Sydney Kamlager-Dove

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to coanchor this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour, along with the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Brown), my distinguished colleague. For the next 60 minutes, members of the CBC have an opportunity to speak directly to the American people on the harmful policies of Donald Trump's first 100 days in his second term, an issue of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus, to the Congress in general, to constituents that we represent across this country, and really to any living, breathing person on this planet. The first 100 days of this administration have been about policies that are delusional, diabolical, destructive, and dangerous. These have been doozy policies and politics that are doing nothing but hurting America, and especially Black Americans. We are also going to be talking about so many of these policies that seem uniquely targeted to focus on the place and the progress of Black Americans. Make no mistake, if you are trying to hurt Black Americans, you are inadvertently also going to hurt all other Americans because so many folks are dependent on Section 8 vouchers, on Social Security, on Medicaid, on Medicare, on an economy that is working, on not being tariffed up the wazoo so that we can be able to purchase goods and services that we need to keep this economy growing. The American people need a moment of peace and structure coming from this administration, not the chaos and the ringing of alarms every single moment. This is not hyperbole, even though it might sound like it. This is not partisan spin. We have seen this when we have gone into our districts, when we have hosted townhalls, when we have talked to the American people. Everyone is saying the same thing. How can we protect our Constitution, protect our economy, protect our way of life, our freedoms, our liberties; not deport us? What is this administration doing to help us rather than to hurt and harm and divide us? The power of this country is in the people. For the next 60 minutes, the Congressional Black Caucus is going to be speaking to the people in crystal clear ways, using crystal clear words about how we are on the brink, if not through the door, of a constitutional crisis, of an economic, of a political, of a moral crisis, and a crisis of the very identity of this country. It is often said that when America has a cold, Black America has pneumonia. Let me tell you something. We are all up in urgent care and in the community clinics and in the hospitals because we are all sick right now. We cannot afford another 100 days of the 100 days that we have just seen. I have so much more that I want and that I will say, but I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Brown) to share some words before we allow members of the Congressional Black Caucus to also speak to the American people.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Brown from Ohio for her remarks. As you can see, Congresswoman Brown was breaking it down, she was keeping it real, and she was bringing the receipts. That is what the Congressional Black Caucus does each and every day. We break it down for the American people, we keep it real for the American people, and we bring the receipts for the American people. The problem is there are so many receipts to share right now in just 100 days, we don't have enough tote bags for all the receipts. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia, Congresswoman Lucy McBath, to share remarks.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Honorable Lucy McBath from the great State of Georgia for her remarks, and I am grateful that she talked about DOGE because the reality is that DOGE has not found any substantive evidentiary fraud in all of their work these past 100 days. If they had, they would be blasting it across every social media platform and every network. They probably would be making stamps and stamping your head with all of the fraud that they have found, but that is not the case. What they have been doing, however, is harassing and intimidating and disrespecting our workers, creating a hostile environment for our Federal workers, intimidating them to resign or to leave, mostly because of ideology, not because of the work they are doing. We have to continue to tell the truth, which is that government is people. Government works because of people. When you have a healthcare claim, when you are trying to get your insurance, when you are trying to apply for FEMA, when you are trying to get your Social Security payment, when you are trying to get access to your Medicaid or your Medicare benefits, when you are trying to find a nursing home facility, when you are trying to get a passport, when you are trying to call in to the government to get the help that you deserve from the government that we have all pledged to provide for you, there ain't going to be nobody to answer the phone when you call because DOGE and this administration are actually working overtime to make sure that you don't have access to government. The policies of this administration are working overtime to try to make sure that there will be no government and they are painting it all under the auspices of Black folks because somehow they think that Black America is responsible for so many of the ills that they are trying to cure. Once again, as Representative Brown shared, the diversity, the equity, and the inclusion, and when last I checked, this country was founded on all of those things. It has been made great because of all of those things. When we talk about DOGE, I know one thing for sure is that these folks working for DOGE are actually squatting in the departments where they have worked to terminate Federal workers, and they are bringing in washers and dryers and mattresses and all their kids, living rent-free in departments that are actually designed and structured to answer the call and to take care of the needs that you have as a citizen, as a constituent, as an American. We have to talk about that. That is the fraud. