Nancy Pelosi

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his leadership in bringing this important legislation to the floor. Mr. Speaker, in his outstanding State of the Union Address earlier this month, President Joe Biden presented Democrats' visionary agenda to build a better America with lower healthcare costs for American families, and with justice in all that we do. House Democrats have long led the charge to lower the costs of prescription drugs. So it is with great pride that the Democratic House today will advance one of the pillars of this vision: capping the cost of insulin at $35 a month. In doing so, we take another important step in the fight to bring down drug prices across the board for every American family. I thank the lead sponsors of this legislation who have been relentless, dissatisfied, and persistent in this fight: Congresswoman Angie Craig, Congressman Dan Kildee, and Congresswoman Lucy McBath of Georgia. I salute the chairs of the committees of jurisdiction for helping steer this vital legislation to the floor: Chairman Frank Pallone of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Chairman Richie Neal of the Committee on Ways and Means, and Chairman Bobby Scott of the Committee on Education and Labor. Everyone knows that the cost of insulin--a lifesaving drug that has been around for a century--is outrageous and out of control. That cost is outrageous and out of control. On average, Americans pay more than 10 times for insulin compared to what consumers around the world pay. Here in the United States the price of insulin skyrocketed by 54 percent from 2014 to 2019. Meanwhile, Big Pharma is reaping record- breaking profits; producing insulin at about $10 a vial, while charging families up to 30 times that amount. This affordability crisis is taking a severe human toll. One in four Americans who rely on insulin have been forced to ration or skip their dose--a practice that can be dangerous and even deadly. And working parents with a family member on insulin are reporting higher levels of stress and anxiety and are often forced to choose between paying their bills and protecting the health of a loved one. Indeed, across the country, as I have said on this floor before, I have seen grown men cry about how they cannot meet their family's needs when it comes to prescription drugs. This crisis is a kitchen-table issue for millions of families, and it is a medical, economic, and moral imperative that Congress take action. The Affordable Insulin Now Act not only requires Medicare and commercial users to cover lifesaving insulin on their plans, but also caps the out-of-pocket costs for families at $35 per month. In doing so, we put more money back in the pockets of hardworking families and vulnerable seniors. This is crucial right now, as so many Americans struggle to keep up with the burdensome, everyday costs. Of course, this has even been exacerbated with COVID which has, in many instances, spread diabetes more. House Democrats proudly passed a cap on insulin's cost in the Build Back Better legislation last year. We already did this last year. Today, we, again, take this strong step toward lower health costs for the people. To be clear, comprehensive reform is urgently needed to lift the crushing burden of prescription drug prices weighing on our families. Democrats will never ever relent, Mr. Speaker, until we realize our longstanding goal of lowering drug prices across the board. And we are continuing our fight to empower Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices--we have been working on that for decades--and make these lower prices available to Americans with private insurance, too. We do so in honor of the late Chairman Elijah Cummings, the North Star in Congress and a relentless warrior for lower drug prices, with the Lower Drug Costs Now Act. Mr. Speaker, as you know, this rule applies not just to lowering the cost of insulin but also to the very important MORE Act. I also rise today in support of this urgent legislation that will help pave the path toward racial and economic justice. I thank Chairman Jerry Nadler for his steadfast voice for equity and opportunity for all at the helm of the Judiciary Committee. I salute Congressman Ed Perlmutter for his tireless and longstanding leadership on this issue, a relentless persistence to satisfy, as the gentleman says. Thank heaven, we are passing it today. I also want to commend Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Congressman Earl Blumenauer for their persistence as well. For far too long, Mr. Speaker, failed Federal drug policies have torn apart families and devastated communities of color. People of color are four times more likely to be arrested on cannabis charges and are often targeted for longer prison terms than others. Tragically, the communities most harmed by criminalization are benefiting the least from the legal cannabis marketplace as prior cannabis convictions are barring too many of them from entering the industry. As a result, only one-fifth of cannabis businesses are minority owned, and only 4 percent of owners are Black. Meanwhile, more than 600,000 Americans are still arrested each year on cannabis charges, threatening to perpetuate this vicious cycle. With the MORE Act, which the Democratic House proudly passed last Congress, we take strong actions to correct these injustices. This landmark legislation is one of the most important criminal justice reform bills in recent history: delivering justice for those harmed by the brutal and unfair consequences of criminalization; opening the doors of opportunity for all to participate in this rapidly growing industry; and decriminalizing cannabis at the Federal level so we do not repeat the grave mistakes of our past. Those of us from California take pride in our State's long leadership in this justice effort, and in recent years, 46 more States have reformed cannabis laws. As the distinguished gentleman from Colorado mentioned in his remarks, 47 States have taken this act. Now it is time for the Federal Government to follow suit. Both of the bills that the House will pass today that are covered by this rule, the insulin bill and the MORE Act, are overwhelmingly popular with the American people, and they represent strong steps toward building a brighter and fairer future for our children. Mr. Speaker, I urge strong, bipartisan ``yes'' votes on both bills and on the rule.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the outstanding service of the Bill Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, Peggy Fields. For more than three decades, Peggy has devoted her career to the people's work here in the People's House. In doing so, she has earned the respect of Members and staff on both sides of the aisle and ensured the Congress could deliver for the Country. A daughter of Huntsville, Alabama, Peggy began her career in public service by joining the office of former Congressman Bud Cramer when he was the District Attorney of Madison County, Alabama. After Congressman Cramer was elected to the House in 1990, she came with him to Washington so that she could continue to serve her beloved hometown community. For eighteen years, she was an integral member of his team as Grants and Special Projects Coordinator, an essential link between the Congress and her constituents. In 2008, Peggy brought her talents, relentless work ethic and dedication to public service to the Office of the Clerk of the House. As an Assistant Bill Clerk, she helped process the many bills, amendments and cosponsor forms filed in the House: essential work to keep Congress functioning. Peggy embodies the extraordinary meticulousness, teamwork and professionalism that this essential responsibility demands. Her excellence was on full display during her exemplary performance as Bill Clerk on duty during the opening day of the 114th Congress, when she managed the introduction of 161 bills with remarkable diligence and efficiency. In July 2021, Peggy's hard work and valuable contributions were recognized when she was promoted to serve as Bill Clerk of the House. In this role, she has demonstrated outstanding leadership of her team: bringing energy, camaraderie and humor to the long hours and late nights to ensure the business of the House could get done. Her mastery of the mechanics of the legislative process, extensive institutional knowledge and refusal to shy away from a challenge were especially valuable last year--helping facilitate an historically productive legislative session despite the many challenges posed by the lingering pandemic. Peggy's work has been central to the health of our Democracy and to the benefit of our Country: ensuring that the business of legislating is both efficient and accessible for the American people. She takes immense pride in always placing the duties of her office above all else, never allowing partisanship or politics to infiltrate the sacred trust bestowed upon the Office of the Clerk. While she will be missed, Congress and the Country are grateful to Peggy Fields for her longtime and patriotic service. When she returns to her beloved Huntsville after she graduates with her Doctorate of Ministry from Wesley Theological Seminary this May, she will continue her leadership by helping local churches serve their congregations and their communities. On behalf of the House, we wish her all the best as she prepares for a deeply deserved retirement.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Graves for arranging this special tribute to a devoted patriot, a serious legislator, and endearing colleague and friend, the dean of the House, Congressman Don Young. I thank Mr. Graves for his leadership in putting this together. I am pleased to join our distinguished Democratic leader, Mr. Hoyer, who is still here on the floor now for this. Madam Speaker, this morning, Congress had the sad and official honor of welcoming Congressman Young back to the Capitol to lie in state in Statuary Hall. As Speaker, it was my solemn privilege to join in paying tribute to this legendary leader, as his historic public service brought luster to the Congress and to the country. It was always clear that Don was passionate about his position and his patriotism, and about working in this institution to make a difference. As an Army veteran, he was a force for ensuring our servicemembers, veterans, and military families got the care they earned; As a former teacher and passionate advocate for quality education for all of our Nation's children; and As a champion for Alaska--as Congressman Graves pointed out, and Mr. Hoyer as well--he was relentless in delivering investments to his beloved home State, especially lifting up Native communities in honor of his late wife, Lu. When Don became dean in December 2017, he said right here on the House floor: I love this body. I believe in this body. My heart is in the House. He loved the House and the House loved him. Indeed, Don Young was an institution in the House of Representatives. As was said this morning, 49 years for the 49th State, The Last Frontier, which he loved; Alaska. While a committed conservative, he was more than willing to work across party lines if it meant delivering for his beloved home State of Alaska. And as dean, he cherished the duty to bring Members together and to defend the dignity and integrity of this institution. I, myself, was personally honored to be sworn in as Speaker two times by the distinguished dean, Don Young, in 2019 and 2021. As dean, he cherished his duty to bring Members together, as I said. Despite political differences, many of us on the other side of the aisle enjoyed close personal friendships with him built on our shared reverence and respect for this institution. His salmon dinners were legendary. His personality was similarly legendary. While we are devastated by the loss of our dear friend and colleague, each of us has a duty to honor his unending love for the House and the towering legacy he leaves behind. Again, I call to attention the fact that George Miller, who served with him wrote--it is online in The Hill--an article he wrote with John Lawrence as opinion contributors. But George Miller and Don Young were back and forth, chair and ranking member, on the Interior Committee and the Committee on Natural Resources. You have to read it because any one sentence taken out of context, you might not appreciate, but let me just read what he said at the end: ``Saying you miss Don Young doesn't mean he was right all the time or that he was invariably wrong; it means the House is diminished by his loss. He was a great Congressman and a great friend; Alaska was fortunate to have him.'' May it be a comfort to his beloved wife, Anne, his dear children, Dawn and Joni, and his 20-some darling grandchildren that so many in the Congress and the country mourn their loss. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the statement of George Miller and John A. Lawrence. Don Young: A Conservative Who Believed in the House (By George Miller and John A. Lawrence) Don Young, the Alaska congressman who died on March 18 at 88 and who is lying in state today, was a hard-nosed, in- your-face, unapologetic, old-line conservative. An ardent hunter and gun advocate, the walls of his legendary Rayburn building office looked like the workplace of an over-active taxidermist: covered in heads, hides and horns of the creatures that had the misfortune to cross paths with this former teacher, trapper and river boat captain. A descendent of the early conservationist movement that preserved open lands and wildlife so he could drill and graze on the former and shoot the latter, he had no patience with public land purists who demanded minimal human intrusions on the natural ecosystem. It is fair to say he was much more Safari Club than Sierra Club. Don was not a subtle personality, as many discovered throughout his career. If he was unhappy with your criticisms or bored with your speechifying, he might pull out his hunting knife and hold it to your throat or jam it into the dais next to you at a hearing. The chief proponent of logging old forests and drilling the fragile coast, he was a hero to his Alaska constituents who sent him to Congress longer than any other sitting member, but a desecrating exploiter of the public's resources to environmentalists, especially those in the other 49 states. But if Don was a throwback to an earlier age of gruff, sharp-elbow politics, he also retained that era's deep love for the House in which he spent the bulk of his life, where he chaired two committees and served as Dean--and where it was not considered an act of treachery or political suicide to reach across the aisle. There is often a tendency when someone dies to sand off the hard edges and portray the recently departed as something of a saint. Don would be the first to acknowledge he was no saint, and he'd be furious with anyone who tried to sand off his rough edges. He would bellow like a wounded grizzly when he made concessions on the Tongass forest or the Alaska Lands law, but once the deal was struck in the negotiations, he would go out on the floor and defend the work product of his committee. Even so, Don remained a pariah to most national environmental activists for promoting projects like the Trans-Alaska pipeline or drilling in the Arctic Wilderness (both issues on which we strongly disagreed with him), and many of his own colleagues were angry with him for pushing through the $400-million Gravina Island ``bridge to nowhere'' that became a paradigm of congressional pork and provoked Congress to ban earmarks. But the people who worked on those projects and would have driven on that bridge (it was cancelled in 2005) were Don Young's constituents, and he was doing what congresspeople have done since time immemorial: taking care of the district. And it's worth noting that the House, after a decade of prohibition, has resurrected--with greater transparency--earmarks as a crucial way of securing the votes to pass legislation. Because he was very much his own man and did not suffer fools (or anyone else, for that matter) lightly, Don was skeptical of the new breed of hyper-partisans who emerged halfway through his long tenure in the House. Back in 1994, he was one of just a handful of Republicans who refused to embrace Newt Gingrich's ``Contract With America,'' a collection of half-baked, rhetorical broadsides against the Democratic majority under which he had always served. Asked why he declined to embrace the campaign document, he matter-of-factly declared, ``Because it's a crock of shit.'' Later in the decade, Don unexpectedly joined with leading environmentalists to support the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) that offered up vast lands for both hunting and backpacking but also included greater protections for landowners and restrained federal land acquisitions. Down at the White House, plying the bill's key sponsors with Diet Cokes as they happily missed floor votes, Bill Clinton professed his commitment to the bill to a delegation that included Republicans like Young who had just voted to impeach him. When Young left the West Wing after a couple of hours, he marveled, ``No president has spent that much time with me since Nixon'' three decades earlier. Don helped build a stunning bipartisan coalition for CARA that passed the House with over 300 votes but stalled in the Senate. When asked why he could not get the bill past the upper house, he blamed ``those crazy, god-damned right-wing bastards.'' When he was reminded ``Don, you're a crazy right- wing bastard, you know,'' he answered, ``That's true, but I know how to cut a deal.'' The House Don Young leaves behind is one where knowing how to cut a bipartisan deal is a much more difficult challenge than in his glory days, wielding the gavel at the Resources and Transportation committees. His departure marks one more loss of the kind of people who were willing to take tough stands and live with the fallout, good or bad, because it was vastly better than gridlock and cheap shot sniping. Saying you'll miss Don Young doesn't mean he was right all the time or that he was invariably wrong; it means the House is diminished by his loss. He was a great congressman and a great friend; Alaska was fortunate to have him.

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, frequently we will say at a service, ``I mourn with you.'' We are all mourning in the House with Anne, Dawn, and Joni because we have all lost a dear, dear friend, and we are praying for them at this sad time. He was a blessing to our country. May Congressman Don Young forever rest in peace. When I asked George Miller this morning, what word would you use to describe Don Young. He said: He was amazing. He shouted over the phone: He was amazing. And how appropriate that the family had suggested ``Amazing Grace'' as the song to be sung at his service earlier today as he laid in state in Statuary Hall. Yes, Don Young. Amazing. ``Amazing Grace.''

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, Women's History Month offers an opportunity to reflect on the courageous, patriotic women who have helped write our Nation's story. Indeed, in every chapter of our history, women have been at the forefront: fighting for our rights, forging progress in every aspect of society, and pushing our nation to live up to our most cherished ideals. So, it is in that powerful, pioneering spirit that I rise today in support of legislation that will honor two of these historic Americans: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. From their seats on the highest Court in the land, they were not only instrumental to upholding and defending our Constitution--but they paved a path in the field of law for generations of women to follow. With this bill, we honor their extraordinary service by welcoming to the United States Capitol statues of these two trailblazing women. Thank you to Congresswoman Lois Frankel for your tireless, persistent leadership in establishing this special tribute--and for all that you do for America's women and girls. Thanks also to Chair Zoe Lofgren: who, at the helm of the Committee on House Administration, has been a steadfast champion in bringing more diversity and inclusion to monuments that fill the halls of the Congress. These statues will not only ensure that Justices O'Connor and Ginsburg take their rightful place here, among the many heroes of our history. But they will also ensure that all those who walk these hallowed halls--from Members and foreign leaders to young girls on school trips--can learn about and be inspired by the legacies of these two legendary leaders. It is with great pride that, with this bill, we will soon welcome to the halls of Congress a statue of a living legend: Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Justice O'Connor has earned her deeply deserved place in history, as the first woman ever to sit on the Supreme Court. But beyond the barrier-breaking nature of her service, she brought to the bench a pillar of courage, integrity and justice: our nation's highest ideals. On the Court, she was always an independent and influential voice-- bringing great wisdom, judgment and consideration to her opinions. She also inspired the world as a proud working mother, proving that a woman can both excel in her career and care for her family. She raised her three young sons while serving in the Arizona State Senate--where she was the first woman Maiority Leader of a State Senate anywhere in the country. And all were in awe of her strength in serving as her late husband's caregiver during his battle with Alzheimer's. Justice O'Connor once said: ``It's good to be first--but you don't want to be last.'' Indeed, she always held open the door behind her: mentoring so many young women in law, including our beloved Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And our Nation is so proud that Justice Ginsburg will join that of Justice O'Connor here on Capitol Hill. Ruth Bader Ginsburg truly embodied justice, brilliance and goodness-- and nearly every family in America benefited from her quarter century on the Court fighting for equality, opportunity and justice for all. The ``Notorious RBG'' quickly became an icon on the bench: an outstanding and independent legal mind; a tenacious defender of our fundamental rights; and the author of fiery opinions still referenced to this day. And throughout her entire career, she was a tireless advocate for gender equality, whether: working at the ACLU as the founder of its Women's Rights Project; arguing cases before the Supreme Court; or handing down legal opinions cementing the precedent that all men and women are created equal. After her devastating loss two years ago, it was my solemn privilege as Speaker to welcome her one final time back to the Capitol to lie in state. Now, it is with great respect and admiration for her legacy of powerful progress for women that the Congress passes this legislation to ensure her statue will be a permanent fixture of our Temple of Democracy. It is fitting that we enact this legislation amid the historic confirmation process of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. She was magnificent during the Committee proceedings last week-- demonstrating her brilliant legal mind, her remarkable confidence and poise, and her unyielding commitment to justice. And this is a moment of great pride and patriotism for our nation, as she will soon make history as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. Indeed, Judge Jackson is a blazing new trail for the next generation of public servants--in the same pioneering spirit as the two extraordinary leaders we are honoring with this legislation today. God blessed America with the leadership of Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg--and many of us today stand on their shoulders. With this bill, we ensure that all visit the Capitol feel their eternal presence and that our children will learn about their towering legacies. I urge a strong, bipartisan ``aye'' vote.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I congratulate him on his leadership. The connection between human rights and economics is a connection that many of us have seen for a while. When it comes to some countries, for example China, when I was trying to get an adjustment in trade with China based on human rights, I was told, Oh, blah, blah, blah. But I said then and I say now of Russia, if we do not speak out for human rights because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out for human rights in any small country in the world if these big countries are left off the hook. Madam Speaker, as we convene today, war rages in Ukraine. Yesterday, the Congress had the great honor and privilege of receiving a virtual address by President Zelenskyy, whose heroic leadership has rallied his nation and inspired the world. Our Members were very moved by his powerful remarks as well as the heart-wrenching footage he shared showing the terror and brutality which Putin has unleashed in Ukraine, including committing war crimes against children. So it is with great respect for President Zelenskyy's leadership and with unwavering support for the people of Ukraine that the House today takes another strong step to punish Russia for its war crimes. It is my hope that this legislation receives strong bipartisan support, and I thank the chairman, Mr. Neal, and the ranking member, Mr. Brady, for working together to make that a reality because it is a recognition that is worthy of the valor and courage of the people of Ukraine. The unimaginable courage, resilience, and determination of the Ukrainian people has been on full display, as they fight to not only protect their homeland but to defend democracy itself. The assault that Putin is making on Ukraine is an assault on democracy writ large. He is so cowardly and so insecure; he can't stand to see a democracy across the way from Russia for fear that the Russian people will see a better way instead of his autocracy. And so the Ukrainians are fighting for democracy writ large. Yet, tragically, Putin has repeatedly responded by accelerating brutality, indiscriminately bombing major cities, attacking civilians attempting to evacuate the violence, and even murdering mothers and babies in a maternity hospital. Russia's cruel and unprovoked invasion has already forced nearly 3 million Ukrainians to flee their homes, creating what the United Nations has called the fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. Because Putin shows no sign of ceasing his horrible aggression, the Congress today will take another step, in lockstep with the Biden administration and many of our allies, to tighten our stranglehold on the Russian economy. The legislation the House will pass today represents an intense action to further isolate Russia and decimate its economy. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Brady and Mr. Neal for giving us this opportunity. With this bill, the United States will suspend permanent normal trade relations with Russia, which means they will no longer enjoy preferential tariff treatment, take steps to review Russia's access to the World Trade Organization, and reauthorize and strengthen the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, so that we can impose even further individual sanctions. In doing so, we will make it as difficult as possible for Russia to do business with the United States and our allies, and we will also suspend normal trade relations with Belarus for its shameful complicity in Russia's aggression. Congress and the country salute Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal and Ranking Member Kevin Brady, who led the way to steer this legislation to the floor and garner strong bipartisan support for its passage. I would also like to thank Congressman Lloyd Doggett and Congressman Earl Blumenauer for their relentless leadership in showing that the House was ready with this legislation so we could act quickly and decisively and have the improving touches that Mr. Brady and Mr. Neal added to it. The legislation we pass today builds on swift, devastating sanctions already being imposed on Russia by America and our allies. We take this step with extraordinary unity not only within Congress on a bipartisan, bicameral basis, but also between the Congress and the administration. And we do so with historic coordination with our neighbors abroad, as the members of the G7 and European Union have all agreed to revoke most-favored-nation status from Russia. On behalf of the Congress, I salute President Biden for unifying our allies so that we could move together with this crushing blow. And we will continue working together to make Putin accountable for his despicable crimes as he violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. What Putin is doing in Ukraine, bombing civilians, targeting children, is outside, Madam Speaker, the circle of civilized human behavior. He is committing war crimes and he must be held accountable. Madam Speaker, I urge a strong, bipartisan ``aye'' vote.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, this morning, Members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, House and Senate, had the high privilege and distinct honor of hearing directly from the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In the face of Russia's cruel and unprovoked invasion, the President's fearless, heroic leadership has rallied his Nation and inspired the entire world. Our Members were very moved by his powerful remarks today, as well as the heart-wrenching footage he shared showing Putin's inhumane terror, brutally committing war crimes against children. As President Zelenskyy said: ``Right now, the destiny of our country is being decided . . . Russia has attacked not just us, not just our land, not just our cities. It went on a brutal offensive against our values--basic human values.'' Indeed, all are in awe of the extraordinary courage and determination of the Ukrainian people as they defend democracy, not only at home but democracy around the world. It is with great respect for the Ukrainian people, and in recognition of the grave threat that Russian aggression poses to the free world, that Congress secured $13.6 billion in humanitarian, security, and economic assistance for Ukraine in the government funding law that President Biden signed yesterday. But more needs to be done for the refugees and for the protection of the people. I hope that all of this can be done in a bipartisan way. So I join my colleague in saluting the people of Ukraine. Slava Ukraini. That means ``Glory to Ukraine.'' Glory to the heroes of Ukraine. Madam Speaker, and in coordination with the Administration and our Allies, we have taken strong, bipartisan action to cripple and isolate the Russian economy: Strangling its banks and taking on the oligarchs funding this war; Banning the import of oil and energy products into the United States, cutting off the lifeblood of the Russian economy; Taking first steps to remove Russia from the WTO; and Reauthorizing Global Magnitsky so we can impose further sanctions. This week, the House will take our latest, most intense action yet: revoking the privilege of permanent normal trade relations from Russia. It is my hope that, when it comes to the floor, this legislation receives overwhelming bipartisan support, worthy of the valor and heroism of the Ukrainian people.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that proceedings during the address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, held in the Capitol Visitor Center Congressional Auditorium on March 16, 2022, be printed in the Record.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, the world is in awe of the Ukrainian people, who have shown extraordinary courage and an iron will in the face of Russia's unprovoked war. As we speak, they are putting their lives on the line to protect their sovereignty and territorial integrity, protect their families, and defend their democracy. Indeed, the entire country--parents and children, rich and poor, in big cities and in small towns--have come together to safeguard their heritage and their home. Tragically, Putin has met their heroism with accelerating brutality: reportedly bombing indiscriminately and attacking civilians, including children. In doing so, the world has seen what the United Nations has deemed the ``fastest growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II.'' At this pivotal moment, America will not be delayed or deterred in taking action to counter Putin's aggression and support the Ukrainian people. With historic speed and coordination with our allies and partners, America has led the international community in taking devastating action against Russia. We have crippled the Russian economy: cutting off its banks, choking off its access to technology, targeting oligarchs funding this war--and much more. We have bolstered our support for NATO--and today the House will pass $13.6 billion in new funding for Ukraine for humanitarian, military and economic assistance. And now, the House will take major and severe step to continue our ongoing efforts to hold Putin accountable for his aggression. By passing the strong, bipartisan Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act, we will further isolate Russia from the global economy and leave it weaker in every way. For their relentless leadership in crafting this legislation, let us salute Congressmen Lloyd Doggett and Earl Blumenauer. And thank you to Ways and Means Chairman Richie Neal for his masterful work to steer this urgent package to the Floor. This legislation contains three primary provisions. First, we are banning the import of Russian oil and energy products into the United States. This will tighten our stranglehold on Russia by cutting off the lifeblood of its economy--and a major source of Putin's wealth. Congress commends President Biden for announcing this step in his remarks today--and we will support his initiative with this legislation. At the same time, American production of oil and gas is approaching record highs--and we will continue working to protect families from Putin's Price Hike. In the long-term, America must move to diversify our energy sources: to defend democracy, protect our planet and bring down energy costs for our families. Second, we are taking steps to review Russia's access to the World Trade Organization. Access to the benefits of international trade is a privilege--not a right. By moving to deprive them of these benefits, we seek to further diminish Russia in the global economy. Third, we are reauthorizing and strengthening the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act. Enacted in 2016, the Global Magnitsky Act broadened the human rights abuses that can be punished with sanctions and bolstered coordination with our partners. The legislation we will pass today will ensure the United States can impose these sanctions on Russia for its heinous attacks on Ukrainian civilians and its violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, the House will proudly pass an omnibus government funding bill that delivers For The People: strengthening national security, bolstering economic prosperity and advancing democratic governance. And this legislation will offer a strong foundation on which Democrats will continue our focus on Building a Better America: with lower costs, bigger paycheck and more jobs. Thank you, Madam Chair Rosa DeLauro, for your tireless work in assembling this omnibus package. You have been a masterful force in crafting a package that will help us meet the needs of American families. Let us also salute Ranking Member Kay Granger, as well as our committed counterparts in the Senate: Chairman Pat Leahy and Ranking Member Richard Shelby. This legislation addresses many of the top priorities for our country and in our communities for the long-term. For families, this means strong public schools; clean air and water; more public health resources; safe food and lower costs of insulin. With this bill, we are especially proud to increase the maximum Pell Grant by $400; as well as establishing funding for President Biden's bold new ARPA-H initiative to finally defeat cancer. For workers, it means better-paying jobs, support for our small businesses and a strong social safety net. For women and girls, it means the long-overdue reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act: one of our nation's most powerful tools to safeguard safety, dignity and rights. For our veterans, it means reliable benefits, reducing backlogs for veterans and their families seeking assistance, and meeting the needs of the VA's health care system. For our national security, it means honoring the service of our troops with improvements to defense readiness and modernization, stronger defenses against cyber attacks and promoting our democratic values abroad. Enacting this omnibus will also unlock billions in more federal dollars under our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law--delivering key investments in nearly every community across the country. Doing so will help us rebuild our nation while reinvigorating our middle class: creating millions of good-paying jobs improving roads and bridges, public transit, ports and airports, water systems and broadband, and more As we proceed on this legislation, war rages on in Ukraine. This omnibus includes $13.6 billion in emergency supplemental funding for humanitarian, military and economic assistance for Ukraine. Today, I had the privilege of an extensive telephone conversation with President Zelensky. It afforded me the opportunity to praise the extraordinary courage and resolve of the Ukrainian people as they defend their communities and their democracy. I also conveyed to him the sympathy of the Congress for the loss of life and livelihood in Ukraine--especially after Putin's barbaric attack on a maternity hospital, killing parents and children. He expressed the gratitude of the Ukrainian people for the assistance that the United States has provided to date. But much more needs to be done. This legislation takes a strong step forward. I am proud of the strong leadership of President Biden in his role in unifying NATO and other allies to cripple Russia's economy in response to Putin's diabolical, premeditated assault on Ukraine and its democracy. Again, I thank Chair DeLauro for her masterful leadership--and I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of a pioneer of global health and the dear friend of many in the Congress. Dr. Paul Farmer sadly passed away last week in Rwanda at a hospital and university that he helped establish, while doing what he loved most: working