Deborah Ross

Ms. ROSS

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 900, providing for the consideration of three measures: H.R. 3485, the Global Respect Act, under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, makes in order six amendments, provides en bloc authority to Chairman Meeks, and provides one motion to recommit. The rule further provides for consideration of H.R. 4445, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, under a structured rule. This rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary. It makes in order one amendment, and provides for one motion to recommit. The rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 4521, the America COMPETES Act, under a structured rule. The rule provides 2 hours of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, makes in order 261 amendments, provides en bloc authority to Chairwoman Johnson, and provides one motion to recommit. Finally, the rule provides recess instructions, suspension authority, and same day authority through April 1, 2022, and provides that requested roll call votes on suspension bills considered on February 1, 2022, may be postponed through March 3, 2022. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the three bills we will consider under this rule: H.R. 4521, the America COMPETES Act; H.R. 4445, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act; and H.R. 3485, the Global Respect Act. H.R. 4521 will make historic investments to advance the production of American-made semiconductors, tackle supply chain vulnerabilities, and turbocharge America's scientific research and technological leadership. Our Nation has long been a global leader in science and technology, propelled by companies and universities like the ones in my district that perform cutting-edge research every single day. Maintaining this position requires significant investment and cooperation across the government and private sector. This bill will increase funding for the National Science Foundation. It will support the work of the Department of Energy's Office of Science in fighting climate change. It will empower the next generation of STEM teachers, researchers, and scientists of all backgrounds. Our legislation will also establish a new office at the Department of Commerce charged with leading a government-wide effort to strengthen supply chains, invest $52 billion to support American semiconductor manufacturing, and bolster our domestic solar manufacturing capacity. In addition, H.R. 4521 will reaffirm American leadership abroad by reasserting our commitment to protect human rights and strengthen international trade laws to protect American workers and businesses from unfair trade practices. I am proud to have led a number of bipartisan bills included in this legislation that will fund research activities, facilitate public- private partnerships to grow clean energy technologies, and mandate the development of a national science and technology strategy. At a time when America faces unprecedented international competition, H.R. 4521 will reinforce our Nation's global leadership in science, technology, and innovation. I am thrilled we are bringing it to the House floor. Madam Speaker, I also rise in support of H.R. 4445. Too often in our country today businesses use mandatory arbitration clauses to cover up sexual assault and harassment in the workplace. Forced arbitration has a chilling effect on the ability of survivors to speak out, allowing businesses to take legal action against employees simply for seeking justice that was not provided during the arbitration process. Last year, the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony from women in a variety of disciplines who have faced persistent harassment and abuse at their jobs. These women bravely recounted both the appalling behavior they experienced and how forced arbitration kept them from speaking out about their experiences and aiding others. I am grateful to these women for their courage in shining a light on this abuse. Unfortunately, countless other women in our country are still silenced by mandatory arbitration. When mandatory arbitration processes are used to preserve the reputations of companies, rather than to provide due process to employees facing mistreatment, Congress has a duty to step in. I am glad we are doing that by taking up this bill today. Finally, I rise in support of H.R. 3485. Today, 68 countries, more than one-third of the United Nation member states, still criminalize same-sex relations. In nine countries, same-sex relations are punishable by death. That is a human rights violation. In the United States, freedom is the foundation of our democracy, and the liberty to love whomever we choose without concern for retaliation or violence is safeguarded by our Constitution. Denying the right of entry to foreign nationals who violate the human rights of LGBTQ people sends a clear message that hate has no home in the United States. It is time to pass all three of these bills. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Morelle), a distinguished member of the Rules Committee.

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), who is another distinguished member of the Rules Committee.

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui).

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Delaware (Ms. Blunt Rochester).

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the distinguished chairwoman of the Committee on Appropriations.

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Bustos).

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I do have a few more minutes to share some information about the America COMPETES Act. Then I would be prepared to close.

