Robin Kelly

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, our Nation owes our veterans a debt of gratitude for putting their lives on the line, but too often, all we do is pay lip service to our military heroes. This past weekend, I hosted a veterans housing symposium, where I connected veterans with housing professionals and experts to answer questions about their housing benefits, mortgage options, and tax exemptions, and displacement assistance. Our veterans have earned our Nation's gratitude, and I urge this Congress to do more to serve our military families. In mentioning gratitude and service, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge an outstanding and brilliant servant, Mimi Mesirow, who is moving on after 20 years of service to the Second Congressional District of Illinois. Mimi was an original hire of the Honorable Jesse Jackson, Jr., and was kind enough to stay on and help me launch my grant operation when I came to Congress. Mimi secured millions of dollars in funding for the Second District and left her mark in making it a better place to live. On behalf of Second District families and a grateful Congress, thank you, Mimi, for a job well done.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today disappointed by the lack of leadership on display in this House. Gun violence is a terror in many of our communities, and we must stop it. In 2016, we have had more than 10,000 preventable gun deaths in America. Consider this: this past Labor Day, the city I represent, Chicago, saw its 500th homicide of the year. We have seen 3,000 people, alone, shot in 2016--3,000 shot, 500 dead, and 90 murdered in August, alone, in one city. Too often we write gun violence off as an urban condition. But the gun deaths we are facing are not only urban; it is everywhere and impacts us all: Kids died in Newtown; people were murdered on live TV in Roanoke and massacred in Orlando. Gun violence has altered the lives of Speaker Ryan's constituents in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. It turned fatal for Nykea Aldridge, a mother of four young children in Chicago, who was just walking back from registering her children for school. It turned family movie night into a horrific final act for 12 people in Aurora, Colorado. Gun violence turned a fun night out in to a final terrifying moment for 49 people in Orlando and left indelible emotional wounds in the hearts of more than 50 others who suffered injury. Mr. Speaker, what will you do before this year ends to prevent even more unnecessary and preventable gun violence? What are you and your caucus going to do to change the fact that American children are 4 times more likely to be killed by a gun than Canadian children, 7 times more likely than Israeli children, and 65 times more likely than British children? There is no room for your deafening silence. There is no justification for your gavel to drown out the cries of families being terrorized by gun violence. It is said that ``the blood brother of apathy is the inability to prioritize that which is important.'' Mr. Speaker, your apathy is America's agony. Our constituents elected us to work together to solve our Nation's biggest problems. If gun violence is not monumental, then what is? Right now, anyone can buy a gun online or at a gun show without a background check. Why does that make sense? We have a gaping hole in our system that must be closed. Some States and municipalities already have strong, comprehensive background check laws, but many others do not, preventing laws from truly having their fullest impact. This is the case in Illinois. I represent communities plagued by gun violence. Despite Chicago and Illinois having strong gun laws, our neighbors have very weak gun laws; so a criminal, a domestic abuser, a terrorist, or a person who is dangerously mentally unstable cannot get a gun in Illinois, but they can jump in their car, drive to a gun show in a bordering State like Wisconsin to buy a gun, and drive back to commit a horrible and preventable crime. In a 4-year period from 2010 to 2014, 10,000 crime guns recovered in Illinois were from other States. Nearly 1,000 of the guns killing my fellow Illinois residents came from the Speaker's home State of Wisconsin. Wisconsin's lax gun laws are tied to 10 percent of Illinois crime guns. This demonstrates what is all too obvious to 90 percent of the American public: it is the duty of Congress to pass comprehensive background checks to ensure that no matter where a dangerous person lives or travels, they cannot access a firearm. If you are too dangerous to buy a gun in Illinois, you are too dangerous to buy a gun in Wisconsin. Forty percent of gun sales are online or at gun shows, where a background check is not required. What if 4 out of every 10 people at an airport or right here in the Capitol didn't have to go through security? Would we enjoy the same level of safety as we do? Requiring comprehensive background checks is a simple, logical measure. It is embarrassing that we are even having this discussion. This isn't about taking away our constitutional right to bear arms. Law-abiding citizens who aren't dangerous and can pass a background check will still have access to their firearms for hunting, self- defense, and for personal, legal use. So, if you are not a danger to yourself or others, is undergoing a background check in order to maintain and buy a gun really that much of a big burden? Second Amendment rights, like all other Amendments guaranteed by our Constitution, have logical limits. Keep guns out of the hands of the terrorists killing our children, off our playgrounds and streets, and away from people who are killing police officers like the one we just heard about. Once again, I ask: Who has to get shot, and just how many have to die before you do your job, Mr. Speaker?

