Andy Levin

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Chair, according to the Anti-Defamation League, domestic extremists killed at least 50 people in the United States in 2018, a sharp increase from the 37 extremist-related murders documented in 2017. Indeed, that is a 26 percent jump in 1 year. Given the disturbing rise of plots and incidents of domestic terrorism nationwide, I am pleased with the provision in this bill requiring that a joint report on domestic terrorism be submitted to Congress each year by the DNI, the FBI Director, and the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis. My amendment requires that this comprehensive report on domestic terrorism be made available on the public websites not just of the National Counterterrorism Center but also of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security. The amendment also specifies that the report should be made publicly available no later than 30 days after submission to the appropriate congressional committees. We can't let something this important be delayed over and over again. We need to ensure that this report is accessible not just to promote transparency but also to help policymakers nationwide recognize the scope of the threat that domestic terrorism poses and to encourage academic research necessary to understand the scourge of domestic terrorism better so that we might bring it to an end once and for all. I am talking about policymakers on the local and the State level as well as the Federal level. Madam Chair, I thank, in particular, Chairman Schiff and his staff for their leadership on this bill and for working with me on this and other provisions. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a great leader of workers throughout North America and, indeed, the world, Leo Gerard, who retired this afternoon as the president of the United Steelworkers. Leo rose through the ranks and was a dynamic leader of the steelworkers for 40 years, and he was president for the last 18 years. He led on so many issues. He was a fierce negotiator for his members, but he was also a leader for all workers. For example, he brought the environmental movement and the labor movement together to tackle tough issues about keeping our water and air clean for everyone and for future generations, while protecting our jobs. But one thing I think stands out. I want to pledge to Leo Gerard on his retirement that we are not going to pass a replacement NAFTA unless it honors the workers of Mexico, Canada, and the United States. What a great champion for workers in North America. I assure Leo that we are going to carry on his work. God bless him.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate my constituent and Royal Oak city manager, Don Johnson, on his retirement after 14 years with the great city of Royal Oak. Don started as city manager right at the height of the Great Recession. To hear him tell it, the city was flat broke. Royal Oak was facing huge revenue shortfalls, and Michigan families were hurting. In the years since, he has helped Royal Oak turn around and become one of the most desirable places to live and visit. Royal Oak saw a jump of $10 million in revenue in 10 years, truly an outstanding accomplishment for the people of Royal Oak and a testament to Don's hard work. Mr. Speaker, I thank Don for his years of service and wish him the very best in his next chapter.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman Smith for giving me these minutes to talk about two amendments that I have brought forth that are part of this en bloc. First is an amendment about PFAS, which we have heard a little bit about already. It is important to understand that our military is storing and planning to destroy millions of gallons of material that contain PFAS, which is a class of chemicals that contaminate drinking water and is linked to serious health problems. These materials must be destroyed for the sake of the health of our communities, but that needs to be done in a way that protects our environment, not in a way that causes us yet more harm. My amendment directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure that all incineration of materials containing PFAS is conducted in a manner that eliminates PFAS while also ensuring that no PFAS is emitted into the air in the process. It also sets clear guardrails for storage, byproducts, and appropriate facilities for disposal. I thank Mr. Khanna for cosponsoring this measure so we can protect our communities from further PFAS contamination. The second amendment I wish to address will help us understand the universe of defense contractors that have willfully violated Federal health, safety, and labor standards that protect American workers. American people work hard to build the infrastructure necessary to keep our country safe. We have a responsibility to honor that work by paying them fairly and keeping them safe, as the law requires. We have a responsibility to make sure that contractors taking Federal dollars are not recklessly neglecting the health, safety, and dignity of our working people. That is why this simple amendment is so necessary. I thank Congresswoman Haaland for cosponsoring this amendment, and I thank, again, Chairman Smith for all of his hard work.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Chair, the amendment before us is about our responsibility to protect the American people. It is about our values. Do we believe the President acting on his own should be able to put our troops in harm's way and put us at risk of another horrific war with zero input from the American people's elected representatives in Congress? Or do we want to make clear that we are going to do our job, the job our constituents elected us to do, follow the Constitution, and prevent a reckless attack on Iran? This isn't about being a Democrat or a Republican. As a Member of the people's House, colleagues should support this amendment to prevent an unauthorized attack on Iran and make it clear that this Congress has not authorized the use of military force, in line with my bipartisan AUMF Clarification Act. Madam Chair, I thank Representative Khanna for yielding.