Robin Kelly

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate a milestone in our Nation's history. Fifty years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson stood before Congress and declared an unconditional war on poverty. As we reflect on this war, I am inspired by the progress we have made in 50 years. We have expanded economic opportunity, and we have made the American Dream a reality for millions. But this is not enough. Recent events, like allowing unemployment insurance to expire, remind us that the war is not over. Even though our economy is recovering from a recession, 10.9 million Americans are still struggling to find work. Meanwhile, 16 million children live in poverty. And now the 1.3 million Americans who lost unemployment insurance have no means to provide for their family while they look for work. This cannot continue. No child should go to bed hungry, and no family should struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Fifty years ago we started a war, and yes, we have won many battles. But it is time to win the war, and we must start by making sure that Americans can continue to meet basic needs as they pursue their dreams. So I urge my colleagues to stand with me and extend unemployment insurance.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of over 1 million Americans to urge my colleagues to extend unemployment insurance benefits so they can continue to meet their basic needs while searching for work. Last week, we were encouraged by the labor report that showed the economy was adding jobs, the unemployment rate is shrinking, and companies are again investing. But there is still work to be done. For the 11 million Americans without a job, the economy is still in a state of emergency. When a mom in Chicago or a dad in Kankakee loses their job, the whole family feels it. I have met with many people from Illinois with impressive qualifications who are weary from the job search. They want what we all want: a good job, a livable wage, and a Congress that will work to create new economic opportunities. But until that is achieved, they are asking for a hand up, not a handout, in these tough times. It is for these Americans I urge my colleagues to extend unemployment insurance benefits now, because every citizen deserves support in their pursuit of the American Dream.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a historic week. On Sunday, we celebrated Rosa Parks Day; Thursday, we observed the start of the Montgomery bus boycott; and Friday, we commemorate the 148th anniversary of the Thirteenth Amendment, which ended slavery. As we reflect on these historic events, we see how far our Nation has come in advancing equality for all Americans. However, recent actions like the Supreme Court's decision to gut the Voting Rights Act remind us that we have much more work ahead. Although I dream of a day that the Voting Rights Act is unnecessary, the truth is that voter discrimination and suppression live on today as ugly legacies of our past. In the past few years, many States have introduced legislation that would restrict access to a voting booth. These discriminatory actions prove that the protections in the Voting Rights Act are still necessities in our world today. So this week, as we remember the struggles and sacrifices made to ensure basic rights for all Americans, I urge my colleagues to continue fighting to ensure that no American is denied their right to vote.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Madam Speaker, last week I met with businesses from around my district as part of my economic development tour. I visited Sip & Savor, a minority-owned coffee shop in Hyde Park, where people go for great coffee and conversation. I met with Landauer in Glenwood, ranked 63rd on the Forbes list of Best Small Businesses in America. They are keeping our troops safe by investing in technologies that protect them from the harmful effects of radiation. I spoke with workers at Nucor Steel in Kankakee, who are helping lead the manufacturing renaissance in the United States. These businesses take pride in the work they do, but they need a Congress that is willing to work just as hard for them. We need folks on both sides who will reduce the barriers to business growth and who will support the small businesses that create 65 percent of the new jobs in our economy. I recently introduced H.R. 3328, the American Work Opportunity Act, which extends the work opportunity tax credit for businesses that put Americans back to work. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and to work together to pass a comprehensive jobs bill.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as we prepare for the district work period, I urge my colleagues to dial down the partisan rhetoric that shut down our government and take the time to listen to the folks you came to Washington to represent. Americans have been saying they want us to do all we can to protect the economy and support American jobs, not threaten them. This week, I introduced H.R. 3327, the Veterans Work Opportunity Act, and H.R. 3328, the American Work Opportunity Act, which aim to get more veterans and unemployed Americans back to work by offering tax credits to businesses who will hire them. Next week, I will be meeting with small business owners, manufacturers, and constituents around my district as part of my Second Congressional District Economic Development Tour. Here we will discuss what Congress can do to support our communities and grow American jobs. The family businesses I represent in Kankakee and the manufacturers I represent in Chicago both say the same thing: ``Business as usual in Washington doesn't help business back home.'' I couldn't agree more. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor H.R. 3327 and H.R. 3328 and work civilly to get our economy back on track.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as we recognize the final days of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I ask Congress to pass legislation that helps put an end to domestic violence. This issue impacts Americans of all backgrounds regardless of age, race, religion, or economic status. One victim of domestic violence is too many; but the heartbreaking reality is that, in this country, three women are killed daily by intimate partners. Young women are at a greater risk to be victims of domestic violence. Four out of every 10 teen girls know people their ages who have been abused by a boyfriend. Last week, I introduced H.R. 3297, the Teen Dating Violence Education Act, which is to protect teenage victims of domestic violence. My bill helps provide schools offering domestic violence inclusion programs with the resources to inform students of their legal rights as they relate to dating violence. Our teens deserve to be empowered with the knowledge to create a safe and secure environment free of domestic violence. Ending teen domestic violence now is a good first step towards preventing future domestic violence among adults. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor H.R. 3297.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. I am opposed.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, my amendment is a long-overdue commonsense improvement that has bipartisan support in this House and has the majority of support of the American people. If my amendment passes, it will end this costly and irresponsible government shutdown and reopen the entire Federal Government so that we may once again appropriately serve the American people. As written, the bill before us offers the men, women, and children we represent little comfort. This piecemeal approach to funding the government is hurting folks in all of our districts. How can we commit to protecting nuclear security but not commit to the security of our Federal Government by completely funding it? How can we protect nuclear weapons but furlough our intelligence personnel who serve on the front lines in defending us from terrorist attacks? Why are we paying hardworking Federal employees, who want to get back to work, to stay at home and not to do the job our Nation depends on them to do? As we sit here voting to fund bills bit by bit, our constituents are being dealt the full blow and consequences of this shutdown. They can't afford for this shutdown to drag on as we mull over whether it is more important to get our food inspectors back on the job or for America's veterans to have their benefits claims processed. The piecemeal approach isn't working. The gimmicks must stop. As we discussed nuclear weapon security, I was reminded of the movie ``War Games.'' This was the eighties movie with Matthew Broderick as the slacker hacker facing off against a supercomputer that was programmed to go to war when it doesn't even know what it is fighting for. I will allow a quick second for a ``spoiler alert'' and summarize: after several failed attempts at starting a global nuclear war, the computer runs through all the possible scenarios--all of which end in stalemates--before it discovers the concept of mutually assured destruction, the very simple concept that the war it was trying to launch was an exercise in futility because it would destroy the U.S. in the process. ``A strange game,'' the computer says. ``The only winning move is not to play.'' And that is where we find ourselves as a Nation, heading toward a mutually assured destruction at the hands of an ideological few, programmed to go to war when they don't even know the risk of the game they are playing and the consequences of their fight. We have had a week go by without the lessons resonating that there are no winners in the funding scenarios that have been brought to the floor, and the American people are losing out worst of all. But this isn't a game. This is reality. This isn't a fictional eighties movie. This is the United States of America in October of 2013. For the past week, we have pursued a fundamentally inept method for reopening the government. Today we need to pay particular attention to one number, 79. That is how many different appropriations bills the House and Senate will have to pass to fund the full nondefense portion of the Federal Government, given the rate of funding and the bills passed or announced in the House of Representatives so far. The men, women, and children in my district--in all of our districts--are dealing with the taxing reality of a shut-down government. We can't cherry-pick who to fund and who not to fund bit by bit. I ask all of you to vote ``yes'' on this motion because Congress has a duty to offer the security of a functional government to our families, our veterans, and our economy. Vote ``yes'' on this motion. Vote ``yes'' to open up all of our government right now. Point of Order

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Yes, I do, Mr. Speaker.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, doesn't the bill before us fund a portion of the Federal Government? My motion to recommit would open up the entire Federal Government so that all of the benefits that the taxpayers have paid for with their hard-earned dollars are available. Can the Chair explain why it is not germane to open up all of the government instead of just a portion of the government? Mr. Speaker, if you rule this motion out of order, does that mean we will not have a chance to keep the entire Federal Government open today? Can the Chair please explain why we can't keep the entire Federal Government open today?

