Hakeem Jeffries

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5796) to amend title 35, United States Code, to establish a competition to award certificates that can be redeemed to accelerate certain matters at the Patent and Trademark Office, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5796, a bipartisan bill which codifies a competition at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office called Patents for Humanity. The Patents for Humanity program highlights the ways that innovation and intellectual property help solve global humanitarian challenges. I am proud to sponsor this bipartisan legislation, alongside Representative Spartz, to ensure that special recognition permanently extends to inventors who turn their genius toward helping the world's most needy and vulnerable. The Founders of our country understood that society would benefit if we incentivized creativity and innovation. That is why Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution gives Congress the power to create a robust intellectual property system to promote the progress of science and useful arts. As Members of Congress, we have often worked together in a bipartisan fashion to carry out this constitutional mandate, as we are doing today. The Patents for Humanity Act simply codifies an already existing annual competition run by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that incentivizes the use of patented technologies for humanitarian purposes. It is run without cost to the taxpayer, as USPTO is a fee- based entity. The award for the Patents for Humanity competition is a certificate to accelerate select matters before USPTO and public recognition during a ceremony held by that Office. Winners are selected by a panel of judges who look for inventions that address either humanitarian needs among an impoverished population or that further research by others with respect to humanitarian technologies. Applications are considered in categories including: medicine, nutrition, sanitation, household energy, and living standards. The 2022 competition also included a category for COVID-19- related inventions. Since its implementation as a pilot program 10 years ago, winners have included not-for-profit organizations, startups, universities, corporations, as well as individual inventors throughout the country. Winning submissions have included an all-terrain wheelchair; improvements to water purification systems and clean water storage; rechargeable lanterns for those without access to reliable energy sources; a portable, low-water kidney dialysis machine; and an affordable and highly adjustable prosthetic limb system. These and many other innovations have improved the quality of life of millions of individuals. By codifying H.R. 5796, we strengthen and recognize the importance of this program while providing the USPTO the flexibility to continue to improve its implementation. In December, this bill passed the House Committee on the Judiciary unanimously, building upon the work of Representative McBath, who successfully led a bipartisan effort to pass the Patents for Humanity Program Improvement Act into law last Congress, which allows award certificates to be transferable. Today, we go a step further by ensuring this program is a permanent feature of our innovation system and economy. Once again, I thank Representative Victoria Spartz for her partnership on this legislation, as well as her leadership as it relates to the terrible situation in Ukraine. I also thank my colleague, Representative Issa, for his leadership as well. The Patents for Humanity program shows how American innovation and creativity can continue to change the world. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation and vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5796, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding and for his tremendous leadership, as well as all of my colleagues who have worked on the MORE Act. Richard Nixon began the failed war on drugs a little over 50 years ago, in 1971. At the time, there were less than 300,000 Americans incarcerated in this country. Today, there are 2.3 million, disproportionately Black and Latino. Many of those individuals who have been incarcerated are there because of nonviolent drug offenses, often marijuana possession and use. The United States of America incarcerates more people than any other country in the world, including per capita China and Russia combined. That is a stain on our democracy. We have an overcriminalization problem in America. We have a mass incarceration problem in America. We have a prison industrial complex in America. It doesn't advance public safety, and it hurts economic development. It has ruined individuals, ruined lives, ruined families, and ruined communities, particularly in communities of color. It is time to end the Federal cannabis prohibition. It is time to deschedule it. It is time to decriminalize marijuana. It is time to invest in communities in a way that makes sense, both from a public safety standpoint as well as a fairness, equity, and justice standpoint. It is time to pass the MORE Act.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. What is the difference between us and them that was just on full display? We care about everyday Americans. They don't. We make life better for everyday Americans. They don't. We get things done for everyday Americans, and they don't. Insulin is a drug that is lifesaving and life-sustaining. It has been around for more than 100 years. It is off patent. There are no research and development costs associated with it. Yet so many Americans pay approximately $4,000 a year for insulin. That is unacceptable, un-American, and unconscionable. And that is why Democrats are doing something about it. The Affordable Insulin Now Act will lower out-of-pocket costs to $35 per month. That is not fiction. That is fact. That is not hyperbole. That is help that is game-changing for everyday Americans. Once again, Democrats deliver for the people.