Bonnie Watson Coleman

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would simply ensure that, as we address what has rightly been called an epidemic, we consider the unique impacts and issues of drug addiction for minority communities by adding an expert on minority health to the task force that is created by this bill. The dangers of opiate addiction are apparent across the board. Abuse of prescription opioids has contributed to a flood of cheap heroin to all communities. Over the past 4 years, we have seen a 269 percent increase in heroin overdose deaths in White communities, but also a 213 percent increase in Black communities, 137 percent increase in Latino communities, and 236 percent in Native American communities. With that in mind, it is important to remember that the opiate epidemic--both heroin and its prescription painkiller counterparts-- looks very different from the perspective of communities of color. The compassion and clemency that we are showing now and the evidence-based solutions we are embracing were needed long ago, way before abuse by predominantly White and suburban communities. As we craft the tools to solve this crisis, we must ensure the policies we create will help everyone affected. Adding an expert in minority health to this task force helps to make sure that the diverse needs of all Americans are represented at the table. We still live in a world of significant biases. Just last month, the University of Virginia released a study that found that White medical students and residents genuinely believed that Black patients were less sensitive to pain and had less sensitive nerve endings than White patients, bearing out at least one reason for the consistently documented lack of pain management provided to Black patients. As we give this task force the vital task of improving how we prescribe some of the most powerful and still-critical medication for pain management, let's do our part to eliminate as much bias as possible. This amendment takes an important step toward reaching that goal. I hope my colleagues will support it. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for her leadership and for her support of this initiative. Let me close by adding this. We are considering a number of bills this week aimed at curing the opioid and heroin epidemics ravaging so many American families. As we do so, we need to consider two things: First is that communities of color have unique needs that deserve just as much consideration. That is why I have offered this amendment, and it is a theme I hope to see continued in other legislation we will debate. The second is that, when we head back to our districts on Friday after completing consideration of these bills, we should not wash our hands and walk away from this issue. We need to fund the programs we have authorized. We need to look back with a critical eye at the ways we criminalized addictions in the past and offer those whom we failed solutions that will allow them to reenter society. Our work cannot stop there. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4820, the so-called Combating Terrorist Recruitment Bill. H.R. 4820 omits any mention of domestic terrorist organizations, a significant departure from the holistic, comprehensive approach that is adopted by the administration to counter ideologically based violence. This bill isolates the enemy to be those who are Islamist, those who are foreign, and those who are being radicalized by foreigners. How does this bill address the threat of terror from those who are not just jaded jihadists, like this bill was initially titled, but, rather, a part of domestic militia or part of a rightwing, ultra- conservative, racist organization that wants to kill African Americans or other vulnerable populations? A recent study by the Police Executive Research Forum and the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security found that State and local law enforcement personnel are almost twice as concerned about rightwing and antigovernment terrorism as they are about the threat from al Qaeda, ISIS, and similar groups. The concerns of State and local law enforcement about domestic terrorism are well placed. Within the last year, we have seen a rightwing terrorist kill nine people at Mother Emanuel in Charleston and an anti-abortion terrorist kill three people at the Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado. Since the attacks of 9/11, within the United States, domestic terrorists have killed 48 people, more than those killed by foreign terrorist-inspired attacks. Shouldn't we be concerned about those who have demonstrated the greatest threat to our homeland in the last 15 years? H.R. 4820 represents a marked departure from a national strategy to combat terrorism and that recognizes that individuals who promote and use violence against the U.S. are inspired by a range of religious, political, or other ideological beliefs.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. This bill only serves to perpetuate the stigma associated with just one group of people who happen to practice Islam. It does not recognize a full range of terrorist threats to our homeland. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 4820.