Stacey Plaskett

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Chair, I would hope that in the future, Congressman Roskam, the gentleman from Illinois, as well as Mr. Blumenauer would consider that no law should be different for the States and the territories, to allow the territories' people to be treated the same as the States. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo).

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Chair, may I ask how much time do I have remaining.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Chair, I am thankful for the opportunity to express my strong opposition to the amendment. It is deeply unfair to the United States Territories and contrary to the original intent of the Federal law in question: the Animal Welfare Act amendment, under which States have always been defined to include the territories. First, the characterization of this amendment is closing a loophole and bringing the territories in with the States is highly misleading. The Animal Welfare Act adequately addresses interstate and foreign commerce of fowl for gaming purposes. The intent of the Federal law in this area has always been to aid States and other local law enforcement in jurisdictions where gamefowl events are illegal, and to prohibit the transport of animals from areas where they are, in fact, allowed. The reason that there is a ban in all 50 States is not because of Federal law, but because of States' laws, and those States have banned them in their States. So for the Federal Government to impose that on the territories at this time, I believe, is deeply unfair. This is a highly regulated, cultural, and historic activity in the territories. Let's not forget that the real author of this bill is The Humane Society which--when the Federal Government gets into this--becomes a slippery slope, as The Humane Society also wants to ban sporting activities or hunting activities in which animals hunt another animal. Is the gentleman from Illinois going to then offer an amendment to stop dogs who assist humans in looking for ducks and in other places? No. But all of the territories' Delegates are against this amendment. And for someone from another State to offer an amendment to restrict something in the U.S. territories is deeply unfair. At the last hearing of the committee in which this issue was addressed, which was nine sessions ago, The Humane Society also testified that legislation at State level should be the proper fora to ultimately decide whether fowl gaming is permitted within those State's borders. And, again, States also meaning territories. I agree, and so should this body. If only they were true to their word--and the gentleman from Illinois agreed with them--and the well- documented legislative history, we wouldn't be here. And hopefully, we would be talking about much more important matters--matters related to the farm bill, such as SNAP, such as school lunches, such as subsidies to our farmers. Those are the things that should be in this farm bill, not this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to this amendment.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to strongly oppose the Roskam amendment to the Agriculture and Nutrition Act. This amendment is deeply unfair to territories in the United States and contrary to the original intent of the Animal Welfare Act of 1976. That intent was to aid State and local law enforcement in jurisdictions where gamefowl events were prohibited from transport from jurisdictions which allow it. Mr. Speaker, cockfighting, like horse racing, is a longstanding recreational activity in the U.S. Virgin Islands with historical and cultural significance. It is regulated in the Virgin Islands along with Puerto Rico. I understand the concerns of those opposed to this sport and believe regulatory processes and educational outreach are the best means within those jurisdictions to address them. Outlawing cockfighting in the U.S. territories will only create underground industries, which will prove problematic and create criminality, particularly for men of color. Mr. Speaker, to pass an amendment that solely affects the territories that none of the Delegates from the territories support is pejorative, paternalistic, yes, colonialist, and downright wrong. The territories have always been treated unfairly under numerous important Federal laws and programs, and this amendment, sadly, is yet another example.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I would posit to my colleague across the aisle who said that we are trying to pit farm producers against food recipients, I believe that it is this bill that has done that. We have worked in a bipartisan manner for, I understand, years before this bill was put through without being discussed, without the hearings on both sides of the aisle. I try to think about what it would have meant to impose the massive system of new SNAP requirements under the bill during the time immediately after the islands were hit by two Category 5 hurricanes. How would families submit their monthly paperwork? How would they go to jobs at businesses that were shut down? How would job slots be provided when localities must focus on providing receipts? There is no accommodation for disaster-impacted areas in this bill. And if the majority did not think to exempt out these communities, what else was overlooked in terms of reasonable standards? Unfortunately, we didn't have the opportunity to work with the majority to get answers to such key questions before this bill was unveiled and rushed to the floor. This doesn't add any help to farmers facing record-low income and commodity prices or hardships due to trade retaliation, as my colleague from Illinois discussed earlier. It does not support farmer mental health, appropriate funding for broadband, or tackling the opioid epidemic. This bill cuts hundreds of millions out of rural development and energy initiatives and falls short on assisting beginning, underserved, and veteran farmers. Why? Because it is not a bipartisan bill. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of Mrs. Elizabeth Mae Thomas de Lagarde. Mrs. de Lagarde, one of four children, was born to Reverend Ernest Thomas and Antoinette Miller Thomas. She married her late husband, Henry W. de Lagarde, and that union brought forth four children, nine grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. Mrs. de Lagarde holds a bachelor or arts degree from Howard University and served in many capacities at Charlotte Amalie High School for 31 years. As a contributor to the quality of life in St. Thomas, she served on numerous boards, including the National Association of Secondary School Principals; American Association of Retired Persons; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; the Cathedral Church of All Saints; and countless others. The Virgin Islands community and I are grateful for the impact she has had with her career and the indelible mark she has made. Congratulations, Mrs. de Lagarde, and happy 100th birthday to you and all of your contributions to the people of the Virgin Islands.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, on National Teacher Appreciation Day, I rise to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of Virgin Island teachers and bring attention to the educational crisis occurring in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Ms. Michaelrose Ravalier, a teacher at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, represented the Virgin Islands at the 2018 National Science Teachers Conference and was awarded the Maitland P. Simmons Memorial Award for New Teachers. This is the first Virgin Islander to be a recipient of this award, yet she and her incredible colleagues, including Margot Oyake and Alenia Buncome Murraine of St. Thomas, and the other St. Croix teachers, do not have adequate funding to support their duties. The Virgin Islands Department of Education reported nearly 150 personnel vacancies and 12 shuttered schools following the hurricanes last year. Virgin Island students attend school in 4-hour shifts each day. I urge my colleagues to work with me to ensure the educational system of the Virgin Islands receives the necessary funding to allow students to learn and prosper. The best way to support our teachers is by giving them the resources they need to teach our children. Take time today to thank every teacher who supports our children.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, the rebuilding efforts of the U.S. Virgin Islands will require an extraordinary level of coordination and cooperation between the local government and the Federal Government. We have, in this moment, both the opportunity and the responsibility to ensure that the greatest good emerges from the calamity to our Virgin Islands. Yesterday, HUD awarded $1.6 billion to help the Virgin Islands to recover after the hurricanes. These recovery funds awarded were provided through HUD's Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program and are a part of the hard-fought battle here in Congress to appropriate funding, specifically to the territories. The Virgin Islands normally receives a mere $1 million from this fund. This crucial funding will help us to address the disaster-related deficiencies in housing, public service, and infrastructure as determined by local officials with citizen input. I am imploring our local government to engage the community and have strategic plans in this. Building more resilient infrastructure in the Virgin Islands is critical to future economic stability. We must rebuild the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico the right way. Our children are presently in schools in the Virgin Islands 4 hours per day as they share space because of the tremendous loss of infrastructure. The negligence leading to inadequate care and oversight of our loved ones is unacceptable. The stress of hurricanes does not need to be exacerbated by inefficient evacuation protocols and lack of transparency. Mr. Speaker, I urge Congress and others to do what is necessary, to support the Virgin Islands and others in rebuilding.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize some extraordinary youth from the Virgin Islands. I want to start off by congratulating two distinguished scholars from my district, Rose Kleeger from Country Day High School, and Mansi Totwani from Antilles High School. Of the nearly 3.6 million high school seniors graduating this year, Rose and Mansi are among the 4,500 students named as candidates for the 2018 Presidential Scholars Program. In the world of athletics, Alabama State sophomore and St. Croix native, Nia Jack, was fifth in the women's 60-meter dash at the Fred Wilt Invitational this week. In the same meet, fellow Crucian and Purdue sophomore, Myia Dorsey, ran fourth overall in the women's 400 meters and led the winning women's 1,600-meter relay team. At the Arkansas State University Invitational, St. Croix' Malique Smith won his men's 400-meter heat in a season's best. Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate these scholars and athletes coming from the Virgin Islands. Despite the profound devastation of hurricanes this year which demolished our territory and the delay in funding to rebuild our islands, they are examples of the strength and resilience of Virgin Islanders to excel no matter what. I thank them for their excellence.