Kathy Manning

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the winners of the fourth annual Sixth District Congressional Art Competition. This week, I honored the winners at a reception where we displayed not only the winning artwork, but every submission, which included pieces from Guilford, Rockingham, Caswell, and Forsyth County Schools. I was amazed by the remarkable artistic talent of these young people from across the Triad. First, I will recognize the honorable mentions: A piece titled ``Claire'' by Anya and ``Falling Man'' by Violet, both students from Weaver Academy. Third place was shared by two pieces: ``Fish Light'' by C. Hayden from Penn Griffin School for the Arts in High Point, and ``Smile'' by Quincy from Weaver Academy. In second place was ``The Beauty of Bodie Island'' by Cate from Northwest Guilford High School. And claiming the top honor of first place is ``Spectrum'' by Kayden from Weaver Academy. I am truly proud to represent such talented young students, and I look forward to seeing all their future artistic achievements.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend Representative Schneider for bringing us together to push for the release of the hostages. Mr. Speaker, it has been 6 months since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel to carry out gruesome attacks, raping, mutilating, slaughtering civilians, and taking innocent people hostage. Here we are 6 months later and 130 hostages remain captive in Gaza. I recently returned from a congressional delegation trip to Israel. I saw firsthand the savage and diabolical nature of the October 7 attack. I visited Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the communities that was burned and pillaged. I saw the devastating destruction that resulted when Hamas went house to house killing people by throwing grenades in their homes, spraying them with bullets, and setting their homes on fire while young people were hiding inside. The deliberate cruelty was shocking, gut-wrenching, and unforgettable. Kibbutz Kfar Aza is where Aviva and Keith Siegel were taken by Hamas. Keith Siegel is an American citizen from my home State of North Carolina. For 6 months, Keith has been held hostage by these terrorists. I think about Keith and all the hostages every single day. Aviva spent 51 days in captivity and thankfully she was released in November. Since her release, she has spoken out about the horrifying sexual abuse and violence she saw Hamas use on the hostages. It is hard to imagine what the women still being held captive today must be experiencing. It is hard to anticipate the condition they will be in when they are finally returned. For the young women who are being raped and tortured, I am deeply worried that they will be pregnant as a result of their rapes in captivity. During my visit to Israel, I met with Dr. Cochav Elkayam-Levy, the chair of Israel's Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Families. She is working tirelessly to gather testimony and the evidence of the sexual abuse of women and families. She says the job of viewing and archiving the evidence is particularly tough on her staff. So are the death threats they get from people who don't want to see the evidence of those horrific crimes collected for the world to see. The accounts of sexual violence she shared can only be described as evil, carried out to inflict maximum physical, emotional, and psychological pain on women and girls. We cannot allow the world to ignore what has happened and we cannot allow the world to forget the hostages. The world cannot be allowed to ignore the truth that Hamas has the power to end the war they started by releasing the remaining hostages. Time and time again, Hamas has refused cease-fire deals and refused to release the hostages. It is shocking that the world is not protesting Hamas, calling out Hamas for starting this war and continuing it, hiding behind women and children, and prolonging the suffering of two peoples. Let me be clear: Hamas must release the hostages and stop all the suffering they have caused and are continuing to cause. Mr. Speaker, I thank, again, my dear friend, Representative Schneider, for his leadership and for organizing this time together for us to continue our call for every single hostage to be brought home.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call out the hypocrisy of Republicans who claim they want to support our democratic allies but won't put words to action. The Speaker is leading a delegation to Normandy to commemorate the defeat of a destructive, brutal dictator by the United States and its Allies in World War II, yet he refuses to bring forward the Senate emergency aid bill that would help our democratic ally Ukraine defeat one of today's most brutal dictators, Vladimir Putin. That very same Senate bill would also provide much-needed support to our democratic ally Israel as it continues its battle against the terrorist group Hamas, which savagely attacked Israel on October 7 and continues to hold more than 100 hostages, including Americans. Mr. Speaker, I ask my good friends on the other side of the aisle: Will Republicans stand up to the far-right extremists and call for the Speaker to bring the Senate aid bill to the floor? In the name of defending freedom and democracy, I urge my colleagues to do what the majority knows is right for our country and the future of the free world.