Stacey Plaskett

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman so much for those thoughts and reflections that we should have about this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Houston, Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee). She has been an advocate for Americans, has spoken, and done so eloquently, related to her work on the Judiciary Committee, as well as Homeland Security, and I am eager to hear what the gentlewoman has to say about healthcare. And as well, of course, as a fellow Caribbean American, I would wish her and her family a Happy Caribbean American Heritage Month, which was, of course, offered by our colleague, Barbara Lee, in 2005.

Ms. PLASKETT. I thank the gentlewoman for that information and for her passionate words. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore), who is an advocate for people throughout this country, not just Wisconsin, and who is a poet along with being a great Congresswoman.

Ms. PLASKETT. It says a lot for what we can accomplish.

Ms. PLASKETT. I know the gentleman is still working for them though.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, it is their loss.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those words. We were discussing the Medicaid expansion and the fact that it is going to disappear after 2023. The other thing that is going to be removed from this bill is the Prevention and Public Health Fund which presently has billions of dollars that are supportive to the CDC. What is this money used for? This money is used for preventative block grants that go to all places, like my district, the Virgin Islands, that deal with chronic conditions such as heart disease and hypertension, provide maternal and child care, support public laboratories and research, and maintain vital statistics. Those moneys would be gone if this bill passes. Mr. Speaker, I yield to Mr. Scott, my esteemed colleague from Richmond and Hampton Roads in Virginia, who is the ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, to talk about the issues and how he sees this is important, not only to his constituents, but to America as well. I thank the gentleman for being here this evening and giving us his thoughts.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, at this time I rise to take this Special Order hour on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus. It is with great honor that I rise as coanchor for the next 60 minutes. We have a chance to speak directly to the American people on the issues of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus, Congress, and the constituents we represent, as well as all Americans. This evening, myself and coanchor Marc Veasey will discuss two topics: wealth care over healthcare and the contributions of Caribbean Americans. On the matter of healthcare, Senate Republicans have finally released their draft version of the House-passed American Health Care Act, and it is clear why they kept it behind closed doors all this time. The bill is worse than the one that was passed in the House, with deeper cuts to Medicaid and a ban on Planned Parenthood funding for 1 year. Just like the bill that passed the House, this proposal will likely strip coverage for millions of Americans and do nothing to address affordability. This bill is just as mean and heartless as the one the Republicans jammed through the House. As bad as it already was, Senate Republicans have made TrumpCare even more devastating to Americans on Medicaid, and those include veterans, middle class seniors with long-term care needs, vulnerable children, and pregnant women. No, it is not just minority Black people who are on Medicaid. TrumpCare's Medicaid cuts will have an especially severe impact in rural America, shutting rural hospitals, an important source of good- paying jobs. TrumpCare fundamentally means higher health costs, millions of hardworking Americans losing healthcare coverage, gutting key protections, a crushing age tax, and stealing from Medicare. Republicans shut the American people out of writing TrumpCare. And if TrumpCare passes, the American people will be shut out of affordable healthcare, too. Now, after crafting this monstrosity in secret, the GOP wants to rush it to the floor before the American people see the damage it will do, abandoning any pretense of respect for the democratic process. Democrats in Congress and across the country will continue to fight with all our strength to protect seniors and hardworking families from TrumpCare's assault on their healthcare. June, as we know, is Caribbean American Heritage Month, and we will later hear from Members of Congress related to that. At this time, I yield to the gentleman from Fort Worth, Texas (Mr. Veasey), my co-chair, an advocate for his constituents and for all Americans. He sits on the Armed Services Committee and is here to discuss the effect that this bill will have not only on his constituents, but to the people that we care deeply about.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, at this time, it gives me great pleasure to yield to Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who not only represents California in the area of Berkeley as well as Oakland, but is also someone who is a real progressive fighter for the American people, cares passionately about healthcare. But on this evening when we are also talking about Caribbean American Heritage Month, I have to tell you that, in June of 2005, the House unanimously adopted H. Con. Res. 71, which was sponsored and ushered through by Congresswoman Barbara Lee with other Members, which was recognizing the significance of Caribbean people and their descendants in the history and culture of the United States. On February 14, 2006, the resolution similarly passed the Senate, culminating a 2-year bipartisan, bicameral effort that was issued by President George Bush on June 6, 2006. Since the declaration, the White House has issued annual proclamations recognizing June as Caribbean American Heritage Month, and it gives those of us of Caribbean-American heritage great honor and a real opportunity to extol and let other Americans know about the contributions, the issues that are important to us. I thank Congresswoman Lee for bringing that forward and for ushering that through. It is really, I feel, quite often that we get subsumed, that the experiences of Caribbean Americans often get glossed over, and I want to thank her for affording us the opportunity to have this month to be able to talk among ourselves and among other Americans about the things that we have done. I yield to the gentlewoman from California to discuss healthcare as well as Caribbean American Heritage Month.

