[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 213 (Wednesday, December 16, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H7162-H7163]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 MOBILITY, INNOVATION, AND PLACEMAKING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Hall) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HALL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak to the importance and 
interrelationship of mobility, innovation and placemaking.
  In honor of my predecessor, the late Honorable John Lewis, I am happy 
to offer the John Lewis TOD Innovation Loop. The John Lewis TOD 
Innovation Loop envisions spurring over $5 billion of economic 
development in Georgia's Fifth District in honor of the legacy of 
Congressman John Lewis' sacrifice and commitment to equity, justice, 
and economic empowerment.
  Specifically, this project provides an opportunity to achieve justice 
in mobility and placemaking through strategic land use and transit-
oriented development.
  Campbellton Road, a major artery of this project, is the area where 
both of Congressman Lewis' homes were located. This funding will 
ultimately create a snowball effect for signature catalytic projects, 
such as Fort McPherson TOD, Tyler Perry Studios, Greenbriar, and 
Westgate redevelopments.
  One of the first projects in the John Lewis TOD Innovation Loop is 
high-capacity transit in the Campbellton Road corridor. The project 
will introduce Light Rail Transit or Bus Rapid Transit to the area 
served by one the city's busiest bus routes.
  All told, this will create billions of dollars of economic 
revitalization, which will result in greater transportation options, 
better quality of life, and renewed civic engagement. I encourage my 
colleagues to support this project.
  I include in the Record an appropriations request in honor of John 
Lewis.


                                      Congressman Kwanza Hall,

                         5th District, Georgia, December 14, 2020.

  The John Lewis TOD Innovation Loop--Towards Justice in Mobility and 
                              Placemaking

       I am happy to submit this extraordinary appropriations 
     request in honor of John Lewis. The John Lewis TOD Innovation 
     Loop envisions spurring over $5 Billion of economic 
     development in Georgia's Fifth District in honor of the 
     legacy of Congressman John Lewis' sacrifice and commitment to 
     equity, justice and economic empowerment. Specifically this 
     project provides an opportunity to achieve justice in 
     mobility (transportation) and placemaking through strategic 
     land use and transit oriented development (TOD). Campbellton 
     Road, a major artery of this project, is the area where both 
     of Congressman Lewis' homes were located.


 Immediate 2020 Funding Request for the John Lewis TOD Innovation Loop

       1. $5M for development of the conceptual plan.
       2. $50M for Accelerated Campbellton Road Bus Rapid Transit 
     project.
       This funding will ultimately create a snowball effect for 
     signature catalytic projects listed below. Their estimated 
     economic impacts are:
       Fort McPherson TOD / Tyler Perry Studios, $800M.
       Oakland City TOD, $200M.
       Campbellton Road or Bus Rapid Transit and future Light 
     Rail, $50M/$250M.
       Greenbriar--Westgate Area, $1B.
       John Lewis Senior Transit Center @ Barge Rd, $500M.
       Camp Creek @ Campbellton Road, $200M.
       Campbellton @ Fulton Industrial, $200M.
       Fulton Industrial @ MLK Drive, $200M.
       Aerotropolis (Atlanta Airport Area), $1.7B.
       Total impact: $5.05 Billion.
       One of the first projects in the John Lewis TOD Innovation 
     Loop is high-capacity transit in the Campbellton Road 
     Corridor. This project will assist in transforming this 
     corridor of established neighborhoods and businesses into a 
     vibrant, pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use community and could 
     incentivize major redevelopment efforts at Greenbriar Mall 
     and Fort McPherson. The project will introduce Light Rail 
     Transit or Bus Rapid Transit to the area served by one of the 
     city's busiest bus routes. The budget is $50 million and the 
     project would be administered by Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit 
     Authority.
       For more information visit: https://www.itsmarta.com/
campbellton-corridor.aspx


                     Problems in America's Prisons

  Mr. HALL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to draw the Chamber's attention 
to a second problem, a problem in America's prisons.
  I include in the Record the following hyperlink to an article from 
Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/section/usa-jails.
  The article draws attention to the private prisons, the death 
penalty, and COVID. These are longstanding challenges in our criminal 
justice system. Also on the list of problems, but not

[[Page H7163]]