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Speaker, in recognition of Gun Violence Awareness Month, I rise to share the story of a brave soldier named Ben. Ben's sister Mary is a Moms Demand Action leader in my hometown of Berkley, Michigan. After her brother was honorably discharged from military service, Mary grew concerned that Ben was at risk of self-harm. Mary and her dad begged every firearms store in the area they lived at the time not to sell a gun to her brother. She was told Ben could not be denied a gun, despite the risks he faced. Ben died by suicide shortly thereafter with a gun he had bought at one of those stores. Had Mary been able to seek an Extreme Risk Prevention Order, Ben could be alive today. I am a cosponsor of the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act and the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act. Madam Speaker, for Ben and so many others, Congress must act without delay.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 409 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 410.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Chair, I want to thank Chairwoman McCollum for her leadership in bringing forward a proposal that protects and preserves public lands, ensures access to clean air and drinking water, and combats climate change. I am especially pleased to see this bill's $90 million investment for the first time in Sewer Overflow Control Grants to control and treat sewer overflows and to help address the water infrastructure crisis our country faces. My amendment prioritizes grant funding from Macomb County's Chapaton Retention Basin and other such sewer overflow systems that help protect the water sources our communities rely on every day. This funding will help make urgent water quality improvements to Lake St. Clair, to the Great Lakes, and to freshwater bodies all across our country. Mr. Chair, I would also like to thank the former distinguished Member of this body and the current Macomb County Public Works Commissioner, Candice Miller, for her partnership to make sure we protect Lake St. Clair.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Chair, I am proud to support this bill, and I thank Chairwoman Kaptur for her leadership. I am especially pleased to see this bill's increased investment in the important work of the Army Corps of Engineers to advance key water infrastructure construction priorities. My amendment prioritizes $30 million of that funding for critically needed projects that improve the quality of freshwater bodies like Lake St. Clair in my district. To make urgent water quality improvements to Lake St. Clair, to the Great Lakes, and to freshwater bodies across our country, we must prioritize Federal funding for improving Macomb County's Chapaton Retention Basin and other such sewer overflow systems that help us protect the water sources our communities rely on every day. I would like to point out that I am working on this with the now director of public works in Macomb County, former Member of this body, Candice Miller.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this en bloc package that includes my amendment to prohibit the use of funds in this act for assistance to the Forces Armees d'Haiti, or the Haitian Armed Forces, the FAd'H. I worked in Haiti as an investigator for Human Rights Watch in 1992, not long after Haitian soldiers led a coup against Haiti's first democratically-elected President and not long before the military was implicated in the massacre of his supporters in the town of Raboteau. Now, the Haitian government has revived the armed forces and empowered some of the same people who played a part in those horrors of the 1990s to lead them. We cannot let a single dollar of U.S. taxpayer funds go to the FAd'H. The Haitian people must know that we have not forgotten the horrors of their past and we are committed to working with them for a better future. I thank Congresswoman Lee, Congresswoman Waters, Congressman Engel, and Congressman Sires for cosponsoring this amendment, and I also thank Chairwoman Lowey for working with me on this and for her hard work on this bill.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Chair, I am proud to be joined by 11 of my colleagues from the Committee on Education and Labor in presenting this amendment, which would increase funding for the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General, or the EDOIG, by $4 million dollars. EDOIG conducts independent and objective audits, investigations, and other activities to promote the efficiency, effectiveness, and integrity of the Department. This office helps prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse, and that work is as important now as it has ever been, especially since the Department of Education has violated the law on three different occasions under this administration. Just last year, a Federal court ruled that the Department's actions during the rollback of a loan-relief plan, had violated Federal privacy law. The Department also violated the Administrative Procedures Act by arbitrarily refusing to discharge the student loan payments of borrowers who attended Corinthian College, a for-profit university accused of predatory lending. And recently, the Department illegally delayed Obama-era regulations governing online colleges, without conducting the legally-required negotiated rulemaking. We insist upon the utmost integrity at the Department entrusted with the education of our children, and this amendment will make sure that OIG has the resources and staff it needs to do its critical work. I would like to reiterate my gratitude to my Education and Labor Committee colleagues who joined me as cosponsors of this amendment. And I would also like to thank Chairman Bobby Scott and his team for his visionary leadership of our work on behalf of students, families, workers, and all Americans. I also thank Chairwoman DeLauro and Chairwoman Lowey for working with me on this, and for their leadership on this bill which prioritizes funding for programs that provide opportunities for millions of American families. Many of those programs have been shortchanged in recent years, and that will no longer be the case, thanks to the gentlewomen's leadership. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), my esteemed colleague.