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the hard work of East Brunswick High School's We the People team. We the People is a civic education program that has reached more than 28 million students since its inception in 1987. Each year approximately 1,200 students from across the country demonstrate their knowledge of complex constitutional principles in both historical and contemporary contexts. This week a talented group of young minds from East Brunswick High School in my district will compete for one of ten spots in the final round of competition. I wish both the coach and the team the best of luck and continued success.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, in a 10-day march that started on April 11, thousands of Americans came to Washington, D.C., from all over the country to fight for one thing: our democracy. In peaceful protests right outside this building, Capitol Police arrested more than 1,300 of them as they called on this body to make basic changes to reinforce the institution that makes the United States so special. The reason they marched is simple, Mr. Speaker. In a Nation founded on the will of the people, States have systematically disenfranchised those same people and it is the will of well-funded special interests that now run our elections. We have found ourselves in this predicament primarily through inaction, the same kind of inaction poised to give the Supreme Court the longest vacancy in nearly 100 years. These folks came to the Capitol to ask our leaders to do something, and their requests are pretty simple. For starters, they want to see the restoration of the Voting Rights Act to prevent voter discrimination in the 21st century because voting discrimination does still exist, something Chief Justice Roberts acknowledged even as he struck down parts of the original Voting Rights Act. It is targeted against voters of color, those with language barriers, and those with disabilities. And Congress should be doing something about it. That is not the only call that came out of last week's rallies, though. They also want updates to our election day procedures, updates that are sorely needed. In a world as technologically advanced as ours where you can pay for your lunch with your phone and use a fingerprint to unlock your computer, we have hours-long wait times at some voting polls. We have provisional ballots and ineffective, if not outright confusing, notification systems for how, when, and where to register to vote. It is another issue Congress should be doing something about. But perhaps the most important issue that these rallies brought to the table is the need to make sure that the voices of real people, not those of corporations or special interests, are what are heard in our elections. For that, we need to create a path back from Citizens United that allows us to regulate how money is raised and spent in elections. Because of that ruling, we need a constitutional amendment that makes clear what common sense already dictates: corporations are not people and shouldn't get a say in who governs our Nation. What is really interesting here is that the work has already been done. The call of these protesters wasn't for Congress to investigate or draft or identify solutions to these problems. The solutions already exist. They asked that we pass a few pieces of legislation that will put our democracy back where it belongs: with the people. So, Mr. Speaker, I stand in solidarity with the individuals who came to Washington last week for Democracy Spring. I stand in strong support of reforms to how we run elections and how we ensure the right to vote. I urge my colleagues to follow suit in saving our democracy. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois, Jan Schakowsky, a U.S. Representative.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Illinois for her very eloquent and very important remarks. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. I am always grateful for the gentlewoman from Texas who comes and shares her wisdom and her passion and her concern. Mr. Speaker, as we close out this Special Order hour, I just want to share a few more comments. We should be doing whatever we can to ensure that every American is able to participate in the democratic process and ensure that elected officials truly represent the voices of their constituents. The right to vote and the elections in which we cast our ballots are the foundations of our democracy, and policymakers should be strengthening those systems and expanding that right whenever and wherever possible. Instead, for the past few years, we have been restricting it. In a Nation whose founding documents begin with ``we the people of the United States,'' the local, State, and Federal Government should champion the cause of ensuring that every single American can make his voice heard with as little difficulty as possible. I support every effort to do so, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of S. 1638, the Department of Homeland Security Headquarters Consolidation Accountability Act of 2015. Mr. Speaker, since the 2006 decision to establish the Department of Homeland Security's headquarters at the former site of St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Washington, the project has experienced significant shortfalls in cost and schedule performance. The Government Accountability Office reported that between the start of construction at St. Elizabeth's in fiscal year 2009 through the fiscal year 2014 appropriation, the project received $1.6 billion less than the funding amendments requested over this period. The impact of this funding gap is far-reaching. In fact, GAO has found this gap resulted in cost escalations exceeding $1 billion and schedule delays exceeding 10 years for the