Rashida Tlaib

Ms. TLAIB

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, today I want to recognize Motaz Azaiza, a Palestinian journalist, for his ongoing coverage of the Palestinian people and his commitment to telling their stories. Mr. Azaiza has focused his life's work on capturing the daily life of Palestinians in Gaza. Since the war began, he has bravely used his platform to document the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the lives of the innocent people who have been killed. Mr. Azaiza's images on the ground have exposed the war crimes being committed by the Israeli government for the world to see. We applaud his efforts and bravery for risking his life to report on these atrocities. Please join me in recognizing the numerous contributions of Motaz Azaiza in the field of journalism

Ms. TLAIB

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, today I want to recognize Helen Bandyke, Dearborn resident and one of Michigan's Rosie the Riveters, as she celebrates her 103rd birthday. During World War II countless women like Ms. Bandyke from across the Nation and right here in Southeast Michigan took over jobs that had been previously performed by men and held our country down during extremely trying times. Ms. Bandyke proudly worked at Chrysler's DeSoto Plant in Dearborn in 1942 while her husband served overseas. She was among those strong women who blazed the trail for women in the workforce. I am so proud of Ms. Bandyke and her incredible contribution to our Nation's labor movement and our history. Please join me and the people of Dearborn and Michigan's 12th District Strong as we honor Ms. Helen Bandyke and wish her the happiest of birthdays.

Ms. TLAIB

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I love recognizing our community mothers in Detroit. Amy Good founded Alternatives for Girls, a nationally recognized organization serving at-risk youth women in southeast Michigan. For the past 37 years, Amy Good has led Alternatives for Girls with integrity and commitment to the organization's mission to ensure a better quality of life and future for girls and young women who have survived homelessness, violence, and trauma. With their support, many young girls can go on to succeed in school, graduate, and become leaders in our communities by providing shelter, housing, mentorship programs, skills training, and much more. With Amy's partnership, I am so proud to announce that our office was able to secure $1.1 million for the Alternatives for Girls to construct the Dr. Maya Angelou Village that will create 45 units of affordable, integrated permanent supportive housing for at-risk families. Mr. Speaker, please join me in thanking Amy Good for her outstanding service to our residents in southeast Michigan as we wish her well in her next endeavor. Mother Parks Federal Building

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, Congress passed legislation to celebrate the mother of the civil rights movement and a beloved resident of our community, Mother Rosa Parks. I thank Senator Debbie Stabenow, the McCauley Parks family, and everyone who supported this legislation. It was a privilege to lead this effort in the House to rename our Federal building downtown at 985 Michigan Avenue in Detroit the Rosa Parks Federal Building. We honor Mother Rosa Parks today and every day for her bravery and unwavering commitment to justice. The Montgomery bus boycott showed the world the power of nonviolent resistance and collective action. Her strength resonated to millions across our Nation, inspiring a wave of protests, boycotts, and marches. Her protest challenged the status quo and paved the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to outlaw racial segregation in our Nation. As we reflect on Rosa Parks' legacy, let us not only remember her incredible courage but also recognize the work that still lies before us. Let us honor her memory by continuing to challenge inequality, by speaking out against injustice, and by standing up for what is right, even in the face of adversity. Starvation in Gaza