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In addition to having the privilege of serving on the Rules Committee, I also serve on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, which, as a freshman, I can tell you is probably the most bipartisan place in this entire Congress. It is also a privilege to represent the science and technology area of this country in the Research Triangle Park. I must share information about the work that the Science Committee has done on this bill. The Science Committee bills included in the America COMPETES Act are strongly bipartisan. Every one of these bills either passed the House floor under suspension or passed through the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology favorably. The House is ushering in a bold and prosperous future for American science and innovation with a suite of bills, including the National Science Foundation for the Future Act, the Department of Energy Science for the Future Act, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology for the Future Act. The Science Committee provisions included in the America COMPETES Act were built from the ground up with rigorous deliberation and input from the scientific community, industry, and other stakeholders on what they needed most to succeed in the 21st century. These provisions will ensure that the United States is well equipped to compete globally in science and innovation. These provisions will help build a strong and diverse STEM workforce ready to address our greatest scientific and societal challenges. Our future prosperity depends on what we do now to nurture the STEM talent in our country. From clean energy technologies to emissions measurement, with the bold funding for science and innovation included in these provisions, we will be able to address a climate crisis head- on. These provisions will strengthen American manufacturing, bolster our national security, and enhance our semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. The United States has long been a beacon of excellence in science and innovation. We must invest in our Nation's future, and now is the time. The United States has endless potential to compete globally in science and innovation. The America COMPETES Act provides the critical resources and tools we need to achieve that, not just today but for the next generation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I would like to add to the comments that I made about the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Our chair, Eddie Bernice Johnson, will be retiring at the end of this session. The contributions that she has made to this Congress and to the State of Texas have been extraordinary. I have an ``amen'' from our colleague from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee). The gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson) has been a model of civility and bipartisanship on that committee. This bill, the America COMPETES Act, will just be a crown jewel in her legacy. Madam Speaker, now is the time for Congress to take comprehensive action to strengthen our supply chain, support American manufacturing, and invest in innovation and scientific research. H.R. 4521 will accomplish these goals, bolster American semiconductor manufacturing, advance clean energy technology, and reaffirm our leadership on the global stage. Our workers, businesses, research institutions, and constituents are depending on us to pass the America COMPETES Act. Madam Speaker, we also must pass H.R. 4445. As long as forced arbitration remains an option, businesses will be able to abuse this mechanism to put profits over people and silence survivors of sexual assault and harassment. Our laws should end practices that enable the abuse of working women. Ending mandatory arbitration for sexual harassment and assault is a just way to put an end to one of these practices. Finally, we must pass H.R. 3485. Our support of LGBTQ rights must not stop at our border. The global LGBTQ community deserves the full support of American diplomacy. The Global Respect Act enshrines our commitment to equality in our foreign policy, and I am proud to support this bill.

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution, as amended.

Ms. ROSS

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my dear friend, John Russell, who passed away on November 30, 2021. John was a passionate North Carolinian and his contributions to our community will live on for years to come. Born on October 22, 1954, John spent the early part of his life in Greensboro, North Carolina where he was a proud alumnus and three-sport athlete at Grimsley High School. Music also played a large role in John's upbringing. Growing up, he was constantly surrounded by Opera. His mother Peggy, was an accomplished Opera singer and founded The Opera Company of North Carolina, located in Greensboro. John contributed to his mother's legacy by playing a crucial role in the formation and growth of her company, which eventually evolved into The North Carolina Opera. Following high school, John went on to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating with the highest honors in English before receiving a Master's Degree in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University. After graduating from Columbia University, John spent a few years as the youngest editor ever hired by the Houghton Mifflin publishing company before deciding that he wanted to contribute to his community in a different capacity. He left New York to enroll in Harvard Law School, graduating with honors in 1985 before moving to Raleigh. In our home of Wake County North Carolina, John practiced corporate law at Moore & Van Allen for 12 years. After, he joined Quintiles Transnational Corporation and during his tenure, he rose from Executive Vice President to General Counsel, eventually becoming the Chief Administrative Officer. In 2008, John became a partner in the Life Science Practice of the global law firm K&L Gates, where he practiced until his retirement in 2017. John was extremely involved in the community and served on many boards and advisory roles including the North Carolina Railroad advisory, the Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO), Elon Law School, the Center for Studies of the American South, the Gilling's School of Global Public Health, and countless others. This work is a testament to his character and his love for the people of our state and our community. On top of these contributions, John's passion for literature led him to write two novels, ``Favorite Sons'' (1992), winner of the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for fiction, and ``All the Right Circles'' (2019). Both examine North Carolina politics, society, and history. He also was an avid member of our Triangle wide book club, and we enjoyed our time together sharing thoughts and opinions about the nonfiction books we read. John lived an exceptional life, and I will always be grateful that I had the pleasure of knowing him. He was a dedicated husband, devoted father, and a loving uncle and son. He will be forever missed by his wife Kelley, children Caroline, Taylor, Katie, Roddy, Fields, and Bess, as well as his beloved sister Susan, father, John B. Russell, and grandsons George and Oliver. I miss him dearly and look forward to highlighting his legacy and honoring his service to our community for years to come.

