Mary Scanlon

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 504, providing for consideration of H.R. 2662, the IG Independence and Empowerment 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 Oversight and Reform, makes in order six amendments, provides for en bloc authority, and provides one motion to recommit. The rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 3005 under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on House Administration and provides one motion to recommit. The rule further provides for consideration of H.R. 3684, the INVEST in America Act. The rule provides 90 minutes of general debate with 60 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and 30 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. It combines the Rules Committee prints for the surface transportation and clean water provisions of the bill, self-executes a manager's amendment from Chairman DeFazio, and provides one motion to recommit. The rule additionally provides for consideration of H. Res. 503, Establishing the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Rules. Finally, the rule provides the majority leader or his designee the ability to en bloc requested rollcall votes on suspension bills considered on June 28 or 29, and this authority lasts through July 1. Mr. Speaker, we are here today to consider a rule for four measures that address some of the most fundamental issues upon which Congress may act as we continually strive to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty for all of us and our descendants. In passing these three bills and in creating a select committee to investigate the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the U.S. House of Representatives is putting forward real solutions to repair our physical infrastructure, protect our systems of accountability, acknowledge our relationship with the past, and establish a shared understanding and plan to address the deep wounds inflicted upon this building, those who serve and protect here, our government, and our democratic Republic by the attack on the Capitol on January 6. Mr. Speaker, I want to first thank the Members and committees that worked on the bills we consider here today, in particular, the Herculean efforts by the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Oversight and Reform Committee, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Majority Whip Clyburn, and Majority Leader Hoyer for their leadership to remove symbols of hate from the Capitol Building. Mr. Speaker, no one can deny that our Nation's infrastructure is in a shameful state of disrepair. For decades, we have heard a lot of talk about infrastructure while efforts to build and maintain the networks and systems on which we all rely have been grossly underfunded. Whether it be roads and bridges or ports and rail lines, year after year, we fail to muster the political will to properly fund infrastructure, and the consequences are increasingly dire. My district, Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District, is home to Philadelphia's airport, port, rail yard, and, as a key part of the Northeast Corridor, dozens of miles of interstate highways and passenger rail lines, as well as regional commuter and light rail lines that link Philadelphia and its suburbs. True to its position, PA-05 sits as a transportation keystone to a vast interstate and international economic network. The problems facing my district's transportation infrastructure are not that different from those of other regions. Our infrastructure is aging and, in some cases, beyond usable lifespan. It is heavily used, and State and local authorities don't have enough money to meet maintenance needs, much less to make investments in modernization, expansion, or other improvements. Anyone who travels our roadways knows that axle-bending, tire-rattling potholes are the norm. Nationwide, the situation is no better: aging and inadequate electrical grids, shamefully deficient water infrastructure, 47,000 structurally deficient bridges. You can go to any congressional district and find a litany of projects in desperate need of funding. We have heard lip service about infrastructure week for so long that it has become a sick national joke. We must act now. While the U.S. has sat on its hands, our allies and adversaries around the world have forged ahead with advancements in transportation networks, from high-speed rail that puts ours to shame to building up broadband and 5G networks. China spends 8 percent of its GDP on infrastructure. Our European partners spend 5 percent of their GDP on infrastructure. Here in the United States, we spend a meager 2.4 percent. We are falling behind the rest of the world and, in doing so, failing to promote the general welfare of our citizens. That is why I am proud to support this rule to pass the INVEST in America Act. This bill will provide over $715 billion over the next 5 years to repair and improve our Nation's infrastructure. It will create good-paying jobs and lay the foundation for robust economic growth in the 21st century. It will make record investments in roads, transit, and rails, allowing State departments of transportation to address maintenance backlogs and make forward-thinking investments in road safety, climate mitigation and resiliency, and low-income and underserved communities in our cities, suburbs, and rural areas. It will help build out our Nation's EV infrastructure and help Americans shift to the next generation of clean energy vehicles. It will assist transit agencies in expanding service areas and adopting zero-emission vehicles, and it gives States funding to help prepare for the impacts of climate change and extreme weather. This package also includes over $160 billion for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. Right now in the United States, there are millions of