Stacey Plaskett

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. I thank Mr. Veasey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, my friend and colleague, the Honorable Cedric Richmond, for his continued leadership of this caucus and of his leadership on the issues impacting Black America and other minority communities across this great Nation. Indeed, this evening, we are discussing not only minorities in this country, but those who are downtrodden and other individuals around the world who look to America for refuge, strength, and democracy. I also thank my colleague, the Honorable Marc Veasey of Fort Worth, Texas, for joining me in chairing this evening's Special Order hour, and also my Congressional Black Caucus colleagues who are joining us this evening to speak on these important issues. Mr. Speaker, we are here tonight to speak to those two very important issues that go to the fabric of our founding: our ability to grow, diversify as a Nation, by bringing in the tired and the poor, the innovators, the ones who bring new changes to this country, and continue its dynamic growth, as well as voting rights. Last week, President Trump--among a number of other things--expressed unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2016 Presidential election. The remarks that we heard would appear to be inaccurate, reckless, and dangerous to our democracy in some of our opinions. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and I are here this evening to highlight the real voter fraud in this country, and that is the continued attempts to suppress minority voting rights across many States as well as the outright denial of the right to vote for millions of Americans living in the territories. I want to underscore that the fight for equal voting rights for minorities in this country did not end with the passage of the Voting Rights Act. In fact, today, more than 50 years after our esteemed colleague John Lewis and others courageously marched on Selma, we have seen the United States Supreme Court strike down one of its most important protections. Within hours of that decision, States were already moving forward with restrictive voter ID laws, which had already been rejected as discriminatory under the Voting Rights Act. Six of the 16 States that passed voter ID laws since 2010 have a documented history of discriminating against minority voters. The State of Alabama, in 2014, began enforcing a controversial voter ID law that required voters to show a State-issued ID in order to vote, and then announced plans to close 31 driver's license offices--most of them, ironically, in rural, impoverished, majority Black counties-- making it even harder for residents to get the most common form of ID used to vote. In addition to the Supreme Court's action, a Federal Court in a 2015 ruling used a racist, century-old opinion of the Supreme Court to uphold the denial of voting rights to American citizens in my home district of the United States Virgin Islands, and the citizens and residents of America's island territories. They are called the insular cases, and the opinion was authored, ironically, by the same justice who wrote Plessy v. Ferguson. March marks 100 years that my district has been a part of this country, but our service dates back to its very founding through the Virgin Islander and Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. He would be, I think, very upset to find out that people from the island in which he came could not vote for their President and Commander in Chief, even though the Virgin Islands and the territories have the highest rates of military service in the United States and have exponentially higher rates of casualties per capita in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. We believe we have earned the right to take part in this democracy. In another example, last year, a Federal appeals court decisively struck down a North Carolina voter identification law and noted its provisions deliberately ``target African Americans with almost surgical precision.'' That is a quote of the court in an effort to depress Black turnout at the polls. That, to me, sounds like voter fraud and voter suppression. Mr. Speaker, these are just a few examples of the real voter fraud happening across this country. The members of this caucus continue to work to ensure that all American citizens, regardless of their race, income or location, can participate in this great democracy; and we implore the President to direct his efforts to investigate voter fraud at these and other issues. We want to, as the Congressional Black Caucus, address another issue, because we don't just represent African Americans or minorities here in this country. We want to address an issue that is of great concern to me and members of this caucus--and as demonstrated by massive protests this weekend and right across the street here this evening at the Supreme Court--the concern of a large majority of America, and that is the President's executive order to ban refugees entering into this country. Banning entry to people fleeing persecution is perhaps as diametrically opposed to the foundational fabric of this country as you can get. Mr. Speaker, not only is the President's refugee ban mean-spirited and misguided, it undermines our democracy, undermines our efforts to thwart terrorism, and is an affront to all who have sacrificed to defend it. Viewing all refugees fleeing as suspects shows an extremely myopic understanding of the real threats and plays to extremist propaganda. The refugee ban will not make us safe. It would have done nothing to prevent the 9/11 terrorist attacks, nor the others that followed. The terrorists of those attacks were American citizens, some of whom were even on the terrorist watch list and still allowed to legally purchase deadly weapons used to carry out their terrorist plot. If this President and Congress want to protect the American people from terrorism, they should pass the no fly, no buy legislation that House Democrats stood to support. Mr. Speaker, there are many of my colleagues here this evening who would love to speak on this issue.

