Nydia Velázquez

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, 28 days ago on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, Virginia became the 38th State to ratify the ERA. After decades of struggle, 48 years after congressional passage, two-thirds of the States agreed to an amendment that secures equal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. This amendment would touch every corner of our lives. With 24 words our Nation will finally fully recognize women as equal participants in society. To my colleagues opposing the ERA: What are you afraid of? How can you oppose this resolution and then look women in your district, in your churches, and in your own homes in the eye? Today is your chance to stand on the right side of her story. I implore my colleagues, vote ``yes'' on H.J. Res. 79. Let us finish this struggle and at long last have women and men finally equal under the law with their rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, February 11, 2020, I regret not being present for one vote session. Had I been present, I would have voted in support of the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act, H.R. 1980, rollcall No. 59. personal explanation

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chair, I thank the chairwoman for yielding. Not only are 194,000 children still out of school, countless more live in fear after they have seen their homes destroyed and loved ones battle the anxiety and mental health battles common after natural disasters. Finally, let me address this administration's recent comments on this bill. Once again, they are misleading the American people about how much money has been spent to aid Puerto Rico. They are using these false numbers as a pretext to oppose assistance following the earthquake. Let me just say, and let me be clear, we will not be deterred. The 1.3 million Puerto Ricans who live in Florida will not be deterred. The thousands and hundreds of thousands who live in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and in every part of this country will not be deterred. We will pass this bill.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Chair, I thank Chairwoman Lowey and all the members of the Appropriations Committee for working diligently to bring this bill to the floor and for recognizing our moral and legal obligation of this Congress. Puerto Rico, an island invaded by the United States Armed Forces, a colony--it is our responsibility to take care of our fellow American citizens. Don't come here and say that we have been there for Puerto Rico. Yes, we passed a disaster relief package. And this administration has done everything within their power to withhold the money flowing to Puerto Rico. Don't come here and say that you have been there for Puerto Rico. Don't tell that to the parents of a 13-year-old girl who died in Vieques because they lack a functional hospital while FEMA has been withholding their money. Just this past Tuesday, Puerto Rico got hit by another 5.0 aftershock. This is one out of more than 3,000 that have stricken the island since December 2019. In fact, the USGS has estimated that aftershocks from the 6.4 January earthquake will persist in Puerto Rico for years, if not decades. Imagine, decades of feeling the ground under you shaking, never knowing when or just how bad it will be on any given day. More than 1,150 houses are destroyed, while another 3,000 homes have suffered some structural damage. Such devastation has left over 4,000 people living in tent shelters, with many more families at risk of losing their homes.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, on Monday, January 27, 2020, I regret not being present for two vote sessions. Had I been present, I would have voted in support of the Never Again Education Act, H.R. 943, Roll Call No. 23, and voted in support of the Advancing Research to Prevent Suicide Act, H.R. 4704, Roll Call No. 24.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a lifetime of public service. This week, Nicholas Fish, or Nick as his friends called him, passed away. He will be fondly remembered for his commitment to advancing the quality of urban life for all. Nick was born in New York City in 1958. After attending the Dutchess Day School as a child in Millbrook, NY, and later St. Alban's School in Washington, DC, he earned his bachelor's degree in 1981 from Harvard and in 1986 he completed a J.D. at Northeastern University. Politics and public service were a family business for Nick. His father and grandfather Hamilton Fish IV and III--both served in the U.S. House of Representatives. His great-great-grandfather, Hamilton Fish, served as a congressman, senator, governor of New York and secretary of state to President Ulysses S. Grant. Nick continued this illustrious family tradition, cutting his teeth as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts, an experience that he would often say fueled his passion for serving others. After earning his Juris Doctor, he practiced law in New York City, representing healthcare workers and labor unions. He