Daniel Kildee

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I thank Congresswoman Speier for her leadership on climate issues in general and specifically on electric vehicles. Mr. Chairman, we are suffering the climate crisis right now. In my home State of Michigan, climate change is changing our environment impacting the Great Lakes: record lake levels, algal blooms, and invasive species like Asian carp. As Members of Congress, we have a duty to act on commonsense policies that support climate solutions, and this amendment is a good example of that. I support this amendment because it will make explicit the Export- Import Bank's role in supporting clean energy in our domestic exports, especially electric vehicles, their components, and vehicle charging infrastructure. As Congresswoman Speier said, China makes more electric vehicles than anybody else in the world. That doesn't have to be the case. We have to invest in policy that supports electric vehicles so that the U.S. can lead the future in transportation. This amendment would help to do that. I come from Flint, Michigan, a community with a great auto history. But I have seen automotive jobs sent overseas over the years, and the livelihood of families I represent go right along with those jobs, because we have failed to see the future. We have failed to see around the corner. We have failed to invest in the future and claim that future for ourselves. This amendment will ensure one additional piece that makes sure that we have a claim on the future and that we can be the leader in electric vehicles. It is the right thing to do. I support the amendment, and I support the underlying legislation.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, in the richest country in the world, every American deserves clean drinking water, but for millions of our fellow citizens, including many in Michigan and all across the country, this is just not their reality. Hundreds of communities are dealing with PFAS chemical contamination that pollutes their drinking water. Congress has to act to address this contamination to help keep American families safe. Earlier this year, the House and Senate both passed National Defense Authorization Act bills. Both contain important provisions meant to address PFAS chemicals were included in those bills. These provisions would fund cleanup of contaminated sites, stop PFAS from polluting our drinking water in the future, and ensure that servicemembers, first responders, and families exposed to PFAS have the healthcare they need. As the co-chair of the congressional PFAS Caucus, a bipartisan task force from States across the country, we worked successfully to include many PFAS provisions in both the House and Senate-passed bills. Now it is critical that the final NDAA, which is being negotiated right now, include very strong PFAS provisions. This is what we need to do to protect public health.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Engel, the chairman, for his leadership on this issue, and my friends Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Wilson, and, obviously, Mr. McGovern, who have been working on this with me, along with Congresswoman Bass. Congress cannot sit idly by while one nation kills its own people, blocks all communication to the outside world, and commits serious human rights violations. The people of Sudan, like all people, deserve the ability to determine their own future. They deserve a civilian-led democratic society. They deserve to not have to live in constant fear of violence. It is for these reasons that we offer this resolution to affirm the position of the United States Congress, despite views that we may differ on, on other matters, and that we come together, Democrats and Republicans, across the political spectrum to denounce the trampling of human rights that is taking place in Sudan, to call on the Transitional Military Council to immediately stop any violence against those civilian protestors, and to begin the immediate transition to a civilian-led government. The Sudanese people have a right to be free. They have a right to a democratic society. They have a right to not have to deal with the kind of oppression that they have experienced. This resolution also lays out some very clear areas where Sudan simply has to improve if it wants to have a productive relationship with the U.S. I believe that the U.S. should be engaged with Sudan, but we have to insist that the Sudan that we engage with and that the Sudan that we work with is a nation that is led by its own people and not subjected to the horrific examples of persecution that we have seen. For three decades, the people of Sudan have suffered under terrible repression. Now that we have this moment where the page is turned, the worst thing would be to succeed one terrible period of oppression with another. That is why it is somewhat hopeful to see that there are some signs that some view as reason for optimism. We have to make sure that this transition to a civilian-led government is something that actually takes place and that we don't allow Sudan to simply go back to the kind of military-led repression that we saw under Bashir. That is completely unacceptable. While the situation is fluid, we have an opportunity to state with a very clear voice from the Congress of the United States, from the American people, to the people of Sudan and to the people of the world that the world is watching. We are paying attention to what takes place. We have a stake in the freedom of the people of Sudan. That is why we are speaking up with one voice today. I am honored to join with my colleagues, as I said, across the aisle and across the political spectrum to speak with one voice on this subject. Congress has a chance to make a difference on this. The people of the United States stand with the people of Sudan. We deserve better, and they deserve better. Mr. Speaker, I call on all of my colleagues to join us in this resolution and call for freedom and justice for the people of Sudan.