mentioned in that article, are life sentences, the Federal sentencing 
guidelines, and solitary confinement.
  I am supplementing to this statement and to the article an 
appropriations proposal. Were it here during the appropriations 
process, I would submit this proposal so that it may be integrated into 
future appropriations vehicles.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of several pieces of legislation 
that I am proud to co-sponsor on behalf of the people of Georgia's 5th 
Congressional District.
  First, I will highlight several pieces of legislation critical to 
fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. As a survivor of COVID-19, I know 
firsthand the pain and difficulty this terrible disease has caused too 
many Americans.
  Health care is a right, not a privilege. Ensuring that every American 
has high-quality health care is never more important than during a 
pandemic that has claimed nearly 300,000 American lives. That is why I 
support H.R. 6317, the Ensuring Coverage in Public Health Emergencies 
Act, introduced by the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Doggett, and hope to 
be added as a co-sponsor this week. This bill would create a special 
30-day enrollment period during public health emergencies to allow 
employees to enroll in health plans. It also would require coverage of 
services like vaccines, diagnostic testing, and treatment and care.
  As we fight the pandemic, it is critical to address the racial and 
ethnic disparities in how COVID-19 affects Americans. Systemic health, 
economic, and social inequities mean that minority communities have 
borne the worst of this terrible disease--in cases, deaths, jobs lost, 
and pay cut. We are, sadly, not all in this together. H.R. 6585, the 
Equitable Data Collection and Disclosure on COVID-19 Act, and H.R. 
6763, the COVID-19 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Task Force Act, were 
both introduced by the gentlewoman from Illinois, Ms. Kelly. These 
bills will provide critical information and attention to this problem 
and help to mitigate the effects that this disease has had on 
communities like the ones I represent, and I look forward to being 
added as a co-sponsor.
  Black women experience some of the worst systemic disparities in 
health, housing, employment, and education. I am proud to support two 
other bills co-sponsored by Congresswoman Kelly of Illinois and hope to 
be added as a co-sponsor. H.R. 8196, the Protect Black Women and Girls 
Act would establish an Interagency Task Force to examine the complex 
problems and make recommendations for policy changes to help increase 
opportunity for our mothers, sisters, and daughters. H.R. 1897, the 
Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMA's) Act, 
will direct federal resources to prevent maternal mortality and expand 
Medicaid to cover one year of postpartum needs. Georgia faces a crisis: 
My state has the worst maternal mortality rate in the country, and many 
women, particularly women of color, lack access to critical pre- and 
postpartum services and lack health insurance. We know that we all do 
better when we all do better, and as we rebuild our country from the 
ruin caused by the pandemic, we must leave no one behind.
  During a time in which we need people to stay home as much as 
possible, but people have lost jobs and income, it is more critical 
than ever to provide critical housing assistance. The CARES Act 
provided many homeowners with the right to have all mortgage payments 
completely paused for a period of time. Renters, however, face a 
patchwork of regulations across the country that leave them in more 
uncertain positions. That is why I co-sponsored H.R. 6820, the 
Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act, 
introduced by Mr. Heck of Washington. This bill would provide $100 
million in emergency assistance to help prevent people at risk of 
homelessness from finding themselves on the street. Especially as 
coronavirus cases rise and as the weather gets colder, we must ensure 
that as many people as possible are able to safely find the protection 
and dignity of their own home.
  Our nation's experience with COVID-19 has highlighted this country's 
need for paid family and medical leave. H.R. 1185, the FAMILY Act, 
introduced by the gentlewoman from Connecticut, Ms. DeLauro, would 
create a new paid family and medical leave system run by the Social 
Security Administration. Under this system, workers and employers would 
split the very modest cost of the program. Paid leave benefits 
employers and employees alike--workers have time and flexibility to 
help themselves or their families through personal crises, while 
employers can afford to keep trained workers on the job. But the United 
States is the only rich nation without it. Paid leave would have helped 
save countless jobs and businesses during this difficult year.
  Sadly, COVID-19 is not the only epidemic facing the American people. 
This summer, the rest of the country was reminded of what my 
constituents in Metro Atlanta know all too well: that people of color, 
particularly African-Americans, face systemic racism every day. 
Sometimes, this discrimination manifests itself as unnecessary and 
brutal police violence, as we saw in the murders of George Floyd, 
Breanna Taylor, and, in my district, Rayshard Brooks. Black Lives 
Matter, and their Black Lives Mattered.
  I have co-sponsored legislation to ensure police treat citizens with 
dignity and respect and are accountable to the communities they serve. 
First, I am proud to introduce a bill aimed at abolishing qualified 
immunity, which helps shield police officers who break the law from 
accountability. H.R. 4408, the Eric Garner Excessive Use of Force 
Prevention Act, introduced by the chairman of our caucus, Mr. Jeffries 
of New York, would forbid the use of police chokeholds. I also support 
H.R. 7100, the George Floyd Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, 
introduced by the gentlewoman from Texas, Ms. Jackson Lee. This 
comprehensive legislation improves accountability by introducing new 
accreditation standards related to use of force, civilian review, and 
other provisions like training and data collection.
  We also must do all we can to erase the bitter legacy left by 
enslavement and forced bondage. H.R. 40, sponsored by the gentlewoman 
from Texas, Ms. Jackson Lee, would create a commission to study and 
develop reparations proposals for African-Americans. Black communities 
today still suffer from the wages, property, and rights stolen by 
slavery and Jim Crow. We must also work to end the forced labor that 
still exists due to mass incarceration, and I am proud to introduce a 
constitutional amendment to end that horrific practice that perpetuates 
human suffering.
  H.R. 7217, the Confederate Monument Removal Act, introduced by the 
gentlewoman from California, Ms. Lee, would remove all Confederate 
memorials from the United States Capitol, so that we do not risk 
perpetuating the myths of white supremacy to a new, more diverse, more 
inclusive generation of Americans. I strongly support efforts in the 
Georgia General Assembly to replace the state's statue of Alexander 
Stephens in Statuary Hall with one honoring my predecessor and friend, 
the late Honorable John Lewis. Congressman Lewis challenged the 
historical status quo in the South by championing civil and human 
rights through peaceful, dramatic, nonviolent action, dating from his 
tenure as president of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee 
and including his 17 terms serving in this House.
  I am also proud to join two other bills important to my constituents.
  H.R. 2975, the Women's Health Protection Act, offered by the 
gentlewoman from California, Ms. Chu, prohibits states like Georgia 
from restricting access to abortion services. Georgia has some of the 
most restrictive abortion laws in the country, but my constituents 
deserve to make their own choices regarding their health.
  Lastly, H.R. 5349, the Protect SNAP Act, was introduced by the 
gentlewoman from Connecticut, Ms. DeLauro. This bill prohibits the 
administration from limiting access to the Supplemental Nutrition 
Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. Last year, the 
administration announced a plan to make nearly 700,000 people 
ineligible for food assistance. We know SNAP is critical to making sure 
that children in the richest country in the world have food in their 
stomachs, and it would be doubly irresponsible to deny them help during 
a pandemic and recession. Congress must do all it can to ensure this 
vital program is strengthened and expanded, not cut.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to represent the people of Georgia's 5th 
Congressional District. I believe these bills to be some of the 
critically important measures this body should be considering and 
passing to help the American people through this difficult time.

                          ____________________