Zoe Lofgren

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of H.R. 1, the Clerk be authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, spelling, and cross-references and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the actions of the House.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining?

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, there have been a number of statements made on the floor today that were hair-on-fire inaccurate, and 5 minutes would not be enough to actually correct the mistakes and the incorrect comments that have been made, but let me just address a couple of them. I keep hearing ``speech czar.'' I must confess, when I first heard that, I thought, what the heck are they talking about? Then I looked at the rhetoric, and it appears that there is an objection to section 603 of the bill, which allows the chair of the FEC and other commissioners to take certain actions. Now, it has nothing to do with being a speech czar. There is no connection with that. To suggest that the FEC doing its job is somehow becoming a speech czar is just not correct. I have heard a lot of comments about the voucher program. People have objected to our tax dollars being spent. Well, here is the good news: There are no tax dollars being spent in this program. It is a pilot project that allows for a matching system to see whether small donors can actually empower more diversity and empower the voices of ordinary Americans as compared to the big interests. It is not funded by taxpayer funds, and it is not funded from a source that could be used for anything else in the government. It is an additional penalty to corporations that have done wrong and are fined. There will be an additional fine to fund this pilot project. I have heard that somehow H.R. 1 would allow the IRS to go after conservative groups. That is not true. Section 4501 simply repeals the prohibition that prevents the IRS from examining the meaning of social welfare in the context of 501(c)(4) organizations. That is about any group that misuses the Tax Code for politics, pretending to be a social welfare group, whatever their ideology. It never made sense to preclude the IRS from doing this job. That would be like prohibiting the FEC from administering the Federal elections code. Voter ID: Members act as if that is just a piece of cake. Well, 11 percent of eligible voters in the United States don't have an ID, and they can't get it because they don't have the money to pay for the underlying documents that would be necessary to get that ID. And those 11 percent are disproportionately senior citizens, young people, people with disabilities, low-income voters. So what is the alternative? They sign under penalty of perjury. They can be prosecuted for a felony if they are lying. Ballot harvesting: There is no such thing as harvesting ballots. It is about getting someone you trust to turn in your ballot for you if you can't do it yourself. We have had that in California for many years. I will note that Republican candidates used that extensively in California this year. There was no evidence of fraud when they did it, and there was no evidence of fraud when Democrats did it. You give your ballot to your neighbor, if you wish. The neighbor has to sign, and they turn it in for you. That is not fraud, and it is not a problem. Finally, I just want to address the issue of so-called Federal overreach. The Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 4 says this: ``The times, places, and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives shall be prescribed in each State by the legislature thereof,'' but here is the important next section, ``but the Congress may at any time by law make or alter such regulations.'' And that is what we are doing in H.R. 1. I think it is interesting that earlier this year the Republican Study Committee endorsed the Save Democracy Act. That legislation would establish national standards for prohibiting automatic voter registration, to make it hard to cast a ballot, to impose restrictive rules on vote tabulation. So, I guess that overreach only matters to my colleagues if it empowers voters, not if it restricts voters. For too long, this Chamber has been silent, and this silence has harmed the people. We need to stop that silence and vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 179, I call up the bill (H.R. 1) to expand Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and implement other anti-corruption measures for the purpose of fortifying our democracy, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on H.R. 1 into the Record.

