Joseph Morelle

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize the extraordinary life of Rochester's own Pete DuPre, fondly known as Harmonica Pete, who died peacefully at the venerable age of 98 earlier this year. Harmonica Pete served our Nation as a combat medic during World War II. When he returned home, he began volunteering with the Greatest Generation Foundation, playing the harmonica for veterans groups. His heartfelt rendition of ``The Star-Spangled Banner'' onboard the USS Arizona and his performance before the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team in 2019 turned Harmonica Pete into a worldwide viral sensation. He chose to heal our Nation's veterans through music and brought joy to all who knew him. Pete once said, ``History books fade, and so do we,'' but his memory will never fade from our hearts and minds. May you rest in peace, Harmonica Pete.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, six years ago this month, I heard the phrase triple-negative breast cancer for the first time in my life. I was in the oncologist's office with my newly diagnosed 29-year-old daughter, Lauren, a day forever etched in my memory. In the weeks that followed, I learned a great deal about this very aggressive, rare form of breast cancer. Roughly 12 percent of breast cancer survivors are designated as triple-negative. It is the only form of breast cancer that doesn't respond to hormone therapy, often requiring chemotherapy instead. And it claims the lives of thousands of women and men each year. It stole Lauren from our family in August of 2017. Tomorrow, March 3, is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Awareness Day. I am humbled to sponsor a resolution to call attention to this awful disease and to let the thousands of victims of triple-negative breast cancer know they are not alone.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my friend and Rules Committee colleague, Ms. Ross, for yielding time and for her leadership on this important issue. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the rule that will advance the America COMPETES Act, an historic package of long overdue legislative actions to strengthen our supply chain and make bold investments supporting manufacturing right here at home where it matters most. There is so much in this legislative package that I am proud to deliver for my constituents back home in Rochester, New York, specifically the provision to boost regional innovation hubs and regional innovation. I am proud that language in H.R. 4521 will create regional technology and innovation hubs like those envisioned in my legislation, the Innovation Centers Acceleration Act. Since early 2020, I have had the honor of leading the effort for legislation that would dedicate serious Federal investment into our Nation's innovation efforts. In fact, the Rochester area was identified by the Brookings Institute as one of the top regions in the country for group opportunity, and it is no secret why. With cutting-edge universities and research facilities, combined with a robust manufacturing infrastructure, access to shipping routes and a highly specialized workforce, Rochester is ready. We just need the investment to help expand on a wider scale. This initiative will incentivize collaborative partnerships between local governments, colleges and universities, private industry, non- profits and community organizations to promote and support regional technology and innovation hubs in cities like Rochester. Significant and sustained innovation investment is needed to drive economic recovery and build resiliency, and the America COMPETES Act puts us on track to just that. Now is the time to boldly invest in innovation and scientific research to advance America's competitiveness against China and reestablish our Nation as the global leader of innovation. By investing and enacting the America COMPETES Act, we reaffirm our leadership around the world by strengthening diplomacy, promoting human rights, and bolstering economic engagement. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rule and the underlying bill.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of a Rochester, New York, legend and beloved veteran, Gary Beikirch, who sadly passed away December 26 at the age of 74. With little regard for his own safety, Sergeant Beikirch's conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, earned him the prestigious Medal of Honor in 1973. Sergeant Beikirch's story of selfless valor is so revered in Rochester that our Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Highland Park bears his name. Sergeant Beikirch went on to become a pastor and beloved school counselor whose presence, empathy, and service will impact our community for generations to come. I close with the words of General George Patton: ``It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.'' I thank God for the life of Gary Beikirch.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I appreciate Mr. Smith's enthusiasm and exuberance. The arguments that folks would make that House Democrats are responsible for the spending of the Trump administration and the Trump White House, that argument is, frankly, absurd and happened during a global pandemic, so we had much work to do to spare the American public. But I am going to do this: Moved by the spirit of the season, I am going bestow a gift on Members, and I am not going to rebut point by point but rather reserve the balance of my time and allow my colleague to speak.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 852 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I wonder, when the gentleman finished his home's renovations if he paid the contractor or refused to pay because he might be tempted to do renovations in the future. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Those who know me know I am not a very sophisticated guy, and they also know I am not a financial wizard; but I will tell you this: I would love to have a philosophical debate, maybe sit down, have a cup of coffee with the distinguished gentleman from Texas, and we might even find some common ground about what our practices ought to be relative to spending and taxing and all those things. But to be clear, none of what Dr. Burgess just talked about has anything to do with what we are doing here today. Ninety-seven percent of the debt that we have incurred as a Nation happened before Joe Biden took office. As for Build Back Better, which many on our side of the aisle are working to try to enact, that is something that is prospective. We are talking tonight about paying the bills of things that we have already agreed to pay for. It has absolutely nothing to do with it. I appreciate the distinguished gentleman because he is trying to bring into this debate many things which have no relevance here, apparently to make a better case, but the truth is we have a decision before us that is a serious one. It not only affects the creditworthiness of the United States, but it affects global markets. This would be, as I indicated earlier, catastrophic. This is Armageddon if it doesn't happen. Just to note, in 2016, prior to the election of the previous administration, the national debt was $19.5 trillion or 105 percent of GDP. In 2020, when the administration's time had run its course, the debt had risen to $27.7 trillion or 129 percent of GDP, a $7.8 trillion increase. Included in that was a $1.9 trillion tax cut, which hasn't paid for itself, which has added dramatically to the debt. But the debt has been accumulated during decades of real need by the American public. So we could have a conversation; and, frankly, the discussion about spending takes place in the Appropriations Committee, it takes place in the Budget Committee, taxation takes place in the Ways and Means Committee. What we are doing now is making a decision to pay our bills. Fundamentally, bottom line. It doesn't require a whole lot of sophistication or talk about financial markets. It is clearly a simple question, are we going to pay for the things that we have agreed to buy, and that is it. It is as simple as can be. Every household in America makes those decisions. You get something, you get a bill in the mail, you pay for it. Even if you have buyer's remorse, even if your wife says to you that fine exercise thing that you bought, which is going to be the most expensive coat hanger in the house because you are not going to use it, we still pay for it because it is in the house, and we bought it. That is as simple as it can possibly be. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess), my distinguished colleague from the Rules Committee, 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. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, today, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 852, providing for consideration of S.J. Res. 33, a joint resolution relating to increasing the debt limit, under a closed rule. The rule provides for 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means, or their designees, and provides one motion to commit. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to adopt the rule and support lifting the Nation's debt ceiling. Failing to lift the debt ceiling and defaulting on our debt is not an option. If we do not act, a default could result in the loss of millions of jobs and $15 trillion in household wealth, according to nonpartisan Moody's Analytics economist Mark Zandi. Mr. Zandi has characterized a default as ``financial Armageddon,'' and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has gone even further, stating that a default ``could cause an immediate, literally cascading catastrophe of unbelievable proportions and damage America for 100 years.'' Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of former Treasury Secretaries wrote to Congress arguing that protecting U.S. creditworthiness is a ``sacrosanct responsibility.'' I couldn't agree more. Let's be clear about what we are talking about here today. The debt limit is the total amount of money that the United States Government is authorized to borrow to meet its existing legal obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, payments to veterans and servicemembers, and tax refunds. The debt limit does not authorize any new spending; it simply allows the government to pay its bills for obligations it has already incurred. Mr. Speaker, much of this debt was accrued on a bipartisan basis. It includes emergency measures to combat the pandemic and increase defense spending. While many on the other side of the aisle have tried to tie raising the debt ceiling to our efforts to pass the President's agenda, it should be noted that 97 percent of the total national debt accrued before President Biden even took office. Since 1960, Congress has acted 78 times to address the debt limit, 49 times under Republican Presidents and 29 times under Democratic Presidents. In the last 10 years, the debt limit has been addressed seven times on a bipartisan basis, including three times under the last administration, during which, I would like to remind my Republican colleagues, $7.8 trillion of the total national debt was incurred. Arguments about raising the debt ceiling have become nonsensical. In the current discourse, both sides of the aisle have agreed to spend Federal dollars on important programs, but only one side of the aisle believes that we should actually fulfill our obligations to pay our creditors for those very same programs. Mr. Speaker, if we choose not to honor our obligations to creditors, what message does that send to the American people and, frankly, the rest of the world? Everyday Americans pay their bills and honor their commitments. Why shouldn't we do the same? Mr. Speaker, it is frankly outrageous to hold the position that we shouldn't be held to the same standard as families who work hard to find a way to pay their bills every day. I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying legislation to raise our Nation's debt ceiling, ensuring that America can continue to pay its bills and honor its obligations. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First, let me echo Dr. Burgess' comments about the vaccine. I want to encourage every American to get that vaccine. We still have far too many people who have chosen not to get the vaccine and the third dose, for those who are eligible, under the messenger RNA, to do a third shot. But we encourage every single American to do it, and I want to make sure to repeat that. I join with my colleague in thanking those who made that possible. Mr. Speaker, I also thank all of my colleagues for their work in support of the rule before us today. As I mentioned earlier, protecting U.S. creditworthiness is a sacred responsibility, and it would be an abdication of that sacred responsibility to fail to address the debt limit and ensure that the United States Government pays its bills. We have heard a lot of rhetoric today, but we all know that the measure before us today is not about new spending. No matter how many times it is said, it is not about new spending. We are acting today to ensure that America can pay its obligations that we have already agreed to incur. Pretending otherwise is a disservice to the American people. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous question.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music on the occasion of its centennial celebration. In September 1921, the Eastman School of Music opened its doors with an inaugural class of 104 students. Through the efforts of its founder, George Eastman of Eastman Kodak Company, longtime director Howard Hanson, and University of Rochester President Rush Rhees, the school became a leader in American music education dedicated to the highest levels of artistry and scholarship. The following year, the school's largest performance venue, the iconic Eastman Theatre, was opened. Inscribed on its facade is Mr. Eastman's vision, ``For the enrichment of community life.'' In the years since, the theatre has hosted some of the world's greatest musicians, including composers Aaron Copland, Igor Stravinsky and John Williams; jazz musicians Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis, and Eastman alumnus Ron Carter; and classical luminaries Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Eastman alumna, Renee Fleming. It is the main performing venue of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and hosts many community concerts, lectures, and events. It is also the venue and location of choice for many national and international festivals including The CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival, KeyBank Rochester Fringe Festival, and more. The Eastman Community Music School, also founded in 1921, is continuing to honor Mr. Eastman's dream, offering music lessons, ensembles, classes, and workshops to students of all ages and financial means each year. Eastman also provides tuition-free lessons and music instruction to Rochester City School District students, many of whom go on to study at Eastman as well as at other top music schools. Eastman has distinguished itself as an innovator in music and culture, developing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in the 1950s and becoming the first music school to formally offer courses in entrepreneurial thinking and leadership studies through its Institute for Music Leadership. Eastman's Sibley Music Library is the largest collegiate music library in North America with nearly 750,000 items, including many manuscripts, first-editions, and vast resources for performance and research. Eastman Performing Arts Medicine is a recent pioneering partnership between Eastman and the University of Rochester Medical Center to connect world-class performing arts with medicine. Today, the Eastman School of Music enrolls nearly 900 undergraduate and graduate students from almost every state and many countries around the world, led by 95 faculty members. Its alumni include many Pulitzer, Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award winners. Over the last one hundred years, the Eastman School of Music's premier programs and magnificent facilities have become a powerful cultural force not only in Rochester, New York, but across the United States and around the world. It is an honor to represent this fine institution and to support efforts over the years to strengthen this extraordinary school for many generations to come. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music on its centennial. Its service and contributions to Rochester, New York State, and arts and culture around the world will always be celebrated.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, the Build Back Better Act is an historic opportunity to reduce our Nation's healthcare costs, increase access to childcare, support working families, and strengthen our economy. One item I would like to highlight is a provision to boost regional innovation. Since the 116th Congress, I have proudly sponsored the Innovation Centers Acceleration Act, legislation that would invest significant Federal dollars in our Nation's innovation efforts. Federal R&D as a percentage of GDP has fallen considerably since the mid-1960s, harming our productivity and global competitiveness, while opening the door for China to lead the world in innovation. I am incredibly proud that this bill includes $3.36 billion to create the regional innovation clusters envisioned in my proposal. Not only will this investment enhance our ability to be competitive, but it will create jobs at a time when they are needed the most. I encourage my colleagues to join me in proudly supporting and advancing this historic legislation, and I look forward to its passage.