Jennifer McClellan

Ms. McCLELLAN

Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my constituent Frank J. Thornton for his 28 years of service on the Henrico County Board of Supervisors representing the Fairfield Magisterial District. Frank is a history maker, becoming the first African American elected to the Henrico Board of Supervisors in 1995 representing the Fairfield Magisterial District. He was elected as the Board's chairman for the sixth time in January 2023 and will complete his tenure with his retirement at the end of this year. A native of Richmond, Mr. Thornton co-founded and served as president of the Henrico Civic League. His academic accomplishments include a bachelor's degree from Virginia Union University and a master's degree from American University. Mr. Thornton retired in 2014 after a distinguished 40-year career as a professor of French at Virginia Union, where he earned accolades such as the Teacher of the Year award. Mr. Thornton left an indelible mark on his students, community members, and our Commonwealth. In 1987, Mr. Thornton initially sought election to represent the Fairfield District, and though unsuccessful, he played a pivotal role in a successful federal lawsuit alongside the Henrico Civic League and the American Civil Liberties Union. This lawsuit challenged and overturned Henrico's magisterial district lines, with the court ruling against county officials who had ensured that Black residents were the minority in every district. As Henrico County Supervisor, Mr. Thornton demonstrated unwavering commitment to the residents of the Fairfield District. Under his leadership, initiatives were implemented to expand the Greater Richmond Transportation Company (GRTC) bus service to Short Pump, construct several libraries and recreation centers in the county, and expand access to public health services. Beyond his local responsibilities, Mr. Thornton extended his public service to various organizations, including the Richmond Regional Transportation Planning Organization, the Capital Region Collaborative Organizing Council, and the Maymont Foundation Board of Directors, among others. Virginia's Fourth Congressional District has been privileged to benefit from the passionate and devoted advocacy of Mr. Thornton for civil rights and social change. Mr. Speaker, I commend Mr. Thornton for his outstanding leadership and extend my best wishes for a fulfilling retirement from the Henrico County Board of Supervisors. His legacy, marked by tireless dedication, will undoubtedly endure.

Ms. McCLELLAN

Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of representing Virginia State University, an esteemed historically Black college and university founded in Petersburg, Virginia, in 1882. I rise today to congratulate the Virginia State Trojan Explosion Marching Band, which was recently recognized as the Nation's top Division II HBCU band in 2023. The band was judged on important components, including auxiliaries, drum majors, musicality, percussion, and marching maneuvers. They will now compete in ESPN's inaugural HBCU Band of the Year competition. Throughout the year, the VSU Trojan Explosion was also invited to perform at the White House, NBC's ``TODAY,'' and the National Battle of the Bands competition in Houston. I commend Dr. Taylor Whitehead, VSU's director of marching and pep bands, and every member of the Trojan Explosion for their hard work and dedication. They are proof that greatness happens at Virginia State University. They have made their school, their community, and their Congresswoman proud. I will be cheering for them in their upcoming competition.

Ms. McCLELLAN

Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Pallone for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 4468. I have listened as the party that is actively trying to strip away America's personal freedoms and rights is disguising its antiscience, anticlimate legislation as protecting choice and personal freedom. That is rich. House Republicans are putting polluters over people, yet again prioritizing special interests over the health and well-being of Americans. This deeply harmful bill would undermine the EPA's authority to finalize proposed emission standards and prevent the agency from taking future action to protect the public from dangerous air pollution. Their opposition to the rule has very real impacts for historically marginalized environmental justice communities, most often low-income communities of color, many of which I represent, who live near the roadways. We know greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants can cause a host of adverse public health impacts, including higher rates of cancer, respiratory illness, and preterm births, which is why we cannot stand by while House Republicans work to curtail EPA's authority. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this irresponsible bill.