project. Mr. Speaker, the Senate bill we consider today is the companion to H.R. 1640, a bill that the House approved by voice vote last June. S. 1638 directs DHS and GSA to provide information to Congress within 120 days of enactment of this bill to establish that the data has been collected and analyzed to support the current direction for this high- profile investment. In addition, Mr. Speaker, S. 1638 specifies that the information provided to Congress by DHS and GSA include updated cost and schedule estimates for the project. Finally, Mr. Speaker, S. 1638 directs GAO to report to Congress on the quality and reliability of these estimates, not later than 90 days after they have been submitted to Congress. Mr. Speaker, DHS headquarters operations currently are dispersed around the national capital region, in facilities that, in many cases, are inadequate--as is the case with the Nebraska Avenue Complex. To support the government's effective stewardship of public resources and to deliver a headquarters that DHS desperately needs, I would urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. S. 1638 is virtually identical to the House-passed legislation that my subcommittee advanced last year. The bill's provisions acknowledge the need for GSA to be engaged at a high level, as the construction manager for the Department's headquarters consolidation project, and to help DHS develop realistic and achievable outcomes. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that up to 69 percent of the Department's commercial leases in the national capital region are slated to expire between fiscal years 2016 and 2020. As such, the Department will be forced to engage in the expensive process of recompeting and possibly relocating its operation and personnel. It would behoove the Department and the GSA to move more of DHS' headquarters activities to St. Elizabeth's as soon as possible and, thus, avoid the costs associated with executing additional leasing in the expensive D.C. market. Mr. Speaker, I do again urge the adoption of S. 1638. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for giving me this opportunity to stand up here during Women's History Month and to say this is a bipartisan piece of legislation that is well done and overdue. Mr. Speaker, I am proud that there were women who went before me who were brave and who were courageous and who did all of the jobs that were asked of them in a manner that was of high standard. They gave and sacrificed on my behalf, and now we have the opportunity to eliminate some of the last vestiges of disparate treatment or secondary treatment, or treating them as second-class citizens. I rise in support of this legislation, and I congratulate my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for having brought this to our attention and for giving us the opportunity to express our support.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, before I close, I want to spend a few minutes on another important topic as well. Today, President Obama nominated Chief Justice Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy that has been left on the Supreme Court by Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. Judge Garland has more Federal judicial experience than any Supreme Court nominee in history. His work on the D.C. circuit court, an appointment to which he was confirmed with strong bipartisan support, has earned praise from Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. He is qualified. He is competent. He is not the ultraliberal that many of my conservative colleagues feared. Yet, following up on his promise that the Senate would consider absolutely no one that President Obama put forward, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said today: ``It is a president's constitutional right to nominate a Supreme Court justice, and it is the Senate's constitutional right to act as a check on a president and withhold its consent.'' I beg to differ. I think it is the President's constitutional responsibility, not just a prerogative, to fill the bench of the Supreme Court. Withholding consent, something that is typically done when a candidate is underqualified or inappropriate, is far different than just ignoring the process altogether. This is a political decision made about the only body that shouldn't be exposed to such things. It goes beyond just a filibuster or commentary from a few outliers. And if Republicans follow through with their plan, it would constitute the longest vacancy with no vote on a nominee ever. There is no precedent for this. There have been appointments, nominations, and, above all, hearings during Presidential election years. It is flat out ridiculous to refuse a man as qualified as Judge Garland even hearings. This is a dereliction of duty that surpasses the sadly run-of-the-mill inability of the majority to get anything done, from funding the government until the eleventh hour to passing a budget, to actually governing. Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I came to the floor without taking the time to say this: The Senate must change course and consider Judge Garland on his merits. He has earned bipartisan support before, and he deserves it again. I need to remind this body and the Senate that the President of the United States was elected for a second term and that term includes four full years. Mr. Speaker, I conclude my Special Order hour. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, on Monday night, we got word of a decision that may be the death knell for the budget proposal made by the majority of this body. The members of the self-styled Freedom Caucus have announced their refusal to support the plan that their own leadership has put forward. I am truly afraid of what they would offer as an alternative, because the budget being considered in committee this week is a far cry from what American families need. Mr. Speaker, at its most fundamental level, a budget is two things: a guiding document and a statement of values. The budget that the House Republicans have put forward--the budget that is not enough for the Freedom Caucus--makes it clear that they value special interests more than working families. It is a guiding document to an America that is bereft of opportunity for those who have worked or have studied or have fought for it. My colleagues and I are here on the floor tonight to support a very different plan--a budget that seeks to give everyday Americans the only opportunity they have ever asked for--the opportunity to work hard, to play by the rules, and to get ahead. It is a budget for the people, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that we call it The People's Budget. Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Progressive Caucus budget would invest in our schools, our roads, our bridges, our workers, and our environment to put us back on the path to prosperity in a way that austerity never will, because the cuts of the past few years should have made one thing clear: trimming our spending does little to impact the long-term deficit, but it destroys working families, hinders the most vulnerable Americans, and threatens the future of our Nation. The People's Budget would invest $1 trillion in our bridges, roads, railways, and other infrastructure facilities to prevent the kind of devastating failures we have witnessed in Flint, Michigan. The People's Budget would fully fund Head Start, capitalizing on one of the best opportunities to give our young people a leg up in an increasingly global economy. The People's Budget would take steps to make debt-free college a reality for students, keeping higher education as a ladder into economic prosperity rather than making it a privilege for top earners. The People's Budget would fully fund affordable housing programs, and it would end persistent family homelessness with an investment of $11 billion. The People's Budget would take a stand on protecting our environment from further damage by investing in clean and renewable energy resources and ending subsidies for oil, gas, and coal once and for all. And that is just the beginning. Our economy may be rebounding from the Great Recession, but there are plenty of Americans who have been left behind--stuck in roles with low wages, in long-term unemployment, in the gender and racial pay gaps that persist in this Nation, or in debt that keeps them from progressing in their lives. We can't afford to let this stand. We need a budget for the people, and we need it now. Mr. Speaker, the budget that was announced by the majority yesterday is truly a roadmap to ruin. It would leave seniors out in the cold by ending the Medicare guarantee. It would gut domestic programming with $6.5 trillion in cuts--the most outrageous and threatening action ever proposed by the majority on the Budget Committee. It would make the gap between average Americans and the wealthy few too great to bridge, taking away any chance at restoring the vibrant middle class our economy relies on. It would do the same thing that my colleagues have tried to do for some time, which would be to stack the deck for top earners and the well-connected at the expense of everyone else. The people need change. The people need a plan that levels the playing field, that gives them opportunities to succeed, and that puts their interests above the interests of corporations and the wealthy. The people need salaries to let them do more than just make ends meet. The people need a way to pay for affordable child care while they are at their jobs. The people need education for their children and teachers who are trained to give students the tools to succeed. They need roads that aren't crumbling and trains that stay on the tracks; they need bridges and tunnels that connect them with their jobs without their having to spend hours in traffic; and they need job training to find employment in a changing economy. The people, Mr. Speaker, need The People's Budget. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison), my colleague and the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join mathematicians, math lovers, and millions around the world in celebrating International Pi Day. Observed every year on March 14, beginning at 1:59 p.m., Pi Day recognizes the mathematical constant known as pi. It also coincides with the birthday of one of science's greatest minds and former resident of my district, Albert Einstein. While many will celebrate today by indulging in a tastier type of pie, today offers a much more serious reminder of the importance of technology, engineering, and math, fields that help strengthen our Nation's economy and security. Studies have shown little improvement in math and science test scores in the United States since 1995. And so as we honor the concept of pi and the legacy of Einstein, I ask my colleagues to join me in renewing our commitment to outstanding STEM education in our schools and support of STEM at the Federal level.