Maxine Waters

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 7981 is a commonsense bill that will save countless lives by improving the quality and reliability of smoke alarms in public and federally assisted housing. It is no wonder why the bill was passed out of our committee with bipartisan support and is being supported by the fire safety community, as well as affordable housing advocates. I thank Representative Dean for this bill, and I, again, urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 7981. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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 this legislation.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5128, the Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act, introduced by Representative Axne. While small businesses in the big cities may enjoy easier access to capital to grow their businesses, hire and support their employees, and serve their communities, the businesses in rural America often struggle. Rural America's job growth is half the rate than that of big cities, and rural America's poverty rate is also higher than that of the big cities, even though it has dropped under President Biden's leadership and as a result of this Congress' work. Congresswoman Axne's bill would require SEC's small business advocate to report to Congress particular challenges that rural businesses face in accessing our capital markets. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I thank Mrs. Axne for her work on this important issue and for always working on behalf of the rural businesses and communities in her district. Congresswoman Axne's bill directs the SEC's Small Business Advocate to similarly focus on the challenges rural small businesses face. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1842) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint commemorative coins in recognition of the Bicentennial of Harriet Tubman's birth.

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

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H.R. 1842, the Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act. I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) for his tireless efforts to ensure that Congress celebrates and upholds Harriet Tubman's legacy of passionate advocacy for civil rights, women's suffrage, and the liberation of enslaved persons. Historians value coins and currencies as an important form of visual storytelling. This is because the objects and, more importantly, the people depicted on a currency reflects the values and the narratives that a society tells about itself. As such, I cannot think of an individual who more perfectly embodies American values of seeking justice, protecting freedom, and enduring personal sacrifices in the pursuit of a more perfect Union than Harriet Tubman. Born enslaved in March 1822 on the plantation of Anthony Thompson in Dorchester County, Maryland, Harriet Ross Tubman, also known as Araminta ``Minty'' Ross, was a notable abolitionist, who not only freed herself but also others from slavery. After freeing herself in the fall of 1849 with the help of the Underground Railroad network, Tubman devoted herself to the arduous and life-threatening process of freeing other enslaved persons. Throughout the 1850s, Tubman made 13 trips back to Maryland, guiding approximately 70 enslaved persons to the north, including family members, and providing instruction to about 70 more who found their way to freedom on their own. During the Civil War, Tubman served as a spy, cook, and a nurse in South Carolina and Florida. She also recruited newly freed African- American men to join regiments of African-American soldiers called United States Colored Troops and served herself as an Army scout and spy for Union leaders Major General David Hunter and Colonel James Montgomery. For her invaluable service, Tubman was inducted into the Military Intelligence Corps Hall of Fame. After the Civil War, Tubman continued her legacy of activism and care for the community, often sheltering and providing for newly freed, formerly enslaved persons in her home on South Street in Auburn, New York. Ms. Tubman was also an ardent supporter of women's suffrage, civil rights, and access to healthcare, and would attend meetings and give speeches in support of these rights in Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C. This bipartisan bill championed by Representative Meeks and Representative Katko would provide tangible support to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Harriet Tubman Home, Incorporated, in Auburn, New York, to advance their shared mission of sharing Harriet Tubman's legacy and continuance to advance her vision of a more just and equitable America. This bill directs the Secretary of the Treasury to produce noncirculating commemorative coins for purchase bearing Harriet Tubman's image and depicting her legacy as an abolitionist. I thank Representatives Meeks and Katko for introducing this historic bill, and I urge Members to support this bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time until my colleague yields back.

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlemen from New York, Mr. Meeks and Mr. Katko, for their hard work on this bill. I thank the gentlewoman from Nevada, Senator Rosen, and the gentleman from Ohio, Senator Portman, for leading the Senate companion version of this bill. Who we choose to honor on our currency says a lot about who we are and what we value as a society. This bill is an opportunity for us to declare to ourselves and to our prosperity that we are a society who values courage in the face of oppression, and liberty and justice for all, not just for the lucky few. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to declare themselves as supporters of these shared American values by supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and include extraneous material.

