Hakeem Jeffries

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, we respect every single officer who has died in the line of duty. The question is: Why don't you respect those Black and Latino individuals who were shot in the back, choked to death, beaten nearly unconscious, or have a knee to the neck, strangling the life out of them for 8 minutes and 46 seconds? Why don't you respect them? That is what the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is all about. We respect police officers, those who protect and serve; but we have a challenge with police violence, police brutality. The police abuse of force cannot be denied, video after video after video. Don't believe us, believe your own eyes. Thirty years ago, Rodney King was beaten on this very day, and we thought it would be different. But 30 years later, nothing has changed in terms of accountability and reining in those officers who cross the line. It is time to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, and do it now.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have spent this debate lecturing us about foundational principles in this country. The foundational document of this great Republic is the Declaration of Independence, with the words: ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'' Those words were eloquent in their articulation and complete in their application. It did not apply to African Americans; it did not apply to women; it did not apply to Native Americans; and it certainly did not apply to members of the LGBTQ community. Now, we have come a long way in America, but we still have a long way to go. The progress has been made, as the great Barbara Jordan once indicated, through a process of amendment and ratification and court decision and legislation. That is what we are doing today. If you believe in liberty and justice for all, support the Equality Act. If you believe in equal protection under the law, support the Equality Act. If you believe truly, as my religion teaches me, that we are all God's children, support the Equality Act. Love does not discriminate; neither should the law.

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. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman, my good friend from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), for yielding and for her tremendous leadership on so many different criminal justice issues, including with respect to this particular piece of legislation. I thank the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Bishop) for his support as well. I rise to support H.R. 546, the Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act, a critical bipartisan bill to protect the constitutional right to effective representation. This legislation passed the House last Congress, and I urge my colleagues to pass it once again today. The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution provides that in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall have the assistance of counsel for his or her defense. An attorney must be fully informed about the facts of the case in order to effectively represent a client and provide the best possible legal advice and guidance. That is why confidential communication between attorneys and their clients is so critical and why the attorney-client privilege must be protected. In Lanza v. New York, the Supreme Court stated that even in a jail, or perhaps especially there, the relationships which the law has endowed with particularized confidentiality must continue to receive unceasing protection. There are nearly 124,000 individuals currently in BOP custody, many of whom are in pretrial detention and have not been convicted of a crime. In our system, defendants, American citizens, are innocent until proven guilty. Like any person involved in a criminal proceeding, these individuals who are incarcerated must be able to confidentially communicate with their attorneys. The bipartisan Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act would enable incarcerated individuals to communicate with their legal representatives privately, safely, and efficiently by prohibiting the Bureau of Prisons from monitoring privileged electronic communications. While BOP regulations do protect the confidentiality of in-person attorney visits, phone calls, and traditional mail, no such protections exist in the context of email communications sent through the BOP's electronic mail system. This system, known as TRULINCS, has become the easiest, fastest, and most efficient method of communication available to incarcerated individuals and their attorneys. Let's consider the alternatives. Even a brief client visit can take hours when you factor in travel and wait times. Confidential phone calls are perhaps useful, but they are subject to time limitations and can be difficult to schedule even for urgent legal matters. Postal mail must first be opened and inspected by staff for physical contraband, which can significantly extend the time it takes for the communication to reach an incarcerated individual. These delays should be unnecessary in a prison system that permits electronic communications and would be available if the attorney-client privilege was consistently applied. To address this serious problem, H.R. 546 would require the Attorney General to ensure that the BOP email system excludes from monitoring the contents of electronic communications between an incarcerated person and their attorney.

