[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 54 (Monday, March 28, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H3883-H3887]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 COVID-19 AMERICAN HISTORY PROJECT ACT

  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4738) to direct the American Folklife Center at the Library 
of Congress to establish a history project to collect video and audio 
recordings of personal histories and testimonials, written materials, 
and photographs of those who were affected by COVID-19, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4738

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``COVID-19 American History 
     Project Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds as follows:
       (1) COVID-19 is a highly infectious respiratory illness 
     caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2. This disease has caused 
     a worldwide pandemic affecting millions of people and has 
     fundamentally altered the operations of the world's cities, 
     businesses, and schools.
       (2) The outbreak of COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, 
     China, and on January 21, 2020, the first confirmed case of 
     COVID-19 was diagnosed in the United States.
       (3) The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a 
     global pandemic on March 11, 2020, and the President of the 
     United States issued a national emergency declaration 
     concerning the pandemic on March 13, 2020.

[[Page H3884]]

       (4) To date, 194 million individuals have tested positive 
     for COVID-19. Of those, 35 million are Americans; that is, 
     more than one of every 10 Americans. Almost 4.2 million 
     people have died from COVID-19 globally, and over 610,000 
     deaths have occurred in the United States.
       (5) The first American received the COVID-19 vaccine on 
     December 14, 2020. Since then, 163 million Americans have 
     been vaccinated and 188.5 million have received at least one 
     dose. The vaccine became available to every American adult 18 
     and older on April 19, 2021.
       (6) While there are still remaining cases, and healthcare 
     professionals and researchers are tirelessly working to 
     eradicate the disease, it is important we begin work to fully 
     capture the firsthand personal stories of those impacted by 
     COVID-19, a major national event in the history of this 
     country.
       (7) Oral histories are of immeasurable value to historians, 
     researchers, authors, journalists, film makers, scholars, 
     students, and citizens of all walks of life. Survivors of the 
     pandemic, survivors of loved ones who lost their lives to 
     COVID-19, and frontline healthcare workers should be 
     remembered and can provide valuable firsthand knowledge on 
     how this pandemic impacted their everyday lives.
       (8) It is in the Nation's best interest to collect and 
     catalog oral histories of Americans who were affected by the 
     pandemic so that future generations will have original 
     sources of information regarding the lives and times of those 
     who lived through or died from the COVID-19 pandemic and 
     conditions under which they endured. These accounts will 
     allow an opportunity for Americans to remember those who lost 
     their lives and may learn firsthand of the heroics, 
     loneliness, horrors, and triumphs of the healthcare workers 
     who combated this pandemic.
       (9) The Library of Congress, as the Nation's oldest Federal 
     cultural institution and largest and most inclusive library 
     in human history, is an appropriate repository to collect, 
     preserve, and make available to the public an archive of 
     these oral histories. The Library's American Folklife Center 
     has expertise in the management of documentation projects and 
     experience in the development of cultural and educational 
     projects for the public.
       (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to create a new 
     federally sponsored, authorized, and funded project that will 
     coordinate at a national level the collection of video and 
     audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials, 
     written materials, and photographs of Americans who 
     contracted COVID-19, individuals who lost family members and 
     friends to COVID-19, and healthcare workers who fought to 
     treat the illness. These stories will inform, assist, and 
     encourage local efforts to preserve the stories of this 
     pandemic and the ones who lost their battle to the pandemic.

     SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROJECT AT AMERICAN FOLKLIFE CENTER 
                   TO COLLECT VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDINGS, WRITTEN 
                   MATERIALS, AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF INDIVIDUALS 
                   AFFECTED BY COVID-19.

