[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 76 (Monday, May 18, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H3297-H3301]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE URGENCY OF NOW: ADDRESSING REFORM, ACCOUNTABILITY, EQUALITY, AND
DIVERSITY
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 6, 2015, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I am glad to be joined by my colleague and
friend, the gentlewoman from Illinois, Ms. Robin Kelly. Thank you,
Congresswoman Kelly, for joining me in coanchoring this Special Order
hour tonight. Thank you also to the members of the Congressional Black
Caucus and to all those watching from home.
Madam Speaker, last month, Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old man Baltimore
man, died in police custody from a spinal cord injury. His death, ruled
a homicide, has drawn ongoing national attention to the increasingly
frayed relations between police and communities throughout the United
States.
Tonight we come together as a caucus to address the urgent need to
reform our criminal justice system and promote police accountability
and also to talk about many different issues of diversity in our
Nation.
Our Nation is at a crossroads. Failure to make meaningful reforms to
our criminal justice system risks damaging relations between
communities and police beyond repair. But real commonsense reforms that
enhance transparency, advance public safety, eradicate discrimination,
and instill trust can create a system that works for all Americans.
Currently, our law enforcement system and criminal justice system
aren't working for African Americans and other minorities. As a result,
a meaningful dialogue between law enforcement and the communities they
are charged with protecting remains illusive.
Tonight we will speak to the urgent need to reform our criminal
justice and police systems so that we can breathe new life into the
American promise of full equality and justice for all.
With that, Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois
(Ms. Kelly).
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. I thank my friend from New Jersey for leading
tonight's Special Order hour.
Madam Speaker, once again, the Congressional Black Caucus has the
opportunity to discuss some of the many important issues and challenges
facing our Nation right now. I strongly believe that our conversation
here tonight is a critical discussion for the record as we continue the
work of making our communities and country better. The urgency of now,
addressing reform, accountability, equality, and diversity, that is
quite a title, but what does it all mean in the context of our full
discussion?
{time} 1930
America is celebrated for being a melting pot, but I like to say a
tossed salad or a stew, because in a stew or salad you don't lose your
identity, but you learn to live together in the same gravy or the same
salad dressing. This Congress is, without a doubt, a true testament to
the diverse people, personalities, and communities that make this great
Nation so great.
But in these dynamic times, how can we ensure that our laws and
policies are fully embracing our melting pot or our stew of a nation?
How can we ensure that we make this great Union even more perfect? It
starts with holding ourselves accountable in just a myriad of respects
on the economic front, with respect to our justice system, in
appreciating our diversity and inclusion for all Americans. I look
forward to a fruitful conversation on this and thank my coanchor,
Representative Payne.
I did want to acknowledge the Diversity Dinner that we had last week.
These days we hear so much about the toxic partisan atmosphere in
Congress, titles like ``How Congress Became So Partisan'' in The
Washington Post to Nick Gass at Politico's piece, ``This Graphic Shows
How America's Partisan Divide Grew.'' The reports of Congress'
hyperpartisanship are abundant. The reports point to the loss of
camaraderie and friendship amongst colleagues across the aisle. This
perception undoubtedly contributes to our dismal 15 percent approval
rating.
Since my time as a State legislator in the Illinois statehouse, I
have been hosting Diversity Dinners to grow friendships and nurture
collegial working relations among legislators who may not otherwise
interact. Tonight as we discuss equality and diversity, I want to
reflect on what I see as encouraging in bridging differences and
understanding in different communities.
Last week I hosted, along with other Members, my second annual
congressional Diversity Dinner. Forty Members of Congress from both
parties, including Members from both Republican and Democratic
leadership, showed up and enjoyed a meal with their colleagues. During
the dinner, we weren't Democrats or Republicans; we were colleagues
with some great stories to share. At this year's dinner, I saw a
microcosm of our Nation, a crowd made up of Members from coast to coast
with truly diverse backgrounds coming together to enjoy each other's
company.
If we can put aside our partisan blinders to break bread together, I
am confident we can find ways to work together. That is what America
wants and needs, and that type of leadership is the kind of leadership
we deserve.
Today we have an opportunity to celebrate diversity and show that
bipartisanship can thrive in Congress. In recent months we have seen
the trust between political parties, law enforcement, and communities
across the Nation spike. Now is the time for us to come together to
address the reforms needed to rebuild this trust. Let's show the
American people that we are a diverse body that won't let party lines
divide us or define us.
