Congressional Record, House Page H1259 — March 2, 2022
Summary
Congressional Record, House, pages H1259 and H1260, March 2, 2022. A Member's closing remarks on border crossings and drug overdose deaths are followed by a Special Order titled President Biden's Address to the Nation. Leger Fernandez of New Mexico, recognized for 60 minutes as designee of the majority leader, discusses the State of the Union address and honors Victoria Dominguez of the Cuba School District in New Mexico. The remarks then cover Congressional Progressive Caucus priorities, including Medicaid home- and community-based services, a cap on out-of-pocket childcare costs of 7 percent of household income, a cap of $30 a month on insulin, and the Orphaned Well Cleanup and Jobs Act.
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“Congressional Record, House Page H1259 — March 2, 2022.”
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March 2, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H1259
thing. If the United States can keep that looks to maintain that when a hometown hero. My hometown hero
Ukraine and free Ukraine, that is what people elect their government, that comes from Cuba, New Mexico. I had
we should all be hoping and praying when a people vote for a President, the great fortune of visiting with Vic-
for. such as we have seen in Ukraine, that toria Dominguez and the Cuba School
We heard a speech last night, in addi- that democracy must be honored, and District just the Friday before we flew
tion to the very relevant numbers, and nobody should be allowed to take it out here.
in addition to the numbers of people away. President Putin is not allowed to I can tell you, the love that Victoria
dying in Ukraine and the people being take it away. Dominguez has for her community and
injured, we cannot forget that every We saw a President who is building for the children who attend her school
month in America another 90,000 people bridges. He is building bridges across is visible in that smile that she shares
cross our southern border. We cannot our country and the world. He is build- with you when she talks about them.
forget that every month in America ing actual bridges, the kind of bridges Cuba is quite special because Cuba is
8,000 more people die of drug overdoses. that will connect a school bus to the nestled close to the mountains. The
We cannot forget in America, com- student who needs to get to school in people of Cuba cut firewood to warm
pared to 3 years ago, we deport, every my district. He is building the kind of their home. The people of Cuba are
month, approximately 6,000 less people bridges that needed to be fixed decades connected with each other.
from this country for committing ago that are falling down right before The people of Cuba don’t necessarily
crimes. our eyes when he goes to dedicate have other resources. So when the pan-
Madam Speaker, I realize a lot is them. demic hit, the children of Cuba did not
going on around the world and it is Those are real bridges that we need have internet, they did not have the
easy to forget about it, but America in America, that so many Presidents— ability to remotely learn. The children
should not allow its politicians to for- the President before talked about of Cuba School Districts did not nec-
get about this huge sea of people cross- bridges and infrastructure, but who de- essarily have the nutrition they need-
ing the border and the huge number of livered? President Biden delivered to- ed, the supplies they needed to make it
people dying of drug overdoses and the gether with this Congress. He delivered through that dark winter.
broken hearts of their parents, their together with a bipartisan House vote But what did Cuba do? Cuba rallied. I
siblings, and their children. where we actually thought it was bi- love the fact that not only is Victoria
f partisan because we got 10 Republicans Dominguez a hero, but the bus drivers
in this House to vote for that Infra- of Cuba, New Mexico, are heroes. They
PRESIDENT BIDEN’S ADDRESS TO have appeared on the cover of Time
structure Investment and Jobs Act.
THE NATION But the other kind of bridges he is magazine because of the work they did.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under building are equally important to talk You see them standing in front of their
the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- about because those are the bridges of buses because those school buses—
uary 4, 2021, the gentlewoman from unity. Our former President, he cared working together with Cuba CARES—
New Mexico (Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ) is about walls. He cared about walls that which our beautiful Victoria
recognized for 60 minutes as the des- divide us. He cared about walls that did Dominguez organized—those school
ignee of the majority leader. not do anything that we need. Instead, buses took to the students and their
GENERAL LEAVE we now have a President who builds families the work that they needed for
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Madam the bridges of unity. their schools. They took them the food
Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Imagine the kind of work and diplo- that they needed to nourish their bod-
all Members have 5 legislative days to macy that this President had to do to ies so that they could also nourish
revise and extend their remarks and in- overcome the threats that the United their brains. They took them what
clude extraneous material on the sub- States would leave NATO, which is they needed.
