Robin Kelly

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Chair, my amendment is simple. It merely expands the report the Treasury Secretary must submit per the underlying bill to include an analysis of the economic costs of failing to raise the debt limit, especially with regard to the costs to our Nation's public health and safety. I agree with my friends on the other side of the aisle that misguided deficit spending poses a serious risk to our Nation's long-term financial stability. It is crucial that we get our fiscal house in order. Simply raising the debt limit without discussing strategic ways to increase revenues and cut costs is unacceptable. Equally unacceptable is not acknowledging the serious short- and long-term costs of failing to raise the debt limit, causing the country to enter into default. Federal tax dollars fund a variety of programs in every single one of our congressional districts, programs that are essential to the continued well-being of our constituents. Seniors rely on Social Security checks and on Medicare reimbursements. Veterans depend on their much-needed VA benefits. State and municipal police forces receive funding through Department of Justice grants. Our Nation's hospitals receive Federal tax dollars. It is not an exaggeration to say, if the United States of America defaulted on its loan obligations and if it could not pay its bills for expenses already incurred, the health and safety of its citizens would be put at risk. If America were to enter into default, what would happen? Would the Social Security Administration be able to cut checks? How many Americans would be unable to obtain essential medications? Would the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the TSA, or State and local police units furlough agents and officers? How many fewer cops would be on the beat to keep our communities safe? All too often, our debates in Washington about the national debt and deficit are not grounded in reality. We simply analyze economic concepts in the abstract, but our decisions and our debates have real, immediate, and lasting impacts on the daily lives of our constituents. If we are going to engage in a discussion on the pros and cons of raising the debt ceiling, let's keep in mind the real, on-the-ground consequences that the decisions will have on everyday Americans. If we are going to require the Treasury Secretary to report on the costs of the growing national debt, let's be fair and require that the report discuss the immediate and lasting costs of failing to raise the debt ceiling on our Nation's public health and safety. The bill's author, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Marchant), stated his goal was to have a comprehensive discussion of the debt ceiling. A comprehensive discussion must include not only the long-term costs of continued deficit spending, but the short-term costs of default, as well as its far-reaching ripple effects. This amendment is one of common sense and is intellectually honest and fair. It would have zero budgetary impact, and it would ensure the report is as meaningful as possible; so I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, our economy has made solid gains since 2009. We have added millions of jobs. Businesses are hiring. Our economy is growing. In the Second District, we are seeing signs of recovery through small business growth and new startups like The New Look Restaurant and Bar owned by Nate and Cleo Pendleton. But the fact remains that the American Dream still remains out of reach for far too many families. Today 8 million Americans are searching for well-paying jobs 7 years after the end of the recession. Each year at my annual jobs fair, I meet hundreds of these qualified Americans who are tired of searching for good jobs. They are single mothers in night school. They are fathers working two part-time jobs to keep a roof over their family's heads. They are veterans who survived the fight abroad only to fight for employment at home. They are seniors who have to reenter the workforce after their retirement savings were wiped out. These Americans deserve a government that will pass impactful jobs legislation. Let's make 2016 a year of action and economic prosperity.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. I thank my good friends, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries) and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty) for this important Special Order hour tonight. Congressman Jeffries, you have chaired these Special Order hours for the Congressional Black Caucus in my first term, so it is good to see you back in the driver's seat with our classmate, Representative Beatty. Last year, I had the privilege of leading the Special Order hour with our colleague, the Honorable Donald Payne of New Jersey. In the course of that year, we came to this floor to reflect on gun violence on one too many occasions because it is an epidemic in communities across the country. In fact, we are 11 days into 2016, and there have already been 80 shootings in my hometown of Chicago. Four people were shot and killed in less than 24 hours. I applaud President Obama's bold executive action that has been talked about tonight. I believe these policies will keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous individuals. If you listen to some, they will say they are trying to take our guns. There is nothing in the executive action that says that. The opposition is pushing fear, not fact. With over 30 Americans killed by guns every single day inaction is not an option. In my nearly 3 years in Congress, the majority party has refused to do anything on gun violence--not one hearing, not a single vote. To right what Congress has, unfortunately, made wrong, President Obama did what was necessary to address the threat to our long-term national