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished chair of the House Judiciary Committee for yielding and for his leadership. I thank my good friend and colleague Representative Cheri Bustos for her leadership. The people of America, the women of America have a right to be free of sexual harassment. The women of America have a right to be free of sexual assault. The women of America have a right to be free of a hostile work environment. They deserve their day in court. The process and practice of forced arbitration undermines these rights without providing an adequate remedy. The American people are being hoodwinked. The American people are being bamboozled. The American people are being led astray by forced arbitration. This practice of forced arbitration is unfair, unjust, unacceptable, unconscionable, and un-American. H.R. 4445 will make it unlawful. I urge strong support for this legislation so that liberty and justice for all can prevail.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, we are here today defending our democracy for one reason and one reason alone. It is because the radical right has decided that the only way they can consistently win elections is to engage in massive voter suppression. The right to vote is sacred. The right to vote is special. The right to vote is sacrosanct and central to the integrity of our democracy. There are people who died, lost their lives, and shed blood to make sure that Black people and everyone in America could vote. We are not going backward. We are only going to go forward. You had better back up off of us. We will pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. We will pass Joe Manchin's Freedom to Vote Act. We will get it to Joe Biden's desk, and we will end the era of voter suppression in America once and for all.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished chair of the Budget Committee for his leadership. Madam Speaker, there is a big difference between Democrats and Republicans. We fight for the people; they fight for the privileged few. We will pass the Build Back Better Act. They passed the GOP tax scam where 83 percent of the benefits went to the wealthiest 1 percent so they could subsidize the lifestyles of the rich and shameless. There is a big difference between Democrats and Republicans. The Build Back Better Act will invest in the creation of millions of good-paying jobs and cut taxes for working families. It will lower childcare costs, housing costs, and education costs; and it will drive down the high cost of lifesaving prescription drugs. The Build Back Better Act will invest in a green economy--a sustainable economy and a resilient economy--and lower energy costs for everyday Americans. The Build Back Better Act will create an economy that works for every single American creating opportunity and prosperity in every single ZIP Code. Madam Speaker, I thank President Biden for his extraordinary leadership. Democrats don't talk about it; we are about it. And because we are going to build back better for the people here in America, the best is yet to come.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this censure resolution. Inciting violence is unacceptable. Threatening to kill a colleague, the President of the United States, or any American, is unacceptable. I rise to make it clear that we have an opportunity today to choose decency over demonization, to choose civility over cynicism, and to choose the rule of law over recklessly violent behavior. That is why the House of Representatives is acting and acting decisively. We cannot normalize violence today, we cannot normalize violence tomorrow, and we cannot normalize violence at any point moving forward in our future. The House will hold Paul Gosar accountable for his violent and deplorable behavior whether the cover-up caucus likes it or not. Madam Speaker, vote ``yes'' on this censure resolution.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman and chair of the Rules Committee for yielding and for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, the House is a separate and coequal branch of government. We are the institution that is closest to the people. The House has a sacred obligation under the Constitution to defend our democracy, and we should be doing that in a bipartisan way, but something has happened to the modern-day Republican Party. The party of Abraham Lincoln is gone. The party of Ronald Reagan is gone. The party of John McCain is gone. A cult of personality has risen up to take its place. Is that why my colleagues refuse to denounce the former President's lie uttered today, that the real insurrection was on November 3? Take back your party. You can start today. You can start right here. You can start by holding Steve Bannon accountable for his blanket defiance of a congressional subpoena. What is wrong with Steve Bannon? There is no cult exception to the United States Constitution. There is a legitimate, bipartisan congressional investigation that is underway into the violent insurrection and attack on the Capitol on January 6. It was an assault on the Congress, the Constitution, and the country. A lawful subpoena has been issued that Steve Bannon should comply with. We must hold Steve Bannon accountable for his blanket defiance of a congressional subpoena, for undermining the rule of law, and for obstructing a congressional investigation because, in America, no one, no one, no one is above the law.