Americans who don't have access to clean drinking water or who aren't connected to a wastewater network. There is no excuse for that. The water provisions include much-needed funding to fully replace lead pipes throughout the country and strengthen water standards so the EPA can better address PFAS contamination. These issues are vitally important to my district and others in southeastern Pennsylvania and across the country. I commend the Energy and Commerce Committee for crafting this comprehensive water infrastructure package. Lastly, I want to state my strong support for the Member designated projects included in the INVEST in America Act. I thank Chairman DeFazio for giving my colleagues and I, on both sides of the aisle, the opportunity to secure dedicated funding for important local projects in our districts and for instituting strong safeguards in this funding to prevent fraud and abuse. The Member designated projects process allowed us to work with our State and local transit agencies and local governments to highlight high-impact transportation projects in need of funding. I am proud that $20 million for seven great projects in my district have been included in this bill, including redesign of dangerous rail crossings and upgrades to commuter stations, and perhaps most significantly, this bill includes a project I submitted with my Pennsylvania colleague (Mr. Evans), to redesign Cobbs Creek Parkway, one of the most dangerous corridors in our region and the site of hundreds of crashes and multiple fatalities year after year. The redesign will make Cobbs Creek Parkway safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. Voting against this bill to invest in America is voting against jobs; it is voting against economic growth; it is voting against safety; and it is voting against making sure people have clean drinking water. Now is the time to tackle these issues, and so I urge all my colleagues to support this measure. Mr. Speaker, also included in this bill is the IG Independence and Empowerment Act, a bill from the House Oversight and Reform Committee to overhaul and reform the legal powers and protections of our inspectors general. Inspectors general are a vital part of our Federal institutions, ensuring that taxpayers and officials have an independent source of oversight and information to ensure government employees, from the interns to the President, are following the law and properly administering their duties. For our government to function and be free of waste and corruption, to protect against fraud and impropriety, we need inspectors general who are empowered to act and who are protected from arbitrary, capricious, or personal attacks. But we saw, over the past 4 years, that there were critical flaws in the law that govern our inspector general programs. We saw that it was possible for an administration to undermine the independence of the inspectors general through unprecedented firings and denial of access to information. A little over a year ago, the former President fired five Cabinet inspectors general over 6 weeks, with the announcements often coming on Friday nights when the Nation's attention was elsewhere. The inspector general for Health and Human Services was fired for reporting accurately on the Nation's dire shortage of lifesaving PPE during the beginning of the pandemic. The State Department inspector general was fired for investigating then-Secretary Pompeo's use of government staff to run personal errands. And the Department of Transportation inspector general was fired for investigating suspicious grant awards to Kentucky, the State represented by the former Secretary's husband and the then-Senate majority leader. In other words, these inspectors general were fired for doing their jobs. The IG Independence and Empowerment Act will enact needed reforms to protect IGs from political firings, give them increased powers and resources to investigate waste and corruption, and increase accountability and transparency for the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. I strongly support the IG Independence and Empowerment Act and call on my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, the last bill in today's rule is long overdue. The bill would replace the bust of Roger Brooke Taney in the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the Capitol with a bust of Thurgood Marshall and would remove the statues of individuals who voluntarily served in the Confederate States of America from display in the Capitol. In Philadelphia, we have a street named after Chief Justice Taney and we have a Little League World Series Champion baseball team named after that street. In 2020, following conversations about race and inclusiveness in America, the Taney Dragons Little League team decided to rename itself the Philadelphia Dragons saying that they cannot ignore the very real feelings that the name ``Taney'' engenders among members of our community, and that the new name will be inclusive, nondivisive, and also speak to our league's geography. I say we follow the lead of our children on this issue. If they can do it, so can we. As we seek to form that more perfect Union and secure the blessings of liberty for all, we cannot accept the presence in this Capitol Building of Confederate icons, including the bust of the author of the Dred Scott decision or those who fought to protect slavery and wage war against the United States. Symbols of the Confederacy deserve to be in textbooks and museums, not venerated in the Capitol. Finally, Mr. Speaker, this rule provides for the creation of a select committee to investigate the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol Building where we stand. I am, and I think most of the public is, disappointed that the Senate failed to join in the establishment of a bipartisan commission to establish once and for all the facts about what happened on that day. We had a bipartisan bill. Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member Katko of Homeland Security, through good-faith negotiations, were able to craft bipartisan legislation to create a commission to investigate the January 6 insurrection. Our Republican colleagues got everything they wanted in that bill, and yet, their leadership withdrew its support at the last moment and couldn't take yes for an answer. Since our colleagues refused to approve a bipartisan commission, the House must move ahead with an investigation of the January 6 events and a select committee is our final avenue. We must investigate the causes and events that led to that attack. It is my sincere hope that the committee can dive into the facts and produce a cohesive narrative around January 6 and the events that preceded it and make recommendations that will prevent such horrors from ever being repeated again. The January 6 attack on our Capitol was a crime, a crime against our government and a crime against the men and women who serve here, whether it was elected officials, congressional staff, or law enforcement. Period. It was an ugly, violent crime and crimes need to be investigated. Thousands participated and over 800 illegally entered the building. Roughly 500 so far have been criminally charged by law enforcement. Some have pled guilty. But the fact-finding is not yet done. We need to know how organized they were and what their level of coordination was. Despite the claims of some in this Chamber, we now know that many of these rioters were armed, which means that every single one of us and all of our staffs were in very real danger. Some of the rioters came to abduct the Vice President and the Speaker of the House and put them on trial. Some planned to take this building over and hold it until January 20 in an attempt to stave off President Biden's inauguration. Some just wanted to destroy things, and they did. That, too, the intention of the rioters, needs to be probed. Some think Donald Trump incited this riot; some think he did not. New and wild claims have surfaced about who instigated the violence. Let's investigate that, too. Let's investigate everything connected to this horrible event honestly, unflinchingly, objectively, and without passion or prejudice, but let us not leave this crime unexamined. If we are to come together as a Nation to unite behind our shared constitutional values, to ensure domestic tranquility and secure the blessings of democracy and liberty, we must do so from a shared understanding of reality. Mr. Speaker, I hope that every member of this Chamber can find it in themselves to vote for this rule when it is considered on the floor. Our country cannot afford to wait longer on infrastructure. If we continue with business as usual, our infrastructure deficit will continue to grow. Our roads and bridges will continue to deteriorate, and our national economy will be less vibrant and competitive as a result. We need to pass the INVEST in America Act. Full stop. We also need to pass the IG Independence and Empowerment Act, and we need to remove racist icons from the Capitol. These repairs and reforms cannot wait, and so I hope that Congress can find the political will to expeditiously pass the bills considered under the rule today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Reschenthaler), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to share a letter to the editor from a constituent published this morning. Here is what he said: I worked the polls for 10 years, which included 20 elections and over 25 hours of training. As the years passed, technology improved, training got more efficient, and communications were state of the art. I am so proud to be an American and contributing to our system of democracy. At my poll, five of us work together. There are also two watchers from each party. The results are posted on the door of the polling place immediately for residents to see. Votes are checked against duplications and death certificates. We have a paper ballot that can be matched to a voter machine. The machines are not hooked up to the internet, preventing interference and hacking. My heart breaks with every utterance of voter fraud. Please don't let the GOP erode voting rights. Signed: Former Republican. I share this constituent's frustration. We are both fed up with people repeating lies about the security of our elections in order to justify voter suppression.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be here today to advance the Justice for Juveniles Act. I thank Chairman Nadler, Leader Hoyer, and my colleague, Congressman Armstrong, for their support and partnership on this effort. The Prison Litigation Reform Act, or PLRA, was passed in 1996 in an effort to decrease so-called frivolous lawsuits brought by prisoners. Chief among the PLRA's mandates was a requirement that before seeking relief for civil rights violations in court, a detained person must exhaust administrative remedies. Whatever the merits of that underlying legislation, we now have broad bipartisan agreement that the language is overbroad in its application to juveniles. Studies have consistently shown that juveniles are both more likely to be abused while in detention and less likely to navigate the administrative remedies that bar them from seeking relief. For those of us who have kids or who have worked with children, it is easy to imagine the difficulty a young person in detention might have navigating complex legal systems necessary to raise a complaint. Young people in the criminal or juvenile justice system are more likely than not to be functionally illiterate, and science has shown that the brain is not fully developed until a person is in their mid- twenties. It is one of the many reasons our justice system makes a distinction between juvenile and adult offenses. That