Joseph Morelle

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I do want to commend the previous speaker for her encouragement of all Americans to be vaccinated. We certainly want to continue to promote that message and urge everyone in the United States to be vaccinated. Mr. Speaker, in my previous comments, I talked about the congressional and legislative appropriations. I include in the Record a July 13 Business Insider article entitled: ``Capitol Hill staff take second jobs with Postmates, Starbucks, and J. Crew to make up for their low salaries.'' I continue to repeat that men and women who work here shouldn't struggle to make ends meet just because they have dedicated their careers to public service. [July 13, 2021] Capitol Hill Staff Take Second Jobs With Postmates, Starbucks, and J. Crew to Make Up for Their Low Salaries (By Kayla Epstein) With no choice but to accept low pay, Capitol Hill staffers often have to pick up second jobs. Retail, gig-economy, and service-industry jobs are frequent options. Staffers told Insider the second jobs add to an already stressful workload and lead to burnout. The next time you order takeout in the DC area, your delivery person might work for Congress. Given no choice but to accept startlingly low salaries in exchange for the privilege of working on Capitol Hill, many interns and junior staffers to America's most powerful--and wealthy--politicians take second jobs to survive in Washington, DC, one of the most expensive cities in the country. Some staffers and interns go for gig-economy roles like Postmates, Uber, and DoorDash, while others work as baristas and bartenders. For those who struggle to afford a professional wardrobe, retail jobs help provide additional wages and a discount on clothes. While it's common for people in the US to work second jobs to make ends meet, civic groups and staffers say that low pay on Capitol Hill pushes out talented staff and creates an environment in which employees from privileged backgrounds have an edge in building long-term careers. ``You could tell when certain people kind of came from money and didn't have to'' work second jobs, one former staffer to a House Republican said. ``I have some friends that didn't need to because they came up from a wealthy upbringing . . . They were comfortable. Others were kind of like, `OK, yeah, I need to really do some extra jobs because this is not livable.''' Insider spoke to five current and former staffers who had worked second jobs as a way to compensate for what one former senior Democratic House aide called ``poverty wages.'' They described exhaustion and burnout from pulling double duty, their only days off eaten up by delivering takeout or grabbing graveyard shifts at clothing stores. Some spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared losing their jobs or hurting their careers by speaking out. ``It's tough for the normal traditional staffer because that is easily a 50- to 60-hour week,'' said one former House and Senate aide who started out at $27,000 a year and had to take a second job at apparel company J.Crew. When you add on the additional hours for a second job, he said, ``you just burn yourself out to stay afloat.'' Do you have a tip about Capitol Hill workplace issues to share? Bad bosses, toxic offices, or questionable behavior toward congressional staffers? Insider is continuing to cover Congress as a workplace. An open secret The fact that many congressional employees take on second jobs has been an open secret on the Hill for years. But when some staffers do seek outside work, they face repercussions. Audrey Henson, who was a Republican House aide making $25,000 before she founded the internshipplacement program College to Congress, said she faced pushback from her manager when she took a bartending job near the Hill. ``I would work until 2, 3 in the morning on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday night. I'd come into Congress absolutely exhausted,'' she said of her job, which she held from 2013 to 2014. ``Whenever I was having to pick up more shifts at the bar, and then when I ended up getting a weekend job, I was talked to by my chief of staff about priorities,'' she told Insider. ``And he was like, `This job should be your priority.''' ``I said, quite frankly, it is. I'm only doing these other jobs so that I can give you more,'' Henson said. ``Trust me, this is my only priority. Those jobs allow me to afford this job.'' She worked at Union Pub, a popular watering hole on Capitol Hill. ``I was like, I'm up here to work in Congress, and I'm putting in equal hours at Union Pub. There's an issue with this picture,'' she said. ``And I wasn't alone.'' Union Pub spokesperson Sam Sanchez said that, ``pre- pandemic, Capitol Hill staffers made up a good portion of our staff working as part-time servers or bartenders--more than 50% at times.'' One current Democratic House staffer, who started in DC before eventually making her way back to a district office, worked at a law firm and a retail store to make it through her part-time, unpaid Senate internship. ``I would do a shipment shift at like 3:30 in the morning, go to the law firm, and go to my internship,'' she said. ``I was working seven days a week . . . I wanted to work somewhere I could buy work clothes because it's very expensive.'' After her predawn store shift, ``I would leave at 7, go catch the Metro'' to her law firm gig, she said. As a part-time Senate intern, she didn't get any travel benefits. ``I spent $260 a month on my Metro,'' she said. Even after getting a full-time role with a committee, she continued to work her $10-per-hour retail job on the weekends to have enough spending money and afford work clothes. ``It was exhausting all the time. But in my mind it's what I had to do for the job on the Hill,'' she said. ``I didn't have much of a social life. I kind of missed out on a few years of my 20s just working myself to death.'' Union Pub, a popular bar near Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images. `I was giving up a lot'. Other Hill veterans echoed the detrimental impact of holding a second job while working full-time in Congress. Instead of using weekends to recuperate from weeks of late- night votes, political chaos, and a stressful office environment, they had to spend their time finding ways to make money. The