Ms. McCLELLAN

Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind my colleagues that we are in the midst of a maternal and infant health crisis. The United States remains one of the most dangerous places to give birth among high-income countries, and we are trending in the wrong direction. According to the recently released ``2023 March of Dimes Report Card: The State of Maternal and Infant Health for American Families,'' the United States maintained a D-plus grade for preterm birth for the second year in a row. We saw only a modest 0.1 percent improvement in the preterm birthrate over the previous year, with the data showing persistent and compounding gaps in health equity that put moms and babies at risk. Virginia is not far behind with a C grade. The preterm birthrate for 2022 was 9.7 percent, just 0.2 percent lower than the year before. We must take decisive, comprehensive action to address these dual crises and improve public health outcomes for mothers and babies across the Nation. That is why, earlier this month, I introduced a bipartisan resolution with my colleagues to designate November as Prematurity Awareness Month. Our resolution aims to raise awareness about the risks and challenges associated with preterm babies and encourage communities to promote preterm prevention programs. As is too often the case, minority populations, particularly Black women, experience disproportionately higher rates of preterm birth and other associated health challenges. The preterm birthrate among babies born to Black women is still 1\1/2\ times higher than the national average. I am a Black mother to two young children, and I know this reality all too well. I was the first member of the Virginia House of Delegates to be pregnant and give birth while in office, and I almost died giving birth to my second child, Samantha. Nine weeks prior to her due date, my placenta ruptured, and I was rushed to the emergency room for an emergency cesarean section. The last thing I remember is hearing my doctor say, ``I am here, and I will take care of this.'' Samantha was born 9 weeks early and spent the first 6 weeks of her life in the NICU at Henrico Doctors' Hospital. I will never forget the fear and anxiety that I felt. This experience inspired me to take matters into my own hands as a State legislator to do everything in my power to improve healthcare resources for Virginians and tackle the maternal and infant health crisis. Now, I am one of the few--less than 7 percent--mothers to young children in Congress. I am one of the even fewer 3 percent of Members of Congress who is a Black mother. I am proud to continue my efforts here in Congress on a bipartisan basis. We can improve health outcomes and close longstanding health disparities by promoting awareness of this nationwide epidemic and encouraging parents and communities to take an active role in supporting preterm birth intervention programs. I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution, and I am grateful for the bipartisan group of legislators who are supporting this effort. Together, we can make real progress on these issues, but only if we keep it a priority. We must because our children's lives depend on it.

Ms. McCLELLAN

Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chair, I thank Congresswoman DeLauro for her leadership. When we invest in our children, we invest in our communities. I agree, and that is why I am so perplexed and frankly outraged by the draconian cuts in this bill, specifically targeting teachers, students, and title I schools that serve vulnerable communities. These draconian cuts would force 220,000 teachers from the classrooms. In my district, that is nearly 700 title I teachers who would lose their jobs. I am one of the few mothers of young children in this Congress. I have an eighth grader and a third grader. I see every day that at a time when our schools are still struggling to address learning disruption and a growing achievement gap resulting, in part, from the COVID pandemic and the growing mental health crisis, that this bill compounds that problem by cutting resources to our schools and cutting mental health services that will help to address the crisis that our children and the adults that care for them are facing every day. For that reason, I urge my colleagues to vote against this extreme Labor-HHS appropriation bill.

Ms. McCLELLAN

Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Richard Stewart, a beloved and well-known figure from my hometown of Petersburg, in Virginia's Fourth Congressional District. Mr. Stewart was the honorary ``Mayor of Pocahontas Island,'' one of the oldest Black neighborhoods in our Nation. Since 1732, enslaved, escaped, and free African Americans have called Pocahontas Island home, and Mr. Stewart fought relentlessly to preserve artifacts, properties, and the stories of those who lived there. He even created the Pocahontas Island Black History Museum, the first Black history museum in Petersburg, to educate visitors and memorialized the storied history of the neighborhood. He was a veteran, a community leader, and an engaged citizen who devoted his life to preserving our history and preparing the next generation through storytelling and learning. He leaves behind a lasting legacy and will be sorely missed by the Petersburg community and our Commonwealth.

