Jennifer McClellan

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.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the students at Huguenot High School in Richmond, Virginia, celebrated their graduation. Moments after the ceremony ended, as friends and family gathered outside for hugs and selfies, gunshots rang out. Panic ensued. When the dust settled, a graduate, Shawn Jackson, was dead. He was 18 years old. Shawn's stepfather, who came to celebrate with him, Renzo Smith, was dead. He was 36 years old. Five additional people were shot. Others sustained injuries, including Renya Jackson Smith, Shawn's 9-year-old sister, who was hit by a car while fleeing the scene. Richmond police have a suspect in custody. He is 19 years old. He knew the victim. He and Shawn were in an ongoing dispute. We should not have to live like this. What should have been the happiest day of those kids' lives turned into every parents' worst nightmare. Those kids saw their freshman year cut short by COVID. They should have felt the joy yesterday and last night of graduating. Instead, their final memory of high school is marred forever by trauma. The active shooter drills that they endured throughout their school years did not prepare them for a shooting at their graduation, or in a public park, in a grocery store, at a theater, at their house of worship, at a concert, at a mall, walking down the street, on a highway, in their home. Where are they safe? My son asks me this every time that there is a shooting on the news. Three months ago today, when I stood at this very spot to take my oath of office, you saw my son and daughter standing proudly beside me. You saw how excited my son was. You saw his dance moves. Four days later, one of his classmates shot himself accidentally with a gun he was using as a prop to record a video. He died. Last night, my husband and I had to tell our children that they are not going to school today and possibly for the rest of the year because of a shooting at a graduation less than a mile from our home. Every time there is a shooting we go through this same routine. Every time my son is afraid, wondering will he be next. I hug him and I say, I am doing everything within my power to keep you safe. As a State legislator in Virginia, I was proud to pass several pieces of gun violence prevention measures to do just that, including securing $12 million in funding to invest in our communities to address the root causes of gun violence. I was excited to see this Congress pass the first piece of substantive gun violence in 30 years in a bipartisan measure. So you can imagine my disgust and my sorrow when, after the Tennessee school shooting, one of our colleagues, one of our Republican colleagues in an interview on television said: We are not going to do anything. That is unacceptable. We must take action to address the root causes of gun violence, to ban assault weapons, implement universal background checks, gun storage, among other commonsense measures that are popular with an overwhelming majority of voters according to FOX News polling. I came here to solve problems. I came here to save lives. Thoughts and prayers are not enough. It is past time for action. Today, I mourn the lives lost in my district, my city, my school division, my neighborhood. Today, I seek to comfort their loved ones and those traumatized by the terror they felt last night. Today, I recommit to doing everything within my power to make sure that this never happens again. Enough is enough. Mr. Speaker, I am begging my colleagues in this body: Do something.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Madam Speaker, we are 7 days from a debt default that would spell economic catastrophe for hardworking Americans and Virginians. As you have heard, we are in a hostage-taking situation where MAGA Republicans don't want to negotiate with the hostage. It is not House Democrats that are being held hostage. As you have heard from my Democratic colleagues, it is the American people. It is also our State governments. Last week, Virginia State Senate budget analysts outlined what a default would mean for the Commonwealth of Virginia, which has a very large Federal footprint. It would be catastrophic. It would have a devastating impact on the State budget and funding for schools, healthcare, roads, public safety, broadband, and affordable housing. An extended default could cost the Commonwealth nearly 200,000 jobs, slash payrolls by 4.7 percent, and throw the State economy into a recession, as well as the American economy. A default jeopardizes Medicaid reimbursements to rural hospitals, Federal grants awarded in the Commonwealth, over 4,000 federally funded State employees, and millions of Virginians who receive Social Security, Medicare, and veterans' benefits. It is time to raise the debt ceiling.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, our Nation is just 8 days away from a potential debt default, while House Republicans continue to hold the American economy hostage. As one of less than 7 percent of the Members of Congress who have children under the age of 18, I am particularly concerned about the impact that a default would have on our children, as Federal funding for crucial government programs that impact them runs out. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, 1 in 12 rely on SNAP benefits to put food on the table, and a default would jeopardize those payments, as well as access to free and reduced lunch programs. Default is not an option, but the Republicans' extreme ransom note is not a viable alternative, either. It would slash funding for our school systems and leave 200,000 children without access to Head Start slots and 100,000 without access to childcare programs. In the Commonwealth, almost 6,000 children would be impacted. This would severely undermine our children's education and make it more difficult for parents to join the workforce and contribute to our economy. We must raise the debt ceiling now.