former Republican House staffer started driving for Postmates to bolster his $30,500 salary. ``I would typically do it Friday evening, Saturday, Sunday,'' he said. He could make about $200 to $300 a month from Postmates but had to ``really grind to make those numbers.'' ``I was making money, to have extra money, but I was also giving up a lot,'' he said. ``And it was just really hard sometimes to do my second job because I wanted to go out, I wanted to have fun, I wanted to just be lazy on a Saturday or Sunday. I wanted just to be able to relax.'' Sometimes, the staffers said, the stress affected their physical health, too. One current staffer told Insider that the exhaustion of working sunrise Starbucks shifts on top of her Hill internship made her hair fall out. ``I wasn't getting a lot of sleep. I was looking very tired,'' she said. ``I was breaking out a lot. My hair was not in great shape--it was thinning out.'' `They're missing out on the most talented people'. House and Senate offices and committees have only so much money to spend, and that allotment must fund everything, including travel, office supplies, direct mail, and staff salaries. Each office functions like its own business, determining pay and the number of workers and interns. There is no formal human resources office on Capitol Hill that can help regulate pay for certain jobs, and the pay band system that exists across the federal government to standardize salaries doesn't apply to Congress. On June 14, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and more than 100 Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee to demand an increase in the Members' Representational Allowance, the pool of funding that is distributed equally among all House offices. ``For years, pay and benefits for the staff of Member offices, leadership offices, and committees have fallen farther and farther behind what is offered in the private sector,'' the lawmakers wrote. A few days later, the House Appropriations Committee released its legislative funding bill that calls for a $134 million increase to the MRA. It would also increase the spending for intern pay and committee budgets. But there's no guarantee that the extra money to the MRA would go toward bolstering staff salaries. And many House offices still don't properly use the money available for internships, said Carlos Vera, executive director of the advocacy group Pay Our Interns. Low pay is simply accepted as the cost of admission into the legislative branch, and many job candidates fear attempting to negotiate with hiring managers because of the scarcity of these opportunities. But Henson, who bartended, said it's long past time for that to change. Forcing staffers to work themselves to the point of burnout hinders their ability to do their jobs for the American people, she said. ``What other profession do we ask full-time professionals to be a barista on the side?'' Henson said. ``What if you had professional athletes leave practice every day to work at Starbucks? Would they be winners? Would the teams be getting the best talent? No.'' ``That's what's happening in Congress,'' she added. ``They're missing out on the most talented people because they're not paying them.''

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, having talked about the legislative branch, let me take just a moment now to talk about where we are globally with this appropriations bill. The State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee asks for an increase of more than 12 percent, an appropriation of $62 billion to support the displaced and vulnerable, rebuild public health infrastructure, confront climate change, advance women's health, and promote democracy. If I could take just a moment, Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight some of these things, particularly as it relates to rebuilding the public health infrastructure. The rule which supports the underlying bill would dramatically increase funding to confront the current COVID-19 pandemic, prevent future pandemics, and shore up gains made in global health. It includes $10.6 billion to support the health of families and communities around the world. The total includes a billion dollars for global health security to prevent future pandemics through both bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, something that is critical to stop the spread of future pandemics. It also places a premium on confronting climate change and the climate crisis by expanding global efforts to address environmental threats and reduce emissions, with over $3 billion to address the climate crisis and other environmental programs and includes the first direct appropriations for the Green Climate Fund, to the tune of a $1.6 billion investment. It also promotes democracy around the world, provides funding to support allies and partners of the United States with a $1.6 billion appropriation to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific and help counter the growing influence of the People's Republic of China in developing countries, something that I think people on both sides of the aisle know is a growing threat to freedom and democracy around the world. It also funds a $2.517 billion effort to increase democracy programs and provides $300 million for the National Endowment for Democracy. For those of us who care deeply about the world in which we live and care deeply about those countries that seek to limit democratic institutions and democracy, this is welcome news and I think very, very appropriate to the American values which we hold so dear. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to just take a moment to dive a little deeper in the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriation, and thank, again, the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Cartwright, for the great work that he did in getting the appropriations bill before the House. Overall, the appropriation bill provides $81.6 billion, an increase of 14 percent, to create jobs, support safer communities, and confront the climate crisis here at home. I would like to take just a moment to highlight some of the specifics, because it is important, as the American public observes the conversation going on here in the Congress about what our priorities are. Budgets always describe our priorities and our values. For instance, this bill provides $25 billion, an increase of $1.77 billion for NASA, with strong funding and a total effort to gain scientific knowledge about the Earth's changing climate. It includes $6.46 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for climate research and mitigation efforts, including improvements to weather forecasting, understanding the impact and degree of sea level rise, supporting offshore wind energy, fisheries management, and STEM education. It fosters innovation in U.S. economic competitiveness with $9.63 billion for the National Science Foundation to support climate science and sustainable research, as well as research on artificial intelligence, quantum information science, advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, and other critical research efforts, which I might say, parenthetically, is critically important, not only for economic security, not only for the climate crisis, but for national security as we confront these threats across the globe. In this bill we also address gender-based violence, providing $753.8 million for Violence Against Women's Act prevention and prosecution programs and includes $60 million for grants to reduce the backlog of unprocessed rape kits, which is critically important. This bill also provides support to create good-paying jobs for Americans, including providing $10.95 billion for the Department of Commerce, an increase of $2.03 billion, with investments in economic development in distressed communities and support for small businesses, including small- and medium-sized American manufacturers, as we continue to be concerned about the supply chain and the value chain as it relates to not only competitiveness by American companies but also, again, to make sure that we support our warfighters, and to make sure the supply chain for critical components and parts is ready for the defense of our Nation. It invests directly in our communities, with $433.1 million for the Economic Development Administration, an increase of $87 million, to boost economically recovering areas and launch innovative community development efforts, as well as $275 million for the very important Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, which we utilize in my community and others across the country, and an increase of $125 million to help small- and medium-sized United States manufacturers create and preserve jobs. Much of this will also be involved with making sure that people who have been displaced because of the pandemic economically will have opportunities to go into new industries and be trained, as well as make sure that incumbent workers continue to upgrade their skills so they can be competitive in what is a very, very competitive global economic environment. So I want to highlight those, Mr. Speaker. I know that I just talked about a lot of things that are not before the House, but I thought I would spend just a few moments talking about what is actually before the House and some of the critical investments that we are making in the bills that are before us. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I just remind folks that the Members of the House who are on the floor today are working very hard to make sure that we pass appropriations to support the American people, to create jobs, to make America safe, to make our interests around the world known. I do want to talk a little bit about making our communities safer, because there are substantial resources in the appropriations bill to do just that, providing resources for local law enforcement who are facing a period of great challenge: $360 million for Byrne Justice Assistance Grants; $156.5 million for COPS hiring grants, it takes concrete actions and provides resources for meaningful police reform initiatives, including requiring recipients of Federal law enforcement funding to comply with requirements in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act; provides $100 million for community-based violence intervention initiatives; addresses the epidemic of gun violence in the United States with $100 million to strengthen the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; $40 million to incentivize States to establish or refine red flag and gun licensing laws; and $10 million to develop and expand gun buy-back and relinquishment programs. We are working very, very hard, Mr. Speaker. We are trying to move ahead for the American people who have been through one of the most difficult times in the history of our country, in the history of the world, a pandemic which has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. We do see rising rates of infection. If you look at and do the correlation of those States who have the lowest vaccination rates, that is where the greatest numbers of those infections are occurring. And we are working hard. We are trying to move forward an agenda that will serve all Americans from a public health perspective, from an economic recovery perspective, and how to move forward and build this country back better and make sure that all people in America, every American citizen has the right, the opportunity, the potential to meet their dreams and aspirations. That is our work before the House, and we are not going to be distracted. We are not going to be taken down the proverbial rabbit hole. We have work to do, and that is the work before the House. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I note a great irony. We face enormous challenges in our country and in our world. But the Members who refuse to wear masks on the floor in the face of rising infections of a deadly delta variant, particularly in States with low vaccination rates, respond to all of this by making a motion to adjourn, to go home, to quit, to stop working. How ironic. My father, who was a proud pipefitter, Local 13, back in Rochester, New York, said, You never quit. You never quit until the job is done. Mr. Speaker, in addition to not quitting, I note another irony. My colleagues across the aisle are suddenly troubled by deficits. Never mind that nearly $2 trillion has been added to the national debt by cutting the taxes of billionaires. Aiding the rich, but not investing in the lives of middle class and working Americans? We reject that notion entirely. Mr. Speaker, many of my Republican colleagues speaking on the rule today painted a dystopian view of our country. Yes, we have challenges: a climate crisis, a public health crisis, economic concerns, and great racial inequities. That is why the investments we are proposing are so critically important today. But, Mr. Speaker, I reject the dystopian view. I believe America is the greatest country in the history of humankind, and my colleagues, we share an optimistic view. We want to invest in an America where everyone has a chance to realize their potential, and to achieve their dreams. We want to invest our resources and energies to create a safer, more secure, more prosperous world, and to strive mightily to build a more perfect union. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous question. The material previously referred to by Mr. Reschenthaler is as follows: Amendment to House Resolution H. Res. 567 At the end of the resolution, add the following: Sec. 13. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the bill (H.R. 471) to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from lessening the stringency of, and to prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from ceasing or lessening implementation of, the COVID-19 border health provisions through the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The bill shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and on any amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce; and (2) one motion to recommit. Sec. 14. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 471.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I thank my dear friend, the chair of the Rules Committee, who not only leads us every day in the committee but, I think, deserves high praise for his inspired leadership on the question of hunger. I have been privileged to be in a number of hearings that he has held, and I know we are making a difference in the appropriations bills before us, so I thank him for his continued leadership in that regard. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule. It is said that budgets are a statement of values. With this year's appropriations package, we are making our priorities crystal clear: uplifting working families and building a strong economic future for all Americans. This is arguably one of the most important funding bills in many years as it comes in the midst of a historic global pandemic that has left families and businesses alike reeling from its impacts. As we work to rebound from the devastation of the COVID-19 crisis, we must seize the opportunity before us and make transformational investments to support our Nation's recovery, both now and in the future. I am pleased to say that my colleagues and I have worked hard to craft an appropriations package that will do just that. I am particularly proud to have helped deliver essential funding to uplift families in my community of Rochester, New York, by expanding community health services, workforce development initiatives, youth programs, and more. We are investing in infrastructure, in better-paying jobs with benefits and apprenticeship training, and in affordable housing and daycare resources for working families. Madam Speaker, COVID-19 has shined a stark light on the inequities that have existed within our communities for decades. We have a responsibility to take action and ensure that we don't just rebuild what was, that we truly embrace President Biden's creed and build back better. That is why, with this appropriations package, we are also going to support equity for underserved communities with targeted economic investments, confront the climate crisis head-on, and invest in our Nation's greatest assets, its people, by empowering them with the tools they need to uplift their families and be successful. Coming out of this pandemic has not been easy, but we have made tremendous strides. Let's keep our foot on the gas, pass this rule, and move forward with this historic investment. I urge my colleagues to vote in support of the rule and in support of the underlying appropriations bill.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague and friend, my colleague from the Rules Committee, the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Ross). Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of the rule in favor of the ALLIES Act. This bill would protect our Afghan partners who risked their lives as translators and navigators to U.S. military personnel by expediting the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa process and approving an additional 8,000 visas so that they can come to America as soon as possible. The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan has placed thousands of these allies and their families at risk of retribution. If not for the contributions of these Afghan partners, the United States military losses could have been greater than already endured during this prolonged conflict. For 20 years, their courage and sacrifice protected our troops, and they were an invaluable asset to our forces in Afghanistan. We have a duty to ensure both they and their families are safe from retaliation from the Taliban and other terrorist organizations. In my district of Rochester, New York, my office hears multiple times per week from SIV advocates, like Keeping Our Promise and the Association of Wartime Allies. The stories they share are heartbreaking: brave men and women stuck in bureaucratic limbo, waiting for the visas they were promised so they can start a new life in America. We need to pass this bill and honor the promise we made to our allies. If we leave these people behind, who will ever be willing to assist U.S. forces around the world, knowing that we lacked the moral resolve to protect our allies? That is not what we stand for. The United States leads from the front. Now is the time to take charge of the situation and ensure we keep our promise and leave no one behind. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and pass H.R. 3985.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I thank my dear friend and fellow member of the Rules Committee, Mr. DeSaulnier, for giving me the opportunity to speak for just a moment. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the rule that would allow us to consider the INVEST in America Act. This long-overdue infrastructure legislation will prioritize direct Federal investments in roads, bridges, transit, and rail, while also leveraging modern and innovative approaches to reliable and sustainable infrastructure investments. As we continue our recovery from the pandemic and seek to revitalize our communities, we know an essential part of that is strengthening our local infrastructure. Modernizing our infrastructure helps to meet growing mobility demands, create jobs, and grow the economy, all while creating stronger and more interconnected communities. I am thrilled that this legislative package lays the groundwork for major investments across the country while also supporting opportunities to strengthen our local infrastructure through targeted priorities. My own community of Rochester, New York, will only grow stronger through the enactment of the INVEST in America Act, and I look forward to seeing this critical legislation passed into law. Madam Speaker, I am proud to have helped move this transformative bill forward, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in favor of the rule and the underlying bill. And I call on our partners in the Senate to join us in making this investment a reality. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman DeFazio for his tireless work on this effort, and my dear friend, Mr. DeSaulnier, for yielding time.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, today, I rise in support of a simple concept: A consumer's right to repair the goods they own. For too long, large corporations have used embedded technology to prevent small business owners and everyday Americans from repairing their own equipment. This needs to change, which is why I am proud to introduce the Fair Repair Act to put power back in the hands of consumers where it belongs. The concept behind this is as old as it is simple: if you own something, you own all of it, including the right to repair it. This pandemic has magnified our need to be self-reliant and have the ability to repair our own devices, especially when large retailers are forced to shutter. My bill will guarantee consumers and small businesses that right by requiring manufacturers to make diagnostic repair information, parts, and tools readily available rather than forcing individuals to go to an original equipment manufacturer. This commonsense legislation will help make technology repairs more accessible and affordable for items from cell phones to laptops to farm equipment. Madam Speaker, I look forward to working with my colleagues to bring this legislation to the floor and finally give individuals the autonomy they deserve.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dustin Froula, the recipient of the 2020 Ernest Orlando Lawrence award from the United States Department of Energy. Dr. Froula is Senior Scientist and Leader of the Plasma and Ultrafast Physics Group at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics and Associate Professor of Physics in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester in my district. Professor Froula joined the University of Rochester in 2010 from the National Ignition Facility Inertial Confinement Fusion Directorate at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. His research interests lie in the fields of experimental plasma and laser physics and covers the many areas relevant to inertial confinement fusion and high-energy-density physics. The E.O. Lawrence award was established in 1959 in honor of a scientist who helped elevate American physics to world leadership and recognizes U.S. scientists and engineers in nine fields, at mid-career, for exceptional contributions in research and development supporting the Department of Energy and its mission to advance the national, economic and energy security of the United States. Dr. Froula received his award in Fusion and Plasma Sciences for innovative research in laser plasma physics including pioneering spatiotemporal pulse shaping techniques, focused laser plasma instability research, and novel high- resolution Thomson scattering methods. In addition to the Lawrence award, Dr. Froula has been previously recognized with the 2007 Department of Energy's Outstanding Mentor Award for his work with undergraduate and graduate students and the 2019 American Physical Society's John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research, ``for innovative experiments that demonstrate turbulent dynamo in the laboratory, establishing laboratory experiments as a component in the study of turbulent magnetized plasmas, and opening a new path to laboratory investigations of other astrophysical processes.'' In addition, he was selected as a fellow of the American Physical Society in 2017 for the ``development and application of Thomson scattering to understand thermal transport and the onset of laser-plasma instabilities in indirect- and direct-drive fusion experiments.'' Dr. Froula's research addresses long-standing questions in plasma physics, including building a better understanding of how laser beams propagate through and interact with plasmas during laser-based experiments. His exceptional contributions have made him an internationally recognized expert in the theory and utilization of Thomson scattering, including co-authoring the definite reference text, ``Plasma Scattering of Electromagnetic Radiation: Theory and Measurement Techniques''. He helped pioneer the development of using Thompson scattering as a measurement tool, and it has evolved from a rare and challenging experimental technique to a common and routine experimental diagnostic capability in fundamental plasma physics. Additionally, Dr. Froula has recently opened a new field of optics based on the concept of ``flying focus,'' a technique that enables researchers to better control the intensity of lasers over long distances. The technique has the potential to help researchers design the next generation of high-power, laser-driven particle accelerators, and light sources with novel wavelengths for studying complex materials and molecules. His work to date has been tremendous and his contributions to science, leadership and mentoring epitomize all the qualities that E.O. Lawrence strived for in his lifetime. In summary, Dr. Froula's colleagues and students know him as an outstanding, innovative scientist and mentor who inspires and involves graduate students in world leading plasma science research. I am proud to have Dustin as a constituent and awed by his numerous scientific achievements, including this very deserving award.