Ms. ROSS

Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge support for my bipartisan amendment, which will require the VA to notify transitioning servicemembers of the services for which they are personally eligible. Notification must include information about mental healthcare, community care under the MISSION Act, and care related to military sexual trauma. Troubling reports have found that many transitioning veterans are not aware of the health benefits available to them through the VA. A recent Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General report found that the DOD has failed to provide proper mental health screening and care for transitioning veterans; in part, because so many veterans do not understand what care is available to them. The transition away from active service can be a tumultuous time during which many new veterans face mental health issues. Left unaddressed, these issues can be debilitating and deadly. My father served as a psychiatrist in the Air Force during the Vietnam era. He witnessed firsthand the need for proper and timely mental healthcare among veterans. But mental health resources at the VA can only be helpful to those who know of their existence. We owe a debt of gratitude to our veterans, and they deserve gold- standard and seamless access to the benefits that they have earned. My amendment will help new veterans understand and access the care to which they are entitled. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Gonzalez-Colon, Congressman Bowman, and Congresswoman Moore for joining me in offering this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his support. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), the chairman of Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, this amendment will help new veterans understand the specific benefits that they have and that they have earned through their service. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of my amendment, the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROSS

Mr. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague, Congressman Perlmutter, for yielding. Madam Speaker, the bills included in this rule serve as an expression of gratitude for all veterans, regardless of their official service status. My State of North Carolina alone has nearly 12,000 National Guard members, each of whom deserves to be recognized for their sacrifice on behalf of our Nation. Reservists and National Guard members take on challenging, admirable, and oftentimes lifesaving work, especially throughout the COVID-19 crisis. We owe it to these exceptional Americans to provide gold- standard education benefits, medical care, and mental health support. A critical inflection point in all veterans' lives is their transition to civilian life. We know that during this period, veterans disproportionately face mental health crises. That is why in partnership with Congresswoman Gonzalez-Colon, Congressman Bowman, Congresswoman Moore, I have offered an amendment to H.R. 1836 that takes proactive steps to offer support. Our amendment requires the VA to provide new veterans with information on the medical services they can access, including the mental health care and military sexual trauma resources to which they are entitled. My father served as a psychiatrist in the Air Force during the Vietnam era, a particularly challenging time for our veterans. He witnessed firsthand the need for mental health care among this population. In addition, one of the issues--military sexual trauma, leaving veterans with scars, both physical and psychological--is affected by this legislation. I have introduced other legislation on this issue and I am committed to helping veterans who have experienced this trauma access support. Veterans can't benefit from VA services unless they know about them. Unfortunately, many veterans lack information of the full range of resources available. Our amendment will raise awareness among transitioning veterans about VA services and the care they deserve. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, the rule, and the underlying bill.

Ms. ROSS

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I rise in honor of my constituent Leslie Williams. Leslie recently achieved a wonderful milestone in her career in real estate by being named the 2022 President of the Raleigh Association of Realtors. Leslie has been a resident of North Carolina for 20 years, and has over 30 years of sales, marketing, customer service, and management experience. She also has a Masters degree in Business Administration and has attained several real estate certifications throughout her career. In addition to her professional achievements, Leslie is dedicated to volunteering, mentorship, and ensuring homeownership for all. I am so proud to represent a constituent who is committed to supporting these important efforts in our community, and I look forward to hearing more about her work in the future and collaborate to improve our community.

Ms. ROSS

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss an important lifeline to so many North Carolina families, the child tax credit. In North Carolina alone, millions of families have benefited from the child tax credit. The first monthly payment lifted 3 million children out of poverty and significantly reduced childhood hunger. No family should have to worry about whether they can afford their next meal. The child tax credit also helps pay for childcare, helps pay for school supplies, helps when the car breaks down, and helps families living paycheck to paycheck. Recently, I heard from a mother in North Carolina who told me that the child tax credit takes away a layer of stress that is inherent in trying to return to the workforce and financially plan for a new setting. In just a few weeks, these monthly payments are set to expire unless Build Back Better is passed. We cannot fail the next generation. We must pass this transformative legislation in the Senate and have the President sign it.