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, this week, the Trump administration is in court, arguing before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to strike down the Affordable Care Act, including taking away coverage for people with preexisting health conditions. If the President gets his way, tens of millions of Americans lose their health insurance, including a lot of people I represent in Michigan. For the 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions, insurance companies would then again be able to discriminate against them and deny them coverage. That is what happens if the Trump administration prevails. If they gut the ACA, caps on annual and lifetime coverage could come back again, and 800,000 Michiganders will lose coverage. While the President and his followers seek to roll back to those days when people could be denied coverage because they are sick--think about that, denied coverage because you are sick--we are fighting to continue to bring down the cost of healthcare. We have an agenda that is for the people to reduce the cost of healthcare and make sure no American has that fear.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for her leadership on this issue, and for yielding. This amendment is really simple. It requires polluters who have contaminated drinking water with PFAS chemicals to clean it up. The amendment has the support of the Armed Services Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I thank the chairs of those committees for their help. It also has the support of the International Association of Firefighters and the National Farmers Union because they know how important it is to clean up PFAS. Communities like the community of Oscoda, in the northern part of my district, have waited too long for the Defense Department to act. This is a step toward getting these dangerous chemicals out of the ground and out of our groundwater. I do understand that some groups are concerned about this amendment, utilities and airports. We pledge to work with them as this legislation moves through conference to make sure that we deal with the concerns that they raise. But this is simple. This says that we are going to protect public health. Every day that we fail to act, the cost of PFAS cleanup just gets more expensive. I encourage my colleagues to support this important amendment and to support the underlying bill.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman of the committee for working with me on addressing this PFAS contamination issue. Today, the House is taking historic action to address PFAS contamination that is hurting communities, including communities like the city of Oscoda in my district in Michigan. At the beginning of the year, I launched the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force to bring together Members of Congress who are dealing with contamination in their districts. We wanted to work together on meaningful legislation to address PFAS and to protect public health. I am very pleased to stand here today, 6 months later, in support of these amendments. The package of amendments included in this en bloc will help address PFAS contamination and ensure people have access to safe drinking water. Included in the package are three of my amendments. The first would direct the U.S. Geological Survey to look for PFAS contamination around the country so we know where people are potentially exposed. My second amendment would require the Government Accountability Office to conduct a review of the military's response to PFAS contamination and its efforts to clean it up. Another amendment that I was proud to work on with my friend, Congresswoman Dean from Pennsylvania, is to end the use of PFAS by the military by 2025. This will protect servicemembers from being exposed to these dangerous chemicals. These provisions will mean fewer veterans, servicemembers, and families will face struggles like those in my district have faced. I am proud to see this come to the floor. I thank the chairman for his work on this.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, last year, I had the opportunity to visit Sudan and hear from the Sudanese people. I saw firsthand the devastating toll that the Sudanese regime has taken on the country of Sudan and its citizens. Sadly, today, the hardship and violence have escalated after months of peaceful protests by the brave Sudanese people. Sudan's longtime leader, President Omar al-Bashir, was removed from power. Since then, the Transitional Military Council has attacked protesters who are peacefully calling for a transition to democratic governance. The news we continue to see from Sudan over the past few weeks has been nothing short of heart-wrenching as peaceful protesters have been attacked, threatened, and killed. Congress cannot sit idly by while this regime kills its own citizens, blocks communication to the outside world, and continues to commit serious human rights abuses. Congress must do everything we can to help end this conflict. We are morally obligated to use this platform to call attention to what is happening there and to say with a unified voice that the Sudanese Government's treatment of its people is completely unacceptable. For these reasons, I have introduced a bipartisan resolution this week calling attention to the situation in Sudan. I am honored that the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel, joined two other leaders on this issue, Representative McGovern and Representative Bilirakis, in supporting this legislation as original cosponsors. I ask my colleagues to all join as cosponsors for this important resolution, a resolution that affirms that it is Congress' position that the Transitional Military Council must immediately stop all violence against peaceful protesters and begin to immediately transition governance to a democratic and civilian-led body. The Sudanese people have the right to freedom from oppression and violence and to live in a country where they can choose their own leaders without fear of persecution, without fear of violence, and without fear of being killed for simply asserting their right to self- determination, as all human beings ought to be allowed. Simply, the ability to peacefully assemble and have one's voice heard is a basic human right. It should be afforded to all people, including all citizens of Sudan. This resolution also makes it clear that Sudan