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose House Republicans' extreme attempt to roll back President Biden's one-time emergency student debt relief initiative. This bill would undoubtedly jeopardize the financial well-being of millions of Americans. This bill is cruel and would rescind life- changing debt relief of up to $20,000. Ninety percent of Americans who are eligible to receive this relief earn less than $75,000 per year. The bill would also repeal the student loan payment pause and force borrowers to unexpectedly confront months of accumulated payments and interests. Forty-three million borrowers have benefited from the pause and saved on average $150 per month in interest. At a time when tuition continues to rise exponentially, countless students and graduates are being crushed by tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. President Biden's cancellation would be transformative for millions of Americans who sought to build intergenerational wealth and improve their economic circumstances through education. While House Republicans try to make it harder for young Americans to survive, my Democratic colleagues and I will continue to fight for much provided relief.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, the GOP continues to hold the American economy hostage unless their extreme ransom note is met. However, the June 1 deadline is fast approaching, and progress must be made in negotiations. The debt ceiling will be reached 10 days from now. If Republicans keep up their brinkmanship and drive us into default, the United States will be unable to pay its bills. This will have unimaginable consequences for our seniors and people nearing retirement. It will be particularly damaging for retirees who rely on monthly Social Security payments to survive. Our seniors worked hard, paid into the system all their lives, and they should be able to count on the monthly checks that they have earned. However, a Republican-forced debt default would jeopardize Social Security payments for 98,000 families in my district. Default would also wreak havoc on the stock market, threatening retirement savings of over 100,000 of my constituents and eliminating approximately $20,000 from typical retirement portfolios. We have a responsibility to protect the well-being and financial security of our seniors. We must raise the debt ceiling now. The clock is ticking.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, House Republicans are presenting us with a false choice: default on our debt and cause a recession or pass their default on America act and slash environmental funding and clean energy investments made through the Inflation Reduction Act. The IRA is the most significant legislation in U.S. history to tackle the climate crisis and strengthen American energy security. Virginians in my district have already seen tangible benefits from the bill through environmental restoration funding for our Tribal communities, climate-resilient infrastructure upgrades, and clean school buses for our children. It will continue to deliver for our Commonwealth. There are already more than 92,000 Virginians employed in clean energy jobs, and the IRA will create even more opportunity bringing $11.6 billion in funding to our Commonwealth for large-scale clean power generation storage by 2030. The IRA represents a new chapter for my constituents who are excited to purchase energy-efficient appliances, make repairs to their homes, and save money on their utility bills. However, the draconian default on America act will jeopardize many of these provisions. We must reject these extreme cuts and cleanly raise the debt ceiling.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, the current debt ceiling showdown is jeopardizing not just the United States' economy but that of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Yesterday, the Virginia Senate Finance Committee presented an analysis of what a debt default would mean to our Commonwealth. In a word, it would be catastrophic. An extended debt ceiling battle would cost our Commonwealth nearly 200,000 jobs and slash payrolls by 4.7 percent, and it would inevitably throw our economy into a recession. Even a brief default could cost Virginia an estimated 34,500 jobs and slash payroll by 0.83 percent, not to mention the impact on Federal grant reimbursements, federally funded State employees, and the millions of Virginians who receive monthly payments and depend on Federal healthcare programs. The United States is not a deadbeat nation. For the sake of hardworking Virginians and Americans across the United States, we must raise the debt ceiling without delay.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate infrastructure week and highlight the incredible projects made possible in Virginia by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The IIJA, or bipartisan infrastructure law, is a once-in-a-lifetime, once-in-a-generation investment to rebuild America's crumbling infrastructure, improve public safety and climate resilience, accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies, and reconnect historically marginalized and disenfranchised communities. Since the IIJA was passed, $4.7 billion in Federal funding is headed to the Commonwealth of Virginia for 192 specific projects. That includes $3.8 billion for transportation infrastructure, like our public transit, roads, rails, ports, airports, and bridges, like the historic Mayo Bridge in my district in Richmond; and approximately $290 million for clean water initiatives in the Commonwealth. Thanks to IIJA, more than 345,000 households across the Commonwealth are now receiving affordable high-speed internet. This is just the beginning. As we continue to work to implement the provisions from the bipartisan infrastructure law, Virginians can expect to see billions more in Federal funding. Thanks to the leadership of the Biden-Harris administration, we aren't just celebrating infrastructure week, but infrastructure decade.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my House Republican colleagues to end their debt ceiling brinksmanship and prioritize the needs of the American people over their party's interests. An unprecedented debt default would jeopardize health benefits for over 315,000 people in my district who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, or Veterans Affairs health insurance and raise the cost for all Americans by raising interest rates on every loan they have. Unfortunately, the Republican solution is no solution at all, as their default on America act would devastate American families, seniors, and, especially, our veterans. This bill would immediately rescind $2 billion in funding to support veterans, which would mean 30 million fewer outpatient visits and 81,000 jobs lost across the Veterans Health Administration. This would exacerbate backlogs and wait times for important medical appointments, particularly at facilities like the Richmond VA Medical Center in my district. Our brave veterans deserve better. These are not viable options. I call on House Republicans to stop holding the American economy hostage and raise the debt ceiling cleanly, just as we did three times under the former President.