ject of my Special Order. what our former President tried to do. The thing is that as we are coming
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there Imagine the unity that had to be called out of COVID—thank you, thank you—
objection to the request of the gentle- out and that had to be cajoled, given as we are coming out of COVID and we
woman from New Mexico? that this President was faced with are learning to handle and to respond
There was no objection. overcoming from our former Presi- to it, as we are able to remove our
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Madam dent’s admiration for Putin. Everyone masks, Cuba CARES isn’t going away
Speaker, yesterday President Biden might remember, he has even recently because we know that caring for your
stood in this very room and addressed called him a genius. Right? community is not something you do
a Nation during the State of the Union Instead, we had a President that said once and walk away from.
that was looking to the kind of unity, no, and that called Putin what he real- I know that Victoria Dominguez is
strength, and commitment that we ly is, a man who is delusional about going to continue caring for those
heard last night. We saw a President what you can accomplish with force. beautiful children who attend the Cuba
who is concerned as our leader for the This President, President Biden, has schools. I am so pleased to talk about
people. We saw a President who has the united a world together to repel and to the work that Victoria Dominguez does
empathy for the families and what impose sanctions that you wouldn’t because it is the epitome of what we
they have gone through because he, have imagined. want to support within the Congres-
himself, has lived that experience. We The idea that we now have Switzer- sional Progressive Caucus because this
saw a leader who is not afraid to stand land saying: No, it is not right, we is the Congressional Progressive Cau-
up to those that threaten all we love. shall not stay neutral because this is cus’ Special House.
America sent a clear message to the so wrong. We must stand up against This is when we want to talk about
world that the United States stands the darkness. We must stand with the the way in which we can promote and
steady and steadfast with the people American people who seek light. We move agendas that focus on our com-
and government of Ukraine. We are will stand against those who seek dark- munities. That we can promote and
united against the unforgivable, un- ness. We stand against those who want pursue policy that comes from a place
just, and unprovoked Russian invasion. to govern from a place of hatred and of love, that is about creating opportu-
America is united against Putin, his fear because we will govern from a nities, that is about imagining the pos-
actions, and what he represents. place of love for our communities, of sibilities, as President Biden said last
The difference is striking. The dif- love for our families, of love for democ- night. That is what we need to do as a
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ference is striking as to what Putin racy, and of love for the idea that we government.
represents with his strong-man men- must be a world united in the pursuit The last thing I want to say about
tality, with his autocracy, with his ha- of peace. our wonderful hometown hero is that
tred of those he does not know versus Madam Speaker, I loved the fact that Victoria Dominguez received both her
what America stands for. I was able to invite a virtual guest to undergraduate and graduate social
America stands for the embrace of the State of the Union. I was able to work degrees from New Mexico High-
democracy because it is democracy invite Victoria Dominguez as my lands University.
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H1260 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE March 2, 2022
I need to give a shout-out to New one of the best ways of both providing ating jobs and addressing the climate
Mexico Highlands University because that warmth and that care for your crisis.
my father received his degrees from family and building wealth for not only I was so pleased when we heard the
New Mexico Highlands University. My yourself but future generations. President speak last night about immi-
mother went to school when she had I loved it last night when that Presi- gration reform, because let me tell
seven kids and she worked so hard on dent of ours focused on what do we you, Madam Speaker, there isn’t any-
that typewriter, and it would imprint need; and, yes, we need to focus on low- body in this Chamber who hasn’t bene-
those letters on her head. We would ering drug prices. We need to use those fited from the work of immigrants.
