[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 203 (Monday, December 11, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H6808-H6810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP MATTERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Jackson) for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include any extraneous material on the subject of this Special 
Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give special 
recognition to the members of the Democratic Caucus who have been able 
to accomplish many things in spite of the sound and fury of the 
dysfunctional politics in a small and vocal part of the House 
Republican Conference. As I stand here in the people's House I am 
struck by how much congressional leadership matters and how divided the 
118th Congress has been.
  We have been here, without question, living in perilous times. In 
times like these what we do in this Chamber matters in the lives of 
American people.
  The people of our district did not send us here to perform theatrical 
acts. They did not send us here to posture for the cameras. None of us 
were elected here so that we could increase the status and the stature 
of our personal media profiles. Yet that seems to be the total measure 
of what this Congress has amounted to.
  The 118th Congress and the year of 2023 have been unprecedented. 
Earlier this year, leader Hakeem Jeffries made history as the first man 
of African descent to be elected the leader of a major political party.
  Nevertheless, almost immediately chaos erupted. The Speaker's vote 
was a mess. Speaker Emeritus McCarthy was elected after 15 rounds of 
votes, 15 rounds. It was the first time in a century that election of a 
House Speaker took multiple ballots to complete, and it was the longest 
vote in the United States' history since 1855 lasting 133 rounds just 
over 2 months.
  I will say, though, that our honorable leader, Hakeem Jeffries, did 
receive 3,179 votes for Speaker across 15 rounds.
  The hits just kept coming as we rolled into the spring. At the end of 
March, we reached a new milestone, the People of the State of New York 
v. Donald J. Trump marked the first time--after four indictments 
against President Trump--that we have ever seen in our country's 
history a former President indicted on criminal charges.
  As the weather got warmer, temperatures flared. Some wanted to take 
our national debt hostage. To be clear, this is money the Congress had 
already appropriated, and with a bipartisan coalition we managed to 
avert an economic calamity and an economic shutdown.
  Fast-forward to the fall, and many of the same issues arose again. 
Then Speaker McCarthy was confronted with an unruly small group who 
were willing to shut down the government after the debt ceiling debate. 
For keeping the government open, Speaker McCarthy became the first 
Speaker in the House to ever be removed. The chaos that ensued was 
brutal. The House went without a Speaker for 23 days, the longest since 
1961.
  A marathon 10-week session that tested everyone's patience produced 
only frustration and anger. There is a reason we have had a record 
number of retirements from the Members of Congress at every level that 
we have not seen in a decade. Thirteen Senators and Representatives 
have already announced they are not seeking reelection in just the 
month of November. This is the highest number of retirements we have 
seen in this body in more than a decade.
  This should not surprise us because dysfunction is a bitter pill to 
swallow, and I say that broadly because that dysfunction is not limited 
to this Chamber or to the House of Representatives.

                              {time}  2015

  Over in the Senate, Senator Tuberville stood in the way of over 400 
senior military officers that deserved promotion and the dignity of all 
of their ranks and their compensation. He held up 400 officers, putting 
our Nation's security at risk. One United States Senator thought his 
understanding of what was right should supersede the will of 99 other 
United States Senators.
  More than that, this one Senator spent most of the year subjecting 
the United States military and members of the armed services to the 
detrimental effects of his personal whims and wishes. He had no regard 
for the families he put in jeopardy who risk their lives every day for 
our citizenry. He showed no concern for the hard work and dedication of 
these military officers who have focused their careers on protecting 
and serving our Nation.
  Perhaps most of all, this United States Senator tried to impose his 
morality on 1.4 million active military personnel in the armed services 
without their consent and without the advice of their commanding 
officers.
  Senator Tuberville's story is instructive of what happens when we 
come together and do the right thing. Just last week, he folded. As a 
man of faith, I pray that the second part of the 118th Congress is more 
productive than the first. With only 21 bills that have been passed 
into law at the halfway point of this Congress, it is on pace to be the 
most sluggish Congress since our predecessors met in 1931 and 1932, but 
let's stay positive and hopeful.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from the great 
State of Louisiana, Congressman Troy Carter.
  Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Jackson for 
the great work that he continues to do. I thank him for his illustrious 
words and for the opportunity to participate in the CBC Special Order.
  2023 has been an exciting and action-packed year. It has been an 
honor to serve as the second vice chairman of the Congressional Black 
Caucus under the leadership of my dear friend Congressman   Steven 
Horsford, Democrat from Nevada.
  As a member of the Regional Leadership Council for Region 7 and on 
the House Homeland Security and Transportation Infrastructure 
Committees, this session has been yet another one that we continue to 
work.
  I am proud that, despite the pushback from our friends on the other 
side almost at every opportunity, we have accomplished historic 
investments for the American people. I would like to highlight just a 
few of them that we challenged all year long.
  Environmental justice must be at the center of any action to address 
disproportionate health and environmental impacts on communities, 
especially communities of color. This year I hosted multiple EPA 
executives, including the EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, and the 
Secretary of Department of Energy, Jennifer