Ms. LOFGREN. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2021. Today, we can deliver this to the American people. We can deliver the gold standard of reforms to protect the right of Americans to vote. We can take a huge step to fulfill that promise in our Constitution of a more perfect Union. More voters cast a ballot in the 2020 election than in history, in an election that has been called the most secure in American history by election security experts. The last election, conducted during a once-in-a-generation pandemic, saw changes that made it easier for many Americans to vote, with reforms like absentee voting and early voting. It also put into stark focus what many of us already knew: deep inequities persist in our democratic system. Now comes the backlash to the increase in voter participation. That record turnout, with no credible instances of election irregularity, stimulated hundreds of bills in State legislatures to make it harder for Americans to vote in the future. We should protect access to the ballot, not restrict it. H.R. 1 gives voters choices for how to cast their ballot. They want and need that. The bill has a minimum of 15 days of early voting, minimum standards for the number and location of ballot drop boxes, and a national standard for no-excuse absentee voting. It improves access for voters with disabilities, addresses challenges faced by Native American voters living on Tribal lands, and improves access for uniformed and overseas voters. H.R. 1 ends the practice of disenfranchising Americans with a prior felony conviction who are no longer incarcerated. It unrigs the drawing of congressional district lines by requiring independent redistricting commissions, removing politics from the process and creating fairer maps. H.R. 1 begins to remove the advantages of dark money and secret donors and lets our neighbors and communities regain their voice to fully participate in our political system. H.R. 1 will amplify the voices of small donors with an alternative, voluntary matching system for financing campaigns by empowering small- dollar contributors, without any taxpayer funds. The bill will save money and bolster the integrity of election administration. It makes improvements to our election security and requires States to use individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballots, a simple safeguard from cybersecurity threats that ensures an auditable paper trail. H.R. 1 will also strengthen congressional and executive branch ethical standards. Democracy is resilient, but the falsehoods spread in the lead-up to and following the 2020 election, as well as the shocking events right here on January 6, showed us all that democracy requires us to defend it. I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 1 and ensure all Americans have an equal voice in our democracy. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I would just note for the record that I am not worried about the administrators in Georgia. I am worried about the legislature in Georgia that just passed restrictions cutting Sunday early voting and absentee voting and restricting the use of drop boxes to suppress the vote. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. McBath).

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. Bourdeaux), a new member of our House.

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Texas an additional 30 seconds.

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I am happy to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Levin).

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I am honored to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Craig).

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining?

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jones), who is a new Member from New York and an expert in election law.

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez). It is an honor to recognize her as a member of the Committee on House Administration and one of the newest Members in the House, but an accomplished attorney.

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, it is interesting to listen to some of the comments that are made here this morning. We have talked a lot about Article I, Section 4, that says that the Congress may at any time regulate these elections. But what is the basis for that? It is really Article IV, Section 4, which says, ``The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government.'' If a majority of voters vote and their votes are not powerful, they are not counted. Or if Americans are prohibited from voting, even though they should be able to cast their vote, that is not a Republican form of government. So what we are doing here is the most important thing we could do, which is to preserve our American democracy. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen), chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Mrs. Trahan).

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I just received word that the legendary civil rights leader Vernon Jordan has passed. In addition to our beloved John Lewis, I feel we are considering this bill in his memory and also to honor those who came before us who worked so hard to preserve our American democracy. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House.