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6528) to require owners of covered federally assisted rental dwelling units to install temperature sensors in such units, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Torres for introducing H.R. 6528, the Housing Temperature Safety Act of 2022, in response to the tragic apartment fire that occurred in his district in the Bronx. Seventeen people died in that fire, including eight children, while dozens more were injured. Sadly, this tragedy was entirely preventable and even foreseeable. The Twin Parks North West apartment building was home to 120 families, including 91 families who were assisted through the housing choice voucher program. Because of heating and ventilation issues in the building, too often families found themselves shivering in their apartments, forcing them to take matters into their own hands by purchasing space heaters, which were deemed to be the cause of this tragic fire. To address this issue, and to better hold housing providers accountable to ensuring their apartments are meeting temperature requirements, H.R. 6528 would create a pilot program to install and study the efficacy of temperature sensors in federally assisted housing. As the tragedy in the Bronx proved, inadequate heating and cooling in federally assisted units is a danger to our communities. This bill provides a key step towards researching and improving tools to better ensure families' homes are both safe and warm. I thank Representative Torres for his leadership on this issue. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6528, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Torres).

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, H.R. 6528 is an important step forward in holding housing providers accountable to better protect the health and safety of families receiving Federal housing assistance. What happened in the Bronx is a tragedy that was wholly preventable. While more must be done to prevent similar tragedies, I am glad that we are providing new solutions to improve fire safety in Federal housing. I thank Representative Torres for this bill. Madam Speaker, I, again, urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6528, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4590) to require the Federal banking regulators to jointly conduct a study and develop a strategic plan to address challenges faced by proposed depository institutions seeking de novo depository institution charters; and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I support H.R. 4590, the Promoting New and Diverse Depository Institutions Act, sponsored by Representative Jake Auchincloss, the vice chair of the Financial Services Committee. Since the 1980s, we have seen steady consolidation in the number of U.S. depository institutions from having roughly 33,000 banks and credit unions in 1980 to less than 10,000 today. Over the last decade, we have also seen a reduction of 3,300 branches by the four largest banks leaving behind banking deserts where residents lack access to a nearby branch for basic banking services. I have also been troubled by the recent decline of roughly one-third of all minority depository institutions, also known as MDIs, and more than half of Black-owned banks since the 2008 financial crisis. In December 2020, I was pleased to work with Ranking Member McHenry and Senators Brown, Crapo, and Warner to reach a bipartisan deal to provide $12 billion in capital investments and grants to shore up and strengthen existing MDIs as well as community development financial institutions, better known as CDFIs. But I am still concerned that very few depository institutions, especially MDIs, have been newly chartered in recent years while banking deserts continue to grow. This bill would help address this concern by requiring regulators to study this problem, request feedback from the public, and develop a strategic plan so they can take steps to encourage the creation of new banks and credit unions, including MDIs and CDFIs. H.R. 4590 also requires regulators to share with Congress any legislative recommendations to further promote the creation of new depository institutions, again, including MDIs and CDFIs. So I thank Vice Chair Auchincloss for his work on this bill which received bipartisan support in our committee. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4590, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Auchincloss), who is also the vice chair of the Financial Services Committee.

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. H.R. 4590 is supported by a wide range of stakeholders, including California & Nevada Credit Union Leagues, Community Development Bankers Association, Inclusiv, Independent Community Bankers Association, and many others. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS

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

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I support H.R. 4227, the Developing and Empowering Our Aspiring Leaders Act of 2021, introduced by Mr. Hollingsworth. This bill would authorize the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, to revise its rules on venture capital investment regulations to allow investments acquired through secondary transactions or investments in other venture capital funds to be considered as qualifying investments for venture capital funds. Importantly, the SEC would only be required to revise its rules if it finds that the revision would facilitate capital formation without reducing investor protections. I want to ensure startups and small businesses have access to capital, but as this bill stipulates, access to capital should not come at the expense of investor protections. This bill strikes the right balance, and I so urge my colleagues to support this bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I support H.R. 4227 and urge its passage as it correctly balances the need to provide access to capital for startups and other businesses with the need to protect investors. I note that a similar version of this bill previously passed this Chamber by a wide bipartisan vote. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1057) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 2 minutes to the gentlewoman.