Ms. ROSS

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of the Protecting Our Democracy Act, which ensures that our government remains of, by, and for the people. I also rise in support of my amendment, which would establish a task force within the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute, in collaboration with State and local governments, threats to election officials. Poll workers in my home State of North Carolina and their families have been subjected to harassment, violent threats, and intimidation, all exacerbated by baseless conspiracies like stop the steal. We suffered critical shortages of poll workers during the 2020 elections, and over one-quarter of counties in North Carolina had understaffed polling sites. Threats to election officials are threats to our democracy and must be stopped. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support poll workers, the democratic process, my amendment, and the bill.

Ms. ROSS

Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act. This commonsense, bipartisan, bicameral legislation would serve to fill a transparency void that plagues our current Federal judicial system as recently exposed in a Wall Street Journal series of reports. According to these reports, 131 Federal judges broke the law by hearing cases where they had a financial interest. From 2010 to 2018, these judges failed to recuse themselves from 685 lawsuits involving firms in which they or their families held stock, and today the number could be much higher. This failure has real-world repercussions for the American public and American families. Take, for example, Jacob and Jeanetta Springer. They were foreclosed upon in 2018 after Jeanetta's ailing father missed one mortgage payment 3 months before his passing. Upon inheriting the property, the Springers sought to challenge the foreclosure in Federal court, believing they were behind on fewer payments than the bank had claimed. The case was dismissed on the recommendation of the magistrate judge and again on appeal. But the Springers were soon notified by the court that their judge had purchased the bank's stock before issuing the ruling. As a result, their case was reopened and assigned to a different judge. In frustration, Jacob Springer asked: ``How was I supposed to know the judge owned the stock?'' The Springer family's experience demonstrates the importance of ensuring both justice and the appearance of justice in our courtrooms. The impression of impropriety threatens the trust litigants place in judges to be impartial and disinterested arbiters of justice and the very institutional legitimacy of our judiciary. The Springer family's experience was not the first time a litigant has had their faith in the promise of blind justice shaken by the lack of transparency in our judiciary. But today, we can move toward making it the last by passing the Courthouse Ethics and Transparency Act. This bill will make Federal judges more accountable, transparent, and ethical, and restore confidence in our Federal courts. The legislation will ensure Federal judges face the same financial transaction disclosure requirements as members of the legislative and executive branches, eliminating an unwarranted transparency gap. It also requires the online publication of judges' financial disclosures on a publicly accessible database. This online database will add another layer of protection from potential conflicts. Litigants like the Springer family would be able to identify conflicts sooner instead of solely relying on the ineffective recusal processes that currently are in place. This bill does so without compromising the safety of Federal judges or their families because it incorporates existing confidentiality rules that enable judges to redact sensitive information. The database will simply streamline access to information already legally required to be available to the public. I want to thank Judiciary Committee Chairman Nadler, Subcommittee Chairman Johnson, cosponsor and Subcommittee Ranking Member Issa, and Representative Chip Roy for working with me to introduce this crucial legislation. We must restore trust in the American promise of free and fair administration of justice in our courtrooms. For this reason, I urge my colleagues to support this bill to increase transparency and accountability in our courtrooms.