tease my mother, but she got that de- savings to expand the availability of There isn’t anybody in this Chamber,
gree from New Mexico Highlands Uni- health to all because who, who should except SHARICE DAVIDS and we had our
versity. pay the outrageous sums that too wonderful Deb Haaland, who can’t say
New Mexico Highlands University is many pay, including his special guest they are not descendants and daugh-
rated as one of the top—number 19—of last night, for diabetes? ters and granddaughters of immigrants
those minority-serving institutions We have said we need to cap it. I am at one time. I am a descendant and a
that help elevate their students from proud that New Mexico has already granddaughter of immigrants even
one socioeconomic ring to another. It capped it at $25. But not all States are though I can trace my lineage back 17
is a minority-serving institution that as forward thinking as New Mexico, generations. But still they were immi-
is key in the upward ladder of social and so I applaud the President for his grants then.
mobility. initiative that we cap it at $30 a month They caused good things and bad
for insulin because it must not be things which we must recognize. That
b 1730 something that we read in the papers is our history. There was tension in our
Now, the Congressional Progressive where too many people ration their in- history. We have done both good and
Caucus had some very key priorities, sulin. And if you ration your insulin, bad over the years, and we must recog-
and I am so pleased to talk about the you can die. nize it.
manner in which we have addressed If you ration your insulin, your But in terms of today, looking at
those priorities. health condition will worsen. You may what immigrants provide us, those
We believe that it is very important lose your limbs, you may lose your life. Dreamers that we have are studying to
that we strengthen the care economy And I have seen those who have lost be nurses, they are studying to be doc-
and that we invest in Medicaid home- their limbs, and I have seen those who tors, they are studying to be teachers,
and community-based services. We are for the rest of their lives are attached
and they are studying to be physicists,
going to make sure that we do not give to dialysis because they could not af-
perhaps the engineers that will help us
up on the image of making sure that ford to pay for the insulin that they
invent what we need to move on to the
childcare is a universal benefit; that we needed to treat their diabetes.
Madam Speaker, we want to make 22nd century on a planet that still ex-
cap out-of-pocket childcare costs so no ists and a place we still love. We must
family pays more than 7 percent of sure that we make bold investments in
climate jobs and that those invest- provide for those Dreamers. We must
their household income; and that we make sure that DACA does not expire.
provide the kind of training and sup- ments go to the most impacted com-
munities. It is not and never has been This House did its job. This House
port so that those children are cared passed the DREAM Act and sent it over
for often and most often by women and a choice of jobs or environment. We
can have both. to the Senate. But immigrants are not
often and most often by women of color just students who will become our next
I am very proud of the orphaned well
and often by immigrant women; and teachers and nurses that we are sorely
bill that I introduced. It is called the
that these caretakers of our most pre- in need of right now. Immigrants are
Orphaned Well Cleanup and Jobs Act.
cious gifts—our children—will receive also those who care for our elderly,
In the Senate, Senator LUJÁN has been
the pay that they deserve. carrying this mantle, and he intro- who care for our very young, who pick
We are not giving up on our impor- our fruits and vegetables, who clean
duced the REGROW Act. Out of these
tance of making investments—bold in- two bills we saw $4.7 billion invested the chickens and pork and prepare
vestments—in housing because we need into cleaning up orphaned wells be- them to come to our supermarkets, and
that housing. cause orphaned wells don’t do anything who stock those shelves. So we must
When I was in Cuba, guess what they for anybody. What they represent is also recognize that they are the essen-
asked about? that companies walked away from tial workers who kept our regular lives
They asked about the importance of their obligation, from their legal obli- going.
getting housing for their teachers at gation, from their obligation to the When we were able to still get food
Cuba School. They want teacherages. I communities where they dug those from that supermarket, who was put-
went and visited the Presbyterian Med- wells, where they drilled those wells, ting their life on the line to provide it
ical Services where those doctors, and where they pumped oil and gas to us?
nurses, and clinical workers serving from those wells. They walked away It was immigrants. We must treat
their community were, and I said: from their obligation to plug that well them with the respect that they de-
What do you need? and to remediate the land around it serve because they have fed all of us.