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. I appeal the ruling of the Chair.

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

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House bring up the Senate amendment to House Joint Resolution 59, the clean CR, and go to conference on a budget so that we may end this irresponsible Republican government shutdown.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the millions of men, women, and children victimized by domestic violence. This is an issue that is very personal to me. Nine years ago, my cousin, Dr. Robin Lynn Mitchell, my namesake, was murdered in her sleep by her husband in an act of domestic violence. A few months later, a campaign volunteer of mine, Velton Lacefield, was shot and killed by her husband in a similar crime. Their stories, however heartbreaking, are, unfortunately, not unique. These tragedies play out over and over every day in our communities across America. The National Network to End Domestic Violence estimates that three women are killed each day as a result of domestic violence. It touches just about every home, no matter your ZIP code or your income bracket. Nearly three-quarters of Americans know a victim of domestic violence. But that is just the human toll. Domestic violence also costs the U.S. economy over $8 billion annually in emergency room visits, mental health services, and lost productivity. So as we observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month, let's commit ourselves to working to put an end to these tragedies, for Robin, for Velton, for all of us.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, last week the health insurance marketplace opened, giving millions access to quality health care. Since then, there has been too much focus on the small hiccups that are to be expected when any large program is implemented. Yesterday, I received a letter from a North Carolina woman who lives over 600 miles from my home district in Illinois. Like many Illinoisans, she believes the positives of the Affordable Care Act are being overlooked. She said: My family has already benefited from the Affordable Care Act as I have two children just finishing college. I am relieved I can keep them on my medical coverage at no cost. This saves them money and gives me peace of mind. The cost of our health care plan has decreased by $400. Like many, she wants to ask Congress: Is this why you shut down the government, to keep me and my children from getting affordable health care? Citizens are sick and tired of the misinformation being spread about the ACA. The ACA didn't cause the shutdown. The shutdown is a symptom of what really ails America--cynicism that allows a few to take hollow ideological stances at the expense of many. Like me, she wants us to pass a clean CR and end this shutdown today.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today's on behalf of the many unemployed Americans who are looking for work, people who need a fair shot at entering the workforce so they can earn a living for themselves and their family. It's a travesty that the same partisan gridlock that shut down the government on the American people has also kept us from passing a bipartisan jobs bill this Congress. Government shouldn't be closed for business. Hardworking Americans deserve a government that works overtime to create jobs and promote a strong economy. The families I represent deserve better, and the American people deserve better. This Friday, I'm hosting a job fair at South Suburban College in my district. Over 50 employers will be on hand to offer jobs to individuals looking for work. I know they'll be impressed by the talented men and women we have in Illinois' Second Congressional District. Enough with the distractions. Americans want jobs. Businesses want to create jobs. And it's time that Congress did its job and passed legislation to get Americans back to work.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it has been 2 days since an extreme few in Congress put politics ahead of country and allowed a government shutdown. It's shameful that some will allow ideological tantrums to take the place of civility and a real legislative agenda. This partisan paralysis has put us on pace to be the least productive Congress in history. We voted nearly 50 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, even though it's been upheld by the highest court and reaffirmed by the reelection of our President. Yes, I said the reelection of our President. Some of my colleagues still seem to be having a hard time with the fact that he won. It's time to get over it and move on because the most important issue for Americans is the economy. And this Congress hasn't even come close to passing a jobs bill. The individuals holding America hostage with their political games claim they're doing so because they want their voices to be heard. Well, my constituents also want to be heard. Their message is loud and clear: End this irresponsible shutdown and get back to the business of rebuilding our economy, restoring the American Dream, and rehabilitating our reputation with the American people. Let's act now and end this shutdown today.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House bring up the Senate amendment to H.J. Res. 59, the clean CR that would end this ridiculous Republican government shutdown.