       (a) In General.--The Director of the American Folklife 
     Center at the Library of Congress shall establish a history 
     project to be known as the ``COVID-19 American History 
     Project'' (hereafter referred to as the ``Project'') to--
       (1) collect video and audio recordings of personal 
     histories and testimonials of individuals who contracted 
     COVID-19, individuals who lost family members to COVID-19, 
     and frontline healthcare workers who fought to treat the 
     illness;
       (2) create a collection of the recordings obtained 
     (including a catalog and index) which will be available for 
     public use through the National Digital Library of the 
     Library of Congress and such other methods as the Director 
     considers appropriate, to the extent feasible and subject to 
     available resources; and
       (3) solicit, reproduce, and collect written materials (such 
     as letters and diaries) and photographs relevant to the 
     personal histories of individuals who contracted COVID-19, 
     individuals who lost family members and friends to COVID-19, 
     and frontline healthcare workers who fought to treat the 
     illness, and catalog such materials in a manner the Director 
     considers appropriate, consistent with and complimentary to 
     the efforts described in paragraphs (1) and (2).
       (b) Use of and Consultation With Other Entities.--The 
     Director may carry out the activities described in paragraphs 
     (1) and (3) of subsection (a) through agreements and 
     partnerships entered into with other government and private 
     entities, and may otherwise consult with interested persons 
     (within the limits of available resources) and develop 
     appropriate guidelines and arrangements for soliciting, 
     acquiring, and making available recordings, written 
     materials, and photographs under the Project. The recordings, 
     written materials, and photographs shall be available on the 
     Library of Congress website and may be used to educate the 
     public on the impacts COVID-19 has on everyday Americans.
       (c) Timing.--As soon as practicable after the enactment of 
     this Act, the Director shall begin collecting video and audio 
     recordings under subsection (a)(1).

     SEC. 4. PRIVATE SUPPORT.

       (a) Acceptance of Donations.--The Librarian of Congress may 
     solicit and accept donations of funds and in-kind 
     contributions to carry out the Project, subject to subsection 
     (c).
       (b) Establishment of Separate Gift Account.--There is 
     established in the Treasury (among the accounts of the 
     Library of Congress) a gift account for the Project.
       (c) Dedication of Funds.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law--
       (1) any funds donated to the Librarian of Congress to carry 
     out the Project shall be deposited entirely into the gift 
     account established under subsection (b);
       (2) the funds contained in such account shall be available 
     only to the extent and in the amounts provided in advance in 
     appropriations Acts;
       (3) the funds contained in such account shall be used 
     solely to carry out the Project; and
       (4) the Librarian of Congress may not deposit into such 
     account any funds donated to the Librarian which are not 
     donated for the exclusive purpose of carrying out the 
     Project.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     Act--
       (1) $250,000 for fiscal year 2023; and
       (2) such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding 
     fiscal year, except that no funds are authorized to be 
     appropriated to carry out this Act for any fiscal year which 
     begins after the expiration of the 3-year period beginning on 
     the date of the termination of the declaration of the public 
     health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health 
     Service Act on January 31, 2020, entitled ``Determination 
     that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the 
     Result of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus''.

     SEC. 6. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney 
Davis) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania.


                             General Leave

  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4738 establishes a COVID-19 history program within 
the Library of Congress' American Folklife Center.
  March 11 of this year marked the second anniversary of the World 
Health Organization's official designation of COVID-19 as a pandemic. 
Since then, more than 6 million people worldwide have succumbed to the 
disease, almost a million in the United States alone, and hundreds of 
millions more have suffered from its debilitating effects.
  Experts agree that current statistics are likely undercounting the 
disease's actual toll. Indeed, the true scale of social and economic 
devastation caused by the virus may never be known.
  Although the virus continues to disrupt daily life in ways both seen 
and unseen, through American ingenuity and sheer force of will, several 
effective vaccines were developed in record time. These vaccines 
continue to be an important tool as the fight to eradicate the 
coronavirus goes on.
  As the country and world enter this next phase of the pandemic, it is 
important that we preserve the stories of those who lived through it. 
COVID-19 is not the first pandemic, and it will not be the last. 
Humanity has endured Black Death, cholera, influenza, HIV, AIDS, and 
the list goes on. As devastating as these diseases can be, there are 
lessons to be found in each: lessons of love and loss, of peace and 
strife, of failure and triumph.
  Tragically, few know this firsthand better than my colleague, the 
gentlewoman from Louisiana and sponsor of this bill, who lost her 
husband, Luke, to the disease.
  We applaud her for bravely answering the call of public service at 
such a difficult time, and we hope she and her family continue to heal 
and his memory serves as an inspiration to them in all that they do.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page H3885]]

  

