Mary Scanlon

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the proceedings had during the recess be printed in the Record.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn this administration's latest attempt to do away with the healthcare provided by the Affordable Care Act. The Department of Justice's decision to go after the healthcare of millions of Americans by seeking a ruling that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional underscores their belief that healthcare should be a luxury reserved for the privileged few, only now we have moved from repeal and replace to just flat-out repeal. I could not disagree more strongly. In my home State of Pennsylvania, the ability to get health insurance regardless of chronic illness has saved countless lives. Tens of thousands of my constituents have gotten healthcare for the first time under the Affordable Care Act. Those with preexisting conditions have received peace of mind, and many, myself included, have been able to keep their children on their health plans even as they become adults themselves. The administration's callous decision to continue undermining the Affordable Care Act endangers my constituents, just as it endangers the lives of Americans in every district of our country. We were chosen to serve in this House to protect Americans who need us most, and that means protecting their healthcare. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote ``yes'' on this important resolution.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, last week the House passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a sweeping voting rights and government reform package that returns the power of our democracy to the American people. Since this week is Sunshine Week, I want to focus on a particular part of H.R. 1 that is designed to shine some much-needed sunshine on the corrosive influence of dark money. Multiple sources reported this week that the President's 2017 inaugural fund received tens of thousands of dollars in contributions from shell companies to conceal illegal contributions from foreign donors. Think about that. Foreign agents lavished tens of thousands of dollars on the U.S. inaugural celebration so they could try to influence our President. That is why I introduced the Inaugural Fund Integrity Act, which is part of H.R. 1, to close loopholes in the existing regulations, to put an end to donations by foreign nationals and corporations, to ban personal use of inaugural funds, and to require disclosure of all donations and spending by inaugural committees. It is hard to think of an area more in need of sunshine than a shadowy slush fund rife with opportunities for government corruption.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the fact that we share a common concern about our election security and an interest in using the best technology to protect that security. The intent here is to make sure that we are spending congressional dollars wisely as there are these grants being awarded. The amendment was devised, after hearing from interested parties, that there was not sufficient expertise on the three existing committees. And I would suggest that if the dangers, which the word the gentleman has suggested, were to come to pass, that that would be an excellent opportunity for congressional oversight. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the much more experienced gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes).

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Chair, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Chair, I have a second amendment at the desk.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Chair, my next amendment is Amendment No. 7. The amendment would require the Federal Election Comission to conduct a study to specifically assess whether the small donor match cap and the 6-to-1 ratio contained in H.R. 1 is appropriately scaled for both House and Senate elections. H.R. 1 will empower everyday Americans through each of these systems by bringing more and more people into the political fold. This system of small donor campaign funding is relatively new to the Federal system but has been tried in States and localities nationwide to great effect. New York City has had a matching funds program in place since the 1980s, and over 80 percent of the 2015 Connecticut State Legislature was elected under the Citizens' Election public financing program. It is important and necessary to study these issues at the Federal level, and my amendment would ensure that the Federal Government has all of the relevant information it needs when proceeding with any future changes to these programs. Mr. Chair, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes).

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the thoughtful queries from the gentleman from Arizona, and that is precisely what this amendment is directed towards. It is an amendment to H.R. 1 which sets up a small dollar financing program, and this will allow us to assess how it is working going forward. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCANLON

Mr. SCANLON. Mr. Chair, I would just close by saying, once again, the intent of this is to study and make sure we have the best possible system going forward. I know that Representative Sarbanes and others have studied the existing mechanisms out there to try and implement this kind of small donor matching system. I am sorry it didn't work out in Arizona, but I think we have a great plan here going forward. Mr. Chair, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 172, providing for consideration of H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2019, under a structured rule. The rule provides 2 hours of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on House Administration. The resolution self-executes Chairwoman Lofgren's manager's amendment and provides for the consideration of 72 amendments debatable for 10 minutes each. The rule also provides authority for en bloc amendments, debatable for 20 minutes each. The rule also provides 10 minutes of final general debate after amendment consideration equally divided and controlled by the Chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on House Administration or their designees. Lastly, the rule provides suspension authority through Friday, March 8, 2019. Mr. Speaker, as you know, this past weekend, I had the honor of traveling to Selma, Alabama, with over 40 of our congressional colleagues on a pilgrimage to observe the 54th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the violent confrontation at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. That confrontation seized the Nation's attention and launched one of the most important periods in the history of our Republic, culminating in the passage of the Voting Rights Act. When our colleague, Representative John Lewis, along with Martin Luther King and other civil rights pioneers, organized voters to register, crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge and marched from Selma to Montgomery, they did so knowing that their lives and the lives of those they loved were at risk. The institutional opposition they faced was fierce and violent, but their message of nonviolence and justice strengthened them and their resolve. They marched and risked their lives in order to secure the right to vote. They understood that they would never be equal citizens of the United States until they had a voice in their destiny, and they understood that the United States could never be the republic it aspired to become until all of its citizens had the right to participate in decisions affecting their future. We undeniably have made progress since then, but not enough, and frighteningly, we seem to be moving backward. In recent years, we have seen new forms of voter suppression emerge, whether in the guise of strict voter ID laws, purges of voting rolls, partisan gerrymandering, or unfounded allegations of voter fraud. As an election official, election protection organizer, and voting rights advocate for over 3 decades, I have seen all of these tactics in play. In fact, several of us in the Pennsylvania delegation were able to join this Congress in part because a Federal court ordered that Pennsylvania's congressional districts had been so gerrymandered that they must be redrawn, they were unconstitutional. We have heard, and will undoubtedly hear again today, that Democrats are pushing voting rights reform because of the expectation that new voters will likely be Democratic voters. I would hope that those with a sense of history would resist this, recognizing that the very same argument was used to oppose the Voting Rights Act in 1965 out of fear that those who had been oppressed would factor that experience into their voting decisions. It is telling that a similar fear motivates some in this Chamber today who would rather deprive citizens of a fundamental right than face them at the ballot box. The cynicism of those who would continue to place barriers in the way of those who wish to vote goes a long way to explaining why our citizens lack faith in us to work for them. Those with power, voting and otherwise, too often try to preserve that power through means that are neither transparent nor understood by the people of this country. We have to be bold, and shed some of that institutional power in order to regain the trust of the people. I thank my colleague, Representative John Sarbanes, who has worked for years in tirelessly crafting this legislation. I also thank Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic leadership team for making this bill the top priority in the House for the 116th Congress. I am so proud that the first order of business of this Congress, our H.R. 1, is dedicated to good government and restoring trust in our democratic institutions. Our elections are the bedrock of our democracy. During the recent midterm elections, the American people charged us, the new Congress, to make sure that our government works for them. They put their trust in us to champion our uniquely American creed: a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. H.R. 1, the For the People bill, is our commitment to that trust. This reform package will address many of the barriers to democracy that prevent too many eligible voters from having their voices heard, including our seniors, communities of color, servicemembers, college students, those with disabilities, and low-income families. But it is up to us to see it through. I am immensely proud to be part of a Caucus that is prioritizing legislation that the people are asking for, legislation that will protect the right to vote for every American and ensure clean and fair elections, that will end the dominance of big money in our politics, and that will crack down on corruption to make sure that public servants put the public interest first. Recent polls have found that many Americans do not vote because of difficulty registering or accessing their polling places and that Americans are really concerned about the ethical standards of their elected representatives and government officials and are equally concerned about the influence of special interests and corruption in Washington. Mr. Speaker, the Democratic majority takes what the people are asking for seriously. This is a bill that addresses their concerns and resets our democracy so that it works for the people, not special interests. H.R. 1 will make it easier for eligible Americans to vote. Allowing and enabling Americans to vote should not be a divisive partisan issue. Our Nation can only stand to benefit when all eligible voters have a voice. The very fact that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have greater electoral success when fewer people come out to vote is not just a stain on our democracy but a direct threat to it. Automatic voter registration will make it easier for young adults and working families to make sure that they are not left out of the process due to issues with registration. This bill will make critical fixes to voter purging policies that have disenfranchised millions since section 4 of the Voting Rights Act was struck down by the Supreme Court in Shelby