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to put America first and pass a bipartisan spending plan to prevent a government shutdown. As the daughter of a small business owner, I learned at an early age that it's impossible to succeed without smart planning and reliable funding. Let's keep this lesson in mind. Millions of Americans will be left hanging if the government shuts down. Benefits for veterans could be delayed; approval of small business loans would be suspended; and the National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control, which monitor disease, may be forced to scale back their services, leaving us vulnerable to a health crisis. One of the last government shutdowns in this country cost taxpayers $800 million, including $400 million in lost revenue collected by the IRS. We can't afford to go through that again. It is time to put an end to the partisan games. American citizens aren't chips to be gambled with. Our servicemen and -women, mom-and-pop business owners, and families who show up for America every day deserve a government that shows up for them. Let's stop grandstanding and start standing up for the American people by passing a CR.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, this month, America celebrates the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington where men and women of all backgrounds rallied for the cause of jobs and freedom. The march proved instrumental in advancing civil rights in America and helped in passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. In remembering that the march was about jobs, it's important that we remember that this Congress has yet to bring a jobs bill to the floor. As we recall what the march did to advance freedom, we should remember that the recent Supreme Court ruling on voting rights left it up to Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work out a bipartisan path to protect voters from discrimination and from being disenfranchised. The need for folks to come together on behalf of jobs and justice is as important now as it was 50 years ago. Our Nation is made better when we march together to overcome the challenges of our times. I urge my colleagues to unite and pass a jobs bill that is good for American workers and to take the steps necessary to protect every American's right to vote. The march continues.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, as I have before, on behalf of the many families victimized daily by the persistent gun violence in their communities. As a Nation, we shudder at tragedies like the Newtown shootings. The news coverage of Newtown left a mark on our collective conscience. Yet sadly, every day, equally devastating acts of gun violence occur in urban America, often without the same media coverage. Since Newtown, over 6,000 Americans have lost their lives to gun violence. Still, Congress has yet to act on commonsense gun reforms that would save lives. Every life lost, regardless of ZIP code, is a tragedy. It's easy to get angry and frustrated over the relentless drumbeat of death in urban America, but instead we need to turn our anger and frustration into action. In my 3 months in Congress, I've introduced three commonsense gun bills that will help make our communities safer. Though Federal legislation alone cannot solve the gun violence epidemic, it is a strong start and a step in the right direction. So I urge my colleagues to cosponsor these bills and take a stand with me against gun violence.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in very strong opposition to the farm bill rule and the underlying bill because it increases poverty in America.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to right a shameful wrong committed by the Supreme Court and update the Voting Rights Act to restore an essential protection against voter discrimination. By gutting the Voting Rights Act, the Court greatly dishonored those who fought and died to protect the rights of the disenfranchised, who continue to face pervasive voting discrimination. Recent efforts in parts of the country to impose voter ID laws, to limit access to early voting and to gerrymander districts to hinder the minority vote serve as irrefutable proof that voter discrimination remains a real threat to our democracy. The Voting Rights Act prevented discrimination in these cases, something it can't do as it exists now. We must act immediately to fix the gaping hole in this vital protection of the right to vote. Each day that passes without a strong Voting Rights Act is another day justice is deferred. We have a moral imperative to act swiftly in a bipartisan manner to get this done. I urge my colleagues to act now.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of 7 million students with subsidized student loans to urge my colleagues in Congress to come together to prevent student loan rates from doubling on July 1. The cost of a college degree has increased by more than 1,000 percent in the last 30 years. Two-thirds of college seniors who graduated in 2011 had an average student loan debt of $26,000 per borrower. As the July 1 deadline approaches, America's total student loan debt already tops $1.1 trillion. We're a nation that invests in our future, and that means investing in our kids. Mounting student debt is handicapping a generation of graduates who already face a tough job market. This debt is forcing them to put off key milestones like buying a home and starting a family. This delay in the American Dream will diminish our Nation's economic development. Congress has come to the aid of our banks and worked to promote industry. Now it's time to step up for our students by preserving college affordability and keeping the American Dream within reach. Let's stand together to keep Federal student loan rates down. I urge my colleagues to act now.