put forth an important amendment to today's legislation. Firstly, this legislation does not stipulate significant transparency regarding the handling of these funds. Secondly, nowhere in this bill does it require the Department of the Interior to include people of color. My amendment fixes both of those issues. By adding Title IV, we stipulate the Secretary of the Interior must, no later than one year after passage, provide a report on the dollar amount of grants, contracts, and subcontracts that were allocated to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving educational institutions, Tribally controlled colleges and universities, and women and minority owned business. My amendment addresses a needed investment in people of color who deserve to be not only included, but intentionally targeted in new conservation investments. Passage of this bill will encourage fairness in the allocation of contract, subcontract, and grant dollars, as well as greater transparency into the details of those allocations. Climate change poses unprecedented challenges to plant and animal species due to wildfires, droughts, floods, and temperature shifts. The resulting threat to biodiversity has the potential to disrupt our ecosystem, and with it, human quality-of-life and sustainability. Urban sprawl as well as development of suburbs and exurbs also encroach on the habitat that supports biodiversity, and it has ripple effects that compound the degradation of our environment from climate change. This bill takes these problems seriously and provides funding for programs that are essential for human sustainability as well as the resilience of plants and animals. Our children deserve to know the natural beauty of their country. They deserve to grow up in an America teeming with wild strength, diversity, and beauty. They deserve to embrace the long American history of wildlife sportsmanship, recreation, and appreciation. By supporting H.R. 2773, we ensure that childhood days spent fishing at the lake, gardening alongside bees, or watching the flight of migratory birds are not things of the past. Through this bill we preserve the heritage of our country. Additionally, enactment of this legislation would create a framework for prioritizing historically disadvantaged groups in environmental efforts that should be replicated in future efforts.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her distinguished presentation. I will take a moment, as other Members are on the floor, so I can at least set the framework of this evening of which she has done so ably. I think the cornerstone of the chairwoman's remarks is that we have been building on Juneteenth, as members of the Congressional Black Caucus, for all of our tenure in Congress. We have done it by the myriad of legislative initiatives that continue to build and repair what was generated from the 246 years of slavery. Let me, first of all, read into the Record that order of General Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865, on the shores of Galveston, Texas: ``The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The Freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.'' Most people have not heard the entire order. Union soldiers, up to 200,000, fought in the Civil War and died. Union soldiers were killed by Confederate soldiers. Rather than, under the laws of the military protocol, captured as prisoners of war, they shot them dead. Blood was shed by slaves, or Freedmen, and the order that we all so often praised, let me be very clear, General Granger said you are free, but your posture, your framework, the guidepost, is you are not to leave. You are now employer and not even employee but hired labor. There was no obligation for Freedmen to stay and take a job, and most of the slaves looked askance. They didn't understand what ``employer'' was. That is not a word they had ever heard, in any large sense, and ``hired labor.'' We are free. Tonight, we speak about freedom. They were free. Yet, even in the goodness of that order, they were advised to remain at their present homes, probably something that had been given to the plantation and the masters and to work for wages. It did not say what kind of wages, what kind of work conditions you had, what kind of workers' comp, insurance. No, they were informed that they would not be allowed to collect at military posts, and as if that had been the slaves' mantra, they even challenged them to not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere. Let me tell you, by this very potent picture, what the ancestors had gone through for 246 years. For those who were born, lived, and died in the brutality of slavery, this was their lives, the separation of families and the unnaming of families. They had first names, or they were called ``husband'' or ``wife.'' They were not given the dignity of a name. This was their lot. So Juneteenth, its essence was freedom, but the words were hesitant. Even though slavery had been abolished, as most people will know, except for convicted persons, which made them as a challenged amendment, if you will, because that process of prisoners continued into the 20th century. But I say this to say, as we begin our discussion, and I will just make this point, I am here to honor those who never were honored, whose names were never called, whose funerals or burials were never given the dignity of a human being. They died as less than a person, as the Constitution dictated, for at least a century. They never had that dignity of who