security and economic stability. While we can't stop every criminal from committing every crime, we can take actions that will save lives. While President Obama's executive actions are crucial steps in reducing the senseless gun violence that is plaguing our Nation, they do not absolve Congress of its moral responsibility to act. There are gaps in existing gun laws that leave us all vulnerable to gun violence. These holes are ones that only Congress can plug. I have two commonsense bills that will complement President Obama's executive actions and that will help bring a reduction in firearm mortality. The first bill, H.R. 224, the Recognizing Gun Violence as a Public Health Emergency Act, would require the Surgeon General to submit an annual report to Congress on the public health impact of gun violence. The bill currently has 135 cosponsors, and I hope that this commonsense proposal can get an up-or-down vote this year. Also, I recently introduced H.R. 225, the Firearm Safety Act, which would close the loophole which prevents the Consumer Product Safety Commission from creating rules regarding the safety of firearms. Quite simply, if the Consumer Product Safety Commission can regulate teddy bears, bicycle helmets, and car seats, it should be able to regulate firearms. Simply improving safety lock quality and improving storage safety will reduce accidents, misfires, and will prevent theft, saving thousands of lives. Senseless gun violence has been plaguing our Nation for far too long. It is simply unacceptable in the United States of America that gun violence is the leading cause of death for people under 24. It is time for us to come together to end the gun violence that is taking a generation of young Americans. I often ask: Just how many and just who has to die before we take action? I urge my colleagues to attend a funeral to see and to feel the hurt and loss. Your standing for moments of silence and then your sitting in silence does nothing to deal with this issue. Let's stop the hypocrisy and take action and save lives.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. I am opposed to the bill in its current form.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. Mr. Speaker, my amendment is a simple, straightforward, commonsense improvement that I believe both sides of the aisle can agree would help protect American children from the threat of violence. If my amendment passes, it would ensure that men and women that we represent and their children will have the peace of mind of knowing that this Congress can cast aside partisan differences to vote to protect families and communities from senseless gun violence. That is because my amendment would exempt this bill to any regulation that would protect Americans, particularly young children, from gun violence in school zones and other sensitive areas. If an agency proposes a solution that would improve the health, safety, and well-being of Americans, especially children, by limiting gun violence, it is simply unconscionable to throw obstacles in the way to stymie that solution. I don't see how this Congress, whose Members were entrusted by families in our home districts to defend their right to life, liberty, and happiness, can argue that we did all we could to defend these rights, yet vote against responsible proposals that aim to protect life and preserve liberty and promote happiness. How can we in good conscience allow this body to pass this bill as is? How can we allow good community safety solutions to get bogged down when we can amend this bill to keep gun violence from ringing out in our classrooms and playgrounds? How can we turn a blind eye to regulations that charge us to act now to keep our children from being victimized by violence and say that the responsible thing to do is to sideline it for 6 months for additional review? We cannot allow our children to be sitting ducks for half a year. Far too many times we hear about a child the same age as your son, your daughter, or grandchild falling victim to a stray bullet fired by a criminal, someone who should not have been able to purchase a gun but found a way through loopholes in our laws. Or we hear about young women who are victims of domestic violence and are killed by their former partner who, despite a violent past, was able to legally purchase a firearm. On Tuesday, President Obama announced a number of executive actions to address our Nation's gun violence epidemic. Specifically, the President's actions expand Federal background checks and improve mental healthcare reporting to ensure guns stay out of the hands of dangerous individuals. I am not asking for you to vote based on your feelings for the President, but I want to pose this to you: If there were a 6-month waiting period before a regulation ensuring that the dangerously mentally ill are unable to purchase a firearm went into effect, how many innocent lives would be lost? How many men, women, and children would be killed? How many more Newtowns, how many more Auroras, and how many more Charlestons would occur? How many more of my young constituents in Chicago and Riverdale would I lose to gun violence after being shot by a stray bullet on their way home from school? I support policies that are thorough and measured, but I cannot support policies that prevent health and safety regulations, especially those that ensure the well-being of children from immediately being enforceable. I have come to this floor countless times to advocate for commonsense gun legislation. We must act. My amendment will improve the bill by putting the health, safety, and well-being of our Nation's children first. It will ensure that Congress works with President Obama and allows his executive actions to start saving lives immediately. I urge my colleagues to support it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud President Obama's executive actions taken this week to reduce gun violence in America. These policies will help keep guns out of the hands of criminals and dangerous individuals and will prevent gun trafficking, while also protecting the Second Amendment rights of responsible, law- abiding citizens. With over 30 Americans killed by guns every single day, inaction is not an option. In my nearly 3 years in Congress, House Republican leadership has refused to do anything on gun violence, not one hearing, not a single vote. In facing Congress' inertia, President Obama did what was necessary to address a threat to our long-term national security and economic stability. While we can't stop every criminal from committing every crime, we can take actions that will save lives, and President Obama's executive actions will do just that. Under these commonsense changes, everyone who profits from the sale of firearms will be required to obtain a license. It shouldn't matter if you sell a gun in a store, online, or at a gun show. It is the sale of a dangerous weapon, and the seller should make sure the buyer is safe, responsible, and law-abiding. It is a sobering fact that the majority of gun deaths in the United States is from suicide. Expanding Federal funding for mental health services and streamlining States' abilities to report data to the background check system are essential to keeping guns out of the hands of the dangerously mentally ill. President Obama's executive actions make essential strides in advancing smart gun technology. If you can use a thumbprint to get into your iPhone, there is no reason that the same technology can't be invented so that guns won't fire without the right fingerprint. If a gun would only fire when it is held by the right owner, stolen guns would be inoperable, drastically decreasing firearm deaths. Similarly, just like there are childproof caps on aspirin, there should be childproof guns. This will help protect children from accidentally discharging firearms. Smart gun technology is centuries old. Smith & Wesson invented the first childproof trigger over 150 years ago. While President Obama's executive actions are crucial steps to reducing the senseless gun violence that is plaguing our Nation, they don't absolve Congress of its moral responsibility to act. There are gaps in existing gun laws that leave us all vulnerable to gun violence. These holes are ones that only Congress can plug. I have two commonsense bills which will complement President Obama's executive actions and help bring a reduction in firearm mortality. The first bill, H.R. 224, the Recognizing Gun Violence as a Public Health Emergency Act, would require the Surgeon General to submit an annual report to Congress on the public health impact of gun violence. The bill currently has 135 cosponsors, and I hope that this commonsense proposal can get an up-or-down vote this year. For the past 20 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health have been prevented from conducting research on firearms. This lack of data has limited academic research on guns, and it has prevented Congress from obtaining the data it needs to craft impactful legislation. The second bill, H.R. 225, the Firearm Safety Act, would close the loophole which prevents the Consumer Product Safety Commission from creating rules regarding the safety of firearms. Quite simply, if the Consumer Product Safety Commission can regulate teddy bears, bicycle helmets, and car seats, it should be able to regulate firearms. Simply improving safety lock quality and improving storage safety will reduce accidents, misfires, and will prevent theft, saving thousands of lives. These bills would give Congress the data it needs to pass meaningful and impactful gun violence prevention legislation, and they would ensure firearms are as safe and consumer friendly as possible, all without obstructing the Second Amendment rights of responsible gun owners. Senseless gun violence has been plaguing our Nation for too long. It is simply unacceptable in the United States of America that gun violence is the leading cause of death for people under 24. It is time for us to come together to end the gun violence that is taking a generation of young Americans. I applaud President Obama's leadership and his important actions to curb the violence that is plaguing our communities, actions he took because Congress has done nothing, not even calling up bipartisan bills with many cosponsors. Congress must now carry the torch and pass meaningful gun violence prevention legislation.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have spent the past year working with Illinois families to see how we could make this year a year of action and progress for Second District families. Keeping that in mind, I wanted to end this year on a high note by providing a brief snapshot on the state of my district on the education and economic front. This year, I donated over 1,000 books to Second District's school libraries, even as we faced a tough State budget crisis. Illinois students should have the best educational resources possible, and I am working with my community to ensure just that. I also kicked off my ``Robin's Readers'' reading challenge. More than 3,000 kids participated, reading over 20,000 books in a 10-week period. On the economic front, I held my third annual job fair, where I connected 500 jobseekers with 70 businesses looking to hire. We also held our second job and resource fair for our youth, as well as a veterans event. This is just a sample of the work we were able to accomplish, and I look forward to continuing our success in the new year. Happy holidays.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, am I correct that insisting on the point of order prevents the House from voting on the gentleman from California's motion to recommit?