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, over 1.5 million Palestinians are now displaced in Rafah without food, clean water, or medicine. More than 13,000 children have already been killed by the Israeli Government. Another child is killed in Gaza every 15 minutes. Many have witnessed family members literally dismembered before their eyes. They have witnessed their loved ones buried under the rubble while they were holding each other. The trauma has led to children as young as 5, Mr. Speaker, saying that they would prefer to die. Additionally, as if the threat from the bullets and bombs wasn't enough, Palestinians are now dying of starvation across Gaza. At least 27 children and 3 adults have already starved to death. They have been forced to eat grass and animal feed just to survive. Let's be clear, this isn't a tragic accident. What we are witnessing, all of us across this world, is the Israeli Government using starvation as a weapon of war. The starvation is a result of the total siege on Gaza and the intentional targeting of local food production, infrastructure, and obstruction of aid convoys. Recently, at least 112 Palestinians were killed after Israeli Government forces opened fire on hundreds waiting to collect flour. The Israeli Government has been intentionally starving the Palestinian people, families. These are some of the most horrific crimes against humanity committed in this century. To target starving people seeking food is beyond belief. Now, my colleagues are pushing legislation to send more American tax dollars to the apartheid government of Israel and stop funding UNRWA, the major organization that provides desperately needed food and humanitarian assistance to starving Palestinians. Now, Members here, all of them, are going to be contributing to the starvation of Palestinian families. This is Yazan. He was only 10 years old when he died due to severe malnutrition and lack of proper healthcare caused by the siege and blockade in Gaza. His family, originally from the north, was displaced several times and wanted to make it to Rafah in hopes of finding food and medicine for Yazan, who needed it to survive, but there was nothing they could do to help him. This has to stop. What has happened to our shared humanity? Palestinians deserve to live. Palestinian children aren't disposable. They deserve to grow old. Netanyahu has said he will move forward with an invasion of Rafah with or without a temporary cease-fire. He said it. Let's be clear, though. A temporary cease-fire is not enough. There is nothing humanitarian about feeding starving children for 6 weeks before the bombing and killing resumes. A lasting, permanent cease-fire is what we need.

Ms. TLAIB

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 89.

Ms. TLAIB

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, as one of the only few who doesn't take corporate PAC money in this institution, I am here to tell you the truth, per usual. H.R. 1121 is a danger to all of our communities. The President must have a full range of tools to protect our health, safety, and climate from dangers of fracking. We know this bill is nothing more than a waste of time. I would like to take a step back for a minute and remind people of the truth, why we are here in this situation right now, with fracking being practically unregulated at the Federal level. Nearly 20 years ago, Mr. Speaker, then-Vice President Dick Cheney, the former CEO of Halliburton, managed to insert a loophole into the Energy Act of 2005 specifically exempting fracking chemicals from EPA regulation under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Halliburton, of course, is one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world and also just happens to be behind most of the major fracking worldwide. For the last 20 years, we have been dealing with the Halliburton loophole, a terrible reminder of the revolving door of oil, money, and politics, and how Big Oil buys its way into the Halls of Congress. This bill is another step to enshrine fracking protections and polluter loopholes into law, and it is wrong. It says to people in our communities all across the country, the people who elected us--urban, rural communities--that corporate polluters' profits are more important than their health. The mere fact that fracking is linked to childhood cancer should be enough for us to act. I merely ask for us, please, don't frack with our health. Mr. Speaker, I strongly oppose this legislation.

Ms. TLAIB

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted: YEA on Roll Call No. 79 (E-BRIDGE Act); YEA on Roll Call No. 80 (Save Our Seas 2.0 Amendments Act); NAY on Roll Call No. 81 (Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 6276) USE IT Act, and providing for consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 1065) denouncing the Biden administration's immigration policies); and NAY on Roll Call No. 86 (Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act).

Ms. TLAIB

Ms. TLAIB. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk made in order by the rule.

Ms. TLAIB. Madam Chair, we all know there are incredibly important issues that are facing many of our families, and one of them is the rise in just uncontrollable corporate greed that we continue to see. If you want your child to sit next to you on the airplane, expect a fee. If you cancel your cable early, expect a fee. If you pay your credit card late, in Michigan, average credit card late fees from big banks are more than $20. Sadly, even the medical industry imposes hidden costs and surprise bills. Collectively, these junk fees cost our residents billions of dollars each year, Madam Chair. The telecommunications industry alone takes in an estimated $28 billion in fees annually from our residents. This is wrong. It is actually sick. We must push back against corporate greed. Consumers should not have to deal with hidden charges and fees. None of my residents should have to deal with this, especially as the rising cost of services and fees continue to happen on top of these hidden fees. In this Chamber, we should all make sure that any law we pass does not support companies that exploit consumers. It is so important. My amendment is simple. It ensures that any exemptions or benefits provided in this act may not apply to companies that impose the junk fees on our residents. That is it. The act makes it easier for companies that employ gig workers to pay them in equity in lieu of a real salary. It exempts small issuers from disclosing basic financial information like revenues and expenses. It expands exemptions for venture capital funds, which played a significant part in the Silicon Valley Bank failure. Regulation on the private funds industry would revert back to pre- Dodd-Frank era, allowing such funds to avoid supplying the SEC with basic information. Such Wall Street giveaways we know are problematic and debatable. What is not debatable is that this body would relax or roll back regulations meant to protect our retirees and at the same time reward the companies that are literally negatively impacting our hardworking families with hidden fees and surprise costs. It is maddening. I urge my colleagues to protect consumers and to promote transparency--they deserve to know--by adopting my amendment, which would ensure that those companies that benefit from this act do not also profit from imposing junk fees on our residents. Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan).