[[Page H6809]]

Granholm, and other leaders from my district.
  Louisiana was also selected to establish new Environmental Justice 
Thriving Communities Technical Assistance grants, creating the first 
ever in Louisiana Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center that 
will give communities an opportunity to have technical access to 
attract and have access to real resources to defend communities against 
environmental injustice. That is a success. The first that we have had 
in a long time at this level.
  This will provide resource to help communities and nonprofits 
navigate the complex Federal grant process. Additionally, in Louisiana, 
we know better than anyone that storms are coming stronger, staying 
longer, coming faster, and leaving more havoc in their path, having 
greater impact than ever before.
  Adequate funding is essential to enhance the resilience of our roads, 
bridges, and levies, ensuring they can withstand and recover from 
future natural disasters. By investing in robust infrastructure, we not 
only protect people's lives and property, but also bolster the overall 
economic sustainability of our region. Strengthening our infrastructure 
is a proactive measure that reduces long-term costs associated with 
disaster recovery, ultimately fostering a safer and more sustainable 
future for all Americans.
  We have continued to see promises kept as funding from the Bipartisan 
Infrastructure Law makes its way to the communities around the country.
  I am committed to advocating for the vital funding to fortify our 
infrastructure, recognizing its pivotal role in safeguarding our 
communities against ever-present threats of natural disasters.
  Just as important as protecting our Earth is the health of our minds 
and bodies of that of our citizens. Regardless of age, location, 
education, and economic standing, racism is the biggest barrier to 
mental health for the Black community.
  This year, I convened multiple forums where I brought together 
visionaries, activists, and leaders who are shaping the future of this 
field in the Black community. These events focus on themes, including 
reduction in the isolation that our children saw during and after 
COVID, improving campus safety, and increasing access to healthcare 
providers. I am committed to fighting for greater representation in 
industry in the mental health area where we are significantly 
underrepresented with providers of this level of care.
  Our veterans give so much to us, we owe it to them to make sure that 
we do all that we can to help them live healthy, productive, and 
meaningful lives during and, most importantly, after they come home. 
Far too many of our veterans come home to find themselves homeless, 
without a job, without resources, without someone to care after they 
have provided for us the greatest contribution, protecting our flanks. 
The freedom that we enjoy isn't free. It is paid by our veterans who 
put their lives on the line and sacrificed their family time. They 
should get the best services when they are away and when they come 
home.
  This year, I hosted multiple VA curbside events across LA-02 to bring 
Federal resources to the front doors of our veterans and our citizens. 
That includes specific help for veterans like signing up for disability 
pay and receiving VA benefits, assisting with FEMA case work, and 
getting assistance with tax refunds.

