[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 100 (Thursday, June 13, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H3980]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Ms. Tlaib) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, Juneteenth is a day of joy, a celebration of 
freedom, and a reminder of the work that lies before us as we continue 
to fight for true equity and justice for our Black neighbors.
  On Juneteenth and every day in our community, we honor the trauma and 
acknowledge the pain and hurt of our Black Americans who fought 
tirelessly for their freedom, and we still aren't done.
  We celebrate this independence day with activists, organizers, and 
community leaders who uplift Black history and carry on the enduring 
struggle for justice for all.
  In our country right now, which our own Black neighbors literally 
built, including this very building I am standing in, the Capitol, 
systemic racism and discrimination continue to plague our institutions 
and communities.
  We see it in disparities in healthcare, education, housing, access to 
basic necessities, racism in our legal system and economic 
opportunities, and so much more. By providing reparations, the debt 
owed to our Black neighbors upon emancipation from centuries of 
enslavement and oppression, we can begin, Mr. Speaker, to address the 
injustices.
  I know the 12th Congressional District knows that reparations are a 
debt that our Nation owes, a true acknowledgement of the pain and harm 
inflicted on generations of our Black families.
  Juneteenth is a reminder of how far we have come, but also how far we 
still need to go. This Juneteenth, please join me in honoring our Black 
neighbors as we commit to fighting for reparations, voting rights, 
ending police brutality, investing in Black maternal health, HBCUs, and 
so much more.

                              {time}  1030


          The U.S. Supreme Court is Facing a Corruption Crisis

  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court is not facing an ethics 
crisis; it is a corruption crisis. It seems like every single day there 
are new headlines about more corruption coming out of our U.S. Supreme 
Court.
  I know we need urgent action to hold these unhinged, corrupt 
extremists accountable. It is extremely disturbing that the United 
States Supreme Court, the highest Court of our land, is the only Court 
that does not have an enforceable code of conduct.
  Mr. Speaker, Justice Thomas, which my residents call ``Corruption 
Clarence,'' has received over $4 million and 193 gifts, including 
multiple vacations, flights on private jets, helicopter rides, and 
yacht trips from Republican billionaire mega-donors like Harlan Crow, 
who actually have cases before the Court. We are supposed to expect 
this Court to hold itself accountable? Give me a break.
  One of these luxury trips actually cost $500,000. It is not just 
corrupt Clarence. Justice Alito has also been hit with numerous 
scandals recently, including accepting luxury trips and flying 
insurrectionists around, hanging stop the steal flags outside of his 
home after the attack on our U.S. Capitol. Yet, the American people are 
supposed to trust him to decide the cases around January 6th.
  These unelected Justices, serving lifetime appointments, Mr. Speaker, 
continue to strip us of our rights, shred our voting rights, gut our 
environmental protections, our right to breathe clean air and drink 
clean water, and sell our democracy to the highest bidder.
  It is time to expand the Supreme Court. It is time for reforms. I 
know our residents in the 12th Congressional District are demanding 
that I move with urgency on this issue. We need to enact term limits 
for Supreme Court Justices, enforce binding a code of conduct, real 
reforms, and expedite impeachment proceedings.
  These reforms are long overdue. I know Justice Thomas should have 
never been confirmed in the first place. We should have listened to 
Anita Hill.
  Let me be clear: Thomas and Alito need to be impeached and removed 
from the bench now. Our country deserves a Supreme Court that is acting 
in the best interests of the American people, not a Court that is 
accepting bribes and doing the bidding of rightwing extremists.


             Recognizing Caribbean American Heritage Month

  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I recognize Caribbean American Heritage Month 
as we celebrate the contributions of our Caribbean Americans in 
Michigan's 12th Congressional District and across our Nation.
  I know Caribbean American Heritage Month was first recognized in 
2005, and this was a combination of tireless efforts of organizers that 
highlight the amazing contributions of our Caribbean Americans.
  I also uplift in our backyard the Caribbean Community Service Center, 
an organization based right in our district that is proudly uplifting 
the history and continuing to celebrate that culture and our neighbors 
in southeastern Michigan beyond this month.
  Please join me in recognizing Caribbean American Heritage Month and 
the contributions of our Caribbean Americans across our Nation and in 
the 12th Congressional District.

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