[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.
____________________