was appointed to Manhattan's Community Board Five, where he served as Chair for two years. In that capacity, Nick championed the upgrade of the Times Square Hotel. In collaboration with local nonprofits, the hotel was transformed into affordable housing and a thriving community for residents with HIV, previously homeless individuals and employees of New York City's theater district. In the mid-1990s, Nick's wife, Patricia, was offered a job at Portland State University and the couple moved west, settling in the Goose Hollow neighborhood of Portland. Although new to the West Coast, Nick and Patricia quickly made fast friends in the community and he continued his pursuit of public service in their new community. He joined the board of the Housing Authority of Portland and worked to raise money for local nonprofits that assisted victims of domestic abuse and vulnerable children. In 2008, Nick was elected to the Portland City Council. There he was a steadfast voice for affordable housing. He was instrumental in the creation of a separate city agency dedicated to addressing housing issues and expanding and renovating Portland parks. For 11 years on the Portland City Council, he earned a reputation as a steady hand, helping improve the Council and make local government work for everyone. Known for a steady temperament and sharp policy mind, he often took on the toughest assignments of local government, such as overseeing the city water and sewers bureaus, simultaneously. Even after confronting health challenges, Nick continued his tireless work, serving on the City Council until just a few days ago. Today, our nation, the Capitol Hill Community and the City of Portland have lost a dedicated statesman and a consummate public servant. It is my hope that Patricia and his two children, Maria and Chapin, may draw strength and comfort from his many contributions. I ask all my colleagues to join me in paying homage to a lifetime of service and remembering Nick Fish.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Daisy Paez on the occasion of her retirement from the Educational Alliance after 30 years of dedication and service. The Educational Alliance is a non- profit organization established in 1889 serving thousands of Lower East Side residents and New Yorkers. A life-long resident of the Lower East Side, Daisy's first interaction with the Educational Alliance (EA) was more than three decades ago when she enrolled her children in the early childhood program. Recognizing that a parent is a child's primary teacher, Daisy bravely registered for adult classes. She was encouraged to push herself beyond her circumstances to achieve greater opportunities for herself and her children. With the support of the Educational Alliance, Daisy proudly earned her high school diploma. This achievement empowered her to apply for an employment opportunity at the Education Alliance which hired her. She then furthered her education by taking college classes. These accomplishments emboldened her desire for community service and the betterment of her neighborhood. The Education Alliance provided an opportunity to develop her skills, leadership and helped her build a pathway for economic security for the past 30 years. Daisy is an amazing role model for women and single parents. She is a strong and effective community advocate. In her capacity on numerous local boards, she has championed issues from demanding enhanced transportation services for seniors, to fighting for increase funding for youth programs and more access to park space. Today, Daisy is an elected community representative, currently serving as District Leader for NYS's 65th Assembly District, Part B. She is also a member of the 7th Precinct Community Council and a graduate of the NYC Police Department's Citizens Police Academy and the FBI's Citizens' Academy. She works closely with government leaders on behalf of her constituents. Daisy's commitment and dedication to her community is immeasurable. She has made a remarkable impression at work and in the community through her public service. I know her colleagues and members of the Educational Alliance will deeply miss her guidance, smile and energy. I congratulate Daisy Paez on her retirement and wish her the very best to her and her family as she enters the next phase of her life.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday morning, southwest Puerto Rico was struck by a 6.4 magnitude earthquake. That seismic event followed hundreds of smaller quakes that had rattled the region since December 28. However, Tuesday's quake inflicted enormous damage, causing a school to collapse, killing at least one person, and leaving almost the entire island without power. Indeed, today, Puerto Rico's largest power generation facility, Costa Sur, remains offline as we speak. That power plant is responsible for 40 percent of electricity generation on the island. Even as of last night, more than two-thirds of Puerto Ricans had no electricity. Mr. Speaker, 250,000 Puerto Ricans were without water. Hundreds of homes were damaged. As of last night, more