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Chair, I want to commend my colleague from Connecticut, on behalf of the entire freshman class, for her incredible leadership on this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Chair, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Chair, I will close. I will use my last 10 seconds to tell the gentleman that the Janus decision was nothing about people not paying dues. Unions have not been allowed to make people pay dues for 60 years in this country. It was about not having workers pay their fair share for services that unions are forced to provide them under U.S. law. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Speaker, today marks 100 years exactly since the U.S. House of Representatives approved the 19th Amendment and moved our Nation one step closer to full voting rights for women. I am so proud that the great State of Michigan was among the first to ratify the 19th Amendment, and I was proud to join my colleagues today to pass a bipartisan resolution to commemorate and celebrate the amendment. I rise now to honor all the suffragettes whose names we know and all those we don't, who put themselves in danger to help make a more perfect union. But I also rise to honor those who follow in their footsteps, like my incredible classmates in the 116th Congress. Just like the suffragettes helped usher our Nation forward, they, too, have opened doors that young women like my own daughter, Molly, may walk through some day. It is an honor to fight alongside them today and every day.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Engel for yielding, and I congratulate Representative Castor for her great leadership on this issue. Mr. Chairman, I feel it is odd listening to the very same argument that we can't go forward with this because there is nothing to hold China or India to account because there are no requirements, and, at the same time, the very same document puts a huge burden on America by putting enforced requirements on us. It doesn't make any sense. Mr. Chairman, for decades, the scientific community has understood the need to fundamentally transition everything about how we live, work, and move about this planet to protect life on Earth as we know it. We have known this for decades. And yet, knowing how destructive climate change is to our health, our safety, and our national security, President Trump decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and neglect, not just the fundamental responsibility to protect Americans, but an enormous economic opportunity. I feel like I am listening to arguments from lobbyists from the horse and carriage industry against railroads, or for the buggy whip industry against paving roads because cars are such a threat. President Trump made a huge mistake by backing away from the commitment we made in Paris. We are here today to correct that mistake and to steer our country back in the right direction. We have a chance to propel economic growth with investments in zero net-energy buildings, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, expanded solar, wind, geothermal, solar thermal, and more. We can lead the world in creating good-paying, sustainable jobs. There is no way that we can move fast enough or comprehensively enough to address climate change, but this is about more than that. This is about unleashing American innovation, creating American jobs, and restoring American leadership on the world stage.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. We must pass this bill and we must do it now, both for the sake of the climate, for our kids, and for our economy.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the retirement of Brigadier General John ``Odie'' Slocum. Gen. Slocum currently serves as the 127th Wing Commander, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan. He has announced his plans to retire in May, closing another chapter in his 35-year military career. General Slocum has continued the long tradition of excellence at Selfridge ANGB, a Macomb County icon since it opened in 1917, through his style of precise but humble leadership. I recently had the honor of visiting Selfridge ANGB, where I saw firsthand the esteem in which Gen. Slocum is held by the men and women with whom he serves. As commander, Gen. Slocum's priority has always been the members of the 127th Wing. He worked tirelessly to keep them prepared and safe as they engaged in important missions on behalf of The United States across the world. His mandate as the top official at Selfridge also extends beyond the Air National Guard, as Selfridge ANGB hosts members from more than 20 tenant units from all branches of the military, the Coast Guard, and Border Patrol. During his tenure, Selfridge received numerous awards including both the Carl A. Spaatz Award and the Air Force Meritorious Unit Award. These two awards emblemize the dedication and capability of the 127th Wing under Gen. Slocum, though he would give all praise to those serving under him. Outside of the gates of Selfridge, Gen. Slocum has built a reputation as a community leader and strong advocate for Macomb County. Through his leadership, county partners including government and business delivered an impassioned campaign to bring the F-35 Lightning to Selfridge. This campaign will be the gold standard for all future attempts to rally the community around a cause. As a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, I also thank Gen. Slocum for his support of the STARBASE program. STARBASE provides elementary grade students aviation themed math and science education and is located on base. Without a strong Selfridge, there would be no STARBASE. In closing, as Gen. Slocum ends his command at Selfridge, I encourage my colleagues to join me in thanking him for his dedicated service to the United States and to the people of Michigan. Gen. Slocum has stated that he is looking to stay and continue to work for all of us in Macomb County, for which I am grateful. I look forward to supporting him in his next endeavor.