  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4738, the COVID-19 
American History Project Act. I thank my colleague, Congresswoman Julia 
Letlow of Louisiana, for championing this important legislation.
  When the COVID-19 pandemic reached our shores, our lives were all 
impacted. Some of these changes were temporary, and some of them were 
permanent.
  Congresswoman Letlow continues to live every day with the impact this 
pandemic has had on her family, and I am inspired by her courage and 
willingness to share her story. Unfortunately, her story is not 
entirely unique, and many families across this Nation have been forced 
to say good-bye to a loved one far too soon.
  Their lives and memories deserve to be recorded, collected, and 
preserved so that this unprecedented pandemic is accurately understood 
by historians, students, and Americans from all walks of life.
  Over the last 2 years, we have all felt fear of the unknown. In a lot 
of ways, when the pandemic hit, our Nation was caught off guard. This 
project will help ensure future generations can learn from the trials 
we have overcome and the triumphs we have been able to achieve.
  The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress is the 
largest and most extensive library in human history, and I can think of 
no better place to house the personal histories, testimonies, written 
materials, and photographs of Americans whose lives were lost, those 
who bravely stood on the front lines, and also all those who 
demonstrated the American spirit through innovation, resilience, and 
compassion.
  As Congresswoman Letlow has expressed, this project is about 
providing healing and hope for the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important 
legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1745

  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 15 seconds to my 
colleague from Louisiana (Mr. Graves).
  Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, over the last 2 years, 
everybody has a COVID memory. It might be the masks that were mandated 
on folks across the United States. It might be that cup of coffee that 
you tried to drink, forgetting that your mask was on. It might be how 
we have seen incredible evolution--
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time has expired.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, against my better 
judgment, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. 
Graves).
  Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Illinois for his evolution in thought there and for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, over the last 2 years, we have seen just an absolutely 
incredible experience going through COVID. It might be the mask 
mandates that were thrust upon people, and as I mentioned, it might 
even be a funny memory of people trying to eat or drink coffee through 
their mask, as I know I have.
  We have seen this evolution in the workforce where people are working 
remotely all over the United States, and we have seen millions and 
millions of people choose to leave the workforce.
  This is something that has affected so many people. We have seen 
multi-generational businesses close, and we have seen fledgling 
businesses surge as a result of COVID-19, as a result of this pandemic.
  We have seen the record speed at which vaccines, plural, have been 
developed under Operation Warp Speed. We have seen treatment protocols 
that have evolved. And, by some measure, we have seen up to a million 
Americans that have lost their lives.
  Mr. Speaker, there is so much history behind COVID-19, behind this 
pandemic. There have been things that have been just absolutely 
remarkable, like the innovation in our pharmaceuticals, in developing 
vaccines, innovation in technology with the evolution of incredibly 
convenient technology like Zoom or Webex or GoTo Meeting or other 
technologies allowing people to videoconference, sometimes wearing 
shorts or pajama pants with their suit up top. This has been absolutely 
amazing, watching what has happened.
  But perhaps, Mr. Speaker, the most powerful impact of COVID-19 is not 
necessarily the successes and failures, the misfires, the things that 
have worked well, but it has been our personal losses.
  Mr. Speaker, the sponsor of this bill, Congresswoman Julia Letlow 
from my home State of Louisiana, lost just an incredible man, a man who 
had a servant's heart, a man who cared so much for those that couldn't 
necessarily fight for themselves.
  Congressman-elect Luke Letlow was elected to represent the small 
communities around Louisiana and around this Nation, I will say it 
again, to fight for those that were, in many cases, incapable of having 
a voice by themselves that was needed to change policy. But, 
collectively, Congressman-elect Letlow was going to change that.
  I want to thank Congresswoman Letlow, Luke's wife, and the 
Representative from that area, for having the leadership, for bringing 
this bill up, for making sure that we don't ever forget about all of 
the powerful lessons learned from COVID-19, that we don't forget about 
all of these powerful people, the heroes that lost their lives caring 
for others, in some cases; those people that were on the front lines 
trying to allow this country to continue, our economy to continue, our 
society to continue.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Letlow for her leadership on this 
legislation, and I want to thank her for recognizing all the lives that 
were lost in the history here. I urge adoption of the bill.
  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Garbarino), my good friend.
  Mr. GARBARINO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4738, the 
COVID-19 American History Project Act.
  I am proud to co-sponsor this bill and stand with my friend, 
Congresswoman Letlow, who knows better than most the devastation of 
this pandemic.
  Two years ago this month, an unknown virus swept across the world, 
taking lives and changing others forever. Our way of life was brought 
to an abrupt halt, and even now, we are still trying to claw our way 
back to normal.
  Our State was hit hard and early. Nearly 70,000 New Yorkers lost 
their lives to COVID-19. Too many families are now missing fathers, 
mothers, brothers, and sisters. Too many friends are lost.
  Hardly anyone has made it through the last 2 years unscathed. It is 
unlikely that those of us living through this pandemic will ever forget 
these years of strife.
  What about those after us? Only by preserving and remembering times 
of difficulty can we ensure that future generations are prepared for 
what may come their way.
  Mr. Speaker, the memories of our friends and loved ones lost to COVID 
deserve to live on. The memory of Luke Letlow and that of hundreds of 
thousands of Americans like him deserve to live on.
  This bill would ensure that they do and that their loss will serve as 
a reminder for future generations.
  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she 
may consume to the gentlewoman from Louisiana (Ms. Letlow), the sponsor 
of this piece of legislation and my good friend.
  Ms. LETLOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the House considers H.R. 
4738, the COVID-19 American History Project Act.
  The last 2 years have been unimaginable for every single American. As 
COVID-19 ravaged our Nation, we lost nearly 1 million citizens to this 
devastating virus.