Mr. PAYNE. I would like to thank the gentlewoman for her thoughtful
comments.
Madam Speaker, it is true, we have come to a point in this Nation
where one side has gone to one corner and the other side has gone to
another corner not to meet in the middle to solve issues and problems.
There was a time when this great body would compromise. You didn't get
everything you wanted, and I didn't get everything I wanted. So that
means we compromised and came to a decision.
The gentlewoman also makes a good point about working with Members on
the other side of the aisle. The gentlewoman from Arizona, the Speaker
pro tempore this evening, has become a great collaborator with myself
on the Homeland Security Subcommittee which she chairs, and we have
worked extensively together on legislation that we both support. We
need more of that. We need more of that to happen. We need to take the
time to hear each other, to listen, and to see where we don't agree on
everything but there are common threads that we can build and bind
together.
So with that, I am proud to see her sitting in that chair. I get to
sit next to her in committee, so it puts me closer to the Speaker's
chair, and I feel privileged for that.
Right now, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas, the Honorable
Sheila Jackson Lee. She is one of the most thoughtful Members of the
United States House of Representatives. She hails from Houston, Texas,
and she always has great words of wisdom, thoughts, and ideas on the
issues that we face in this great Nation.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I think by the spirit and the tone of
this Special Order we can see that there is hope and a pathway for
collaboration.
Let me thank Mr. Payne, who has evidenced those collaborative efforts
[[Page H3298]]
through his leadership on homeland security and successful leadership,
passing any number of legislative initiatives in a bipartisan manner. I
also am delighted to join Congresswoman Robin Kelly. And she is right.
She had a very successful Diversity Dinner last week, and I am sure it
outdid the one the year before, and there was a lot of cross-
pollination, good feelings, and discussions about very important
issues.
We found that America is a diverse nation, and we are happy when we
have the ability to understand each other's cultures or understand the
background that each of us have come from. Our own neighborhoods make
us different, our own faith modes are different, our family members'
mode is different, where we went to school. Yet in this place, the
American people ask us, as both Mr. Payne and Ms. Kelly are saying
today, to walk a pathway of bipartisanship, but really towards success.
So allow me just briefly to comment on one or two points regarding
diversity.
I would highlight that one of the areas is where I formerly served as
a member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. In years
past, we have gathered around science, technology, engineering, and
math, and we have gathered around transportation infrastructure. I hope
in our words tonight that we will find a way to forge a way forward for
transportation infrastructure, because every one of us needs not only
good roads, highways, and dams, but we need good public transportation,
as evidenced by the heinous and unacceptable tragedy last week with
Amtrak.
I might add that I am a space chauvinist, a NASA supporter. Many
centers are around the Nation. It is a job creator, as is
infrastructure, and I would hope that we would write a bill and have
Republicans and Democrats support the value of human space exploration.
What a pathway for bipartisanship. We haven't gone that way, Madam
Speaker, but I am hoping that the words we offer tonight will see us do
that.
Let me focus on my last point and indicate that we have a moment, a
significant moment in history. This is a great cause, and that cause is
to find a pathway for criminal justice reform. Yesterday marked the
61st anniversary of the landmark decision in Brown v. Board of
Education, a decision that overruled the separate but equal doctrine of
Plessy v. Ferguson and gave needed momentum for the fight for reform,
equality, and diversity in our Nation's schools and, I would say,
society at large.
Many communities are waiting for that kind of evenhandedness in
justice in the criminal justice system. This does not mean that we
throw targets at our friends in law enforcement. It means that we find
ways for there to be an acceptance that we all can stand improvement,
correction, enhancement, educational opportunities, tactics, and
training. There is no shame to any of that.
As I stood with our officers and families who were on the grounds of
the Capitol on May 15, as I joined them for the police memorial for
those who had fallen in duty, there were faces from all backgrounds,
and we were singularly noting the tragedy of lost officers. At the same
time as we mourn those officers, we know that there are officers who
will look to work with us as we move this criminal justice system
along.
I would just like to acknowledge that as we do so, we can find
bipartisanship, because the cost of incarceration, for example, is
almost prohibitive. Madam Speaker, $75 billion is spent on local,
State, and Federal incarceration. We have the largest percentage, 2
million people, incarcerated across America.