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a number of letters, the first from more than 150 groups urging support for the For the People Act, including the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Disability Rights, Common Cause, Franciscan Action Network, the League of Conservation Voters, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice and the Sierra Club. Declaration for American Democracy, February 5, 2021. Re More than one hundred and fifty Groups urge support for the For the People Act (H.R. 1/S. 1). Dear Member of Congress: On behalf of the below organizations representing tens of millions of Americans, we write in strong support of H.R. 1/S. 1, the For the People Act. This transformational democracy reform package would help return power to everyday American families and amplify the voices of communities that have historically been marginalized in our democracy. For far too long, special interests, wealthy donors, and vote suppressors have dominated our politics and attempted to silence the voices of everyday Americans, especially in Black and Brown communities. The For the People Act would help shift power away from bad actors and transfer it to ``we the people.'' The 2020 election has underscored the urgent need for transformational democracy reform. Across the nation, Americans experienced unprecedented voter suppression, historic levels of dark money spent to drown out the voices of everyday Americans, and rampant ethical abuses. One bill, the For the People Act, addresses many of these problems. Therefore, we are urging Congress to make this pro-voter, anti-corruption legislation a first priority in the 117th Congress. Common-sense reforms in the For the People Act, most of which are deeply popular across the political spectrum and have passed in many states and localities, aim to accomplish three overarching goals: (1) protecting and strengthening the sacred right to vote, (2) ending the dominance of big money in politics, and (3) implementing anti-corruption, pro-ethics measures to clean up government. Many of the critical issues that our nation faces--ensuring quality, affordable health care, creating good paying jobs, combating climate change, and achieving racial justice, to name just a few--cannot be fully solved until we fix our broken democracy. Wealthy special interests have too strong of a grip on the status quo, and we need to first unlock this stranglehold that they have on our political system. We therefore urge you to support and vote for H.R. 1/S. 1, the For the People Act, early in the 117th Congress to help put the people back in charge of our democracy. Sincerely, Declaration for American Democracy (DFAD), African American Ministers In Action, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Friends Service Committee, American Promise, Americans for Financial Reform, Americans for Tax Fairness, Bend The Arc, Brady United Against Gun Violence, Brennan Center for Justice, Center for American Progress, Center for Disability Rights, Center for Media and Democracy, Center for Popular Democracy, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Clean Water Action, Climate Law & Policy Project, Climate Reality Project, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Common Cause. Communications Workers of America, Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces; DC Vote, Defend Democracy, DemCast USA, Democracy 21, Democracy Initiative, Democracy Matters, Democratic Policy Center, Earthjustice, Earthworks, Endangered Species Coalition, End Citizens United // Let America Vote Action Fund, Equal Citizens, Faith in Public Life, Faithful America, Fix Democracy First, Franciscan Action Network, Free Speech For People, Friends of the Earth U.S., Government Accountability Project. Green Latinos, Greenpeace USA, Herd on the Hill, Hispanic Federation, JPIC Committee of USA/Haiti Province of Religious of Jesus and Mary, Ladies Who Launch, Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG), Leadership Conference of Women Religious, League of Conservation Voters, League of Women Voters of the United States, Main Street Alliance, March for Our Lives, Maryknoll Sisters, Mi Familia Vota, Moms Demand Action, MomsRising, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, National Association of Social Workers. National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC), National Council of Jewish Women, Natural Resources Defense Council, Network for Responsible Public Policy, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, New American Leaders/New American Leaders Action Fund, Oil Change U.S., Pax Christi USA, People Demanding Action, People For the American Way, People's Action, Poligon Education Fund, Population Connection, Pride at Work, Progressive Turnout Project, Protect Democracy, Public Citizen, Public Wise, Publish What You Pay-US, Reclaim Our Democracy, Rock the Vote, Service Employees International Union (SEIU). Sierra Club, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team, Small Planet Institute, Stand Up America, Stand for Children, The Loyal Opposition, The Workers Circle, Transparency International U.S. Office, Unitarian Universalist Association, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, Vote.org, We Are Casa, Woman's National Democratic Club, #VOTEPROCHOICE, 20/20 Vision. Selected State/Local Organizations Arizona Arizona Advocacy Network Chispa Arizona Fuerte Arts Movement Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA) National Council of Jewish Women Arizona Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona Progress Arizona Rural Arizona Action Sierra Club--Grand Canyon (Arizona) Chapter Nevada Chispa Nevada MPower 360 Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada Silver State Equality-Nevada New Hampshire Coalition for Open Democracy and Open Democracy Action Indivisible New Hampshire New Hampshire Independent Voters NH Ranked Choice Voting New Hampshire Voters Restoring Democracy New Hampshire Youth Movement NH Sierra Club 350 New Hampshire 603 Forward Virginia Activate Virginia Arlington Young Democrats Indivisible Below the Beltway Madison County Democratic Committee Network NOVA Persist Fairfax RepresentUS Virginia--The Clean Money Squad RISE for Youth SW Poor People's Campaign Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington Virginia Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Virginia Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax Virginia Coalition of Human Rights Virginia Democracy Forward (VADF) Virginia Justice Democrats Virginia Political Cooperative Winchester Frederick County Democratic Committee West Virginia Catholic Committee of Appalachia Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action National Association of Social Workers West Virginia Chapter National Rural Social Work Caucus (WV) OVEC-Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition Our Future West Virginia RiseUpWV West Virginia Environmental Council West Virginia Poor People's Campaign Women's March West Virginia WV Citizens for Clean Elections WV Citizen Action Group WV Working Families Party