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler, for yielding, and for his extraordinary leadership in moving this important piece of legislation forward. Mr. Speaker, I also thank Kelly Armstrong, who is the lead Republican who has sponsored this legislation, for his advocacy and his efforts to advance this critical piece of legislation. And I thank my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert), who indicated that we had had a previous conversation with then-Congressman Cedric Richmond at a Judiciary Committee hearing about his willingness to be supportive of moving forward with a bill to deal with the sentencing disparity that relates to crack cocaine and powder cocaine. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1693, the EQUAL Act, legislation that will finally eliminate the Federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity, which has devastated lives and families and communities throughout the country. As has been indicated, in 1986, shortly after the tragic death of basketball star, Len Bias, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act established a 100:1 disparity in sentencing for crack cocaine and powder cocaine. As a result, 500 grams of powder and 5 grams of crack triggered the same 5- year mandatory prison sentence. Yet, there is no policy justification for punishing crack cocaine offenses more harshly than the same offense involving powder cocaine. And there is no pharmacological difference between how the body processes crack cocaine and how it processes powder cocaine, notwithstanding the thinking at the time. Where there is a difference is the law's impact on communities of color. The burden has disproportionately fallen on African-American communities. 77.1 percent of the crack cocaine offenders convicted were Black, while most powder cocaine traffickers are non-Black. There was an overall impact as well. Our system of mass incarceration costs us at least $180 billion per year, money that could otherwise be invested in the well-being of everyday Americans in inner-city America, rural America, suburban America, small-town America, Appalachia as well. Policy and this failed war on drugs has not resulted in improved public safety, which is why the EQUAL Act is supported by law enforcement groups like the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, and perhaps most importantly, the National District Attorneys Association. Recognizing the sentencing disparity as a failure, Congress has acted several times to incrementally address this disparity. In 2010, with passage of the Fair Sentencing Act, the disparity was reduced from 100:1 to 18:1, in legislation signed into law by then-President Barack Obama. In 2018, with the First Step Act, legislation signed into law by then-President Donald Trump, that 18:1 sentencing disparity was made retroactive. And now Congress has an opportunity to finish the job. Today, the House of Representatives is poised in a bipartisan way to get that done. Fifty years ago, the failed war on drugs was first launched when the President at the time declared drug abuse public enemy number one. At the time there were less than 300,000 people incarcerated in America. Today, 2.3 million--disproportionately Black and Latino, many of them nonviolent drug offenders--who instead of receiving incarceration should have received drug treatment. It was a failed policy then. And we can't repeat that policy today, as so many folks are dealing with the scourge of opioid addiction. That is why I am so thankful that we are coming together to pass the EQUAL Act to end the disparity and to address the error of mass incarceration.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished chair for yielding and for his leadership in advancing this incredibly important issue. America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, but we cannot truly be a free country unless women have the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions. The radical right's effort to take away that freedom, all across country, is unacceptable, unthinkable, untenable, unconscionable, and un-American. We are going to make it unlawful. We are going to pass the Women's Healthcare Protection Act, and we are going to protect and respect a woman's freedom to make her own healthcare decisions.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, how dare Republicans come to this floor and lecture America about masks and liberty over and over again while at the same time undermining the precious right to vote? Free and fair elections are central to our liberty, and we are not going to let anyone take that away from us. Those who worship at the altar of voter suppression will fail. Those who worship at the altar of Jim Crow-like oppression will fail. Those who worship at the altar of turning back the clock to make America hate again will fail. We are not going backward. The John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act will become law, and when it is all said and done, democracy will prevail, and good trouble will win the day.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, is anyone else tired of hearing the insurrectionist in Chief continue to lie about the 2020 election? Over the weekend, once again, the former, twice-impeached, disgraced, so-called President of the United States of America, falsely claimed that he actually won the election, and that it was stolen from him by Joe Biden. Something is really wrong with this guy. And I need some help in trying to figure it out. Is Donald Trump, A, a pathological liar; B, a sociopath; C, a malignant narcissist; or D, all of the above? I will be around all week. Look forward to hearing from you.