Maxine Waters

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the William ``Mac'' Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA, for Fiscal Year 2021, for which I served as a conferee. For several months, I have worked with my House and Senate counterparts to include 10 measures authored by Democratic members of the Financial Services Committee within the NDAA. These bills would help to protect the U.S. financial system, provide more remedies to investors who were deceived by corporate wrongdoers, expand access to housing assistance for our veterans, and direct the incoming Biden administration to use its full authority to help relieve the student debt crisis. For years, the issue of shell companies has been ignored by this Congress. This is why one of the first actions I took as chair of the committee was to move legislation to prevent bad actors from using shell companies to hide their activities, a provision I have I been fighting for for over a decade, and I am very pleased it is included in the conference agreement. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney from New York for her tireless work on this provision and the Members and the many outside stakeholders for their work on all the measures included in the legislation. I am also pleased to see the conference report reflected my work and progress ensuring that technologies procured by the Department of Defense are ethically and responsibly screened for potential bias.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield), for yielding, and I commend him for organizing this Special Order on the 155th anniversary of the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and the important relationship between the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments. Since our founding, the United States has been engaged in a constant struggle to realize the full promise and potential of our founding principles, most especially the right for all people, regardless of race, color, or gender, to vote and participate in our democracy. Mr. Speaker, despite the fact it has been more than 150 years from the passage of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, I was absolutely horrified by the level of voter suppression that took place in the last election. The President and some Members of this body falsely claim that there was voting fraud, while courts have dismissed 43 cases the President's legal team has brought. What is underappreciated and not discussed is the lengths the President and Republicans and States across the country went to to stop minorities from voting: fake vote-by-mail boxes, racist robocalls encouraging Blacks not to vote by mail, and the President's absolute sabotage of the United States Postal Service to stop people from voting. Mr. Speaker, the next Congress and the new administration must come together to strengthen voting rights next year. We cannot wait. Those who fought and died for the right to vote must be remembered, and we honor their work by ensuring future generations have the right to vote.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I am including in the Record under General Leave for the consideration of H.R. 6270, a letter from Global Witness and the Sentry, relating to arguments made by the Chamber of Congress and other opponents during consideration of that legislation. Their letter states, in part, quote ``As part of the current debate surrounding H.R. 6270, the Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act of 2020, which uses a similar approach to the legislative effort our organizations have worked on and supported in Section 1502 of the Dodd- Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, we have seen the same misinformation and dated analysis used to attack this bill as has been used to attempt to discredit efforts to address conflict minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).'' End quote. The letter includes a number of examples that show the positive impact Section 1502 has had in the DRC. The letter states, for example, quote, ``In 2010, the year Section 1502 was passed, the U.N. Group of Experts stated that `in the Kivu provinces, almost every mining deposit [was] controlled by a military group.' By 2015, just four years after the conflict minerals rule was implemented by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the International Peace Information Service (IPIS) found that over three-quarters (79 percent) of 3T miners surveyed in eastern Congo were working in mines where no armed group involvement had been reported . . . By the end of 2018, 465 tin, tantalum and tungsten and 106 gold mines have been validated green, which means that no signs of interference of armed groups or the Congolese army and no child labor have been found. These mines employ over 27,000 miners.'' End quote. I realize that the notion of objective truth has taken a hit over the past few years, and that it may not hold as much sway in some circles. But I'm here to soundly reject the Chamber's denigration of a successful law that it has long opposed in an effort to persuade members to oppose a similar bill, H.R. 6270, which is before us. I urge members to reject this kind of cynicism and give their strong support to H.R. 6270. September 29, 2020. To the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives: The Sentry and Global Witness support efforts to combat corruption and human rights abuses connected to supply chains. We believe that due diligence and transparency measures can be effective in shifting behavior and supporting supply chains that are less abusive. As part of the current debate surrounding H.R. 6270, the ``Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act of 2020, which uses a similar approach to the legislative effort our organizations have worked on and supported in Section 1502 of the Dodd- Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, we have seen the same misinformation and dated analysis used to attack this bill as has been used to attempt to discredit efforts to address conflict minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The implementation of the 1502 Rule has not been without its challenges and it took time to set- up appropriate mechanisms in DRC but significant progress and an important foundation has been built. In 2010, the year Section 1502 was passed, the U.N. Group of Experts stated that ``in the Kivu provinces, almost every mining deposit [was] controlled by a military group.'' By 2015, just four years after the conflict minerals rule was implemented by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the International Peace Information Service (IPIS) found that over three-quarters (79 percent) of 3T miners surveyed in eastern Congo were working in mines where no armed group involvement had been reported. Since then, overall armed interference in 3T and gold mining sites visited by IPIS has decreased from 41% in 2015 to 26% in the period 2016-2018. By the end of 2018, 465 tin, tantalum and tungsten and 106 gold mines have been validated green, which means that no signs of interference of armed groups or the Congolese army and no child labor have been found. These mines employ over 27,000 miners. As of September 29, 2020, 73 percent of smelters and refiners worldwide (236 out of 323 total) for the four conflict minerals have passed independent, third-party audits by the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process. This contrasts to an operating environment before the passage of Section 1502 when no certification mechanism existed for distinguishing mines conflict controlled by armed groups or the Congolese army from conflict-free mines. That is why Congolese civil society groups have been outspoken in their support. In 2017, over 100 Congolese civil society organizations signed letters in support of