We can do better, and part of that is expanding community-oriented
policing, building trust, a bill that I introduced, H.R. 59, that would
create a pathway for ensuring that communities feel that they are being
protected but not feel differently that they are being, if you will,
put in a certain category to be utilized as a basis for revenue raising
in our communities.
Then we heard FBI Director Comey, and I agree with him. The science
of doing a better job is data and statistics. So I introduced the CADET
bill, Collection and Analysis of Data to Educate and Train Law
Enforcement Officers. What it simply means is give them the numbers,
the statistics, to know how they can do a better job at planning, going
forward, how they police. Let there be information for us to be able to
design the right kind of policing tactics that work for law enforcement
and for the community. It is right out of the FBI Director's playbook.
He said that we are operating without data, without statistics, and,
frankly, that is not what we should be doing.
Tomorrow we will be holding a hearing on the issue of police
accountability and gaining the facts in the Judiciary Committee, but
there is much more for us to do. For example, what are the educational
requirements? What are the various resources used for mental health?
And psychological needs and training and nonviolent conflict resolution
received by police forces, police officers, the feasibility and
emphasis of making greater use of the technological devices, such as
body cameras. But I want more technology, laptops. Many law enforcement
have laptops. We might need to move to iPads to be able to give them
quicker response times and quicker support systems, to be able to
ensure that we have the right tools to work together.
And yes, you cannot breathe life into the reform of a criminal
justice system if you do not have a component dealing with our youth,
so I have introduced, of course, the Juvenile Accountability Block
Grant Reauthorization bill and the antibullying Bullying Prevention and
Intervention Act to be able to address a sort of a cause and a release
for our young people. Madam Speaker, I would offer to say that there is
much work that we can do. We will be looking at the legislation that
many people have passed.
I want to conclude on this note, to simply acknowledge the ranking
member, John Conyers, on the Judiciary Committee that wants to join
together with me to embrace the legislative initiatives of our Members
to get the right kind of omnibus bill going forward for the American
public to see criminal justice reform. I want to thank my colleagues
for allowing me these comments and, as well, the bipartisan approach
that you have taken.
Madam Speaker, yesterday marked the 61st anniversary of the landmark
decision in Brown v. Board of Education, the decision that overruled
the ``separate but equal doctrine'' of Plessey v. Ferguson and gave
needed momentum to the fight for reform, equality, and diversity in our
nation's schools and society at large.
Although much progress has been made in narrowing the gap between the
nation's founding ideals and the objective reality, recent events
demonstrate that we still have a ways to go before the dream of the
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is realized in the areas of criminal
justice reform, economic opportunity, and workplace diversity.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
Madam Speaker, the problems revealed by several of the more notorious
incidents involving the use of lethal force against unarmed citizens
that have captured the attention of the nation over the past several
months require a national response because the problems identified are
not isolated or limited to one region of the country.
For example, the death of 43 year-old Eric Garner resulting from the
application of a NYPD police chokehold occurred in the Northeast and
the death of 18 year-old Michael Brown and the resulting events in
Ferguson occurred in the border state of Missouri.
The killing of 12 year-old Tamir Rice by a Cleveland police officer
occurred in the Midwest and death of unarmed 26 year-old Jordan Baker
by an off-duty Houston police officer occurred in Texas.
In Phoenix, Arizona, Rumain Brisbon, an unarmed black father of four,
was shot to death when a police officer allegedly mistook his bottle of
pills for a gun.
In Pasadena, California 19 year-old Kendrec McDade was chased and
shot seven times by two police officers after a 911 caller falsely
reported he had been robbed at gunpoint by two black men, neither of
whom in fact was armed.
And, of course, on April 4, the conscience of the nation was shocked
by the horrifying killing of 50 year-old Walter Scott by a North
Charleston police officer in the southern state of South Carolina.
Madam Speaker, while the problem is national in scope, it appears to
affect disproportionately and adversely a particular demographic group:
African American males.
Because all lives matter in our great nation, it is imperative that
we in Congress act swiftly and decisively to focus much needed
attention and resources on legislative proposals intended to address
the problem of misuse of
[[Page H3299]]
lethal force by law enforcement and to rebuild the public trust and
confidence needed to ensure that law enforcement receive and maintain
the support of the communities they serve and protect.
As Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime,
Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, I note that there are
several promising legislative criminal justice reform initiatives that
have been introduced and are worthy of consideration.
Among them are H.R. 59, the ``Build TRUST in Municipal Law
Enforcement Act of 2015'' (Rept. Jackson Lee); H.R. 1459, the Democracy
Restoration Act of 2015 (Rep. Conyers); H.R. 1810, the ``Collection and
Analysis of Data to Educate and Train Law Enforcement Officers''
(``CADET Act''); H.R. 920, the ``Smarter Sentencing Act of 2015''
(Rept. Labrador); and S. 675, the ``Record Expungement Designed to
Enhance Employment Act of 2015'' (REDEEM Act) (Sens. Paul and Booker).
Madam Speaker, earlier this year FBI Director James Comey delivered a
remarkable speech at Georgetown University in which he laid out several
hard truths about the administration of the criminal justice system and
state of community policing in our country.
One of the hardest truths discussed by Director Comey is the fact we
have limited information and inadequate data regarding the scope and
extent of the problems endemic in the criminal justice system.
This lack of information hampers the ability of policymakers and
administrators at the federal, state, and local level to identify and
implement laws, policies, and practices to remedy identified problems.
The Judiciary Committee should immediately conduct hearings to
educate the Congress and the public on the nature and extent of
deficiencies in the nation's criminal justice systems and the efficacy
of proposed solutions.
Specifically, hearings should be held to investigate practices and
policies governing: 1. the use of lethal force by state and local
police departments; 2. educational requirements, mental health and
psychological evaluations, and training in non-violent conflict
resolution received by veteran law enforcement officers and new
recruits; and 3. the feasibility and efficacy of making greater use of
technological devices such as body cameras.
A fourth area to be explored is the state of the social science
research in the academic study of criminal justice reform because there
is much the Committee can learn by engaging leading experts in the
field regarding the state of knowledge in their respective disciplines.
Madam Speaker, reforming the criminal justice system so that it
dispenses justice impartially and equally to all persons is one of the
most important challenges facing this Congress.
And it is a goal that can be achieved if we work together in a spirit
of goodwill and bipartisan cooperation.
There are few things we can do that will provide a greater service to
our nation.
Jobs and Economic Opportunity
Madam Speaker, the current unemployment rate for African Americans is
9.6%, this is nearly twice of the 4.7% unemployment rate of white
Americans.
African American children between the age of 16 and 19 have an
unemployment rate of 27.5% whereas the unemployment rate for white
teenagers of the same age is 14.5%.
The median African American (34,600) household income is nearly
24,000 less than the median income for White Americans' household.
African Americans are almost 3 times more likely to live in poverty
than white Americans.
Madam Speaker, although the unemployment rate has decreased over the
past year, a significant race-gap still remains.
workplace diversity
Workplace diversity is critical to an organization's success and
competitiveness.
Workplace Diversity allows for an increased adaptability, broader
service range, a variety of viewpoints, and more effective execution.
Madam Speaker, with an increasingly global economy, the workforce has
become more diverse, and an organizations success depends on its
ability to manage diversity.
That is why, for example, introduced an amendment that was adopted by
the House to H.R. 4899, the ``Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an
America that Works Act of 2014,'' to include legislation establishing
an Interior Department Office of Energy Employment and Training charged
with working with minority-serving educational institutions and other
to expand the numbers and diversity of persons from across the
voluntary with the skills and qualifications needed to take advantage
of the exciting and rewarding opportunities that American energy
industry has to offer and to keep America the world leaders in emerging
energy technologies.
I also introduced H.R. 70, the ``Deficit Reduction, Job Creation, and
Energy Security Act,'' that requires the Secretary to establish an
office of Energy Employment and Training and an Office of Minority and
Women Inclusion responsible for all matters of the Department of the
Interior relating to diversity in management, employment, and business
activities.
I also introduced, and the House adopted, an amendment to H.R. 4923,
``Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act
for FY 2015,'' that increased funding for the Office of Economic Impact
and Diversity by $500,000 to provide grants to Minority Serving
Institutions to expand STEM programs and opportunities.
Mr. PAYNE. I really appreciate the always thoughtful and timely
remarks by the gentlewoman from Texas.
Madam Speaker, at this time I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Sessions), a gentleman who has served this House with distinction. He
served with my father, and now I have the great opportunity to work
with him.
Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New
Jersey. In fact, he did refer to the relationship that I had with Don
Payne, a young Congressman from New Jersey who, in fact, engaged me as
a new Member in the Caribbean Caucus. During that period of time that I
engaged with the Congressman's father, we tried to pay attention to the
Caribbean, as some would say, a gateway to the United States of
America, but a land of a number of islands of people who are not only
most accommodating to the United States of America, but really
thoughtful in ingenuity involved in the people of the Caribbean.
{time} 1945
I found through the relationship that I had with then-Congressman
Payne, as he was co-chairman of the Caribbean Caucus, I learned the
things that he tried to teach me about not only people, but about a
relationship with the United States of America.
I do miss Don. I want to thank the gentleman for not only knowing
that, but acknowledging that. I want to thank the gentleman for
yielding time to me to file the rule.
I thank the gentleman.
Mr. PAYNE. I would like to thank the gentleman from Texas who, as I
said, has had a distinguished career to this point and will continue to
show great leadership in this House of Representatives, and I thank him
for his friendship.
General Leave
Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and to include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order
tonight.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, we heard a common thread about diversity.
At the bottom of the Statue of Liberty, there are words on it and it
says: ``Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to
breathe free.''
That has allowed many diverse people come here and look for the
freedom that this Nation can extend to you and prosper. We need to
continue that great tradition.
I hear a lot these days about the borders and eliminating pathways to
come here, and that has not been our tradition, so I do not believe, at
this point in time in this Nation's history, that we should talk that
way, or else, we should remove those words from the bottom of Lady
Liberty.
Equality and diversity is the center of criminal justice concerns.
The inequality force is distrust which erodes relationships between
police and communities. Baltimore and other police-related tragedies
over the past year speak to the broader challenges.
Unfortunately, racial discrimination persists throughout our Nation,
undercutting the gains of African Americans in their communities.
As we work to reform our criminal justice system, we must also work
in support of equality in all context. This is the only way to fully
meet the needs of our communities.
As a caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus is committed to ensuring
that the increasing diversity of the Nation is reflected in American
business. To that end, we will make sure that American businesses
receive the government contracts and tax preferences and taking
concrete steps to improve diversity in efforts at all levels.
[[Page H3300]]
Diversity in the workforce means diversity in all sectors, including
technology industries where there is a lack of African Americans. We
need to engage the tech center in increasing African American
representation and inclusion in the industry.
The American promise that we all are created equal must guide our
efforts at all levels, from policing in our communities, to expanding
opportunities for minorities in the workforce.
Madam Speaker, there has to be balance in everything. We see the
issues that towns such as Ferguson and Baltimore and Long Island, New
York, have suffered with the tragedies of losing people in those
communities, but we also know that police organizations have a
difficult job, and they are trained to protect and serve. We must make
sure that that is the goal, to protect and serve.
Unfortunately, at times, we find circumstances or situations where
they are in a position where they are not protecting and serving, but
more like an occupying force. That is not what we need from our law
enforcement officers.
We need for them to engage in the community and understand what is
going on in that community and have a good enough relationship that,
when and if there is a circumstance where they need information, that
the community feels comfortable enough to go to them with the
information they need in order to serve the issue.
There is good and bad in everyone, Madam Speaker. There are good
public servants and bad public servants; there are good teachers and
bad teachers; there are good speakers and bad speakers, poor speakers,
but, when it comes to law enforcement, we need to have them serve the
community.
I stand here to say I thank them for the difficult task that they
have every single day, to go into the community, and their families say
good-bye to them and hope they return from that shift that evening. I
don't take it lightly.
There is enough responsibility on all sides, from law enforcement and
from the community, that has a responsibility to law enforcement, but
we need to continue to strive to make this a more perfect union.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly).
Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you, Congressman Payne. I did want to
say to Madam Speaker, I appreciate you participating in the Diversity
Dinners last week. I can't have Congressman Payne have a one-up on me,
so thank you so much. I really appreciate it.
As we continue our conversation on accountability, equality, and
diversity, I would like to offer some statistics on our economy 50
years ago and today with respect to the African American community and
women.
In 1965, African American jobseekers could be denied employment based
on the color of their skin; and, when they could find jobs, they were
disproportionately paid less than White males in the same position. In
fact, in 1965, the Black unemployment rate was 8.1 percent, almost
twice the national unemployment rate which stood at 4.5 percent.