Ms. McCLELLAN

Ms. McCLELLAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my Republican colleagues to stop the partisan brinksmanship and join House Democrats and Senate Democrats and Republicans in our efforts to fully fund the government. Back in April, Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans negotiated a deal with the White House to avoid a catastrophic default on our national debt, which stipulated fiscal year 2024 spending levels remain at 2023 levels. It passed with bipartisan support 314-117. Now Speaker McCarthy is reneging on this agreement as the extreme MAGA Republican wing of his chaos caucus drives us towards a government shutdown. Realizing that their extreme agenda cannot pass on its own merits and does not align with the wishes of the American people, they are attempting to load down must-pass pieces of legislation with their harmful policy riders and severe cuts. The American people deserve better. In Virginia, we have the second highest number of Federal employees. We have over 130,000 Active-Duty military personnel who will be wondering if they can get paid. It is a very big deal. They deserve better, and I urge my Republican colleagues to stop their games and stop holding the appropriations process hostage.

Ms. McCLELLAN

Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to follow up on the negative impact that the restrictions on funding for travel to receive abortion services will have on our servicemembers and their families, women of childbearing years. Unfortunately, in the South, between New Mexico and Virginia, you have a ban on abortion. In some cases total, and in some cases there are exceptions for rape or the life of the mother, but the mother's life has to be on the verge of death. Unfortunately, in these States, they make no distinction between miscarriage management, and they apply to cases, like you heard, where there has been fetal demise and a miscarriage. If you do not remove the fetal tissue, then the mother can go septic and die. If she loses her amniotic fluid and you do not terminate that pregnancy, she can go septic and die. I represent a State that has over 170,000 Federal employees and 130,000 Active-Duty military personnel. With the Hyde amendment in place, we are already telling pregnant people in that situation: You have to pay for that service yourself. Their insurance won't pay for it. Many hospitals will consider them uninsured and won't let them have those procedures in the hospital, so they have to go find a clinic which, in many cases, is getting harder. Now, if they are in a State that has banned abortion in that situation, they have got to, on top of that, pay to travel somewhere where they can get, in some cases, lifesaving care. In addition, we have seen that these abortion bans have led to fewer OB/GYNs in those States. How are we going to recruit women of childbearing years when we say to them: If you get the worst news ever in your life, that you have suffered a miscarriage or you have to choose between your life or continuing a pregnancy, when you are already willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep this country safe, you are on your own. That is what this bill with that amendment will do. Our servicemen and -women deserve better. In a country that already has an atrocious maternal mortality rate, this will lead to even more maternal deaths. I don't know how we are going to recruit the women that we need. I don't have enough time to talk about how the anti-DEI amendments will make it harder to recruit a service force that is as fully diverse as the country they serve, but this amendment, in particular, will be dangerous for our military servicewomen or families of our servicemen. That is why I ask that we vote against the rule.

Ms. McCLELLAN

Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this harmful, ridiculous rule because it pushes partisan provisions and does not address the issues that actually matter to the American people, as I hear in my district. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to defeat the previous question so that we can bring legislation like H. Res. 178 to the floor for a vote to reaffirm our commitment to protecting Social Security and Medicare. These vital programs are lifelines for seniors. They provide our seniors with the financial support and health coverage they have earned and rightfully deserve. In Virginia's Fourth, there are over 150,000 seniors on Social Security and who are eligible for Medicare. Virginians and Americans across the Nation need Congress to focus on the issues that really matter to them, and I know hundreds of thousands of seniors in my district rely on these programs to keep food on the table and access the healthcare services and prescription drugs they need. For years, extreme Republicans have sought to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits, privatize these programs, and raise the age of eligibility for Social Security and Medicare. House Democrats stand united in our efforts to strengthen and preserve these programs to ensure our seniors have the support that they need to live with dignity. Mr. Speaker, it is past time for House Republicans to stop the partisan messaging bills and get back to work on the challenges that face our constituents.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition.

