House Session of February 23, 2021, Page H573 — Congressional Record
Summary
Page H573 of the House section of the Congressional Record for February 23, 2021, from a special order titled Our Power, Our Message during Black History Month. Mrs. Beatty is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader and asks for general leave, and Ms. Jackson Lee thanks the leader of the Congressional Black Caucus. Speakers say the killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd drew America closer to a watershed moment and led to passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which is their view. The page ends with expenditure reports on official foreign travel.
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“House Session of February 23, 2021, Page H573 — Congressional Record.”
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February 23, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H573
OUR POWER, OUR MESSAGE arations, healthcare, voting rights, OUR POWER, OUR MESSAGE
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under consumer protection, education, and DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- fair policing to far beyond. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under
uary 4, 2021, the gentlewoman from The killing of Breonna Taylor, the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan-
Ohio (Mrs. BEATTY) is recognized for 60 Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd uary 4, 2021, the gentlewoman from
minutes as the designee of the major- drew America closer to another water- Texas (Ms. JACKSON LEE) is recognized
ity leader. shed moment last year, amid a pan- for the remainder of the hour as the
GENERAL LEAVE demic that has disrupted life as we designee of the majority leader.
knew it, triggering an intergenera- Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker,
Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, I ask
let me thank our illustrious leader of
unanimous consent that all Members tional cross-class collective of people
the Congressional Black Caucus, whose
have 5 legislative days to revise and ex- demanding change, which led to the
visionary leadership is going to carry
tend their remarks and include any ex- passage of the George Floyd Justice in
us into the 117th Congress.
traneous materials on the subject of Policing Act, a bill that is the first- Congresswoman JOYCE BEATTY acts
my Special Order hour. ever bold, comprehensive approach to legislatively on her history. She is
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there hold police accountable, change the from Ohio, one of the major stops of
objection to the request of the gentle- culture of law enforcement, empower the Underground Railroad. In fact, Cin-
woman from Ohio? our communities, and build trust be- cinnati, Ohio, has one of the most mon-
There was no objection. tween law enforcement and our com- umental monuments, if you will, to
Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, it is munities by addressing systemic rac- that freedom train, that courage, of
with great honor that I rise today to ism and biases to help save lives. Harriet Tubman. I might say that our
open our first Congressional Black chairwoman’s actions are in resem-
Caucus Special Order hour of this year, I also wear another hat, and that is
as chairwoman of the Diversity and In- blance to Harriet Tubman. We are
during Black History Month, utilizing grateful for her vision.
to the fullest extent possible: Our clusion Subcommittee of the House Fi-
nancial Services Committee. Though it We will tomorrow, at the Congres-
Power, Our Message. sional Black Caucus, unveil the talent
I would like to thank the Congres- may speak for itself, I appreciate that
of tens upon tens of members of the
sional Black Caucus members for hav- kind of transformative change which
Congressional Black Caucus and lay
ing the confidence to elect me to be we seek in the spirit of policy, legisla-
out our legacy, Our Power, Our Mes-
chairwoman during the 117th Congress. tion, and regulation that will, hope- sage. I thank the gentlewoman for her
I stand on the shoulders of greatness as fully, result in building a record that leadership.
I acknowledge the past members and we can use as we promote diversity and It is as well my honor to be able to
chairs for their tremendous leadership. inclusion in our democracy. As CBC co-chair this with, if I might with a de-
For the next 60 minutes, we have an founder member Bill Clay noted, we gree of familiarity, a brother from the
opportunity to speak directly to the have no permanent friends or enemies, Bronx. I am delighted that a working
American people about the issues of just permanent interests. man’s and woman’s representative has
great importance to the Congressional The CBC’s priorities will allow us, in come to be able to shine, a man who is
Black Caucus and the millions of con- many instances, to work with the a product of public housing, public
stituents we represent. Biden administration to deliver relief schools, and public hospitals, and who
Tonight’s Special Order hour topic to our constituents who have been so had a dream of lifting up his commu-
will serve as part of a rollout of our devastated by the COVID–19 pandemic nity and building back a better Bronx.
policy agenda and celebrate our 50th I am delighted that at 25, against all
and to work on long-term plans for re-
anniversary in the context of the many odds, he became the youngest elected
covery. To that end, we are so pleased
critical issues facing the Black com- official in New York City and the first
that we will announce our domestic
munity. openly LGBTQ elected official from the
policy team tomorrow, as we have met Bronx. He doesn’t know that his rep-
The Congressional Black Caucus with Ambassador Susan Rice, who is
kicked off Black History Month, utation preceded him as a dynamic get-
head of the Biden domestic policy her-done person.
Madam Speaker, with the powerful team.
Travon Free film ‘‘Two Distant Strang- I will repeat his motto before I begin
ers,’’ a moving story about a young It is so important that I end by say- my remarks, and that is RITCHIE
Black man caught in a George Floyd ing the Congressional Black Caucus is TORRES’ remarks and life motto is as
type of nightmare with his local police committed to dramatically reversing follows: ‘‘My motto is life is simple. If
department. these alarming trends by working with you do nothing, nothing will change.’’
During tomorrow’s CBC meeting to our community leaders, allies, and col- Wow, what a piercing message for all
be held at 12 p.m., the ‘‘Living Black leagues in Congress to pass critical leg- of us, Republicans and Democrats, to
islation and by working with the do something good.
History’’ vignette, featuring all 58
His motto is: ‘‘If you do nothing,
members of the CBC, will be unveiled Biden-Harris administration to encour-
nothing will change. We can build a
to the public via Facebook, TheGrio, age responsible executive branch poli-
better Bronx, and we will do it to-
and my YouTube page. cies and actions using Our Power, Our gether.’’
We are also hosting a virtual film Message. I am delighted to coanchor with Mr.
screening of director Lee Daniels’ film, Now, I am honored to announce our RITCHIE TORRES for the 117th Congress.
‘‘The United State vs. Billie Holiday,’’ CBC anchors for tonight: Congress- GENERAL LEAVE
tomorrow evening. woman SHEILA JACKSON LEE, a scholar, Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker,
In that spirit, later this week, I will a strategist, an orator, a woman who I ask unanimous consent that all Mem-
be introducing the Black History is bers have 5 legislative days to revise
has sponsored legislation and helped
American History Act to close out our and extend their remarks and include
craft much of the changes that we will
Black History Month. any extraneous material on the subject
be talking about through the 117th
This year marks the 50th anniversary of my Special Order.
Congress; and I am equally as proud to
of the CBC with the largest CBC group The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there
say that the Special Order hour will be
ever, 58 members who represent the di- objection to the request of the gentle-
versity, hope, and promise of this great co-chaired by her coanchor, Congress-
man RITCHIE TORRES, a freshman, a woman from Texas?
Nation. It has been stated before, and There was no objection.
member of the Financial Services Com-
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it certainly bears repeating, the CBC is Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker,
commonly referred to as the con- mittee, a giant in public housing legis- I am particularly delighted to begin
science of the Congress and over the lation. Tonight, you will hear from my remarks, as I continue to weave in
decades has forcefully advocated on them. and out tonight, and then, with my re-
policies that our Nation cares about, Madam Speaker, I yield back the bal- marks, will yield to Mr. TORRES as
ranging from economic justice and rep- ance of my time. well.
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H574 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 23, 2021
This is a moment in history. To- woman to run for the Presidency, never member of the House Budget Committee, I
night, we will explore honoring our 50- to be daunted, never to be rejected, clearly understand the importance of history
year legacy, Our Power, Our Message. never to be denied? and why we should take time to appreciate the
As I was flying up today, I was very Or William L. Clay, Sr., who chaired path that has led us to this moment.
happy to find on the movie list on an the Education and Labor Committee, Four hundred years ago, ships set sail from
airplane ‘‘Good Trouble,’’ the movie the first Black man, or the second, to the west coast of Africa and, in the process,
about John Lewis, with so many Mem- do so. began one of mankind’s most inhumane prac-
bers telling their story. I think I will George W. Collins, a pioneer and pow- tices: human bondage and slavery.
just simply say: Good trouble. erhouse out of Chicago, Illinois. For two centuries, human beings—full of
Tonight, we hope to exemplify good John Conyers, the dean of the United hopes and fears, dreams and concerns, ambi-
trouble as we honor the 50-year legacy States Congress, and the first Member tion, and anguish—were transported onto
of the Congressional Black Caucus and of Congress to hire Rosa Parks, and a ships like chattel, and the lives of many were
emphasize Our Power, Our Message. We Member of Congress—I think it is his forever changed.
want to be in good trouble. distinction alone—to have Dr. Martin The reverberations from this horrific series
I am honored in the 117th Congress to Luther King endorse him. of acts—a transatlantic slave trade that
chair the Crime, Terrorism, and Home- Ron Dellums, he was a man that was touched the shores of a colony that came to
land Security Subcommittee and serve told: You sit in the chair with Pat be known as America, and later a democratic
as a senior member on the Judiciary Schroeder, in the Armed Services Com- republic known as the United States of Amer-
Committee, where, in addition to the mittee. We are not interested in you ica—are unknown and worthy of exploration.
powers of Congressional Black Caucus, being here in the first place. And Ron Approximately 4,000,000 Africans and their
we will seek to have justice rain down Dellums rose to be chair of the Armed descendants were enslaved in the United
like righteous waters. Services Committee. States and colonies that became the United
And how much of an overcomer they
b 2045 States from 1619 to 1865.
are: Charles Diggs, the leading man on The institution of slavery was constitutionally
We will do that, however, with the 55 Africa.
members of the Congressional Black and statutorily sanctioned by the Government
Augustus Hawkins, the leading man of the United States from 1789 through 1865.