to improve the lives of those in need. Dr. Farmer saw a world in need and worked to heal it. A true revolutionary in the field of medicine, he forever altered our understanding of the fight against global poverty and how to care for those in need. Driven by an unyielding belief in the dignity of every person, he devoted his life to realizing this essential truth: health care is a human right, not a privilege. As the Co-Founder of Partners In Health, Dr. Farmer brought his brilliant medical acumen, tireless work ethic and deep compassion to deliver his unique and innovative brand of compassionate care around the world. Alongside his dedicated colleagues Dr. Jim Yong Kim and Ophelia Dahl, he helped to fight HIV in Haiti, tuberculosis in Peru, Ebola in Sierra Leone--to name just a few. With his life-changing work in Rwanda, he helped the government rebuild the nation's entire public health system and drastically improve outcomes for the Rwandan people. Personally, it was a privilege to see his saintly work first-hand on our Congressional delegation to Haiti in 2015, when we visited one of his initiatives to address the needs of orphan children. Beyond his heroic work abroad, Dr. Farmer was also deeply committed to shaping the next generation of doctors and public health leaders. At Harvard Medical School, he served as the Kolokotrones University Professor and Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, where he inspired so many students to carry on his lifelong mission, as articulated by the title of one of his books: To Repair the World. The world was in awe of Dr. Farmer's immense love for others--even those who lived half a world away and whom he had never met. Often, he would live in the communities he served, relocating his family for extended periods of time so they could be closer to those in need. It is a testament to his legendary ability to connect with others that he was godfather to more than 100 children, most of whom he met during his service in Haiti. And the partnership in public health and beautiful love he shared with his wife, Didi, was a joy to behold for all fortunate enough to know them. While Dr. Farmer's passing is an enormous loss for the world, his powerful vision lives on in the institutions he built, the students he mentored, the hearts he touched and the lives he saved. May it be a comfort to Didi and their three children that so many in Congress, our Country and in the world join them in mourning this extraordinary hero. May he rest in peace.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, since Russia launched its unprovoked, premediated war, the world has been awed by the extraordinary courage and resolve of the Ukrainian people, who--as we speak--are fighting against great odds to defend their sovereignty, their country's territorial integrity and their lives. Their resilience is an inspiration. Their iron will is nothing short of heroic. And their determination to save their democracy is a beacon to which the world has rallied. But as they fight, Ukrainians face a situation of severe violence and chaos unleashed by Putin. Congress remains extremely concerned about reports of potentially thousands of Ukrainian civilian casualties, including children. And we are concerned about the humanitarian situation facing the nearly 1 million Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their country. During this time of suffering for the Ukrainian people, America and the world must be there for them: without delay or reservation. Led by President Biden and our allies, the international community has come together with historic strength and coordination to hold Russia accountable and to support Ukraine. President Biden prepared or this moment: for months, calling out Putin and countering his lies, building a coalition of freedom-loving countries, and making clear that we stand with Ukraine. Indeed, instead of dividing the U.S. from its partners, Putin's actions have united the world, further isolated Russia and strengthened NATO. Now, with our partners, we are imposing costs on Russia for its lethal aggression that will leave it diminished on the world stage and weakened in every way: economically, diplomatically, and strategically. Our actions include powerful economic sanctions, cutting off Russia's banks, hamstringing its Central Bank, choking off its access to technology, going after the oligarchs that fund war, and much more. And we are continuing to fully support the people of Ukraine--with America delivering over $1 billion in direct security assistance over the last year alone. With our allies, we will continue to provide security assistance, humanitarian and economic assistance, and bolster NATO. Today, with this resolution, Congress is sending a further message to Ukraine and the world of our unwavering support for Ukraine, as we: Demand an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces and end to their violence; Support, unequivocally, Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity; and Reaffirm our commitment to further action to support Ukraine and to isolate Russia, together with our partners and NATO allies. As the resolution states, Congress ``stands steadfastly, staunchly, proudly, and fervently behind the Ukrainian people in their fight against the authoritarian Putin regime.'' I thank Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks, and the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, particularly Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, who has been a champion for Ukraine in the Congress for decades. I also thank Congresswoman Victoria Spartz (born and raised in Ukraine). As President Biden said in his State of the Union Address yesterday evening: ``When the history of this era is written, Putin's war on Ukraine will have left Russia weaker and the rest of the world stronger. ``In the battle between democracy and autocracy, democracies are rising to the moment, and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security. ``Putin may circle Kyiv with tanks, but he will never gain the hearts and souls of the Ukrainian people. He will never extinguish their love of freedom. He will never weaken the resolve of the free world.'' As we pray for the people of Ukraine, we remain resolute in our commitment to action to hold Putin accountable and to supporting democracy, peace, and security in the region and around the world. I urge a strong bipartisan vote for this resolution to support Ukraine as its people fight for peace, freedom and the future of their nation.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, last night we heard the President of the United States speak with great enthusiasm about our friendship with the people of Ukraine and how we have shared values in terms of democracy, in terms of sovereignty, and in terms of not having someone come into their country and usurp their freedom. President Biden also spoke about America's freedom in the world in terms of our independence in terms of our own investments in our economic future. America's excellence in science and engineering has long been the envy of the world. Along the way other countries have copied our model, investing in education and research and took over some of the manufacturing of our supply. We have, what was referenced by the President last night, legislation, we call it the America COMPETES Act in the House of Representatives. It is a blueprint for our independence and our self- sufficiency economically in the world. With the House-passed America COMPETES Act we do three things. First of all, we invest in chips, $52 billion in chips and semiconductors. Do you know how many chips are in a car? There are 1,000; and in an electric car, 2,000. In order for our auto manufacturers to continue to create jobs and create products, we need chips. $52 billion. Secondly, we reinvigorate our manufacturing base by addressing the supply chain issues. Supply chain increases supply, reducing costs, lowing inflation. This is very important. There is $48 billion invested there. Third, we invest in research and education into stem cell so we can diversify the workforce to include many more people, everyone in our country, as we advance science and technology and good-paying jobs for the future. Again, we are prepared to go into conference with the Senate on this legislation. We are always ready to fight for the people. We expect to have this legislation before too long, and when we do so we will be lowering costs, increasing paychecks, and doing so for the people.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his kind words, which I accept on behalf of our working in a bipartisan way for our veterans over the years, Democrats and Republicans. And I thank the chairman for his extraordinary leadership, both in this case and earlier for our veterans, completing our Agent Orange responsibilities to our veterans. As well, I thank Congressman Ruiz, a doctor and a Member of Congress who has been a champion on this issue, and Elaine Luria, a veteran and a Member of Congress who has been so instrumental in bringing this legislation to the floor. When the President spoke last night about meeting the needs of our veterans when it came to the burn pits, he received almost a unanimous standing ovation for that. It was very encouraging to see the Congress of the United States, House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans, recognize their obligation to our men and women in uniform. It is important to note that over the past generation, over 3 million of our courageous Americans have answered the call to serve and have donned the uniform to protect our freedoms as heroic Americans, just as people have done since our founding. From the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan--I was hearing this morning about Kandahar--and on bases and in military theaters around the world, these heroes have risked their lives to fight the enemy and yet, tragically, have had to face another deadly threat due to exposure to burn pits and other toxic substances. We always say about our military on the battlefield that we leave no soldier behind, and when they come home, we leave no veteran behind. Instead of receiving comprehensive, timely care and benefits, sometimes they are forced to confront a disability claims process that is nearly impossible to navigate. That is why the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, the PACT Act, finally, faithfully fulfills that pledge now and into the future, that we will leave no veteran behind. The budget costs of it are a cost of war. When we decide that we need to engage and initiate military action, we should understand that the cost is not just in our defense budget but also in our veterans' budget when they come home. Frankly, the cost of this bill is a fraction, if we are talking budget, of the cost of the Republican tax bill that they passed in 2017, which added $2 trillion to the national debt. I don't hear anybody complaining on the other side of the aisle about what impact that had on veterans and their concerns about the fiscal soundness of the United States. So let's just put it to rest: If it is a cost that we must have for our veterans--and this has been thoroughly researched, and others will speak to that--then we cannot say we can't afford it. It isn't about the price. It is about the value of what we get for this. In the last 20 years, the VA has seen over a 60 percent increase in rates of cancer due to toxic exposure. Eighty-six percent of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan report being exposed to the toxic fumes of burn pits, and 88 percent of those exposed said they were experiencing symptoms that could be related to that. Potentially up to 3.5 million veterans deployed post-9/11 may have been exposed to toxic fumes and substances. Despite this reality, nearly 75 percent of burn-pit-related disability claims were denied, Mr. Speaker. Too often, the VA and Congress have said it is just too expensive to care for, and there just isn't enough proof. The result of this negligence has been tragic. Thousands of veterans and families have been forced to suffer, including heroes like one I will quote, Staff Sergeant Wesley Black. Staff Sergeant Black was a Purple Heart hero who survived two tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In November, he died at the age of 36 from colon cancer tied to toxic exposure from burn pits, leaving behind his wife and new baby. After serving his country with distinction, Sergeant Black should have been able to retire happily, with pride. Instead, he spent his final days fighting for the reforms contained in this legislation so that no current or future veteran would be forced to endure the same horror that he and his family did. Staff Sergeant Wesley Black, before his passing, said: It is too late for me, but it is not too late for the next veteran who walks down the halls of