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas, the Honorable Jasmine Crockett, and you know that she is going to bring receipts. I know she has a trunk full of them.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Honorable Jasmine Crockett for her remarks and for always keeping it real. I will reiterate some of the things that she said, which is that this administration has been targeting Black Americans, possibly because they are so afraid of our shine. This administration and its policies have certainly been laser focused on trying to tear down Black women. You don't have to connect too many dots to understand why that is. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ivey) to break it down for us and share some of his receipts.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Honorable Glenn Ivey for his very sobering remarks. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I again want to add my thanks to Representative Glenn Ivey for talking about healthcare and the fact that this administration has been cutting grants to the National Institutes of Health and cutting clinical trials. Over the weekend, I was at an event. We had doctors and advocates who talked about cancer, about breast cancer. This country is actually on the precipice of discovering a vaccination for breast cancer, a cure for breast cancer. We have amazing scientists in this country who have been researching this, and they are at the point of clinical trials. Mr. Speaker, I don't know if you know anyone in your family who is a survivor of breast cancer or any other kind of cancer. Oftentimes, when you go in and the surgeon puts you under to take it out, they don't know if they have gotten all of it out. They hope that they have, but for some odd reason, we have not advanced the technology to get all of it out. We are now on the precipice of being able to do so. Mr. Speaker, do you know what this administration did? Instead of accelerating those clinical trials, instead of offering funding for that research to continue, instead of wanting to be a champion of the cure for cancer, this administration cut that research, cut that funding, and cut those clinical trials. They cut funding to educational institutions, to colleges, and to universities that are doing that kind of research. They essentially cut off our future scientists, innovators, and problem-solvers. Our kids, who are investing their time, their money, our money, and their sweat to go to school and get an education and learn enough to help this country move forward and progress, are getting the short end of the stick. They are actually being beaten on the head with a stick that is held by this administration. Representative Ivey talked about what is happening with the judiciary. In fact, this President actually said he didn't know if he even had to uphold the Constitution. Then, this administration is going to sue Justice Roberts. We have moved from three branches of government to one branch of government. Republicans are silent tonight, just like they have been silent at all the markups and all the hearings we have had this month. They are silent, afraid, and unwilling to stand up for their constituents. Mr. Speaker, they are only willing to defend this administration. They are going to be tasked hard when they continue to have to go into their districts and sell the fertilizer that they have to feed their constituents, voters, Americans, the fertilizer coming out of this administration designed to harm everyone that hasn't bent the knee. Mr. Speaker, with that, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Rhode Island (Mr. Amo).

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Rhode Island for his remarks. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I am so grateful to be a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and I want to just share some of my own stories coming from my district and also my experience. I was in that Judiciary Committee where we had the hearing on immigration, and I was in that Committee when Republicans voted to deport and detain Americans, where they voted to allow for cavity searches on children, where they voted to allow ICE to go into domestic violence shelters, where they voted to allow January 6ers--those who wreaked havoc on this Capitol, assaulted Capitol Police, and terrorized everyone in this building--where they voted to allow them to work for the Federal Government, including the Department of Homeland Security. I ask: How can you deport an American? Where are you going to deport an American to? I don't understand. I have yet to see anything from the Republicans or even from this administration, can we get a poster, can we get a picture of what a safe American looks like, what a nondeportable American looks like? That is because I want to know. I want to be able to share that picture and that photo with my constituents to say: So if you look like this, if you are maybe this shape, if you have this degree of melanin, if this is the color of your hair, or this is the color of your eyes, or this is what you say, or if this is what kind of accent you have or not, then you might be safe. I think the American people need to know which one of them will be deported next. I think the American people deserve to know which of their Representatives is going to stand up for them. That is