Section 1502. Recently, Isaac Wikirevolo Mumbere, Human Rights officer at the Network for the Conservation and the Rehabilitation of Forest Ecosystems, commented: ``Dodd-Frank [1502] is a law worth its weight in gold because it has helped pull Congolese army commanders and militias out of the mines. Likewise, it has prevented Congolese officials who had taken the artisanal mining sector as their own property from continuing to do so.'' Several companies, including Tiffany & Co., Apple, Richline, and lntel, have publicly emphasized the importance of supply chain due diligence. In 2017, 129 Investors, representing over $4.8 trillion in assets stated in a letter to the SEC, that the due diligence disclosures required by Section 1502 provide valuable information about how companies manage supply chain risks. The U.S. conflict mineral law was the first of its kind and has spurred international action. Many other countries have since then passed similar laws holding companies responsible for the impact for supply chains. Opponents of the conflict minerals rule continue to use outdated information including statistics from before or right after the rule's implementation. Now, ten years after the passage of Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and eight years after the implementation of the conflict minerals rule, we can make more accurate determinations about its success. Compliance costs were far lower than feared, and while challenges remain, data demonstrates a substantial reduction in the presence of armed groups in the mines. We hope you will use an accurate portrait of the impact of Dodd Frank 1502 as you consider other legislative approaches that draw on this framework. Sincerely, Ian Schwab, Director of Regional Policy and Advocacy, The Sentry. Paul Donowitz, Team Leader, Global Witness.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the House amendment to H.R. 925, the updated version of the Heroes Act. Mr. Speaker, Democrats have been working every single day to respond to this pandemic and provide much-needed relief and protection for families across the country. 139 days ago, House Democrats voted to pass the Heroes Act. Unfortunately, President Trump, Mitch McConnell, and Senate Republicans have blocked the bill and prevented the essential relief the legislation provides from reaching our neighborhoods and our communities. Meanwhile, the Nation continues to suffer during this crisis. Even before this pandemic, over half a million people in the United States were experiencing homelessness, including more than 50,000 families with children. It is likely that this number has grown significantly due to the pandemic. We also continue to head toward a catastrophic eviction crisis as families struggle to pay rent and months of unpaid back rent pile up. Today, the rent is due, but an estimated 14.2 million renter households cannot pay it and are at risk of eviction and homelessness. In my State of California, there are 1.7 million renter households who are behind on rent and facing eviction. At the same time, more than 8 million homeowners, including almost 780,000 homeowners in California, have already fallen behind on their mortgage payments. Making matters worse, over 1 million small businesses have closed. To address the ongoing crisis, the updated Heroes Act creates a $50 billion emergency rental assistance fund and a $21 billion homeowner assistance fund, and it provides $5 billion in funding for homeless services providers. Through no fault of their own, millions of people are also unable to make payments on credit cards, car loans, and their mortgages or rent. By suspending negative credit reporting during the COVID-19 period, the Heroes Act ensures that these innocent consumers do not suffer further damage. The Heroes Act also suspends debt collection for consumers, small businesses, and nonprofits during this pandemic. Additionally, private student loan borrowers in economic distress, who are disproportionately people of color, will get up to $10,000 in debt relief under the bill. The Nation continues to face shortages of essential medical supplies and equipment. For example, our heroic healthcare workers are still reusing N95 respirator masks at a time when cases of COVID-19 continue to rise. The Heroes Act strengthens the Defense Production Act to supercharge the production of these supplies and works to ensure that funds are directed to alleviate those shortages. The updated Heroes Act also builds upon my efforts and those of members of my committee to remove barriers for Community Development Financial Institutions--that is, the CDFIs--and the minority depository institutions, better known as MDIs, trying to serve low-and moderate- income communities during the pandemic. For example, the bill provides $15 billion in capital and other assistance for CDFIs and MDIs to bolster financing activity in minority communities, which have been hardest hit by this pandemic. Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased that the bill provides another round of stimulus payments for families and additional funding for small business, including $120 billion for restaurants and airport concessionaires. Importantly, the bill directs the Treasury Secretary to work with the global community to immediately provide $2 trillion in relief through the International Monetary Fund, which will immediately support developing countries that are experiencing some of the worst effects of COVID-19. Mr. Speaker, this bill isn't everything that is needed, but it is a good faith effort to bridge the gap in negotiations with our Republican colleagues. It is time for Republicans to stop blocking coronavirus relief and support this legislation.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 6270 and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1129, I call up the bill (H.R. 6270) to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require issuers to make certain disclosures relating to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6270, the Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act of 2020, important legislation introduced by Representative Wexton, a valued member of the Committee on Financial Services. The Uyghurs are a Turkic-speaking Muslim group and are one of a number of Muslim groups in Xinjiang that are persecuted, arbitrarily arrested, detained in forced labor concentration camps, and even executed. It has been reported by human rights advocates that over 1 million people are being held by the Chinese Government in detention camps across the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The Government of the People's Republic of China falsely refers to these concentration camps as vocational camps or reeducation camps. Make no mistake: The truth is that today, in 2020, 1 million human beings are being held in concentration camps where they are beaten, starved, and forced to work long hours in conditions that can only be described as inhumane. Their relatives often have no idea where they are or whether they are alive. They are dying each day due to the cruelty of their living conditions and the brutality of the Chinese Government, which executes them with impunity. Within these concentration camps, the Uyghurs are used as slave labor to make goods and products for unsuspecting American consumers. Each day, millions of us unknowingly buy, use, and transport products made by the hands of people who are held in these government-run detention centers while their families wait for some proof of life that may never come. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to vote for H.R. 6270. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Wexton), a distinguished member of the Financial Services Committee and the sponsor of this legislation.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green).

