[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 72 (Friday, April 28, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H2092]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CELEBRATING AMERICAN LIBRARIES WEEK

  (Ms. GARCIA of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of 
American Libraries Week.
  This is a perfect time to thank our local libraries and the employees 
who keep them open to the public to ensure access to reading and 
learning.
  While extreme MAGA Republicans are banning books and bashing 
librarians, House Democrats are protecting and recognizing their public 
libraries. We are putting people over politics. That is why I am proud 
to honor my local library, the Houston Public Library.
  Mr. Speaker, they have announced that with local support, our library 
will no longer charge late fees on overdue books or other borrowed 
items. This is one of the many efforts that they are making to make 
sure that libraries are more accessible.
  In honor of public libraries, I am reintroducing my bill, the More 
Social Workers in Libraries Act, today. Public libraries are vital 
community hubs, and this bill will reinforce America's social worker 
talent pipeline by creating a paid social worker internship in public 
libraries across the Nation.
  Libraries are for learning. They are for seeking resources and 
finding job opportunities. We need to lift them up and not bash them.

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