Caucus, and I think our numbers are on the empowerment of working fami-
higher than that, and they are all on American Slavery is our country’s Original
lies.
different committees. Amazing. They Sin and its existence at the birth of our nation
Again, Ralph Metcalfe, one of the
will pierce the seams of equality and is a permanent scar on our country’s founding
early pioneers of elected Black Mem-
justice in the 117th Congress. So we documents, and on the venerated authors of
bers of Congress, again, out of Chicago.
will have our past, but we will have our those documents, and it is a legacy that con-
Parren Mitchell, the father of affirm-
future. tinued well into the last century.
ative action.
Let me briefly talk about where we Robert C. Nix, a pioneer out of Penn- The framework for our country and the doc-
were 400 years ago. Ships sailed from sylvania. ument to which we all take an oath describes
the west coast of Africa and in the Charles B. Rangel, who worked his African Americans as three-fifths a person.
process began one of mankind’s most way up from the streets of Harlem to The infamous Dred Scott decision of the
inhumane practices, human bondage the U.S. Attorney’s Office to then be United States Supreme Court, issued just a
and slavery. Approximately 4 million chair of the Ways and Means Com- few decades later, described slaves as private
Africans and their descendents were mittee. property, unworthy of citizenship.
enslaved in the United States and colo- Lou Stokes, a major force on the Ap- And, a civil war that produced the largest
nies, that became the United States, propriations Committee and healthcare death toll of American fighters in any conflict
from 1619 to 1865. in America. in our history could not prevent the indignities
The institution of slavery was con- And, of course, delegate Walter E. of Jim Crow, the fire hose at lunch counters,
stitutionally and statutorily sanc- Fauntroy, who I met in South Carolina and the systemic and institutional discrimina-
tioned by the Government of the with a commitment to defeat a seg- tion that would follow for a century after the
United States from 1789 to 1865, and regationist who chaired the District of end of the Civil War.
certainly American slavery is our Columbia Committee. The mythology built around the Civil War
original sin. But tonight you will hear Overcomers, but each of them will has obscured our discussions of the impact of
woven throughout the remarks of so say that this definition of who we are chattel slavery and made it difficult to have a
many of my colleagues, how out of should not be on the few, it should be national dialogue on how to fully account for
these ashes of enslaved Africans, out of on the many. That means that, we, as its place in American history and public policy.
the toll of death from those held in members of the Congressional Black While it is nearly impossible to determine
bondage, out of the heroes that fought Caucus, stand here today to be able to how the lives touched by slavery could have
in the Civil War, who rose up out of the call as our mandate, our challenge, our flourished in the absence of bondage, we
south and the north and came and bled power, our message, is to be able to lift have certain datum that permits us to examine
for this Nation, out of that death toll the opportunities of all African Ameri- how a subset of Americans—African Ameri-
of American fighters who happen to be cans and Black people, and people of cans—have been affected by the callousness
present and former slaves and suffered color, as we work to ensure that any- of involuntary servitude.
indignities, and continue until the end one who is denied equality has us, we, We know that in almost every segment of
of the 1800s and into Jim Crow-ism, you the collective body politics, as their society—education, healthcare, jobs, and
will find the overcomers. champion. That is what tonight is wealth—the inequities that persist in America
You will find those who have climbed about. are more acutely and disproportionately felt in
and clawed their way to leadership. Of You will hear a number of descrip- Black America.
course, there will be those who say tions of many persons, and you will This historic discrimination continues: Afri-
there is no need for an apology, which hear the words of many of us from dif- can-Americans continue to suffer debilitating
is part of H.R. 40, no need for a com- ferent parts of the country. economic, educational, and health hardships
mission to pierce into these ongoing Madam Speaker, I am delighted to kick-off including but not limited to having nearly
disparities because you have overcome. this series of CBC Special Order Hours for the 1,000,000 black people incarcerated; an un-
In fact, this caucus was founded by 117th Congress with my colleague Congress- employment rate more than twice the current
overcomers, an array of talented men man RITCHIE TORRES (NY–15) who will serve white unemployment rate; and an average of
and women who themselves are the as co-Anchor. less than 1/16 of the wealth of white families,
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cornerstone of democracy and legit- Tonight, we will explore Honoring our 50 a disparity which has worsened, not improved
imacy. Year legacy Our Power, Our Message. over time.
Who would ever forget the Honorable As chair of the Judiciary Committee’s sub- These conditions gave rise to a strong be-
Shirley Chisholm, the first woman to committee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland lieve by Congressman Charlie Diggs that
run for the Presidency, an African- Security and a senior member of the House black members of Congress needed a way to
American woman, Black woman, and a Committee on Homeland Security, and a make a difference by working together.
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February 23, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H575
The idea for an organization of black elect- and many others who sought elected office or well over 100 years beginning with the end of
ed Members of Congress came from Rep- attempted to vote in public elections lost their Reconstruction.
resentative Charles Diggs (D-Mich.) who cre- lives. The withdrawal of Union troops from the de-
ated the Democracy Select Committee (DSC) It would take nearly another hundred years feated and seditious southern states in 1877
in an effort to bring black members of Con- until a sufficient number of Federally elected effectively put an end to Reconstruction and
gress together. black candidates would return to Congress. ushered in the era deconstruction of any ef-
Diggs noticed that he and other African But as too many African Americans know, in forts to normalize equal rights under law to
American members of Congress often felt iso- some ways, the civil war has never truly former slaves.
lated because there were very few of them in ended. This period of American history is obscured
Congress, and he wanted to create a forum On January 6, 2021, we saw the raw, sav- by time and characterized by a willful igno-
where they could discuss common political age face of the lingering confederacy attempt rance by governments, media, and academia,
challenges and interests. to put a dagger into the heart of our democ- of the scale of murder mania that gripped the
Diggs believed that ‘‘The sooner we get or- racy. South during the period before Jim Crow de
ganized for group action, the more effective On that day, every belief expressed by this jure segregation, when the lines were being
we can become.’’ preamble to the Constitution of the United drawn in the blood of black people that out-
The DSC was an informal group that held ir- States was at risk of being lost to the hands lined what black people would and would
regular meetings and had no independent staff of a wellcoordinated attack hidden within the never be allowed to do in American society.
or budget, but that changed a few years later. ranks of a riotous, murderous mob that in- Before they were written into law, the ‘Black
As a result of court-ordered redistricting, vaded and laid siege to U.S. Capitol during Codes’ were shaped by a series of violent
one of several victories of the Civil Rights Act the constitutionally required but ministerial act acts that occurred in communities large and
and Voting Rights Act joined by the force of of counting the ballots submitted by the presi- small throughout the South, leading to tens of
the Civil Rights Movement, the number of Afri- dential electors of each state and declaring thousands of murders and attacks that
can-American Members of Congress rose publicly the persons who were by their ballots maimed many because of arbitrary rules of so-
from nine to 13, the largest number since the elected President and Vice-President of the cial conduct such as a black man did not tip
end of the Civil War brought reconstruction United States. his hat, get off the sidewalk, spoke to a white
that paved the way for voting rights for former We all knew the outcome of the 2020 Presi- person without first being spoken to, or other
slaves. dential Election long before January 6, 2021 perceived slights.
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) because of the transparency of each state’s The reign of terror visited upon former
was established in 1971 by the following 13 election administration and that the Joint slaves and their communities began near the
founding members: Meeting of Congress would simply confirm end of Reconstruction and resulted in a secret
1. Rep. Shirley A. Chisholm (D-N.Y.); that Joe Biden had won more than a majority history of the United States that almost erased
2. Rep. William L. Clay, Sr. (D-Mo.); of the electoral votes, along with winning the the gains made by former slaves during the
3. Rep. George W. Collins (D-Ill.); national popular vote by more than 7 million period 1865–1876 that included over 1,500
4. Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.); votes. elected offices held throughout the South.
5. Rep. Ronald V. Dellums (D-Calif.); The riot came immediately after then-Presi- There were former slaves elected to serve
6. Rep. Charles C. Diggs, Jr. (D-Mich.); dent Trump promoted a march on the Capitol in the 41st and 42nd Congresses of the
7. Rep. Augustus F. Hawkins (D-Calif.); and called his supporters to ‘stop the steal,’ United States, most of whom were denied re-
8. Rep. Ralph H. Metcalfe (D-Ill.); ‘never give up, never concede,’ and to ‘fight election to office once Jim Crow laws limited
9. Rep. Parren J. Mitchell (D-Md.); like hell’ during a speech that day, asserting access to voting for former slaves.
10. Rep. Robert N.C. Nix, Sr. (D-Pa.); It was unnatural for black communities to
that they would not ‘have a country anymore’
11. Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.);
if they did not act. have gone silent in the body politic after the
12. Rep. Louis Stokes (D-Ohio); and
During the breach, Members of Congress strides made by newly freed slaves in engag-
13. Del. Walter E. Fauntroy (D-D.C.).
Few recall that before these storied lumi- were voting to certify then-President-elect Joe ing in political discourse but that silence was
naries were elected to Congress, there were Biden’s election victory, and many participants caused by the tens of thousands of singular
other African American Members of Congress in the attack intended to thwart this effort. and mass murders and lynchings that oc-
immediately following the end of the Civil War Violent participants, incited by the former curred after the end of Reconstruction and
who also served in this august body. President’s rhetoric, injured scores of D.C. Po- continued well into the 20th Century.
1. Robert Brown ELLIOTT 42nd (1871–73), lice and U.S. Capitol Police officers—killing The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre that killed
43rd (1873–75) one, while four civilians also died. hundreds of blacks is another example of what
2. Jefferson Franklin LONG, 41st (1869–71) The level of violence and passions dem- a mob stirred by racial amanous can do to Af-
3. Joseph Hayne RAINEY, 41st (1869–71), onstrated are out of character for a nation that rican Americans who only crime was living a
42nd (1871–73), 43rd (1873–75), 44th (1875– is accustomed to the peaceful transfer of prosperous and economically independent
77), 45th (1877–79) power, especially when the results were so American Dream.
