Joe Neguse

Mr. NEGUSE

Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 3823.

Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3823) to amend title 11, United States Code, to modify the eligibility requirements for a debtor under chapter 13, and for other purposes.

Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I will simply close by first thanking the distinguished chairwoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), who is always so articulate and I am grateful for her leadership and kind remarks. I also thank Mr. Cicilline, the chairman of the subcommittee of jurisdiction, whose leadership was pivotal; and as I mentioned before, my Senate partners and Representative Cline. At the end of the day, I think we have a real opportunity today to honor American ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and innovation by providing our small businesses across the United States in Main Street after Main Street with the opportunity and the tools that they need to be able to survive. Mr. Speaker, I think this bill is a small step in that direction. It is bipartisan. It passed the Senate unanimously, and I certainly hope that it will pass this Chamber unanimously as well. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NEGUSE

Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Rule and my colleague's legislation, the Federal Firefighter Fairness Act. As wildfires grow larger and last longer, federal firefighters answer the call of duty, leaving behind their lives and families for months at a time. Our firefighters are routinely exposed to occupational hazards ranging from carbon monoxide to cancer-causing chemicals released during fires. I wholeheartedly support this legislation and efforts to establish a science-based list of diseases for which an automatic presumption of work-related illness would apply. This is a commonsense policy that ensures our firefighters get the care they deserve. I am thankful that House Leadership brought this legislation to a vote ahead of this year's wildfire season. Our communities are depending on federal fire crews to keep us safe and reduce the threat of wildfire--federal firefighters should be able to rely on the federal government for livable wages and healthy work conditions in return. That's why I introduced the Tim's Act, bipartisan legislation to overhaul federal firefighter pay, benefits and classification. I urge Congress to pass Tim's Act and recognize the needs of our brave wildland firefighters who risk their lives to keep our lands and our families safe. I encourage a yes vote and thank my colleague, Rep. Carbajal, for bringing this legislation.

Mr. NEGUSE

Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember the life and legacy of my dear friend and a proud Coloradan, Gloria Tanner, who we lost earlier this week. In 1985, Gloria became the second ever African-American representative elected to the Colorado House of Representatives, and in 1994 she became the first African-American woman State senator in Colorado history. Long before her passing, she was inducted into Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. She was an incredibly accomplished leader. We have lost an extraordinary public servant, a remarkable human being, and a loving and devoted friend. Her commitment to advocacy benefited countless communities throughout the country, and she had a profound impact on my own life. I have no doubt that her leadership and dedication will continue to inspire generations for years to come. Mr. Speaker, we all stand on the shoulders of giants, and Gloria Tanner was one of those giants. We will miss her deeply. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family.

Mr. NEGUSE

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of the people of Colorado who are experiencing historic, destructive, and devastating wildfires. Four of the largest wildfires in our State's history have happened in just the last 18 months. For my community, we are no longer witnessing wildfire seasons but, instead, wildfire years. Fires are burning in August, December, and March. Our communities are under threat by worsening, more dangerous, unrelenting wildfires 365 days a year. I would like to explain, Madam Speaker, to the American people what this encroaching threat will mean for families, for firefighters, for communities, and for our neighborhoods. On December 30, as the Speaker may be aware, a rangeland fire, fueled by hurricane-force winds, ran through suburban neighborhoods in my district of Louisville and Superior, Colorado, forcing over 30,000 people to evacuate and destroying 1,084 homes and businesses in less than 18 hours--1,084 homes and businesses in 18 hours. Over 1,000 families left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the items that they carried. Their lives will forever be changed as they begin the long, challenging, complex recovery process. The Marshall fire, now the most destructive fire in Colorado history, was not the first, and it will not be the last. The Cameron Peak fire in Larimer County, Colorado, burned over 400,000 acres from August 2020 through December of that year. The East Troublesome fire in Grand County grew more than 100,000 acres in 1 day. Collectively, those fires have destroyed countless structures and left millions in damages for our communities to take on. Madam Speaker, these disasters warrant a response from the Federal Government, a bold, decisive response. We have proposed some of the potential solutions. First, we have to start paying our firefighters a living wage. I was looking at job postings this morning, Madam Speaker, in my district. In Boulder, there are customer service representative positions at copy stores, shops, and retail establishments with a starting pay of $20 an hour, $23 an hour. Yet, we have Federal wildland firefighters making today $19 an hour, $18 an hour, $16 an hour as they are literally sacrificing so much and putting their own lives on the line to protect our communities. It is unconscionable, and it should be unacceptable to every Member of this body. That is why we introduced Tim's Act to honor Tim Hart, a brave smokejumper who tragically lost his life last year working on a wildfire in New Mexico. Our bill with Representative Liz Cheney is the first bipartisan, comprehensive legislation of its kind to significantly raise pay for Federal wildland firefighters and ensure access to mental health services, healthcare, housing, retirement benefits, and so much more. These firefighters are risking their lives every day, Madam Speaker. They deserve just compensation. We have to change it, and I am committed to doing everything in my power to get this bill to the floor of this House. We also have to support our communities in recovery. Rebuilding takes time, and it takes a lot of money. It is emotionally exhausting and complex. Last week, families in my district in Boulder who are in the process of literally rebuilding their homes lost in the Marshall fire were evacuated from their new temporary homes, rental properties in Boulder, as the NCAR fire burned as close as 1,000 yards from homes in the area. Firefighters are literally working as we speak to contain that fire. My bill, the Wildfire Recovery Act, which recently passed out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last year, would help local communities like Boulder, Fort Collins, and communities across my State, from the Western Slope to the Eastern Plains, recover. It would invest money in mitigation, in resiliency. It is time for us to get this done, Madam Speaker. I am committed to doing everything I can to get those bills and many more to the floor, and we intend to get this done.