than 5,200 Puerto Ricans were sleeping on the street, afraid their homes could collapse on them. For the people of Puerto Rico, this natural disaster evokes dark memories seared in our minds of how this administration and the Federal Government failed, turning a natural disaster into a humanitarian crisis. In 2017, because of this administration's incompetence and indifference, the Puerto Rican people suffered immensely. They endured the longest blackout in American history, and 3,000 of our fellow citizens lost their lives. We cannot afford to repeat those mistakes. Sadly, today, this administration's disdain for the people of Puerto Rico remains on full display, this time in the form of previously approved funds that it is withholding. In response to Hurricanes Maria and Irma, Congress passed $8.3 billion in HUD relief and mitigation funding, resources that HUD to this day refuses to release. Let me repeat that: The Secretary of HUD is violating the law, scoffing at congressional intent, and blocking the people of Puerto Rico from receiving previously approved disaster funds. This comes even after another disaster has stricken the island. We do not know yet how bad the devastation from this earthquake will be. We also do not know if there will be yet more earthquakes. But this is certain: It is unacceptable, especially now, for Secretary Carson and HUD to stand in the way of Puerto Rico's receiving previously allocated assistance. It is also illegal. Mr. Speaker, these are our fellow citizens. They deserve our compassion and our assistance. When wildfires or earthquakes hit California or hurricanes strike Texas, Americans stand together and assist one another. They give each other the helping hand that they deserve. But when it comes to Puerto Rico, this administration instead chooses to stand in the way, to block necessary aid, and to put lives at risk. Mr. Speaker, if these funds are not released and if Puerto Rican people perish in the aftermath of this earthquake, then I have to say that it will be the U.S. Federal Government that is responsible. We cannot afford further delay. HUD must release these funds immediately, and FEMA must get to work, helping Puerto Rico recover from the latest catastrophe.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, this Administration's impulsive and reckless behavior has made our nation and the men and women of our armed forces less safe. It has heightened the risk of a conflict in the Middle East and it has jeopardized our relationship with our allies-- both in the region and around the world. We should remember--not long ago, many Members of this body voted to ratify the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or the Iran deal. That agreement was working, it was accepted by the world and, most of all, it was containing Iran from securing nuclear weapons. President Trump and his Administration turned away from that agreement, setting off a chain reaction of events, which led to yesterday's attacks by Iran on American personnel who are serving in Iraq. We should be clear--no one in this body--Democrat or Republican--will mourn the loss of Soleimani. He was a monster who was responsible for horrible atrocities. However, we also have to question whether the actions taken by this Administration in killing him made our nation, our servicemembers and our allies safer or less safe. So where have the Trump Administration's policies brought us? The government of Iraq is asking U.S. forces to leave. After thousands of American lives were lost and billions of dollars spent, our ally in the fight against ISIS appears to be moving toward expelling U.S. troops. Iran has announced that it is resuming aggressive development of nuclear weapons. The people of Iran are coalescing behind their government, united in outrage from Soleimani's killing. The United States government needs a comprehensive, well-considered strategy for Iran. That strategy needs to be explained to Congress--and more importantly to the American people. The rationale for killing Soleimani must be fully and publicly explained. I believe the American people people--when they hear the evidence--will agree that this action was not necessary to prevent an imminent attack. Most of all, we can no longer allow diplomacy and national security to be conducted through Twitter. The Resolution we will vote on today would prevent the Administration from pursuing additional military action against Iran without properly consulting Congress. We, as a nation, must learn from the mistakes of the past. We cannot allow our country to ignite another war by conducing foreign policy in an irresponsible, impulsive manner. The young people wearing our uniform abroad count on us to be better. We have a moral obligation to the millions of innocent civilians living in the Middle East who could perish or lose loved ones or their homes if a broader conflict erupts. We must be better than this Administration has been. I urge my colleagues to support this Resolution.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Ms. Kendra S. Horn).