4. Hiram Rhodes REVELS, 41st (1869– clear—the President had been soundly de- African American history has a long, painful
1871) feated for reelection. and bloody path that clearly exhibits how vio-
5. Robert Carlos DE LARGE 42nd (1871– We did not appreciate how powerful a lie lent the Confederacy was, and we have fought
1873) could be in the domain of social media where a cold civil war for over 156 years, which
6. Robert Brown ELLIOTT, 42nd (1871–73), people can wall themselves off from alter- today is on the verge of turning hot.
43rd (1873–75) native views and news. Evidence of the desperation of black people
7. Benjamin Sterling TURNER, 42nd (1871– A nation accustomed to the peaceful trans- to escape the drudgery of the south is evident
1873) fer of power from one presidency to another by the greatest self migration of people within
8. Josiah Thomas WALLS, 42nd (1871–73), was unprepared for the enemy within; from a the United States known as the Great Migra-
43rd (1873–75), 44th(1875–77) Chief Executive who would attempt to strike at tion, which saw the relocation of more than 6
9. Richard Harvey CAIN, 43rd (1873–75), the heart of lawful authority to destroy the million African Americans from the rural South
45th (1877–79) union so that he could remain in office. to the cities of the North, Midwest and West
10. John Roy LYNCH, 43rd (1873–75), 44th The underlying currents that led to the siege from about 1916 to 1970.
(1875–77), 47th (1881–83) of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 began with The push to leave family and communities
11. Alonzo Jacob RANSIER, 43rd (1873– the Compromise of 1876, which ended Recon- in the south was motivated by a deep desire
75) struction. to escape the yoke of the cold civil war; and
12. James Thomas RAPIER, 43rd (1873– We must have an account of the crimes the pull to go to other parts of the nation was
75) committed and the exacting of justice to those a chance to live free of fear, which translated
13. Blanche Kelso BRUCE, 44th (1875–77), whose violent acts of rebellion against the au- into black people who were allowed to pursue
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45th (1877–79), 46th (1879–81) thority of the United States resulted in the the American Dream.
14. Jeremiah HARALSON, 44th (1875–77) deaths of six Americans and the desecration This is why for millions of Americans it was
15. HYMAN, John Adams 44th (1875–77) and defilement of the Citadel of Democracy. shameful, painful and a disgrace that the Con-
16. Charles Edmund NASH, 44th (1875–77) The injury done to the nation by white su- federate battle flag was paraded in the Capitol
At the end of reconstruction, many of these premacists on January 6, 2021, can be linked of the United States by Trump’s motley band
Black members of Congress lost their office to the harm they have done to this nation for of disloyalists, something that hundreds of
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H576 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 23, 2021
thousands of true patriots gave the last full in public elections that allowed for the election Homeland Security in consultation with the
measure of devotion to prevent in the crucible of black and white candidates ceased to exist. National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), to
years of the civil war from 1861 to 1865. White supremacists who ran as candidates produce a set of comprehensive reports over
The lynchings, beatings, rapes, burnings, in 1898, but lost their elections used mob vio- 5 years.
joined with roadblocks to advancements that lence to take the offices from the duly elected The report is to include: a strategic intel-
would afford African American people basic officials, sparking the Wilmington insurrection, ligence threat internal to the United States;
human rights such as fair wages, food, shel- also known as the Wilmington Massacre of metrics on the number and type of incidents,
ter, education, economic opportunity, 1898 or the Wilmington Coup of 1898. coupled with resulting investigations, arrests,
healthcare, due process and equal treatment The similarities between what happened on prosecutions and analytic products, copies of
under the law, were denied for much of our January 6, and the events of 1898 are striking the execution of domestic terrorism investiga-
history. in that both featured a mass riot and insurrec- tions; detailed explanations of how the FBI,
The goals of this cold civil war were simple: tion carried out by white supremacists. DHS and NCTC prioritize the domestic ter-
it was to end or frustrate any effort by society The mass riot carried out by white suprema- rorism threats and incident; and descriptions
to create a world where black people are free cists on January 6, 2021, sought to overturn regarding the type and regularity of training
and have full rights as citizens of the United an election where black voters played a sig- provided by the FBI, DHS, or NCTC to other
States. nificant role in electing Joseph Biden and Federal, State and local law enforcement.
The threat of a hot civil war comes from the KAMALA HARRIS as President and Vice Presi- The conferees noted that the report has not
majority of Americans accepting that African dent of the United States. been delivered to the appropriate committees,
Americans have a place in America, and a Furthermore, to add injury to their racist and they urged the FBI Director to deliver the
right to pursue the American Dream. sensibilities, the preceding day, January 5, report without delay.
The shift in American values and views re- 2021, the state of Georgia elected its first Afri- The Jackson Lee Amendment to the NDAA
garding race have come very slowly with ad- can American and Jewish U.S. Senators dur- FY 2021 sought the same information that is
vances and setbacks until the passage of the ing a special election. required under the NDAA FY 2020 because of
Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Today, we see the potential for the 1898 the threat posed by accelerationists and militia
Act of 1965 created space and time to rees- level of violence against the entire Congress, extremists who comprise a range of violent
tablish voting rights for black voters that con- which has become the most diverse delibera- anti-government actors, movements and orga-
tinues to be under threat. tive body in our nation’s history. nizations, some of which branch out of dec-
In this latter respect, the Insurrection of Jan- Since the attack, the FBI has identified more ades-old ideologies and others of which are
uary 6 sought to duplicate the Compromise of than 400 individuals out of an estimated 800 relatively new has led to violent engagement
1876 because in both cases adherents of who illegally entered the Capitol on January 6, of law enforcement.
white supremacy sought to retain and monop- 2021. As of January 27, 2021, the FBI’s My concern is that in the aftermath of a his-
olize political power by disenfranchising and Washington Field Office has confirmed that toric national election, the activity of violence
disempowering millions of black Americans, more than 150 criminal cases against those influencers like Boogaloo Boys or Proud Boys
throughout the South in 1876 and in the urban individuals have been filed. will increase and lead to attacks becoming
centers of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin Although some reporting initially contra- more frequent.
and Georgia in 2020. dicted Justice Department officials’ public In 2018, we saw too many instances of vio-
The threat of a hot civil war stems from the statements regarding aggressive efforts to lent extremists searching for opportunities to
fear of white supremacists that a growing ma- charge all those involved in the criminal activ- sow violence and disrupt democratic proc-
jority of Americans accept that African Ameri- ity, acting U.S. Attorney Michael Sherwin re- esses.
cans have an equal right and entitlement to affirmed the Department’s commitment on Boogaloo and Proud Boys are targeting
the blessings of liberty because they are full January 26, 2021, stating ‘‘[r]egardless of the constitutionally protected activity for cooption
members of the American political community. level of criminal conduct, we’re not selectively or to provide cover for attacks.
January 6, 2021, was not the first time that targeting or just trying to charge the most sig- HONORING OUR 50-YEAR LEGACY: OUR POWER, OUR
white supremacists attacked to overthrow duly nificant crime . . . [i]f a crime was committed MESSAGE
elected white and black public officials. In we are charging you, whether you were out- LIST OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS IN THE 117TH CONGRESS:
1898, in Wilmington, North Carolina and again side or inside the Capitol.’’ The work of the 117th Congress is just
in Colfax, Louisiana in 1873, the election of di- The long and blood history of white suprem- begun, but the list of unfinished business is
verse slates of statewide candidates to public acy requires an approach that holds individ- long:
office triggered violent white mobs to attack uals accountable for their actions as a means Ending the COVID–19 by Ending Healthcare
and murder newly elected officials. of ending the lure of the mob as a tool of vio- Disparities;
The Colfax Massacre, sometimes referred to lence against targets of interest. Passage of the George Floyd Justice in Po-
euphemistically as the Colfax Riot, occurred Reports that cite that over a hundred current licing Act;
on Easter Sunday, April 13, 1873, in Colfax, or former members of the military were in- Criminal Justice Reform;
Louisiana, the seat of Grant Parish, where be- volved in the riot at the Capitol are shocking Funding to complete the restoration of a
tween 62 and 153 black men were murdered to some. safe drinking water system for Flint, Michigan;
by racist white vigilantes calling themselves a Unfortunately, this aspect of white suprema- Enactment of the John Lewis Voting Rights
militia. cist violence was evident by violence com- Act;
Three white men also died in the confronta- mitted by Proud Boys and Boogaloo adherents Immigration Reform.
tion, with at least one said to have been shot made clear their objectives. The United States is a work in progress, as
by his own ally. My efforts to focus the attention of the mili- stated in the preamble to the Constitution:
In the wake of the contested 1872 election tary on this link was evident in an amendment
We the People of the United States, in
for governor of Louisiana and local offices, a I offered to the NDAA for FY2021 that was Order to form a more perfect Union, estab-
group of white Democrats armed with rifles adopted. lish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility,
and a small cannon, overpowered Republican This Jackson Lee Amendment included in provide for the common defense, promote the
freedmen and black state militia occupying the the House version of the NOAA directed the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of
Grant Parish courthouse in Colfax. Secretary of Defense to report to Congress Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do
Most of the freedmen were murdered after the extent, if any, of the threat to national se- ordain and establish this Constitution for
they surrendered; nearly 50 were killed later curity posed by domestic terrorist groups and the United States.
that night after being held prisoners for several organizations motivated by a belief system of African Americans have fought in every war
hours. white supremacy, such as the Boogaloo and this nation has faced knowing that they were
Estimates of the number of dead have var- Proud Boys extremists is reflected in the Con- not afforded the same rights and freedoms of
ied, ranging from 62 to 153. The exact number ference bill. white Americans.