is what we hope to acknowledge with the Justice for Juveniles Act by exempting juveniles from the requirements of the PLRA. In addition, the PLRA also limits the kind of relief that juveniles might seek for civil rights violations while in detention. They cannot seek relief now for emotional injuries without physical ones as well, but studies show that youth are especially prone to psychological injury and abuse, which they often face in detention. Finally, the PLRA limits the recovery of attorney's fees in such cases. Again, juveniles are less likely to have independent resources to fund an attorney, so that makes it harder for young people to find an attorney to vindicate their rights. To those who might question whether we need to correct the PLRA, I offer the story of the Glen Mills Schools, which inspired this bill. For almost 200 years, youth from across the United States were sent to Glen Mills when they ran afoul of the law. But the school's bucolic campus and renowned athletic teams masked serious daily violence inflicted upon children placed there. An explosive 2019 report by The Philadelphia Inquirer revealed years of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse of the young residents, including broken bones, threats of retaliation, and sustained physical assaults at the hands of staff members. Although the stories from Glen Mills are heartbreaking, they are not unique. Reports show that mistreatment of young people in juvenile facilities happens all the time across the country. Just this past March, despite the recent example of Glen Mills, children were removed from yet another juvenile detention facility, just a few miles away, after horrifying new allegations of abuse. This commonsense, bipartisan legislation passed unanimously on the House floor last Congress and has the support of over 60 organizations. I, again, thank Chairman Nadler and the committee members and staff who helped advance this bill, and I thank the dedicated leadership team who brought the bill to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation again.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, Representative Cicilline, for organizing this Special Order hour and for his leadership in introducing and passing the Equality Act, and I look forward to it being signed into law. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Pride Month and to celebrate the rich history of LGBTQ activism in the greater Philadelphia area. In 1965, years before the Stonewall uprising, protestors borrowed from the tactics of the civil rights movement and staged a sit-in at Dewey's lunch counter in Philadelphia in opposition to its policy of refusing service to ``homosexuals,'' ``masculine women,'' ``feminine men,'' and ``persons wearing non-conforming clothing.'' Can you imagine what they would think today? Philadelphia is home to this--the first and oldest LGBTQ bookstore in the United States--Giovanni's Room, as well as Philadelphia Gay News, the oldest LGBTQ publication in the United States. As early as 1981, activists were meeting with the local Department of Public Health to discuss the virus that would eventually become known as AIDS and put pressure on them to address this growing crisis. In more recent history, Amber Hikes, in the City's Office of LGBT Affairs introduced a more inclusive Pride flag in 2017, adding black and brown stripes to represent LGBTQ people of color. Today, activism within Philadelphia's LGBTQ community continues through groups like the William Way Community Center, and people like my friend, Kendall Stephens, who is pushing for Pennsylvania to update its hate crime statute to finally include LGBTQ people as a protected class. From early protests to the continued advocacy of today, the Philadelphia region has plenty to be proud of during Pride Month.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, today, the Committee on Rules met and reported a rule, House Resolution 479, providing for consideration of S. 475, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform and one motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker, we are here today to consider an important and timely bill, S. 475, which parallels H.R. 1320 introduced by our colleague, Sheila Jackson Lee from Texas. This bill would make Juneteenth a Federal holiday. We are happy and not a little surprised to see that the Senate was able to quickly pass this bill with unanimous consent. It is not every day that one sees the Senate move more quickly than the House, and it is my hope that today the House of Representatives would be able to act with similar swiftness. Juneteenth, a portmanteau of June 19th, celebrates a seminal moment in Black American history, and it is well past time that our country recognizes the importance of this day by making it a Federal holiday. While the Emancipation Proclamation outlawed slavery in the South, and the Civil War effectively ended with the surrender of the Confederacy in April of 1865 at Appomattox, slavery did not immediately end throughout the United States. During the Civil War, many slaveholders migrated to Texas to avoid conflict and continued to hold Black Americans in bondage after the formal end of the Civil War. On June 19, 1865, Union troops finally arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, to ensure that slaves were freed, a full 2\1/2\ years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln. On that date, Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, which announced that, in accordance with the Emancipation Proclamation, all slaves are free. In the years following, Black Texans began to celebrate Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day, and Juneteenth Independence Day. Over time, they developed time-honored traditions for celebration, including parades, cookouts, family reunions, prayer gatherings, historic and