  For countless families, those deaths were not just a number on the 
news but the visceral loss of a loved one: a grandparent, a husband, a 
wife, a mom, a dad, a sister, a brother, a daughter, or a son.
  My own family faced the pain of this pandemic as we lost my husband, 
Luke, just days before he would take a seat in this very Chamber.
  Studies tell us that when a person dies, approximately nine people 
from

[[Page H3886]]

their inner circle, their family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors 
suffer profound grief.
  This bill is dedicated to them, the now nearly 9 million Americans 
who live every day with newfound emptiness and suffering.
  For families like mine, that loss means an empty chair at the dinner 
table, a son who won't be able to go fishing with his dad anymore, and 
a daughter who won't be able to dance with her father on her wedding 
day.
  But this bill also values our people's personal experiences during 
the pandemic which will help inform the collective narrative. Their 
accounts will facilitate healing and give hope to the generations of 
Americans to follow.
  The COVID-19 American History Project Act will task the Library of 
Congress to record, collect, and keep the stories of Americans impacted 
by the pandemic, personal accounts from those who survived this virus, 
from those who lost loved ones, and from our healthcare heroes, the 
doctors, nurses, technicians, ambulance drivers, and custodians who 
served on the front lines of this pandemic, and to whom we owe an 
enormous amount of gratitude.
  This bill will allow us to use our voices as citizens to write the 
history of this time. Personal stories are powerful and can promote 
healing while also helping others who are hurting.
  Medical research tells us that sharing a story through verbal or 
written means has a cathartic effect on a grieving individual. I know 
from my own life experiences that when we tell our stories of tragedy 
and loss, that is when true healing begins.
  It is time for the American people to heal. It is time for us to 
finally put the fear and divisiveness of this pandemic behind us. It is 
time to let the values of hope and peace guide our Nation once again.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe it is fitting for this bill to come up for a 
vote on the first day this House begins to reopen.
  As we welcome the American people back inside their House, let us 
also welcome the countless stories of those we lost throughout these 
last 2 years.
  Every day when I look into my toddlers' faces, I see their dad's 
amazing spirit, and I find comfort in knowing that his greatest legacy 
will live on through them.
  But it is my children's generation and those not yet born who will 
need to know the personal history and indelible impact of this 
pandemic, and it should be written by the very people who lived it and 
were impacted directly.
  My husband, Luke, loved history and had a tremendous passion for 
preserving our shared American heritage. His knowledge of the past 
profoundly shaped his public service.
  I think of the hours he spent poring over historical documents, 
writing and publishing the stories of the people who came before us.
  Let us preserve today's stories, not just to write a record, but to 
inform the decisions of those who will stand in this Chamber decades 
from now and chart the course for our Republic.
  It is the dawn of a new day in America, one where we can finally 
begin to move forward from COVID-19. And while we vow never to forget 
the great suffering and loss so many of us endured, we stand emboldened 
by the collective healing of the American spirit.
  The Library of Congress' mission is to engage, inspire, and inform 
Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source 
of knowledge and creativity.
  Let us amplify the voices of the American people. Let us use their 
stories and experiences to write this history, and never let us forget 
those we lost.
  In closing, I am reminded of a quote from Rick Warren who said, 
``Other people are going to find healing in your wounds. Your greatest 
life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your 
deepest hurts.''
  Mr. Speaker, it is time for to us let our country heal. It is time 
for us to share our stories.
  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have been in this 
institution now and had the privilege to serve here for over 9\1/2\ 
years. And that was, by far, one of the most inspiring personal stories 
that I have had a chance to witness.