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of black victims was difficult to determine be- The NDAA conference identified that the We comprise thirteen percent of the popu-
cause many bodies were thrown into the Red FBI is under statutory obligation, established lation of the United States, and yet experience
River or mass gravesites. by Section 5602 of the NDAA FY 2020 (Public a higher rate of incarceration, health dispari-
Reconstruction ended in 1877 and by 1898 Law 116–92), to complete a report that would ties, more vulnerable to economic slowdowns,
the protection afforded newly freed slaves to better characterize the domestic terrorist threat and even more likely to get COVID–19 and
participate as equal citizens in casting ballots by requiring the FBI and the Department of have much worse health outcomes.
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February 23, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H577
Disparities tell the story of living while black Proposals for African Americans Act, which of the Capitol for the 500,000 lives lost. Mem-
in America. later became known as H.R. 40, in remem- bers of Congress joined Americans in prayer
Disparities in maternity mortality, in the care brance of the Gen. Sherman’s 1865 Special for the lives lost or devastated by this vicious
we receive from doctors when we are in pain Field Order No. 15 to redistribute 400,000 virus. As we pray, we must commit ourselves,
caused by Sickle Cell anemia, or present with acres of formerly Confederate owned coastal in memory of those we have lost, to wearing
serious symptoms like Ebola as was the case land in South Carolina and Florida, subdivided face coverings, observing social distance,
with Thomas Eric Duncan who went to a Dal- into 40 acre plots. washing of hands-and most importantly getting
las Area hospital for treatment. In 2019, I reintroduced an updated H.R. 40 the vaccine when it is our time to do so as a
Disparities in the spread of COVID–19 are entitled ‘‘Commission to Study and Develop pledge to all who have been taken from us far
killing Black people at a much higher rate than Reparation Proposals for African Americans too soon that we will act swiftly to put an end
our percentage of the population in states re- Act,’’ noting that in the 30 years since the bill’s to this pandemic and to stem the suffering felt
porting demographic data. original introduction, sufficient evidence has by so many.
Since that time, we have seen a pandemic been assembled to not just study but also de- My commitment is to save lives and also
sweep the country, taking more than 500,000 velop proposals for a remedy. livelihoods through public and personal action.
souls in its wake and devastating the African H.R. 40 allows for the first constructive As Texans work to overcome the tragic winter
American community. scholarly conversation on race that is clearly disaster that befell the state last week, I wrote
According to the latest estimates from the needed in the U.S. today and the ability to to President Biden asking that he grant the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Black peo- take a moment in 250 years for a full discus- state’s request for a Presidential Disaster Dec-
ple get COVID–19 at a rate nearly one and a sion or analysis of economic, political, psycho- laration, which he did and today FEMA is on
half times higher than that of white people, are logical, scientific, and sociological effects of the ground providing water delivery, food dis-
hospitalized at a rate nearly four times higher, slavery in the U.S. It acknowledges the funda- tribution, and other vital services to help Tex-
and are three times as likely to die from the mental injustice and inhumanity of slavery in
ans get back on their feet.
disease. the U.S. and establishes a commission to
I also encourage those who have lost health
Interestingly, a recent peer-reviewed study study and consider a national apology and
insurance during the economic crisis created
from Harvard Medical School suggests that proposal for reparations for the institution of
by COVID–19 pandemic to take advantage of
reparations for African Americans could have slavery, its subsequent racial and economic
discrimination against African Americans, and the extended enrollment period for getting
cut COVID–19 transmission and infection
the impact of these forces on living African health insurance through healthcare.gov,
rates both among Blacks and the population at
Americans. The Commission is also charged which is open until May 15, 2021. Currently,
large.
Their analysis, based on Louisiana data, de- to make recommendations to Congress on ap- 36 states are using HealthCare.gov. Since
termined that if reparations payments had propriate remedies. President Biden announced the creation of the
been made before the COVID–19 pandemic, H.R. 40 follows the successful model of the Special Enrollment Period for HealthCare.gov,
narrowing the wealth gap, COVID–19 trans- reparations campaign for Japanese-Americans all 14 states and D.C. that have their own
mission rates in the state’s overall population interned during WWII. The campaign began state-based marketplaces have announced
could have been reduced by anywhere from with a 1980 congressional bill establishing a that they would also have Special Enrollment
31 percent to 68 percent. commission to investigate the internment, Periods.
I include in the RECORD an article detailing evaluate and consider the amount and form Questions about how justice is served to dif-
the results of a Harvard Study that found that reparations would take, and make rec- ferent communities in our nation came into
reparations for slavery could have reduced ommendations to the Congress for remedy. stark focus with the horrifying killing of George
COVID–19 infections and deaths in US from Based on the Commission’s findings, Presi- Floyd on May 25, 2020 by a Minneapolis po-
between 31–68 percent. dent Reagan signed into law the Civil Liberties lice officer, which shocked and awakened the
There are disparities in every aspect of Afri- Act of 1988. The bill formally apologized to moral consciousness of the nation.
can American life and death. Japanese-Americans, authorized the payment Untold millions have seen the terrifying last
Between 1980 and 2015, the number of of $20,000 to each Japanese-American deten- 8 minutes and 46 seconds of life drained from
people incarcerated in America increased from tion camp survivor; instituted a trust fund to a black man, George Floyd, taking his last
roughly 500,000 to over 2.2 million. educate Americans about the suffering of the breaths face down in the street with his neck
Today, the United States makes up about 5 Japanese-Americans; and issued pardons to under the knee of a police officer who, along
percent of the world’s population and has 21 all those who resisted detention camp intern- with his three cohorts, was indifferent to his
percent of the world’s prisoners. ment. cries for help and pleas that he ‘‘can’t
1 in every 37 adults in the United States, or The nation over the last twelve months has breathe.’’
2.7 percent of the adult population, is under faced a crucible of suffering, death, and dis- In direct response, civil protests against po-
some form of correctional supervision. ease that has taken too many lives, dev- lice brutality occurred in cities large and small
In 2014, African Americans constituted 2.3 astated the economy, and put millions at risk all across the nation.
million, or 34 percent of the total 6.8 million of greater hardship due to the death of a loved It is clear that the times that we find our-
correctional population. one, unemployment, loss of health care or for- selves in demand action, and that is precisely
African Americans are incarcerated at more gone education opportunities. what my colleagues in the Congressional
than 5 times the rate of whites. Hidden in these numbers are the health dis- Black Caucus, on the House Judiciary Com-
The imprisonment rate for African American parities that have plagued African Americans mittee, and Congressional Democrats did by
women is twice that of white women. for generations. introducing H.R. 7120, the Justice in Policing
Nationwide, African American children rep- Today, with a heavy heart our nation sadly
Act of 2020 in the 116th Congress.
resent 32 percent of children who are ar- marks the loss of 500,000 American lives to
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act
rested, the coronavirus: an unimaginable human toll in
42 percent of children who are detained, will be reintroduced this Congress to complete
our modern era of medical and technological
and 52 percent of children whose cases are the work this nation has already begun in
advances. These deaths are of staggering
judicially waived to criminal court. proportions and cause incomprehensible sad- bringing justice to the criminal justice system.
Though African Americans and Hispanics ness, but we cannot think of them as the end And every day, we use our power and our
make up approximately 32 percent of the US of COVID–19. As we have learned COVID–19 message to lift up these important issues that
population, they comprised 56 percent of all can surge again claiming even more lives. are facing our nation, and we ask those who
incarcerated people in 2015. This is why we cannot be complacent or ac- are listening and watching to make these ef-
In African Americans and Hispanics were in- cepting of so much death without continuing to forts your own.
carcerated at the same rates as whites, prison fight. Criminal Justice Reform is a pressing issue
and jail populations would decline by almost Every life lost is a profound tragedy and that Congress must address.
40 percent. earth-shattering moment in the lives of fami- As Judge Learned Hand observed, ‘‘If we
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We will have special orders throughout this lies, neighborhoods, and communities that are to keep our democracy, there must be one
Congress that can delve more deeply in the touch each of us in countless ways as we commandment: thou shalt not ration justice.’’
aspect of live in America through discussions mourn and console our family members, co- Reforming the criminal justice system so
on H.R. 40. workers, neighbors and friends. that it is fairer and delivers equal justice to all
In 1989, Congressman John Conyers intro- Today, I joined my colleagues of the House persons is one of the great moral imperatives
duced ‘‘The Commission to Study Reparation to observe a moment a silence on the steps of our time.
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H578 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 23, 2021
For reform to be truly meaningful, we must work to be done in order to prevent systemic Douglass, and many other Negro abolition-
look at every stage at which our citizens inter- voter suppression and discrimination within ists and leaders were told to wait. After
act with the system—from policing in our com- our communities, and we must remain ever Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation
Proclamation in 1863, slaves still toiled the
munities and the first encounter with law en- vigilant and oppose schemes that will abridge fields through at least 1865.[4]
forcement, to the charging and manner of at- or dilute the precious right to vote. The government promised the Negro ‘‘forty
taining a conviction, from the sentence im- H.R. 885, ‘VOTING RIGHTS AMEND- acres and a mule’’ but instead gave the
posed to reentry and collateral consequences. MENTS ACT OF 2015,’ of which I am an origi- Negro ‘‘separate but equal.’’[5] The Negro
House Democrats, led by House Judiciary nal co-sponsor, repairs the damage done to knew that in 1954 the Supreme Court called
Committee Chair JERROLD NADLER and myself, the Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court for the desegregation of schools ‘‘with all de-
as Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on decision and is capable of winning majorities liberate speed’’ but was met with all delib-
erate delay.[7] The Voting Rights Act of 1965
Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and In- in the House and Senate and the signature of has all but failed to live up to its poten-
vestigations, have accepted and embraced the the President. tial.[7] In 2020, police officers are still
challenge of reforming the criminal justice sys- This legislation replaces the old ‘static’ cov- disproportionality killing Black people.[8] If
tem and developed many innovative legislative erage formula with a new dynamic coverage we respond to this oppression with the same
remedies to correct many of the most glaring formula, or ‘rolling trigger,’ which effectively methods we have used in the past, we will
inequities and racial disparities in the most gives the legislation nationwide reach because sing the same chants, march through the
critical areas of the system. any state and any jurisdiction in any state po- same streets, and demand the same justice in
20, 40, 60 years. For over 100 years we have
This is an important topic and one that Con- tentially is subject to being covered if the req- heard ‘‘change will come.’’ Words that con-
gress must turn its attention to with urgency uisite number of violations are found to have sistently ring hallow. The People must do
and unity of effort to: been committed. everything they can to prevent another inno-
address the harms caused; For millions of Americans, the Voting Rights cent person from dying at the hands of the
get an accounting of what happened; Act of 1965 is sacred treasure, earned by the police or white supremacists.
understand how the water was poisoned; sweat and toil and tears and blood of ordinary The idea that the People must engage rad-
make the lives of people damaged by this Americans who showed the world it was pos- ical methods of change, change that accepts
all action except violence as legitimate, has
tragedy whole; sible to accomplish extraordinary things. generated a great deal of apprehension to
find justice for those lives that may have I want to thank my colleagues, Chairwoman many Americans. But lest we forget our his-
been lost; and BEATTY of the CBC, and my co-Anchor, Rep- tory, one should be reminded that America’s
determine and provide for the long-term resentative TORRES, for participating in this birth and continued existence is a never-end-
health needs of those impacted. Special Order on these important topics. ing dance with radicalness and extremism.