they were and the work they did and the building of the economic engine of America and the shedding of blood in both the Revolutionary War and the wars in between and the Civil War. As we look at these scars, that is why I am so adamant about H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals. Because even in the pronouncement of freedom, Chairwoman Beatty, Chairman Jeffries, Chair Bonnie Watson Coleman--even in the proclamation of freedom, they did not have freedom. They were qualified in their freedom. With that in mind, I continue to raise up this bill, with almost 217 cosponsors, to this week even become an executive order, pronouncement of such, or ultimately passed by the House of Representatives, that is, H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals. I am prepared to yield to the chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, who has certainly evidenced the essence of freedom in our work together on criminal justice reform. I think he well knows what the 13th Amendment left us with, as well as General Granger's order. I hope that he has heard that even in freedom, we were given qualifications and structures and strictures, and we were denied the true freedom of this Nation. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for taking us through this powerful journey of a continued fight for freedom by the Congressional Black Caucus and incorporating all of the relief given for the continued ailments and disparities of African Americans and leading us to H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act, which really are components of the work that we have been doing. They are the building blocks of trying to cure extensive disparities. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman), a Member that has worked on disparities focused on the journey of Black women, leading on issues of Black women maternity mortality, as well as my colleague on the Homeland Security Committee and a number of other collaborations.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for bringing to our attention some very unique aspects, again, of the Congressional Black Caucus and her work. As I travel the country, it is interesting to hear that our community has been so deprived as it relates to the discrimination against you with respect to your hairstyle. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, among other things, was able to lead on something, and I hear it often, that they are so proud of this legislation because it has given dignity to people whose dignity was taken away. These are the building blocks that the Congressional Black Caucus pours into the symbolism of honoring Juneteenth and H.R. 40, the commission that studies slavery. Madam Speaker, as I prepare to allow for an additional speaker to come, let me make this point--let me just take this moment as we prepare to yield. Madam Speaker, would you give us the time, please?

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, let me put this into the record as I prepare to yield, and emphasize what H.R. 40 does. As I do so, let me emphasize why H.R. 40 is so important. This is what you see--it is the hanging of Black men, and it is the presence of individuals who are making a spectacle of this. There is one Black man already on the ground. There is no evidence of a trial, no evidence of guilt. This is an example of what preceded 1865. When you talk about H.R. 40--or even when we were trying to make Juneteenth a Federal holiday--I introduced resolutions over and over again and finally got the bill introduced as a Federal holiday, which then we proceeded and worked to get it passed. There was always a question: Why? There was always a question about this issue of freedom. You are already free. You live in America. The same goes for this issue of: Why H.R. 40? Because the continuing--continuing--ailments that ailed our community did not end. This was obviously not in 1865. This was into the 1900s, the 20th century, as evidenced--or maybe the late 1800s that Black men were being hung, Black women were being raped and separated from families, and the abuse of racism was deep and abiding. The Klan would raid and burn communities, hospitals, churches, homes, and have a reign of terror. This work of the Congressional Black Caucus, with the many splinters of legislation, can be culminated by the passage through a vote on the floor of the House or through an executive order that clearly would provide an answer to the language here that says: Following the abolition of slavery, the United States Government, at the Federal, State, and local levels, continued to perpetrate, condone, and often profit from practices that continued to brutalize and disadvantage African Americans, including share cropping, convict leasing, Jim Crow, redlining, unequal education, and disproportionate treatment at the hands of the criminal justice systems, and lack of access to healthcare. Harvard University said, If we had it, we would not have been that impacted by COVID in terms of dying and sickness. This is a symbolic depiction that racism and discrimination continue to exist. This legislation was updated to say: And develop reparation proposals. That is the key. It is an action item. We want a response to Black America; a response to African Americans; we want a response to the 57 members of the Congressional Black Caucus--coming from a variety of districts--some with small measures of African Americas. Yet, the recognition of wherever they live in America, and as our members represent all people, millions of Americans, they understand the stark disparities they see even in their congressional districts. That is why we stand here today, to honor Juneteenth which equals freedom. That is why we are here today, to say that we are never giving up the fight. We are most proud of the fact that we collectively came as a body, embraced our work as individual members, and got Juneteenth signed. We will now go into this week speaking about freedom, but also speaking about truth and the work we have to do. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield to gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and submit additional materials and statements.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to proceed under this Special Order of the Congressional Black Caucus. It is my pleasure now to begin to frame this very important week to commemorate Juneteenth, the second acknowledgment of the Federal holiday created on June 17, 2021, by President Joe Biden--present, of course, was Vice President Kamala Harris--when the first holiday for nearly 40 years, Federal holiday, was established. I am pleased to be able to yield to the distinguished gentlewoman from Ohio whose vision has helped us craft this recognition and this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order and her recognition of the cruciality of honoring those who have never been honored, the acknowledgment of Juneteenth, a day of freedom, and as well recognizing H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals. We thank her for her leadership and her guidance. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life and achievements of the Honorable Judge John F. DeBruhl of Galveston, Texas. John F. DeBruhl was born a slave on November 14, 1841, in Columbia, South Carolina. He was later sold and brought to Texas. In June 1861, he married Alice V. Taylor from Parkersburg, WV, and together, they raised and educated seven children in Galveston. John DeBruhl was well known and respected in his community and was appointed one of the first black Reconstruction Justices of the Peace in Galveston, Texas. He also served as County Court Judge and twice served as a Galveston City Alderman alongside luminaries like N.W. Cuney. He was a prominent member of the Republican County, State and National Conventions. His leadership efforts led to his nomination as a candidate for the United States Congress. John DeBruhl presided over diverse court cases with important issues during Reconstruction Era Texas and had a substantial impact on the early history of Galveston, Texas. Numerous state newspapers reporting on his judicial rulings, official meeting notes, op-eds and community speeches are still available to read today. When the Grand Lodges of the Negro Free Masons were expanding into the South, John DeBruhl was a founding member and officer of the Galveston Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free & Accepted Masons of Texas. John DeBruhl was also instrumental in organizing the ``docks'' of Galveston to ensure black men could work and in better conditions. Moreover, John DeBruhl was a founding member of the ``Black Stevedores'' in Galveston. Judge John F. DeBruhl is remembered as a man of purpose, honor, and an unwavering determination for the betterment of African Americans during one of the most tumultuous times in American history, the Post- Civil War Reconstruction years. Judge DeBruhl's enduring legacy as a champion for education, equality, activism, and duty was passed on to his family. The phenomenal life of the Honorable John F. DeBruhl was nearly lost to history without the persistent and intentional efforts of his great- granddaughter Dr. Nanette DeBruhl. The research done revealed a life of extraordinary accomplishments and whose influence has reached across time to impact today's Texas.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6270, the Advanced Aviation Infrastructure Modernization Act, or the AAIM Act. H.R. 6270 would establish a pilot program to help state, local and Tribal governments prepare for advanced air mobility operations and ensure that communities can take advantage of the potential benefits of the safe integration of these technologies in our nation's airspace. The AAIM Act outlines a comprehensive set of considerations for infrastructure planning that will enable communities to maximize the societal benefits that Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) stands to offer. Air mobility is a promising industry set to advance and enhance American methods of transportation. For more than 100 years, the U.S. aerospace and defense (A&D) industry has been at the forefront of innovation. From the first flight in the air to the first steps on the moon, the industry has led the United States' economic and national security success domestically and internationally. AAM is a new concept of air transportation using electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to move people and cargo between places not currently or easily served. The AAM market is estimated to reach US$115 billion annually by 2035, employing more than 280,000 high-paying jobs. To keep pace with this growing sector, states and localities need to prepare for anticipated AAM operations and ensure local communities can take advantage of the potential benefits of the safe integration of AAM technologies in U.S. airspace. H.R. 6270 establishes a two-year pilot program that invests $25 million in competitive grants for state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to prepare for the development and deployment of AAM vertiports and related infrastructure. Powered by electric or hybrid propulsion, AAM offers significant potential to improve mobility and complement existing public, transportation networks while reducing congestion and carbon and noise emissions. I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 6270 the Advanced Aviation Infrastructure Modernization Act.