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the distinguished chair of the Rules Committee and my colleague for his incredible work and leadership. Madam Speaker, today we continue to make good on our promise to deliver real results for working families by moving another step forward with the Build Back Better Act. The pandemic put significant strains on my constituents, including increased costs of childcare and healthcare, amid continued disruptions in our labor markets. Today it is clear, we have their back. This landmark legislation will help 163,000 people alone in the State of New York gain much-needed health coverage, and save Monroe County families hundreds of dollars on healthcare costs annually. By lowering the cost of prescription drugs, like insulin, we can ensure no one ever has to choose between putting food on the table or paying for lifesaving medication. We are making long overdue investments in infrastructure that will result in good-paying jobs, upgrades to roads and bridges, broadband internet, and public transit, all without raising taxes on working men and women. We are expanding access to high quality and affordable childcare for over 1 million children, giving parents the resources they need to get back to work while supporting their families. These are real, impactful policies that will have a profound effect on my district and support middle class Americans at a time they need it the most. Madam Speaker, I look forward to voting in favor of the rule, and I remain focused on delivering real results to insure our families can thrive and succeed.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my friend and colleague from the Committee on Rules, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Reschenthaler), 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. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Committee on Rules met and reported a rule, House Resolution 567. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4346, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees. The rule self-executes a manager's amendment from Chairman Ryan, makes in order 12 amendments, provides en bloc authority for Chairwoman DeLauro or her designee, and provides one motion to recommit. The rule also provides for consideration H.R. 4373, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees. The rule self-executes a manager's amendment from Chairwoman Lee, makes in order 36 amendments, provides en bloc authority for Chairwoman DeLauro or her designee, and provides one motion to recommit. Finally, the rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4505, the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their designees. It self-executes a manager's amendment from Chairman Cartwright, makes in order 61 amendments, provides en bloc authority for Chairwoman DeLauro or her designee, and provides one motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise and speak in favor of critical investments that my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee have worked tirelessly to secure for the American people. First, I would like to congratulate Chairwoman DeLauro on her exemplary leadership in bringing us a package of legislation that we can be proud to support and as well commend Chairs Cartwright, Ryan, and Lee on their dedication to ensuring America's greatest needs are reflected in this year's appropriations bills. The underlying package we are considering today includes fiscal year 2022 funding for the Commerce, Justice, and Science; Legislative Branch; and State and Foreign Operations appropriations bills that invest in the future of America's hardworking families and America's engagement around the globe. These investments are more than just a commitment to our districts, they are firm action items that will help Americans throughout our country grow and heal as we emerge from this pandemic. The Commerce-Justice-Science bill supports good-paying American jobs, fosters groundbreaking scientific research, and helps to make our communities safer. These critical programs include investments in economic development in distressed communities with support for small businesses, including small- and medium-sized American manufacturers. This package also increases funding to address gender-based violence in our communities, supports programs to reduce gun violence, and helps us tackle the opioid crisis. I, for one, know that my community in Rochester, New York, will benefit greatly from the priorities secured in the CJS appropriations bill, and I look forward to delivering on our promise to support safer communities with funding for local law enforcement while bolstering police and criminal justice reform, increasing funding for community-based violence intervention initiatives, and expanding gun violence prevention efforts. The Legislative Branch appropriations bill strengthens congressional capacity to recruit a diverse and talented workforce while investing in efforts to protect our Capitol. After hearing firsthand yesterday from the brave officers who protected all of us on January 6, it is our duty to return the favor by doing our job and showing full support for our Capitol Police force. The insurrection on January 6 left widespread physical damage to the Capitol Complex and emotional trauma for Members, congressional employees, and Capitol Police. This measure is essential to protecting the Capitol and ensuring that we can continue to do the work of the American people. It provides funding to support training, recruitment, retention, and