Mr. NEGUSE

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5001, the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Recovery Act. This bipartisan bill would reauthorize and extend critical endangered fish recovery programs in the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program was first established in the 1980s to help bring four species of endangered fish back from the brink of extinction, while continuing existing water development and ensuring compliance with the Endangered Species Act. The San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program was established in 1992, and similarly works to protect these endangered fish in the San Juan River sub-basin, a part of the larger Upper Colorado River Basin. These programs are unique collaborative efforts between local, state and Tribal officials, federal agencies, water and power interests, and environmental groups--all working together to recover these endangered species, preserve ecosystems, and maintain water development. These four species of fish are only found in the Colorado River Basin--making the work of the recovery partners crucial to their recovery. Both programs work collaboratively for the recovery of these species, and have become models for their collaborative conservation efforts to protect endangered species. Last year, one of the endangered species in the Upper Colorado River Basin--the humpback chub--was moved from endangered to threatened status due to the many years of effort from this partnership. Another species--the razorback sucker--was also proposed for delisting last summer, resulting from the actions of the recovery programs and their partners over the past 30 years. My bill would reauthorize these critical programs through 2024 and extend current reporting deadlines for the Recovery Programs. Extending the program authorization an additional year allows federal partners to include funding for the programs in their three-year budgetary planning cycle, and does not raise the cost ceiling for the current programs. The bill also provides an extension of reporting requirements for the recovery programs--as requested by the program partners--to account for challenges and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am glad to have the support of several of my colleagues from these states as cosponsors on this effort, along with the support of local and state officials across the Upper Colorado River Basin. The technical amendments my bill makes are necessary to preserve the functioning of these successful programs, and ensure the programs are able to continue to operate smoothly for an additional year.

Mr. NEGUSE

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, along with Rep. Ed Perlmutter, I rise in remembrance of my mentor and dear friend Odell Barry. After a lifetime of accomplishments Odell passed away on January 3rd at eighty years old. He is survived by his wife, Glenda, two sons, Jay and Damon, and five grandchildren. He was a tenacious football player and all-star athlete, making a lasting impression on the people of Colorado during his tenure as a Bronco. The records he set during his rookie year extend an unbeatable precedent for Bronco players to this day. Not only this, Odell was an inspirational political activist and public servant. He was the first Black American elected mayor in a major city in Colorado, serving the people of Northglenn for years on end. He was an entrepreneur and well-respected businessman. Odell's greatest accomplishment was the influence he had on the youth in Northglenn and across the state of Colorado. His impact undoubtedly molded countless generations. Odell held all those around him to high standards, teaching us to live with generosity and compassion and lead with benevolence. I am deeply grateful to have known him. As a giant in many of our lives, the legacy Odell leaves behind will not soon be forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with my dear friend, Glenda, and the entire Barry family. As we mourn his passing, we will remember his life and be inspired by his devotion to making this world a better place.