  I can tell you, based upon what I learned about Luke Letlow from my 
colleagues like Garret Graves and   Steve Scalise and Clay Higgins and 
others, was that Luke Letlow was so excited to be a part of what we 
sometimes take for granted here in the House.
  I was a former staff member just like Mr. Letlow was, but his runoff 
election was right at the time between orientation, where I would have 
had a chance to meet him, and a chance for him to be sworn in. And that 
is when the tragedy that Congresswoman Letlow talked about her family 
facing took place.
  Luke Letlow didn't get a chance to raise his right hand and be a part 
of this House, but his legacy will live on forever as part of this oral 
history project.
  I cannot think of a better way for a mother to be able to give her 
children, in honor of their dad and her husband, the legacy that he 
deserves than by passing this bill tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone in this institution to vote ``yes'' to 
preserve the legacy of not only Luke Letlow but of those whose families 
have been impacted the exact same way as the Letlow family by this 
pandemic.
  Let's move beyond this pandemic but let us never forget. Let us 
remember our heroes, and let us remember those families, and let us 
remember how great our country is to be able to move beyond.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congresswoman for bringing 
forward this very poignant and important legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues as well to support this 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
4738, the ``COVID-19 American History Project Act.''
  This bill directs the American Folklife Center at the Library of 
Congress to establish the COVID-19 American History Project which will 
collect and make publicly available individual stories and records of 
experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
  The bill includes a requirement to collect video and audio histories 
and testimonials of those who were affected by the pandemic.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States will soon reach a grave milestone. As 
of 9 o'clock this morning, there have been 974,277 American deaths from 
COVID-19. In the coming weeks, we will reach 1,000,000 deaths.
  However, I believe that only focusing on that horrific number, though 
nonetheless important, makes us forget about who we lost.
  Therefore, with this time I would like to tell the stories of my 
fellow Houstonians who sadly passed because of this unprecedented 
public health crisis.
  The stories I will be recounting are all courtesy of Houston Public 
Media, of whose journalists I have been a strong supporter.
  Knowing that his daughter would be unable to walk at her college 
graduation commencement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Carlos 
Araujo-Preza threw his daughter, Andrea Araujo, a belated graduation 
celebration with her close friends and family in late October. She said 
he really put in the effort to give her the best ceremony he could.
  Dr. Araujo-Preza always went out of his way to make sure his daughter 
and her brother were taken care of, despite a busy work schedule at 
Tomball Regional Hospital. The siblings and their father spent their 
weekends together binge-watching movies and TV shows together.
  But in 2020, Andrea Araujo was forced to spend her 23rd birthday 
without her father.
  Araujo-Preza was two weeks away from receiving his first round of the 
COVID-19 vaccine before he passed away. He died Nov 30, 2020, at the 
age of 51.
  He knew at a young age he was meant to pursue a career in the medical 
field. Coming from a family of doctors himself, Araujo-Preza was viewed 
as a loving caregiver and someone his patients could always rely on.
  Araujo-Preza was the leading doctor at his hospital who specialized 
in plasma research, while also distributing COVID-19 vaccines to 
nurses.
  ``His colleagues were fans of him,'' she said. ``They loved when he 
came into work.''
  He would go out of his way to give his personal phone number to 
patients and would accommodate their needs at any time of day. Araujo 
said her father would wake up as early as 3 a.m. to go into work. 
Araujo-Preza would sleep in the hospital for days and sometimes weeks 
at a time to always be on call for his patients.
  Now, Araujo said she tries to live by a saying her father used to 
share in Spanish: ``The sun always rises the next day.'' Araujo-Preza 
would tell his children to not let daily challenges in life hold them 
back. Because, he said, as life goes on, you should too.