must improve dramatically if it wants to continue a productive engagement with the United States of America, including political reform and respect for basic human rights. This resolution affirms the right of Sudanese people to assemble peacefully and condemns the government's use of violence against protesters and journalists. We emphasize that absent political reforms and respect for human rights, it will be impossible for the U.S. to engage Sudan as a partner. It is time that we step up. It is time that we have our voices heard, that we stand up for people whose voices are being silenced by violence. We have a chance to speak in a clear voice and send a message that the United States and its government will support the people of Sudan. Sudan must do better because we and the world are watching. Sudan cannot be allowed to go down this dangerous path. We have to stand with the people of Sudan, stand for their democratic rights, allow their voices to be heard, and allow them to live in freedom.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and for his leadership on bringing this important legislation to the floor. Let's say what this bill really does. It provides Americans who work hard access to retirement with dignity and respect. It allows workers who don't have access to retirement accounts--including home healthcare workers, part- time workers, as well as multiple employers--to have access to retirement accounts. The SECURE Act fixes this. This is an important step forward in providing much-needed retirement security for so many Americans. It encourages small employers to develop 401(k) plans. It helps build our workforce by allowing apprentices access to college savings accounts to cover the cost of purchasing equipment necessary for their training for their chosen trade. This is a big step forward for those workers. Finally, Madam Speaker, I appreciate the fact that this bill also addresses some of the many oversights of the 2017 Republican tax bill, including addressing how children are taxed, especially Tribal children. This is a good bill, and I support it.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, this week, the Head Start program turns 54. Since this life-changing education program was created in 1965, it has served millions of children, giving them and their families a brighter future. Head Start and Early Head Start provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, social services to low-income children and their families. It is one of the most important investments that we can make to make sure our children have the greatest opportunities to succeed. It is particularly important and crucial to my hometown of Flint, Michigan, where early childhood education is the most important thing we can do to help children mitigate the effects of lead exposure. I am really proud of the school districts in Michigan who host this incredible program and provide wraparound services to children and to their parents. Mr. Speaker, I thank the teachers, the workers, and the volunteers who support our Head Start kids every day. To keep Head Start working, we have to fully fund this program in Congress. Support for Head Start is bipartisan. We need to continue that. We need to make sure that we fully fund this program. I celebrate the success of Head Start. We ought to make sure that every child that seeks that sort of early childhood education has an opportunity to have it.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. This is a persistent crisis in our country that requires Congress to act. While a lot of progress has been made since VAWA was first passed in 1994, too many women still face violence. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women will experience some form of physical violence in their lifetime. Protecting women from violence has been, and should always be, a bipartisan issue. In 1994, Republicans and Democrats came together to pass VAWA. Since then, this act has been reauthorized three times, including in 2013, just after I became a Member of this body. Because of this law, victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking have been able to access support, as well, while offenders have been held more accountable by our criminal justice system. Since VAWA first passed, the rate of intimate partner violence declined by 67 percent. This law works, and we can strengthen it with this action. Mr. Chairman, I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Grijalva amendment No. 13, which deals with some of the issues we see in Tribal communities. This is an important bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, well, the President says that Republicans are ``the party of healthcare.'' I think it would be more accurate to say that they are the party of taking away your healthcare. The Trump administration is moving to eliminate the Affordable Care Act in its entirety, every provision, which would mean millions of Americans would lose health coverage. Let's remind ourselves what would happen if the ACA were eliminated: Millions of Americans with preexisting conditions, including 1.7 million in Michigan, would be at the whim of big insurance companies who once again would be free to discriminate against them because they are sick or once had an illness; Millions of Americans, including 690,000 Michiganders enrolled in the Healthy Michigan Medicaid expansion, would lose health insurance. If they prevail, they lose health insurance; Eliminating the ACA would also hinder our ability to deal with the opioid crisis, since the ACA requires insurance companies to cover substance abuse treatment. And the Republicans have no plan. Take away the healthcare from Americans; no plan to replace it. We ought to reject that.