Mr. JEFFRIES. The BOP will be permitted to retain the contents of these messages until the incarcerated person is released, but they would be accessible only under limited circumstances. The bill is supported by a wide variety of groups, including the American Bar Association, ACLU, Americans for Prosperity, Dream Corps, Due Process Institute, National Action Network, Prison Fellowship, Right on Crime, Faith and Freedom Coalition, FAMM, Federal public and community defenders organizations, and so many others. I want to thank all the sponsors of this bill, most particularly Representatives Van Taylor, Jerry Nadler, Tom McClintock, Don Bacon, Nancy Mace, and Sheila Jackson Lee, as well as Dan Crenshaw and Dusty Johnson. This has truly been a bipartisan journey. Our criminal justice system depends on the attorney-client privilege to ensure effective representation. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 546.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chair of the Budget Committee from the Commonwealth of Kentucky for yielding, as well as for his tremendous leadership in connection with this resolution and the effort to deal with this moment that we find ourselves in this country. These are challenging times in the United States of America, filled with pain, suffering, and death. More than 425,000 Americans have died. Over 26 million Americans have been infected by the coronavirus. More than 100,000 small businesses have permanently closed. Tens of millions of Americans have been grappling with unemployment or food insecurity. Many are on the brink of homelessness. These are challenging times in the United States of America, filled with pain, suffering, and death. Now is not the time for obfuscation or moderation. Now is the time to go big and to decisively deal with the problems that everyday Americans are confronting. COVID-19 is a once-in-a-century pandemic. It requires a once-in-a- century, comprehensive, continuing, and compassionate congressional response. That is what the American Rescue Plan put forth by President Biden is all about. We must crush the coronavirus through testing, tracing, treatment, and vaccinations for every single American. We must provide direct relief to everyday Americans by increasing survival checks to $2,000 per person. We must lay the foundation to supercharge our economy so we can build back better for the people. That is what the American Rescue Plan is all about. That is what today's vote is all about. Vote ``yes'' so we can move America forward and put this virus behind us once and for all.

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. Madam Speaker, I did not come to Congress to impeach Donald Trump, but the constitutional crimes by an out-of-control President inspired by his hatred and the big lie that he told cannot be ignored. Donald Trump is a living, breathing, impeachable offense. It is what it is. The violent attack on the U.S. Capitol was an act of insurrection incited by Donald Trump. He is a clear and present danger to the health, safety, and well-being of the American people. That is why this impeachment is necessary on the House floor for a second time with a bipartisan majority. Violence will not win. Insurrection will not win. Sedition will not win. Terror will not win. Lawlessness will not win. Mob rule will not win. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Democracy will prevail.

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 rise today to condemn the treacherous and seditious behavior of some in this Nation who continue to poison the integrity of our democracy. The voters have spoken. The recounts have spoken. The electoral college has spoken. Joe Biden will be the 46th President of the United States of America. Over 80 million people voted for Joe Biden--more than any other Presidential candidate in American history. Joe Biden won blue States, like New York and California. Joe Biden won swing States like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Joe Biden won red States, like Georgia and Arizona. Joe Biden is the next President of the United States of America. And yet there are some in this country who continue to peddle wild conspiracy theories without a shred of evidence: The Republican Governor of Georgia found no evidence of voter fraud. The Republican Governor of Arizona--no evidence of voter fraud. The Republican-led FBI found no evidence of voter fraud. The Republican-led Department of Justice found no evidence of voter fraud. Republican-appointed judges throughout the country have found no evidence of voter fraud. The Republican Attorney General, Bill Barr, found no evidence of voter fraud. The Supreme Court, with six Republican-appointed Justices dismissed the baseless lawsuit that contained not a shred of evidence of voter fraud. Madam Speaker, Joe Biden was duly-elected as the next President of the United States of America, and yet there are some in this Nation who are behaving like members of the Jefferson Davis Caucus, including a former Member of this Chamber, who suggested that Texas secede. Madam Speaker, it is time to respect the Constitution. It is time to respect our democracy. It is time to respect the voters. It is time to respect the rule of law. It is time to respect the peaceful transfer of power. It is time to end this charade. It is time to stop providing aid and comfort to an insurrection. It is time to stop lying to the American people.