Fifty years later, we have made great strides, and our Nation's
workforce is more diverse than ever, but we have much more work to do.
Today, at 10.4 percent, the Black unemployment rate is still almost
double the national unemployment rate of 5.6 percent. While it is
significantly smaller, there is still a racial wage gap.
The median African American household has less than two-thirds the
income of the average White median household. In the past year, we have
seen the greatest economic growth in decades. More and more women have
been able to enter the workforce, reducing the employment rate among
women to a 6-year low.
Unfortunately, Black women have yet to reap the benefits of the
economic rebound. In fact, while the overall unemployment rate for
women declined, the Black female unemployment rate has increased over
the past 2 months. According to a recent analysis by the National
Women's Law Center, the Black women's unemployment rate is more than
twice the unemployment rate of White women.
Despite having comparable levels of education, Black women have had
the highest unemployment rate of any other group. A possible factor in
the stubborn unemployment rate for Black women is that we are
disproportionately employed in the public sector, which is experiencing
a much slower recovery than the private sector.
NWLC said the stagnant job situation for Black women is a ``red
flag'' in the employment landscape and urged lawmakers to act to
promote a stronger, more widely shared recovery. I couldn't agree more.
We need to invest more in job training and retraining programs that
help Black women adapt to the changing workforce and prepare for the
careers of tomorrow. We must work to promote diversity in hiring and
encourage employers to model their workforces on the communities in
which they operate.
As we look for ways to help increase diversity in the workplace and
help women succeed, we must be mindful of the unique challenges Black
women face and develop targeted policies that help level the playing
field for all women.
These facts I have just covered point to the systemic problems. We
need to address them today. It should be our mission today to see to it
that in 50 years, when lawmakers stand here, they will proudly be
touting the progress our Nation has made because all Americans are paid
equally and no is discriminated against in the workplace.
As chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, I am
working to address our Nation's health equity gap by exploring
legislative and policy initiatives to reduce minority health
disparities and promote better health outcomes for all Americans.
With respect to the African American community, the health disparity
gap is particularly wide as Blacks have high rates of many adverse
health conditions. Across the medical spectrum--from cancer to
diabetes, from hypertension to stroke--Blacks are overrepresented and
often undertreated.
A major barrier to African Americans getting the medical care they
need is the lack of African American doctors in their communities.
Studies show that African Americans are more comfortable seeking
treatment from doctors who look like them and are much more likely to
adhere to courses of treatment prescribed by Black doctors; yet, while
African Americans comprise 13 percent of the U.S. population, we
represent only 4 percent of the physician workforce, according to the
Association of American Medical Colleges' 2014 diversity in the
physician workforce report.
The infamous Tuskegee study fostered an enduring legacy of mistrust
of the medical establishment in the African American community that
makes diversity in medicine vital to closing the health disparities
gap.
In order to achieve health equity, we must work to create a physician
workforce that reflects our Nation. One key way to do that is to
encourage more African Americans to pursue education and training in
science, technology, engineering, and math. Congress must do more to
support investments in STEM education and to create avenues of access
for African American students to enter the STEM fields.
In my district, I launched the Second Congressional District STEM
Academy to expose students to STEM fields in hopes of encouraging them
to pursue STEM-related careers.
Also, a STEM workforce made up of diverse ranks is crucial to future
innovation. To help in that mission, folks across the country and in
Silicon Valley have taken note. I know Facebook has sought to change
the face of innovation through efforts like their Facebook Academy and
Facebook University, which target high school and college students from
underrepresented groups.
Similar to my STEM Academy, it is good to see them making an effort
to build a pipeline and introduce women and people of color to jobs in
STEM--which, of course, could be IT, engineering--and hopefully, more
young people decide to become doctors, and they can work in African
American communities or underserved communities.
A medical student population that reflects our country's population
will create a pipeline of diverse doctors to our communities which
will, in turn, put all Americans on track to live a healthier life.
[[Page H3301]]
I turn back to my colleague from New Jersey, Congressman Donald
Payne.
Mr. PAYNE. Thank you, Ms. Kelly. We appreciate your comments.
