[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H8122]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        BRETT FAVRE CONTROVERSY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Payne) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss an issue that is very 
troubling. It is an issue that needs to be addressed.
  You see, I rise today because of the outrage and shock that Brett 
Favre stole money that was supposed to be used to buy formula for 
babies in Mississippi to build a volleyball stadium at the school his 
daughter played at.
  Today, I join the calls of millions of Americans demanding that he 
and the corrupt Mississippi Republican Governor be held accountable for 
this action.
  Brett Favre is a millionaire. In a 20-year football career, he made 
over $100 million. It would take an average Mississippian 20 years to 
make just $1 million.
  Instead of coming out of his own pocket, he used his power, 
influence, and relationships with corrupt Republican lawmakers to steal 
the money from those in Mississippi who need it the most. His actions 
were criminal, shameful, reckless, and irresponsible.
  Brett Favre is from Mississippi. One might think he should have cared 
that his home State is one of the poorest in the Nation and suffers 
from one of the highest rates of child poverty in this country.
  He should have cared that one in every five Mississippians lives in 
extreme poverty. One might think that he should have cared that in 
Jackson, Mississippi, the capital, almost 25 percent of the households 
depend on minimum wage. In these families, most earn less than $15,000 
a year.
  One might think he should have cared that hundreds of thousands of 
Mississippians often have to boil their water due to the corruption and 
the neglect by the leadership in Mississippi, the Republican 
leadership, neglect that Brett Favre was a key and influential factor 
of, neglect that he and the corrupt Governor benefited from, but Brett 
didn't care.
  In July 2019, Brett texted Governor Bryant, telling him how much he 
loved Nancy New and John Davis for what they did for him and Southern 
Miss.

                              {time}  1215

  He called the theft of funds amazing.
  Governor Bryant knew that the money could have been used to provide 
thousands of low-income families with a year's worth of rent. He knew 
that it could have covered the cost of their electricity and their 
childcare bills. He knew that it could have provided thousands of 
Mississippi families with as many as nine meals a day.
  But they didn't care. They didn't care that year after year many of 
Mississippi's most vulnerable people can't shower, cook, or bathe for 
weeks on end due to the systemic neglect in their water system.
  In a report released earlier this month by Vox, Benji Jones explained 
the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, perfectly. He wrote: 
``However, infrastructure is often poorly maintained or intentionally 
overlooked in particular places, leading to a lack of access, 
affordability, and safety for many communities of color.''
  Brett and Governor Bryant intentionally overlooked the needs of 
Mississippi's poor people for a volleyball stadium. Perhaps this New 
York Times headline says it best: Brett Favre's most memorable stat may 
now be the $8 million he helped steal from the poor.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, this is a travesty in this country to take 
from the poorest of the poor and to neglect what they have done. Brett 
Favre and that government should atone and pay for what they have done.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is no longer recognized.

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