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the inclusion of Community Project Funding in the bipartisan appropriations package that Congress will vote on this week. The appropriations process known as Community Project Funding is what I consider to be good government working for the people. It is a process that takes our Federal tax dollars and puts them directly back into our communities. Since serving in Congress, it has been my mission to bring Federal dollars home to my constituency. The Community Project Funding process has allowed me to do that successfully. Over the past 2 years, I secured a total of $44 million for 25 projects in the Sixth District of North Carolina. That funding supported projects like one-on-one tutoring in public schools, first responder system upgrades, the building of greenways, childcare expansion, small business incubators, and much more. For this fiscal year, I submitted 15 projects for consideration. I am very excited to announce that I secured funding for all 15 projects--a total of $15 million for the Sixth District. I am proud to say that every corner of the Sixth District is included with initiatives in Guilford, Forsyth, Caswell, and Rockingham Counties. These investments will boost economic development, improve public safety, create workforce training programs, support local farmers, complete infrastructure programs, and improve affordable housing options. I will take a moment to highlight just a few of the initiatives that will be receiving funding once this package is signed into law. Guilford County schools will receive $850,000 for a workforce development program to prepare workers for advanced manufacturing jobs related to electric vehicles. Advanced manufacturing training is particularly important in my community where we have a Toyota electric vehicle battery plant and other electric vehicle manufacturers bringing good-paying jobs to the area. This program will help local students build the necessary skills to take on these jobs after high school graduation. Rockingham Community College will receive Federal funding to create an advanced manufacturing training facility on campus. In Gibsonville, the fire department will receive funding to purchase a new laddered fire truck. The city of Winston-Salem will be able to expand their Behavioral Evaluation and Response Team, a rapid response program for mental health and substance abuse 911 calls. These projects are prime examples of how government can work directly for the American people. I thank our Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and ranking member Rosa DeLauro for fighting to make sure these Community Funding Projects are included in the appropriations package. I am looking forward to voting for the appropriations package this week, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, in the House and the Senate, to join me in voting for this package to get it quickly to President Biden's desk.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, history has its eyes on us. Right now we are facing the most critical threat to the rules-based order since World War II. The entire free world is at risk as the autocratic Vladimir Putin and his brutal, barbaric army are marching through our democratic ally, Ukraine, heading toward our NATO allies. Our allies are perplexed and worried: What are we waiting for? Why aren't we stepping up and helping Ukraine? Furthermore, China is watching to see whether the U.S. will stand up against vicious autocrats and stay the course to defend the free world. We Democrats have stood in strong support of sending additional aid to Ukraine, but Speaker Johnson has refused to bring any Ukraine support bills to the House floor for a vote at a time when Ukraine is literally running out of ammunition to fight Russia. I ask my friends on the other side of the aisle, and I ask you, Mr. Speaker: What are you waiting for? The world has its eyes on you.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, we knew extreme MAGA Republicans wouldn't stop with attacking abortion rights. We knew they would come for birth control. I introduced the Right to Contraception Act to codify the right to use all forms of FDA-approved birth control. We also knew they would come for IVF. Last week, the Alabama Supreme Court decided frozen embryos are children, forcing clinics in Alabama to stop IVF treatments. Republicans are now scrambling to claim they support contraception and IVF. Actions speak louder than words. Mr. Speaker, 195 House Republicans voted against my bill to protect the right to contraception, and over 120 Republicans cosponsored the Life at Conception Act, a bill that uses the same reasoning as the Alabama court, that includes no protection for IVF or birth control, and would decimate IVF and abortion access nationwide. Earlier today, Senate Republicans blocked a bill to protect the right to access IVF. They don't care about protecting reproductive rights, they care about controlling women's bodies.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, this Black History Month, I am highlighting the long and rich history of Bennett College, an all-woman HBCU in my hometown, Greensboro, North Carolina. For over 150 years, Bennett College has been a beacon of social justice in the South. In the 1930s, the Bennett Belles protested racism in the film industry with protests at our local Carolina Theatre. In the 1950s and 1960s, the Bennett Belles played a key role in the civil rights movement. In 1958, when Martin Luther King, Jr., visited Greensboro and struggled to find a place to speak, Bennett College president, Willa B. Player, gave him a stage. She said: ``Bennett College is a liberal arts college where `freedom rings,' so King can speak here.'' Two years after Dr. King spoke on campus, the Bennett Belles staged a sit-in at the segregated Woolworth's lunch counter with The Greensboro Four. Their actions sparked a nationwide sit-in movement that forever changed the course of history. Today, Bennett College students and alumni continue to be changemakers. I am proud to recognize the immense contributions of the Bennett Belles this Black History Month.