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on July 14, I stood in this very spot to express my disappointment that my Republican colleagues and leadership showed both cowardice and callousness by failing to call up a single commonsense gun violence prevention measure before leaving town for 53 days. I rise today not just disappointed. Instead, I am ashamed; I am appalled. Republicans adjourned for a historic 7-week recess from D.C. without fulfilling their duty to the American people, and, once again, our most vulnerable communities paid the price. I am disappointed, but I am not defeated. So I rise today to remind my colleagues of what 7 weeks of Republican inaction looks like. In my district in Chicago, gun violence claimed the lives of 90 people and injured 375 more in August alone. This Labor Day weekend, Chicago passed 500 homicides for the year, the first time we have crossed this threshold in two decades. Outside of my district, 7 weeks of congressional inaction meant that more than 4,100 families lost a loved one to gun violence. In 2016, gun violence has taken the lives of almost 10,000 and wounded more than 20,000; 10,000 people killed by guns in less than 9 months--10,000. When will this number be high enough for us to take action? Who has to die for us to have the courage to pass commonsense gun legislation? Why does Democrats sitting in protest outrage Republicans, but 10,000 deaths merits no response? We have heard the majority threaten to admonish Democrats for speaking the truth, but 10,000 lives lost to guns gets nothing--no votes, and 7 weeks of inaction. In this D.C. bubble, it is easy to forget that 10,000 isn't just a number. They are 10,000 mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. Behind each gun death is a family who once celebrated a life, but now mourns the loss of a loved one. Behind each gun death, there is a fearful mother now too afraid to let her children play outside. Behind each gun death, another small- business owner debates closing up shop for good. While it is no secret that gun violence affects all communities across our Nation, it is our most underserved neighborhoods that are the most devastated. Congressional inaction allows the most vulnerable in our Nation to continue to suffer. So I urge my colleagues, let's use this time in September wisely. Let's work together and pass legislation that will reduce gun violence in our communities. I am not just talking about a need to pass commonsense measures that keeps guns out of the hands of those seeking to do harm. I am talking about a comprehensive approach that addresses the root causes of this gun violence epidemic. Too often we boil down this complex problem to talking points about comprehensive background checks, closing loopholes, and improving mental health services when, in reality, it is also about economic opportunity, building trust between the community and law enforcement, as well as passing these commonsense gun violence prevention measures. In April, I launched the Urban Progress, or UP, Initiative to address these root causes of gun violence. UP partners with local community leaders, activists, business leaders, and elected officials to promote economic opportunity, improve community policing, and build on commonsense gun violence prevention strategies. With the input from the UP Initiative partners and many of my colleagues here in the House, I introduced the Urban Progress Act, a bill that would ensure that the Federal Government remains committed to reducing the gun violence ravaging our communities. My bill would reinvest in our economically underserved communities, take steps to restore the vital trust between law enforcement officers and the community, and would keep guns out of the hands of those seeking to do harm. Mr. Speaker, let's talk about these issues in my bill. Let's debate them. Let's vote on them. I urge my colleagues to listen to the American people. Lastly, I am outraged that anyone would accuse the President of starting any type of racial issue. The President has spoken about gun violence prevention and preventing cops from getting killed and preventing innocent people from getting killed also, so I am outraged to hear these statements.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my severe disappointment about congressional inaction on the gun violence epidemic that is plaguing our communities. Once again, we are breaking for recess without a vote on any gun violence prevention measures. This time, we will be leaving for 7 weeks--the longest period of time in recent history. Every moment that we don't act, we flood even more streets with dangerous weapons, we equip even more criminals with guns, and we risk losing even more lives to senseless gun violence. So for another 7 weeks, the American people have to wait for action. For another 7 weeks, Congress is neglecting its duty to the American people. For another 7 weeks, we are putting our families, friends, and loved ones at risk. Mr. Speaker, I hope that sometime within the next 7 weeks you will find the courage to listen to your constituents in Janesville and call up a commonsense gun violence measure for a vote.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background check legislation to honor the memory of Serge Pierre Dumas, a victim of gun violence who never received a moment of silence on this House floor.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