They said: We need housing for those once they were done. So I was very pleased to listen to the
so that they can come and work here Those wells threaten our water table. President speak that we must do that.
because we are not close to a city cen- They threaten our ability to have clean We are going to be calling upon the
ter. When we go and we visit Santa Fe, water when we turn on that tap. And President because for some reason we
Taos, Las Vegas, all the different com- very, very sadly, they worsen the cli- could not get Republicans in the Sen-
munities in my large district and all of mate crisis. What comes out of those ate—even though many of them sup-
the communities in the districts of our wells when they are doing nothing for ported these same immigration proce-
hundred strong Congressional Progres- nobody—nothing for anybody—what dures before—to vote to move those
sive Caucus members, housing comes comes out of them is the venting of immigration bills forward. So we are
up over and over and over again. methane, the leakage of methane. You faced with this Republican wall that
So we are going to continue to fight can smell it when you go near those divides.
so that we have housing choice vouch- wells, Madam Speaker. I have visited Why do we have these walls that di-
ers. We are going to continue to fight those wells, and they are in places vide?
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE
so that we address the backlog of pub- where they should not be. They are Why do we have these walls that
lic housing. We want to make sure that next to schools, and that methane is stunt progress?
we create affordable housing and that simply leaking and leaking and leak- We will continue to meet, ask, and
it is available so that we can begin cre- ing. It is 28 times or more—more po- implore the President to lean into
ating the kind of wealth that families tent—more potent than CO2. those words that he shared with us last
need when they are able to acquire a So we need to make those kinds of night so that we can achieve through
home of their own, because a home is investments where we are both cre- executive orders so much.
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March 2, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H1261
I look forward to extending the tem- need to make sure that these voices munities, in the American Rescue
porary protected status so that it ap- about the possibilities and how we are Plan, by giving people the money they
plies not just to the countries from our creating opportunity and how we are needed to make it through those harsh,
American continents but also to those delivering for those communities dark days.
who are coming from Ukraine, because where we serve gets out there because Do we remember what it was like in
we cannot just condemn what Putin sometimes all we listen to is those who 2020? It was dark. It was ugly. It was
has done; we cannot just send the bil- vilify, is those who complain, and those scary. We didn’t know if we were going
lion dollars that we have already sent who just want to tear everything down to come out of it. People thought they
to Ukraine for munitions and for as- and don’t really have any good solu- were going to be losing their homes.
sistance; we cannot just do the more tions. How were they going to pay their
work that we have authorized today in What we are doing in this House and rent? We helped them out.
this Chamber, but we must also recog- what we are passing out of this House The number of small businesses that
nize that wars like this, that those who are solutions. We know, and we heard we have saved is amazing.
flee dangerous situations, those who the President speak eloquently last Then not only did we save those busi-
flee their country, the place they love, night, about the difficulties of infla- nesses, but the other thing that we
with so little with them, that we have tion. But we also heard the President have done in the last 14 months is we
an obligation under international law speak about how we address inflation; have had record growth of new busi-
and under our own law to welcome how we address inflation without pe- nesses starting.
Those are the kinds of things that we
those who seek asylum in our country. nalizing workers; how we pay workers
need to celebrate even as we put our
A temporary protected status for the more and make sure that costs come
task to the metal, even as we work
Ukrainians is the right thing to do, and down. That is what the infrastructure
really hard to make sure that we ad-
we support that as well. bill will do. That is what the COM-
So I am very pleased that we did, in- dress the new issues that we face be-
PETES bill will do. And that is what
deed, listen to the President talk about cause our work is never done. Our work
we do when we operate and we pass
that importance last night because we is never done.