cultural readings, and musical performances. As Texans emigrated to other parts of the United States, those traditions came with them and became enshrined in Black communities across our country. Today, Juneteenth is celebrated by communities throughout the United States. Forty-eight States and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth. It is time for the Federal Government to do the same. My own district in southeastern Pennsylvania takes great pride in its Juneteenth celebrations. From parades and flag raisings and picnics to musical performances and community gatherings, our community will celebrate at dozens of events throughout the district this weekend. On a planning call this week for one of our local celebrations, a resident from the Eastwick neighborhood in southwest Philadelphia proclaimed that ``Juneteenth is the holy grail'' of celebrations for the community because it represents America's true day of freedom. Upon hearing the news that this bill would come up for passage today, one of my staffers said: ``As an African-American woman raising five beautiful children, it would mean so much to make Juneteenth a Federal holiday. . . . It allows people to reflect on what my ancestors had to deal with. It gives the history of how they fought and continued to fight as they passed the torch on to the next generation.'' Another community member just shared: ``I hope this provides an accessible, teachable moment so people across the country can talk with their neighbors about why we need this holiday and how it helps to address the erasure of Black contributions to humanity and history.'' I know that this move to make Juneteenth a Federal holiday will mean so much to members of the Black community in my district, and I am so excited to have the great honor of returning home to celebrate this weekend after we pass this bill. Juneteenth, like many of our other Federal celebrations, serves as a day of remembrance and reflection and a celebration of emancipation and freedom. So, as we consider the rule today, and as we approach this year's Juneteenth celebrations, I ask my colleagues in this Chamber to think and reflect on our Nation's complicated history, the events that led us to where we are, and what we need to do to reckon with our past and continue to work toward creating a more equitable and inclusive society. America has historically failed to fully address the horrors of the abuse wrought upon enslaved people during the early years of our country, and to this day, we live with the long-term effects and consequences of slavery in America. Racism, both interpersonal and institutional, continues to plague our country. And despite monumental efforts, from the Civil War to the civil rights movement and beyond, to get our Nation to live up to the ideals proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, Black Americans still face disparate treatment and disparate outcomes across our society, from housing and healthcare to education and the workplace. To move forward with the work of dismantling institutional racism that continues to disenfranchise Black Americans, it is essential that we start by looking critically at how we get here. If we all truly commit ourselves to striving toward a more perfect Union, where all people are not only legally equal but actually have a fair shot at achieving the American Dream, we must recognize our current failings and take the necessary steps to end racial discrimination, the racial wealth gap, and racial injustices in our social, economic, environmental, and judicial institutions. While some may feel that making Juneteenth a Federal holiday is a purely symbolic act, symbols hold power. Holidays hold power. While millions of Americans already celebrate Juneteenth and use the day to reflect on our collective past and future, this is an important step to formally commemorate a crucial part of our culture and history that for too long has been canceled. I look forward to working with my colleagues on other meaningful steps we can take to honor the legacy of enslaved people who contributed so much to our history and to address the lasting impacts of this cruel chapter in our history that still persist today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I want to echo the remarks of my distinguished colleague, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, in mentioning Pennsylvania's history in this moment. I want to highlight Philadelphia's role in our Nation's abolitionist movement, the Quakers, Lucretia Mott, who embraced that movement and pushed this country forward, the role of our residents in fighting and winning the Civil War, and being the birthplace of American ideals at Independence Hall. Mr. Speaker, I hope that in passing this rule and the underlying bill we will take a collective step forward in achieving those goals that all Americans are equal under the law, treated fairly in our schools, our workplaces, our courts, and our public institutions. Symbols hold power. Holidays hold power. While millions of Americans already celebrate Juneteenth and use the day to reflect on our collective past and future, this is an important step to formally commemorate a crucial part of our culture and history. I urge, again, that all my colleagues vote for the rule and the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I now recognize my distinguished colleague, the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security in the House Committee on the Judiciary. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee is a tremendous advocate and leader in the fight for racial equity and an inspiration to many of our colleagues, including myself. Coming from the great State of Texas, she is all too familiar with the history and importance of Juneteenth for African Americans and for all Americans to recognize and reconcile our history. In Congress' past, Representative Jackson Lee led the charge to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday by introducing legislation to federally recognize this historic day. In the 117th Congress, she, again, introduced H.R. 1320, which I understand formed the basis for the Senate bill. Through the tireless work of her and her Senate colleagues, we now have the privilege of voting on this historic legislation. I applaud the tremendous work of the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Reschenthaler), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time is yielded for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 479 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Ala Stanford from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On Wednesday, April 28, 2021, President Biden delivered his first address to a Joint Session of Congress, 100 days into his first term. When President Biden took the oath of office, he pledged that help was on the way. Thanks to our work together to enact the American Rescue Plan, help is here. Hardworking people in Pennsylvania and all across the country have been the heroes of the pandemic, and now they are leading our recovery. Dr. Stanford is one of those heroes. The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium was founded by Dr. Stanford in 2020 to educate and advocate for the Black community in order to reduce the incidence of disease and death from coronavirus. The group originally focused on bringing testing to underserved communities, and now they also run vaccination clinics in these same areas. Dr. Stanford and her team are intentional about targeting their resources to the Black community because Black Americans have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus and are still underrepresented in the number of people who have received the COVID-19 vaccine. After more than a year of having our lives consumed by COVID-19, I could think of no better person to represent our region at President Biden's Joint Address to Congress than Dr. Stanford. When the pandemic hit, she figured out what needed to be done, and then she did it. She has dedicated herself to the work of serving her community and reducing racial disparities in access to testing and vaccines. In a typical year, I would have invited Dr. Stanford to join me in the House Chamber for the Joint Address. COVID-19 safety protocols limited this year's in-person attendance, and I--along with many other Members of Congress--instead watched the address from home. However, I couldn't miss this important opportunity to honor Dr. Stanford and people like her all across Pennsylvania.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Pennsylvania's Fifth District class of 2021 and wish them well in their next adventures. As we watched the world change before our eyes over the past year- and-a-half, we also saw the strength and determination of young people in our district, throughout the U.S., and across the globe. We saw students pick up jobs to help support their families, take to the streets to support causes they believed in deeply, and contribute their time and savings to help others in need. Whether they realized it or not, their energy and activism have shifted the national conversation around issues like gun violence, racial justice, and the climate crisis. We are at an inflection point of history, science, and technology, and I have never been more inspired or hopeful than I am for this generation. I also want to acknowledge our debt of gratitude to all the teachers and school staff who showed such dedication and resilience as they guided our students through the challenges of a pandemic with patience, courage, and innovation. Graduates, the world is waiting for our next wave of leaders, and we know that you are ready for the challenge. Congratulations.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the rule we are considering and to speak to the necessity of Congress repealing the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force against Iraq. Repealing the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force is a good first step towards Congress reasserting its constitutional authority over when and if the United States goes to war. This country has been in a state of perpetual war for almost 20 years. We now have members of the Armed Forces deployed overseas who are the children of soldiers who were sent to war under the 2002 AUMF. Under Article I of the Constitution, Congress has the sole authority to decide whether to allow the President to take the country into a prolonged war. Before this Nation sends our children, our servicemembers into harm's way, Members of Congress have the duty to consider and approve or disapprove such use of force. Americans have the right to hold us accountable for those decisions. Repealing the 2002 AUMF does not impede the President's ability to use military force without congressional approval in the event of a sudden threat or imminent attack, but we cannot continue to operate under a system where U.S. Presidents can place American troops in harm's way with no checks or balances. That is unacceptable. Congress' failure to repeal or replace the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs for two decades has done lasting damage to the constitutional separation of powers between Congress and President. It is time for this practice to end. I urge all of my colleagues to approve this rule and vote to repeal the 2002 AUMF.