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 966 condemning rape and sexual violence committed by Hamas in its war against Israel, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. I was proud to join my dear friend and colleague, Representative Lois Frankel of Florida--one of the strongest champions for the rights of women and girls around the world--in introducing this important, bipartisan resolution. I am also grateful to our colleagues, Representatives Mario Diaz- Balart and Jen Kiggans for their leadership and commitment to raising awareness of the sexual and gender-based violence committed against Israeli women. Mr. Speaker, on October 7, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel, going house to house, murdering civilians, executing parents in front of their children, and massacring hundreds of young people at a music festival. In addition to the 1,200 people Hamas killed that day, it took an estimated 250 innocent civilians into Gaza, including women and children. Since that day, we have only begun to understand the full scale of the horrific sexual violence that Hamas used as a weapon of war against Israeli women in its attack. Just this morning, I heard firsthand testimony of witnesses and saw photographs of Israeli women of all ages who were raped, mutilated, brutalized, burned, and killed in horrific and unimaginable ways. Every day, more and more evidence is surfacing of the widespread and deliberate sexual violence that is almost unspeakable in its brutality. This weaponized sexual violence should shock the conscience of the entire world. Despite all the evidence, however, some have minimized or outright denied the fact that Hamas used rape as a weapon of war on October 7. The collective silence about this heinous sexual violence from groups around the world who purport to stand up for women's rights has been devastating--groups including UN Women, which took months to issue a statement clearly condemning these despicable acts as evil. We are here today because we cannot and will not allow these horrific crimes to be denied. We must confront the terrible reality of what Hamas did in these attacks and the trauma inflicted on so many women and men. That is why this resolution unequivocally condemns these atrocities, calls on all international bodies to denounce them, and reaffirms that the U.S. House of Representatives stands with these victims just like we stand with all women who are survivors of rape and sexual violence. We remain deeply concerned for the women who are still among the hostages being held by Hamas. There is deep concern that these women are continuing to be sexually abused and may be pregnant. This House and this Congress must continue to do everything we can to get every single one of the remaining hostages released and home to their families. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel), my friend, the chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, the co-chair of the Bipartisan Women, Peace, and Security Caucus, and the author of this resolution.

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer).

Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to my colleagues who have spoken out and condemned the brutal sexual violence committed against Israeli women and girls on October 7. With the passage of this important bipartisan resolution, we send a clear message that rape is wrong, the rape of Israeli women is wrong, the rape of all those brutalized during war is wrong. It must be called out, and it must be condemned. The United States stands firmly against gender-based violence and sexual abuse of women by Hamas. Once again, I thank Representative Lois Frankel for her extraordinary leadership on this issue, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2766, the Uyghur Policy Act of 2023, as amended. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friends, Representatives Young Kim and Ami Bera, the chair and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Indo- Pacific, for introducing this important bill, of which I am a proud cosponsor. Over the last several years, we have heard horrific accounts of the genocide taking place in Xinjiang against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities. Beijing has tried to hide its atrocities and prevent all of us from discovering what is really happening in Xinjiang. Despite Beijing's efforts, we cannot ignore what is happening in Xinjiang. A 2022 report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded that the extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of the Uyghur and predominantly Muslim groups . . . may constitute international crimes, in particular, crimes against humanity,'' and that ``serious human rights violations have been committed'' in Xinjiang. Last Congress, the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a hearing to take heartbreaking testimony about the crimes being committed against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang. The committee passed a bipartisan resolution led by Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Meeks condemning the PRC's genocide in Xinjiang, as well as passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which President Biden signed into law. However, as long as Beijing's genocide continues, Congress must continue to act. H.R. 2766 calls for the creation of a special coordinator for Uyghur issues to protect the distinct identities of Uyghurs and other minority groups in Xinjiang. It also provides the State Department and our diplomats with tools to enhance our diplomatic efforts and programs in support of those suffering under the PRC's repression. Madam Speaker, as Members of Congress, we have a responsibility to speak out against clear violations of fundamental human rights around the world. This measure is a clear statement that the United States Congress stands in support of Uyghurs and other religious and ethnic minority communities in Xinjiang that are suffering under Beijing's authoritarian and inhumane rule. H.R. 2766 will ensure that the United States plays a leadership role in holding the PRC accountable and in providing political and diplomatic support for Uyghurs around the world. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2766, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing. The people of Tibet have persevered through decades of repression. The PRC subjugates the Tibetan people, even though all they are asking for is the opportunity to live freely and safely. They simply want to be given the autonomy they have been promised. They want to teach their children their language, their customs, and their traditions. They want to preserve their culture, their religious identity, and their dignity as a distinct people. I urge the House to pass H.R. 533 so that we may honor the Tibetan people and make clear that Beijing's repression and unwillingness to engage in dialogue cannot stand. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 533, Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act, as amended. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. McGovern and Mr. McCaul for introducing this bill and working with Ranking Member Meeks to pass it out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and bring it to the House floor today. Representative McGovern is a champion of human rights. With this bill, he is asking all of us to stand up for the people of Tibet. I also thank Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for her tireless work in holding the People's Republic of China responsible for its human rights violations and her long-time advocacy for the Tibetan people. In recent years, Beijing has tightened its repressive grip over the Tibetan areas in China and attempted to dilute the distinct religious, cultural, linguistic, and historical identity of the Tibetan people. Since 2010, Beijing has also refused to meet its international obligations to engage the Dalai Lama and his representatives to resolve the Tibet issue through dialogue. At the same time, Beijing has unleashed a disinformation campaign to mislead the world about Tibet and its history. For this reason, we must pass H.R. 533, which calls the PRC out for its repression and unwillingness to engage the Tibetan people. H.R. 533 highlights the need to preserve Tibetan identity, language, and culture. It calls on the State Department to counter PRC disinformation efforts to undermine the aspirations of Tibetan people. H.R. 533 also calls on Beijing to live up to its commitments to engage in a genuine dialogue with Tibetan representatives to reach a negotiated resolution on the question of Tibet. By passing this timely bill, the people's House would be standing up for the universal rights and aspirations of the Tibetan people. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4039, No Dollars to Uyghur Forced Labor Act, as amended. In both this Congress and the last Congress, the House Foreign Affairs Committee has shed light on the People's Republic of China's grave human rights abuses, including holding a hearing on the ongoing genocide in Xinjiang and advanced efforts to hold the PRC accountable for its use of forced labor. In April 2021, the committee marked up the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, probably the most significant human rights legislation dealing with China in decades. The bill, which passed the committee and the House, both as a standalone measure and as part of our China- focused competition legislation, was eventually signed into law by President Biden. That bill's purpose was to ensure that goods made with forced labor would not end up on American store shelves and, in turn, in American homes. Today, we want to make sure that the standards we use at home also apply to American activities abroad. That is why H.R. 4039 calls on the State Department and USAID to verify that they are not funding any programs or projects that unwittingly use goods or materials made using forced labor. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Moran for introducing this bill, as well as Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Meeks for their leadership in passing it out of committee in a bipartisan manner. When it comes to genocide and forced labor, Congress must be clear. There is no place in this world for such brutality. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. Madam Speaker, H.R. 4039 builds on the important work Congress has already done to rid our domestic supply chains of forced labor goods by ensuring that our global programs aren't supporting such goods either. By asking our State Department and USAID program partners and contractors to ensure they aren't using forced labor goods, we will help make global supply chains freer. This is a preventative measure meant to guarantee that U.S. international projects and programs are beyond reproach and fully consistent with our values. In so doing, H.R. 4039 will ensure that we practice our principles when it comes to human rights. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 3016, the IGO Anti-Boycott Act. I strongly support legislative efforts to combat international boycotts that target U.S. companies engaged in business activities in countries friendly to the United States, including Israel. That is why I support H.R. 3016, bipartisan legislation introduced by my friend, Representative Mike Lawler, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and by my great friend, Representative Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey. This legislation reinforces existing anti-boycott laws and U.S. policies to combat those international boycotts. I will continue to support ways to protect U.S. businesses from being pressured into complying with unsanctioned foreign boycotts against Israel. It is already U.S. policy, per the Anti-Boycott Act of 2018, which H.R. 3016 would amend, to oppose restrictive trade practices and boycotts imposed by any foreign countries or entities against Americans and countries friendly to the United States, and which discourages or prohibits U.S. companies from taking actions to support unsanctioned foreign boycotts. There are, of course, limitations to what we can do. The United States cannot unilaterally stop other countries from adopting policies that we do not agree with, nor could other countries prevent the United States from adopting policies they do not agree with. However, through bodies like the U.N., as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, the United States is able to use its voice and veto to combat policies, including biased and harmful boycott, divestment, and sanctions, or BDS, campaigns against our partners and allies like Israel. Furthermore, policies adopted by international bodies do not bind U.S. citizens. Americans are only bound by American law. An act of Congress is required for international law to become our law. No intergovernmental organization will ever supersede U.S. law or sovereignty. From the Arab League boycott to the global BDS campaign against Israel, Congress has repeatedly stood united in a bipartisan way against this hateful campaign to isolate, single out, and economically punish the State of Israel. No American citizen or company should be coerced into participating in an unsanctioned boycott against Israel or any other partner or ally of the United States. That is why I support this bill to update the 2018 Anti-Boycott Act. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro).

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

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer), who is the co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. Madam Speaker, I support this bill and the underlying provision of law it seeks to amend which works to protect U.S. businesses from being targeted by foreign boycotts, particularly against nations friendly to the United States like Israel. Madam Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting H.R. 3016, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MANNING

Ms. MANNING. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in support of H.R. 3202, the Assad Regime Anti- Normalization Act of 2023. Madam Speaker, I am proud to support this bipartisan legislation introduced by my dear friend, the chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina. First, it is with deep sadness that I note that it has been over 13 years since the Syrian people first rose up for their basic rights and have subsequently endured brutal assaults by Assad's Russian- and Iranian-backed military year after year. The Assad regime has unceasingly engaged in a campaign of violence against the Syrian people, committing what has amounted to countless war crimes and the most egregious violations of international humanitarian law. As we consider this bill today, it is critical we acknowledge that the war has resulted in the deaths of over 600,000 Syrians and more than 8 million displaced. The regime continues to regularly target hospitals, schools, and neighborhoods. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians face bleak prospects for the future. It is in this context we consider this bill, which responds to moves by some governments to look past these atrocities and re-admit the Assad regime into international institutions. The Biden administration has opposed efforts to reengage with the Assad regime and continues to highlight ongoing crimes against the Syrian people. I stand with the administration and those who believe Assad must be held accountable. I am glad that members of both parties have stood together to publicly condemn the welcoming of the Assad regime back into the Arab League. As we condemn such actions and stand with the Syrian people, I also support the Biden administration's efforts to provide the Syrian people with vital, lifesaving humanitarian assistance to assist in the recovery from multiple earthquakes last year and Assad's continued military assaults. Therefore, I support this measure, which I hope will discourage other states from overlooking Assad's crimes, and which makes it U.S. policy not to recognize an Assad-led Syrian Government. This bill also expands targeted sanctions against the Assad regime while preserving important humanitarian exemptions and provisions. The bill includes a bipartisan amendment, which passed unopposed in the committee, that refines the sanctions provisions so as not to impinge on legitimate humanitarian aid efforts to the Syrian people. Finally, this bill mandates greater scrutiny of the Assad regime's diversion of international aid for its own benefit and at the expense of the Syrian people. I thank my friend, Representative Wilson, as well as Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Meeks for their work on this bill. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.