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Because of that, we have been treated disproportionately and unfairly in the ways that some of this funding has come about. In addition, the bill does not include important local cost-share waivers for the Virgin Islands and contains unnecessary limitations on the ability of the Virgin Islands to use Federal assistance to rebuild with more resilience. Furthermore, the Virgin Islands cannot wait for the community development funds provided in this bill. HUD should immediately award community development funds to the Virgin Islands on the damage assessments that have been completed. Those are things that I can get around. Those are real support in a real bill that is really working in a bipartisan way to help all Americans--not just delegations who can get together in the dark of the night and in the cold of the night and make provisions for themselves leaving those of us. I have told my colleagues on this side of the aisle that they are going to pick off Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, we are going to be left out. Some of you are going to get what you want, and you are going to vote for this. Once again, the people who have no vote on this floor, the people who have no say in this country, although they are U.S. citizens, are going to be left out. Mr. Speaker, I am urging all of my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, at this moment I would like to speak on behalf of the people who I represent, the people of the Virgin Islands. I am thankful that this House has decided that they wanted to work in a bipartisan manner on supplemental aid for the unprecedented disasters that have occurred in the Virgin Islands. I did hear the voice of so many of my colleagues who said that they would be willing to do whatever was necessary to support the people of the Virgin Islands. But right now, as I stand here, people of the Virgin Islands, almost 60 percent of them, still do not have power. I have no power in my own home, and those of you in Florida, Texas, and in other places would not stand for that. But you expect us to stand for it. We are supposed to muddle through. We are only supposed to have hope this Christmas of what is supposed to come? Mr. Speaker, you can have hope at your Christmas dinner because you have got some lights on. My house I will go empty to, it will be cold, and it will be dark there until my husband and I crank up the generator and get it going for a couple of hours so that maybe we can wash, cook some food, and turn it back off again later in the day. Today, I am urging my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 4667, not because I don't want supplemental support, not because the people of the Virgin Islands don't need it, but because I understand that I have said, when this measure was unveiled, that the funding in this bill is woefully insufficient, and it has not improved since that time. This measure provides only $81 billion to be split between Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other places. If history is any indication, that money is not going to get to the people of the Virgin Islands, because while the California delegation and the Texas delegation can lobby in late hours to get what they need in the bill, I am the only person from the Virgin Islands here to support the people of the Virgin Islands. Not only do I not get invited to those negotiations, I don't even have a vote when the bill that comes to providing for the people that I represent comes on this floor. One of the things that is noticeably absent from this disaster package is funding for Medicaid programs, the same type of funding that was put in, in discussions for Katrina, for the people of Texas and Louisiana. The government of the Virgin Islands cannot shoulder the current burden of the local matching requirements for Medicaid funding which the government of the Virgin Islands has recently submitted to be $64 million and an additional $50 million. The government of the Virgin Islands has respectfully requested that the Medicaid provisions, that the cap be removed, the arbitrary cap be removed for us for a period of time for us to be stabilized and for 100 percent the same way it was for Katrina in other places be given to us. Now, the people of the Virgin Islands and the people of Puerto Rico-- I know it may be news to many people--but we are U.S. citizens. We decide to live on an island because that is where we were brought.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate St. Croix native Tim Duncan on his induction to the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. In 1989, Tim was training to be an Olympic swimmer when Hurricane Hugo struck the Virgin Islands, destroying all of the Olympic-size swimming pools. With no place left on the island to train, he turned his focus to basketball. At Wake Forest, he helped lead the team to four NCAA tournaments, was named the National Association of Basketball Coaches Player of the Year three times, the ACC Player of the Year twice, and the National Player of the Year in 1997. Tim was drafted as the number one pick to the Spurs, where he served as a leader on and off the court for 19 years. Tim Duncan has not forgotten his home, and after two back-to-back Category 5 hurricanes, he helped to contribute 20,000-plus pounds of food and donated millions of dollars through his Tim Duncan Foundation. Tim exemplifies the idea of making a way out of no way. Hurricane Hugo did not defeat him, just as Hurricanes Maria and Irma will not defeat the U.S. Virgin Islands. I want to use this time to thank him and, on Giving Tuesday, thank all of the others who have contributed in the hurricane relief: My Brothers Workshop, Family Resource Center, Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix Foundation, Virgin Islands ASAP Relief Group, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Love 4 Love City, Operation Rebuild, Jody Olson, VI-R3, Tony Rosario, USVI Boxing, Operation Rebuild Virgin Islands, and, of course, all the first responders and all the Virgin Islanders who are staying V.I. strong.