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chair, I rise to urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on amendment No. 31, which is an attempt to sanitize the American history taught by the Department of Defense Education Activities. I rise as the first Black woman elected to this body from Virginia, who grew up listening to my parents and grandparents tell stories of their lives in the Jim Crow South and its impact on their lives, families, and communities. I rise as someone born and raised in the birthplace of American democracy and the birthplace of American slavery; the home of the father of our country, the first Commander in Chief of the Army, the first President of the United States, who is watching this debate right now on the wall, who owned and enslaved human beings; the home of Thomas Jefferson, who also owned enslaved human beings, but wrote the resounding words of the Declaration of Independence 247 years ago that we celebrated last week: Ideals that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, he did not mean me. I am from the home of the architect of the Constitution, which 13 years later, starts with the words: ``We the people.'' It did not include me. Instead, the Constitution counted my enslaved ancestors as three- fifths of a person and did not grant us American citizenship until ratification of the 14th Amendment. For nearly 350 years, slavery and Jim Crow created inequity in our communities that still exists today, and the laws that struck down Jim Crow were not a magic wand that erased those impacts. As more and more people who lived during Jim Crow are dying, we need to tell their stories. We need to teach the good, the bad, and the ugly of our history to show how it shaped us as a nation so that we can heal from it. This amendment teaches a delusional and irresponsible history. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette).

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith), the ranking member.

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment. First, let me just say, our diversity is our strength. The diversity of this country is our strength. The diversity of our military is our strength. I keep hearing the other side of the aisle say that DEI and critical race theory is about assigning characteristics to people based on the color of their skin. That is not what DEI or critical race theory are. What they are, are a recognition that for 350 years, from the founding of this country in Jamestown through the civil rights movement, that our laws, our social mores assumed different characteristics based on the color of your skin and made Black people second-class citizens. DEI is designed to address that and to ensure that our military, which kept my uncles from serving in combat because of the color of their skin, to make sure their children and grandchildren want to serve in that military because it is a welcoming and inclusive place.

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chairman, I want to personalize the remarks alluded to by our ranking member because I was born Black in Virginia, and I was raised there. I represent the former capital of the Confederacy. My entire family was raised in the former Confederacy. For my entire life I have lived in the shadow of Robert E. Lee and his fellow Confederate generals. He was a looming presence in my hometown of Petersburg where the former Fort Lee sits. He was a looming presence in my neighborhood. I want to talk about the monument that the gentleman from Virginia alluded to. One of the largest monuments to General Lee stood for 130 years around the corner from my house, which is ironic because General Lee himself did not believe monuments to Confederate generals should be erected because he recognized that countries where there is a civil war, monuments to the losing side help to foster wounds that haven't healed. That is exactly what happened in this country. That monument, and many others, were put up as part of a backlash for the social, political, and economic gains of formerly enslaved people during Reconstruction. Another wave of monuments were put up as backlash to Brown v. Board of Education and the gains of the civil rights movement. When that monument came down, I felt a weight off of my shoulders that I didn't know I was carrying. It was the burden of having to drive past a man who fought against the country he swore to serve to keep my ancestors enslaved. He owned people who could have been my ancestors and was documented to be horrifically cruel to them. We are trying to recruit a diverse armed services. We need to recruit the sons and daughters and granddaughters of the descendants of slaves. Having them walk into a building on a base named for their former oppressors is not going to create a welcoming environment.

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chairman I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford).

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Point of Order

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Tokuda).

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to the time remaining.