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas for yielding. The failed war on drugs first began almost 50 years ago, when Richard Nixon declared drug abuse public enemy number one. At the time there were less than 200,000 people incarcerated in America. Today, there are 2.3 million, disproportionately Black and Latino. Many of those who have been incarcerated over the years were imprisoned for nonviolent drug offenses, including possession of marijuana. The United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. We have ruined lives, families, and communities. It is a stain on our democracy. The possession of marijuana is done in equal, if not greater, numbers by White Americans when compared to Black Americans. Yet in community after community after community, Blacks and Latinos make up approximately 75 to 80 percent of the arrests and prosecutions. How can that be? Marijuana use is either socially acceptable behavior or it is criminal conduct, but it can't be socially acceptable behavior in some neighborhoods and criminal conduct in other neighborhoods when the dividing line is race. That is why we must pass the MORE Act, decriminalize marijuana in America, and bring to light the principle of liberty and justice for all.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot Engel from the Boogie Down Bronx, for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to take a moment of personal privilege just to thank Chairman Engel for his friendship, his support, and his extraordinary leadership year after year on behalf of the people of New York City and the Nation as a critically important member of the House Democratic Caucus and a tremendous, legendary public servant. Today, we vote on H.R. 5586, the Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act, a bill to upgrade the U.S. foreign assistance strategy to Haiti. Haiti was the first nation in the Caribbean to gain independence. It is the world's first Black-led republic, home to resilient and entrepreneurial people. Haiti has tremendous potential to thrive as a free, fair, and prosperous democracy. I am proud to represent a vibrant community of Haitian Americans in Brooklyn and Queens, including Little Haiti in Brooklyn, which is a neighboring congressional district represented by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke. As much of the diaspora has communicated to me, unfortunately, Haiti still faces severe challenges in its quest to achieve full prosperity for its people and the opportunity to live in a free, democratic society. This January marked the 10-year anniversary of the catastrophic Haiti earthquake that killed and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. Since 2010, Haiti has gone through additional hardships like Hurricane Matthew, fuel shortages, food insecurity, and now the coronavirus pandemic. Many Haitians are frustrated by the corruption, poverty, and undemocratic practices on the island. Since 2018, mass demonstrations in Haiti protested the country's economic situation and the Haitian Government's apparent misappropriation of the Petrocaribe oil dollars. Tens of thousands of protesters also demanded the resignation of the current President, who has been ruling by decree since January 2020. H.R. 5586 directs the State Department and USAID to evaluate the effectiveness and shortcomings of U.S. foreign aid to Haiti over the past 10 years. The bill also directs these two agencies to devise new approaches to reduce poverty and promote good governance. Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel and Ranking Member McCaul, Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairman Sires and Ranking Member Rooney, Congresswoman Ann Wagner, and Democrats and Republicans on both sides of the aisle, as well as the organizations supporting this bipartisan bill. The United States should always stand with our neighbor in the Western Hemisphere and the Haitian people as they fight for a self- governing, democratic, and prosperous nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas for her leadership and for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8124, the Criminal Judicial Administration Act of 2020. This bipartisan bill will bring more efficiency and fairness to the criminal justice system by making two commonsense improvements to the administration of justice in America. First, the bill would authorize courts to direct the U.S. Marshals Service to provide subsistence and return transportation to the very small group of noncustodial defendants who are required to travel to court proceedings but are financially unable to cover the costs of doing so. While current law provides subsistence and travel to proceedings, there is a gap in the statute. H.R. 8124 will expand the statute to cover transportation, lodging, and food for defendants who are innocent until proven guilty, as they return home from these proceedings. Second, the bill will authorize magistrate judges to decide post- judgment motions in misdemeanor cases in which they have already exercised trial jurisdiction. Magistrate judges try and sentence individuals in misdemeanor cases, but to consider a post-judgment motion, current law requires a referral by a district judge or the party's consent. This provision in H.R. 8124 will facilitate judicial economy and help reduce the caseloads of Article III district court judges by removing this requirement. The more efficient we can make our court system, the more effective and just it will be. These two noncontroversial changes would meaningfully improve the ability of our Federal courts to deliver equity and justice to the people that they serve. The Judicial Conference of the United States, the national policymaking body for our Federal court system, supports this important and necessary legislation. I thank the Committee on the Judiciary, and both sides of the aisle, for approving this bill by voice vote last month. I would also like to thank my colleague and partner, Representative Martha Roby, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, for partnering with me on this effort. I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 8124.