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Wexton).

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, a report published earlier this year by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute noted that Nike, Adidas, and Apple all had supply chains that included Uyghur workers laboring under forced conditions. It is critical that investors in these companies be given the information they need to consider the legal, reputational, and financial risks associated with investing in these and other publicly traded U.S. companies with forced labor in their supply chain. And it is equally critical that, when required to disclose this information, these companies confront the reality of their choices and make decisions that don't contribute to suffering, racism, and death. Representative Wexton's bill, H.R. 6270, is a necessary step in ending this injustice. Her bill would require the SEC to issue rules requiring publicly traded companies to annually disclose imports of manufactured goods and materials that originate or are sourced in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It would also require the SEC and the GAO to provide information to Congress regarding these disclosures, as well as oversight. So I would like to just speak briefly to the misleading letter from the Chamber of Commerce opposing H.R. 6270 on the grounds that a similar supply chain due diligence effort--that is, section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act, the Congo conflict mineral law--failed and caused the situation to worsen. I am encouraged by their letter because, when your opponents have to use dishonest arguments to their make their case, Mr. Speaker, it means they have no legitimate ones to make. So, despite every effort on the other side of the aisle to take down the conflict mineral law and to weaken and eliminate the conflict mineral rule, I am proud to say that support for section 1502 has been sustained by a sense of moral responsibility and by the fact that evidence is showing that the rule is having positive effects. Indeed, the conflict mineral rule continues to spur these intense efforts to operationalize and expand regional, national, and industry due diligence systems. The U.N. Group of Experts on the DRC has reported that section 1502 ``has had a massive and welcome impact so far, requiring chain participants all over the world to take due diligence and conflict financing seriously. This should not and must not be thrown away or weakened.'' Likewise, H.R. 6270 is a critical component of the effort by the House to marshal the might of the United States economy and American conscience to make clear the reprehensible nature of China's actions on a minority in its country. This bill complements another bill that passed the House last week, H.R. 6210, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. That bill provides mechanisms that will require the United States to establish a diplomatic strategy and issue reports that will assist all interested parties in implementing H.R. 6270 and provides complementary disclosures for public companies. So, if you supported H.R. 6210, Mr. Speaker, then you should also vote for H.R. 6270. The bill before us also enjoys the support of a wide array of civic- minded organizations, including the AFL-CIO, Public Citizen, the Uyghur American Association, Human Rights First, and the Uyghur Human Rights Association. We must all stand up against the unjust and inhumane treatment of the Uyghurs and push China to end this brutality once and for all. I believe that resolve will not weaken just because China happens to be the second largest economy in the world. Just as each Member of this Chamber knows that this is wrong, so do our U.S. companies, investors, and the American public. So I would like to just relate to some of what Mr. Green has said as he tried to make our friends on the opposite side of the aisle understand why we are so invested in this legislation. We are descendants of slaves--let me say that one more time; we are descendants of slaves--and when we learn about slavery anywhere in the world, we are opposed to it. There is no justification for it. It does not matter whether it is the principals or their associates who are involved with products and services, et cetera, as a result of slave labor. We are opposed to it, and we would ask our Members on the opposite side of the aisle to have a sensitivity to that when they oppose slavery no matter where it is and who is causing it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to inquire through the Chair if my colleague has any remaining speakers on his side. I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to help buy some time until the opposite side gets its speaker. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, disclosure may seem to be a small thing. It is a powerful thing. It will force publicly traded companies to audit their supply chains and ensure investors are better informed regarding their investments. Moreover, the reports Congress will receive under this legislation will help us shape our future legislative efforts. In its letter, supporting H.R. 6270, the Uyghur American Association stated: Passing the Uyghur Forced Labor Disclosure Act of 2020, H.R. 6270, is one necessary step in leveraging our collective power to put a stop to this genocide. Mr. Speaker, let me just take a moment to talk about slavery. And as I mentioned earlier, those of us who are descendants of slaves are very much always interested in what we can do to stop slavery wherever it is or to stop it before it starts. Mr. Speaker and Members, let me just say, while my friend on the opposite side of the aisle makes an argument about the inconvenience and the loss of money to American firms, slavery is always about money. Slavery in this country was about labor. It was about using those who they brought over on slave ships from Africa to pick cotton, and to enrich those owners on the plantations that were involved with cotton as its major trade, as its major source of income and profit. So we cannot be sympathetic to any argument that talks about it is going to inconvenience investors or American companies. Slavery is about exploitation and the use of other human beings in order, basically, to derive a profit from their work and from the fact that they are slaves. So when my friend on the opposite side of the aisle talks about, he, too, is sympathetic to the arguments that