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

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, with over 30 Americans killed by a gun every single day, for far too long I have been saying that inaction is not an option. Yet, in my 3-plus years in Congress, House Republicans have refused to do anything on gun violence. This week's lackluster, Beltway, big-gun-lobby-written bill is the only gun vote this Congress has had. Why is it that when our country was facing a horrific opioid epidemic, we empowered our local, State, and Federal governments with the resources necessary to combat this issue? And why is it that when a terrorist boarded a plane with a bomb in his shoe, we passed legislation that makes passengers remove their shoes when they go through airport security? Yet, after countless mass shootings and daily violence in the streets of Chicago, Newark, and Baltimore, we do nothing. Many of us here today are still rightfully discussing the horrible 49 deaths in Orlando a few weeks ago, but I would like to share two other statistics with you about gun violence since Orlando. During our honorable colleague, Senator Chris Murphy's 15-hour filibuster, 48 people in America were shot. Forty-eight people in 15 hours. In Chicago, the last month has seen 79 people lose their lives to gun violence. Seventy-nine lost souls: Fabian Lavinder; Kevin Montell Atkins, Jr.; Victor Felix; Marshawn Clinkscale; Kaysar Chako; Joseph Harden; Jamaal Bellamy; Christian Bandemer; Daniel Alcantara; Anthony Howard; Darnell Hardeman; William Palmer; Kori O. Sellers; Dontay Murray, Jr.; Donkel Riley; Anreco Nichols; Sami Salaymeh; Victor Sanders; Lewis Johnson; Lanarris Webster; Dawson Stephan; Paul Webster; Terry Bates, Jr.; Jeremy Ray; Fatimah Muhammed; Travell Montgomery; Timothy Boyd; Christopher Fields; Javil Nunn; Antwon Brooks; Dwayne Triplett; Jordan Liggins; Davion Barron; Adrian Watson; Antoine Randle; Steven Edwards; William Sandifer; Antonio Perkins; Jeremy Rodgers; Denzel Thornton; Angelo Davis; Demetrius Archer; Marshaun Jackson; Victor Robinson; Melvin Cook; Charles Wiley; Latrell McMahon; Eric Knox; Eric Smith; Margaret Shanahan; Alejandro Rosas; Michael A. Brown; Carlton Hall; Salvador Suarez; Otis Richmond; Eugene Singleton; Ramal Hicks; Amari Catchings; Stanley Boston; Jessica Hampton; Eric Burgin; Trevell Parker; Jeremy Clark; Brandon Nolls; Reginald Turner; Trayvon Wilson; Wondale Collier; Selton Ellis; Frederick Johnson; Lonnie King; Kentrail McCray; Alfondia Kelly; Matusalem Gutierrez; Darrell Guy, Jr.; Marshawn Hilson; Chanda Foreman; Robert Vaughn; Kenneth Whitaker; Hector Badillo, Jr.; and Willie Pittman. We were led during our sit-in 2 weeks ago by an icon, Congressman John Lewis, and I was very, very, very proud to participate and would do it again. He is fond of referencing a dream he shared with his mentor, a mentor of many of us, Dr. King, the dream of the Beloved Community, a place where people of all races, creeds, religions, and gender identification can live together in peace. Certainly there is no place for assault rifles in the Beloved Community. There is no place for gun rights for terrorists in the Beloved Community. There is no place for gun rights for criminals and the dangerously mentally ill in the Beloved Community. In the Beloved Community, no child has to live a life where going to the park risks them from being mowed down by a stray bullet. I will keep fighting and speaking out until we honor these victims' lives with action, not with moments of silence.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is sad that it took a 26-hour sit-in of 177 Members just to get a vote on one gun violence prevention bill this Congress. It is even sadder that Speaker Ryan still doesn't get it. This week, we are voting on a big gun lobby bill that already failed in the Senate. It would give the Attorney General only 72 hours to determine if someone on the no-fly list should be able to purchase a gun. House rules require 3 days between a bill's introduction and a vote. Why does Speaker Ryan think that the House deserves 3 days to read a bill, but the FBI, Attorney General, and our courts should fully investigate a suspected terrorist in the same amount of time? This isn't an attempt to address gun violence. It is a shameful attempt to claim that a vote was held, without hurting the majority's precious scorecard rating with the big gun lobby. This isn't a game. With each passing hour, another family mourns the loss of a loved one. I urge my colleagues to reject the gun lobby bill. I call on you, Speaker Ryan, to have the courage to call up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan King-Thompson background check bill, a real gun violence prevention measure.