Pramila Jayapal

Ms. JAYAPAL

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), my good colleague on the Judiciary Committee.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson), my good colleague, who was on the delegation with us.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Ruiz), who is a doctor himself and provided very, very important feedback on the codel as he came with us.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Garcia), my distinguished co-lead on this resolution, a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Espaillat), my good colleague, who was also on the codel with us.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Garcia), my distinguished colleague.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from California an additional 1 minute.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), my distinguished and wonderful colleague who has been on the front lines of this issue since it started and has already provided so much to the women who have been detained at Irwin.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Texas an additional 30 seconds.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, let me close by saying to my good colleague across the aisle that, when he says that first reports are always wrong, let me ask, is that like the first reports of family separation or kids in cages? When my colleague says to let the investigation continue, that is exactly what this resolution does. It specifically defines the ability to keep these women who will be witnesses in this investigation in the United States. In fact, just last week we had to, once again, make sure that a woman was not deported who had her left fallopian tube removed, and it was confirmed by independent gynecologists. Now, Mr. Speaker, I really believe that we crafted this resolution in a way that it could truly be a bipartisan resolution and that protects the ability for this investigation to continue with all the facts on the table, and we are grateful that there is an investigation going. But in order to have a proper investigation, we need to have these witnesses here. We need to make sure that the women who have had these procedures are actually able to get care. And we need to make sure that this House says very clearly, in any situation, that these unnecessary, unwanted medical procedures, if true, done without consent and knowledge, are wrong. That is all this resolution does. Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues on the other side will vote ``yes'' with us on this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JAYAPAL

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1164, I call up the resolution (H. Res. 1154) condemning QAnon and rejecting the conspiracy theories it promotes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1154.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, QAnon is a movement promoting a collection of unfounded conspiracy theories that have spread on the internet over the last several years. These conspiracy theories undermine public trust in our democratic institutions and our election process, and that is why I am pleased to support this important, bipartisan resolution by Representatives Malinowski and Riggleman. QAnon initially alleged that prominent Americans are engaged in a secret plot to control the world while using their power to exploit children. It now extends to a range of dangerous conspiracy theories. The FBI has assessed with high confidence that ``fringe political conspiracy theories,'' including QAnon, ``very likely to motivate some domestic extremists, wholly or in part, to engage in criminal or violent activity and that these conspiracy theories very likely encourage the targeting of specific people, places, and organizations, thereby increasing the likelihood of violence against these targets.'' Mr. Speaker, as the Members may know, the resolution's lead sponsor, Representative Malinowski, has himself faced threats from QAnon supporters after he was falsely accused of lobbying to protect sexual predators. According to the Combating Terrorism Center at the West Point Military Academy: ``QAnon is arguably no longer simply a fringe conspiracy theory but an ideology that has demonstrated its capacity to radicalize to violence individuals at an alarming speed.'' Fortunately, a growing number of political leaders recognize the threat that QAnon poses, and that includes Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who recently said that ``there is no place for QAnon in the Republican Party.'' The Malinowski-Riggleman resolution does several things: It condemns QAnon and rejects the conspiracy theories that it promotes; It encourages the FBI and all Federal law enforcement agencies to continue to strengthen their focus on preventing violence, threats, harassment, and other criminal activity by extremists motivated by fringe political conspiracy theories; And, finally, it urges all Americans, regardless of our beliefs or partisan affiliation, to seek information from authoritative sources and to engage in political debate from a common, factual foundation. I would hope that these are principles we could all agree with on a bipartisan basis. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Malinowski), the sponsor of this legislation and a leader in our caucus.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), my good friend and colleague.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Phillips).

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton).

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Let me start by thanking Mr. Malinowski and Mr. Riggleman for this bipartisan resolution, such an important statement. And I do hope all of my colleagues in this Chamber vote for the resolution. I am troubled that some might try to take this bipartisan resolution and introduce other aspects that include calling out cities like mine, the city of Seattle, and other baseless comments. But the most important thing is to return to the context of this resolution. The context is that it is sad that, in the year 2020, a baseless, anti-Semitic conspiracy theory has infected the political discourse of our great democracy. This body should not be giving such an unhinged internet hoax the time of day. Frankly, it is sad that in the past few weeks, the House has had to pass several resolutions, including a resolution calling for a peaceful transfer of power after this year's Presidential election, to publicly reinforce democratic customs and norms that until recently were beyond question. But circumstances, yet again, require this body to make a statement. Through social media, this internet hoax has become so widespread that it has inspired threats and even acts of violence across the country, including against our Members on both sides of the aisle. Unfortunately, rather than condemn this hoax, rhetoric that comes from the White House has instead given comfort to QAnon followers and credence to their belief in fabricated and fantastical theories. Under these circumstances, it is so good to be doing a bipartisan resolution in this House. It is imperative that the House of Representatives make it clear to the American people that QAnon is a hoax and that we absolutely and completely condemn the violence perpetrated by its adherence. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JAYAPAL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. JAYAPAL

Ms. JAYAPAL. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership and the ranking member for his excellent comments. I understand the concerns, and I would just say that, as the first South Asian-American woman ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, I am so proud to see this important bill come to the floor, and I want to thank my colleague, Representative Joe Wilson, for his help and support of this important bipartisan bill. South Asians are the second fastest growing minority group in the United States, and yet this group is four times more at risk of developing heart disease than the general population and has the highest prevalence of type 2 diabetes. The research and understanding of why we are so prone to heart disease is limited, while the devastating impact on our families is only increasing. In fact, the story of this bill, as much legislation happens, began when my former deputy chief of staff, Ven Neralla, unexpectedly lost his mother to heart disease. Wanting to understand why this happened, we found that this was not just an isolated incident, but an alarming trend that had received far too little attention. The South Asian Heart Health bill will fund the creation of culturally appropriate materials, engagement with community groups working to promote South Asian heart health, and create an information clearinghouse about South Asian heart health. The bill also funds grants for the CDC and NIH to conduct research on the impact of heart disease on South Asians in the United States. The bill has been endorsed by an incredible number of medical organizations, including the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, WomenHeart, the South Asian Public Health Association, and many, many more. COVID-19 has taught us the value of preventing underlying health conditions and addressing health inequities afflicting communities of color. The South Asian Heart Health bill is a significant step in raising the alarm, reversing the trend of heart disease in our communities, and saying to South Asian-American communities across the country: We see you here in Congress, and we are ready to help.