are made against slavery--and he points out that his own wife was a victim of slavery, as he talks about what happened to her and her family, as we all know, and we certainly are opposed to the Holocaust and what happened--let us focus on the fact that whether you are talking about the Holocaust or whether you are talking about slavery with the Uyghurs, whether you are talking about slavery that we experienced as African Americans brought over on slave ships, slavery is slavery no matter where it takes place. So, no, we are not sympathetic to the fact that investors may lose money if, in fact, we stop slavery. We are not sympathetic to the fact that it is an inconvenience and that somehow the SEC should not be burdened with the responsibility to deal with this, they don't know how to deal with this. Well, I will tell you something: History has taught us that for all of those who turned their backs and said, they didn't understand, they didn't see, but they didn't agree, but they didn't know what was going on, that is how these injustices continue, when people turn a blind eye. I don't care whether it is the SEC or any other agency of government who can make the argument that they are not equipped to do what we are asking them to do. Then go and get your act together and get equipped because the Congress of the United States is charging you with this responsibility. And when you tell me that we should respect the SEC, saying that it has not had the kind of experience that is needed in order to deal with this issue, let me just share with you that I don't care whether it is an appointee by Obama or anybody else. One of the reasons I have created a subcommittee on diversity and inclusion is because most of the agencies of government, particularly in financial services, you don't have people who look like me who are going to stand up and take on these issues. Unfortunately, a lack of caring, a lack of understanding, a lack of experience--or whatever you want to call it--we are about opening up these agencies so that we have people who will stand up, just like I am standing up here today, and teach you about that which you don't know, or you don't understand. So when I take a look at the SEC or the OCC or the Treasury or the Federal Reserve, none of them, none of them have people in management positions who will talk about the experiences of those in this country--African Americans and our ancestors--in a way that will create the sensitivity for change. So we are always focused and centered on justice, and we understand injustice when we see it--we feel it very deeply--and we are opening up these agencies and we are providing the leadership on diversity and inclusion so that we can get people in these agencies who are willing to do the job and to help share the information that is needed to create change. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, which is a most important step towards protecting our investors and doing our part as global citizens. It is our moral imperative to do everything we can to stand up against injustice. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Constitution Day. Every year, on September 17, Constitution Day reminds us that while we are a nation of diverse races, ethnicities, religions, backgrounds, and stories, we share at least one commonality: a collective belief in the amended document that founded our nation. The Constitution represents what our nation strives to be: a country of laws, fairness, and justice. A nation that strives to protect the rights of each of its citizens and inhabitants and embolden, not subvert, the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. The Founding Fathers always realized that the Constitution is an imperfect document, and that is why they allowed it to be amended. It has been amended twenty-seven times since its original ratification, and there are still people who are proposing additional amendments. The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, and the Fourteenth Amendment abolished the provision that counted African American slaves as three- fifths of a human being. The Nineteenth Amendment gave most, but not all, women the right to vote. Some provisions of our Constitution are still being debated by the American people, such as the Second Amendment. The Founding Fathers allowed for these amendments because they understood that the Constitution would always represent a vision of a more perfect nation, and that vision must necessarily change and evolve over time. The Founding Fathers risked their lives to rebel against tyranny, and their struggle to win the freedom to write the Constitution must serve as a reminder to us that we too, if need be, must struggle to defend it. We must honor Constitution Day not only by celebrating the document, but by pledging to protect it. Because this year, the Constitution is in need of our protection. The President of the United States took an oath to ``preserve, protect and defend the Constitution''. It is an oath required by Article Two, Section One of the Constitution. Yet it is an oath that has not been taken seriously or upheld for four years now. The First Amendment protects our freedom to peacefully assemble. Yet this President has deployed unmarked, unidentified federal agents to localities to tear gas and attack Americans who are peacefully assembling. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, yet an executive order was signed this year directing the federal government to reconsider the laws governing online speech after the President's online posts were marked as false and misleading. The executive order was an attempt to silence this President's critics, in clear violation of the First Amendment. If a person's right to free speech depends on a ruler approving what is said, then free speech does not exist at all. The First Amendment protects the freedom of the press. In violation of this amendment, the President has called the press the ``enemy of the people''. Article One of the Constitution contains the Foreign Emoluments Clause, which prohibits the President from receiving any gift of value without the consent of Congress. This President has never divested from any of his holdings and refused to place his assets in a blind trust. Funds from foreign governments continue to flow into this President's personal accounts, in blatant violation of Article One. Article Two, Section Three of the Constitution obligates the President to ``take care