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule and underlying bill. I, instead, urge consideration of H.R. 1217, the Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act. This bipartisan bill has the support of 186 Members of Congress and it would simply require every firearm sale to conduct a background check. It is a commonsense bill that 90 percent of Americans support and that would save lives. Right now anyone can buy a gun online or at a gun show without a background check. I ask you, Mr. Speaker, how does that make sense? By not requiring background checks for gun shows or online purchases, we are inviting bad guys to access guns. We have a gaping hole in our system that must be closed. It is time for the House to take action on gun violence. This week we finally have a gun bill on the floor, except that it isn't a gun violence prevention bill. It is a bill written by the big gun lobby that would give the Attorney General just 72 hours to determine if someone on the no-fly list should be able to purchase a gun. To call this a gun violence protection bill is disrespectful and dishonors the millions of victims of gun violence. What will it take for this House to take action on a real gun violence bill? When Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot, Congress did nothing. When innocent schoolchildren were slaughtered in Newtown, this House did nothing. As thousands of Americans each month continue to fall victim to gun violence, this House does nothing. This past weekend, the world lost a great man, Elie Wiesel. He famously said that the opposite of love isn't hate; it's indifference. My Republican colleagues for too long have been indifferent to America's gun violence epidemic. They have been indifferent to grieving mothers. They have been indifferent to dying children. They have been indifferent to communities that have lost hope for their future. They are indifferent to 90 percent of the American people who want expanded background checks. The American people are sick of this inaction. I am one of these Americans.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. I can think of at least 185 other Americans in this Chamber right now who want to vote on a real gun violence prevention bill. Mr. Speaker, call a vote on H.R. 1217. This is the people's House. The people and their Representatives are speaking. We implore you to find the courage to stand up against the gun lobby and call a vote on this commonsense, bipartisan bill.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today heartbroken and angered once again by the rampant epidemic of gun violence plaguing our Nation. Gun violence is on the rise across the country. I am not just talking about the tragic mass shootings that grip our collective attention. I am talking about the everyday shootings that go undetected by the national media. Last year, gun deaths became the number one killer of youths aged 16- 24. We are on track to break this record in 2016. Just this past Father's Day weekend, 41 people were shot--13 of them fatally--in Chicago. The shootings in those 60 hours claimed the city's 300th recorded homicide this year. This is the list of the names of the people who have lost their lives to gun violence. I don't have enough time to name every name. Amari Brown, 7 years old, was the youngest. He was shot in the back. In 2016 alone, more than 1,800 people have been shot across Chicago. Among this weekend's victims was 3-year-old Devon Quinn. On Sunday, Devon was riding with his father to pick up his mother from work when a hail of bullets hit their car. Devon is still hospitalized. Devon's story is, unfortunately, all too common in communities like some of the ones that I represent, where a trip down the street to a convenience store or a gas station could end in tragedy. I am tired of hearing stories like this. It saddens me and angers me each time I speak with constituents and hear their all too familiar story of losing a loved one to gun violence. I am frustrated not only because we are losing an entire generation to gun violence, but because so many of these deaths were preventable if Congress had just had the courage to take action. Sadly, we don't even talk about gun deaths until it is forced into our lives with another tragic mass shooting. When this happens, we give our fiery speeches, hold our moments of silence, and then we wait for the national buzz to fade. It is a shameful and disrespectful ritual that proves that Congress has little to no plans to truly honor the lives of gun violence victims. This weekend on ``Meet the Press,'' the Speaker gave his fellow Republicans a pass to ``vote their conscience'' with respect to their Presidential support. I ask the Speaker to give his colleagues a pass when it comes to voting on backgrounds checks, which 90 percent of Americans support. With each shooting, we are quick to say that it is a mental health problem, it is a family problem, it is a terror problem. But somehow it is never a gun problem. It is time we look at the common denominator and accept that the root of the problem is about how guns get into the hands of those seeking to do harm. Prayer and reflection brings comfort to those who mourn, but scripture of all faiths teaches that prayer must be met by good deeds. Silence without action is deafening. The majority of the American people want greater action. They want to close the gun show and online loopholes that allow people to purchase guns without a background check. They want medical experts and their government to research this plague of gun violence for what it is: a public health crisis. They want to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists on the no-fly list. Why is it that when someone poses a credible national security threat, we ensure that they cannot fly on a plane, but they can still purchase a firearm? With each second that passes without action, we are risking another Devon Quinn, another Hadiya Pendleton, another Blair Holt. We are risking another Orlando, another Sandy Hook, another Virginia Tech. So I ask my colleagues: Just who exactly has to die and how many before we finally put an end to this? Just how many birthdays, Father's Days, Mother's Days must go uncelebrated? How many would-be graduations must pass? How many empty chairs at a kitchen table must there be before we show courage and say ``enough'' and take action to pass measures that keep us safe instead of going on with our violence? It is deafening. Bring these bills to the floor.