Ms. PLASKETT. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans), and I will close out after that.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time I have remaining.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, it is with enormous, not just gratitude, but great pride, actually, to yield to someone who, to me, is one of my big sisters here, who is the champion in the House, the foundation for those of us within the Caribbean Caucus who are Caribbean Americans here in the Congress. She represents probably one of the largest Caribbean constituencies in the United States, that being part of Brooklyn, New York, which I tell everybody is the largest Caribbean island in the world. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke is a great member on the Committee on Energy and Commerce. She is one of the co-chairs of the Congressional Caribbean Caucus, and she is a passionate progressive advocate for healthcare and for all care for Americans and for those who have been forgotten. I am so glad and so grateful for the gentlewoman's continued efforts to raise the level of awareness on issues related to the Caribbean Basin, of Caribbean Americans here in the United States, and the African diaspora as a whole, that we are not a monolithic group, that we have a richness and a variety within even Americans who are of Caribbean descent here in America. And that needs to be celebrated and discussed, and the achievements and how we all, as a mosaic, make America great by being part of different cultures. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke) this evening to discuss healthcare and Caribbean American Heritage Month.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I find it very interesting for myself that we have Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and the next Member to come up is also from New York. Both of them have been Representatives of districts that I have lived in and that my family lives in. They represent what I think of when I think of my parents who live now in Congressman Meeks' district, and my mother who was partly raised in Congresswoman Clarke's district. My parents represent most Caribbean Americans who come to this country--people who come here with not much, who are willing to work hard, who believe that the sacrifice toward education and support of their families and helping others to come and find good, stable jobs and create middle class is what America is about. We have contributed so much, and we can talk about so many of the Caribbean Americans who have done amazing things in this country. But it is those individuals who we do not talk about--our parents, our families--who come to this country, who provided the stability for others. It is why we are so concerned about the temporary protective status of Haitians--the 50,000 Haitians who are hardworking Haitians in this country, who are being sent back, who are now here working hard and sending so much money back that is the backbone of the economy of Haiti, who we cannot let go back because that country will collapse with them, leaving this country, and being good citizens--as much as they can be citizens--yearning for the American Dream. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Meeks represents Queens, which is one of the backbones of Caribbean Americans. He is my parents' Congressman. The gentleman has been so good to the people that he represents as well as all the American people. The gentleman sits on the Committee on Financial Services. He also sits as a member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, where he advocates and speaks for those individuals who cannot speak for themselves. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks).