because I know when the question was asked: Will you stand up for Americans and prevent them from being deported? Raise your hand. Only Democrats raised their hand. I also have to ask when our loved ones and when our friends and family members go overseas and they get snatched, are Republicans going to pick up the phone and ask to have their constituents brought back? Are they going to fight for them? That is because in that Committee, they said that they were not going to. They have said that they are not going to fight for their healthcare, for Medicaid, for Medicare, and for Social Security. I represent Los Angeles. People think it is flossy and glossy, I like to say. However, I have the third highest Medicaid enrollee district in the country. Mr. Speaker, 7 of the 10 highest Medicaid enrollee districts in this country are in California, and some of them are Republican districts. I think we all want to know, Black Americans, White Americans, Asian Americans, and Latino Americans, all Americans want to know: Are you going to cut their Medicaid? Are you going to cut their Social Security? Mr. Speaker, 140,000 children under the age of 19 and 40,000 seniors over the age of 65 in my district are at risk because of the policies coming from this administration. Nearly 8 million Americans get healthcare through Medicaid and through CHIP, which is on the chopping block. This President wants to cut $5.6 billion from the Department of Education. The House Republicans' budget includes $330 billion in cuts. Pell grants, school lunches, Head Start, and everything are on the chopping block. In my district, we have L.A. Unified School District. For many of the kids who go to school, their only meal is when they go to school. I am trying to figure out when folks say that they are Christian, what kind of Bible are they using? That is because the Bible that I have, Mr. Speaker, doesn't say that you starve children, that you cut off their healthcare, and that you cut off the healthcare for their grandparents. Mr. Speaker, if your Bible says that, then I submit that maybe you change your Bible. That is because that is unchristianlike to kill seniors and children. Let's talk about rolling back bedrock civil rights-era policies that are designed to actually allow everyone the opportunity to compete and participate in this marketplace. It is not about giving handouts. It is about creating opportunity. It is about creating access to competition. Mr. Speaker, why would you be afraid of that unless you are mediocre, less than average, and need extra help because you can't compete? Well, don't come for Black America. Fix yourself. Let's talk about the workers who are the backbone of our economy, the workers who run this government. I am always surprised when folks are talking about unelected bureaucrats. Elon Musk is an unelected bureaucrat. Keep it real. All the staff who help us do our jobs and help our constituents are unelected bureaucrats, and the majority are actually Republicans. The administration wants to cut the salaries that allow folks to answer the phones for our constituents. California has the second highest number of Federal workers. Why are the Republicans going to cut that? Mr. Speaker, might I remind you that we have the Olympics coming, we have the FIFA World Cup coming, we have the All-Star Game, and Super Bowl coming, and we are still producing movies and TV. We are helping people with their passports and their visas. If Republicans want all these games to be successful, then they have to resource the departments that process the visas and applications that allow people to come here. So let's keep it real. Mr. Speaker, if you want to talk about housing, this administration is proposing to terminate section 8, cutting rental aid and evicting 32,000 families from their homes. This President even refused to come to Altadena after the urban fires. That is how little this administration thinks about Black communities. This administration is not interested in Black America, even though this administration wanted to thank Black America. What kind of thanks is that when they cut funding to HBCUs, when they cut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, and when they cut Meals on Wheels and SNAP? We are going to make America hungry again. We are going to make America sick again. I have a binder full of actions from this administration that have come out of this administration in just the last 100 days. They are terrifying. Not only are they terrifying for Black America, but they are terrifying for all America. Mr. Speaker, I am going to happily close out this CBC Special Order hour and remind America that we will be back again next week with more information, more receipts, and more truth. Mr. Speaker, I thank my co-lead, Congresswoman Shontel Brown from the great State of Ohio, and all the members of the Congressional Black Caucus who spoke tonight, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 63.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 62 and NAY on Roll Call No. 61.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 56.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, on Roll Call No. 36, the vote closed before I was able to cast my vote. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 36.