Ms. TLAIB. Madam Chair, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

Ms. TLAIB. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. TLAIB. Madam Chair, yes, but it is surprise fees. It is hidden fees. Many of the residents outside this Chamber would disagree. I think it is really important to understand the underlying bill amends the security laws, and the security laws are administered by the SEC. Be that as it may, it is incredibly important to understand that, of course, there are fees, but hidden fees. We are talking about hidden, surprise fees that our residents know nothing about. That is the essence of why we need this amendment. Again, we cannot continue to allow our residents to be impacted negatively by the fact that they don't want to be transparent. They want to hide these fees. They don't want us to know exactly what they are charging us. So, again, I think it is incredibly important. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. TLAIB. Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. TLAIB

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I am from Motown, where our music has changed the world in so many incredible ways forever. But artists in my district and across our country are struggling to make ends meet in an industry where the money just keeps going to executives and shareholders. It would take more than 800,000 streams per month to make the equivalent of $15 an hour, and the vast majority of our artists are on platforms like Apple Music and Spotify, and they never, ever get to 800,000 streams in a year. This is a big deal. Streaming now represents 84 percent of the recorded music industry's revenue in the United States, but most of the artists who bring joy to our lives and culture aren't seeing any of it. The Living Wage for Musicians Act, which I introduced with Representative Bowman, would change that by creating a new fund that aims to pay artists at least one penny per stream. The bill would completely reform the music industry, supporting a much more diverse set of artists, enabling more recording and touring, and sending a ripple effect throughout local economies by supporting professionals throughout the music industry. I truly encourage my colleagues to learn more about this legislation, cosponsor the bill, and help change artists' lives forever. Remembering Chef Maxcel Hardy

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, our community is deeply saddened by the loss of Chef Max Hardy, a Detroit native who was a trailblazer in his advocacy to end hunger. Chef Max was the owner of Rosedale Park neighborhood restaurants River Bistro, COOP Caribbean Fusion inside the Detroit Shipping Company, and Jed's Detroit on Seven Mile Road. He founded the One Chef Can 86 Hunger Foundation, a nonprofit organization that fights against hunger and raises awareness about food insecurity. The New York Times named Hardy one of 16 Black Chefs Changing Food in America in 2021. Chef Max also cowrote ``The Marley Coffee Cookbook'' with Rohan Marley, Bob Marley's son, and was featured on the Food Network. He was a champion of aspiring young people in Detroit, teaching them the fundamentals of conscious cooking. On behalf of the 12th Congressional District, we send our love and condolences to Chef Max's two daughters and his family. He truly will be missed. Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the remarkable work of the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, as they recently celebrated their 115th anniversary of service to our residents. For over a century, Detroit Rescue Mission has been a beacon of hope, providing, food, shelter, and services to those in our community that are most vulnerable. Detroit Rescue Mission was founded by David Stucky on February 14, 1909. The Mission began as a soup kitchen with a mission to find permanent solutions for our most vulnerable residents in the city of Detroit. The Detroit Rescue Mission has worked tirelessly to rebuild hundreds of thousands of lives destroyed by addiction, homelessness, and poverty. I am so grateful for the work of the Detroit Rescue Mission for their incredible leadership in our community, and I am looking forward to witnessing all they will continue to accomplish in the years to come.

