[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 197 (Thursday, November 30, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H5989-H5990]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROMOTING HOUSING ACCESS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Ms. Tlaib) for 5 minutes.
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, we face a housing crisis in our country. In
metro Detroit, there are three extremely low-income renter households
for each unit that is both affordable and available.
In response, State and local public developers are using innovative
policy
[[Page H5990]]
tools to build new housing developments that are financially
sustainable and affordable.
That is why I co-led the introduction of the Public Housing for the
21st Century Act, which provides public housing authorities and housing
finance agencies with the latest best practices for mixed-income public
housing.
While Federal subsidies have long been insufficient to address the
housing crisis in our country, Mr. Speaker, the Public Housing for the
21st Century Act would ensure that communities have access to the
latest models and policy options, creating a pathway for real
affordable housing.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to please join me in promoting
housing access in every single district across our Nation by
cosponsoring this bill.
Rhetoric Incites Violence Against Palestinians
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, Hisham, Kinnan, and Tahseen are all
Palestinian college students who were shot while wearing a keffiyeh and
speaking Arabic on their way to a family dinner in Vermont.
Just weeks ago, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American child, Wadea, was
stabbed 26 times in a hate crime in Illinois. They had to take the
knife out of his body.
Mr. Speaker, the constant dehumanization of Palestinians has real
consequences. It is fueling anti-Palestinian racism and violence. The
dehumanization and rhetoric repeated by many elected officials, many in
this Chamber, is inciting violence against Palestinians.
My heart goes out to every family affected by violence, Islamophobia,
anti-Palestinian racism, and any form of hate.
One of the Palestinian victims who was shot in Burlington, Hisham,
wrote: ``This hideous crime did not happen in a vacuum. As much as I
appreciate and love every single one of you here today, I am but one
casualty in this much wider conflict.
``Had I been shot in the West Bank, where I grew up, the medical
services that saved my life here would likely have been withheld by the
Israeli Army. The soldier who shot me would go home and never be
convicted. . . . Any attack like this is horrific, be it here or in
Palestine.
``That is why when you say your wishes and light your candles today,
your mind should not just be focused on me as an individual but,
rather, as a proud member of a people being oppressed.''
When I talk about Hisham, Kinnan, and Tahseen, I think of my two
Palestinian boys living right here in the United States.
Remembering William ``Bill'' Goodman
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize my friend William ``Bill''
Goodman, a true people's lawyer who never wavered in his pursuit of
justice.
I met Bill over 15 years ago when he was president of the Maurice and
Jane Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice. He was a mentor
of mine and so many movement lawyers and a hero to those who sought
justice.
Over the course of his career, Bill sought to focus his work on the
protection of civil liberties, holding the powerful accountable to the
Constitution, and fighting for the working class at home and around the
world. He was always ready and willing to fight for the most vulnerable
among us.
Bill was a pioneering people's lawyer, both in private practice in
Detroit and leading the Center for Constitutional Rights and the
National Lawyers Guild.
{time} 1030
He was proud of representing the Attica prisoners, the Guantanamo Bay
detainees, the Vietnam survivors of Agent Orange, and so many victims
of police violence and corrupt persecution.
It speaks to Bill's character that one of the most important lawyers
in American history will best be remembered by those close to him and
for his endless jokes and bottomless love for his children and
comrades. Please join me in honoring Bill Goodman and remembering his
life and legacy.
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