the VA and goes in and complains about the signs and symptoms. We must make sure it is not too late for other veterans, I say, and when we send our servicemen and servicewomen into harm's way, we care for them when they come home. This is particularly important to me, because a long time ago, long before I was in Congress, in 1981, I went and sat with veterans in California, with Dick Gregory, who was making a big association with the cause for Agent Orange, in 1981, California, veterans having a hunger strike. Dick Gregory knew about hunger strikes from the civil rights movement, and he was associating himself with them and instructing them on how to survive a hunger strike, and I had the privilege of being with them. Little did I know at that time, it would take decades to address their Agent Orange concerns. And it wasn't even complete until Chairman Takano did so with the Navy legislation that he passed. We cannot let that much time go by. That would be shameful to our country. Let us also thank Mr. Cartwright, who also included in his package the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. Anyone who has heard from those families coming from Camp Lejeune, not just the servicemembers but their family members, who have been damaged related to injuries incurred while serving at Camp Lejeune. The list goes on. Again, thanks to Chairman Takano, Congressman Raul Ruiz, Congresswoman Elaine Luria, and Congressman Matt Cartwright. I thank everyone who has worked so hard to bring this to the floor. I want to also thank Senator Tester, with whom Chairman Takano and our committee have worked closely. We share a goal. We have to find the complete package so that it is comprehensive and fulfills our responsibilities. Others will go into the particulars of it. I want to also salute the distinguished Secretary of the VA, Denis McDonough, for the attention that he has paid to making sure what we do honors the promise of the PACT Act, so that the bill is written in a way that delivers in a timely fashion to our veterans. I could not have been more excited when the President of the United States included this important initiative in his remarks, not only as legislation but in the larger issue of what it means to our country, how we value our veterans and how we want to pass this legislation and get it to his desk soon so it will be a comfort to our veterans and their families. On the battlefield, we leave no soldier behind. When they come home, we leave no veterans behind.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a brilliant doctor and a pioneer of global health, Dr. Paul Farmer, who sadly passed away last week. Dr. Farmer dedicated his entire life to improving the lives of others. As co-founder of Partners in Health alongside Dr. Jim Yong Kim and Ophelia Dahl, he forever altered our understanding of the fight against global poverty and how to care for those in need. In his mission, ``To Repair the World,'' that is his book, he brought his unique and innovative brand of compassionate care to fight HIV in Haiti, tuberculosis in Peru, Ebola in Sierra Leone, to name just a few, while helping transform public health outcomes in Rwanda. At the Harvard Medical School, he inspired a generation of aspiring doctors to pursue careers in global health. Personally, it was a privilege to see his saintly work firsthand on our congressional delegation visit to Haiti in 2015 after the earthquake. We visited one of his initiatives to address the needs of orphan children. May it be a comfort to his wife, Didi, and their three children that Congress, the country, and the world join them in mourning this visionary hero.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I salute the leadership of Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and Ranking Member James Comer. I thank them both for bringing this important legislation to the floor and their determined leadership to have a bipartisan bill, which is really important, and doing so, again, in a spirit of bipartisanship that would make our Founders proud. Madam Speaker, 230 years ago this month our fledgling Nation took a bold step toward the future by formally establishing the modern United States Postal Service, a beautiful thread that continues to weave together communities across America. Today, I rise in support of the Postal Service Reform Act, which takes long overdue actions to strengthen this pillar of our democracy so that it can continue to serve our communities for decades to come. Since our earliest days, when couriers on horseback traversed the Colonies, America's postal system has been a model for the world. Indeed, our Founders knew the value of a strong Postal Service, enshrining it into Article I, Section 8 of our Constitution: ``The Congress shall have the power . . . to establish post offices and post roads.'' And, when Alexis de Tocqueville visited in the early 19th century, he was in awe of how our Postal Service brought Americans together, writing there was ``no French province in which the inhabitants knew each other as well as 13 million men spread over the extent of the United States.'' Yet, decades of poor policy decisions and chronic underinvestment have put this all-American institution on the path of insolvency. As was indicated by the gentleman who just spoke, experts project that USPS will run out of cash as soon as 2024; and reduced services and added delays would only continue and bring harm in every ZIP Code. Meanwhile, our Nation continues to ask more and more of our postal workers. Today, they deliver to nearly 159 million delivery points-- imagine that--159 million delivery points--across the Nation, and they add one million more delivery points each year. And millions of Americans depend on the USPS to deliver prescriptions, Social Security benefits, paychecks, tax returns, absentee ballots, and more. I will just say in the period of COVID the U.S. Postal Service was angelic. It was delivering prescriptions to our veterans who were in need of those prescriptions, as well as to seniors and others. So we thank them for that. So this legislation would put the Postal Service on stronger financial footing while improving the reliability of its services while protecting the benefits of employees and retirees. The legislation makes bipartisan, commonsense provisions that will welcome all future postal retirees into Medicare, free the U.S. Postal Service from the unnecessary requirement to prefund retiree health benefits 75 years in advance--and we call that a financial albatross-- and improve USPS reliability with new transparency measures that will help ensure consistent on-time mail delivery. I have much more on that that I will submit for the Record, Madam Speaker. As a mother of five and grandmother of nine, I heavily depend on the Postal Service for all kinds of things. Children write letters to Santa. They still write letters to Santa. They do not text Santa. Some do, maybe, but the letter to Santa is very important. Parents sharing graduation photos; friends offering condolences; wedding announcements; whatever it is, it is still the duty of the Postal Service to deliver it. And servicemembers communicating with home is so important. This important legislation takes the strong step to empower the Postal Service to continue its crucial mission to improve our lives, touch our hearts, and connect our communities. With that, I once again want to thank Chairwoman Maloney and Ranking Member Comer, and I urge a strong bipartisan vote for this legislation. And again, even though we are communicating electronically in so many ways, there is no substitute for that personal connection that the Postal Service provides for us.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the chair for her strong leadership in bringing the CR to the floor, but also for her relentless work in negotiating the omnibus, what this is all about. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the CR that will keep government open, meet the needs of the American people, and honor the values of our Nation. This short-term measure will ensure that we have the time we need to finalize negotiations on a strong, bipartisan omnibus to fund the government through the end of the year. As I commend the gracious madam chair, Rosa DeLauro, the chair of the Appropriations Committee, I want to also commend Ranking Member Granger for her leadership as well. This legislation extends government funding at current levels through March 11. To be clear, this bill keeps government open while making virtually no changes to existing funding policy. The CR does, however, include urgently needed emergency funding to help clean up contaminated drinking water leaking from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii. In doing so, we deliver a crucial downpayment to help the Navy meet immediate needs and keep families safe. In order to advance our priorities for our country and our communities in the long term, Congress must enact an omnibus funding package. For families, a new full-year spending package means strengthening public schools, protecting clean air and clean water, improving public health, and ensuring food and consumer safety. For workers, it means creating new jobs and supporting small businesses. For our veterans, it means funding for benefits, reducing backlogs for veterans and their families seeking assistance, and meeting the needs of the VA's healthcare system. For our national security, it means support for our troops, improvements to defense readiness and modernization, the securing of our cyber infrastructure, and stronger leadership abroad. Now that President Biden has proudly signed our bipartisan infrastructure bill, it is essential that we enact an omnibus in order to unlock billions in more Federal dollars for infrastructure projects. While they were in the infrastructure bill, the money cannot be spent unless we pass the omnibus. This will help us rebuild our Nation while reinvigorating our middle class, creating millions of good-paying jobs improving roads and bridges, ports and airports, water systems, broadband, and more. As the preamble to our Constitution states: It is our duty as lawmakers to ``establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.'' Today, we uphold this sacred responsibility in the short term with this continuing resolution. With our omnibus legislation, which we hope to bring to the floor soon, we will take an important step to honor the vision of our Founders. Madam Speaker, I urge a strong bipartisan ``aye'' vote.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her recognition. I want to recognize her as a great leader on the matter before us today. This legislation, the America COMPETES Act, is something that has come to the floor largely because of the investments that she has made over the years in science and technology, keeping America competitive, and now as the chair of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. I thank her for the intellect that she has brought to this and the reputation that she has enjoyed in the scientific and academic community in support of her legislative initiatives, this bill being a highlight of it all. Madam Speaker, America has long been a beacon of excellence in science and engineering in the world, forging innovations that have been transformative for workers, businesses, and for our economy. By investing in education and research, we were preeminent. We have been preeminent in the world's arena. A number of years ago, maybe 20, maybe longer, other countries followed our blueprint. They followed our lead. They invested in education and recognized the value of investment in research and new technologies. Now they threaten our position as the world leader in science and innovation. We have been seeing that over time. The technology that we rely on each day and those that will take us into the future must be made here in America or else we will be at the mercy of those other countries, driving up costs for American families and eroding our global competitiveness. Madam Speaker, this situation is a challenge to the economic security of our country, the financial security of our families, and the national security of our Nation. It must be met head-on with bold, strategic action that seizes the opportunity for progress. Today the House is seizing that opportunity in passing legislation that meets the moment by securing the preeminence of American manufacturing, innovation, and economic strength with the America COMPETES Act. To be preeminent in technology and innovation is essential so that America becomes self-sufficient in the manufacture of critical goods. The America COMPETES Act will do this, and transport our Nation into the future, by: First, supercharging our investment in CHIPS for America Act. Semiconductors are a key component to everything from computers to cars to your personal phone, Madam Speaker. Cars contain