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ranga Dias, for his discovery of the world's first high-temperature super-conducting material, carbonaceous sulfur hydride. Because of their potential to change the world as we know it, such materials have been sought by scientists for more than a century. I couldn't be more proud that this discovery by Dr. Dias, and his collaborators, was made in my district. I also want to acknowledge the incredible support from the National Science Foundation and Department of Energy Office of Science that made this work possible. Dr. Dias is a professor of Mechanical Engineering and Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester and an internationally recognized scientist in the field of high-pressure physics and high energy density science. Since announcing his discovery this past October, Dr. Dias' work has been extensively reported in popular press, including the New York Times, NPR, and the BBC. Dr. Dias was named to the 2021 Time 100 NEXT list that highlights 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future and was recently awarded a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development, or CAREER, award. CAREER is the NSF's most prestigious award in support of early-career faculty and is intended to help them build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research. Professor Dias' research focuses on materials under extreme pressures where their properties are altered in fundamental ways. At these incredibly high pressures, individual atoms are forced into close proximity, in a similar manner as when they are cooled to very low temperatures, allowing them to exhibit a range of interesting quantum behaviors, including super-conductivity. This approach is a paradigm shift that has allowed Dr. Dias' team what no one else has. To say this is the stuff of science fiction would be an understatement. To create this material, the team placed a mixture of carbon, hydrogen and sulfur in a microscopic niche carved between the tips of two diamonds and then subjected them to laser light and squeezed them at 2.6 million times atmospheric pressure at sea level. The result was a new record: a material that exhibited superconductivity at about 58 degrees Fahrenheit. The hope, which I share, is that with further research, this team of talented scientists will find a way to make these, or similar materials, stable at ambient temperatures and pressures, unlocking a wide range of potential applications that will literally transform our world, including ultra-efficient computers and electronic devices, essentially loss-less energy transmission and storage, and new forms of propulsion and industrial power transmission without friction. With this approach, it may even become possible to create unique materials whose properties are tuned to particular applications that we have not yet dreamed of. Of course, translating this advance into practical applications and realizing these breakthroughs still require additional research and development that will take some time. However, the phenomenal achievement of Dr. Dias and his team have shown us what is possible and, thanks to federal support for science, we are closer now than we have ever been. I congratulate Ranga on his accomplishments and wish him the greatest success with his future research.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 486 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, yesterday, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 486, providing for consideration of H.R. 2062, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act, under a structured rule. It provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and Labor. It self-executes a manager's amendment from Chairman Scott and makes in order five amendments. The rule provides for en bloc authority to Chairman Scott or his designee and for one motion to recommit. The rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 239, the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act, under a closed rule. It provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and provides for one motion to recommit. The rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 1443, the LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act, under a closed rule. It provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Financial Services and provides for one motion to recommit. The rule further provides for consideration of S.J. Res. 13, S.J. Res. 14, and S.J. Res. 15 under closed rules. It provides the Committees on Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, and Financial Services each 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by their respective chairs and ranking minority members. It also provides each joint resolution one motion to recommit. Finally, the rule deems passage of H. Res. 485 and provides the majority leader or his designee the ability to en bloc requested rollcall votes on suspension bills considered on June 22 or 23. This authority lasts through June 25. Madam Speaker, the House is set to take up a number of critical bills and resolutions in this rule, but I would like to begin by saying a few words about H.R. 2062, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. Instances of age discrimination at the workplace, including being passed up for a promotion or forced to retire early, are far too common across the country. A recent survey conducted by AARP found that nearly two out of three workers 45 years and older have seen or experienced age discrimination while on the job. Importantly, we can expect this problem to be exacerbated in the coming years by the continued growth of the number of older workers in America, which is outpacing the growth of the overall labor force. Discrimination against workers is not only unfair and morally wrong; it creates a major drag on the U.S. economy. According to a recent report, the economy missed out on an additional $850 billion in GDP in 2018 all because older workers aged 50 years and older were not given the opportunity to remain in or re-enter the labor force, switch jobs, or be promoted within their existing