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. I thank the Congresswoman from Texas. I want to thank her for all the work she has been doing not just in terms of incarceration reform, but pointing out to us that the safety of children also includes gun violence in their communities. That is so very important. And, of course, the real tireless work that she has done in terms of juvenile justice. Mr. Speaker, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has been at the forefront of changing the dynamic in how we see juveniles and the things that lead them into incarceration or lead them into problems with the law, and the solutions that are on the table. This is what we are speaking about this evening, giving real solutions and concrete legislation that has already been drafted and worked on by members of the Congressional Black Caucus that President Trump can use in carrying out the 10-point plan that he has. I yield to the Congresswoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore), who also would like to speak on this topic and who has been doing tireless work in her district of Wisconsin and throughout the United States for communities, for children, for working mothers, for women who are attempting to move ahead, to receive a part of the economic justice, who has really been concerned about so many of the things that we are talking about this evening. I yield to her to speak to us this evening.

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

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from the great State of Louisiana (Mr. Richmond), who is the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, my friend and colleague, the Honorable Cedric Richmond, for his leadership in our caucus as well as his continued fight on the issues impacting Black Americans and other minority communities in underserved American communities in this great Nation. I would also like to thank my colleague, the Honorable Marc Veasey of Texas, for joining me and sharing this evening's Special Order hour and my many colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus who are here to speak on this most important issue. Mr. Speaker, we are here tonight as Representatives of America's minority communities to respond directly to President Trump's inaugural address, and specifically to his new deal for African Americans. During President Trump's campaign, he promised to address issues confronting African Americans, and he gave a 10-point plan outlining that. We have studiously reviewed the issues outlined in the plan and have concrete suggestions for him in accomplishing those goals. While I acknowledge President Trump's willingness to confront these issues, I find the points in his new deal do not go far enough in substance to adequately address the needs of African American communities and rely heavily on assumptions that African American communities are primarily in the inner cities. Just as the chairman spoke of earlier this evening, let's not continue with this fallacy and stereotyping of the dynamic diversity of African Americans in this country. African Americans live in the Rust Belt. They live in rural areas across this country, in suburbs, and they live in territories. My home district of the U.S. Virgin Islands has a population of 100,000 American citizens and permanent residents. It is a majority minority, and it, too, has experienced the same slow recovery as many of the economically dispossessed communities across America. The issues of African Americans cannot be solved in just 10 bullet points directed to a small portion of the African American community. Mr. Speaker, we are here this evening, in large part, to send a message, suggestions, thoughts, ideas, and support to President Trump that, if he is serious about addressing the issues in disadvantaged communities, it would be wise to tap into the decades of experience held by the members of this caucus. The answers to those 10 points are very nuanced, and we have been working on them for decades, and we are happy to support positive improvements in our underserved communities. For almost a half century, this caucus has advocated to improve the lives of millions of Americans in both rural and urban communities-- African Americans and all Americans. The 49 members of this caucus who sit in both Houses of Congress and the members before us tonight have offered policy solutions for decades that would help not only those African American communities, but underserved areas nationwide. We will continue to lead by offering solutions to improve the lives of all Americans in search of a better opportunity. We are hopeful to give you an idea of some of those this evening. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Veasey), my able colleague, for his remarks on this matter.

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

Ms. PLASKETT. I appreciate the remarks that the gentleman has given, particularly about the grim view that was given of African Americans during the inauguration that didn't really expound on the great diversity that is here. We have someone from another part of our country who is now going to speak. I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), one of our senior great leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus, former chairwoman of the Caucus from California, who is going to give us her remarks and her thoughts on this topic this evening.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I was really very interested in the discussion the gentlewoman had and about the work that you have done to alleviate poverty both in the Democratic Caucus as well as the Congressional Black Caucus, particularly her words about not allowing immigration to be divisive and used as a means to separate Americans and not being able to realize the American Dream. America is big enough to have immigrants under a comprehensive immigration plan that will allow all of us to be able to lift it up. I want to thank the gentlewoman for her leadership on that and particularly the fight that she has been fighting for so many years when it comes to alleviating poverty in the United States. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence), but more specifically from the great city of Detroit, where she has been a strong voice for the people of Detroit, a strong voice for surrounding areas, and her work on Flint, Michigan, and its water crisis, and other areas of people who are in the inner city that need support in so many areas, to speak on the issues that are the topic for today.

Ms. PLASKETT. And education and workforce development.

Ms. PLASKETT. I thank the gentlewoman for those words and thoughts on these issues. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), who has been a stalwart for social justice, a stalwart on the Judiciary Committee, and is going to speak on the issue that is here before us this evening, the CBC Special Order hour, ``A Response to President Trump's Inaugural Address and New Deal for African Americans.''