Ms. PLASKETT

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

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, with this being Caribbean-American Heritage Month, I wanted to highlight and congratulate a native Virgin Islander who is now the new commander of the USS Gabrielle Giffords, which was commissioned this past weekend in Texas. The USS Gabrielle Giffords, the 16th ship to be named for a woman and only the 13th ship to be named for a living person since 1850, is, in fact, commanded by Keith Woodley, a native of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, a graduate of Florida A&M and the Florida Institute of Technology. At the commissioning of the ship, Commander Woodley stated: ``This is not just a new ship. This is a new class of ship. . . . They have risen to that challenge and performed exceptionally well in getting this ship ready for service.'' I would be remiss in not also acknowledging, during Caribbean- American Heritage month, Alton Adam, born in 1889, who was also from St. Thomas and the U.S. Navy's first bandmaster. His music was performed by numerous bands and continues to be performed. I also, of course, want to wish my parents a happy 58th wedding anniversary today. We love you. God bless you.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. I thank Congressman Jeffries and I really appreciate his remarks. I know that this House has rules and is concerned about decorum in here. We at the Congressional Black Caucus are also very concerned about decorum. While we uphold the position of the President of the United States, many individuals--particularly constituents, the underserved within our communities--are fearful about us actually speaking out, specifically to the personage and to the person of President Donald Trump. What we are trying to do in this Special Order is speak unrefutable facts; not about the personality, not subjective discussion about the President, not our feelings, and not our fears, but the actual facts of what has happened in this country and what is happening in this country because that is life for our children, that is the very essence of us continuing, and that is what democracy is about. If we cannot critique the actions of our President, then that is very fearful to us as Americans and very fearful to this House, which is supposed to be a separate branch of government and which I recall maybe a year ago it speaking very vehemently against the person who was in the White House at that time. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman), who is my classmate. I thank Congresswoman Watson Coleman for her work, particularly in working with other Congressional Black Caucus women to found the Caucus for Black Women and Girls, which is very important right now because this is a forgotten group quite often here in the United States, and the gentlewoman is advocating and speaking out for those individuals.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to coanchor this CBC Special Order hour. I would like to acknowledge the great work and the leadership of our chair, Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, and, of course, my coanchor, Marc Veasey of Texas, as we lead the discussion for the next 60 minutes. In these next 60 minutes, we have a chance to speak directly to the American people on issues of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus, Congress, and the constituents that we represent. In this hour, we would like to discuss racism and discrimination in America and, specifically, hate crimes and the radicalization and the domestic terrorism that they present to the American people. The conclusion of Dylann Roof's trial a few month's ago is the latest reminder that homegrown terrorism has become part of the fabric of life in America. This problem shows no signs of fading yet reveals a threat that is both rare and more complex than simple explanation suggests. Solving the issue of domestic terrorism through hate crimes involves understanding the true nature of the problem--violent domestic extremism--so that effective steps can be taken to protect the Nation from it. It is legitimate to ask whether homegrown terrorists are being radicalized. We talk about jihadi narratives and Islamic extremism, the Islamic State group recruiting online; but there are other groups in this Nation which are radicalizing our youth, radicalizing young people to be a threat against other Americans. This is a subject and a discussion that has rarely been discussed and which we believe is very important. Since 2001, almost 40 percent of the nearly 150 terrorism fatalities in the United States were related to domestic motivations, not jihadi narratives. It is my hope that in the discussion we will have this hour we are able to discuss in depth the effect that these hate crimes and this domestic violence has on the United States. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter that was written June 7, 2017, by the Congressional Black Caucus to the Honorable Jeff Sessions, Attorney General; Andrew McCabe, Acting Director of the FBI; and John Kelly, Secretary of Homeland Security, in which we express our concern over the alarming number of hate crimes reported across the country, particularly in the wake of the election of President Donald J. Trump. Congressional Black Caucus, Washington, DC, June 7, 2017. Hon. Jeff Sessions, Attorney General, Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Andrew McCabe, Acting Director, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Washington, DC. Hon. John Kelly, Secretary of Homeland Security, Department of Homeland Security, Washington, DC. Dear Attorney General Sessions and Acting Director McCabe: I write today to express my concern over the alarming number of hate crimes reported across the country, particularly in the wake of the election of President Donald J. Trump. In addition to speaking out against this rising tide of hate, violence, and intolerance, it is critical that your agencies proactively investigate each and every incident of a potential hate crime and aggressively prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law. During the presidential campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump employed starkly divisive rhetoric to connect with a segment of his base that relished in cultural grievance and hatred. His tone and the arguments that he made were incredibly offensive to minority communities, and his campaign rallies were forums for some of the ugliest public displays of race-based violence and animus in modern political times. Numerous Black Americans were assaulted at his rallies and scenes of deep racial resentment against Blacks, Hispanics, immigrants, and Muslims were frequently paraded and celebrated. Since the election, it seems hate-filled individuals have been emboldened to terrorize minority communities. In just the first 34 days after the election, the Southern Poverty Law Center counted a total of 1,094 bias incidents around the nation. Disturbingly, the Center also calculated that 37 percent of these cases directly referenced either President- elect Trump, his campaign slogans, or his infamous remarks about sexual assault. This data is just from the immediate aftermath of the election. The numbers have increased since then, with national news providing coverage. These are not isolated incidents, but rather a frightening trend forming before our eyes. In fact, this is occurring in Congress' own back yard, like the horrific hate crime that took place just a few miles away at the University of Maryland when Richard Collins III, a promising young man, was stabbed to death on the eve of his graduation from Bowie State University by an admitted white supremacist. There have also been several reports of nooses hung throughout the District of Columbia, including in the African American Museum of History and Culture and on American University's campus. To add insult to injury, a Mississippi lawmaker recently called for Louisiana politicians to be ``lynched'' for supporting the removal of racist confederate monuments from New Orleans. Surely there is no greater cause of a government than to protect the lives of its citizens, particularly those uniquely vulnerable to hate, intolerance, and violence. The federal hate crimes statutes were designed with that mission in mind and serve as a critically important tool in combatting the most insidious elements of our society. That is why I implore you to dedicate additional resources within your respective agencies to address the increasing frequency of these deplorable acts. you should and must investigate each and every potential hate crime and prosecute offenders to the fullest extent allowed under the law. You should also ensure that community leaders, including state and local law enforcement, understand the federal resources available to investigate and prosecute hate crimes. Your leadership is required to not only bring justice to the victims of hate crimes, but also to send a clear message that these acts of domestic terrorism will never be tolerated in this country. Sincerely, Cedric Richmond, Chair, Congressional Black Caucus.