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues and my classmates, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), my friend, and the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), for leading this important conversation about bridging the divide to eliminate racial health disparities. But I can't weigh in on that topic until I first address the horrific events of yesterday in Orlando, Florida. Our Nation is horrified and heartbroken by the tragedy in Orlando. We are disgusted by this brutal attack. We will not tolerate terrorism or hate in any form against any group of people because this is just not our way. These ideas of hate will not endure because there is not strength to them. We will win the battle against terrorism and intolerance. We will hold leaders accountable who put their NRA score ahead of the need to keep guns out of the hands of terrorists. We will stand with the LGBTQ community and value their lives, their health, and their security from the threat of violence and hate. And we will work to see that all Americans enjoy the very same freedoms and protections. We have done a lot of moments of silence, but I believe in showing respect through action, not silence, and that is why we are here this evening to discuss what divides us as a country in a health sense. For 45 years, the Congressional Black Caucus has been out front in Congress in fighting for these freedoms and protections. And when it comes to the matter of health equity, I have worked to champion the health policy concerns of vulnerable communities as my predecessors in the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, the Honorable Louis Stokes and Dr. Christensen, have done. Some of my colleagues here know this, but I want to repeat it for anyone who doesn't. Before he was killed, Martin Luther King, Jr., was quoted as saying: ``Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.'' I couldn't agree more, and as the chair of the Health Braintrust, I have worked with many of the people in this room to focus on advancing this critical phase of the human rights and civil rights struggle: health equity. When Benjamin Franklin created the Nation's first public hospital, The Pennsylvania Hospital, he did so in order to establish the promotion of public health as a core American value. He did so to care for our Nation's diseased and sick poor. Nearly 300 years later, the Affordable Care Act cemented health care as a fundamental right for all Americans. Yet, today, we find ourselves at a crossroads in health care. Health disparities in communities of color continue to be intractable hurdles in the quest to achieve health equity in America. African Americans are infected with HIV at a rate that is 8 times that of White Americans. While White women are more likely to have breast cancer, African American women are 40 percent more likely to die from the disease. African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and Pacific Islanders, as well as Native Americans, are diagnosed with lupus two to three times more frequently than Caucasians. More than 13 percent of African Americans aged 20 or older have diagnosed diabetes. And people of color are two to four times more likely than Whites to reach end-stage renal disease. This grim snapshot illustrates that, despite the gains we have made since the days of Ben Franklin and the ACA, there is still much ground to cover in closing the health equity gap. Last year, I drafted a comprehensive report, The Kelly Report on Health Disparities, an official Congressional analysis of the state of minority health in the U.S. that offers a blueprint for reversing negative health trends in communities of color. The Kelly Report brought Members of Congress together, medical professionals, and public health thought leaders to examine the root causes and impact of health disparities in America, and provide a comprehensive set of legislative and policy recommendations to address them. The whole can only ever be as healthy as its parts. For America to achieve true health equity, lawmakers, community leaders, and industry stakeholders must come together and aggressively work to reduce disparities nationwide. We all have a part to play in creating a healthier America. We must take heed of Dr. King's words: ``Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.'' And we can and we must fix that. Again, because of what happened in Orlando, and I want to say it is the mass shooting that we are talking about, and it is tragic, but the night before, one person was shot. And I often liken this to a 747 crash as we talk about that, but we don't talk about the two-seater. And that two-seater, the person that died alone in that club after she sung Friday night has a brother, a mother, a father, and their pain is just as harsh. So let's not forget that young lady that lost her life. And she did not lose her life to someone that was Muslim or someone that believed in ISIS. She lost her life to an American young man, a Caucasian.