  This is only a small snapshot of the work House Democrats have done 
this year in fighting for all Americans. I will continue to put people 
over politics and work tirelessly for Louisianans to empower them with 
the necessary resources to not just survive, but to thrive.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish everyone a merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy 
Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa, and a blessed New Year.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as I stand on this floor 
tonight, I do so as someone painfully aware of the serious times we are 
living in. Let the word go forth in this time and place that this 
Nation and, indeed, this entire world stands on the precipice of 
unregulated conflict.
  From Civil War in the Congo, to the war in Ukraine, to Israel's war 
with Hamas in the Middle East, the Earth is saturated with violence and 
recrimination and as in the case of all wars, people are dying.
  Tens of thousands of innocent people have lost their lives. People 
who have nothing to do with governmental policies that send men and 
women into battle are no less the victims of those momentous decisions. 
Israeli babies, Palestinian babies, Congolese babies, and Ukrainian 
children all deserve to live in a world where they are, not judged by 
the details of their religion or the color of their skin. Yet, this is 
not the world that they were born into.
  I stand here tonight concerned about the state of our civilization. I 
stand here tonight concerned about the role this country plays in being 
promoters of peace. I come here to this well bothered by the rise and 
the almost unfettered proliferation of anti-Semitism.
  It should never be the case that a Jewish person in this country 
feels like their lives are under threat because they are Jewish.
  We cannot allow the children of Einstein, Oppenheimer, and Rabbi 
Abraham Joshua Heschel to feel as if they have no place in this 
country. There can be no moral equivocation when it comes to anti-
Semitism in the way that this could be a moral equivocation when it 
comes to racism. Racism and anti-Semitism travel together because they 
are two sides of the same coin.
  History is repeat with the evidence to prove that societies that 
begin with one will evidently end up with the other. Where there is 
anti-Semitism, racism is sure to follow. Where there is racism, there 
will ultimately be anti-Semitism as well.
  We know this is the case because hatred knows no bounds, bigotry 
respects no limits, and ironically prejudice does not discriminate.
  The moment you release one into the universe of our consciousness, 
the other will invariably come knocking at the door. That is why those 
of us who are leaders in this country must be clear about where we 
stand with respect to anti-Semitism. Whatever challenges people may 
have with policies conducted by the government of Israel, those 
concerns must not be used to avoid the absolute rejection of anti-
Semitism as a plausible, cultural, or political solution.
  I say this as a Black man living in America who has had a 
multiplicity of concerns about the policies of my own government. Black 
people in America have had 400 years of learning how to separate 
policies from people. While it is intelligent to question all 
governments, it is not, however, acceptable to allow corrosive 
influences to convince us that anti-Semitism is a liberating political 
project because it is not, nor has it ever been, and neither will it 
ever be.
  I don't care what anyone says: Black lives matter, Jewish lives are 
sacred, and Palestinian lives are important because all life comes from 
God.
  Anti-Semitism is a vile and repulsive preoccupation with hatred that 
has more than once manifested itself with horrific consequences. I 
stand here today doubly concerned because influences and, in some 
cases, influencers have provided the permission and the structure for 
people who are themselves the object of hate to participate in the 
hatred of our Jewish brothers and sisters.
  We simply cannot allow this to happen. We must declare in no 
uncertain terms that right is right and wrong is wrong, and that it is 
wrong to hate people. It is wrong to treat people like they are beneath 
you. It is wrong to act like people are outside of the human family 
because they pray differently. We here tonight must be highly resolved 
that this country is to be the oasis of tolerance amid a vast desert of 
discrimination.
  We say no to anti-Semitism, we say no to anti-Black racism, and we 
say no to anything that would subject any human being to dehumanizing 
language in treatment.
  I encourage the people of this country to hold fast to the principles 
of this Christmas season in which we find ourselves. Whether you are 
Christian or not, the principles of this season are enduring and a 
great degree universal.
  The idea that peace should be the function of our politics is 
something all of us should embrace. The notion that the birth of love 
is the only thing that can save us is something that no

[[Page H6810]]

one should be willing to reject. In the words of Reverend Martin Luther 
King, he called us a ``beloved community,'' I submit to you tonight 
that it is this very thing that compels me to be a Member of this body.
  I still believe that what self-centered men have torn down, men and 
women who are other-centered can build up again. I still believe that 
truth crush down to Earth can still rise again, and I still believe 
that if we stand up for one another, that is the only way we can have 
our salvation. None of us would be brutalized when we learn to love.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Horsford), the 
honorable and distinguished Congressional Black Caucus Chairman.