Ms. PLASKETT. In addition to speaking out against the rising tide of hate, violence, and intolerance in this country, it is critical that those agencies--the FBI, the Department of Justice, as well as Homeland Security--speak out and proactively investigate each and every incident of potential hate crime and aggressively prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law. Since the election, it seems that hate-filled individuals have been emboldened to terrorize minority communities. In just the first 34 days after the election, the Southern Poverty Law Center counted a total of 1,094 bias incidents around the Nation. Disturbingly, the center also calculated that 37 percent of these cases directly referenced either President-elect Trump at the time, his campaign slogans, or infamous remarks about sexual assault. This data is just from the immediate aftermath of the election. The numbers have increased since then. It is the responsibility of this Congress as well as those agencies to stem this flow of violence that is occurring in this Nation. We know that our President would not tolerate these sorts of matters, and we are hopeful that he, the Justice Department, the FBI, and Homeland Security will do whatever is necessary to protect American lives from hate crimes that are occurring, domestic terrorism, and the radicalization of our young people to exert hate against other Americans. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Veasey), my coanchor, to speak on this issue. Then we will have an opportunity to hear from other members of the Congressional Black Caucus about this.

Ms. PLASKETT. Congressman Veasey, I think it is important, one of the things you talked about is what is going on in our homes and the fact that our children can be radicalized outside of the home. This is an opportunity for us as Americans to see the victimization even of those children who become a part of the alt-right, who become a part of neo- Nazi groups; that they are, in fact, being radicalized by these very disturbing groups, and that we, as leaders in America, have a responsibility. That is why I am asking unanimous consent to have the letter that was written by Chairman Cedric Richmond put into the Record--the letter of June 7 that went to the FBI, to Homeland Security, as well as to the Justice Department to ask them to investigate and take proactive stances; not just to protect those individuals who are victimized when violence occurs, but to protect those young people and others who may be untowardly influenced by social media to become part of these groups. I think that is a great point that you bring up, as well as our President becoming someone who can lead the charge against this. We see the rise of this activity during his campaign and after his election. Well, then our President needs to be the one to be Presidential and to stem this influence and this rise of hate crimes that are taking place. Mr. Speaker, at this time I am asking that our colleague, Donald Payne, from the great State of New Jersey, who has done an amazing amount of work in his own community in the area of Newark in trying to stem violence and criminal justice, the reform work that he is doing, to speak on this matter this evening. I thank him so much for the time that he is giving us. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).

Ms. PLASKETT. Thank you so much, Mr. Payne, for your words, your enlightenment, and for sharing that very personal piece of you and your own experience. There are so many African Americans and so many people of color in this country who have those exact same experiences. Whether it is us, personally--I know I have mine exactly like that. You know, I have four sons, and each one of them have had that kind of experience here in this country. With the rise of hate that is occurring, we have to be careful for every American and we need to be concerned that this country is no longer becoming a safe place for groups of individuals; that there are people that are rising up and attempting to terrorize other Americans. This should be of concern to Congress. This should be of concern to our President. I thank Mr. Payne again for that. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee from Texas, who sits not only on the Budget Committee, but, very relevant to our discussion this evening, is one of the senior members of the Judiciary Committee, as well as Homeland Security Subcommittee, where so many of these issues form a confluence. Thank you so much for being with us this evening, Congresswoman Jackson Lee. We look forward to your remarks and to the enlightenment that you will be giving us here in this Chamber as well as the American people. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congresswoman for her leadership on issues related to the Judiciary Committee and to others. At this time, I would like to invite the Congressman, not just from New York, but from, of course, what I believe is the best, most illustrious borough in New York City--Brooklyn, of course, which is where I was born and raised. Thank you so much, Congressman Jeffries, for your leadership on the Judiciary Committee, your discussions about the issues that we are discussing here this evening, and I am waiting to hear what you are going to not only present to us here in this Chamber but to the American people on this issue. I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries).

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries).

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman very much for her inspiring words and motivation to us all. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans). We always bring up the fact that Congressman Dwight Evans is a freshman, but he isn't really a freshman. Everybody acknowledges his leadership in his work in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the State house that transcends him as a freshman. We call the gentleman a superfreshman in that respect because he comes with a great deal of experience and wisdom here to the House floor. I am very anxious to hear what the gentleman has to speak about related to hate crimes and the rise of domestic terrorism against people of color and against minorities here in this country.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for his remarks and continued work to discuss middle communities, middle neighborhoods, and the importance of these communities and how they need to be protected. Congressman Veasey, we have had a discussion here this evening about so much of the rise in hate crimes and the rise of racial tensions. I know that this weekend Puerto Rico had its plebiscite in which they talked about becoming a State. One of the things that I often talk to people about is the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico, all of us are territories now after 100 years. It was never the intent of Congress for areas of the United States to be a territory for 100 years except for the fact that these are now people of color. These are communities of people of color. So based on the insular cases 100 years ago which said that the people living in the territories and offshore territories were people of alien races who couldn't understand Anglo-Saxon principles of law, that is why we were not able to have the full-fledged rights of American citizens. Now we are seeing, even here on the mainland, individuals, people of color, who are being treated as second-class citizens and who are not afforded the full protection of this country. When you have incidents like on May 20 with Richard Collins, on May 26 with Jeremy Joseph Christian, who began shouting racial slurs at two women on a Portland, Oregon, train, and as the two men stepped in to de-escalate the situation, those two great men were stabbed to death, and a third man was wounded, much needs to be done. We have our moments of silence when there are mass shootings. We mourn for the families of Pulse nightclub and for what happened in those areas. But it is not enough for us to have Special Order hours, to have discussions, or even have moments of silence. Action must be taken by this administration.

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