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the families who are still struggling to make ends meet. Our economy has made great strides since the end of the recession. Like my colleagues, I have watched the unemployment rate tick down each month from 10 percent in 2009 to 5 percent today. According to the story that these numbers tell, our economy has recovered. But for nearly 8 million Americans still looking for work, our economy is still in a state of crisis. In my home district, more than 16 percent live in poverty, and the unemployment rate is three times the national rate, at 15 percent. I have met hundreds of these unemployed constituents at my annual job fair. They aren't looking for a handout; they are looking for a hand up, an opportunity to work, a chance to live a better life, a shot at the American Dream. As we enter the second half of 2016, I urge my colleagues to stand with me and take action to expand economic opportunities and to ensure that all Americans who want to work have the chance to do so.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of National Infrastructure Week. Our national infrastructure is in dire need of repair. The American Society of Civil Engineers' most recent report card gave American infrastructure a D-plus. Many of us here are parents. If your child came home with a D-plus, you would work with them on their homework, find a tutor, or maybe punish them. Yet our response to a near failing infrastructure grade is neglect. In the short term, investments in our national infrastructure create jobs. In the long term, they help communities grow and expand opportunity. I recently met with Transportation Secretary Foxx to discuss the proposed South Suburban Airport. With the national spotlight on the long lines at O'Hare and Midway, it is clear that the Chicago region needs an investment in a new airport to expand the region's air traffic capacity. Investing in infrastructure is a win in both the short term and the long term. So this week, I urge my colleagues to stand with me and work together to invest in our future by improving and strengthening our Nation's infrastructure.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

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

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues have put this bill forward under a simple proposition: small- and mid-size banks need the ability to provide more lending opportunities to best serve their depositors and their communities. I agree with that premise. Access to credit is crucial to economic development, rebuilding our economy, and creating jobs. Banks and deposit institutions are vital to creating economic opportunity. From small business loans, farm loans, and mortgage loans, to a simple checking account, access to banking services is essential for all Americans. I firmly believe that allowing banks to access additional capital is a good idea, and good policy, so long as those banks are using those funds to lend in a fair and responsible manner to those people and entities that need it most. My amendment is simple. It merely adds a clause at the end of the bill stating that the increase to a level of $5 billion in assets will only apply to lenders who serve rural, minority, low-income, and otherwise underserved communities. These lenders will be required to have a clear and credible plan to expand access to banking services in those communities, and submit their plan to the Federal Reserve and to Congress. Let me put it this way, Mr. Speaker. Suppose a very common scenario: a high school student has a part-time job after school and receives a little money each week from her parents to round out her spending cash. Suppose that student asked her parent to increase her allowance by 500 percent. She says she needs it because with school obligations, she will be working less and won't have enough money to both fill her car with gas, go to the movies, or out to dinner with friends. Would a reasonable parent simply start handing over five times as much money as they used to? Or would they ask their daughter a few questions, making sure that the money is truly being spent on a productive thing? The student may be completely right--a 500 percent increase may be justified--and they may have nothing but good intentions with the additional money. But what is the harm in asking? What is the harm in making sure? It is what a responsible authority would do. My Republican colleagues say this bill is needed to allow banks to lend--to spur economic growth and ensure banks are able to serve their customers. What is the harm in making sure that lending goes to those creditworthy businesses and individuals who need it most? If we want to encourage expansion of access to credit, let's make sure it goes to where it will do the most good: a mortgage loan for a single mom working hard to achieve her vision of the American Dream; a business loan for a small manufacturing company looking to open a new facility in an urban community that hasn't seen new jobs in years or decades; a farm loan for a small family farm so they can continue operations and raise the grain and produce