Ms. TLAIB

Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, over 3.5 million young adults and roughly 700,000 young people experience homelessness in our country. We can't keep doing the same thing over and over again. With so many of our youth experiencing homelessness, we worked on a bill together called the Youth Homelessness Guaranteed Income Pilot Program Act. This bill would launch a pilot program providing direct cash assistance to those experiencing homelessness in the amount of $1,400, or adjusted fair market rent, for 36 months, and then study the effects of the program on housing and health outcomes. This week, we received an email from someone that said: When I was 17, I was convinced to leave home and family to go live in Texas. I had $400 in my bank account and a car that broke down every month. This would have helped me tremendously. I think, again, it is important as we come together to try to end the homelessness crisis in our country that we listen to the people being directly impacted. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this pilot program while respecting the dignity of unhoused young people by cosponsoring the bill.

Ms. TLAIB

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, on February 14, during Roll Call No. 44, I recorded my vote as Present. The reason for my vote is as follows: All acts of sexual violence are horrific. We should all be fighting to end it here at home and all over the world. So, while this resolution rightly denounces any sexual committed by Hamas, I am disturbed that it completely ignores and erases any sexual abuse and violence committed by Israeli forces against Palestinians, especially children. War crimes cannot justify more war crimes. We must stand up for everyone's safety and human rights, no matter their faith or ethnicity. There are numerous, well-documented reports of sexual violence, including rape, committed by Israeli forces against Palestinians in their custody. Children detained and stripped to their underwear in public, for the world to see. The UN and human rights groups have raised alarms for years--but Congress has never cared. We all have a responsibility to denounce sexual violence in all forms, regardless of who is responsible. This resolution falls well short of that responsibility. Mr. Speaker, outreach was made to the sponsor of H. Res. 966 on several occasions to support the inclusion of Palestinians who had been victims of sexual violence into the Resolution. However, the sponsor denied adding in any language that supports the well-documented fact that Palestinians have faced many atrocities similar to those described in the Resolution. Sexual violence is abhorrent and must be fully investigated and prosecuted. The intentional omission of Palestinian lived experiences in this resolution is dehumanizing and a disservice to survivors everywhere.

Ms. TLAIB

Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, I take this moment to recognize Captain Jeremy Watkins for his 22 years of extraordinary service with the Dearborn Fire Department in Michigan's 12th District Strong. Captain Watkins started as a firefighter with the Dearborn Fire Department in 2002. He steadily rose through the ranks, serving as engineer, lieutenant, and was promoted to captain in 2024. Over the years, Captain Watkins has been recognized for his commitment and outstanding public service, achieving five Meritorious Company Commendations, as well as the Fire Chief's Unit Award, the Fire Chief's Life Saving Award, and the John D. Dingell Medal of Freedom Memorial Commendation. He has also been recognized multiple times, Madam Speaker, for his safe driving record and for his work at the vaccination center. Captain Watkins has devoted countless hours and energy to serving the people and the families of the city of Dearborn. Please join me in recognizing his 22 years of commitment to protecting our communities across Michigan's 12th District as we wish him strength in his fight against brain cancer. Ending Profit from War

Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, ending utility shutoffs, boldly tackling the climate crisis, fully funding Social Security, universal school meals for every child that is hungry in our country, guaranteeing healthcare and clean water is a human right. Year after year, many colleagues tell me that there is no money for these lifesaving programs, and then they turn around and vote for another record-breaking $886.3 billion in military budget and massive weapons giveaways for foreign governments, funneling billions of our tax dollars to the very same defense contractors that many of them are invested in and taking campaign donations from. We should not be voting to send our U.S. dollars to any government that is violating human rights, period. It is disturbing that many of my colleagues in this Chamber are actively profiting financially when they vote to pass more funding for weapons and wars. Literally every bomb dropped makes them money. The American people deserve Representatives who vote in the best interests of our families. We are all elected to serve the public, not to serve stock portfolios. I introduced the Stop Politicians Profiting from War Act to put an end to this corruption and ban Members of Congress from owning war and defense stocks. The American people deserve better. We are sick of politicians profiting from death and war. Demanding Justice for Syrians