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my family and staff, I want to salute and commemorate the veterans of the U.S. Virgin Islands and throughout the United States on this Veterans Day. The Virgin Islands along with the other territories send more men and women per capita to serve in the U.S. military than anywhere else in this Nation. I would like to personally recognize Task Force Alpha on St. Croix, Task Force Bravo on St. Thomas, and St. John Responders. On Veterans Day, we salute the men and women who have proudly worn the uniform and the families who have served alongside them. We affirm our sacred duty as citizens to express our enduring gratitude, both in words and actions, for their service. As part of Veterans Day this year in the Virgin Islands, we will be honoring female veterans in the territory. Being honored as parade marshal and guest speaker on the island of St. Croix is Major Kathleen Parris; on St. Thomas, Sergeant First Class Laurel Maloon-Francis, serving as parade marshal; and serving as guest speaker on the island of St. Thomas will be former military spouse, Monique Y. Ferrell, director of the Army Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Program. Mr. Speaker, just as we vow to leave no soldier behind on the battlefield, we vow not to forget any veteran when they return home.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman very much for the insight she has given us into the conditions not only in Haiti but the responsibility we have as Americans to our near neighbor, to a neighbor which supported us during our own Revolution, and who was there for us at the inception of the United States. Haiti has been ravaged by so many natural disasters, and the benefit that we are receiving and the benefit that so much of Haiti is receiving from those individuals who are really industrious people here in the United States is just bar none. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Newark, New Jersey (Mr. Payne). Mr. Donald Payne has worked tirelessly on behalf of so many people throughout the world as he sits on the Committees of Homeland Security as well as Transportation and Infrastructure where he works on issues related to developing and building. It has oversight in homeland security and over the issues that affect us. I am sure Congressman Payne has particular insight into how this temporary protected status would affect the people of Haiti and what it means to the security of this country to allow that temporary protected status to be continued from the gentleman's perch on the Committee on Homeland Security.

Ms. PLASKETT. I thank the gentleman for the information that he has shared with us, and, more particularly, for causing us to reflect on who we are as Americans and what we stand for, and for reminding this Congress and this House how we have a responsibility to those in need, and that with greatness comes responsibility. Too whom much is given, much is required. That requirement goes particularly to our neighbors. We know that Haiti is, in fact, our neighbor. We have a responsibility to be there for them. I thank the gentleman for all that he is doing and how often he is here for the Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour to give us information and give us time to reflect. I am extremely appreciative of that. I thank the gentleman so much for all that he does for the Congressional Black Caucus, for his steady reliability in being there to support the issues that are important to the Caucus and to all of us as Americans. Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time is remaining?

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Demings). She may be new to this Congress--this is her first term, as a freshman--but she is not new to supporting issues that are important to the American people. In her time in Florida, having served as a public servant on the front lines for all of us and now here in the Congress, she is continuing that work. From her position on Homeland Security and particularly to border and maritime security, this is an issue that she has great insight into. I know that she has a large number of Haitians in her own community and recognize the productivity that they provide, the stability that they provide in the community, how embedded they are in that community. We are grateful for the gentlewoman being here in part of this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour on the issue of temporary protected status for all countries--there are 30 countries and 300,000 individuals that have that--but, in particular, to the 50,000 Haitians who are living in this country during this time.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Demings so much for that heartfelt appeal to the better senses of us, to the better angels within us as Americans, but, also, just speaking practicably about what this policy does not only for Haiti, but for us as Americans. You know, you hear stories about most people, how this affects them. We hear the larger numbers: 50,000 individuals from Haiti, 300,000 individual groupings from all other countries. We found out, a report just came out, that Nicaragua will only have 12 additional months for temporary protective status, while the conditions in Nicaragua have not changed. I heard a story about a woman, Joana Desir, one of the Haitians. On a recent day in Manhattan, the 32-year-old home healthcare provider races in between patients. By midday, she has already helped transport one of her regular patients, a young girl with severe respiratory disease, to school and visited two senior patients in their home. It is a hard job, but she says it is rewarding. ``Most of the immigrants that I know, they have a busy life like me,'' she says. ``I leave home like 5:45 a.m. and sometimes get home by like 9 p.m.'' Joana came to the U.S. in 2018 and was still in the U.S. when a powerful earthquake struck Haiti in 2010. Hundreds of thousands were killed, and the Obama administration granted Haitians temporary protective status. They were shielded from deportation and given work permits. Critics say the temporary program for Haiti and others where disasters and wars took place decades ago has become permanent and amounts to a backdoor immigration policy. However, what we need to understand is what is still going on in Haiti right now. Why this also makes sense for us is that it is estimated by the think tank Inter-American Dialogue that all Haitians