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chair, I think this debate today demonstrates exactly why diversity, equity, and inclusion are necessary, not only in the military, but we probably need some training here in this body. I am going to limit my remarks to the armed services. I want to break down what DEI training actually is because most of the comments I have heard today are not an accurate definition of what DEI is. I am going to take those words one at a time. Diversity training and diversity efforts recognize that we need to have a military, servicemembers, and an officer corps that reflects the diversity of the country that they protect. For a wide variety of reasons, it doesn't. We need to recognize that our diversity is our strength and that our unity is our power, but we can only have unity when we recognize and respect the diversity of this country and the people who serve. Equity recognizes that despite the fact the first casualty of the Revolutionary War was a Black man, Black men weren't allowed to serve in the military until the Civil War. Until 1948, the service was segregated and Black men like my uncles were not allowed combat duty. My uncles were only allowed to cook when they served during World War II. My uncles brought back home stories of the names they were called, of the threats they received, not from the enemy but from their fellow servicemembers. Their children and grandchildren, who heard those stories, didn't want to serve in a military that was unwelcoming to them. Inclusion means we are creating an atmosphere and a workplace that is inclusive of the full diversity of everyone who serves. Mr. Chair, whether we like it or not, the history of this country is complicated. The history of this country is rooted in the original sin of slavery and 100 years of Jim Crow when Black Americans were treated as second citizens, if they were treated as citizens at all. We have to teach that history, and most of the amendments we have seen today have either tried to whitewash that history or ignore that it ever happened. We cannot do it. I urge the body to reject this amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Perry Miller, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Capital Region Airport Commission, which owns and operates the Richmond International Airport. Perry is an airport executive with a distinguished career spanning three decades. He graduated from Texas Southern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Airway Science and a Master of Science degree in Transportation Planning and Management. Perry began his airport career with the Houston Airport System, where he spent 25 years serving in several capacities that are critical to the smooth functioning of our Nation's airports, including airport operations, maintenance, properties management, and business development. His positions there included Airport Manager of Ellington Airport, Airport Manager of William P. Hobby Airport, and Interim Manager of George Bush Intercontinental Airport. In 2015, Perry became the Chief Operating Officer of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority in Jackson, Mississippi. In 2019, Virginia was fortunate to have Perry accept the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of the Capital Region Airport Commission. In the four years since he has been there, Perry has successfully led the Richmond International Airport through the COVID crisis, has worked to increase the level of air service for the Capital Region, and has undertaken a comprehensive infrastructure program to meet our region's current and growing needs. In recognition of Perry's distinguished career, his peers in the airport community previously elected him to serve on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Airport Executives, the world's largest professional organization for airport executives. Founded in 1928, AAAE has 9,000 members from more than 800 airports. Most recently, Perry became the Chair of AAAE, the highest volunteer leadership position within this prestigious national organization. Achieving this senior position is clear testimony to Perry's distinguished career in the airport community, the high regard his fellow airport executives have for him, his high level of professional achievement, and his dedication to public service. Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate Perry Miller on this significant accomplishment. We are grateful for his many contributions to our Nation's aviation system and look forward to his continued contributions in the years ahead.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition today to H.R. 1640, the so-called Save Our Gas Stoves Act. After weeks of holding the American economy hostage to their ransom note of devastating cuts and policy changes that would impact American families, State budgets, and our economic recovery, after a temper tantrum that brought this body to gridlock last week, we are now debating a bill that is nothing more than a political stunt to peddle the lie that the Biden administration is attempting to ban gas stoves. The American people can rest easy knowing that the Department of Energy cannot ban gas stoves, but the Department of Energy is proceeding with a congressionally mandated efficiency standard that will save the American people money, reduce harmful indoor air pollution that disproportionately and adversely impacts the health of low-income communities, communities of color, and our children. House Republicans are using this bill as a guise to prioritize the fossil fuel industry and raise utility costs for Americans while misrepresenting data from the Department of Energy. Ultimately, H.R. 1640 is nothing more than a desperate attempt to weaken the Department's ability to issue energy efficiency standards. This is astoundingly disappointing. We should be addressing the issues that matter to my constituents, like reducing the gun violence that killed an 18-year-old 20 minutes after he received his diploma last week, increasing access to affordable healthcare and affordable childcare, addressing the mental health needs of our veterans and our servicemen and -women, the farm bill, and addressing the maternal health crisis instead of this bill. I find it interesting that the party that thinks it can insert itself into healthcare decisions of pregnant people now is accusing the Biden administration of inserting itself into the decisions of buying appliances. Instead of dealing with the issues that my constituents sent me here to deal with, we are having to deal with a ridiculous political stunt, delayed votes, and nonsensical bills. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill, and I encourage my Republican colleagues to stop the fear-mongering and infighting so we can get back to governing and solving the problems that our constituents are actually asking us to address.