Ms. TLAIB. Madam Speaker, over 600,000 have been killed. It has been over a decade since the start of the Syrian civil war, and victims of numerous horrific crimes committed during the conflict are still waiting for justice. In recent months, regional powers and dictators have sought to sweep the war criminal, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's heinous, horrific crimes under the rug and welcome him back into the international arena. Shame. Assad's regime committed some of the worst atrocities of the 21st century, including using chemical weapons literally on his own people and widespread use of horrific torture on his own people. I introduced the Justice for Syrians resolution, and I urge my colleagues to bring it to the floor for a vote. This bill directs the U.S. through the United Nations to finally hold war criminal Assad accountable for crimes against humanity at an ad hoc international court of law. This is critical. Please join me in demanding justice for our Syrian people and our families that are directly impacted that live here in the United States and push to hold war criminals like Assad accountable for their crimes against humanity.

Ms. TLAIB

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, all acts of sexual violence are horrific. We should all be fighting to end it here at home and all around the world. So, while the resolution on the floor today rightfully denounces any sexual violence by Hamas, I am disturbed that it completely ignores and erases any sexual violence and abuse committed by Israeli forces against Palestinians, especially children. War crimes cannot justify more war crimes. We must stand up for everyone's safety and human rights, no matter their faith, no matter their ethnicity. There are numerous, well-documented reports of sexual violence, including rape, committed by Israeli forces against Palestinians in their custody; children detained and stripped to their underwear in public for the world to see. Mr. Speaker, I call your attention to a Haaretz article titled: ``Cigarette Burns, Beatings, Attempted Sexual Assault: Settlers and Soldiers Abuse Palestinians,'' which can be found at: https:// www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2023-10-21/ty-article-magazine/.premium/ beatings-burns-attempted-sexual-assault-settlers-and-soldiers-abused- palestinians/0000018b-530f-d1d7-ab8b-7f5fca1d0000. The U.N. and human rights groups have raised alarms for years, but Congress did nothing. They never cared. We all have a responsibility to denounce sexual violence in all forms, regardless of who is responsible. This resolution falls well short of that responsibility, Mr. Speaker.

Ms. TLAIB

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I want everyone to know and to be very clear that every month in the 12th Congressional District is Black History Month. I was born and raised in the most beautiful, Blackest city in the country: the city of Detroit. Countless Black leaders, our neighbors, have inspired us all to seek change in the face of segregation, Jim Crow, economic injustices, and dehumanizing racism. We bore witness in our city to Dr. King's first Walk to Freedom and the transformative work of so many of our Black trailblazers, like Mother Rosa Parks, James Boggs, Reverend Franklin, and so many others. It was on our very streets that the fight for Black liberation and civil rights bent the arc of the moral universe in our Nation. From the iconic Motown sound to powerful activism, our community's Black history has a remarkable legacy. The 12th District acknowledges that Black history and Black lives matter every single day of the year. Please know that you will also have a fighter in me in the United States Congress.

Ms. TLAIB

Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, here we go again, sending $17.6 billion of U.S. tax dollars with no conditions attached to Netanyahu's extremist government to drop more bombs on innocent Palestinians. The Israeli Government has already killed 27,000 people, 11,500 of whom were children. I am tired of my colleagues coming to me, whispering: I don't really like Netanyahu. Well, then, why are we sending him billions of dollars with no conditions? He literally is telling us over and over again what his intention is. I am tired of my colleagues coming to me and whispering to me: Rashida, I support a two-state solution. Great. Then send money that has conditions for a two-state solution because Netanyahu has over and over again told us he never wants to see a Palestinian state. I am tired. I oppose Netanyahu's war crimes and want him gone, too, but many of my colleagues that continue to tell me that do not want a condition to aid. They will just give it to a genocidal maniac. My message to my colleagues is simple: If you don't support Netanyahu, if you are disgusted by the countless videos of lifeless children pulled out of the rubble, if you actually believe in upholding human rights and international law, vote ``no'' on a blank check to Netanyahu's genocide.