what will feed the world. My district is urban, suburban, and rural. So I have farmers, I have people from the city, and I have suburbanites. And I see the need in all of those communities. My amendment simply states: the threshold increase will apply to you if you promise to responsibly lend to those who qualify and need it most and where it will do the most good, and to report to the Fed and Congress about how you plan on going about it. No regulations, just a simple justification. Mr. Speaker, all creditworthy borrowers deserve fair access to the funds our banks have available to lend. Expanding lending opportunities and ensuring lenders can access capital to create more jobs and economic growth is something we all should be able to support. I simply want to ensure that when doing so, banks are responsible and provide credit broadly and fairly, including to the communities where it will do the most good. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am just wondering, if this is duplicative, why are banks closing in these communities? If there are some concerns, why not work with me instead of rejecting this amendment? If it is duplicative, then why can't we add it and see how we can make things better? I still get a lot of concerns that people who need loans in various communities that I serve still don't get them.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. I yield to the gentlewoman from California.

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 yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. I appreciate the leadership of Senator Tom Carper in advocating for this bill which would improve the transition process for Presidential administrations. When a new President takes office, it can take months for the new administration to put people in place. This bill would ensure that the Federal Government can continue its important functions during this transition and allow the head of an agency to put career employees in noncareer positions temporarily if necessary. Under this legislation, a senior-level interagency transition council would be established to help develop an effective strategy for each Presidential transition. The General Services Administration would also be required to designate a Federal transition coordinator, and agencies would be required to designate senior career officials to oversee transition activities. This bill would also help the National Archives carry out its mission by authorizing the President to include funds for the Archives to efficiently receive records from the outgoing administration. Several changes were made to this legislation during consideration by the Oversight and Government Reform Committee to address concerns raised by Ranking Member Cummings. For example, the Senate version of this bill would have required the Office of Personnel Management to report every quarter on requests for political appointees to convert to career employees. The bill before us today would still require OPM to report this information, but it would only be on an annual basis during nonelection years. This bill will help future Presidents have a smooth and productive transition. I support this bill, and I have no additional speakers. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 1580, the Competitive Service Act of 2015. I commend Senators Tester and Portman and other colleagues in the Senate for their leadership on this important legislation. I also want to thank my friend and colleague, Congressman Connolly of Virginia, for his work on this bill and introducing the companion bill in the House. S. 1580 is a commonsense measure to streamline the Federal Government's hiring process. The legislation would reduce duplication in the vetting of candidates for Federal jobs by allowing agencies to share their list of best qualified candidates with other agencies that are hiring for a similar position. Under this bill, an agency may hire an individual from another agency's certified list of candidates without any additional job posting if the agency meets certain requirements, including notifying its employees of the available position and allowing them to apply. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Eulice Brandon Garrett, who, after nearly 3 years of serving the Windy City and Illinois' Second Congressional District as my chief of staff, is leaving for the sunny skies of L.A. BG, as he is affectionately known, is exactly the type of servant leader this country deserves. Brandon began his career in 2006 as a policy adviser to Congressman Bill Jefferson of Louisiana. Later he served as legislative director to Congresswoman Marcia Fudge of Ohio and policy director of the Congressional Black Caucus. After a brief stint as policy director to Vice President Joe Biden's 2012 reelection campaign, I was lucky to have Brandon take a gamble on me and agree to serve as my chief of staff. For nearly 3 years, he has worked tirelessly for the residents of the Second Congressional District. BG, you are truly one of a kind, from your very unique fashion to your quick smile and your cool demeanor and ability to make everyone you meet feel like they are your best friend. It was my honor and privilege to call you my chief. On behalf of the families of the Second Congressional District and this Congress, thank you.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.