that the laws be faithfully executed'', yet this is a President who, on at least ten separate occasions, deliberately attempted to interfere with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into collaboration between Russia and the President's campaign. The Fifth Amendment states that all persons, citizen or otherwise, shall be afforded due process of law. This President created a family separation policy that tore children from their families and indefinitely imprisoned them in cages, in flagrant violation of their Fifth Amendment rights. The Constitution protects freedom of religion and guarantees all people equal protection under the law. In direct violation of these freedoms, this President banned people from entering the United States based on nothing more than the religion they practice. He even called it a ``Muslim Ban''. The Constitution states that Congress has the power to establish post offices, and this President took an oath to defend this provision of the Constitution. In violation of his oath and this constitutional provision, this President is making every effort to dismantle the agency that, today, is an inseparable part of our shared American identity. The ``right to vote'' is mentioned five times in the Constitution. Yet this President admitted to voter suppression when he stated that he did not want to fund the U.S. Postal Service because doing so would help Americans vote by mail. Upon exiting the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Benjamin Franklin was approached by a group of people asking what sort of government the delegates had created. His answer was: ``A republic, if you can keep it''. On this Constitution Day, let us remember our responsibility to defend the Constitution, so that we may ``keep it''.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I ran to the floor when I heard that our Members on the Republican side of the aisle are trying to use as an excuse we have not had a hearing. Oh, yes. You have had a hearing. You have had a hearing from the American people who are shocked that the President and DeJoy are out there dismantling and destroying our Postal Service. For 3 years I warned the American people and my colleagues that this President was a threat to our democracy. Yet, here we are today voting on a measure to save the Postal Service because it is being sabotaged by a desperate President in order to cheat in the 2020 elections. Since our country's founding, the people have relied on the Postal Service for everything from delivery of letters to our seniors wanting their medicines delivered on time. Veterans want their disability checks on time. Social Security recipients want and need their money. So I want to say to the Members on the opposite side of the aisle: You had better get some courage. If you are afraid of the President, you had better step up to the plate on this. We will not allow the United States Postal Service to be destroyed by you. And another message to the President: Stop removing our blue mailboxes from our neighborhoods.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that this legislation includes important funding to support individuals, families, workers, small businesses and communities. I urge all Members to support the following amendments that I have offered to H.R. 7617, the Defense, Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2021 and I urge that they all be retained during further consideration of this measure. Managers Amendment to H.R. 7617 I want to thank Chairwoman Lowey and Chairman Quigley for including the text of the Garcia-Waters amendment in the manager's amendment, which was adopted by the Rule. The Garcia amendment would direct the Secretary of Treasury to negotiate a two-trillion-dollar allocation of Special Drawing Rights by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Such an increase would have an immediate benefit to developing countries around the world by providing them with additional resources to address the pandemic. This amendment comes at no cost to the Treasury and would demonstrate our commitment to a global and coordinated approach to addressing the coronavirus. Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs, are a reserve asset created by the IMF that are used to augment the international reserves of its members countries, and a new allocation would provide quick and much-needed assistance to developing and emerging-market countries as they respond to the health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. I do not share the concerns of some opponents of a new SDR allocation about the possible inflationary effect of such an allocation. An independent study at Harvard that closely examined this question concluded that any possible global inflationary impact of some increased import demand by developing countries following an allocation of SDRs would likely be neutralized by the monetary policies of the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, and other inflation- targeting central banks. If SDRs were issued on a regular basis, I think this issue would be a concern--but they are not. The last general and special SDR allocation was issued in August 2009, and during the six months that followed-- which was an exceptionally difficult time for the world economy--less than 2 percent of the total SDR allocation was exchanged for usable currencies. Thirteen countries sold nearly their total allocation; three additional countries made partial sales. There was no inflationary impact. Importantly, the amendment also directs the Secretary of the Treasury to begin immediate efforts to reach an agreement with the G-20 group of nations to extend through the end of 2021 the current moratorium on debt service payments owed by the world's poorest countries to more advanced economies. This includes China, which is by far the largest official bilateral creditor to developing countries. Waters Amendment no. 215 to H.R. 7617 On July 22, 2020, the SEC dealt a blow to investor protection and to the American people, when it adopted amendments to proxy voting rules which, among other things, increased issuer involvement in the advice that proxy advisors give to their clients. Waters Amendment No. 215 would prohibit the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from using funds appropriated under this Act to implement, administer, or enforce this newly-adopted final rule because the rule harms shareholder voting rights and undermines the