[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 53 (Thursday, March 23, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H1333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
   CORPORATE GREED IS A VIRUS THAT INFECTS EVERY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Ms. Tlaib) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, our residents are saying: Enough. Enough with 
giving billionaires and corporations taxpayer dollars that should be 
going to improve the quality of life of our residents, especially in a 
city that is still struggling with water shutoffs and foreclosures.
  In the city of Detroit, billionaire developers are now lining up for 
$800 million in tax giveaways after decades of broken promises. They 
even have the nerve to say the money isn't enough or coming fast 
enough.
  Billionaires are asking a recently bankrupt city, the city of 
Detroit, for 800 million in public dollars, from a city still grappling 
with poverty, with the lack of affordable housing, and so much more. I 
just cannot believe how easily we give this money away to people with a 
track record of failure.
  In Detroit, the Ilitch Holdings took $400 million for what they 
called ``District Detroit'' just a few years ago. They showed us these 
beautiful images and renderings, and said this is what they were going 
to do with the public dollars.
  Do you know what we got?
  We got parking lots, just parking lots. We got just asphalt--even 
though they got much of the property on top of the tax dollars--for 
just $1.
  Many of these parking lots sit empty while we struggle for affordable 
housing and so many other things. Again, because of these broken 
promises, we are stuck grappling with poverty.
  They took the money from the people. They didn't deliver on those 
promises, and we are just going to go ahead and give them double the 
amount with little assurance that they actually would do their jobs 
this time? I ask my colleagues: really? Really?
  For those that are in Michigan, we are going to go ahead and trust a 
company that continues to tell us they are going to do this and give us 
this?
  Corporate greed is a virus that infects every level of government. 
Campaign contributions from those corporations are killing our 
democracy. Our residents deserve better. Our neighbors pay taxes so our 
government can provide much-needed resources and services to our 
communities, not billionaires seeking profits, no matter that they are 
now functioning, literally, a few blocks from a school, a public school 
which doesn't have clean drinking water.
  We say: Enough. We need community benefits protections to ensure that 
we all are able to thrive.


                          Celebrating Ramadan

  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say Ramadan Mubarak to our 
Muslim neighbors around the world and wish all who celebrate and 
observe a peaceful Ramadan full of family, faith, and community.
  As a Muslim myself, I know how critically important it is that we 
celebrate, again, our neighbors and help those that are most vulnerable 
among us during the month of Ramadan.
  Ramadan is observed by more than a billion Muslims around the world. 
It involves deep prayer, reflection, robust charity and giving, as well 
as fasting from sunrise until sunset, and, yes, that includes water.
  Ramadan is observed during the ninth month of the lunar calendar and 
is also meant to bring consciousness in the heart and mind to be closer 
to Allah.
  I invite my colleagues and those watching to learn more about 
Ramadan, its meaning, and to even break fast with us. Join our iftars 
that are near you in your communities. We welcome you.

  Again, Ramadan Mubarak to all of our Muslim neighbors across the 
country and the world.


                  Keep Medical Debt off Credit Reports

  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, nearly one in five adults have medical debt 
collections listed on their credit report. That means one in five 
Americans may be denied housing, be forced to pay more in rent, 
struggle to purchase a vehicle, or other necessities because of a 
sudden health crisis or visit to an emergency room.
  That hits particularly hard in communities like mine where residents 
already face challenges with access to credit.
  This week, I am reintroducing the Consumer Protection for Medical 
Debt Collections Act to prohibit the collection of medical debt for 2 
years and prohibit debt from medically necessary procedures from even 
being included in a credit report.
  We passed this legislation in the House last year, and it will be a 
major step in fixing our broken credit system.
  This bill, Mr. Speaker, would also provide protections and safeguards 
for people who, through no fault of their own, got sick and could not 
afford the medical care due to our broken healthcare system.
  In the wealthiest country in the history of our world, medical 
emergencies should not send a family into financial ruin. Collectively, 
Americans owe more than $195 billion in medical debt, and this is 
immoral. We need to stop punishing people for being poor and getting 
sick.
  Medical debt is the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in our 
country, and the pandemic has only made the crisis worse. No one, 
again, chooses to get sick. This is commonsense legislation, and we 
must get it signed into law.

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