Hakeem Jeffries

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Reed).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Spanberger).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Mucarsel-Powell).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin).

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for yielding and for his tremendous leadership as it relates to the Moving Forward Act. House Democrats throughout the 116th Congress have been working on lowering healthcare costs and bigger paychecks leading with an emphasis on fixing our crumbling bridges, roads, tunnels, airports, mass transportation system, public schools, public housing, and all other aspects of infrastructure. I oppose this amendment because Davis-Bacon protections are central to the effort to deliver a living wage to everyday Americans. Here in this country, when you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to provide a comfortable living for yourself and for your family. But that basic contract has been broken. It is broken because of the globalization of our economy. It is broken because of the outsourcing of good-paying American jobs. It is broken because of poorly negotiated trade deals. It is broken because of the rise of automation. And it is broken because of the decline in unionization. So the central question that we face in the aftermath of the Great Recession and now in the midst of another dramatic economic decline is, will we be able to preserve the great American middle class and all those who aspire to be part of it? That is what Davis-Bacon prevailing wage protections are all about. And we on this side of the aisle stand with those everyday Americans, stand with those hardworking Americans, yes, stand with those unionized Americans who are pursuing the American Dream, and we should be facilitating that, not undermining it here in the United States Congress. Vote ``no'' against this amendment.

Mr. JEFFRIES

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, for her tremendous leadership on the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and in moving this important piece of legislation forward. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Peters), my good friend and classmate.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, despite the representation that was just made, Speaker Pelosi, as she always does, has risen to the occasion. The question is, will you? The Republican minority leader just said that we have put politics over people. That is insulting, because it is our children, our sons, our daughters, our brothers, our sisters, our fathers, our mothers, our husbands, our wives who are the ones who are being killed. This is not about politics. We know that racism has been in the soil of America since 1619. We need transformational action. The time to talk the talk is over. It is time to walk the walk. That is why we are moving forward with the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Miss Rice), my good friend, a distinguished member of the New York delegation, a former Federal prosecutor, and a district attorney of one of the largest prosecutorial offices in the Nation.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), a distinguished gentleman, the chair of the Homeland Security Committee.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time we have remaining.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Bustos), the distinguished chair of the DCCC, a classmate, and a great Member of Congress.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Malinowski), a great new member of the freshman class.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Judy Chu).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Soto).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Mrs. Trahan).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke), my good friend.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from the great State of Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from the great State of Colorado (Mr. Crow), an Army Ranger, a patriot, and a great Member of the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from the great State of Texas (Mr. Castro), the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Mr. JEFFRIES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from the great State of Illinois (Mr. Krishnamoorthi).