company. Clearly, age discrimination not only harms older workers; it harms the country as a whole. Despite the enormity of this problem, the Supreme Court in 2009 made it much more difficult for age discrimination lawsuits to be successful. The Court's ruling in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. imposed a much higher burden of proof on plaintiffs alleging discrimination than previously required under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act passed by Congress in 1967. This new standard from Gross requires plaintiffs to prove that age discrimination was the decisive, determinative but-for cause for any adverse employment action taken by the employer. The new sole-factor test replaced decades of precedent allowing that employees need only show that their age was a key factor, potentially among other factors, in the employer's adverse employment action. The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act simply restores the pre-2009 evidentiary threshold, allowing individuals to show a discriminatory motive was merely a key factor for the adverse employment action, which is consistent with the standard for other workplace discrimination claims based on race, religion, sex, or national origin. This legislation ensures that older workers can pursue their livelihoods and hold employers accountable for age discrimination. This rule also sets up consideration of three Congressional Review Act resolutions, all of which overturn harmful rulemaking implemented by the Trump administration. S.J. Res. 13 overturns a rule finalized by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that provides employers with significant unfair advantages during the informal conciliation process, which allows parties to settle a charge of employer discrimination without going to court. S.J. Res. 14 overturns efforts by the Trump EPA to gut a 2016 rule finalized by the Obama administration, which placed critically important limits on methane emissions from the oil and gas industry sector. The last CRA resolution overturns the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's true lender rule, which makes it easier for predatory lenders to launder loans through out-of-State banks that are not subject to State interest rate caps. Prior to this rule, the ``true lender'' in partnerships between banks and nonbank financial service companies was whichever entity had the primary economic interest in the loan. This harmful OCC action changed the test for the ``true lender'' to be simply whichever bank is listed on the loan origination documents, making it extraordinarily easy to create a rent-a-bank relationship between nationally chartered banks and nonbanks, allowing nonbanks to avoid State interest rate cap laws where they are actually doing business. Especially during the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and economic crisis, it is astounding that the Trump administration chose to focus on making it easier for predatory lenders to take advantage of Americans in need. Finally, the House is also set to consider two additional bills. The Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act, H.R. 239, prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from requiring copayments for contraception coverage, bringing the policy in line with the Department of Defense and the private sector. The second bill, LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act, H.R. 1443, requires financial institutions to collect the sexual orientation and gender identity of the principal owners of small businesses, in addition to existing requirements that institutions collect data on sex, race, and ethnicity. Both of these bills should be noncontroversial. Although Members of the House Republican Conference inexplicably blocked these bills from passing under suspension last week, I am pleased that we will not further delay passage of this critical legislation. I urge all of my colleagues to support this rule, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act, three CRAs to overturn harmful administration actions of the previous administration, and commonsense legislation to support women veterans and the LGBTQ business community. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I appreciate very much the comments from my friend and my colleague on the Committee on Rules, Mr. Burgess. I do want to just note that when it comes to discrimination, the standard that we use for discrimination in the workplace that relates to race, religion, sex or national origin, is that those factors are a key motivating factor in an employment decision that allows a claimant to come forward. That is what we wish to make the standard for age discrimination for older Americans. What is being suggested by my friends on the other side of the aisle, however, are two different standards. In this case, when it comes to age discrimination, that it needs to be the sole factor. Prior to the 2009 Supreme Court case, indeed these were on par. The same standards would apply, the same criteria that it be a key motivating factor. And frankly, when you think about it, if you are an older American and you are being denied a promotion, you are being denied a pay raise, and your employer suggests, well, you are a little older, and oh, by the way--and lists a couple other things. Well, because it is not the sole factor that they articulated, you don't have a cause for a claim. And we believe that there shouldn't be two different standards when it comes to discrimination. If it is a key motivating factor, which it was up until the 2009 opinion, that is how it should stand. And we should make certain that the law of the land when it relates to employment discrimination is the same, whether or not it is because of race, religion, sex, national origin, or age. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley).