readiness of the Capitol Police force. The State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bills supports the world's most vulnerable with foreign assistance to meet urgent humanitarian needs, many of which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This appropriations bill will promote democracy with funding to support allies and partners of the United States, particularly to counter governments that undermine the core values of our democracy and of democracy around the world. Additionally, it confronts climate change with funding for global efforts to reduce emissions, advances women's rights by increasing funding for family planning, increases United Nations Population Fund funding, and repeals restrictions on safe and legal abortion. This is a package I am proud to take home to my constituents, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reflect on whom we are here to represent and support, make good on our promises to the American people, and pass this rule and these critical appropriations bills. 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 would like to in response, and I appreciate the comments from my friend, include in the Record a 2013 American Progress article titled, ``How the Hyde Amendment Discriminates Against Poor Women and Women of Color.'' [May 10, 2013] How the Hyde Amendment Discriminates Against Poor Women and Women of Color (By Jessica Arons and Lindsay Rosenthal) In 1973 the Supreme Court decided in the landmark case Roe v. Wade to recognize the constitutional right to abortion for all women. Forty years later, however, this guarantee remains an empty promise for thousands of poor women and women of color thanks to the Hyde Amendment, an annual appropriations measure first passed in 1976. This provision intentionally discriminates against poor women by prohibiting Medicaid, the health-insurance program for low-income individuals and families, from covering abortion care. Because of the intersection in our country between race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, this restriction also has a disproportionate impact on women of color. Due to a number of root causes related to inequality, women of color are more likely to qualify for government insurance that restricts abortion coverage, more likely to experience higher rates of unintended pregnancy, and less likely to be able to pay for an abortion out of pocket. The Hyde Amendment therefore does not only undermine gender equity, but it also violates principles of racial and economic justice. The Hyde Amendment discriminates against poor women. Congress passed the Hyde Amendment in order to deny poor women access to abortion. Former Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL), the law's sponsor, admitted during the debate of his proposal that he was targeting poor women. ``I certainly would like to prevent, if I could legally, anybody having an abortion, a rich woman, a middle-class woman, or a poor woman,'' he said. ``Unfortunately, the only vehicle available is the Medicaid bill.'' 1 in 10 women of reproductive age in the United States relies on Medicaid for their health coverage. By prohibiting Medicaid from covering abortion services, the Hyde Amendment has used the primary source of health care for low-income women to restrict access to abortion. Poor women face significant disparities when it comes to reproductive health. Compared with higher-income women, poor women's rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion are each five times as high, and their unplanned birth rate is six times as high. These disparities are rooted in deeply entrenched inequities in the areas of health-insurance coverage, health care, and medically accurate sex education, as well as other health-promoting resources. Abortion costs between $300 and $950 in the first trimester, making it unaffordable for poor women without insurance coverage. In 2009 more than half of nonelderly adult women enrolled in Medicaid had family incomes below the poverty level; one- quarter had incomes below 50 percent of the poverty level. The monthly income for a family of three living at half the current poverty level is $813.75. One in four Medicaid-qualified women who seek an abortion is forced to carry her pregnancy to term because of cost. Many more are forced to delay their procedure for as long as two to three weeks while they raise money, with the costs and risks of the procedure increasing the longer they wait. The Hyde Amendment discriminates against women of color. A dissenting Supreme Court opinion recognized that the Hyde Amendment was discriminatory. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall's dissenting opinion in Harris v. McRae noted that the law was ``designed to deprive poor and minority women of the constitutional right to choose abortion.'' Women of color are disproportionately poor and therefore less likely to be able to pay out of pocket for their health care. According to 2011 census data, 25.5 percent of African Americans and 25 percent of Latinas are living below the poverty level, compared to only 10.4 percent of whites and 12.2 percent of Asians. Moreover, certain groups of Asian and Pacific Islander women face much higher poverty rates than are reflected in the aggregate census data. For example, 67 percent, 66 percent, and 47 percent of people of Laotian, Hmong, and Cambodian descent, respectively, live in poverty in the United States. Women of color are more likely to be enrolled in government insurance. In 2011, 40.9 percent of African American females and 36.3 percent of Latinas had government-based insurance, including 29.2 percent and 29.6 percent participation, respectively, in Medicaid. In contrast, 32.6 percent of white females and 24.4 percent of Asian American females got their insurance through a