independence of advice provided to shareholders. Proxy advisory firms play an important role in providing research and advice to shareholders regarding matters facing the companies they are investing in, and inform investors about the best way to vote in annual meetings. Thus, the integrity of that advice mandates that it be provided free of company management's conflicted input and unwarranted interference. Also, the regulations on proxy advisory firms, as adopted, may drive up costs for investors and make it more difficult for them to cast informed votes. The rule will also reduce the already- tight reporting window for providing reports to investors. And, perhaps most importantly, the SEC's misguided rule may tilt voting advice more favorably towards management. My amendment would prohibit the SEC from using funds appropriated under this Act to implement, administer, or enforce the newly-adopted final rule and will prevent the resulting harm. This latest attack on shareholder rights is only compounded by the SEC's proposed changes to the shareholder proposal rule, that would make it more difficult for shareholders to offer and resubmit proposals for broad shareholder consideration. I appreciate that H.R. 7617 includes language to prevent the SEC from using funding to implement, administer, or enforce these proposed changes to the shareholder proposal rule. Waters Amendment No. 216 to H.R. 7617 This amendment relates to ensuring that $68.4 million of the $273.5 million appropriated to the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund are reserved for technical and financial assistance awards to minority Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), including minority depository institutions (MDIs), and that the Fund report to Congress on the implementation of such allocation. This amount represents 40 percent of the $1 71 million of funding made available for financial and technical assistance awards for all certified CDFIs. We have learned in this pandemic how that minority-owned and minority-led financial institutions are critical to delivering access to capital to communities of color, the same communities that have been disproportionately and hardest hit. Unfortunately, following passage of the CARES Act, I quickly saw the problems with the Administration's efforts to roll out the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Not only did the program set unreasonable barriers for CDFIs to participate, the Administration seemed to look the other way as the big banks turned away truly small businesses and minority-owned businesses, and instead provided concierge services to large companies that are publicly traded with ample financial resources. When Congress began work on a second round of PPP funds, I worked with Speaker Pelosi and Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez to ensure CDFIs would be able to access funds. We pushed for and successfully secured a $60 billion set aside in the law for community lenders, including CDFIs and MDIs, to ensure they could deploy PPP funds to small businesses and minority-owned businesses in their communities. I also worked with Secretary Mnuchin to eliminate barriers so that more CDFIs could participate. These actions have produced results--CDFIs and MDIs have provided more than 213,000 PPP loans to small businesses, including many minority-owned businesses, totaling more than $16.1 billion as of July 24, 2020. We have also included additional provisions in the Heroes Act--which the Senate should pass without further delay--to ensure CDFIs have a chance to help truly small businesses and minority-owned businesses in their communities during this pandemic. This included an emergency $1 billion appropriation to the CDFI Fund. I am pleased the underlying appropriations bill provides more resources than last year to the CDFI Fund, though we should ensure a portion of these funds go to minority-owned and minority-led CDFIs, including MDIs, to ensure these funds reach underserved areas. Unfortunately, the CDFI Fund does not track the demographics of who owns or runs the financial institutions receiving financial and technical assistance awards through its primary program. This amendment encourages the CDFI Fund to begin doing so, and to set aside funds to ensure MDIs and other minority-led CDFIs receive funds to support customers and small businesses desperate for a lifeline during these difficult times. waters Amendment No. 339 to H.R. 7617 This amendment would extend a deadline for housing counselors to meet a new certification requirement. In August of 2017, HUD began implementation of a new housing counselor certification requirement in which housing counselors had 36-months to pass a new certification examination. However, due in part to HUD's administrative delays that were exacerbated by the closure of certification examination testing sites as a result of the pandemic, we are now less than a week away from the certification deadline, and less than half of nearly 4,000 housing counselors are currently certified. HUD has requested the authority to extend this deadline to ensure that the availability of housing counseling services is not suddenly and dramatically reduced. During the Great Recession, housing counseling services were a lifeline for more than 2 million homeowners. An evaluation conducted by the Urban Institute found that, when compared to homeowners who did not receive housing counseling services, counseled homeowners were three times more likely to secure loan modifications, received reduce mortgage payments, and were 70 percent more likely to remain current on their mortgages. The current crisis is no different. Every day we are hearing from housing counselors across the country that homeowners and renters continue to lack vital in-language and culturally sensitive information about their rights under the CARES Act, do not understand what forbearance is or whether it is the right option for them, are unaware of local rent and mortgage relief funds, and continue to be misled by mortgage servicers about their rights under federal law. This signals a potential influx of households who would benefit greatly from credit counseling and other housing counseling services that are crucial to help manage their financial health and mitigate long-term harm during the pandemic. At a time when millions of families are faced with the threat of foreclosure and eviction, damaged credit, and depleted savings, my amendment