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of S. 3580 to defend the right of American business owners and farmers to receive fair pricing for the exportation of their valuable products across the world. Since the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a halt, the international exchange of goods has struggled to recover. Many Americans have felt the impact of the supply chain disruption in their homes and pockets. Products manufactured in factories overseas take too long to arrive at our ports. When they do arrive, they spend days docked on shore before distribution to American warehouses. However, the true crime in this broken system has been the theft of economic opportunity to American exporters. In the months of October and November 2021, when the global supply chain was at its most unstable, shipping carriers had the gall to arrive on U.S. soil, deposit foreign products and then reject the exports of American farmers and business owners. In these two months, ocean carriers turned away more than 175,000 containers from ports in California, New Jersey, and New York. According to some reports, nearly 40 percent of scheduled pickups of U.S. agricultural exports were cancelled or simply not completed. Three out of four shipping containers left American ports empty. That's a loss of over $630 million for American businesses. When shipping containers were available for export, price gouging ate into already small profit margins of our hard-working farmers. In just two years the price of a shipping container leaving the U.S. quadrupled. Our business owners, our producers, our farmers are being robbed. Foreign shipping companies should not be making all time high profits off the backs of American business owners. The Ocean Shipping Competition Reform Act will empower the Federal Maritime Commission to ensure that American companies stand on equal footing with foreign manufacturers and that these unjust practices come to an end. S. 3580 will ensure that shipping companies commit to fair and equitable pricing practices. S. 3580 will support the American economy and will empower our business owners and agricultural leaders to compete on an even playing field on the international stage. That is why I stand in support of the Ocean Shipping Competition Reform Act of 2022, and why I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding, and let me personally on this floor--I have said it many times--offer my sympathy to Lucy McBath for the pain that she continues to live with for the loss of her son. Let me say to my friends, your arguments could not be more absurd. Over these last 2 days, I have heard welfare state; I am a person of faith as all who profess such, challenging whether or not we have faith; speaking about the absurdity of not understanding the Constitution; disrespecting the democratic system that we have; that there will be an outrageous attack on individuals with the red flag laws. You are just simply wrong. My plea is to the American people because you can force people who masquerade as believing that it is a shame for children to die, but yet do nothing. This is the side of doing absolutely nothing but casting aspersions and challenging what is right. Red flag laws are right. Why? Indiana passed it in 2005, and in years since, the State's firearms suicide rate has gone down 7.5 percent. They work. A little boy, 16 years old, in New York was getting ready to shoot up his students, had shotguns at home. An order was put forward, and he admitted that not having the guns in the home was helpful and the order helped him. Is there no desire to do something in the name of those who died wrongly in Buffalo? Is there no desire? Are you not in any way aware of Zaire, a mother's child trying to work in a job and was severely injured? Are you not aware of Amerie, 10 years old, who died and bled out as she called 911? Madam Speaker, I include in the Record two lists of victims from the Uvalde school shooting and the Buffalo supermarket shooting. the 21 victims of the uvalde school shooting Makenna Lee Elrod, 10; Layla Salazar, 11; Maranda Mathis, 11; Nevaeh Bravo, 10; Jose Manuel Flores Jr., 10; Xavier Lopez, 10; Tess Marie Mata, 10; Rojelio Torres, 10; Eliahna ``Ellie'' Amyah Garcia, 9; Eliahna A. Torres, 10; Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez, 10; Jackie Cazares, 9; Uziyah Garcia;, 9; Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, 10; Maite Yuleana Rodriguez, 10; Jailah Nicole Silguero, 10 ; Irma Garcia, 48; Eva Mireles, 44; Amerie Jo Garza, 10; Alexandria ``Lexi'' Aniyah Rubio, 10; and Alithia Ramirez, 10. the 10 people killed in buffalo, ny Roberta A. Drury of Buffalo, N.Y., age 32; Margus D. Morrison of Buffalo, N.Y., age 52; Andre Mackneil of Auburn, N.Y., age 53; Aaron Salter of Lockport, N.Y, age 55; Geraldine Talley of Buffalo, N.Y., age 62; Celestine Chaney of Buffalo, N.Y., age 65; Heyward Patterson of Buffalo, N.Y., age 67; Katherine Massey of Buffalo, N.Y., age 72; Pearl Young of Buffalo, N.Y., age 77; and Ruth Whitfield of Buffalo, N.Y., age 86.