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. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for her leadership and for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5546, the Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act. The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that in all criminal prosecutions the accused shall have the assistance of counsel for his defense. To effectively represent a client and provide the best possible legal advice, an attorney must be fully informed about the facts of the case. But this can only be achieved through confidential communication between the attorney and their client. That is why the attorney-client privilege is so critical. The Supreme Court stated in Lanza v. New York that ``even in a jail, or perhaps especially there, the relationships which the law has endowed with particularized confidentiality must continue to receive unceasing protection.'' There are nearly 127,000 individuals currently in BOP custody, many of whom are in pretrial detention and have not been convicted of a crime. These Americans are innocent until proven guilty. Like any person involved in a criminal proceeding, these individuals need to be able to confidentially communicate with their attorneys in order to vindicate their rights under law. The bipartisan Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act will enable incarcerated individuals to communicate with their legal representatives privately, efficiently, and safely by prohibiting the Bureau of Prisons from monitoring privileged electronic communications. While BOP regulations place protections on attorney visits, phone calls, and traditional mail, no such protections currently exist in the context of email communications sent through BOP's electronic mail service, the Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System, otherwise known as TRULINCS. The TRULINCS email system has become the easiest, fastest, and most efficient method of communication available to incarcerated individuals and their attorneys. Even a brief client visit can take hours, as the distinguished gentleman from North Dakota pointed out, hours out of an attorney's day when you include travel and wait times. Confidential phone calls are often subject to time limitations and cannot usually be scheduled immediately. Postal mail can take an especially long time to reach an incarcerated individual because it must first be opened and screened. These delays should be unnecessary in a prison system that currently permits electronic communications and would be if the attorney-client privilege was consistently applied to email communication. The situation has become even more urgent in light of BOP's decision to suspend legal visits as part of its COVID-19 Modified Operations Plan. To solve this challenge, H.R. 5546 would require the Attorney General to ensure that the BOP email system excludes from monitoring the contents of electronic communications between an incarcerated person and their attorney. BOP would, of course, be allowed to retain the contents of those messages up until the incarcerated person is released, but they would be accessible only under very limited circumstances. The bill also allows a court to suppress evidence that is obtained or derived from illegal access to the retained contents. Our criminal justice system depends on the attorney-client privilege to ensure that lawyers are able to effectively represent their clients. That is why this legislation is so critical. I thank my good friend, Representative Doug Collins, Chairman Jerry Nadler, and Ranking Member Jim Jordan for their leadership, as well as Members on both sides of the aisle. I also thank the ACLU, the American Bar Association, Americans for Prosperity, #cut50, Due Process Institute, Faith and Freedom Coalition, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, Federal Defenders, FreedomWorks, National Action Network, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Prison Fellowship, and Right on Crime for their support of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 5546.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chair for yielding and for her tremendous leadership. The post office is as American as motherhood, baseball, and apple pie. It is one of the only entities actually mentioned in the United States Constitution. It has been around for hundreds of years. The first Postmaster General was Dr. Ben Franklin. It is part of the heart and soul of this country, and the attacks on the post office by the Trump administration are shameful. The American people deserve a Postal Service that delivers Social Security checks to senior citizens, delivers medicine to disabled veterans, delivers unemployment insurance checks to displaced Americans, and, yes, delivers ballots to those who choose to vote by mail in the midst of a deadly pandemic, because no American should ever have to choose between their health, safety, and well-being on the one hand and the constitutional right to vote on the other. This is why we need a fully functional Postal Service. Don't mess with USPS.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this legislation which will create a long-overdue Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys. We have come a long way in America, but we still have a long way to go. Slavery was not a necessary evil. It was a crime against humanity anchored in kidnap, rape, torture, lynching, and the systemic oppression and enslavement of people of African descent century after century after century. We are still living with its legacy today. Frederick Douglass once said: ``It is easier to build strong children than it is to repair broken men.'' So it is my hope that this commission can begin the real process of repairing broken boys, broken men, broken families, and broken communities as a result of the systemic racism that has been in the soil of America for 401 years. I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida, Frederica Wilson, for her tremendous leadership. Vote ``yes.'' Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and a cosponsor of the House companion to this bill, I rise in strong support of S. 2163 ``The Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act of 2019'', which establishes a bipartisan commission that will examine the social disparities that disproportionately affect black men and boys in America. I want to thank my friend and colleague, Frederica Wilson, for introducing this crucial piece of legislation. As we have seen time and time again, the reality of being Black in America today is characterized by facing insurmountable and unjust challenges in every aspect of day-to-day life as well as living in constant fear for your life. From Trayvon Martin to Tamir Rice to Ahmaud Arbery to George Floyd, our Black brothers are targeted and murdered for the color of their skin. We are all too familiar with the overwhelming hardships and significant societal disparities that face Black men every day in education, criminal justice, health, employment, and so many other areas. The low rate of high school retention among black male students is directly related to the high rates of joblessness and incarceration in the African-American population. It's no secret that mass incarceration has unfairly and disproportionately affected the lives of Black men in the United States. African Americans are incarcerated at more than 5 times the rate of their white counterparts. And 1 out of every 3 Black boys born today can expect to be sentenced to prison, compared 1 out 6 Latino boys; one out of 17 white boys. These barriers to quality employment further exacerbate the cycles of poverty that in turn lead to severe inequities in the areas of health and quality health care. We must find ways to disrupt and end this cycle and instead empower and uplift the Black community. With this in mind, this bill enables our nation to better understand and eventually eliminate the educational and social chasms that have made it extraordinarily difficult for black males to become upwardly mobile. This bipartian commission will recommend actionable policies and practices to improve upon or augment current government programs to alleviate and remedy the underlying causes of the adverse social conditions that are a reality for too many black men and boys. I ask all members to join me in voting for S. 2163, ``The Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys Act of 2019.''

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, America is a Nation of immigrants; some voluntary, others involuntary. John Lewis would often remind us, however, that while we may have come over on different ships, we are all in the same boat now. We are a gorgeous mosaic of people from throughout the world, different races, different regions, yes, different religions; that is what makes America a great country, not xenophobia. Donald Trump's hateful Muslim ban is unacceptable, unconscionable, and un-American. It is inconsistent with the principles of religious freedom and tolerance embedded in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. That is why we are going to make it unlawful. Vote ``yes'' on the NO BAN Act.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, how much time do we have remaining?

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, let me simply close this portion of our special hour in honor of our friend, our colleague, our mentor, our hero, the legendary John Lewis, by simply recounting his words: Never give up. Never give in. Keep the faith. Keep your eyes on the prize. And make some good trouble. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Bustos).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the topic of tonight's Special Order hour.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we honor the life and legacy of the Honorable John Robert Lewis. I am thankful for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney and Republican Conference Vice Chair Mark Walker, for their dual participation here on the House floor today, which is a recognition that, yes, John Lewis was a Democratic hero; he was a progressive hero; he was a civil rights hero; but above all else, John Robert Lewis was an American hero. So we are here today on the House floor, not as Democrats or Republicans, not as progressives or conservatives, not as the left or the right, but as Americans because of what John Lewis meant to all of us: to our communities, to the country, to the Constitution, to the principle of liberty and justice for all, equal protection under the law, to the principle of the righteous cause of nonviolence as a pathway to the beloved community, as he would share with all of us. John Robert Lewis was the connective tissue between the civil rights movement and the Black Lives Matter movement. John Robert Lewis was the connective tissue between the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Presidency of Barack Obama. And John Robert Lewis was the connective tissue between the tragedy on the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the tragedy that occurred in Minneapolis, Minnesota. John Robert Lewis' life journey is the American journey, and he has guided the way as we have traveled and marched toward a more perfect Union; and through the sheer will of his morality, he has helped to bend the arc toward justice. And so we are all thankful for his life and his legacy, honored by the privilege to have been able to call him ``colleague.'' We learned from John Lewis how to be a good American, a good patriot, a good neighbor, a good leader, a good human, a good activist, and how to get into ``good trouble.'' And so we are thankful for this opportunity just to humbly communicate what John Lewis meant to all of us. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentlewoman from the great State of Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), the distinguished chair of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.