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I want to just talk for a moment about H.R. 239, the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act, which is actually before us today. Although some might want to make this debate about other issues, it is not. Comprehensive healthcare for women, including access to contraception, is critically important. Access to contraception is an economic issue. It helps people stay in the workforce, earn wages, support stronger families. It has even been shown to lift women out of poverty. Even relatively small copays have been found to be a barrier to accessing contraception. Costs associated with contraception result in women foregoing it completely, choosing less effective methods, or using it inconsistently. Congress eliminated copays for contraception as part of the Affordable Care Act. And, as I said, for members of the Defense Department, for people in military service, there is no copay. It is time we did the same for those brave women who entered armed services and now are veterans. We also want to make sure that we have equal access. Women represent the fastest growing subpopulation of veterans in the Nation, yet they lack access to the basic preventative healthcare needs like contraception. So I want to make sure that we focus on what is before us, the bills before the House, what this conversation is about, and not to be distracted by things not before us and part of an extreme agenda. This is a simple issue. It has passed by voice vote in the last Congress, and it is not clear to me what has changed. This is an important issue for women all across America, and we owe that to our veterans to make sure that they don't have additional barriers to contraception that no one else in American has. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I just note that we have in front of us two CRAs. We have two important bills: The LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act, as well as the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act of 2021. And we are not talking about any of those. So I am prepared to talk about those, which are actually before the House, whenever my friends choose to. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I do want to thank the gentleman, Dr. Burgess, a colleague and friend on the Rules Committee. I always appreciate hearing from him. I think there are compelling issues here in this rule and the reasons that the House should adopt the rule. The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act is a critical tool for so many Americans who are discriminated against in the workplace. It deserves our support. I am confident that it will pass the House, but we should remember how important it is, not only to those workers, but to the U.S. economy. H.R. 239, the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act, makes sure that women who have served and are veterans have the same rights that every other person in America has to not have to pay copays in order to receive contraception from their healthcare policy. We also take up critical legislation regarding LGBTQ businesses, to make sure they get equal access to credit and equal access to investments. H.R. 1443 would require lenders to start to gather information on those businesses that are owned by LGBTQ individuals. The CRAs, in my judgment, Mr. Speaker, are all well-informed, and they do focus on the policies, policies which, frankly, we don't agree with here in the House and which the Senate didn't agree with. The Senate has passed these on to us in bipartisan fashion, so these aren't simply questions of whether or not we approve of the previous President. This is about the policies themselves, and they have found themselves here to be voted on because our colleagues across the corridor in the Senate agree with us that these rules ought to be overturned using the CRA process. This is an important rule. It affects millions of Americans in so many ways. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous question.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, rise today in recognition of Mr. Lou Spiotti as he retires from an outstanding career as the Athletic Director at the Rochester Institute of Technology, a career spanning four decades of unwavering commitment to his student-athletes both on and off the field. Mr. Spiotti arrived at RIT in 1974 as head football coach, after six years he was chosen to lead the athletic program. Under his leadership, RIT athletics experienced unprecedented success and growth. From an original fifteen programs, Mr. Spiotti oversaw the expansion to twenty- four programs totaling well over 600 student-athletes and staff. During his forty-one-year tenure, RIT secured forty-one Division III conference championships--including ten consecutive league titles by the men's lacrosse program and women's basketball playing in three straight NCAA Tournaments. Mr. Spiotti's decades of service make him the longest-tenured intercollegiate athletic director in the nation--a remarkable accomplishment. Academic success was always as important to Mr. Spiotti as athletic success. During his career, the athletic department's cumulative grade point average regularly exceeded that of the overall student body. Additionally. Mr. Spiotti spearheaded multiple athletic facility upgrades including the completion of the 4,300 seat Gene Polisseni Center. For his body of work as a leader, coach, and administrator Mr. Spiotti has earned the respect and admiration of the RIT community. He leaves behind a culture of integrity, character, and class. Madam Speaker, I respectfully ask that you join me in extending congratulations on Mr. Spiotti's well-deserved retirement and in expressing our appreciation for his years of service to the RIT community.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the significant struggles facing working families across America, struggles that have been exposed and exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. That is why, through the American Rescue Plan, we took action to expand the child tax credit, helping to uplift families and reduce poverty. In my community, more than 40,000 households will receive an average benefit of nearly $3,000 that will begin being disbursed in just a few short weeks. This is projected to lift 8,200 children out of poverty in my district alone. When we talk about transformative investment to support working families, this is exactly what we mean, and it is why we need to make the expanded child tax credit permanent, to put kids and parents on the path to success, because when we ease the financial burden on families, they have the security and flexibility to contribute to the workforce, strengthen our economy, and set our children up for a stable and successful future.