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Shawn Soares, a young public servant and former congressional staffer from my district, who was tragically killed in a traffic accident last week. I first met Shawn during my time as a State legislator. He was a genuinely kind person who always had a smile on his face. Shawn was a bright light everywhere, and he was well known in the Richmond community for his commitment to climate advocacy and his desire to better the Commonwealth. He accomplished so much in his short life. He served under my predecessor, the late Donald McEachin, and in State government under former Governor Ralph Northam and Delegate Suhas Subramanyam. He was a leadership member in the Virginia Young Democrats and most recently worked for the Virginia Conservation Network while pursuing his graduate degree at Virginia Commonwealth University. Shawn's commitment to having a positive impact on his community was evident in his life and work, and he will be sorely missed by many. My sincere condolences to the Soares family, his loved ones, and every community he touched.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. 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.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the incredible work of John Marshall High School's boys' basketball head coach, Ty White. Coach White recently received the Naismith High School Boys Coach of the Year award after leading his team to an undefeated season and the State title in Virginia. The Naismith Awards are presented annually to the most outstanding men's and women's basketball players and coaches who have achieved tremendous success on and off the court. Coach White has spent 13 years coaching the boys' basketball team and has served as an invaluable mentor and community leader in the John Marshall High School family. I commend Coach White on his determination, leadership, and grit. He and the John Marshall boys' basketball team, the Justices, have made Richmond, our district, and their Congresswoman proud. Go Justices.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to underscore the pressing need to protect the full faith and credit of the United States and cleanly raise the debt ceiling. The debt default would be catastrophic for my constituents in Virginia's Fourth District and for Americans across the Nation. It would jeopardize Social Security payments for 98,000 families in my district and disrupt over $160 million a month in Social Security income, not to mention its detrimental impacts on mortgage payments, student loans, car loans, and more. Yet, congressional Republicans are holding the American economy hostage, threatening a default unless their extreme proposals are met. Let's be clear, H.R. 2811, or the default on America act, would slash funding and limit access to crucial social safety net programs like SNAP benefits, school funding, and childcare options, which would disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color. It would also immediately rescind $2 billion in funding of veteran medical care, impacting countless veterans and families in our communities. Mr. Speaker, we need to cleanly raise the debt ceiling without strings attached that affect our national security interests.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Horsford and Representatives Cherfilus-McCormick and Jackson for convening this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with my CBC colleagues in support of the ``Tennessee Three'' and in staunch opposition to the dangerous precedent set by Tennessee Republicans. Just 10 days after three children and three adults were brutally and tragically murdered, rather than working to prevent that tragedy from happening again, Tennessee Republicans expelled Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson in a gross abuse of power, a blatant infringement of free speech, and a disenfranchisement of the voters of the 52nd and 86th Tennessee House districts. Attempts to compare the actions of the ``Tennessee Three'' to those of the January 6 insurrectionists to justify the expulsion trivializes the tragic events that occurred in this very building. Nobody died in the Tennessee House. A bullhorn is not a pipe bomb. Nobody called for members of the Tennessee Legislature to be hung. Instead, Tennessee Republicans have set a dangerous precedent that threatens the very foundational principles of American democracy by attempting to silence calls for gun reform. This is something that should concern every voter. A controlling party cannot invalidate the will of the people simply because they don't agree with the position of their colleagues or the peaceful exercise of their free speech. I stand with my CBC colleagues in denouncing this overreach. We will not stand idly by for such threats on democracy.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the incredible work of three students from my district. Evan McKinney, Ayden Greer, and David Bell from Elizabeth Davis Middle School in Chester, Virginia, were recently selected as winners of C-SPAN's 2023 national StudentCam Competition. This year, students addressed the theme of, ``If you were a newly elected Member of Congress, which issue would be your first priority and why?'' It is a topic I am particularly interested in. Evan, Ayden, and David created a documentary titled, ``Do the Twist: The Startling Truth About Opioid Abuse in America.'' Their work looked into some of the root causes of the opioid crisis and its devastating impacts. I thank Evan, Ayden, and David for helping shine a light on such a pervasive issue in our district and our Nation. I congratulate them on winning the prize out of nearly 3,000 participants. They made their school, their community, our district, and their Congresswoman proud.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Jackson for convening this Special Order and Representatives Cori Bush and Ayanna Pressley for their leadership in creating the Congressional ERA Caucus. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the first Black woman to represent Virginia, the birthplace of American democracy and the birthplace of American slavery. I rise as a former State legislator who led Virginia to become the 38th and final State necessary to ratify the equal rights amendment. It is poetic justice that Virginia was the final State necessary for ratification. It has been a long march toward equality in Virginia's history. In 1619, when the first women were recruited to Jamestown, it was to make wives to the inhabitants, and their rights were surrendered to their husbands. They couldn't vote, they couldn't hold public office, they couldn't control their own property. African-American women who arrived in 1619 were considered property and had fewer rights, if any at all. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence established the principle that all men were created equal with inalienable rights. They didn't mean me. When the Constitution was developed for we the people in order to form a more perfect Union, it didn't include me. The Constitution purported to create a government by, of, and for the people, but not for me. Only for White men. For the past centuries, we have made major progress to secure the blessings of liberty for every American. We have made that progress thanks to the struggle and sacrifice of Black women who were in the fight from the beginning but were the last to benefit from our work. We were there in the fight to abolish slavery. As you heard, we were there in the fight for women's suffrage, even when we were told to march in the back. We marched for civil rights in the 1960s, even though we weren't given a speaking role. We have fought, organized, and marched for ratification of the equal rights amendment for over a hundred years. It is absurd that, a hundred years after the ERA's introduction, women still do not have the same constitutional rights as men. That is why I am not only committed but honored to carry on this fight in Congress with my sisters in this fight, with Representatives Bush and Pressley in the Congressional ERA Caucus. Women across our Nation have waited too long for equality. It is our time. Publish the ERA today so that, tomorrow, our daughters don't have to fight the same fight.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. It was a devastating loss for our community and the community at large. These are the issues that matter to parents as they deal with the mental fallout of that incident. These are the issues they are talking about. H.R. 5 does nothing to address these priorities. It would create unnecessary reporting requirements and divert critical resources away from meeting the real needs of our students and families. I urge our colleagues to vote ``no'' on the politics over parents act.

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 5. I am the mother of two young children who you saw stand with me in this very Chamber 2 weeks ago, and I have near-daily conversations with the parents in my district about their hopes and concerns. I can assure you, they have a seat at the table in the school room, and they are not concerned with banning books, censoring our curriculum, or dictating what bathrooms students use. Parents want increased resources for mental and behavioral health services, inclusive school environments that foster critical thinking and learning, and more funding to repair outdated and crumbling school buildings and address security issues. They want their children to learn a complete and accurate history of our country and our world, and they want the peace of mind that their children are safe. Three days after my son stood with me on this floor and watched me take the oath of office, one of his classmates shot himself accidentally with an unsecured gun, and he died. It was a devastating loss for our community.

Mrs. McCLELLAN

Mrs. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Scott for his introduction. I also thank the Members of the Virginia delegation, and my new colleagues. I rise as the newest Member of Virginia's Fourth Congressional District and the first African-American woman elected to this body from the Commonwealth of Virginia. I thank the voters of the Fourth Congressional District for placing their trust in me to serve in this, the people's House. Today, I succeed, but can never replace, A. Donald McEachin, who was a friend, mentor, and colleague whom I served with in the Virginia House of Delegates and succeeded in the Senate in Virginia. I stand on his shoulders. I stand on the shoulders of John Mercer Langston, the first African American to represent Virginia, also from the Fourth District. Mr. Speaker, I did not make this journey alone, and I thank my friends, family, and supporters who have supported me along the way. First and foremost, I thank my husband, David Mills. I thank my son, Jackson, who is excited to show off his dance moves, and my daughter, Samantha. I thank my mother, Lois McClellan. She will be the first to tell you that she is half responsible for me. She and my late father, Dr. James F. McClellan, Jr.--on whose Bible I took the oath of office--are why I am here. I grew up listening to their stories of their childhood during the Depression, coming of age during World War II and its aftermath, and raising a family through the tumult of the 1960s and 1970s. They saw the best of government in the New Deal. They saw the worst of government in Jim Crow. Their stories and the love of history that they sparked in me taught me at a young age that at its best, government is a force for helping people and solving problems. At its worst, government is a force that oppresses some for the benefit of a few. Their stories sparked a desire to dedicate myself to making a government by, of, and for the people actually work for the people, solving problems and making their lives and communities better. That desire led me to serve in the Virginia General Assembly for 18 sessions where, as the daughter and granddaughter of men who paid poll taxes and the great-granddaughter of a man who took a literacy test and had to find three White men to vouch for him to be able to vote, I was able to pass over 370 pieces of legislation, including the Voting Rights Act of Virginia. I stand on the shoulders of my parents, grandparents, and great- grandparents, recognizing that in a lot of ways I am fighting the same fights that they did, and I stand here to ensure that my children and yours don't have to fight those same fights. I am honored, humbled, and excited to get to work with you for the people of Virginia's Fourth Congressional District and this great Nation of ours.