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I will include in the Record more letters in support of this legislation, H.R. 1. I also include letters from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and a letter from attorneys general around the United States: the attorneys general of Maryland, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. The attorneys general of all of these States have written in support of H.R. 1. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, January 19, 2021. Support H.R. 1, the For the People Act Dear Representative: On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 220 national organizations committed to promoting and protecting the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States, and the 82 undersigned organizations, we write in strong support of H.R. 1, the For the People Act. We are pleased that the incoming Senate leadership has today announced it intends to introduce this critical bill as S. 1. The For the People Act represents a transformative vision for American democracy. It would create a democracy that welcomes every eligible voter's chance to participate in civic life and a democracy that demands integrity, fairness, and transparency in our nation's elections. For far too long, voter suppression has been a shameful reality in our country--undercutting the power and representation of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, people with disabilities, Arab Americans, and other communities historically excluded from our political process. The ability to meaningfully participate in our democracy is a racial justice issue. It is a civil rights issue. And the need for legislative action is urgent. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the For the People Act in March 20 I 9, and we are pleased that Speaker Pelosi has committed to making this bill a top priority in the new Congress. The recent and deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol by far- right extremists attempting to overturn the free, fair, and secure 2020 presidential election was a catastrophic reminder of the fragility of our democracy. This violent insurrection did not happen in a vacuum. It was paired with numerous hurdles that voters faced during the pandemic-plagued 2020 election cycle and exacerbated by the relentless efforts by President Trump to undermine election integrity, impose barriers to the ballot box, and discount the votes of communities of color. These experiences reinforce the urgent need to repair our democratic system. The historic voter turnout in the November election despite these challenges demonstrated the determination and resilience of the American people. Not every flaw in our democracy can be easily fixed, but there are strong and ready solutions to many of the most significant voting rights problems. H.R. 1 would enhance and ensure democracy in America by establishing many critical reforms in federal elections, including: Ensuring early voting and polling place notice: H.R. 1 would require at least 15 consecutive days of in-person early voting including weekends, for a minimum of 10 hours each day, and ensure that early voting polling places are accessible by public transportation. The bill would also require that voters be given a minimum of seven days' notice if their polling place location is changed. Safeguarding the right to vote by mail: Sixteen states require voters to provide an excuse as to why they are unable to vote in person on election day in order to receive an absentee ballot. This practice is designed to impede the vote and was particularly galling during the COVID-19 pandemic. H.R. I would eliminate such restrictions on the right to vote by mail. The bill would require the prepayment of postage by the government on return envelopes for absentee ballots or voter registration forms. Reforming voter registration: Nearly 20 percent of people who are eligible but do not vote cite registration hurdles as the main reason for not voting. H.R. 1 would modernize America's voter registration system and improve access to the ballot box by requiring states to establish automatic voter registration (``AVR''), same day registration (``SDR''), and online voter registration for voters across the country, and by ensuring that all voter registration systems are inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities. A YR alone could add an estimated 50 million people to the voter rolls, and SDR increases voter turnout by roughly 10 percent. Ensuring reasonable wait times to vote: Voters in some states last year were forced to stand in line for more than 10 hours to vote, and recent studies have shown that such barriers occur more frequently in communities of color. H.R. I would require states to ensure that voters do not have to wait longer than 30 minutes to cast their ballot at a polling place. Permitting voting without a photo ID: Between 2010 and 2020, 16 states enacted strict voter identification laws. H.R. I requires states to allow registered voters in states with a photo ID requirement to sign a sworn affidavit to vote if they lack a photo ID. Requiring access to drop boxes: During the 2020 election cycle, some states politicized and limited the use of drop boxes. H.R. 1 would require states to provide secure drop boxes as an option for voters casting absentee ballots. Restoring voting rights for formerly incarcerated people: H.R. I would restore voting rights for people with felony convictions who have finished their sentence, a necessary repudiation of our nation's discriminatory and racially violent past. This would re-enfranchise approximately 4.7 million voters nationwide. Reforming felony disenfranchisement has strong bipartisan support; in 2018, 65 percent of Florida voters cast their ballots to restore the right to vote for over 1.4 million people. Combating voter purging: H.R. 1 would overturn the Supreme Court's troubling 2018 decision in Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Institute that allowed Ohio to conduct massive purges from its voter rolls based on non-voting in past elections. Such practices disproportionately target and remove traditionally marginalized people from registration rolls. Voting should not be a ``use it or lose it'' right. Prohibiting deceptive practices and voter intimidation: H.R. 1 would ban the distribution of false information about elections to hinder or discourage voting. This provision is particularly important in an era in which Facebook, Twitter, and other digital platforms have been readily manipulated to spread misinformation about elections and voting rights to vulnerable communities. The bill would also increase the criminal penalties for intimidating a voter for the purpose of interfering with their right to vote or causing them to vote for or against a candidate. Reforming redistricting: H.R. 1 would be a milestone in the battle against the extreme partisan gerrymandering our country has witnessed in recent years, by requiring states to draw congressional districts using independent redistricting commissions that are bipartisan and reflect the demographic diversity of the region. It would establish fair redistricting criteria and safeguard voting rights for