Today, the water in Flint, Michigan is not [From the Harvard Civil Rights—Civil Ideas that were once shunned as too radical
safe to drink and we have no concrete answer Liberties Law Review, June 10, 2020] are now lauded as examples for others. Was
on when it may be safe to drink in the future. not Patrick Henry an extremist: ‘‘Give me
WHY WE CAN’T WAIT
Flint, Michigan like so many communities liberty or give me death.’’[9] Was not the
(By Mo Light) Declaration of Independence radical when it
across the nation really felt the brunt of the fi- In May 1920, Henry Scott, a middle-aged stated that it is ‘‘the Right of the People to
nancial crisis created by the abuse of new Negro, was working as a Pullman porter in alter or abolish’’ the government if it be-
home lending practices and deceptive invest- Florida when a mob seized and lynched him came destructive to equality.[10] Our Found-
ment schemes that hid the weaknesses in the because a white woman said he insulted ing Fathers listed in the Declaration the
economy until the great recession spread her.[1] Scott said that she had asked for his King of England’s crimes that spurred and
across the nation beginning in late 2008. help arranging her seat on a train while he legitimatized the American Revolution—in-
The financial damage done to communities was busy arranging another woman’s seat. cluding the Crown’s ‘‘protect[ion] of [his sol-
He asked her to wait. The white woman diers], by a mock Trial, from punishment for
like Flint in the form of steep declines in prop- called the police and told them that Scott any Murders which they should commit on
erty values, which caused significant declines had insulted her. From there the story fol- the Inhabitants of these States.’’[11] Was it
in property tax income. lowed the usual lynching pattern: A deputy not Thomas Jefferson who wrote to William
This was not just Flint’s problem, but a na- sheriff arrested Scott and then a white mob Smith and said, ‘‘what country can preserve
tional reality—for financially strapped cities, ‘‘overpowered’’ the deputy sheriff and took its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from
towns, school boards, and municipal govern- Scott from police custody. The mob then rid- time to time that their people preserve the
ments who rely on Congress to fund all 12 dled Scott with ‘‘forty or fifty bullets.’’[2] spirit of resistance?’’[12] Was not Abraham
Congressional appropriations bills to provide The jury returned the typical verdict: not Lincoln called radical when he said, ‘‘I be-
guilty.[3] lieve this government cannot endure, perma-
them with much needed revenue to meet the Recently, another middle-aged Black man nently half slave and half free.’’[13] And was
needs of their citizens. was working when he was seized and lynched. not Dr. King considered one of the most rad-
In the 51 years since its passage on August George Floyd was lynched by police officers ical and most hated men in America?[14] His-
6, 1965, the Voting Rights Act has safe- after a store employee accused him of buying tory has been kind to these men and so, too,
guarded the right of Americans to vote and cigarettes with counterfeit money. He pro- will history be kind to us.
stood as an obstacle to many of the more tested to the store employee that this was Black Americans and their allies can’t
egregious attempts by certain states and local not true. But the teenage employee refused wait for perfect adherence from their move-
jurisdictions to game the system by passing to believe him and proceeded to call the po- ment on how one should engage in radical
lice. From there the story followed the all- change. ‘‘No revolution is executed like a
discriminatory changes to their election laws
too-common policing pattern: Police officers ballet[,]’’ said Dr. King, ‘‘[i]ts steps and ges-
or administrative policies. who swore an oath to serve and protect tures are not neatly designed and precisely
In signing the Voting Rights Act on August lynched a Black man while their colleagues performed.’’[15] There will be violent ele-
6, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson said: stood by in silence. ments in every revolution, but the majority
‘‘The vote is the most powerful instrument Two stories, one hundred years apart. In of those revolting are doing so nonviolently.
ever devised by man for breaking down injus- this time, America has shot forward scientif- And more importantly, the oppressor is re-
tice and destroying the terrible walls which ically and technologically. America put a sponsible for the violence of the oppressed.
imprison men because they are different man on the moon, found vaccines and cures The oppressor is responsible for the Amer-
from other men.’’ for deadly diseases, invented the computer, ican Revolution and the Civil Rights Move-
and revolutionized technology. But through- ment. The Revolutions of 1848 were formed
But on June 25, 2013, the Supreme Court
out this time, America has left Black Ameri- by ad hoc groups of the middle-class, work-
decided Shelby County v. Holder, 570 U.S. cans behind in the shadows. For Black Amer- ers, and commoners. They did not act with
193 (2013), which invalidated Section 4(b) of icans, too little has changed in the last sixty perfect discipline, but we nonetheless cele-
the VRA, and paralyzed the application of the or so years. They are still dreaming that one brate those radicals’ tenacity and vision.[16]
VRA’s Section 5 preclearance requirements, day they will be judged by the content of The necessity of Black Americans and
which protect minority voting rights where their character and not the color of their their allies forming a movement for radical
voter discrimination has historically been the skin, all while living through a constant change is difficult for many to swallow. It is
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worst. Since 1982, Section 5 has stopped nightmare. Henry Scott is George Floyd and difficult because too many Americans do not
George Floyd is Henry Scott. And that is understand the centrality of radical change
more than 1,000 discriminatory voting changes to American history. They sit in the shade of
why we can’t wait.
in their tracks, including 107 discriminatory Black Americans have been and will con- trees they did not plant, warm themselves by
changes in Texas. tinue to be severely disappointed with the fires they did not light, and drink from wells
Although much progress has been made slow pace of change. Before the Civil War, they did not dig.[17] They profit from per-
with regard to Civil Rights, there is still much Richard Allen, Robert Purvis, Frederick sons they do not know, and they build upon
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February 23, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H579
foundations that they did not lay.[18] But proud to join my brother in making United States Supreme Court, is a pow-
Black Americans know this difficult truth: history in the 117th Congress. erful encapsulation of how far we have
radical change is the only acceptable change. You know, before I was Congressman come, of how much we have achieved.
They are keenly aware that their struggle RITCHIE TORRES, before I was Council- And that moment reminds us that the
for equality and justice is a never-ending
battle. Black Americans are resentful be-
man RITCHIE TORRES, I am and will al- future of our country does not belong
cause after all these years they must con- ways be the son of the most powerful to white supremacy. The future of our
stantly push for change or be pushed back woman I know, Debra Bosolet, my country belongs to multiracial democ-
into the shadows. Black Americans are the mother. And the most important lesson racy.
seeds that go unwatered and still rise. The that my mother taught me is never for- And the Congressional Black Caucus
soil not toiled but still fertile. You can’t ask get where you come from. Never forget will continue to be at the forefront of
us to be patient with change anymore or to where your roots lie. And my roots are making America the more perfect mul-
play by your rules because Black Americans in the Bronx. Even when I leave the tiracial union that it ought to be. In
have been patient from John Castor to Henry
Scott to George Floyd to —— .
Bronx for Washington, D.C., the Bronx the words of the CBC chair: Our Power,
[1] Ralph Ginzburg, 100 Years of Lynching never leaves me. Our Message.
130–31 (1962). I was born, bred, and battle-tested in Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker,
[2]Id. the boogie down Bronx. And I have the let me thank the gentleman very much
[3]Id. high honor of representing New York’s for his powerful words and his very
[4] Shennette Garrett-Scott et al., ‘‘When 15, the south Bronx, which for too long prominent focus on the idea that you
Peace Come’’: Teaching the Significance of has been ground zero for racially con- are from the Bronx, but the spirit of
Juneteenth, 76 Black History Bulletin 1, 19– centrated poverty. The unemployment the Bronx cannot be taken from you,
23 (2013).
[5] Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537, 552
rate in the south Bronx could be as and that your commitment and your
(1896). high as 25 percent, comparable to the assessment of this country will be de-
[6] Martin Luther King, Jr., Why We Can’t joblessness of the Great Depression. fined in your way, not in the way of
Wait 3 (1963). More than half the residents in the white supremacists, domestic terror-
[7] See Shelby Cty., Ala. v. Holder, 570 U.S. Bronx pay more than half their income ists, or insurrectionists.