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, there is a longstanding allyship between the Black and Asian communities in L.A. exemplified by the Holiday Bowl, once located in the heart of my district. Founded by five Japanese Americans in 1957, the Holiday Bowl served everyone but had a particularly significant impact on the growing Black community in the historic Crenshaw Corridor. Both the Japanese and Black communities in L.A. were targets of redlining and racial discrimination from the government and banks, which left them with few places to settle. While Japanese Americans worked to recover from the unjust internment camps and postwar discrimination, Black Americans continued to fight against racial segregation and voter suppression. The Holiday Bowl provided a space to come together as Angelenos, offering residents of Crenshaw a safe space for entertainment, healing, and protection. This solidarity was tested during the 1992 L.A. riots, which erupted following the horrific beating and arrest of Rodney King. At a time when racial tensions dominated our city, and much of South Central was engulfed in flames, the Holiday Bowl stood as a beacon of light amid the destruction. Not only did the Holiday Bowl emerge unscathed from the riots, but people actually gathered to bowl on the night the riots broke out. Although the bowling alley closed in 2000 and was eventually demolished, its impact on our South L.A. community will be felt for decades to come.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, unlike Donald Trump, I have no bacon or beef with Canada, but as an Angeleno I do have beef with a certain someone from The Six. That beef officially ended at the Grammys in my district on Saturday night. Kendrick Lamar put the final nail in ``Certified Lover Boy's'' coffin when he took home the first-ever Grammy for a diss track proving once and for all they ``Not Like Us.'' Kendrick took home one, two, three, four, five Grammys in 2025. That is not a minor feat. Kendrick wasn't the only one making Black history this February. Beyonce finally won Album of the Year after I expressed my grief about her being snubbed from this podium last year. She became the first Black woman to take home the award this century and the first Black artist ever to win Best Country Album. Last Sunday was for the Grammys. This Sunday is for the Super Bowl where K. Dot will pop out and show what L.A. is all about once again. I won't be rooting for the Chiefs or the Eagles, but I won't turn the TV off for Kendrick either.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call out the glaring hypocrisy of H.R. 21. Once again, the Republican Party is twisting the truth instead of telling the truth. With H.R. 21, Republicans claim they are saving lives of newborn babies. The last I checked, infanticide is already illegal in all 50 States. This bill is the first step of the Republicans' radical agenda to make us less safe. They boast about being the party of law and order. However, it seems that notion only applies when punishing women and healthcare providers, not the violent insurrectionists who stormed our Capitol on January 6. Shamefully, they don't seem to care about the five police officers who died as a result of January 6 or the 140 others who were injured. What happened to Back the Blue? They also don't seem to care about the women who have already died as a result of Donald Trump's extreme abortion ban. Apparently, not all lives matter. The goal of H.R. 21 is clear: to further strip women of their fundamental rights by threatening doctors and healthcare providers with jail time. Now Republicans want to lock up those who save lives while freeing cop killers? It is radical and not what the American people want. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand with their constituents, not against them, and vote ``no'' on this dangerous, grossly hypocritical, and unnecessary bill.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge Donald Trump to truly put America first by setting politics aside and providing California with the disaster relief we urgently need and deserve. Let's do that by fighting for California, home to close to 40 million people who also live in America. Just a few weeks ago, big, bad fires broke out across Los Angeles County. Donald Trump's first instinct was to point fingers at California leaders for fires caused not by them but by Mother Nature herself and climate change. For the record, California has a lot of things, but one thing we do not have is a big old sink that can water the entire State. Now, Trump wants to be a unifier. He claims he wants to put America first, so let's talk about what America First genuinely means. America First does not involve placing conditions on disaster aid to Americans simply because of how a State voted. America First does not mean leaving thousands of people without housing amid an ongoing housing crisis. America First does not look like insurance companies robbing people or putting shareholders first. What putting America first does mean, however, is passing disaster aid without conditions because, as Americans, we help each other when we are in need. At least, I thought that is what we do. America First means build and rebuild. Build, baby, rebuild, swiftly and fairly, so no one remains unhoused. America First means making insurance plans accessible to everyone, not just the rich and those properties that are considered low risk. Mr. Trump, the individuals impacted by the fires in Los Angeles are not just, as you put it, ``the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country'' who were present at your inauguration. These are real people--grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren, working, middle-class individuals--who have lost everything. News flash, Donald Trump, many of them voted for you. Let's support them and not just the wealthy few. That is how we truly put America first.