government program. While Asian and Pacific Islander women use Medicaid at lower rates for a variety of reasons--only 6 percent were enrolled in the program in 2004--participation is quite high among various subgroups. For example, 20 percent of women of Southeast Asian descent are covered by Medicaid. Women of color are disproportionately more likely to need an abortion. Black women had the highest unintended pregnancy rate of any racial or ethnic group and more than double that of non-Hispanic white women. The unintended pregnancy rate of Latinas is 78 percent higher than the non-Hispanic rate. These high unintended pregnancy rates are part of the reason women of color seek abortion at higher rates than non- Hispanic whites. Although they represent much smaller segments of the population as a whole, black and Latina women comprise 30 percent and 25 percent of women who have abortions, respectively. Data on Asian and Pacific Islander women's utilization of health services, including abortion, is extremely limited, but one study has shown that 35 percent of pregnancies for Asian and Pacific Islander women end in abortion, compared to 18 percent for non-Hispanic white women. These health disparities mirror other health disparities that women of color experience. In addition to higher rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion, women of color face higher rates of reproductive cancers, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, premature births, low birth weights, and maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. They also encounter poorer health outcomes for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, among other health conditions. Root causes of inequality drive the health disparities women of color face. Differential access to treatment, lower levels of respect and competency from health care providers, lack of trust in the medical establishment, lack of accurate information, and a host of other socioeconomic factors lead to poorer outcomes along racial and ethnic lines for overall health indicators, specifically with regard to reproductive health. The Hyde Amendment treats the rights of women in this country according to two different standards: whether you can afford to pay for your rights or not. That is not equality.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, by the direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 567, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I do note that in my home State of New York we have made the decision for many years to support women in poverty who seek reproductive rights. Rights are granted to us under the Constitution. Those rights are as fundamental as any other right guaranteed to us under the Constitution, but we don't have economic tests for rights in the United States. So if you have a right, Mr. Speaker, you have a right. We don't say you have the right to free speech as long as you can pay for it. We don't suggest that the right to assemble, the right to have your grievances addressed by your government, the right to petition, the right to press or to select the religion and support the religion that you choose is subject to some kind of economic test. We believe the same should be true for reproductive rights. So I would just say that in New York it is something that we have supported for many, many years, and we continue to urge support, public dollars for reproductive rights and for women's health, which is very much at stake, particularly in communities of color. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter), who is my friend on the Committee on Rules.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First, I do want to respond to my distinguished colleague from Oklahoma and friend from the Rules Committee as it relates to the McGirt decision. I share his concerns for the challenges being faced by the people in the State of Oklahoma. I know his amendment has been made in order. Without regard to how that vote takes place, I would love to work with him--and, I am sure, others would--to address the real concerns by the people of the State of Oklahoma. I look forward to that conversation. I do want, before I yield to my friend, to mention that I talked, in my opening comments, about some of the things that are in the bill. I do want to highlight some of the important things in the Legislative Branch appropriations, which provides $4.8 billion, an increase of nearly 14 percent. I mentioned earlier that we hope to build upon the emergency supplemental bill, which we passed in May, that would continue to support the Capitol Police, National Guard, et cetera. In this bill, we put money to improve training and bolster wellness support for the Capitol Police, who were attacked on January 6, and provide funding to hire up to over 2,100 sworn officers and 450 civilian members of the Capitol Police and more resources for recruitment, retention, and readiness for them. We strengthened congressional capacity. It increases funding for congressional offices to help recruit and retain a talented and diverse staff and supports mental health and wellness for Members and staff. We always talk about being Article I of the Constitution, and we really need to support that legislative branch and make sure we have the resources to be able to provide balanced, thoughtful support for the American public. I wanted to highlight some of the really important things. I appreciate, certainly, Chairman Ryan and the work that he, the ranking member, and the members of that subcommittee did in getting that bill before the House and the rule that we are debating right now. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel), my colleague and friend.

Mr. MORELLE

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

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