Mr. NEGUSE

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, just over a week ago, on December 30, a devastating disaster hit the Boulder community. Fueled by hurricane- force winds, exacerbated by months of drought and dry conditions, the Marshall fire spread through the suburban neighborhoods of Louisville and Superior with a speed and magnitude that we have never witnessed before. Over 1,000 homes and businesses destroyed. Over 30,000 individuals evacuated. Countless families and community members dealing now with unprecedented loss left only with the clothes on their backs and the items carried in their departure. One known fatality and still one member of our community missing. Our hearts ache for every single person touched by this disaster. For every first responder and firefighter that worked to keep our community safe, we owe you a debt of gratitude. Madam Speaker, finally, I close by saying that I have lived in this community for many, many years. And we know that even in this unprecedented and terrible tragedy, that we are strong, that our community is resilient, and that our community will get through this together.

Mr. NEGUSE

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember the life of Dr. Sharon Bailey. Dr. Bailey, a proud Coloradan, Princeton graduate, and accomplished leader, dedicated her life to guaranteeing students of color, teachers, and administrators in Colorado and across the nation had the means necessary to both achieve and provide a high quality of education. She is survived by her husband and my friend, John, her three sons, five grandchildren, and a generation forever impacted by her influence. Dr. Bailey was a passionate and dedicated leader, and a pivotal force on the Denver Public School Board to ensure quality education for all. Throughout her life she championed the need for a deeper understanding of the experiences of the Black community in education and worked to ensure that all children are given the same opportunity to succeed. The accomplishments of her life in service will continue to be felt throughout the state of Colorado for years to come, and her legacy will not soon be forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with John and all of Dr. Bailey's family and friends. As we mourn her passing, we will remember her life and be inspired by her wisdom and tenacity.

Mr. NEGUSE

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember the life of Justice Greg Hobbs who we lost on Monday, November 29th. As a former Supreme Court Justice in Colorado, Justice Hobbs was a mentor to countless Coloradans, our state's preeminent authority on water law and relied on by many for his expertise and leadership. He was caring and compassionate, a friend to many and a vibrant member of our community. The impact of his work will continue to be felt throughout the state of Colorado for years to come, and his legacy will not soon be forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with Emily, Bonnie and Dan and all of Justice Hobbs family and friends, and the community that loved him. This week and in the weeks to come we will mourn his passing, remember his life and be inspired by his wisdom and leadership.

Mr. NEGUSE

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Tina Marquis, the President of the Boulder Valley School District Board of Education, in Colorado for her many years of service to our community and our students. Tina has been a Board Member of Boulder Valley since 2013, and during her tenure she also served as the Board Treasurer and four years as President. She has a more than decade-long history of volunteerism and service to the Boulder Valley community, beginning with the elementary school her two children attended--and eventually at the district-level through the District Accountability Committee, where she served as the chairwoman for two years. She is a tireless advocate for public education, equity and student safety and has worked closely with local municipalities and state legislators to address the safety needs of students. Finally, during the pandemic and the other challenges she has been a stalwart leader, approaching each challenge with an open mind, while also being committed to doing what was best for students. She was recently recognized for her outstanding leadership by the Colorado Association of School Boards--who bestowed upon her their McGuffey Award. I would like to thank Tina Marquis for her outstanding service to the Boulder Valley School District, to the State of Colorado and to our great country. She, no doubt, has been a beacon of leadership--and her influence has benefited the lives of many children in BVSD and beyond.

Mr. NEGUSE

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, with all the respect in the world to my colleague from Pennsylvania, to the extent he wants to talk about Joe Biden's America, let's stick to the facts. In Joe Biden's America, wage growth is up, and unemployment is down. In Joe Biden's America, family income is up, and prescription drug pricing is poised to go down. That is why I am excited to be here today, Madam Speaker, to support the Build Back Better Act and speak in support of this transformative, historic legislation that will inure to the benefit of each and every American. There is a lot to be proud of in this bill, such as the tax cuts for working families that it will deliver, the jobs that it will create, and the costs for working families that it will lower. But for me, personally, the part that I am most enthused and excited about is universal pre-K because, as the Speaker knows, I am a father. I have a young 3-year-old daughter who started preschool this year. There is nothing that can bring a smile to my face more than seeing my daughter after a day at preschool, seeing how much she has enjoyed it and how much she has learned. We are lucky to be able to send her to school, but many families in Colorado and across the country are not. Thanks to President Biden's vision, universal pre-K for every 3-year- old and 4-year-old in the United States of America will be a reality. So let's pass this bill. Let's send it to the Senate. Let's get it across the finish line. And let's deliver for the American people.