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage young people in my district to learn more about the opportunities offered by our U.S. service academies. One of the greatest honors of being a Member of Congress is having the ability to nominate outstanding students for appointment to West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and the Merchant Marine Academy. As high school students contemplate what they will do after graduation, I encourage them to consider the benefits of attending one of our service academies, including the unique opportunities for leadership and entry to a range of careers, at no cost to the student or their family. The process is competitive, so it is never too early to get started. I encourage any students in Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District who might be interested in attending a service academy to attend our next virtual information session hosted by my office on May 27 at 7 p.m. They may sign up at scanlon.house.gov. I look forward to nominating another amazing group of young leaders to the service academies this fall.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule and underlying bills before us today. It has been over 4 months since the attack on the Capitol, an attack which disrupted a joint session of Congress and threatened one of the most essential pillars of our American Government: the peaceful and democratic transfer of power. That lawless assault threatened not just the foundations of our government, but also the lives of those who served their fellow citizens here. That assault shattered the illusion of security and sanctity of this building, the United States Capitol. We remain eternally grateful for the bravery and patriotism of the members of the U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan Police who heroically defended this building, its occupants, and our democracy. But it is long past time to launch an independent, bipartisan examination of what occurred on January 6, why it occurred, and how to prevent it from ever happening again. We need a commission with the power and authority to collect evidence and make recommendations across multiple agencies, committees, and branches of government impacted by the attack. Almost as soon as the tear gas and broken glass had been cleared in the wee hours of January 7, we began hearing calls for unity. But what has remained illusive is a shared set of facts behind which the Nation can unify and forge a path to healing and accountability for the events of January 6. That path starts with these bills. We cannot repair the damage to our government and the rule of law so long as we have national leaders or those who seek to be propagating lies about why our government was attacked and the gravity of the events of January 6. Those falsehoods are incredibly dangerous, and so long as they remain unchallenged by a bipartisan, independent commission, we are never going to get past the dark part of our history. In addition to creating this bipartisan commission, we also need to pass the emergency supplemental appropriations bill to fund the many additional expenses which were created by the Capitol attack, including overtime, staffing, training for law enforcement, reimbursing the National Guard, and so much more. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote for this rule.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford).

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, with all due respect to my colleagues, I must respectfully decline to chase the red herring that has been lobbed onto the House floor. A vote on the PQ is strictly a procedural vote to move a bill forward. And as our colleagues know, voting ``no'' would simply mean that we would hand control of the House floor to them, which I decline to do. As our colleagues know, they are under no obligation to offer any specific amendment, even if they faithfully promise to do so. So let's not distract from the bills that we are here to move forward today. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), the lead sponsor of H. Res. 398, recognizing the forthcoming centennial of the 1921 Tulsa massacre.

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, yesterday, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 403, providing for consideration of H.R. 1629, the Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act, under a closed rule. It provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. It also provides for one motion to recommit. The rule also provides for consideration of H. Res. 275, the condemning the horrific shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16, 2021, and reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to combating hate, bigotry, and violence against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community, under a closed rule. It provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Oversight and Reform. The rule deems as passed H. Res. 398, a resolution recognizing the forthcoming centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The rule amends H.R. 188 to provide recess instructions, suspension authority, and same-day authority through July 1, 2021. Finally, the rule provides the majority leader or his designee the ability to en bloc requested rollcall votes on suspension bills considered on May 17 or 18. This authority lasts through May 20. Madam Speaker, we are here today to consider two timely and important bills. The first is a resolution from our colleague, Congresswoman Judy Chu, condemning the horrific, shootings, in Atlanta, Georgia, in March, and confirming the House of Representatives' commitment to combating hate and violence against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community. I want to start by offering my condolences, prayers, and support for the family and friends of the eight people murdered in Atlanta on March 16 and the thousands of Asian Americans who have been physically or verbally attacked over the course of the pandemic. The horrific act of gun violence that took eight lives in Atlanta, including six Asian women, is a tragedy unambiguously rooted in hate. It is a tragedy that followed 4,000 reported hate crimes against Asian Americans over the past year, and it