Ms. PLASKETT. I thank the gentlewoman. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Veasey).

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania, Dwight Evans. I know that he is new to this Congress, but he has worked for so many years on the issues that we are talking about today. I look forward to our continued collaboration in supporting so many communities throughout our country. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), who has been a stalwart voice on so many of the issues that the Congressional Black Caucus has brought here this evening and is here, Mr. Speaker, to share some of her thoughts on the things that have been spoken about earlier today.

Ms. PLASKETT. I thank the gentlewoman. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans) and ask if he has additional thoughts on this after having that colloquy with Ms. Moore.

Ms. PLASKETT

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

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak in opposition to H.R. 238 and express my concerns with the process and the need for this legislation at this time. As we all know, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is an independent Federal regulatory agency that, after the 2008 financial crisis, took on more responsibility to bring greater transparency and oversight to the multihundred-trillion-dollar derivatives market. This new bill, H.R. 238, has new mandates and steps in it which will force the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to redirect funding from its core mission to satisfy some of the new mandates within this rule. H.R. 238 sets a flat reauthorization level of $250 million per year for the next 5 years, despite the annual average budget requests of the agency of well over $300 million since passage of Dodd-Frank. Freezing the funding level makes the new rules almost impossible to enforce. While we understand the need for the end users, the work of this group must go forward. This punitive level effectively caps the CFTC budget and is a substantial departure from past reauthorization language providing for such funding as may be necessary for CFTC to carry out its expanded authorities under Dodd-Frank. H.R. 238 will make it more difficult for CFTC to function and stifles its ability to respond quickly to the rapidly changing markets it regulates. I thank Chairman Conaway for having allowed us in the last Congress to have many hearings and discussions about this bill; but we have not even, as a matter, organized the Agriculture Committee in the 115th Congress to bring this matter to the floor at this time. Therefore, the substance of the bill, as well as the process by which it is coming to this floor, are to be questioned at this time. I urge my colleagues to vote against the bill.

Ms. PLASKETT

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

Ms. PLASKETT. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6138, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 560 East Pleasant Valley Road, Port Hueneme, California, as the U.S. Naval Construction Battalion ``Seabees'' Fallen Heroes Post Office Building. For over 70 years, the Seabees have provided critical naval construction capabilities during times of war. They assisted in the Normandy invasion during World War II, cut a mountain in half, and carved through a jungle to build a runway during the Korean war, constructed military facilities during the Vietnam and gulf wars, and supported combat forces in Iraq. Today they continue to build and maintain bases and infrastructure for coalition forces in the global war on terror. In addition to their military support, the Seabees have also provided vital humanitarian assistance around the world in times of peace. They have helped rebuild after devastating earthquakes, such as the one in Haiti in 2010, and they have led various construction projects in a number of undeveloped countries. Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to honor the brave men and women who have played such an important role in both our military and humanitarian efforts around the globe. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6138. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Brownley).

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6282, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2024 Jerome Avenue, in the Bronx, New York, as the Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr. Post Office Building. Born in 1922, Dr. Roscoe Brown, Jr. fell in love with aviation after visiting the Smithsonian Institution. During World War II, Dr. Brown joined the Tuskegee Airmen, conducting 68 missions and becoming the first African American fighter pilot to shoot down a German fighter jet. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service, and, in 2007, Dr. Brown and his fellow remaining Tuskegee Airmen were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President George W. Bush. Following his honorable military service, Dr. Brown earned his Ph.D. at New York University and served as the president of Bronx Community College for 17 years. He also served as an informal adviser to many political leaders in New York City and founded 100 Black Men, an organization dedicated to improving conditions for African Americans. Mr. Speaker, we should pass H.R. 6282 to commemorate the selflessness exhibited by Dr. Roscoe Brown, Jr.'s military and community service. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano). (Mr. SERRANO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Ms. PLASKETT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis).

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

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5948, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 830 Kuhn Drive in Chula Vista, California, as the Jonathan ``J.D.'' De Guzman Post Office Building. Jonathan De Guzman emigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines with a strong desire to become a contributor to his new community. His selflessness led him to join the San Diego Police Department, where he served for 16 years. Officer De Guzman was awarded the San Diego Police Department's Purple Heart in 2003 after surviving a stabbing while on duty. Officer De Guzman was again attacked while on duty in July of 2016. This time, however, he was shot multiple times at pointblank range and tragically did not survive. Mr. Speaker, we should pass this bill to honor Officer Jonathan De Guzman's courageous life of public service and ensure that the ultimate sacrifice he made is never forgotten. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5948. I reserve the balance of my time.