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, the hypocrisy coming from some in this Chamber is extraordinary. The radical right consistently claims to be the party of law and order, but they refuse to sign off on an investigation into the January 6 violent attack on the Capitol, which embodied lawlessness and disorder. They have chosen party over patriotism. They have chosen autocracy over democracy. They have chosen the big lie over the rule of law. They have chosen conspiracy theories over the Constitution. And, yes, they have chosen the most corrupt President in American history over the peaceful transfer of power. But truth crushed to the ground will rise again, and we will uncover the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth whether you like it or not.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mr. Clarence Ennon, who celebrated his 100th birthday on May 13, 2021. He was born in Cary, Mississippi to Aldonia and Solomon Ennon and educated in Vicksburg, Mississippi. In 1944, his strong resolve and dedication to family, God, and country lead Mr. Ennon to serve in the United States Navy during World War II on a Landing Ship Medium as a Steward's Mate 1st Class Petty officer. Mr. Ennon has overcome many great obstacles and victories throughout his 100 years of life and continues to inspire everyone he encounters. A devoted father to 5 children, 11 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren and 11 great-great grandchildren, he has shared boundless knowledge from his rich life experiences and instilled a strong faith in God amongst his family. In 1964, he moved to Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn, New York and established a dry-cleaning business in Bedford- Stuyvesant. He is a member of First Calvary Baptist Church, where throughout the years he has served as church treasurer, deacon, and member of the senior choir. A military man, a small business entrepreneur, a homeowner, a family man, Mr. Ennon continues to live a fruitful life. He is an active gardener and a well-known member of the community. Mr. Ennon's accomplishments would not have been possible without the love and support of his family and friends. Madam Speaker, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in congratulating Mr. Clarence Ennon, Sr. on his 100th birthday.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman of the committee from New York (Mr. Nadler) for yielding and his support, as well as the distinguished Member from the great State of North Carolina (Mr. Bishop) for his support of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 704, the ARTS Act, a bipartisan, bicameral effort to support the student creators of America, help ignite their passions, and allow them to dream big. The Framers of our Constitution and the Founders of our great country understood that society would benefit if we incentivize creativity and innovation. That is why Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution gives Congress the power to create a robust intellectual property system to promote the progress of science and useful arts. Many of our Founders, of course, were authors and inventors themselves. The ARTS Act seeks to build upon this principle and practice by helping to introduce the next generation of creators from around the country to copyright and intellectual property. Specifically, it would permit the Register of Copyrights to waive application filing fees to register a copyright for those talented high school students who win the Congressional Art Competition or the Congressional App Competition each year. By doing so, student creators will be incentivized to register their works, allowing them to gain experience with the copyright process and insight into its subsequent benefits and familiarize themselves with our intellectual property system, which is in the fabric of the U.S. Constitution. We have often worked together in a bipartisan fashion to carry out our constitutional mandate in this space, as we are doing today. In the last Congress, this bill unanimously passed the Senate, and it has bipartisan support in both Chambers. Mr. Speaker, I would like to particularly thank the original co-lead on this bill, Representative Nancy Mace, for her leadership and partnership on this legislation, as well as Senators Tillis and Leahy for leading this effort in the Senate. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support our Nation's next generation of creators and to vote ``yes'' on this straightforward bipartisan, bicameral legislation.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend and classmate, Chairman Takano, for his tremendous leadership as well as the leadership of the ranking member and all of the distinguished members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2093, the Veterans and Family Information Act, a bipartisan bill that will serve those who have served our Nation with distinction. This commonsense legislation would improve non-English language accessibility for veterans, their families, and caregivers. The Veterans Benefits Administration provides critical information to all veterans about their benefits that have been hard earned, including service-connected disability benefits, home loans, vocational rehabilitation, employment information, and how to access assistance for trauma. For veterans of limited English proficiency, there is no guarantee that this critical information is made available in their primary language, thereby creating barriers for them and for their families. As Chairman Takano indicated, there are over 500,000 foreign-born veterans that live in the United States, and additionally 1.9 million veterans who are the U.S.