hundreds of chips; electric cars, thousands. Chips are the lifeblood of modern technology. Over the past 30 years, America's global share of manufacturing semiconductors has been outpaced by other countries, leaving us dependent on those countries and vulnerable to their supply chain issues, which drive up costs at home, for Americans. The America COMPETES Act directs $52 billion for the CHIPS for America Act. That is contained in this bill. It will address supply chain disruptions that push up costs for families, bring back chips production to America, and ensure that the United States leads the way on semiconductor fabrication. Madam Speaker, specifically, the bill provides financial assistance to incentivize investment in facilities and equipment for semiconductor fabrication, assembly, testing, advanced packaging, and research development. This is very specific and very well thought out. Secondly, the America COMPETES Act advances manufacturing at home in our country and strengthens our supply chains. The pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of global supply chains that rely on other countries. We need to be making goods in America with American workers. The America COMPETES Act authorizes $45 billion to support the manufacture and acquisition of critical goods or industrial equipment that are essential for national security and economic vitality including components and products for public health in biological preparedness. This is very important. Madam Speaker, information and communications technology, energy and transportation sector's industrial base, and agriculture and food product supply chains, that affects everyone in our country. The America COMPETES Act reduces our reliance on critical goods from countries of concern and encourages the relocation of manufacturing facilities out of those countries. It supports the creation of jobs with competitive wages including by preserving existing collective bargaining agreements and supporting union organizing efforts. I will remind you that one and two were about supercharging our investment in chips and advancing manufacturing at home and strengthening the supply chains. Three, the America COMPETES Act advances America's scientific research and innovation excellence to ensure that we lead the technologies of the future. It includes a suite of bipartisan science, research, and technology bills to turbocharge American innovation focused squarely on producing solutions and results. I reiterate, a suite of bills that have been bipartisan in committee and on the floor of the House. It maximizes the American talent pool by strengthening and diversifying our Nation's STEM workforce. This is very important because we want many more people, women, people of color, other previously underrepresented communities to be part of this. And, fourth, the America COMPETES Act promotes U.S. global leadership, ensuring that the 21st century is the American century, positioning the interests and values of the United States to win on the world stage. And there are competitors for that honor. Central to the America COMPETES Act is the strong action taken to hold the PRC accountable for its trade abuses, which hurt U.S. workers, and for its human rights violations, including the genocide against the Uyghurs. People have to understand the connection between human rights violations and fairness to American workers. Actually, what is happening in China with the Uyghurs is beyond human rights; it is genocide to the nth degree. This use of forced labor which they are doing with the Uyghurs is immoral and horrific, yes, and it hurts U.S. workers who have to compete with slave labor. So understand human rights there and fairness to our workers here are connected. The House bill reflects a rigorous, comprehensive process of listening to the experts and crafting legislation that will truly rise to this challenge, and I thank Madam Chair for doing that. Eleven committees have fed into this legislation, so I know we have heard from many of the chairs in the debate today, and we will hear from many more Members as we go into the amendment process. But I want to congratulate you, Madam Chair. Well over 100 research and scientific institutions have already endorsed this bill or its key components, from: Academic institutions: Including the Association of American Universities and dozens of top research universities, including the Ivy League schools and leading public institutions, including the University of California system. Leading scientific groups: Such as American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Nuclear Society, American Mathematical Society, and American Society for Engineering Education. Top innovation firms and business groups: The Chamber of Commerce, the Semiconductor Industry Association, the National Association of Manufacturers, and companies like Intel who invest in these chips. Groups representing American workers--and this is very important. Groups representing American workers, led by the AFL-CIO, and I mentioned the Teamsters, who write, ``On behalf of America's supply chain union,'' they call themselves, ``I applaud the House Democratic leadership for moving forward with their own legislation that addresses the crucial issue of competing with China in a way that benefits U.S. working families for many years to come.'' Their statement continues, ``I agree with President Biden that America COMPETES Act will bring manufacturing jobs back home to this country and make America's supply chains more resilient.'' The America COMPETES Act is built on bipartisan bills, many of which have already passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan margins, my colleagues, overwhelming bipartisan margins. And that includes the National Science Foundation for the Future Act, the Department of Energy Science for the Future Act, Rural STEM Education Act, Open RAN Outreach Act, FUTURE Networks Act, Strengthening America's Strategic National Stockpile Act, and many more. In closing, I just want to say the America COMPETES Act recognizes and meets the challenges of the 21st century, ensuring that America cannot just compete but must win the global landscape. As I said in the beginning, we were in the lead. We set a good example for the world. Others followed our lead and became competitive with us. A vote for this bill would be a vote for making more American goods here in America with American workers. A vote for this bill would strengthen our supply chains and lower costs for families. It would bring forceful action to ensure that America, not the People's Republic of China, but America writes the rules of the road for the 21st century. Madam Speaker, I urge a strong bipartisan vote for the America COMPETES Act and for ensuring the global preeminence of America's manufacturing for American workers and the American economy and our security now and for years to come. Again, congratulations to Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and other chairs who worked so hard to bring this very important legislation to the floor and to the fore.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for bringing this important legislation to the floor of the House in such a bipartisan way. I rise today in support of legislation to honor the leadership and legacy of Congressman John Robert Lewis. I thank the gentleman, who is also from Georgia, for presiding. It makes it very special to all of us. I support this legislation officially and personally, as our beloved John Lewis was the conscience of the Congress and a dear friend to many of us who served with him. I came in with the same class as John Lewis, so I served with him for decades, and I had the benefit of seeing up close and personal on a daily basis the special nature of this man. Let us salute Congresswoman Nikema Williams, who has the awesome privilege of serving in John Lewis' seat for Georgia, for her committed leadership in making this legislation possible. John Lewis was a titan of the civil rights movement--we all know that--a moral giant on Capitol Hill and in the country, and a hero of American history who transformed our Nation with his vision, his persistence, and his courage. John offered our Nation a clarion voice for freedom and justice from lunch counters in Nashville to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to the floor of the House. On the floor of the House, John led a demonstration in support of gun violence prevention that was historic. John's extraordinary sacrifice, indomitable spirit, and endless generosity in the face of unimaginable adversity made him revered in both Houses of Congress, on both sides of the aisle, and across the country. It was my solemn honor to welcome John back to the Capitol a final time in July 2020 to lie in state. Then, in July 2021, I had the great privilege of leading a congressional delegation to San Diego to christen the formidable USNS John Lewis. Today, we again honor John by affixing his name upon a post office in the heart of his beloved Atlanta, another fitting tribute that will inspire generations of Georgians. It is appropriate we do so today as Americans across the Nation mark the beginning of Black History Month this very day. As we do so, let us pledge to continue to carry on John's mission to strive for a more perfect Union and to work to build a world worthy of John Lewis' legacy. Mr. Speaker, I also proudly honor a pioneering spirit and a friend of John Lewis', a progressive champion and a dear longtime friend of so many of us, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, with legislation to rename the Petaluma downtown post office in her honor, which I am proud to cosponsor as a Californian. We pay a proper tribute to an inspiring leader who has improved the lives of countless working families in the bay area and beyond. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Jared Huffman for his committed leadership to bring this legislation to the floor and for carrying on a great legacy that he and Lynn Woolsey shared of leadership on behalf of the families of the north bay. During Lynn's two decades in the House on the Education and Labor Committee and as co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, she was a leader on welfare reform in the nineties, opposing the war in Iraq since day one, working relentlessly on ending gender discrimination, championing fervently our environment, and, again, bravely protesting the genocide in Darfur. So the Congress will salute her instrumental leadership. She was one of the leaders who established Women's History Month, an important tradition allowing us to pay homage to the extraordinary women on whose shoulders we now stand. For two reasons I come to the floor. Of course, one, to share in honoring John Lewis in the naming of the post office, and to honor Lynn Woolsey. I hope we have a strong bipartisan ``aye'' in both cases. Mr. Speaker, I again thank Chair Wasserman Schultz for affording me this opportunity to speak on behalf of two great champions of the Congress, and I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, since 1983, the U.S. Congress House and Senate and the German Bundestag and Bundesrat have conducted an annual exchange program for staff members from both countries. The program gives professional staff the opportunity to observe and learn about each other's political institutions and engage in discussion regarding mutual interest. A staff delegation from the U.S. Congress will be selected to visit Germany from Friday, May 27-Sunday, June 5, 2022. During this exchange, the delegation will attend meetings with Bundestag/Bundesrat party staff members, and representatives of numerous political, business, academic and media agencies. A comparable delegation of German staff members will visit the United States from Saturday, July 9-Monday, July 18, 2022. They will attend similar meetings in Washington organized by the members of the U.S. delegation. The Congress-Bundestag/Bundesrat Exchange is highly regarded in Germany and the United States and is one of several exchange programs sponsored by public and private institutions in the United States and Germany to foster better understanding of the politics and policies of both countries. This exchange is funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The U.S. delegation shall consist of experienced and accomplished Hill staff who can contribute to the success of the exchange on both sides of the Atlantic. The Bundestag reciprocates by sending senior staff professionals to the United States. Applicants should have a demonstrable interest in events in Europe. Applicants need not be working in the field of foreign affairs, although such a background can be helpful. The composite U.S. delegation should exhibit a range of expertise in issues of mutual concern to the United States and Germany such as, but not limited to, trade, security, the environment, economic development, health care, and other social policy issues. This year's delegation should be familiar with transatlantic relations within the context of recent world events. Please note that there is a significant time commitment aspect for those selected for the program. In addition, U.S. participants are expected to plan and implement the meetings and programs for the Bundestag/Bundesrat staff members when they visit the United States. Members of the House and Senate who would like a member of their staff to apply for participation in this year's program should direct them to submit a resume and cover letter in which they state their qualifications, the contributions they can make to a successful program and some assurances of their ability to participate during the time stated. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all staff selected for the exchange program must be fully vaccinated in order to travel. Proof of vaccination must be submitted with the application. Applications should be sent to the Office of Interparliamentary Affairs, HC-4, the Capitol, by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Questions may be directed to Ms. Kate Knudson at 202-226-1766 or Ms. Claudia Marconi at 202-226-3441.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, today our Nation faces the most dangerous assault on the vote since Jim Crow. Last year alone, more than 440 draconian voter restrictions have been introduced across 49 States, with at least 19 States enacting 34 measures into law. This legislation seeks not only to suppress access to the ballot but empowers States to nullify election results entirely. That is the legislation that I referenced across the country. This sinister campaign has particularly targeted communities of color. As the Committee on House Administration proved in last summer's report, partisan forces are accelerating a sinister campaign to silence the voices of color in particular. There are four things, just four things, I want people to know about the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, four things to remember, and one observation, the four reasons why every Member should vote for this bill today. First, it ends shameful voter suppression and election subversion, which lets local officials simply choose winners and losers based on their own political interests. Nullification of elections, vote ``no'' on that. Secondly, it ends partisan gerrymandering so that the redistricting process will meet the standards of the Constitution, of the Voting Rights Act, and keep communities of interests together. One, stopping voter suppression and election nullification; two, ending partisan gerrymandering. Third, it stops big, dark, special interest money, which is suffocating the airwaves with misrepresentations, which does suppress the voices of the American people. Get rid of big, dark money. People can still give their big, dark, special interest money, but they have to disclose it so that the public knows. Fourth, this legislation empowers the grassroots by rewarding their participation in our democracy and amplifying a voice and, yes, the power of matching their small-dollar contributions. Hear this: There are no taxpayer dollars involved in that, no matter what you might hear them misrepresent. No taxpayer dollars. Four things: end voter suppression and election nullification; end political gerrymandering; end big, dark, special interest money crushing the political system; and reward the grassroots. That is in the Freedom to Vote Act. In the John R. Lewis Act, which is part of what we are voting on today, I just want to be clear: The Voting Rights Act has been strongly bipartisan. Indeed, Republican Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, George Herbert Walker Bush, and George W. Bush, who signed the most recent Voting Rights Act, which received like 390 votes in the House, unanimous in the Senate--it was signed by George W. Bush. It was bipartisan. Four times the Congress has reauthorized the Voting Rights Act in a bipartisan way. This is the first time we have the assault that we have on that. I am very, very proud of the House of Representatives, Mr. Speaker, because we have twice passed the For the People Act, which is to protect our vote, and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Even before he passed and had this named in his honor, we passed it once. The House has made it clear: We stand with the people in the fight for voting rights. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to commend Mr. Butterfield for his leadership on all of this, going around the country; John Sarbanes, the author of the For the People Act; Terri Sewell, the author of the Voting Rights Act; Zoe Lofgren, the chair of the House Administration Committee; and Mr. Nadler, the chair of the Judiciary Committee. I also want to acknowledge the work of Jim McGovern, the chair of the Rules Committee, who has brought these bills to the floor time and time again. This is a day when Democrats will once again take a strong step to defend our democracy as we send the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act to the Senate for urgent consideration. Nothing less is at stake than our democracy. Mr. Speaker, I urge a strong, bipartisan ``aye'' vote on this legislation.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his leadership in bringing this important legislation to the floor and for yielding. We owe our veterans everything. They make us the home of the brave and the land of the free. They protect our democracy. They and their families make us so very, very proud. I thank the gentleman again, Mr. Takano, as chair of the committee, and Mr. Levin for his leadership on this particular legislation which I will acknowledge in a moment. First, Mr. Speaker, I want to say, nearly eight decades ago when Congress enacted the first GI Bill, our Nation made a bipartisan and unbreakable promise: that every hero who steps forward to defend our Nation deserves the tools to succeed when they come home. Today, the House will proudly take another strong step toward fulfilling that pledge. On behalf of the Congress, I commend the outstanding leadership of the committee chair, Mark Takano, who has ensured that the Veterans' Affairs Committee remains committed to its long legacy of bipartisanship. I salute the chair of the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Congressman Mike Levin of California, both for leading on this important legislation every step of the way and for his lifetime advocacy on behalf of our military communities. Every time our Nation seeks to strengthen and expand benefits for veterans, we have listened closely to our men and women in uniform and our veterans, taking their insight and expertise into account. We continue to listen to them today as we continue to build upon our progress and appropriately honor their service. On a regular basis we have a meeting with our veterans service organizations. The American Legion is very much a part of that, as well as other groups reflecting our involvement in other wars since World War II, and we still have a few veterans from then. What is interesting about this legislation today to me is that, again, it sprang from listening to our men and women in uniform and our veterans as to what their needs are. That is exactly how the first GI Bill came to be. The veterans of World War I, recognizing the disadvantages that they were at after World War I, came forth with the proposal to have the GI Bill. So this was passed and signed by Franklin Roosevelt during World War II at the suggestion of veterans of World War I. During the dark days of the Second World War and after listening to the calls of the brave veterans of World War I, President Roosevelt made clear the urgent moral imperative of supporting our returning soldiers. In a message to Congress in November 1943, he said, ``The members of the Armed Forces have been compelled to make greater economic sacrifice and every other kind of sacrifice than the rest of us, and they are entitled to definite action to help take care of their special problems.'' I am very proud that my father, Thomas D'Alesandro, was in this Chamber. He was a Member of Congress from Baltimore when the President said that. His brother would be lost shortly thereafter in the battle leading up to the Battle of the Bulge. Less than a year later, Congress enacted the first GI Bill on an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote marking a turning point in how our Nation cares for our veterans. In doing so, we made a transformational investment in our servicemembers, opening the doors to a college education and home ownership, launching millions of families into the middle class. In 2008 it was my great privilege to serve as Speaker as the Congress took a crucial step to bring these benefits into the 21st century. With the Post-9/11 GI Bill--passed on a strong bipartisan vote and signed into law by President George W. Bush--we expanded the promise of a full, 4-year college education to veterans in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we ensured subsequent legislation that their families could also take advantage of that benefit. In 2017 we strengthened this law by improving benefits and closing gaps in eligibility so that we can best serve those who served our Nation. Yet, today, too many veterans still do not receive equal access to the life-changing benefits they have earned. Over the last few decades, our valiant reservists and guardsmen have become even more integral to America's national security strategy. Our reservists often serve side by side with Active-Duty servicemembers, do the same jobs, and incur the same risks. And as our Nation has battled the pandemic, our communities have relied on our guardsmen to help protect our Nation from the deadly virus. These heroes are essential to keeping our families and our Nation safe, but current law falls short of delivering the benefits they deserve. With the Guard and Reserve GI Bill Parity Act, we will ensure that every day our reservists and guardsmen heroes serve in uniform count toward their GI benefits. In doing so, we will lift up hundreds of thousands of current and future veterans across the Nation so that they, too, will have the opportunities they need to thrive in the 21st century economy. Let me be clear: ensuring every servicemember has equal access to hard-earned benefits is an issue of fairness. When the House passes this legislation today, we will build on the proud, bipartisan progress forged by generations of lawmakers in this Chamber and in the Senate as well, we show our heroes that they will always have our unwavering support, and we honor the sacrifice on the battlefield. The military vows that on the battlefield we will leave no soldier behind, and when they come home, we pledge that we will leave no veteran behind. There is so much more that we can learn from listening to our veterans and our servicemembers that we must do, so that they can take their strongest position when they come home. Mr. Speaker, in this all-American spirit, I urge a very strong ``aye'' vote for this legislation. I want to thank the distinguished chairman for his leadership and Mike Levin for his relentless persistence for the benefit of our veterans as a member of that important committee. Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts, the distinguished chair of the Rules Committee, for his leadership in bringing this important legislation to the floor tonight to enable us to fight for voting rights tomorrow when we vote for the legislation. Many of us will have more to say tomorrow on the substance of that bill, but I just want to place this action in time. Today is a historic day because we are taking a big step forward thanks to the leadership of the distinguished majority leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer. We are in a position now to take a step forward with this rule to enable us to debate the bill tomorrow to fight for voting rights. Yesterday, President Biden made it crystal clear that the Senate must find a path forward to enshrine critical voting rights legislation into law. That was yesterday. Today, House Democrats will take another step to defend our democracy with legislation called the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. We will send it to the Senate for urgent consideration after we debate it and vote on it tomorrow. Madam Speaker, I want to thank John Sarbanes from Maryland. This is a bill that we have voted on in the last Congress but also in this Congress, in this House of Representatives. We voted for the For the People Act, which is the essence of the legislation we are considering now. It was H.R. 1 in the House. In addition to that, it is attached to H.R. 4, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which will be part of this package tomorrow because of the leadership of Chuck Schumer; John Sarbanes; Zoe Lofgren; Terri Sewell, who has carried this legislation again and again; Mr. Butterfield; the distinguished chair of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Nadler; and so many people. We have had this debate over and over again in the House and in this Congress, so when I hear people say, ``Oh, here comes a bill that has never seen the light of day,'' no. We had a vote in the House on this already. We had a vote on this in the House already, and this is as it came back to us this time from the Senate. Yesterday, as I said, the President made it crystal clear that we had to get something done. Again, Mr. McGovern is giving us that opportunity now. So I just want to say that is why this is necessary. It has been said in the gentleman's committee this evening--but let me just be brief because the night is getting on--since we passed the bill before, and in the course of the year, the Republicans have continued their assault on voting rights in our country. Nearly 400 bills were introduced, 20 of them enacted into law, which not only suppressed the vote, making it harder for people of color and people with disabilities--people--to vote, but also legislation to nullify the vote. It doesn't matter how the people vote; it matters how the people we appoint decide how they vote. That is not a democracy. It strikes to the heart of a democracy. It strikes to the heart of a democracy, and that is why this legislation is even more necessary than when it was first introduced. It is a continuation in legislatures across the country of the assault that was made on this Capitol to undermine the Constitution, the Capitol, the Congress, and our democracy on January 6. As the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts mentioned earlier, there was not even a vote to accept on the part of many on the other side of the aisle the results of that election. I thank Mr. McGovern not only for his leadership tonight but for that dangerous day for him to take over the chair after the security spirited me out because of threats on my life. So, again, this is urgent. It is a repeat of what we have done and done again and again. We are glad that the Senate is ready to receive this next iteration with very little change from what we had passed before. In Georgia, when President Biden delivered a clarion call to defend our democracy, he said: ``I will not yield. I will not flinch. I will defend your right,'' he said to folks, ``to vote and our democracy against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And so the question is: Where will the institution of the United States Senate stand?'' Well, we will see. We had the question of the filibuster. Now, until we had this debate on this voting rights and filibuster has become a discussion, what was your view, Madam Speaker, of what that word meant? When somebody said they were going to filibuster something or they were engaged in a filibuster, you thought they were going to talk for a long time, to filibuster, to talk for a long time, not to obstruct justice, not to obstruct debate, not to obstruct the majority to be able to take a vote, to discuss something. By passing the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, the Democratic House will make clear that we in this House stand with the President, yes, but with the American people to fight for voting rights. Nothing less is at stake than our democracy. The sanctity of the vote and the integrity of our elections is what is at stake. I thank all of our colleagues who participated in this for their committed leadership for the people in the fight for voting rights. Madam Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Gregory Meeks, of the Foreign Affairs Committee, for his leadership in bringing this important legislation to the floor which addresses an issue of faith, of values, and of our country. The House comes together, hopefully, in a spirit of unity--I would have hoped--and patriotism to condemn and combat Islamophobia and all forms of racism, prejudice, and discrimination. Listening to the debate, I heard Mr. Danny Davis earlier as he was singing ``don't mess with Mister In-Between'' talking about religion and talking about how it should be off-limits and people's religion should be respected. I know--and probably it is true of everyone here-- the respect we have for our own faith and our own religion enables us to appreciate the faith and respect people have for their faith. That is why this is so sad because it is an attack on the faith of one of our Members. Sadly, but clearly, Islamophobia is a sinister, growing, and for too many American Muslims, a constant presence in our Nation. To just review some of the figures: Nearly 70 percent of American Muslims have personally experienced anti-Muslim discrimination since September 11. Thousands of documented acts of anti-Muslim bigotry and violence are recorded each year, with many thousands unreported. Attacks are growing more common and more brazen--from vandalism of mosques, to physical assaults on women wearing hijabs, to hate speech from public officials, to bullying and violence of children at schools. Think of how the children hear this. As we all know, this bigotry has targeted one of our own--shamefully, from within this congressional community. Racism and bigotry of any form, including Islamophobia, must always be called out and condemned in any place it is found. This is particularly true in the Halls of Congress which are the very heart of our democracy and where we have a responsibility under the rules of the House to behave in a way that brings dignity to this body. Our first President, George Washington--there he is looking over us-- over 230 years ago in a letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport wrote: ``For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.'' He, himself, was defining what is the right way to live. Indeed, bigotry and persecution have always been un-American as demonstrated by our patriarch, George Washington. Anti-Muslim bigotry affects not only Members but many other members of our congressional community. As hundreds of Muslim staffers wrote in a letter last week, Mr. Speaker, they said ``hateful rhetoric by public officials directly impacts us and puts our safety at risk, both at the workplace and in our everyday lives.'' The Muslim staffers whom we value here further said: ``We must now come to work every day knowing that the same Members and staff who perpetuate Islamophobic tropes and insinuate that we are terrorists also walk by us in the Halls of Congress.'' It is really frightening. Disturbingly, Islamophobia is not a unique American experience but a global scourge. Earlier this year, the U.N. Human Rights Council declared that discrimination against Muslims has risen to epidemic proportions. Around the world, we see tragedy and tragic consequences of anti-Muslim attitudes: the genocide against the Uyghur people and other Muslim minorities in China, atrocities committed against the Rohingya in Burma, attacks on Muslim refugees in central Europe and white supremacist violence against Muslims in New Zealand and Canada, the targeting of Muslim minority communities in western Asia and the Middle East. We must confront Islamophobia or any form of racism wherever it is found--around the world, in our country, or even in these very Halls. This legislation will not only address the rise in incidents of Islamophobia worldwide but launch a plan to combat this bigotry. I thank Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar for their leadership in advancing equity, justice, and dignity in our Congress, in America, and in the world with this action. I thank also the Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, Gregory Meeks, for his support of this important action. With this bill's passage, Mr. Speaker, a special envoy for monitoring and combating Islamophobia will be created, just as the State Department has special envoys on anti-Semitism and international religious freedom. That is something we have always shared in this body, across the aisle and across the Capitol in a bipartisan way, support for and respect for religious freedom at home and internationally. This special envoy created here will be charged with establishing a comprehensive strategy to combat Islamophobia worldwide. The State Department's annual human rights reports will be expanded to include state sponsors of Islamophobic violence and impunity. As a nation that prides itself on the defense of human rights and dignity, we must be leaders both on the global stage and at home by example to combat violence against Muslims. Again, Islamophobia in any place is offensive, dangerous, and must be condemned; and Islamophobia in our own congressional community-- specifically, the repeated, ongoing, and targeted Islamophobic comments and actions against another Member as we witnessed this past year--is appalling and totally unacceptable. That language and behavior are far beneath the dignity, integrity, and decency with which the Constitution and our constituents require that we act in this House. These actions must be called out and not tolerated. Mr. Speaker, every day that we are in session we begin with a prayer because we believe in our own way. Some don't believe, but by and large, most people here believe. We do so with reverence for our own religious beliefs and with respect for the beliefs of others. If we didn't have such strong beliefs in ourselves and our own religion, it would be okay and easy to believe that somebody might be frivolous about respecting someone else's devotion. But we do. We all profess to be people of faith. The House will continue to look into an array of options to address this priority and to take real action to combat Islamophobia as we have many times taken action to condemn anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman again for his leadership and Congresswoman Schakowsky, who was very much a part of this, and Congresswoman Omar; and I urge a strong, bipartisan vote on this important legislation.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time, and more importantly, for bringing this important legislation to the floor. Now we say that with many bills, and let me tell you, Madam Speaker, what this means to America's families. America's families, as they gather around the kitchen table and figure out their priorities and how they are going to pay their bills is what keeps them up at night. We must lift the debt ceiling to cover the expenses already incurred. It is important to note over 95 percent of it occurred during the Trump administration, under 4 percent of it during the Biden administration. But sadly, Republicans have not only abandoned the responsibility they have in all of this, this is what it means to you. For families, a default could mean millions of American jobs eliminated, trillions in household wealth erased, reducing the value of the dollar and an immediate reversal of our strong economic recovery-- six million jobs already under Joe Biden--and having a terrible impact globally for decades to come. Just the discussion of not lifting the debt ceiling a number of years ago when the Republicans in Congress were refusing to do so lowered the credit rating of the United States of America. Our Constitution says and it makes clear the validity of the public debt of the United States authorized by law shall not be questioned. I point out this other fact. If you have a car loan, if you have a mortgage, if you have a student loan, if you have credit card bills, any other borrowing, your interest rates will go up unless we lift the debt ceiling. So this has a direct impact on the pockets of the American people on the prospects for their success. Let's be clear, Republicans want less money in the pockets of the American people for whatever reason. I don't know what the middle class and working families ever did to them for them to want to exact this toll on our economy, on our standing in the world and what it means globally, but very importantly when you are discussing your finances over the kitchen table, understand that if your interest rates go up it is because the refusal of the Republicans to lift the debt ceiling. I close by saying the full faith and credit of the United States should never be questioned. The health of our economy should never be threatened. The financial security of our families must never be gambled. I urge a strong ``yes'' vote for this legislation so that we strengthen our economic recovery, spare families the pain of a catastrophic default and uphold our duty in the Constitution of the United States to uphold the full faith and credit of the United States of America. Madam Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote, and I thank Mr. Beyer for his leadership on this issue and Mr. Richie Neal, the chair of the committee, as well.