ensures homeowners and renters are not harmed by a lack of availability of housing counseling services during and after the COVID- 19 pandemic. The ability of these families to stay housed and the economic health of the nation depend on it. Waters Amendment No. 150 to H.R. 7617 Under this amendment, no funds may be used to contravene the duties and responsibilities of United States attorneys. In what was, tragically, just the latest example of the Attorney General interfering with the duties of a federal prosecutor, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey Berman, was forced out of office on June 20, 2020. Mr. Berman later revealed that the Attorney General repeatedly urged him to resign, a startling and suspicious revelation considering that Mr. Berman, in his capacity as U.S. Attorney for S.D.N.Y, was investigating a plethora of cases related to the Trump Administration, including charges against associates of Rudy Giuliani, investigations of Mr. Giuliani himself, and investigations into the finances of the Trump inaugural committee. This firing appears to be another example of the Attorney General using Department of Justice funds to benefit the president politically or personally. My amendment would make clear that such use of taxpayer dollars is utterly unacceptable and prohibited. Waters-Schakowsky-Dingell Amendment No. 302 to H.R. 7617 This amendment is designed to protect residents of nursing homes. The amendment prohibits the use of funds to finalize, implement, or enforce the Trump Administration's July 2019 proposed nursing home rule, which deregulates nursing homes and weakens infection prevention standards in them. This amendment is cosponsored by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who introduced H.R. 6698, the Quality Care for Nursing Home Residents and Workers during COVID-19 Act, and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. Nursing home residents have been hit especially severely by the COVID- 19 pandemic, and this is certainly no time to weaken the infection control standards that protect these vulnerable citizens. Waters-Watson Coleman Amendment No. 303 to H.R. 7617 This amendment prohibits the use of funds to require hospitals, hospital laboratories, and acute care facilities to report COVID-19 data using the ``teletracking.protect.hhs.gov'' website that was announced by the Department of Health and Human Services in the document entitled ``COVID-19 Guidance for Hospital Reporting and FAQs for Hospitals, Hospital Laboratory, and Acute Care Facility Data Reporting Updated July 10, 2020''. This guidance update requires a data reporting process that circumvents the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by ordering hospitals, hospital laboratories, and acute care facilities to send COVID-19 patient data directly to a database managed by TeleTracking, a private health data firm, and built by Palantir, the data mining company owned and operated by mega-Trump donor Peter Thiel. Sending COVID-19 data to a private firm instead of the CDC would harm our ability to track the spread of COVID-19. Waters-B. Lee-Chu Amendment No. 304 to H.R. 7617 This amendment increases by $5 million the funds within the account of the Office of the Secretary designated for the Minority AIDS Initiative. It is cosponsored by Congresswoman Barbara Lee, the Co- Chair of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus, and Congresswoman Judy Chu. As a long-time leader on HIV/AIDS issues, I established the Minority AIDS Initiative in 1998, working with the Clinton Administration and the Congressional Black Caucus, and I know how important this program is for minority communities that continue to be severely and disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. These additional funds will allow the Minority AIDS Initiative to provide HIV/AIDS prevention, screening, and treatment services to additional people in affected minority communities. waters-C. Smith Amendment No. 305 to H.R. 7617 As the Co-Chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease, I offered Amendment No. 305 to increase by $5 million the funds for the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act. This bipartisan amendment is cosponsored by Congressman Christopher H. Smith, the Republican Co-Chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease. This amendment increases funds for BOLD from $14.5 million to $19.5 million, bringing the account close to the authorized level of $20 million, in order to jump start the development of a public health infrastructure for Alzheimer's patients, their families, and their caregivers. Waters-Schakowsky Amendment No. 306 to H.R. 7617 This amendment increases by $5 million the funds for the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health (AIM) within the Maternal and Child Health account of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The amendment is cosponsored by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. The AIM program assists state-based teams to improve the quality and safety of maternity care with the goal of reducing maternal mortality and improving maternal health. According to HRSA, the rate of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. has more than doubled since 1987, and non-Hispanic Black and American Indian/Alaskan Native women are significantly more likely to die from pregnancy related causes than non-Hispanic White women. An increase in funds for AIM will help improve maternal health and enable more pregnant women to safely deliver their babies. conclusion I want to thank the Rules Committee for making in order each of these amendments, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``Yes'' on each of these amendments.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, as the designee of the chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and pursuant to House Resolution 1028, I offer an amendment en bloc consisting of the amendments printed in part F of House Report 116-438.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I am surprised the gentleman who serves on the Financial Services Committee has not been a part of all of the housing debates we have had, all of the information on housing. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Garcia), a distinguished member of the Financial Services Committee.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Torres), who is a distinguished member of the Appropriations Committee.