v. Holder. Over 4 million more names were purged from voter rolls after that decision came down than they were in the years before. These purges affected poor minority communities at a vastly disproportionate rate, further marginalizing people who already face significant institutional barriers to voting. Election security has been a bipartisan concern across the country for years, and H.R. 1 will make considerable investments to ensure our elections are secure, independent, and free from foreign interference. Empowering the Election Assistance Commission will allow States to get the funding they need to upgrade or improve their election infrastructure, and improvements in election administration will help protect voting systems from cyber threats. Election infrastructure is critical, and this bill finally recognizes the role that Congress must play in protecting our elections. A specific priority of mine that I am excited to see included in the bill will make it easier for persons with disabilities to participate in the electoral process. For too long, individuals with disabilities have faced barriers that prevent them from participating in our democracy at the ballot box. I have introduced legislation included in H.R. 1 that will direct and assist States to improve access to voter registration and the ballot box for persons with disabilities. These democracy-driven policies represent just a handful of the voting rights reforms contained in H.R. 1. They will improve access to voting, promote integrity in the voting process, and ensure the security of our elections. Going further, H.R. 1 acts to shine a light and address the dark money which the Citizens United decision unleashed into our politics. Each year that we do not act on reversing Citizens United, more and more untraceable money is spent on campaigns. This bill will overhaul the Federal Election Commission, the FEC, so that we have a real cop on the beat to enforce our campaign finance laws. It will upgrade political advertising disclosures and require donors giving more than $10,000 to politically active organizations to be publicly identified. Simultaneously, this bill seeks to empower everyday Americans by creating a small-dollar match system that will bring more people into the conversation while reducing the impact large donors can have on any one campaign. While small-dollar campaign funding is relatively new to the Federal system, it has been trialed in States and larger cities to great effect. I am proud that H.R. 1 also includes a bill that I drafted to keep Presidential inaugural funds from becoming shadowy slush funds or opportunities for dark forces, whether foreign or domestic, to influence our government. The bill will prohibit donations to inaugural funds by foreign nationals or corporations, ban personal use of inaugural funds by a candidate, and require disclosure of all donations and disbursements. H.R. 1 will also help to restore voter confidence in our democracy by codifying ethics standards for all three branches of government. The bill requires the development of a code of ethics for Supreme Court Justices, mandatory recusal of Presidential appointees from matters that concern the President, and increased enforcement of the registration of foreign agents. The bill will prohibit Members of Congress from using taxpayer funds to settle employment discrimination cases against them, preventing Members of Congress from hiding this conduct and protecting taxpayer money from being misused. Finally, H.R. 1 will address Presidential conflicts of interest by requiring sitting Presidents and Vice Presidents, as well as Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, to release their tax returns. Those occupying the highest office in the land should be required to show if they have financial interests that would influence their decisionmaking. Having an executive beholden in any way to a private company or a nation only serves to undermine our democracy. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, the reforms in H.R. 1, the For the People Act, will remove barriers to our democracy that drown out the voices of too many Americans. H.R. 1 will put the people back in charge. These reforms will bring about systemic change which, in turn, will lead to policy outcomes that improve the lives of all Americans. From lowering the cost of prescription drugs to rebuilding our Nation's infrastructure to raising wages and creating better job opportunities, each of these policies requires the voice of the people to be fully heard and respected. They all rest on fixing our broken democracy. We have heard the call for change from our friends, neighbors, and constituents. That is how I got here and how so many of my colleagues did, too. To those people who voted for such historic change, know that Democrats hear you, and we are ready to give you the government you deserve. Crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma last weekend was a poignant reminder that change does not come quickly, and it certainly does not come easily. Heroes like Representative John Lewis remind us of the sacrifices that were made in order to preserve our uniquely American creed: ``of the people, by the people, for the people.'' H.R. 1 is the top priority of Democrats because it will strengthen the very core of our democracy. It is a mandate with which we were entrusted by voters this past November, and it is the first step in restoring faith in our institutions. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members of this House to support this rule to show that you want big money out of politics. Support this bill to show that you believe voting should be made easier--not harder--for eligible voters, and support this rule to show that you believe those elected to public positions deserve to be held to the highest possible ethical standards. In the words of our esteemed colleague, Representative Lewis: ``The fight to vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool or instrument that we have in a democratic society.'' To the American people: We hear you. In the words of the civil rights anthem, we must keep our eyes on the prize and hold on to the vision of a more perfect Union, one in which the voices of the people are heard and respected. Our Caucus is eager to restore the promise of our democracy and give you the government you deserve. That is why we are urging passage of H.R. 1--``For the People.'' Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous question.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire if the gentleman from Oklahoma has any more speakers.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo).

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman from Maryland.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Raskin), a distinguished member of the Rules Committee.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Texas an additional 1 minute.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the distinguished chairman of the Committee of Rules.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Rhode Island an additional 1 minute.