529 (2013). toward their rent, and that is before Madam Speaker, I think more than
[8] See Deidre McPhillips, Deaths From you factor in the cost of prescription ever he has captured an important mo-
Police Harm Disproportionately Affect Peo- drugs and utilities, and food, and all
ple of Color, U.S. News & World Report (June
ment by saying he has hope, and that is
3, 2020) https://www.usnews.com/news/arti-
the bare necessities of life. And even what the Congressional Black Caucus
cles/2020-o6-o3/data-show-deaths-from-police- though the south Bronx has long been represents for the millions of Ameri-
violence-disproportionately-affect-people-of- known to be the poorest congressional cans that we represent. He is right, our
color. district in America, COVID–19 has constituency is multicultural, they
[9] William Wirt, Sketches of the Life and shown the south Bronx to be the essen- come from many different perspectives,
Character of Patrick Henry 123 (1817). tial congressional district. they are Black, they are African Amer-
[10] The Declaration of Independence para. It is the home of essential workers ican—as they may be desired to be
2 (U.S. 1776). who put their lives at risk during the
[11] Id.
called—they are Latinx, they are His-
peak of the pandemic so that most of panic, they are Anglo, they are White,
[12] Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Wil-
liam Smith (Nov. 13, 1787), in Quotes by and us could safely shelter in place. And they are Southeast Asian, they are
about Thomas Jefferson (1998). our mission, as the CBC, should be to Asian Pacific, they are LGBTQ, and
[13] Abraham Lincoln, A House Divided give those essential workers, who are they are varied. That is what we are
Speech at Springfield, Illinois (June 16, 1858). overwhelmingly women of color, a here today to stand for.
[14] Tavis Smiley, The One Single Thing fighting chance at a decent and dig- Madam Speaker, I yield to the gen-
Donald Trump and Martin Luther King, Jr. nified life. tleman from New York (Mr. JONES), a
Have in Common, Time (Dec. 1, 2017, 11:09 You know, I never thought as a poor
AM), https://time.com/5042070/donald-trump-
distinguished member of the Judiciary
kid of color from the Bronx that I Committee, among other committees,
martin-luther-king-mlk/.
[15] King, supra note 6, at 140.
would embark on a journey that would and a scholar in his own right, a law-
[16] See Melvin Kranzberg, 1848: A Turning take me from public housing in the yer, and someone who has been able to
Point? xii, xvii–xviii (1962). Bronx to the people’s House in Wash- be trained in the ways of the law, but
[17] See Deuteronomy 6:10–12 (King James) ington, D.C. And I never thought that whose heart is vested in the ways of
(adapted by Rev. Dr. Peter S. Raible). as a Congress Member I would live justice. I am delighted to yield to my
[18] Id. through an insurrection against the colleague for his time on the floor in
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, U.S. Capitol. this wonderful momentous occasion.
I am pleased to yield to the distin- Now, on January 6, we were reminded Mr. JONES. Madam Speaker, I thank
guished gentleman from New York (Mr. that there are two competing realities the distinguished co-chair of this in-
TORRES). that define America. There is the re- credible Special Order sponsored by the
Mr. TORRES of New York. Madam ality of multiracial democracy. Amer- Congressional Black Caucus for those
Speaker, it is an honor to rise to cele- ica is slowly emerging as a multiracial, very kind words.
brate the 50th anniversary of an insti- multiethnic, LGBTQ-inclusive democ- I will say, as someone who has spent
tution like no other, the Congressional racy. Seventy percent of the Demo- most of his life following the work of
Black Caucus. cratic Caucus consists of people of this Black Caucus, it is an honor to fi-
I am honored to be in the presence of color, women, and members of the nally join the legends, the luminaries
fierce and formidable public servants LGBTQ Caucus. who helped to inspire my own run for
like the CBC chair, JOYCE BEATTY, and But then there is the reality of white the United States Congress. Thank
today’s anchor, Congresswoman SHEILA supremacy, which reared its ugly head you.
JACKSON LEE. on January 6. And, for me, the scene on Madam Speaker, I want to thank the
Madam Speaker, I thank her for the U.S. Capitol was not simply an at- CBC for holding this hour to reflect on
those inspiring words. I thank her for tack on a physical structure, it was an Black history. I want to share, in par-
reminding us of the long and rich his- attack on the very idea of America as ticular, the story of a young lawyer
tory of the CBC, a history that con- a multiracial democracy. And it is that who came to the village of Hillburn in
tinues to inspire us all. vision of America that, we, as the CBC, Rockland County, New York, during
Madam Speaker, I am also honored are charged with defending. his fight to desegregate our public
to be here in the presence of my broth- And despite the overwhelming shock schools.
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE
er, MONDAIRE JONES. You know, in the and despair that I felt on January 6,
history of the United States Congress Madam Speaker, I have hope. The inau- b 2100
there have only been about 163 Black guration was reason for hope. The Like many places in 1943, the Village
Members of Congress, and none of them image of KAMALA HARRIS, a Black of Hillburn had a main school for White
were openly LGBTQ until the election woman in the Vice-Presidency, being children. It was called the Hillburn
of MONDAIRE JONES and myself. So I am sworn in by Sonia Sotomayor of the School. And it had a school for children
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H580 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 23, 2021
of color without a library, a play- 6. Shockingly, Madam Speaker, those promotion and elevation, who don’t get
ground, or indoor plumbing. That was who came to object—so they say—to it. There are businesspersons who have
called the Brook School. the duly qualified and legitimate elec- brilliant ideas, but can’t access the
But our elders did not accept this. tion of President Joe Biden and, of capital. There are incarcerated persons
They fought back. Parents of the course, Vice President Harris, they, of who are not guilty, but are still incar-
Brook School children organized and, course, came allegedly with that propo- cerated.
with the help of a young attorney with sition. But, at the same time, I am There are doors of college institu-
the NAACP’s legal defense fund, they stunned by the words of a police officer tions closed. There are people who
sued the district. With the help of their by the name of Mr. Harry Dunn—coura- want to do better with a new house,
lawyer, the parents of the Brook geous and brave with so many others— but still, in the 21st century, are red-
School children won their fight against who indicated: The rioters called me lined. And there are many who want to
segregation in a case that helped to lay the n-word dozens of times. go places and cannot go, who are Afri-
the groundwork for Brown v. Board of So here we are 50 years celebrating can American.
Education 11 years later. the Congressional Black Caucus. Here No, we are not complaining. We are
Who was this young lawyer who came we are defenders of democracy. Many trying to explain how much has been
to the Village of Hillburn? of our Members are former members of done by people who have had this kind
He was the man who would later be- the United States military, having of history. It is important to take note
come our Nation’s first Supreme Court gone into battle, or our family mem- of that.
bers have. Many fell in as early a war Madam Speaker, may I have the time
Justice who was Black: Thurgood Mar-
as World War I, World War II, the Ko- remaining?
shall. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gen-
I am moved by the story because it rean war, the Vietnam war, Iraq, and
Afghanistan, and other wars in be- tlewoman from Texas has 24 minutes
shows how Black history creates Black remaining.
futures, how the courage and resist- tween. We shed our blood for this coun-
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker,
ance of the Black leaders of years past try.
And the so-called people who came I yield to the gentleman from New
are the reason a poor Black kid from York (Mr. TORRES), if he will carry
Rockland County now stands in this and said they just wanted some democ-
racy, they believed that their can- forth.
special Chamber as the United States Mr. TORRES of New York. Madam
Congress Member representing that didate won, but they took enough time
Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman, as
same school district today. to call the sons and daughters of
always, for the inspiration of words.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, enslaved Africans, who wear the uni- Our colleague, Congressman JONES,
I thank Congressman JONES so very form defending democracy, the n-word. spoke earlier of Brown v. Board of Edu-
much for that powerful statement. A They took time to carry a fake flag, cation. Brown v. Board of Education
powerful statement, obviously, a law- calling it the Confederate flag when it was the first legal case I ever read. In
yer’s lawyer to bring to our attention is a symbol in the 1960s of the harsh- high school, I participated in a form of
the great leadership of Justice ness and brutality of segregation and legal debate known as moot court,
Thurgood Marshall, civil rights attor- the Klan. They took time to bring that which taught me how to think, read,
ney Thurgood Marshall, from a lawyer flag to the United States Congress, in write, and speak critically and art-
the midst of the highest number of fully. I will never forget after reading
whom we know will continue to pro-
elected persons of color, persons who Brown v. Board of Education how in-
mote justice now as a legislator.
Madam Speaker, I want to take a are descendants in many different ways spired I felt, those words in the field of
of enslaved Africans. education: Separate but equal is inher-
moment to just put in the RECORD real-
But here I wanted to mention Mr. ently unequal.
ly the historical description of the Con-
Dunn’s name. There were many others Those words inspired me to see my-
gressional Black Caucus. who were beaten that day. I honor self—as a young Black man—as a pub-
Since its establishment in 1971, the
them, and we will honor them as time lic servant and maybe one day as a
Congressional Black Caucus has been
goes. This night, tonight, we mention Member of the United States Congress.
committed to using the full constitu-
this gentleman who said most power- But I have to be honest. If you had
tional power, statutory authority, and fully—Harry Dunn recalled the sick- said to me 1 year ago that I would be-
financial resources of the Federal Gov- ening events of January 6—when he
ernment to ensure that Black Ameri- come a Member of Congress during an
says that the level of racist abuse he infectious disease outbreak, that I
cans and other marginalized commu- suffered caused him to break down in
nities in the United States have the op- would witness an insurrection against
tears, but he was not broken. His quote the U.S. Capitol during the electoral
portunity to achieve the American was: ‘‘Y’all failed.’’ college vote count, and that I would
Dream. That is my message today. All of the then vote to impeach an outgoing
As part of this commitment, the CBC brutality that we may have experi- President who had been impeached
has fought in the past 50 years to em- enced, which I will talk about in a mo- once before, I would have said that
power citizens and address their legis- ment, all of it failed. That is why we sounds a lot like a movie.
lative concerns by nursing a policy are here today fighting in the Edu- So this has been the most draining
agenda that is inclusive, pragmatic, ef- cation and Labor Committee; fighting and disorienting beginning for any
fective, and resonates with the Amer- in the Science, Space, and Technology freshman class in the modern history
ican people. Committee; fighting in the Ways and of the United States Congress, but I am
Just for a moment, I would like to Means Committee; fighting in the En- nevertheless honored to be here.
comment on the dangerous interrelat- ergy and Commerce Committee; the January 6 is a reminder that the mis-
edness of race and the insurrectionist Judiciary; the Interior; the Armed sion of the CBC takes on a renewed ur-
day of January 6. Services Committee; the Oversight and gency. The Congress Member and I sit
We are on the floor because we have Reform Committee; and the Budget on the Homeland Security Committee,
a unique history. We are a multiranged Committee, where you will see our and one of our highest priorities is
people and a multicultural people. We presence. going to be counterterrorism. During
are individuals whose heritage is inter- We are fighting for America, but we one of our recent hearings, I made the
twined with other backgrounds. We are are the conscience that drives the re- observation that America has a pattern
African Americans. We are Caribbean ality that there are more people to be of willful blindness toward white su-
Americans. And in terms of African concerned about than those of us in premacist extremism as a form of do-
Americans, we are Caribbean Blacks, if this Chamber. That there are mothers mestic terror.