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I have another speaker.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 5065, the Prison to Proprietorship for Formerly Incarcerated Act. Madam Speaker, I commend the sponsors of this legislation, Mr. Jeffries from New York and Mr. Burchett from Tennessee, for their commitment and dedication to providing opportunities to the formerly incarcerated, giving them a chance to bring their business ideas to fruition, and, in turn, offering hope for a better life. After paying their debt to society, former inmates return to their communities with hopes and goals of starting fresh. Unfortunately, for numerous reasons, many end up being locked out of the labor market. It is my firm belief that entrepreneurship is a great way to help individuals overcome the barriers to reentering the workforce. For the formerly incarcerated, it can be the difference between successfully reintegrating back into a community or returning to prison. This bill complements the Prison to Proprietorship Act by requiring the Service Corps of Retired Executives, SCORE, to provide entrepreneurship training via mentoring, workshops, and training videos to individuals upon their release from Federal prison. The mentorship will be invaluable in helping these folks launch small businesses, and the workshops will help connect them with their community and other small business owners. As Ben Franklin once said: Tell me and I forget; teach me and I may remember; involve me and I will learn. Entrepreneurship can be one of the best options for gainful employment, and SCORE, with more than 300 chapters across the country and the Nation's largest network of volunteer expert business mentors, is uniquely positioned to teach and provide this business advice to those reentering society. Madam Speaker, I urge Members to support this bipartisan piece of legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), the chair of the House Democratic Caucus and sponsor of the bill.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5065) to amend the Small Business Act to provide re- entry entrepreneurship counseling and training services for formerly incarcerated individuals, and for other purposes.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schneider), a valued member of the Small Business Committee.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Veasey), a valued member of the Small Business Committee and sponsor of the bill.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, supporting our small business community and ensuring that they are able to thrive is the top priority for me and the Small Business Committee that I chair. H.R. 5130 supports the small business community by providing them with additional time to grow and mature. By extending the lookback in the employee-based size standard, H.R. 5130 allows small firms an opportunity to gradually and successfully transition out of the small business category. Most importantly, this bill ensures equal treatment of small business concerns by granting manufacturing firms the same benefits provided to concerns subject to the receipts-based formula. I congratulate Mr. Veasey and Mr. Hern for bringing forward a commonsense and bipartisan solution. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5130, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5146, the Unlocking Opportunities for Small Businesses Act of 2019, which will eliminate barriers to entry for small businesses seeking to perform as prime contractors in the Federal marketplace. As the largest buyer of goods and services in the world, the Federal Government needs contractors it can rely upon, and knowing how a business performed previously is a strong predictor of its ability to successfully perform in the future. However, one of the challenges small businesses experience while offering their products and services to the Federal Government is showing that they have relevant past performance. Usually, the government relies on the past performance records it compiles. However, such information solely on the small business may not exist. Thus, small businesses cannot effectively compete for contracts. Moreover, small businesses cannot develop the appropriate past performance without winning a prime contract first. H.R. 5146 offers a solution to this dilemma by allowing small businesses to leverage other types of past performance information. Specifically, it requires contracting officers to consider a joint venture's past performance record when evaluating an offer of any of its members. Similarly, it requires the acceptance of past performance information generated by a contractor on its subcontractor when reviewing an offer from the latter to serve as prime. With this change, H.R. 5146 provides small businesses additional ways of showing they possess relevant past-performance experience. Moreover, by requiring acceptance of joint venture and subcontracting past- performance information, this bill advances uniformity government wide. I urge Members to support this important piece of legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans), the vice chair of the Small Business Committee.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. As the flagship agency tasked with supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses, the SBA can play a pivotal role in providing entrepreneurship training in Federal prisons. I am pleased to be sponsoring this legislation, which will provide meaningful opportunities and hope for those who are committed to rebuilding their lives but are locked out of the labor market. This legislation will go a long way in creating more jobs on Main Street, with the added benefit of reducing recidivism. I thank Ranking Member Chabot and his staff for working with me to provide a path forward for those who have served time and repaid their debt to society. I would add that of the many pieces of legislation that we have marked up and the many hearings that we have conducted in our committee, this has been one of the most rewarding, moving experiences. We all should be proud of providing people with a second chance. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.