Mr. NEGUSE

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, House Democrats are delivering for the people, and let me explain to you how they are doing so. Under President Biden's leadership, our economy is growing at nearly the fastest rate in over 40 years. The child tax credit is cutting taxes for hardworking middle-class families across the country. And by putting more of working people's own money back into their pockets, it is generating $20 billion in spending in local economies, supporting local businesses and jobs. Now, Madam Speaker, we are hard at work to deliver even more for working families through the Build Back Better plan and the bipartisan infrastructure bill. But while House Democrats are delivering for the people, unfortunately, some on the other side of the aisle are promoting misinformation about the coronavirus and opposing overwhelmingly popular vaccine mandates that will save lives and keep our schools open. Some of them, Madam Speaker, have even spread false narratives about the attack on our Capitol and on this Chamber nearly 9 months ago. As The New York Times reported earlier this month: ``A growing number of Republicans and their media allies have downplayed the riot. Some have begun to treat it as a heroic act.'' Madam Speaker, this dangerous rhetoric from Republicans continues as Senate Leader Mitch McConnell now threatens the full faith and credit of the United States, and Senate Republicans refuse to do their job to ensure that America can pay its bills on time. Let's be clear, Madam Speaker, raising or suspending the debt limit does not authorize new spending. It is about meeting obligations that the government has already made, including the bipartisan COVID relief package passed last year in December and vital payments to Social Security recipients as well. In fact, much of the debt was accumulated under President Trump. The massive tax giveaways for millionaires and billionaires that Republicans pushed through under President Trump added $1.8 trillion to the national debt, and a full 97 percent, Madam Speaker, of the total debt subject to the limit was accumulated before President Biden took office. Madam Speaker, it is no surprise that congressional Republicans voted three times--not once, not twice, but three times--to suspend the debt limit under President Trump. Leader McConnell and congressional Republicans know what is at stake. In 2019, Mitch McConnell himself said that raising the debt ceiling, and I am going to quote, Madam Speaker, ``ensures our Federal Government will not approach any kind of short-term debt crisis in the coming weeks or months. It secures our Nation's full faith and credit and ensures that Congress will not throw this kind of unnecessary wrench into the gears of job growth and a thriving economy.'' Not my words, Madam Speaker, Mitch McConnell's words. He said it himself. This is about supporting American jobs and our economy. This is about doing our job for the American people. We urge Leader McConnell: Stop playing games with the full faith and credit of the United States. Stop playing games with American jobs. Do your job to ensure that America can pay its bills on time by addressing the debt limit. Now, I think it is important for the American people to understand why we are here standing up for the credit of the United States, and I can think of no one better to help explain precisely that than my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright). Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright).

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman for his comments. He couldn't be more right. He raises a real salient point, which is the hypocrisy of the minority leader in the United States Senate and the position that he is taking today in threatening the full faith and credit of the United States of America juxtaposed against the position that he took a mere year ago. But it just so happens that we have several distinguished colleagues from the State of Pennsylvania who know a thing or two about the debt ceiling, and that includes our prestigious colleague on the Ways and Means Committee. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle).

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks and for showing once again the innovative and creative problem-solving that the good State of Pennsylvania is so well-known for, with respect to the legislative solution that he has proposed. I certainly agree with his admonition that it is time for our political leaders to stop playing politics with respect to the debt ceiling. I hope our colleagues in the upper Chamber, including the minority leader, are listening. I do want to zero in on one particular thing that my colleague from Pennsylvania referenced, which is the consequences, right? What happens if, in fact, the United States Government defaults? I think a lot of folks watching at home are asking themselves that same question, so I would pose to my other colleague from Pennsylvania that same question. What happens, as a practical matter, if we, God forbid, were to default?