communities of color. Modernizing election administration: H.R. 1 would reauthorize the Election Assistance Commission--an independent, bipartisan commission that plays a vital role in ensuring the reliability and security of voting equipment used in our nation's elections. It would also promote election reliability and security by requiring voter-verified permanent paper ballots and enhanced poll worker recruitment and training. And H.R. 1 would prohibit state election administrators from taking an active part in a political campaign over which they have supervisory authority. Committing to restoring the Voting Rights Act (``VRA''): H.R. 1 contains a commitment to restoring the landmark VRA and updating its preclearance provision, which is crucial to prevent racial discrimination in the voting process. VRA restoration is being pursued on a separate legislative track that will involve investigatory and evidentiary hearings, thus enabling Congress to update the preclearance coverage formula and develop a full record on the continuing problem of racial discrimination in voting. In 2006, the VRA was reauthorized on a unanimous vote in the Senate and a near- unanimous vote in the House. We need the same type of broad and bipartisan support for restoring the VRA today. H.R. 1 would also make significant advances in the areas of campaign finance and ethics reform. It would correct the rampant corruption flowing from the corrosive power of money in our elections. It would replace the current campaign finance system that empowers the super-rich and big corporations with one that relies on small donors and public matching funds. It would end secret election spending and force disclosure of all election-related spending. And it would call for a constitutional amendment to overturn the disturbing Citizens United decision that made it impossible to restrict outside spending by corporations or billionaires. In addition, H.R. 1 addresses our government ethics crisis by, among other things, requiring the development of a code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices to enhance accountability on ethics and recusal issues; overhauling the Office of Government Ethics to strengthen federal ethics oversight; establishing more robust conflict of interest requirements for government officials; prohibiting members of Congress from using taxpayer dollars to settle allegations of employment discrimination; and requiring presidents to disclose their tax returns. The For the People Act provides a North Star for the democracy reform agenda. It is a bold, comprehensive reform package that offers solutions to a broken democracy. Repairing and modernizing our voting system goes hand in hand with reforms that address the rampant corruption flowing from the corrosive power of money in our elections, and reforms that address the myriad ethical problems that plague all three branches of the federal government. The reforms in the For the People Act are necessary to advance racial justice and ensure that our government works for all people, not just a powerful few. Congress must also pass two other essential racial justice and democracy reform bills: the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act--which would restore a critical provision of the Voting Rights Act gutted by the Supreme Court's infamous 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision--and the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, which would grant long overdue statehood status to the nation's capital. Shortly before his death last year, Representative Lewis remarked: ``In our country, the right to vote is precious-- almost sacred. Countless people marched and protested for this right. Some gave a little blood, and far too many lost their lives. Around the globe, generations of U.S. officials boasted of this legacy and progress. Today, the world is horrified in watching Americans--especially people of color-- once again stand in immovable lines and experience undeniable, targeted, systematic barriers to democracy . . . . Time is of the essence to preserve the integrity and promises of our democracy.'' Congress and the Biden-Harris administration must heed this call. As the 2020 election cycle and the recent violent assault on the U.S. Capitol made abundantly clear, our democracy is vulnerable and is in dire need of protection. We must enact transformational change to build a democracy that works for everyone. The civil and human rights coalition is strongly committed to expanding the franchise and fixing our democracy, and we urge both chambers of Congress to pass the For the People Act as early as possible in the 117th Congress. Sincerely, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, American Federation of State; County, and Municipal Employees, American Federation of Teachers, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), Andrew Goodman Foundation, Appleseed Network, Arab American Institute, Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE), Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Blue Future, BOLD ReThink, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Clearinghouse on Women's Issues, Common Cause, Communications Workers of America, Daily Kos, Declaration for American Democracy, DemCast USA, Democracy 21. Demos, End Citizens United/Let America Vote Action Fund, Equal Justice Society, Equality California, Faith In Public Life, Family Equality, Feminist Majority Foundation, GLSEN, Government Accountability Project, Impact Fund, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda, Iota Phi Lambda Sorority Inc., Psi Chapter, Iota Phi Lambda Sorority-Epsilon Phi, Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, Japanese American Citizens League, Justice for Migrant Women, Justice in Aging, Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Lambda Legal, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. League of Women Voters of the US, Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, MomsRising, NAACP, National Action Network, National Association of Human Rights Workers, National Association of Social Workers, National CAPACD--National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development, National Center for Law and Economic Justice, National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Council of Jewish Women, National Education Association, National Employment Law Project, National Equality Action Team (NEAT), National Homelessness Law Center, National Organization for Women, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women Of Achievement, Incorporated National Workrights Institute. Oxfam America, Patriotic Millionaires, People For the American Way, People's Parity Project, PFLAG National, Prison Policy Initiative, Progressive Turnout Project, Public Citizen, Public Justice, Rock the Vote, SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), Silver State Equality-Nevada, Texas Progressive Action Network, The United Methodist Church--General Board of Church and Society, True North Research, UnidosUS, URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, When We All Vote, Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, Women Lawyers On Guard Action Network, Inc.