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today and will be joined by a number of my colleagues from the State of Michigan to pay tribute to a person that I have known of and got to know as an adult, but I have known Congressman John Dingell virtually all of my life. Having grown up in Michigan and grown up in a family involved in politics in Michigan, I was aware of John Dingell from my earliest days. He served in this House with incredible dignity and great distinction, longer than anyone else in the history of this country, of this government. In fact, nearly one out of four Members of the House of Representatives in its entire history served with Congressman John Dingell. Yesterday, several of us made an attempt to fly, we left Andrews Air Force Base in a storm and attempted to fly to Michigan and were, unfortunately, unable to land due to the weather. We are here and will be able to honor him this evening and also honor him tomorrow at the funeral that will take place here in Washington. So our thoughts go to the Dingell family, especially to our colleague, John's wife, Congressman Dingell's wife, whom he often referred to as ``the lovely Deborah.'' She is a friend and a colleague. I have known her myself, as well, for as long as I can possibly remember. I will have more to say about Congressman Dingell, but I think there are just a few aspects of his career that I just want to make sure I noted for the ecord. The longest-serving Member of this House, he is known not just for the longevity and the quantity of his time here, but for the incredible impact that he had on our country, on our Nation, and on the policies that he believed in and stood for. He served as the chairman or the ranking member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee from 1981 to 2008, shaping very important legislation on clean air, clean water, protecting endangered animals, advocating for national healthcare. In fact, in every Congress that he served in, he continued the legacy of his father, who preceded him in Congress, by introducing legislation that would guarantee healthcare for every American. Some of the legislative highlights: National Wilderness Act, 1964; Water Quality Act, 1965; National Environmental Policy Act, 1970; Endangered Species Act, 1973; Natural Gas Policy Act, 1978; Prescription Drug Marketing Act, 1988; Clean Air Act Amendments, 1990; Energy Independence and Security Act, 2007; National Instant Criminal Background Check System Improvements, 2008; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 2010; FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, 2011. Any one of these would constitute the highlight of a legislative career, and every one of them are attributable to the work of Congressman John Dingell. Before I yield to my colleagues, I want to mention one other piece of legislation that he is known for. In my first term--the only term that I shared with Congressman Dingell--we celebrated, as a nation, the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Late that evening, commemorating that day, I happened to turn on C-SPAN and was watching old videotape of the signing ceremony where President Lyndon Johnson stood with the civil rights and legislative leaders of our Nation. I saw this tall figure walk into the frame, shake President Johnson's hand, and receive the President's congratulations for his work on that historic piece of legislation. I went to bed, and the very next day, I got up and walked over here for a session. I sat in that chair right there, next to the one that Congressman John Dingell sat in for all those years, and I spoke to the guy who I saw the night before in a moment of American history. He was still here fighting for the very same things that he had fought for, for so long. I took that as a personal privilege, to have been able to serve with him. As I said, this is a tremendous loss for our country. It is a tremendous loss for me personally. Our hearts go out to Debbie. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg).

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those remarks. I think it says a lot about John Dingell that the affection that we feel for him not only spans the middle aisle here across party lines, but it transcends it. It is meaningless, in some ways. He had a relationship with people here just based on the human touch that he had. He was a wonderful, wonderful person, and you, obviously, had a close relationship with him. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens)-- we have Democrats and Republicans here--a freshman, a person who did not have a chance to serve directly with him but knew him and admired him.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Stevens for her comments. Yesterday, as we stood on the east front steps of the Capitol, I stood next to Congressman Paul Mitchell as Congressman Dingell and Congresswoman Dingell and the motorcade came by. It was an emotional moment that we shared with one another, and I know he meant a lot to him, so I now yield to Congressman Paul Mitchell.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell), and I remember, as well, when he told me--I used to call him Mr. Chairman, mainly because I was afraid of him most of my life. And when he told me to call him John, I think it might have been a full year before I developed enough courage to call him by that name. Another one of our Members who I know is very close to John, has worked in Michigan politics and knew John Dingell for a long time, is our colleague Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence).

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Lawrence for her comments. Mr. Speaker, I know that Congressman Fred Upton was a very close friend with John Dingell. They served together. They served on the same committee together. They were one another's chairman at different times, but I know, first and foremost, they were just real friends. I now yield to the dean of the Michigan delegation, Congressman Fred Upton.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I recall yesterday, when we were attempting to get to the funeral in Detroit, Congressman Upton participated in an impromptu observance for Congressman Dingell at 30,000 feet as we flew back to Washington, because of our failure to land. I will never forget that. Another one of our colleagues who I know, like me, has known the Dingell family and Congressman John Dingell for as long as he can remember, and whose father served with Congressman Dingell, and was also once the dean of the Michigan delegation, Congressman Andy Levin. I know this means a lot to the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan, (Mr. Levin).