[[Page H3887]]

  ``I feel like people always say, `with time, things get better', but 
I've noticed it's quite the opposite,'' she said. ``Every day gets 
harder.''
  That story was courtesy of Emily Jaroszewski at Houston Public Media.
  The next story is one that is especially close to my heart: Dick 
Cigler from the University of Houston.
  Those who were mentored by Dick Cigler would tell you he left a 
lasting impression as one of the most influential staff members at the 
Daily Cougar--a highly regarded champion of free speech at the 
University of Houston's newspaper.
  ``He taught us about the importance of journalism,'' said Tanya 
Eiserer, an Emmy-award winning reporter for WFAA in Dallas and former 
Daily Cougar student editor. ``He really taught us the importance of 
doing the right thing, doing it for the right reasons; and standing up 
for the underdog.''
  Nowhere was that more evident than when, in the 1990s, a group of UH 
journalists wrote a series of articles challenging the decreased 
university budget for UH downtown students and the increased budget for 
subsidiary campuses.
  Dick allowed the students to voice their concerns brazenly.
  ``He didn't try to, you know, tell us to back down,'' Eiserer said. 
``He ran interference, and they knew that we were an independent news 
operation.''
  Eiserer remembers Cigler as being a listening ear and a guiding 
mentor when she transferred from Baylor University to UH. She regarded 
him as one of the people who helped her become the reporter she is 
today.
  ``I learned how to be a journalist at the Daily Cougar,'' said 
Eiserer. ``I would not give that time back for all the money in the 
world.''
  Cigler worked as Director of UH's Student Publications department, 
now known as the Center for Student Media, for 23 years until his 
retirement in 2010.
  His impact on the Daily Cougar can be felt to this day.
  Cigler died on Jan. 24, 2021, at the age of 79. He leaves behind his 
two daughters Kerri Runge and Michelle Cigler.
  That story was courtesy of Myrakel Baker at Houston Public Media.
  The last individual I want to mention is someone who is a local hero 
but should be a national one. That person was John Bland.
  More than 60 years ago, a group of Texas Southern University students 
took seats at the lunch counter at Weingarten's Supermarket at 4110 
Almeda Road, knowing they wouldn't be served.
  It was Houston's first sit-in, and that spring, Black college 
students in cities across the country forced the beginning of an end to 
racial segregation--at lunch counters, department stores, and city 
halls.
  One of the TSU students at the sit-in was John Bland, a 20-year-old 
who spent the rest of his life working to advance civil rights and 
equal opportunity.
  Bland worked as a bus operator at HouTran, now called Metro, and he 
spent more than 50 years organizing with the Transport Workers Union. 
He served as a vice president of the Texas State AFL-CIO, a president 
of the Houston chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, a 
precinct judge, and a member of the Houston Police Department Citizen 
Review Committee.
  ``When workers would doubt their ability to beat the odds and make 
change, Mr. Bland would say, `When we fought for integration in the 
1960s, they arrested me 27 times, jailed me, and fined me, but that 
didn't stop us,' '' Hany Khalil, Executive Director of the Texas Gulf 
Coast Area Labor Federation, said.
  Bland died on July 9, 2020, at the age of 80. He leaves behind his 
wife, Betty Davis Bland, and their two daughters and grandson.
  That story was courtesy of Jen Rice at Houston Public Media.
  I wish I could mention every Houstonian and honor their lives because 
they all deserve it. They were mothers, wives, fathers, husbands, sons, 
daughters, and so much more. They will all be missed and are not just 
another number.
  It is for that reason, Mr. Speaker, that I strongly support H.R. 4738 
and urge my colleagues to support it as well.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4738, as amended .
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

                          ____________________