Ms. ROSS

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I thank Congressman Cartwright for yielding and for his leadership. Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that will bring America's aging infrastructure into the 21st century. I was honored to join Madam Speaker and our other colleagues at the White House as the President signed this historic legislation into law. In Congress, I am extremely proud to represent Wake County, North Carolina, one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. We are a powerful economic engine for our State and for our region, but, sadly, our infrastructure has not grown with our community. We need seamless transportation networks to connect Wake County to the rest of the Nation--modern infrastructure that can help us bring the innovation that happens in the Research Triangle to the country and to the world. This historic legislation will help us, our people, get to work and school and products from our groundbreaking companies get to markets across America and around the globe. In North Carolina, there are about 1,500 bridges and more than 3,000 highways in poor condition. This bill will devote $110 billion to upgrade roads and bridges and finance other major transportation projects. Over the next 20 years, North Carolina's drinking water infrastructure will require billions in additional funding. This bill provides funds to replace lead pipes in the country and help ensure that all of our children can enjoy clean drinking water. It will also address the toxic threat of PFAS contamination. This bill modernizes our Nation's electric grid to protect against storm damage and unlock the full potential of clean energy. It also creates jobs in the clean energy manufacturing sector, a sector where our State is positioned to lead the Nation. In addition, it expands broadband connectivity in underserved communities, helping to ensure that all of our students and businesses can access dependable, affordable internet. The jobs created by this infrastructure package are jobs that cannot be outsourced. This package will boost all of our workers, from the folks who pave the roads to the scientists and engineers who are designing 21st century transportation networks, more efficient water and sewer systems, and cutting edge electrical grids. Thanks to this package, engineering graduates from schools like North Carolina State and graduates from Wake Tech, Shaw, and St. Augustine's--all in my district--will help build the bridges in our communities that one day many years from now they will proudly show their grandchildren. We are delivering on the President's promise to pass legislation that improves the lives of ordinary people and creates good-paying jobs. This bill is a testament to what we can achieve when we give bipartisanship a chance, when we set our differences aside and commit to the hard work of finding common ground. This is good for North Carolina and great for the country.

Ms. ROSS

Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the urgent need to pass the Build Back Better agenda, a transformational package that will help individuals and working families across North Carolina. This bold legislation will bring down the high costs that have held families back for decades by making childcare, home care, education, healthcare, and housing more affordable. This is a package for the people--all the people--and it spans generations, providing support to infants, students, working adults, and older Americans. Right now, the average annual cost for a child in North Carolina to attend a childcare center is nearly $9,000. The average North Carolina family with two young children spends more than 20 percent of their annual income on childcare. That is unacceptable. For kids to thrive and for parents to excel in the workplace, we need quality, affordable childcare. I have a constituent from Cary, North Carolina, named Katy, she works at a nonprofit and has a 1-year-old child. She told me this: Becoming a mom has opened my eyes to how broken our Nation's childcare system is. We felt lucky to find a spot for my child at a high-quality childcare program, but the cost was shocking. We pay more than $800 a month for my son's care. At the same time, the director and teachers at my son's program likely don't make a living wage. They're doing one of the most important jobs in the world, helping raise the next generation. Why aren't they compensated fairly? Childcare providers shouldn't have to work second jobs on the weekends to feed their families, but many do. At the same time, parents can't shoulder the burden. In fact, the extremely high cost of childcare is a major factor for my family as we decide to have a second child. Katy's story is so common. If we claim to value our children and our families, we need to stop turning a blind eye to the exploding costs of childcare. We can do better. That is why the Build Back Better Act will provide universal pre-K for all 3- and 4-year-olds and limit childcare costs for working families to no more than 7 percent of their income. Mr. Speaker, we also need to do more for our seniors and their loved ones. Every American should be able to look forward to a comfortable, secure retirement. Our seniors should not have to worry about financially burdening their children and their grandchildren. In my family, my father-in-law wanted to stay in the home he loved, and he did until he was 98 years old. We found it very difficult to find him home care. I continue to hear stories from seniors in my district who have had to give up their homes simply to stay in a nursing home. Again, we can do better. That is why the Build Back Better Act will provide a historic investment in home care in order to help the more than 800,000 people on State Medicaid waiting lists. Mr. Speaker, when we pass this bill, more of our people will stop struggling to make ends meet and start experiencing true financial security. When we pass this bill, more of our children and our seniors will receive the care they deserve. And, most importantly, when we pass this bill we will be one giant step closer to an America where everyone has the chance to pursue the American Dream and the means to support their families.

Ms. ROSS

Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the history and the legacy of the Oberlin Village community. Founded in 1866, Oberlin Village is one of the last surviving antebellum settlements founded by free Black people in North Carolina. After Reconstruction, the community became a welcoming refuge for newly freed former slaves from the nearby Cameron plantation. It became much more than a town. The thriving municipality was home to rows of single-family houses, two churches, and a public school. It became a symbol of land ownership for freedmen. The local post office, now located in a building owned by the Oberlin Baptist Church, is still named after the plantation rather than this historic community. I urge the Postal Service to change the name to reflect the post office's new location and to commemorate the Oberlin Village community and its legacy.