                              {time}  2030

  Mr. HORSFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Jackson) for anchoring tonight's Special Order hour and for his 
tenacity, perseverance, and dedication along with Congresswoman Sheila 
Cherfilus-McCormick as the coanchor for the Congressional Black Caucus.
  At the end of each year, Mr. Speaker, as Members of Congress, we owe 
it to the American people to show our work. We owe it to the American 
people to show who we have been fighting for and what we have delivered 
on their behalf.
  Mr. Speaker, as the first year of the 118th Congress comes to a 
close, I rise today with my colleagues of the Congressional Black 
Caucus because the report card on House Republicans' do-nothing chaos 
agenda and the CBC's people over politics agenda is in.
  Since the 118th Congress was sworn in this January, and as our Caucus 
has grown to a historic, record-breaking 60 members, we have been 
fighting for the people. We have been fighting to preserve our 
democracy, fighting to protect voting rights and create fairer 
districts, fighting for public safety and police accountability, 
fighting to protect a woman's right to make her own healthcare 
decisions, fighting against the expulsion of Black elected officials, 
fighting archaic traditions that block progress, and, of course, 
fighting extremist Republicans and a judiciary who would rather erase 
us, who want to see us less free, and with fewer fundamental rights.
  While the Congressional Black Caucus and House Democrats have been 
working to deliver results for the American people, the majority party 
has descended into complete and total chaos; chaos that left our 
country without a House Speaker for the first time in our Nation's 
history and brought the people's House to a standstill for 22 days; 
chaos that has nearly shut down our government and brought our country 
to the brink of defaulting on our national debt time and again. The 
American people deserve so much better than the Republican do-nothing 
Congress.
  By contrast, Democrats have offered a positive vision for our country 
and a real record of accomplishments to show in our districts and all 
across America. This is because of the investments that we worked to 
pass during the 117th Congress, along with President Biden and Vice 
President Harris, which was made possible because of historic 
legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act, the bipartisan 
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs law, including the Chips and Science 
law to bring U.S. manufacturing back to the United States and so much 
more, including historic investments in funding for our historically 
Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions.
  In my district alone, we just announced, with President Biden on 
Friday, a grant worth $3 billion to fund true high-speed rail to 
connect Las Vegas to the Los Angeles region. Finally, after decades of 
people talking about it, because of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, 
it is finally happening. This will be a monumental and transformational 
boost to our local economy, and it will also create tens of thousands 
of good-paying union jobs--jobs, jobs, jobs. Jobs that will be offered 
to every faction of our community and small business owners, including 
Black-owned and other minority-owned small businesses.
  Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are connecting the 
more than 123,000 households in my State that did not have access to 
the infrastructure to connect to broadband, to the internet, something 
as simple as connecting to the internet, something that far too many of 
us take for granted, there are counties and rural communities in my 
State that do not have that access, that do not have that benefit, but 
thanks to this law, those investments are finally happening.
  Another 825,000 families in low-income households are connecting to 
broadband thanks to the affordable connectivity benefit that was part 
of the infrastructure bill and that we are now working to make sure is 
included in the supplemental.
  Nevada is also seeing over $300 million invested to support the 
expansion of electric vehicle charging stations. I am so proud to have 
met just recently with a number of small businesses, including one 
Latina-owned business and one Black-owned business. They are electric 
companies who are now, for the first time, being connected to these 
contracts and have an opportunity to grow their business, to hire more 
workers, and to be part of this new burgeoning sector.
  These are just a few of our accomplishments, and we still have so 
much more work to do. I thank my colleagues from the Congressional 
Black Caucus, because many of these historic bills would not have been 
possible without the leadership and the votes of the Members who make 
it happen, including our immediate past chair, Congresswoman Joyce 
Beatty; the assistant Democratic leader, Mr. Clyburn; our Democratic 
leader now, Mr. Jeffries, who literally worked toward reaching 
negotiation to deliver the votes necessary.
  We know that as we begin the work on behalf of our constituents in 
2024 and beyond, there is more work to do, and so we will be tackling 
issues around Black economic prosperity and wealth creation, continuing 
to advocate for the passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights 
Advancement Act, and making sure that every community is safe: Safe 
from gun violence, safe from overpolicing, safe from hate crimes, 
whether they be against the Jewish community or Asians or African 
Americans because we understand that all communities deserve to be 
safe.
  I am proud of the accomplishments, the record that we can stand here 
and talk about, putting people over politics, and I look forward to 
working with my colleagues from the Congressional Black Caucus as we 
continue to advance these legislative efforts for the people that we 
represent.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I give a very special thank you 
to the Honorable Congressman   Steven Horsford, the chairman of the 
Congressional Black Caucus. I thank him for his leadership and his 
outstanding voice.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________