Young Kim

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2861) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King, an American icon, in recognition of a remarkable life devoted to championing equal rights for all, in sports and in society.

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2861, a bill that would award the Congressional Gold Medal to an American sports icon and champion of women's rights, Billie Jean King. I will start by thanking Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick and Mikie Sherrill for leading the House version of this bill, H.R. 1831. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be here today to celebrate the historic accomplishments of Ms. Billie Jean King. Billie Jean is a tennis legend. She was introduced to tennis at 11 years old and dominated the game until her retirement from competition in 1983. She reached number one in the world with 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles. We are in awe of her athletic achievements and impact on the game. However, we are not here today just to talk about her accomplishments on the court. Mr. Speaker, Billie Jean used her notoriety and platform to fight for equal rights and equal opportunities for all, not just in sports, but in American society, as well. She became an advocate for female athletes at a time when female accomplishments were not celebrated or rewarded in the same way as her male counterparts. Billie Jean had an instrumental hand in shaping the opportunities in education and sports for girls and women. Without her efforts and dedication to the passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, America would look very different today. After that legislative win, Billie Jean focused her efforts on lobbying for equal prize money for both men and women at the 1973 U.S. Open Tennis Championships. Although it would take another 34 years for the other three major tennis tournaments to offer equal prize money, she started a conversation that continued to push through barriers with her actions. That same year, Billie Jean did something unprecedented and played a tennis match against former world number one player, male tennis star, Bobby Riggs. She defeated Riggs, and this match became a firm declaration of women's roles in sports. Through her leadership, bravery, and activism, we owe her a huge debt of gratitude. I can think of no person more deserving to earn this distinguished honor. S. 2861 would recognize Billie Jean King's tireless efforts to make the world a better and more equitable place. It is only fitting that she be the first female athlete to receive a Congressional Gold Medal for those efforts. It is my hope that her courage will continue to inspire Americans today and every day. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick).

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York, (Ms. Malliotakis).

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I thank all my colleagues who spoke in support of this legislation. I believe this was a wonderful time where we got to understand much more than what we knew from the news articles about Billie Jean and her accomplishments, and her legacy will continue on. She will continue to be an inspiration to all of us, especially to girls and women and future athletes. I urge my colleagues to support S. 2861, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7438) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the FIFA World Cup 2026, and for other purposes.

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood).

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7438, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.

Mrs. KIM of California. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I, too, echo all the comments that were said about honoring the Vietnam war-era veterans. I take the challenge that our ranking member has spoken about, identifying and recognizing other Vietnam war veterans, and that is why I have done this. As I am sure many of my colleagues do, too, in their respective districts, we take the time to identify the Vietnam-era war veterans, and every time we have a community event, we invite them and present them with a token of a lapel pin to show our appreciation. It is a small token of saying thank you. We can never say enough about how we are happy that they are home, so we welcome everybody home, especially from the Vietnam war. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 2825, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank our first responders who are working day and night to contain the Airport fire that has spread across more than 23,000 acres in Orange and Riverside counties, which I represent, and injured at least five firefighters and two civilians. Federal, State, and local first responders, community organizations, and individuals stepped up to help their neighbors by providing food and shelter, supporting animals, large and small, and being there for one another. I have been in close contact with our fire, law enforcement, and community leaders on the ground, and I led a bipartisan letter to request Governor Newsom to declare a state of emergency to support our community's response and unlock Federal resources. My team and I will keep doing all we can at the Federal level to keep residents safe and ensure our first responders have the tools they need. Together we will get through this.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Moore for yielding. Mr. Speaker, last month marked 3 years since the Biden-Harris administration's catastrophic withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. This administration rushed the withdrawal of troops, playing politics instead of preparing a plan to get Americans and Afghan partners to safety and to ensure stability in the region. The results were horrific. The Taliban pulled the rug out from under the Biden-Harris administration, quickly taking control of Afghanistan, and undoing the gains Americans and our allies made over years in just a matter of days. Meanwhile, 13 American servicemembers were killed in the line of duty, Americans and Afghan partners who supported our troops were stranded, and girls and women were swept under the rug. The President said he owed no apologies. The American people, our Gold Star families, and veterans beg to differ. As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I am working to conduct congressional oversight, demand accountability, and restore America's leadership on the world stage. The world is watching us. Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un, Vladimir Putin, and the Ayatollah are all watching us, and our allies and partners around the world are watching us. We must promote peace through strength.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 403. Stated against:

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from California, for his support of this very important bill, and I thank Mr. Hill for his outstanding leadership and for introducing this thoughtful legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 554, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hill).

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 554) to deter Chinese aggression towards Taiwan by requiring the Secretary of the Treasury to publish a report on financial institutions and accounts connected to senior officials of the People's Republic of China, to restrict financial services for certain immediate family of such officials, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mrs. KIM of California

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 510) to require the United States Governor of, and the United States Executive Director at, the International Monetary Fund to oppose an increase in the weight of the Chinese renminbi in the Special Drawing Rights basket of the Fund, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of the Chinese Currency Accountability Act sponsored by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Davidson). In 2016, the International Monetary Fund included the Chinese renminbi, RMB, in the currency basket that determines the value and interest rate for Special Drawing Rights, known as SDRs. SDRs are both reserve assets and an accounting unit for the IMF, so they play a central role in the Fund's lending throughout the world. It was premature for the Fund to let the RMB influence the SDR, whose value had previously been determined only by the dollar, euro, yen, and pound. The PRC has failed to make the serious reforms that would justify labeling the RMB a major currency. In addition, the People's Bank of China was and remains a tool of the Chinese Communist Party, not an independent central bank. The Treasury Department knows this all too well. Every year, it reports to Congress that China's currency management is so opaque that it is difficult for the outside world to even understand Beijing's policy toward the RMB. In addition, Beijing's lending policies abroad, including through the Belt and Road Initiative, have saddled developing countries with so much debt that the IMF faces difficulties designing rescue programs. It is difficult to know how much debt these countries are in. The CCP refuses to play by the multilateral rules of the road to not only be transparent about the debt but to significantly restructure it. This has become one of the most acute threats to the mission of the Fund. Nevertheless, in 2022, Treasury signed off when the IMF voted to increase the weight of the RMB in the SDR currency basket. As a result of this shocking decision, the RMB has now become the third most important currency in the basket, behind the dollar and euro. This is why Mr. Davidson's bill is critical. H.R. 510 will prevent future increases to the RMB's weight at the IMF until China starts playing by the rules. This is a commonsense measure that was unanimously supported when the Financial Services Committee marked it up last year. I commend Mr. Davidson for his clear-eyed piece of legislation to hold Beijing accountable, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Davidson).

Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 510, and I yield back the balance of my time.