abroad this year--this year alone, Mr. Speaker--will send home $2 billion in remittances to that country. That is nearly equal to Haiti's annual operating budget, that $2 billion. The money that the Haitians that are living in the United States and sending back home is keeping that economy afloat. Without the money that the Haitians in the United States, in America, are providing, there would be a complete collapse in the country of Haiti, which would then create additional cataclysmic work that we, as Americans, would need. We talk about immigrants trying to come into this country. We talk about the collapse of infrastructure, the collapse of an economy that will happen if the Haitians who are still living here in the United States under temporary protective status with jobs are caused to leave. On May 24, the Department of Homeland Security redesignated Haiti for 6 months of temporary protective status rather than the full 18 months. It is important to understand that, because of that smaller amount of time, Haitians still have to apply. It costs almost $2,000 to apply for an extension of a visa. These people are in flux as to whether or not they should continue to apply. In a letter sent on Friday, November 3, the Congressional Black Caucus urged the Department of Homeland Security once again to fully extend Haiti's TPS designation for 18 months by the November 23 deadline in light of the aforementioned conditions in Haiti, as well as the damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which has exacerbated these conditions. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record that letter from the Congressional Black Caucus for others to see. Congressional Black Caucus, November 3, 2017. Hon. Elaine C. Duke, Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington,

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, in that letter, which is signed by all of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who are members in both the Democratic as well as Republican caucus, Members in the House as well as the Senate, we urge Secretary Duke that the Ambassador to Haiti has explicitly stated that the goal of the request was to allow Haiti to recover from the effects of the earthquake, a cholera epidemic, and Hurricanes Matthew, Irma, and Maria. Matthew struck Haiti in 2016 of last year. Of course you are aware of Irma and Maria. We Americans, unbeknownst to ourselves and the work that we have done, also exacerbated food insecurity in Haiti by placing individuals, causing the cholera epidemic that is there. Unbeknownst to ourselves, when we came there to give support to Haiti, we Americans brought the cholera epidemic that is now ravaging Haiti and has taken about 10,000 people. Additionally, Hurricane Matthew exacerbated the food insecurity crisis in Haiti, placing 2.4 million Haitians, 22 percent of the population, in the grips of an acute food security crisis. I have many Haitians who are in my community in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and we count them as some of our hardest workers, and we recognize the impact that sending so many of these people back would have not only on the loss of jobs here and the work that those individuals are doing in the United States, but on the economy of Haiti itself. There is no infrastructure that will support the 50,000 people going back to Haiti at this time, and that economy will probably completely collapse without the remittances that the Haitians who are living in the United States would be able to bring to that country. Therefore, the negative consequences of terminating Haiti's TPS designation would be twofold: such actions would be catastrophic to Haiti's recovery efforts and run counter to congressional efforts to improve American relations in the region through the recently passed United States-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act, Public Law 114-291. So the 300,000 Honduran, Nicaraguan, Haitian, and Salvadoran immigrants await a mass deportation decision on temporary protective status, and we are requesting--we are urging, Mr. Speaker--that this Congress would continue to urge the Department of Homeland Security, and use our own powers, to ensure the safety of those individuals, ensure the safety of the stability of the economies of our near neighbors, of Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, and El Salvador, and urge the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for their protections not to expire and not to put these people into difficult choices of returning to countries that still face many of the same extraordinary conditions that led to the initial grant of TPS or remaining in the United States without lawful immigrant status. We believe that this is the right thing to do, that this Congress wants to do the right thing, that the Trump administration's 2018 proposed budget cut, budget request to Congress, for example, proposes to reduce foreign aid to Latin America and the Caribbean to levels not seen since 2001. Because of that, the remittances of these individuals is even more important. Remittances from the United States to El Salvador equal $4 billion; Honduras, $3.3 billion; to Haiti, almost $2 billion. Using GDP estimates from the World Bank, remittances make up more than 15 percent of the GDP for El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti. Therefore, if we are going to reduce the budget in terms of foreign aid to these countries, it is important that we do not allow the collapse of these countries. It will not only bring economic collapse, but we know it is very likely to bring political anarchy and political disruption, as well, to countries that are instable as they are, countries where we are looking to bring stable democratic governments. Ensuring that individuals are allowed to stay here in this country and provide those remittances, provide the support that is necessary to grow those economies, embed democratic ideals, will be most beneficial to us and to ensure the stability of the Western Hemisphere at this time. Mr. Speaker, this is an imperative that is important to this country, imperative to the United States, and we are grateful that we have had this time to share this information with you, with the American people, with this Congress. We are urging our colleagues, urging Members of this Congress, to work with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, individuals you have heard tonight, Mia Love, Cedric Richmond, Yvette Clarke, Donald Payne, Val Demings, Barbara Lee, all the members of the Congressional Black Caucus and others who urge that this support be enacted not only by the Department of Homeland Security, but by this Congress. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks. We are grateful and thankful and proud to have him as the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, particularly in the time period that were are in, because the energy and passion that he has for people of color and for all Americans is extremely evident. The fact that we are not having discussions that are based on emotion, but really based on facts, digging more into policy and the actual effects that those policies have on Americans and throughout this country, is something that is what I think this Congress should be driven by, rather than emotion or visceral reactions to actions that people have that take our eyes off of the things that we should be focused on. We are grateful that he is continually not moved by the shiny object that is in the room, but on the real bread-and-butter issues that affect Americans. When he talks about the talent of the members of the CBC, part of that talent is in its grounding, in those members of the Congressional Black Caucus that have been engaged in this battle, in this struggle, in this fight, that have had this passion for many years. I am happy to yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), who has been at the forefront in fighting for people who have been underserved not only in this country, but around the world. It is through the work of this Member that individuals and countries in Africa have been able to receive the support from this country as this country was trying to pull it away in other parts of the world. We are grateful for her doing it in her own backyard in California, but also in those inner cities throughout this country and rural areas as she sits on the Appropriations Committee to support Americans throughout the country. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

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

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to anchor this CBC Special Order hour. The Congressional Black Caucus, under the leadership of the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Richmond), is committed to sharing with this Congress, as well as with the American people, the issues of great importance to the Caucus, to Congress, and to the constituents we represent. For this Special Order hour, at this time, we believe it is very and vitally important to discuss the temporary protective status of Haiti and other countries. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague, the gentlewoman from Utah (Mrs. Love), to discuss this very important issue.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, as we give condolences to those individuals in Texas, of course, we would be remiss not to give condolences out to our colleague and one of the former chairs of the Congressional Black Caucus, Eddie Bernice Johnson, who has lost one of her siblings. We just want her to know that our prayers are with her and with her family as they grieve, and we are there for the gentlewoman throughout this mourning process and however she may need us. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke). The gentlewoman is my dear sister. She is a tireless champion of the issues of Caribbean people throughout the United States and throughout the world. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke is not just from New York, but, in particular, Brooklyn. She knows how that is very dear to me having been a child of Brooklyn myself. Congresswoman Clarke's work and all the efforts she has made in being one of the co-chairs of the Caribbean Caucus, being the member at large of the Congressional Black Caucus, the work that the gentlewoman is doing, and she has really forged a partnership with the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus as well as Mia Love to make sure that the issue regarding Haiti, regarding the Haitians, and the temporary protected status are here. It is because of the gentlewoman's work that we are now having the Special Order hour and are continuing to push the pressure. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman to discuss with us, with the American people, with this Congress, and with the Speaker how we should be moving forward with the issues regarding the people of Haiti and how extending the temporary protected status is not only good for the Haitian economy, it is good for America as well. I thank the gentlewoman for leading us in this effort.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman so very much for her moving words. I know that this is an issue that is very close to her heart, being of Haitian-American descent, and we are grateful for her leadership on this, being supportive of the letters to the President, letters to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for her working in a bipartisan fashion to support the people of Haiti as well as other countries on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Richmond), the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus who is leading us in this discussion that is affecting the people of Haiti as well as other countries, along with the President's tax plan and how it would affect those Americans who are the least of us and would have the most repercussions for that.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.