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate 105 years of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, a legacy of ``Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood'' that began on January 16, 1920, right here in Washington, D.C. Founded by the Five Pearls, Arizona Cleaver Stemons, Pearl Anna Neal, Myrtle Tyler Faithful, Viola Tyler Goings, and Fannie Pettie Watts, these visionary women didn't just build a sisterhood. They built an organization that rejected elitism and frivolity. From being the first to charter a chapter in Africa to fostering community-conscious, action-oriented leadership, this sorority has set the gold standard. Today, with over 100,000 members across 870 chapters worldwide, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, has remained unwavering in its mission, whether it is promoting social justice, providing service, or showing the world what it truly means to be a finer woman. What is sisterhood? Sisterhood is not just about wearing matching colors and strolling. True sisterhood means extending respect and support, encouraging each other, and committing to a lifetime of friendship. When a sister forgets what that means, you let her know with love. As a proud member, I am thrilled to wish my sorors a happy Founders Day.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I was absent today during rollcall No. 7 due to the windstorms and ongoing fires affecting my district. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 7.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Klamath Basin Water Agreement Support Act, which seeks to resolve stakeholder conflicts regarding water use and fish and wildlife management in the Klamath River Basin. Since time immemorial, the Klamath River has supported the livelihoods of several tribes in the basin. It continues to play a key role in each of these tribes' cultures, economies, and food sovereignty. Unfortunately, the construction of dams along the river and changing climate conditions in the basin resulted in devastating consequences for tribes, agriculture, fish and wildlife, and fishing communities as a result of reduced water flows. Since planning for dam removal in the lower Klamath River started, there have been years of work and negotiations between the tribes and other parties to reach agreement on issues affecting water, fish, and wildlife in the basin. After the removal of the four lower Klamath Dams, salmon have already begun migrating into previously inaccessible historic salmon spawning habitat. Good for them. The legislation before us today would build on this historic restoration project by further supporting the commitments made under the Klamath Basin agreements. I thank the majority for working with us to ensure that Tribal concerns with the introduced language were addressed prior to moving the bill out of committee. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, the MAPWaters Act would improve the standardization and public access to information about Federal waterway restrictions, Federal waterway access and navigation, and Federal fishing restrictions. By standardizing and digitizing this information, this bill would give Americans the information and confidence to engage in recreation without searching for and deciphering information across numerous agency websites. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Lumbee Fairness Act, which would extend Federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. The State of North Carolina formally recognized the Lumbee Tribe in 1885, and the Tribe has been seeking Federal recognition from the United States for nearly 140 years. Mr. Speaker, that is a long time. Legislative efforts to provide Federal recognition to the Tribe over the years have been led by both Democratic and Republican sponsors and have historically passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. The Tribe has time and time and time and time again shown that they are a distinct, self-governing Indian community and that they are worthy of Federal recognition. It is long past time that Congress extended these rights to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, as someone who represents Tribal communities in Los Angeles County who also seek recognition, it is tough stuff when Tribal Nations are fighting with one another. I hope that we can find a ``both/and'' rather than an ``either/or'' to many of these discussions. I rarely find folks are trying to fake it and pretend that they are Native when they are not. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE

Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 40th anniversary of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, a momentous event that redefined what the Olympics could achieve and left a lasting legacy for our Nation and the world. The 1984 Games were groundbreaking, the first privately financed, and most financially successful in history. With 5.7 million tickets sold and events across 4,000 square miles of southern California, they captivated the world and showcased Los Angeles as a global leader. More than a display of athletic excellence, the 1984 Games ushered in a new era of innovation, technology, and inclusivity, while fostering international good will and reminding us that sport has the power to unite where politics may divide. From this success, the LA84 Foundation was born, ensuring that the legacy of the 1984 Olympics continues to benefit future generations. Over the past four decades, the foundation has supported millions of young people, built vital infrastructure, and led the national conversation on play, equity, and youth development. As we look ahead to the 2028 Olympics, Los Angeles will once again welcome the world, offering a unique opportunity to harness the soft power of sport to promote peace, strengthen global relationships, and inspire future generations. Let us build on this legacy as we prepare to unite the world once again in 2028.