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, the gentleman couldn't be more right. And certainly, the good news, for those that are watching, is that House Democrats are committed to doing everything that we need to do to ensure that the full faith and credit of the United States is not threatened or undermined. We have a colleague who has joined us who has spent her entire career ensuring precisely that, and that is the distinguished gentlewoman from the State of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for her to address this Chamber on this subject.

Mr. NEGUSE. Well, I would just simply say what is so striking about the consequences that you described, Mr. Cartwright, and that Mr. Boyle described, in terms of the warning that was given by Secretary Mnuchin years ago, is that congressional Republicans back then did the right thing. They heard the same warnings that Representative Boyle described, and they voted to increase the debt limit. They did it not once, not twice, but three separate times during President Trump's administration. What has changed? That is the question that I wish the minority leader of the United States Senate would answer. But I think we know the answer, that this is ultimately politics and gamesmanship. I would hope that for the good of the country, he and his colleagues would reach the same conclusion that they reached literally less than a year ago. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle), because his experience on the Ways and Means Committee, I think, is instructive with respect to how we dispose of this particular question and issue.

Mr. NEGUSE. Well, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania. Again, he couldn't be more right in terms of the hypocrisy of some on this particular issue and the adherence to, I think, the morally correct and economically correct position that so many on this side of the aisle have taken year after year after year. Our hope is that our colleagues in the upper Chamber will do the same. Don't you agree, Mr. Cartwright?

Mr. NEGUSE. I thank the gentlewoman for her remarks. Those of us who have had the privilege to work with the gentlewoman from Texas know that her ability to speak truth to power really is second to none, and I think her argument is as compelling as it is straightforward. General welfare. Full faith and credit. Pay your bills. And so I say to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle in this Chamber and in the upper Chamber, it is time for you to do your job. Let's address the debt ceiling and let's get on with the business of this Congress in promoting and protecting the general welfare of our wonderful country. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NEGUSE

Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, 6 months ago today, we experienced a tragedy in my community of Boulder, Colorado. On a Monday afternoon in March, 10 lives were lost at our local King Soopers as a gunman opened fire on customers and employees. Ten lives were taken far too soon--daughters, sons, neighbors, spouses, coworkers, community members, each of whom left a profound impact on our community. While the national news may have moved on, for our community, for the families, friends, and neighbors, we are still grieving and still healing. May we continue to remember them. May we lift up their families and friends in our prayers and in our thoughts. In the words of Thomas Campbell: ``To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.'' Our community remains strong in the face of this senseless act of violence. In strength, in kindness, and in compassion, may we move forward.

Mr. NEGUSE

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I seek recognition to make a statement in support of my amendment offered by myself and Chairman Grijalva.

Mr. NEGUSE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendment with Chairman Grijalva. It would amend H.R. 4350 to add the text of two bills, H.R. 577, the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act, and H.R. 1052, the Grand Canyon Protection Act. These bills have already passed the House with bipartisan support not once, not twice, but three times. They would protect our public lands, natural resources, and Tribal cultural sites and help preserve access to our clean water, clean air, and a livable environment. Of course, as climate change becomes a growing national security threat, we know that conservation becomes a moral imperative. My bill, the CORE Act, would conserve over 400,000 acres of public land and consists of four titles that Coloradans have been asking for Congress to pass literally for over a decade. One of those provisions that I would like to focus on tonight is the Camp Hale and 10th Mountain Division legacy. This includes establishing the first ever national historic landscape at Camp Hale in my district in honor of the storied legacy of the Army's 10th Mountain Division in Colorado and around the world. It was in the mountains of Colorado that American soldiers received the training that allowed them to defeat Germans in the northern Italian Alps and lead our Nation to victory during World War II. Those same soldiers came back to the State of Colorado and literally built the modern ski industry in our wonderful State. Hut visitors share the special spirit of the 10th Mountain Division in their pursuit of excellence, self-reliance, and love of the outdoors, and my constituents in Summit County and Eagle County and across Colorado have been imploring the United States Congress to take steps to make these protections a reality, literally for years. As a result, Madam Speaker, I would encourage my colleagues to support this important amendment to protect our treasured public lands, and I reserve the balance of my time.