Ms. WATERS. I reserve the right to close, Mr. Speaker.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Ruiz), who is a distinguished member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Moving Forward Act is long overdue, and it comes on the heels of a devastating pandemic that has killed more than 125,000 Americans and shut down much of our economy. The Moving Forward Act will repair our Nation's dilapidated roads, bridges, and public transit systems. It will rebuild our drinking water infrastructure, upgrade our schools and hospitals, and improve our affordable housing infrastructure. The Moving Forward Act will also create millions of jobs and help our economy to recover. This en bloc amendment makes several improvements to H.R. 2, including the addition of new language that would support the infrastructure of historically Black colleges and universities, support long-term affordability of manufactured housing communities, remove lead in public housing, permanently authorize the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, and make postal offices more accessible for persons with disabilities. These are positive efforts to more comprehensively address the infrastructure needs of this country, and I commend each of the Members offering an amendment included in this en bloc. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following letters: 1. A letter on behalf of 600 organizations in support of the housing provisions included in the Heroes Act, which are the same provisions included in the bill we are considering today, H.R. 7301. 2. A letter on behalf of over 800 national, state, and local organizations in support of H.R. 6820, the Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act of 2020, which is also included in H.R. 7301. 3. A letter from the National Urban League in support of H.R. 7301. 4. A letter from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Housing Task Force in support of H.R. 7301. 5. A letter from the National Alliance to End Homelessness in support of H.R. 7301 June 29, 2020. Hon. Mitch McConnell, Washington, DC. Hon. Chuck Schumer, Washington, DC. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Washington, DC. Hon. Kevin McCarthy, Washington, DC. Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and Minority Leader McCarthy: We, the National Low Income Housing Coalition on behalf of more than 600 national, state, and local organizations across the country, urge you to immediately enact the critical housing investments and protections included in the ``Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 202Q'' (H.R. 7301) and the ``Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act'' to address the health and housing needs of America's lowest-income renters and people experiencing homelessness during and after the coronavirus pandemic. Every day that Congress waits to enact this vital legislation, policymakers put millions of low-income people-- including seniors, people with disabilities, families with children, low-wage workers and other individuals who were already struggling to pay rent before the current pandemic-- at risk of eviction and homelessness. Without the protections and resources in H.R. 7301 and the HEROES Act, our nation will see an increase in homelessness as renters lose their homes. The ``Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act)'' included $12 billion in housing and homelessness resources and other critical protections for low-income renters. This bill was an important first step, but far more resources are needed to protect those individuals living on the brink. While the CARES Act's stimulus checks and expanded unemployment benefits will certainly help, they only last a short duration, many people with the greatest needs are facing challenges in accessing these resources, and even those who were successful in receiving these benefits will still be severely rent-burdened and at risk of homelessness unless Congress provides targeted assistance. Even before the pandemic, people of color were significantly more likely than white people to experience housing instability, evictions, and homelessness, the result of centuries of institutional racism and economic inequity. People of color will also likely experience greater burdens in the aftermath of the acute crisis. In addition to facing higher mortality rates, people of color are more likely to be impacted by job insecurity, food insecurity, housing instability and homelessness. Homeless Assistance Funds To address these challenges, H.R. 7301 and the HEROES Act provide the full $11.5 billion needed to prevent and respond to outbreaks among people experiencing homelessness, who are at a higher risk of severe illness and death due to the disease. People who are homeless and contract coronavirus are twice as likely to be hospitalized, two to four times as likely to require critical care, and two to three times as likely to die than others in the general public. If unchecked, as many as 20,000 people who are homeless could require hospitalization and nearly 3,500 could die. This has enormous implications for individuals, their communities, and our already overstretched hospital systems. These funds are needed to minimize the number of people living in homeless encampments and congregate shelters and identify alternative space, including hotels, for isolation and self-quarantine. National, Uniform Moratorium on Evictions The HEROES Act and H.R. 7301 include a uniform, 12-month eviction and foreclosure moratorium policy to protect all renters and homeowners at a time when our collective health depends on each of us staying home. In the CARES Act, Congress instituted a shorter, temporary moratorium for only some renters and homeowners in federally subsidized housing. NLIHC created a searchable database and map to help renters determine whether they are protected under the CARES Act, but these tools are not complete because not all data is publicly available. States and localities have also instituted their own eviction and foreclosure moratoriums, creating a patchwork of responses--many of which expire in the coming weeks--that provides relief to only some and creates confusion that has allowed some landlords to move forward with illegal evictions. Emergency Rental Assistance To help keep low-income seniors, people with disabilities, families with children, low-wage workers, and other individuals stably housed, the HEROES Act and H.R. 7301 include the ``Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act'' proposed by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Congressman Denny Heck (D-WA) and 145 House cosponsors and 35 Senate cosponsors to provide $100 billion in emergency rental assistance. Research from the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that at least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance is needed. Emergency rental assistance provides direct support to renters in need--including those who have lost jobs or wages due to the pandemic--to help them shelter in place and avoid housing instability. A moratorium on evictions offers renters some important protections, but rent arrears will accumulate. People who have lost income as a result of the pandemic will struggle to cover large sums of back-rent once it comes due. Without emergency rental assistance, these households will face the destabilizing impacts of evictions and, in worst cases, homelessness, with enormous negative consequences for individuals, their communities, and our economy. Emergency rental assistance is also necessary to ensure the continued viability of our country's essential affordable housing infrastructure. The HEROES Act and H.R. 7301 also provide an additional $13 billion to further address housing instability, including 100,000 new emergency housing vouchers targeted to people with the greatest needs, including people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and survivors of domestic violence. We urge you to immediate enact to immediately provide the critical resources and protections included in H.R. 7301 and the HEROES Act to prevent evictions and homelessness and promote housing stability among those individuals with the greatest needs during and after this crisis.