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Stevens, and it is so great to go after Congresswoman Wild. The first thing I want to say is what a great time I am having with you all, how much I am learning from you, how much fun we are having working on things together. Congresswoman Wild and I are particularly concerned that any new replacement for NAFTA really protects the working people of our country, really protects our environment, and does not subject people to outrageously high prices for prescription drugs. As I look about me and see the other Members here, I see others whom I am working with on different things, and I think that is the great thing about this new freshman class. I am really so proud to be a part of this freshman class of the 116th Congress, and I feel like we have really had an outstanding first 100 days fighting for the people. Right out of the gate, we are delivering on our promises to pass bold, transformative legislation and conduct essential oversight that the Constitution demands of us. Voting on final passage of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, was certainly one of my proudest days. My Transparency and Corporate Political Spending Act is in the final version of the bill, and it will increase transparency for big corporations that dump dark money into our elections. My amendment to Whip Clyburn's gun violence prevention bill to close the Charleston loophole will require the Government Accountability Office to report on gun violence prevention methods so that we have the best information available while crafting policy. I think it is so important that we bring back research to this public health crisis of gun violence. Just last week, so many colleagues joined me in calling on the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to halt the cruel and unjust detention and deportation of Iraqi nationals, many of whom are Chaldean Christians and other religious minorities. My district, the Ninth District of Michigan, has the most Iraqi nationals of any district in the country, out of 435. But I think, Congresswoman Stevens, 9 out of the 10 districts with the most Iraqi nationals, those Representatives join me--I think, 23 altogether--in calling on our government to respect the rights of these people to just have their day in court. I came to Congress on a mission to raise the standard of living for working people, and the Democratic majority has delivered on that promise in several ways already, from passing legislation to reduce the cost of healthcare to passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, to guaranteeing women get equal pay for equal work. I commend my colleagues in the majority and the leadership of our Caucus for their hard work, fearlessness, and dedication that has gotten us this far, and we have only just begun. I yield back to my sister Michigander, the gentlewoman from Rochester Hills, Ms. Stevens.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for his leadership on this, and I really want to thank Representative Ro Khanna for his continued, steadfast efforts to end this situation. So, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution and finally end U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen. If we fail to act today, if we let one more opportunity to end these horrors pass us by, we are telling the world we are okay with another day in which innocent civilians are killed; another day that nearly 20 million people go without basic healthcare, and even more in need of emergency food aid; another day that a child must battle illnesses that could easily have been prevented, if not for this crisis happening on our watch. We have an opportunity, as Members of this body, Republicans and Democrats, to tackle the difficult problems and have the debates that others have ignored for too long. This is one of those problems. And this is one of those moments that makes me optimistic that the tide is finally turning. I want to thank the chairman for making this a top priority. It is long past time for Congress to reassert its role, our role, in foreign policy and exercise our Constitutional duty. Seeing the level of suffering in Yemen, we cannot wait one more day to do it. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Speaker, last week in Federal court, President Trump radically expanded his war on American's healthcare, asking the court not only to strike down protections for people with preexisting conditions, but to eliminate every last protection and benefit provided by the ACA. I am a two-time cancer survivor. Two of my four kids have lived with Crohn's disease for 14 years. There is no way to spin this. Without the protections of the Affordable Care Act, my family would be in big trouble. If America's healthcare system was a reality TV show, under this President's mean-spirited, every-person-for-himself approach, I guess my family would get voted off the island because, with the hand God dealt us, we simply cost too much. This week, the people's House will vote to make clear that we don't believe in that vision of America, and we will not stand idly by while Mr. Trump does everything he can to take away the protections and the benefits that American families like mine depend on. Madam Speaker, I implore my Republican colleagues to stand with us and improve the ACA for the American people.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Chair, as vice chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, I am so proud that our committee made it a top priority this year to bring the Paycheck Fairness Act to the floor, and I congratulate Chairman Scott for his leadership. This is an issue where the evidence could not be clearer. In Michigan's Ninth District, which I represent, for example, women's median annual wage is more than $10,000 lower than men's. I don't care how many jobs are created or how many women are working, we need to do something to, at long last, make women's pay equal to men's. If we allow this gap to persist, we are not just telling women they aren't worth as much as men. We are doing real damage to entire families and to our economy. Failure to tackle the pay gap isn't just discriminatory; it is shockingly shortsighted. The Paycheck Fairness Act will finally align our treatment of gender discrimination with other established antidiscrimination policies. This is an opportunity to realize equal pay for equal work that we simply cannot afford to miss. I regret that my good friends across the aisle did not introduce a single bill to strengthen the Equal Pay Act across the 20 years they held the gavel in this Chamber. I hope they will join us today to lift up America's women and families to full equality at long last. Finally, I include in the Record a strong letter of support for H.R. 7 from the AFL-CIO.

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Madam Chair, while I believe belonging to a union is the surest way to guarantee equal pay on the job, the Paycheck Fairness Act will provide effective new tools to close the wage gap.