In closing, I would like to thank you for cohosting the Special Order
on criminal justice reform, accountability, and diversity. It is
through these Special Orders that we are able to speak directly to our
constituents about the valuable work the Congressional Black Caucus
does to reduce injustice and promote equality for all African American
communities.
Our criminal justice and police systems are in a state of crisis. Too
often, under these systems, Black lives are treated as though they
don't matter. We saw this last month, when Baltimore's Freddie Gray
died in police custody from a brutal spine injury. Such tragedies erode
trust between our communities and the police.
This problem is compounded by a wide range of factors, from
disturbing gaps in incarceration rates to racial disparities in
sentencing. We need a system that holds criminals accountable and
protects law enforcement while, at the same time, ensuring the safety
and equal treatment of all communities.
This includes implementing police body cameras in order to promote
transparency and accountability while deterring wrongdoing.
{time} 2000
At the same time, we need to make sure that law enforcement officers
don't resort to discriminatory policing practices.
It is undeniable that racial profiling remains an ongoing crisis in
our Nation. There is a clear and growing need to ensure a robust and
comprehensive Federal commitment to ending racial profiling by law
enforcement agencies. The End Racial Profiling Act, which I proudly
support, would do just that. It was constructed after a law in New
Jersey, authored by my uncle, Assemblyman William Payne. It was the
first racial profiling law passed in the United States, a law of which
I am very proud. I took that idea and brought it Federal.
Of course, real accountability means that we will, at times, need
independent investigations of police-related deaths. We are glad to
see, finally, Attorney General Lynch launch an investigation into the
Baltimore Police Department, with the stated goal of assisting police
departments across the country in developing their practices. In less
than 1 month on the job, Attorney General Lynch is already making a
difference, and we thank her for that.
As we reflect on the dire need for the reform of our criminal justice
system, we need to advance the cause of equality in all contexts. This
means expanding diversity in the workforce, in health, and in all
aspects of life--from the mailroom to the boardroom, from the
manufacturing industry to the technology sector. Many of these
challenges we face today are great, but as a caucus, we remain
committed to solving them.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today along
with my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus, in support of
today's Special Order Hour: ``The Urgency of Now: Addressing Reform,
Accountability, Equality and Diversity.'' As the conscience of the
Congress since 1971, these issues are of paramount importance to the
Congressional Black Caucus in the 114th Congress.
There is a crisis in America--one that centers on criminal justice
reform and law enforcement accountability. Just over a month ago,
Freddie Gray lost his life at the hands of the police in a city plagued
by a weak economy, high levels of crime, and a lack of good-paying
jobs. While Baltimore is a city with a unique set of issues, its
problems are common to many of America's inner cities. The pressure to
address, not only the police accountability and criminal justice
issues, but the context in which those issues arise, grows
exponentially with each new tragedy.
As we watch American cities battered, bruised and burned during
demonstrative outcries against injustice, I am reminded of the words of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ``We are now faced with the fact that
tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In
this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there ``is'' such a thing
as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a
time for vigorous and positive action.'' These words are just as true
today as they were when Dr. King delivered them at the 1963 March on
Washington.
Far too often, unarmed African American men die at the hands at
police officers with little or no accountability. This reinforces the
painful narrative that black life is not valued in this country. It is
sad, yet very telling, that Americans celebrated when state officials
announced that criminal charges were being brought against the
Baltimore police involved in Freddie Gray's death. For too long,
African-American communities nationwide felt as if no one could hear
its cry. But the cries are not just the result of pain caused by police
brutality. They are the result of a nation divided: one that grants
access to quality healthcare to some, while denying it for others; one
that provides economic security for a privileged few, while denying
opportunities to the poor and the middle class; one that seeks justice
for the unwarranted taking of a human life; while ignoring the rising
death toll of American youth at the hands of police officers.
We cannot view the situations in Baltimore and Ferguson as limited
incidents; instead, we have to look at the toxic environments that
birthed these situations of unrest. If we do not comprehensively
address the systemic issues that plague cities like Baltimore,
relations between the people and its government will only grow worse.
It is time that we honor the sacred truth of this nation--that all men
are created equal, and demand equal justice. As we strive to become a
more perfected union, it is imperative that the commitments of the
American system be applied to African-Americans, just as it is to every
other American. Madam Speaker, the urgency of addressing these issues
has reached its pinnacle. Congress must act. We must act swiftly, and
we must act now.
Mr. PAYNE. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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