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes), who is the author of H.R. 1.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Madam Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the 90th anniversary of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (``NLS''). Established by a 1931 Act of Congress, the NLS administers a free national library program that provides braille and recorded materials to people who cannot see or handle traditional print materials through a national network of cooperating libraries. Since its establishment, the NLS has remained a leading force in the national effort to increase the access of those with low vision, blindness, or other print disabilities to reading materials and a shining example for similar programs around the world. Initially established as a program to serve only blind adults, the NLS was expanded in 1952 to include children, in 1966 to include individuals with other physical disabilities that prevent reading traditional print materials, and in 2016 to permit NLS to provide refreshable braille displays. Under a special provision of the U.S. Copyright Law, and with the permission of authors and publishers of works not covered by that provision, NLS selects books and magazines for full-length publication in braille, e-braille, and digital audio format. These materials (along with free playback equipment needed to ready audiobooks and magazines) are circulated to patrons within the United States and its territories and to American citizens living abroad. The program continues to expand in both its reach and capabilities, now allowing for instantly downloadable digital audio and e-braille materials via the NLS mobile applications and allowing patrons to request accessible materials in a wide range of languages from libraries around the world. The banner atop the NLS webpage announces the service's noble mission: ``That All May Read.'' Over the past 90 years, the NLS, which updated its name from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in 2019, has been steadfast in its efforts to accomplish this mission, ensuring that no person be denied the joy of literature and reading because of blindness or disability. The impact of the NLS over the past 90 years has been vast and far-reaching and I look forward to witnessing what the NLS will accomplish with another 90 years. On behalf of all of us in this House, congratulations to the National Library Service and to those who work tirelessly to make the NLS's outstanding mission a reality. Many thanks for all their good work.