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Levin for his kind words. Mr. Speaker, I would now like to call on the last of our Michigan Members to speak, a new Member, a freshman, someone who I know had a very special relationship with Congressman Dingell. I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Tlaib. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), who served a very long time--most of his career--here in the House side by side with Congressman John Dingell. Congressman Brad Sherman is a member of the Financial Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee and a good friend of Congressman John Dingell.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow we will lay Congressman John Dingell to rest, and it will be a painful time. But we can take a lot of comfort in the contribution that he has made, not just to this body but to the quality of life in this country; and as individuals with our own perspective, our own experience here, we can take some comfort in knowing that his wife--the love of his life--will continue his legacy by serving here with us side by side. Our hearts go out to her. I know this is a very difficult time for the Dingell family, but especially for Debbie. They loved one another. They were inseparable. They were one. I know this will be a difficult time for her. We stand with her. Mr. Speaker, John Dingell served with 11 Presidents and 11 Speakers of the House. Mr. Speaker, 2,419 Members of Congress served with him. He served 21,551 days in this House and cast over 25,000 votes. But as he would say and has said many times: It is not the longevity that counts, it is the way you serve. He served in a way that brought honor to this Congress and made it a better institution. He led in a way that made this country a better place. And I know for each of us who came to the floor and each of us who served with him, he not only made us better Representatives of the people whom we work for, but he made us better people. We honor John Dingell's life and legacy. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, last night, the President came to the floor here and highlighted important issues like the need to fix our aging infrastructure and lower the cost of prescription drugs. These are issues that I know I and many of my colleagues are ready to work with the President on. However, the President does have some history of saying things and then not necessarily following through. In fact, last State of the Union, the President promised a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan, but the next month, released an inadequate proposal that put nearly all the burden on States and local governments to fund those necessary repairs. In October of 2016, then-candidate Trump promised in Michigan that not one plant would close on his watch. But this year we saw General Motors slash 14,000 jobs in North America, including in my district. And while the President has promised to protect public health, we have seen his own administration refuse to act on important drinking water and health protections. Throughout his calls to fix the broken immigration system, he continues to govern by tweet, chant, and manufactured crises. The President has to rise for the occasion. We have an agenda that is for the people, and I look forward to working with my colleagues across the aisle to enact it.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Madam Speaker, every day I hear from constituents about how this manufactured crisis is hurting them and hurting their families. Mitch McConnell's and President Trump's refusal to reopen government has consequences for real people. A Marine veteran from Bay City, Michigan, won't receive his monthly housing allowance this week that he needs to pay his rent and make his car payment. His words to me were this: ``I never thought the President would be putting us veterans that he says he loves so much in harm's way just to get money for his harebrained immigration solution.'' That is from a United States veteran who served this country and is now being treated by the President of the United States as a pawn in a political game to get something that he is not willing to submit to the legislative process. Shame on this President. Shame on him. Open this government. Do it now.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation, H.R. 31, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019. I am a proud original cosponsor of this legislation. Over 7 years, nearly half a million Syrians killed, 6 million Syrians driven from their country, over 10 million Syrians displaced and forced from their homes, and countless acts of atrocities from the Assad regime. Clearly, it is time for this Congress to act, and this bill would do that. It would bring much-needed accountability to the Assad regime, which is responsible for horrific crimes, crimes against its own people. It would do so by allowing sanctions to be imposed on people who contribute to these coldhearted and merciless acts. It would require the Treasury Department to determine whether to target Syria's Central Bank with money laundering countermeasures. Quite simply, I agree with Chairman Engel. We need a political solution that ends Assad's crimes, removes him from power, and allows the Syrian people to develop their own future for their own country. Assad must be held accountable for the massacre of his own people, and this bill will begin to do just that. Additionally, Russia and Assad must stop standing by and systematically allowing ISIS to attack minority populations in Syria, including the Druze people. We cannot expect much from these actors, but it is incumbent upon them to protect minority populations in Syria in the territory that they control. Further, it is also the responsibility of the President of the United States and his national security team to speak with one voice regarding our policy in Syria and the region.

Mr. KILDEE. The President has, time and time again, illustrated that our allies and our adversaries simply cannot trust what the President says. The administration needs to articulate a cohesive strategy for the region and for Syria, particularly after the President, with no warning to our partners, announced the U.S. withdrawal. Finally, Mr. Speaker, like Chairman Engel, I thank all of those who have advocated for this bill, for their tenacity, for their engagement, and I urge my colleagues to join with them and stand up for them and immediately pass this critical legislation to hold Assad accountable.