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE
you will. We come from all over the and father who work every day, who Even though the statistics have been
world, but we come to America and we don’t see the fruit of their labor. There clear that white supremacist extre-
are described by a singular history. are children who clamor for education, mism has been the dominant driver of
And if we have come with a singular but it is not there. violence in the United States for dec-
history, I think it is important to There are soldiers who need to have ades, the U.S. Government did not des-
intertwine what happened on January the line of hierarchy and the route to ignate a white supremacist group as a
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February 23, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H581
terrorist organization until 2020. 2020. that of the joint meeting of Congress, but more importantly, they are fight-
Never mind the massacre against Afri- it would simply confirm that Joe Biden ing because the election was theirs,
can Americans, against Latinos, and had won more than a majority of the they called a Black officer the N word
against members of the LGBTQ com- electoral votes along with winning the more times than he can remember,
munity. It took the Federal Govern- national popular vote by more than caused him to break down, among oth-
ment until 2020 to finally recognize seven million votes. ers. And he had the courage to say, all
white supremacy as a form of domestic We all know that this was a historic that they tried to do failed.
terrorism. election; more votes than we had ever Let me just show these depictions of
I am often asked: Whom do you ad- counted, I believe, in the history of the our journey. I will start with this one.
mire in history? United States. There was such a sense This year, 2021, is the 100th anniver-
The gentlewoman brought up the Un- of exhilaration because democracy was sary—I hate to even use that term—of
derground Railroad, and I am a great alive. There were so many young peo- the Tulsa riot. Allegedly, a young
admirer of Harriet Tubman, who, as ple that voted. So many people of the Black man in an elevator was alleged
the architect of the Underground Rail- potpourri of America, all backgrounds. to have touched a White woman. I
road, is America’s Moses. She was a We felt so good about voting to- think when he finally got out of the el-
genuine liberator of an enslaved peo- gether, many of us voting the same evator it was alleged rape, or it was
ple. way for the same candidate, as evi- rape, a typical story, over and over
I also have deep admiration for Ida B. denced by his victory. States that we again.
Wells, who was alone as a journalist in had lost 4 years ago, enthusiastically That is why we have such pain for
standing up to the campaign of domes- voting for change, for goodness, for a George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Walter
tic terrorism and lynchings against Af- spirit of unity. We knew something was Scott, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin,
rican Americans. And we have to draw on the horizon. Ahmaud Arbery, Pamela Turner, San-
from the legacy of Ida B. Wells and But isn’t it interesting that after dra Bland, Jacob Blake, and Elijah
renew our commitment to fighting do- that election, for months, people had McClain in Colorado, and names be-
mestic terrorism in our own time. been told a complete lie, which allowed yond, Sean Bell, Eric Garner, the
Madam Speaker, I look forward to them to stay in places that we did not mothers who have become friends, Mi-
joining the gentlewoman in that fight know and conspire to come and attack chael Brown, that is why we have such
and learning from her. this place, this holy place, this place of pain.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, democracy, this place that has, Madam And I guess my constituent—the
my coanchor has very powerfully cap- Speaker, above you, In God We Trust. family that has become America’s fam-
tured the many heroes in our commu- They attacked this place and the riot ily, along with all the other mothers
nity, historical heroes as well, and he- came immediately after then-President and fathers—George Floyd grew up in
roes who pushed against the edge, Trump promoted a march on the Cap- Houston, Texas, in the Cuney Homes,
walked right up to the line, never itol and called his supporters to stop public housing. His mother was the
failed to be courageous, never failed to the steal; never give up; never concede, queen of public housing, took in chil-
work on behalf of people who were and to fight like hell, during a speech dren, fed children. They felt like they
voiceless and powerless. that day, asserting that they would not were at home in the Floyd family.
Harriet Tubman was that woman. Big George is what he was called. Big
have a country anymore if they did not
She was General Moses, and she told man. Took his brothers and sisters
act.
slaves that it was not going to be their I read these into our message of our under his wing. George Floyd played
task to stop along the railroad, they power hour message, 50 years of the basketball—my recollection is—in
were going to get to their destination— Congressional Black Caucus, because I China with Yao Ming when they were
and I guess she was a little harsh—dead young players, not pros. We never
think history will tell. Reading the an-
or alive. know who someone is.
nals of the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, you
That is the push of the Congressional So this is the 100th anniversary of
will see that members of the Congres- probably some of the likes of those
Black Caucus. We are not violent peo- sional Black Caucus, when they were
ple, so I won’t say dead or alive. But we names that I called. Life cut down.
tiny, until we have expanded, have con- And this depiction is Captured Ne-
are consistently engaged in pushing sistently gone to the floor on questions
the envelope, pushing the margins, and groes on way to Convention Hall dur-
of justice and expanding opportunity ing the Tulsa race riot. They were cap-
pushing the conscience of this Congress and ensuring that justice is a respecter
led certainly over a huge number of tured. There was no justice. 300 Ne-
of color or age or region. We fight for groes, Black Americans were buried in
years by the late John Robert Lewis justice no matter what the color of
and John Conyers, who headed the Ju- an unmarked grave, as we are told.
your skin, what your background is. This is how it was. This is how it was.
diciary Committee and fought against We are purists as it relates to justice.
every civil rights injustice. This is how it was.
We love the Constitution, because— The Congressional Black Caucus will
So many leaders. As I indicated, even though we were three-fifths of a
Shirley Chisholm, who ran for the be commemorating that this year. And
person, we were not a human being I will introduce legislation with Sen-
Presidency. And Barbara Jordan, who when it was finalized—it was a docu-
sat on the impeachment committee as ator WARREN, on the Tulsa race riots
ment that grew and continues to next week.
a young Member and said, We, the Peo- breathe rights, from the First Amend- 4,000, 4,000-plus Blacks were hung.
ple. She denied any right of anyone to ment to the 13th Amendment, 14th And as you can see, there were smiling
undermine the Constitution. Amendment, 15th Amendment, to the faces in the crowd. It was entertain-
b 2115 right for women to vote, to the amend- ment. Come to the town square.
Her voice was strong and powerful. I ments that deal with a right to a trial No, this is not a depiction of some
am glad to call her my mentor and my by jury, to the Fifth Amendment, due dastardly person who did violent acts
predecessor. process, and the protection of your and raided through the community.
And so I just want to give these property. These are all breathing docu- This could have been someone walking
words. I want to capture some words ments and words, breathing amend- along a dark road. It could have been
here on that insurrection. ments that have allowed a people who the three boys in Mississippi during the
Everyone knew the outcome of the were in bondage to scrap their way out civil rights movement; they were just
2020 Presidential election long before of the devastation of hatred. We use driving, trying to get to their destina-
January 6, 2021. We also knew that the this Constitution. tion.
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE
States had gone to a lot of traversing, But shamefully, that fight has to These folks could have been walking.
even they were sued, and they still continue. And on January 6, that fight, We had one woman who had a dispute
came back as each State leader said, no that scab was torn off again. That rug with a storekeeper. She was a business-
fraud: This is the outcome. was burning again. Those who came to woman. She was ultimately hung;
Because of the transparency of each say that they were fighting for Trump never came back home. The family was
State’s election administration and and fighting to overturn the election, looking for where she might be.
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H582 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE February 23, 2021
It looks like another celebratory oc- murdered, simply because he was a be here with you in this caucus at this
casion, hanging. We will hear more of Black man going for a jog in Bruns- moment.
this when we proceed to discuss our wick, Georgia. Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker,
commission to study and develop rep- His murder by white supremacists we are humbled by the gentleman’s
aration proposals. and the subsequent delays in realizing words. We are humbled by this moment
But let me—before I yield to my good justice may seem new, but Black peo- in history.
friend and co-anchor, I just want you ple have dealt with systemic racism for I will conclude my remarks by build-
to see this one. This gentleman’s name centuries in America, and we are here ing on Congressman TORRES’, that we
was—I am going to call him Mr. Gor- to break these structures and dis- are humbled, but we are honored, but
don. He is a slave—was a slave, de- mantle these systems using our power we are ready to work.
ceased. And clearly, those are mark- and our message as the Congressional I will leave you with these words
ings of a very bad beating. But that is Black Caucus. from our colleague and others. John
not the end of his story. Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, Lewis said we are in a very difficult
This gentleman came out of slavery I thank the gentlewoman for her words time in our country. I am afraid we
and fought in the Civil War on behalf of and certainly her powerful words on may wake up one day in America, and
the Union. This is what we did. We al- the importance of our Vice President, our democracy is gone. But he went on
ways rise to the occasion. the Honorable Vice President Harris. to say that when you see something
You will hear more about our story. We are grateful for her. that is not right, say something, do
But I wanted to make sure that we just It is my pleasure to yield to the gen- something, get into good trouble.
got a sense of how we have been One of our ancient fathers, Frederick
tleman from New York (Mr. TORRES),
overcomers. But even with being Douglass, said that there is no power
my co-anchor.
overcomers, we know there is more to without struggle.
b 2130 Tonight, we have laid the landscape
do.