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, this week, we open Women's History Month--an opportunity for us to celebrate the progress women have made and the amazing contributions that we are responsible for. We have more women in Congress now than ever before. Women are now the leading breadwinners or are the only breadwinners in 40 percent of households. We have more women who lead major companies and who are in prominent positions, like on the Supreme Court. Women today are more likely to earn college degrees and to attend graduate school than are their male counterparts, and more women are entering traditionally male-dominated fields. That progress has been incredibly swift. We are talking about gains that have really only happened in the past 60 years. Still, there are many, many milestones that women have yet to reach. Even with the most women Congress has ever seen, this body, supposedly elected to both represent and reflect the United States, is still overwhelmingly 80 percent male, in fact. Women still make 78 cents for every dollar a man earns, particularly troubling when you think about the 40 percent of women I just mentioned who are supporting their families. Black women make even less at 64 cents on the dollar while Latina women make just 66 cents on the dollar. If this week is any indicator, there are still great numbers of people, primarily men, who feel we are incapable of making our own decisions about our health care. We have got a long way to go, Mr. Speaker. Part of the reason we can't get all the way there is that we have not passed the Equal Rights Amendment. We have been avoiding ensuring protection for women in the Constitution for almost 100 years. Quite frankly, there is only so much we can do until we offer that basic level of protection. Mr. Speaker, the ERA was first drafted and introduced in the 1920s. It finally passed in 1972 and was sent to the States for ratification, where it received 35 of the 38 approvals that it needed. Unfortunately, time ran out. One of the reasons we have yet to solve some of the greatest challenges facing our Nation's women is the lack of true protection in the Constitution. What better way to ensure the right to fair pay for women? What better way to ensure equal treatment in the workplace? What better way to protect against laws that inherently limit women? What better way to protect all of the progress we have made and to ensure that women can continue to excel? The Equal Rights Amendment would provide the foundation for legislation that protects women from discrimination at every level-- legislation that is more necessary now than it has ever been with more and more women leading at home and in the workplace. We will spend a lot of time in the coming weeks talking about what we need to do for women--from the passage of the Fair Pay Act to ensuring paid leave for women and men. Yet there is one thing that we should have done long ago, and my colleagues are here tonight, on the floor with me, to call for action where we have failed before. It is now my pleasure to yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), the primary sponsor of the ERA bill.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for being with us this evening. I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Graham).

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Speier), the sponsor of legislation that would retroactively lift the deadline for the ratification of the ERA.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman, and I want to say tonight that we definitely will be coming back here again on a Special Order hour and addressing this issue. We will just continue to do it until we can see some movement. I thank you for that. Mr. Speaker, the women tonight, the Members of the House, have spoken so eloquently and so compellingly on this issue and the urgency with which we need to take this issue up. But the women of this Nation, they are very strong and intelligent and capable citizens as well. As our laws in our society have given women a turn at bat, we have stepped up to the plate, and we have proven time and again that we can do what men do just as well as they do it, and often even better. Although expectations and stereotypes are changing, women are still lacking in equal footing. Last year the United States fell to 28th place in the annual world equality rankings, behind even Rwanda and the Philippines. We are one of only a few nations that fails to specifically affirm the legal equality of men and women in our governing documents, a failure we would hold any other nation accountable for. The ERA is the biggest and most basic step we can take to ensure equality for every woman. We need it, and we need it now. So let us work together to give women equal rights once and for all. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the talent, teamwork, and intelligence of the West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South National Science Bowl team, who are regional champions for the second year in a row. This year's team includes Dhruva Byrapatna, Eric Mischell, William Jiao, Angela You, and Tanishq Aggarwal. They were coached by Ms. Sunila Sharma. In a few weeks, these students will head to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Department of Energy's National Science Bowl. I am proud to know that New Jersey's 12th District will be represented. I wish both the coach and the team the best of luck in the national competition.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. I am opposed.