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, another mass shooting, another moment of silence. Actually, we will have to do two in a day or back- to-back because of the shooting in Savannah, Georgia. That did not get the attention because 1 person died and 3 people were injured, not like in California, where 14 died and 17 were injured. You stood already this week for Colorado. I say ``you'' because I don't do it any more. I can't be hypocritical. You stand up, you sit down, you do nothing. There have been 355 mass shootings so far this year, not to mention the many who have died alone and get no attention or no moment of silence. When are we really going to stand up and do something? Just who has to die--your mother? your wife? your son? Or how many? We need to stand up, speak up, and take actions rather than another moment of silence. It is deafening, and it is killing us.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you for the information on the Safety Justice Act and education. The two really go hand in hand. If our young people have more skills and are educated, then I think that we will see less crime. We always say, in my area, ``Nothing stops a bullet like a job,'' so thank you for that information and for all of your hard work. At this time, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), a woman of great knowledge and experience, and one of my heroes.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, tonight is a night of action and reflection for this Congress. This evening, the Congressional Black Caucus will take a look at a number of significant events that have occurred this year and discuss the urgent and pressing concerns of today. In the waning weeks of 2015, we will have this moment of reflection in order to examine the issues that have caused our community the greatest concern. This conversation must be had, so we have to have an honest and impactful dialogue that will help Congress engage communities and act so we can create a better future today. It is said that the blood brother of apathy is the inability to prioritize that which is important. Congress cannot afford to be apathetic any longer. We must get serious about the issues that threaten the true potential of our Nation--issues like gun violence that imperil our safety and security, issues like joblessness and wage discrimination that are barriers to our collective economic prosperity, issues like restrictive voting laws that are fundamentally contrary to the democratic right of American citizens and concerns with bad-apple community police. The Congressional Black Caucus has come to this very floor numerous times to address many of these issues, and, sadly, this body has yet to act on many of these concerns. Last week, in my home district, Chicago was rocked by a disturbing video that was released showing the police shooting of 17-year old Laquan McDonald. He had been shot 16 times by his arresting officer. Most of the shots were fired when McDonald was no longer standing. Some entered through his back. I cannot begin to fully express the depth of my outrage at this senseless killing. The video is nothing short of horrific. Tonight, I want to express my condolences to the McDonald family, for whom the pain of losing their loved one has undoubtedly been compounded by having his death on public display. There is a role that Representatives in Congress can play in putting the issues of violence in our communities in the forefront. We have chosen not to. As horrifying as the video of Laquan's death is, it needed to be made public because the lingering questions surrounding this case and cases like the death of Walter Scott are equally disturbing. In reflecting on this tragedy, I want to take a moment to give my thanks to the many activists in Chicago who expressed their outrage in a civil and productive way and, particularly, the young activists. I remain encouraged by those who have been at the forefront of the call for justice for Laquan and their positive and productive movement for change. It is an example I hope all Americans will follow in helping to create a fairer, more equitable system of justice for us all. So, in that vein, tonight we will have a conversation about how, in the midst of these tragedies and national adversity, the Congressional Black Caucus is working and achieving positive and productive moments of change. In this hour, you will hear from my colleagues about efforts the CBC has led to usher in criminal justice reform, about the work of the CBC in increasing diversity in the tech sector through our TECH 2020 initiative, about the CBC Health Braintrust work and addressing the issue of health disparities through the release of the 2015 Kelly Report, about how we are raising awareness and working to bring back kidnapped victims of Boko Haram in Nigeria, and about how the CBC has been a critical broker in numerous legislative efforts before this Congress. There is much to discuss this evening because there is much worth reflecting on and celebrating. Mr. Speaker, this is Mr. Payne and my last Special Order hour for the year. I must say that, while this time has flown by, it has been an honor and a privilege to represent this distinguished caucus. So I yield to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Donald Payne, Jr., my very distinguished partner in crime for this past few months, or year, actually.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you, Congressman Payne. Thank you for those kinds words. It has truly been an honor serving with you. I yield to the esteemed chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, the gentleman from North Carolina, Congressman G.K. Butterfield.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you, Congressman Butterfield. That was certainly a great list of our achievements. Like you said, that was just some of the things that we have been able to accomplish, and there is a lot more that you can say. We can go on and on. Thank you for your leadership and making sure that we get some of these things done.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Of course. At this time, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you, Congresswoman Lee. You have brought up so many issues that are so interconnected--again, education, diversity inclusion. When you think about preschoolers getting expelled, that is not a good start. And what message does it send to that young man or that young woman or that little boy or that little girl? But all of the things that you talked about--voting rights--are all interconnected, and we need to accomplish all of those goals for a better America, and not just for African Americans, but for everybody.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Well, we want to thank you for your leadership and all of the work that you have done to make Congress stronger, as well as the caucus stronger. At this time, I yield to the gentleman from Brooklyn, New York (Mr. Jeffries).

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to express my condolences and support to our allies in France after last week's attacks on civilians in Paris, an act that is undeniably the work of cowards. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families, but there is comfort in the knowledge that France will rebound, and we will continue to stand by their side. They are resilient. No act of terror can shake the resolve of the French people to live free, and nothing and no one will intimidate France from living prosperously. I want the people of France to know the American people and this Congress stand in solidarity with you. I say this in full faith and confidence to the cowards who plot against innocent civilians and the principles of freedom. No act of terror will usurp the principles of liberty, equality, and brotherhood. In addition to France, innocent lives were lost in Beirut and Nigeria. We have terrorist violence and killing all over the world. As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and a proud American, I strongly believe we need to strengthen the international coalition in order to create a united front to combat terrorist forces that serve to undermine peace and democracy.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. I thank Representative Payne for those words. One thing that you talked about with the University of Missouri, I thought it was great that when they did protests and sit-ins, that there were White students, football players, and coaches that also sat with them and gave them support. They were one. So even though bad things had happened, it was good to see that there were all kinds of students and their coaches empathetic with what was going on. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. In my diversity training that I have done for many years now, we have always talked about groups need allies. Allies give you support and encouragement and the strength to go on. At this time, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Barbara Lee).