Mr. TORRES of New York. Madam of genius, contributions, sacrifice, bril-
Madam Speaker, I am very delighted
Speaker, I want to pay tribute to my liance, and the commitment to civil
to be able to yield to the gentlewoman
classmate, Congress Member NIKEMA rights that is the Congressional Black
from Georgia (Ms. WILLIAMS), and she
WILLIAMS, who, as the chair of the Caucus. Our message, our power, Our
is, in her own right, a leader, a new
Georgia Democratic Party, was instru- Power, Our Message. We will continue
member of this body, has civil rights in
mental in winning the Senate for the to work. We will not yield, not give in,
her blood, she is a mother, and she is
Democratic Party. not give out, and not give up.
here ready to fight for our children’s Madam Speaker, let me thank my
education and she will succeed. Thanks to the leadership of on-the-
ground organizers like Congress Mem- colleagues for joining the CBC Special
Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia. Madam Order tonight, and I thank the Speak-
Speaker, today my Congressional ber WILLIAMS, a Democratic Senate, a
Democratic House, a Democratic Presi- er.
Black Caucus colleagues and I observe Madam Speaker, I yield back the bal-
Black History Month and celebrate 50 dent means we have the makings of an
ance of my time.
years of Our Power, Our Message. FDR moment. We have a historic op- Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker,
For 50 years, the Congressional Black portunity to govern as boldly in the this evening, on the occasion of this special
Caucus has uplifted the voices of Black 21st century as FDR did in the 20th order hour, I rise to commemorate the Con-
people and other marginalized commu- century. gressional Black Caucus and its rich history of
nities so that they can share in the Systemic racism in America traces representation of Black voices across the na-
promise of America for all. back 400 years, and it is incredible to tion.
For the 117th Congress, the Congres- think that in the 400-year history of Today’s Black Caucus is the materialization
sional Black Caucus marks a new mile- our country, we are as close as we have of the vision that our founding members had
stone with 58 members, the largest ever been to confronting the root 50 years ago. Now nearly 60 members strong,
membership in CBC history. The next causes of systemic racism. our caucus has fought to empower the Black
50 years of Our Power, Our Message is That is the burden that we bear as community so that they too may achieve the
strong. the Congressional Black Caucus, but it American Dream. And our success in doing
We are here in D.C. witnessing more is not only a burden. It is a blessing. so, as well as upholding the fundamentals of
Black history being made with the first Public service in an FDR moment is a democracy, is unparalleled in this body’s his-
Black woman, HBCU grad, our soror, blessing. tory.
and a member of our Congressional It is said the first historian, Now, in the face of the COVID–19 pan-
Black Caucus serving as Vice President Herodotus, said that he wrote the first demic, we face one of our toughest challenges
of the United States. Indeed, our power historical book so that the deeds of yet. While it is true that the pandemic has af-
and our message are strong. brave people cannot be forgotten. That fected all of us in some way, it has especially
While we continue to make great is the same reason the CBC exists, so highlighted and exacerbated the inequalities
strides, it is not lost on me that 2020 that the deeds of Black heroes like that the Black community still faces in our so-
was a difficult year for Black people Harriet Tubman and Ida B. Wells, like ciety. We have been forced to battle the pan-
across this country. Collectively, we John Lewis, like Barack Obama and demic on two fronts—health-wise and eco-
battled a pandemic that continues to KAMALA HARRIS, are never forgotten, nomically.
infect and kill Black people at dis- that the contributions of Black Amer- Studies show that the comorbidities most
proportionate rates. ica should remain front and center in closely associated with COVID–19 complica-
In my home State of Georgia, Black the life of our country. tions are diabetes and hypertension, which
people are also experiencing some of It has been an honor to be with you, disproportionately affect the Black community.
the highest levels of unemployment in Congress Member JACKSON LEE. I can- The prevalence of these diseases is systemic
decades. By November 2020, Black not tell you how honored I feel to be a in nature—a result of decades of a lack of ac-
Georgians had filed 71 percent more un- member of the CBC. cess to quality, accessible, and culturally com-
employment claims than White, His- You know, I grew up poor most of my petent medical care.
panic, Latinx, and Asian-American life. I was raised by a single mother I have also met with Black business owners
workers combined. who had to raise three children on min- in North Texas, who credited preexisting fund-
Being Black in Georgia, we fight imum wage, which in the 1990s was ing gaps and feeble relationships with lenders
daily for what so many take for grant- $4.25 an hour. I grew up in public hous- for their hardships during the pandemic. Dis-
ed in this country, the right to vote, ing, in conditions of mold and mildew, advantaged at the onset, these businesses
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE
the right to the fair and equal treat- leaks and lead, without consistent heat became increasingly unable to meet market
ment that George Floyd didn’t get, the and hot water in the winter. I never needs, and reports now say that the pandemic
right to be, the right to exist. could have imagined myself as a mem- has wiped out nearly half of Black small busi-
Today, in particular, we reflect on ber of the greatest institution in the nesses in our country.
how far we have to go. One year ago, United States Congress, the Congres- In the face of the COVID–19 pandemic, the
Ahmaud Arbery was hunted down and sional Black Caucus. It is an honor to Black Caucus has played a critical role in the
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February 23, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H583
drafting and enacting of legislation to support Madam Speaker, the Congressional Black until 10 a.m. tomorrow for morning-
Black Americans—including President Biden’s Caucus will certainly play a prominent Con- hour debate and noon for legislative
newest package. Billed as the American Res- gress for generations to come. I look forward business.
cue Plan, the $1.9 trillion relief package con- to continuing to work with my colleagues in
sists of several provisions advocated for by Thereupon (at 9 o’clock and 32 min-
the caucus to advance better, more equitable
the Black Caucus. Among them include $400 policies for all. utes p.m.), under its previous order, the
billion for vaccine distribution with a focus on House adjourned until tomorrow,
f
minority communities, $15 billion for equitably Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at 10
distributed grants to minority-owned small ADJOURNMENT a.m. for morning-hour debate.
businesses, and investment in infrastructure The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu-
projects to create more jobs for unemployed ant to section 5(a)(1)(B) of House Reso-
h
minorities. lution 8, the House stands adjourned
EXPENDITURE REPORTS CONCERNING OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL
Reports concerning the foreign currencies and U.S. dollars utilized for Official Foreign Travel during the fourth quar-
ter of 2020, pursuant to Public Law 95–384, are as follows:
REPORT OF EXPENDITURES FOR OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL, COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, EXPENDED BETWEEN OCT. 1 AND DEC. 31,
2020
Date Per diem 1 Transportation Other purposes Total
U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar
Name of Member or employee Country Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent
Arrival Departure currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S.
currency 2 currency 2 currency 2 currency 2
HOUSE COMMITTEES
Please Note: If there were no expenditures during the calendar quarter noted above, please check the box at right to so indicate and return. ◊
1 Per diem constitutes lodging and meals.
2 If foreign currency is used, enter U.S. dollar equivalent; if U.S. currency is used, enter amount expended.
HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR., Jan. 15, 2021.
REPORT OF EXPENDITURES FOR OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL, COMMITTEE ON ETHICS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, EXPENDED BETWEEN OCT. 1 AND DEC. 31, 2020
Date Per diem 1 Transportation Other purposes Total
U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar
Name of Member or employee Country Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent
Arrival Departure currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S.
currency 2 currency 2 currency 2 currency 2
HOUSE COMMITTEES
Please Note: If there were no expenditures during the calendar quarter noted above, please check the box at right to so indicate and return. ◊
1 Per diem constitutes lodging and meals.
2 If foreign currency is used, enter U.S. dollar equivalent; if U.S. currency is used, enter amount expended.
HON. THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Jan. 22, 2021.
REPORT OF EXPENDITURES FOR OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL, COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, EXPENDED BETWEEN OCT. 1 AND DEC. 31, 2020
Date Per diem 1 Transportation Other purposes Total
U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar
Name of Member or employee Country Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent
Arrival Departure currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S.
currency 2 currency 2 currency 2 currency 2
HOUSE COMMITTEES
Please Note: If there were no expenditures during the calendar quarter noted above, please check the box at right to so indicate and return. ◊
1 Per diem constitutes lodging and meals.
2 If foreign currency is used, enter U.S. dollar equivalent; if U.S. currency is used, enter amount expended.
HON. JERROLD NADLER, Jan. 22, 2021.
REPORT OF EXPENDITURES FOR OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL, COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, EXPENDED BETWEEN OCT. 1 AND DEC. 31, 2020
Date Per diem 1 Transportation Other purposes Total
U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar
Name of Member or employee Country Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent
Arrival Departure currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S.
currency 2 currency 2 currency 2 currency 2
HOUSE COMMITTEES
Please Note: If there were no expenditures during the calendar quarter noted above, please check the box at the right to so indicate and return. ◊
1 Per diem constitutes lodging and meals.
2 If foreign currency is used, enter U.S. dollar equivalent; if U.S. currency is used, enter amount expended.
HON. ADAM SMITH, Feb. 2, 2021.
REPORT OF EXPENDITURES FOR OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL, PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, EXPENDED BETWEEN OCT. 1 AND
DEC. 31, 2020
Date Per diem 1 Transportation Other purposes Total
U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar U.S. dollar
Name of Member or employee Country Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent Foreign equivalent
Arrival Departure currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S. currency or U.S.
dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with HOUSE
currency 2 currency 2 currency 2 currency 2
HOUSE COMMITTEES
Please Note: If there were no expenditures during the calendar quarter noted above, please check the box at right to so indicate and return. ◊
1 Per diem constitutes lodging and meals.
2 If foreign currency is used, enter U.S. dollar equivalent; if U.S. currency is used, enter amount expended.
HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF, Jan. 8, 2021.
VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:57 Feb 24, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00033 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 8634 E:\CR\FM\A23FE7.023 H23FEPT1
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