is a tragedy that followed decades of bigotry, discrimination, and indifference toward the AAPI community. We must recognize that physical and verbal attacks against people of Asian descent are not a new phenomenon and that our country has a shameful past of violence and discrimination directed against Asian Americans. From the Chinese Exclusion Act to the internment of Japanese Americans, to the innumerable acts of individual violence that have cost so many their lives or livelihoods, a vile and persistent racism has denied many people the basic safeties and individual freedoms that some others take for granted. But we also need to recognize that at a time when we are all dealing with the hardships caused by the pandemic, Asian Americans have had to deal with additional pain, fear, and loss brought on by the callous and careless rhetoric of opportunistic politicians and bigots. I have heard from my constituents and staff members in my office about the pain that the increase in verbal and physical attacks has caused throughout our community. I admire the incredible work being done by AAPI advocates and organizers in southeastern Pennsylvania and across the Nation to bring attention to anti-Asian discrimination and to call for change. Groups in my district, such as Asian Americans United, Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia, Laos In The House, VietLead, and others across the United States, have mobilized whole communities to come together and stand firm against hate and racism. The anti-hate rallies and vigils organized in response to this year's shocking attacks are a resounding reminder that hate is not welcome in our cities and towns, but also that standing up to hatred requires more than just thoughts and prayers. It requires all of us to recognize and call out racism when we see it, to work with our neighbors to protect everyone in our communities, and to lift up voices that aren't always heard. As we continue to confront the systemic racism that plagues so much of our culture, the passage of this resolution by the House must be part of a greater holistic effort to provide all Americans with prosperity, justice, and freedom from fear. Congress cannot keep waiting for problems to boil over in order to do something about them. I ask that all of my colleagues keep that in mind as we work to address systemic racism and the other pressing problems of our day. I thank Congresswoman Chu for her leadership, and I thank her and the members of the Georgia delegation for introducing this important resolution. Madam Speaker, I also rise in support of H.R. 1629, the Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act. This bill is sponsored by my good friend and colleague from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Congresswoman Dean, who has bravely shared her family's experience with the hardships caused by substance use disorder, and who has been a tireless advocate for Federal solutions to the opioid epidemic. This much-needed bill would close a loophole in our Federal drug approval laws, promoting greater competition and lower prices and allowing more medications to treat opioid use disorder, as well as other diseases, to come to market. Closing this loophole would increase access to low-cost treatments and would prevent pharmaceutical companies from abusing the current law to boost drug prices for medications that could be sold by competitors at much lower prices. In particular, this bill would reduce the price of buprenorphine, a drug that is critically important for medically assisted treatment, or MAT, of opioid abuse disorder, but which has been made more costly and less available due to abuse of the current laws. The opioid epidemic has devastated families in my district and across the country. Too many communities have experienced the terrible toll of opioid addiction, and I am glad this is an issue on which Democrats and Republicans have been able to work together and achieve real results for the American people. Since 2018, Congress has been able to pass multiple bipartisan bills to increase funding for substance use disorder, provide more treatments and medications for those suffering from opioid addiction, and improve access to mental health services. The Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act is a straightforward bill with bipartisan support and sponsorship that passed the House of Representatives last Congress, and it was on track to pass this Congress last week before inexplicably being derailed when one of its former sponsors whipped votes against it. I thank my Pennsylvania colleagues, Representatives Dean and Fitzpatrick, for their bipartisan leadership on this bill, which is so important, not just for Pennsylvanians, but for families across this country who have struggled to obtain effective and affordable treatment for loved ones suffering from substance use disorder. I urge its prompt passage. Lastly, I want to voice my support for H. Res. 398, a resolution introduced by Congresswoman Jackson Lee to recognize the forthcoming centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. This event was one of the most abhorrent instances of racial violence in our Nation's history, and it is history that we should not ignore or forget. With this resolution, we can at least recognize the people, families, and descendants irreparably harmed that day, even if we cannot give them the justice they deserved. I thank my colleague, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, for her work to bring this resolution to the floor and to ensure that we recognize this terrible moment in our collective past. I thank all of my colleagues who helped craft the bills we are considering today. I look forward to supporting this rule, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson).

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Danny K. Davis).