policies that focus on lifting up our I have studied liberation theology in
know—that is the other thing we communities, not dividing our commu- college and in graduate school. We
know—is Americans support—in over- nities. talked about what it means to try to
whelming numbers—a majority of Madam Speaker, I am also so pleased honor the creator, to honor what we
Americans support fixing our broken at the President’s words that he said are to do. It was about the fact that we
immigration system. They know be- last night when he said: When we in- need to try to create here on Earth the
cause they live it daily that immi- vest in our workers, when we build the kingdom of God because it is not
grants provide for our country and that economy from the bottom up and the enough to say that you need to wait for
without immigrants the issues around middle out, we can build a better it.
the supply chains would have been so America. Those of us who believe in whatever
much worse. Madam Speaker, unions are critical our beliefs are, we each need to move
I am also really pleased about the to establishing the good jobs with a to say how we work today and every
way the President talked about deliv- fair pay and safe working conditions day to make the lives of those in our
ering for Tribal communities and about that make that possibility of building community better, to make sure that
delivering for rural communities. What a better America from the bottom up we welcome the stranger, because as
this President and this Congress have and the middle out. the Scripture says, we were once
done with regards to investments in That is a key distinction of what we strangers, too.
rural America, in the small towns and have done in this Congress in the 14 To me, that is what we should do
villages that I find throughout my dis- months that I have been so lucky to when we talk about immigration. We
trict, in the small towns, villages, and serve. In those 14 months, we have fo- need to honor the words of love that
hamlets that we find throughout Amer- cused and we have invested in us. We are in those Scriptures.
ica where people are working to pro- have been with the people because the Today, as we celebrate Ash Wednes-
vide us with the food we eat, with ev- people have moved us along, and they day, we must remember that we have a
erything we need, with the pasture have told us what we need because we job to do here while we are on this
lands and the grass that our cattle have gone and visited and we have lis- Earth, and that is to make this place
need, with all of the bounty that we re- tened. better for those who are less fortunate,
ceive here in America, that we must
b 1745 for those who are on the bottom up and
also invest in those places. the middle out, for all of those.
I was very happy to see that we had I was trained as a rebellious lawyer. That is our job. We have a job for
the CEO of Intel because in my district Why do I say that? People say, what this beautiful place we call home, this
we have an Intel plant, and that plant does a rebellious lawyer do? I was very beautiful planet we call home.
is going to be benefiting from the in- lucky. I got trained as a rebellious law- As the Pope has pointed out, we have
vestment that we have announced and yer at Stanford Law School. What the an obligation to protect this beautiful
that we passed out of this House with most important and powerful thing a creation we have against climate
the COMPETES Act, because we are rebellious lawyer can do is listen. change, which is part and parcel of, as
going to make it in America, we are What you saw last night was a Presi- the Pope has noted, greed.
going to invent it in America, and we dent responding to what America has We must move away from being
are going to make sure that it is made shared with us about what they need, greedy and being mean and move to a
and it is made everywhere in America about what our families need, what our place where our policies are made from
because the priorities that we have in communities need. That is what we a place of love, where we are waking up
that COMPETES Act are things that have done in these last 14 months. and fighting for our workers. We are al-
are going to be done everywhere in We did not give away a whole bunch lowing them to unionize because it is
America. of money to the rich and the big cor- through unionization that this country
I am so proud of the fact that we do porations because they don’t need it. has always improved the conditions of
have those huge gains in manufac- They are recognizing incredible profits our communities.
turing jobs. Other Presidents keep in the last 14 months, and they are Madam Speaker, I yield back the bal-
talking about having gains in manufac- passing on higher costs. So, the people ance of my time.
SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with HOUSE
turing jobs, but it is under this Presi- who are carrying the burden of those f
dent—and that in 1 year—we had more profits are our families, our working
than half a million jobs created, families. REAL STATE OF THE UNION
600,000-plus jobs. In New Mexico, we But what we have done is, instead of The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under
had 3,600 manufacturing jobs created. giving away money to those who didn’t the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan-
Now, our problem is we need to make need it, we have invested in our com- uary 4, 2021, the gentleman from Lou-
sure everybody knows about that. We munities. We have invested in our com- isiana (Mr. JOHNSON) is recognized for
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