-born children of foreign-born parents. Not only are our veterans increasingly diverse in terms of country of origin, but tens of thousands of veterans have self-identified to the VA that they speak English less than well. In the most recent survey conducted, the VA also found that minorities, people of color, and language minorities comprise approximately 24 percent of the total veteran population in the United States. Every single veteran deserves consistent, clear, and equal access to any and all information that the VA offers, regardless of their English proficiency. They have all served this country well. The Veterans and Family Information Act would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to make versions of all of its fact sheets available in the 10 most commonly spoken languages other than English in the United States, including Spanish and Tagalog. I would like to thank the lead cosponsor of this bill, Representative Young Kim, for her extraordinary leadership and partnership in this effort, as well as, again, the chair, ranking member, and all of the distinguished members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 2093.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chair for his tremendous leadership. Mr. Speaker, the January 6 bipartisan commission will explore what happened on that fateful day, why it happened, and how do we prevent another violent insurrection and attack on the Capitol from ever happening again. In the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, America had a bipartisan commission. In the aftermath of the September 11 attack, America had a bipartisan commission. In the aftermath of the attack on this Capitol on January 6, America should have a bipartisan commission. The violent insurrection was an attack on the Congress, the Constitution, and the Capitol. Lives were lost. More than 140 officers were seriously injured. A violent mob stormed this building to assassinate the Speaker, hang Mike Pence, and hunt down Members of Congress. They urinated, defecated, and desecrated the citadel of our democracy. It was a violent attack designed to bring about one objective; halt Congress from undertaking our constitutional responsibilities. And yet, a few of my colleagues seem to want to convince America that it was all puppies and rainbows. We will not be hoodwinked. We will not be bamboozled. We will not be led astray. The January 6 bipartisan commission will find the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And that is the American way.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished chair for his yielding and for his leadership. The foundational model of this country is e pluribus unum, out of many, one. It doesn't say out of many Europeans, one. It doesn't say out of many Anglo-Saxons, one. It doesn't say out of many Confederate sympathizers, one. It doesn't say out of many Christians, one. It certainly doesn't say out of many nations, except Muslim countries, one. E pluribus unum. Out of many, one. That is what makes America a great country. And no matter what xenophobic behavior is coming out of the halls of power in this country, we are not going to let anyone take that away from us; not now, not ever. Vote ``yes'' on the NO BAN Act so we can continue our country's long, necessary, and majestic march toward a more perfect Union.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic is a once-in-a- century crisis. It requires a once-in-a-century comprehensive, compassionate, and continuing congressional response. That is what the American Rescue Plan is all about. More than 500,000 Americans have died. Hundreds of thousands of businesses have closed. Almost 30 million Americans have been infected by the coronavirus. Tens of millions of Americans are dealing with unemployment, food insecurity, or are on the brink of homelessness. So much pain, suffering, and death, and our Republican colleagues want us to do nothing? What is wrong with them? We are going to act with the fierce urgency of now. We will crush the virus. We will provide direct relief to everyday Americans who are struggling. We will revive the economy. We will send the American Rescue Plan to President Biden's desk. We will build back better for the people. Help is on the way.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chair for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the right to bear arms is an important part of the constitutional fabric of this country, but it is not without limits. And the notion that America has 4 percent of the world's population but 40 percent of the world's guns and a disproportionately high amount of homicides and suicides by guns should shock the conscience of every single person in this Chamber. Mass shooting after mass shooting after mass shooting, and yet we haven't acted to protect the health, safety, and well-being of the American people. That is why H.R. 8 is so significant. Universal criminal background check legislation is reasonable under the circumstances given the tragedies that we confront. House Democrats will not just talk about it. We are about it. That is why we will pass H.R. 8, and now we have a Senate and a President who will ultimately get it over the finish line. Vote ``yes'' on this lifesaving legislation.