spawned a preliminary investigation by the ethics committee. the number was zero. that was shocking to a number of people. our investigation tried to answer, "why is this in the first place?' guest: how does the senate ethics committee function? the house has slap to wrists of members, but here 0 for 2, -- host: -- guest: there has been a lot more action on the house side, including sanctions that have been issued, censures,

reprimands in the last few years. ill come to order. proceedings will resume on >> we'll leave this program here, you can watch it in its entirety on c-span.org. members of the house now return to the floor to hold votes. this is live coverage on c-span. and agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal, if ordered. the first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. pursuant to clause 9 of rule 20, remaining electronic votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from south carolina, mr. wilson, to suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 132. the clerk will report the title. the clerk: house resolution 132. resolution responding to the

earthquakes in turkiye and syria on february 6, 2023. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title. the clerk: resolution responding to the earthquakes in turkiye and syria on february 6, 2023. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and degree to the resolution. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 414. the nays are 2. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from florida, mr. bilirakis, to suspend the rules and pass house resolution -- h.r. 538. on this tie -- on which the yeas

and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title. the clerk: h.r. 538, a bill to require disclosure of a camera or recording capability and certain internet-connected devices. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 406, the nays are 12. 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the unfinished business is the question on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the

journal, which the chair will put de novo. the question is on agreeing to the speaker's approval of the journal. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the journal stands approved.

members will take their conversations off the floor, please. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from michigan rise?

>> mr. speaker, i rise to be recognized for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, today i rise to pay tribute to michigan state university as tonight marks two weeks since the horrific shooting took the lives of three innocent students and injured five others. on february 13, 2023, arielle anderson, brian frazier and alexandria burner were taken from us far too soon. four students are still in sparrow hospital. ms. slotkin: one thankfully has been released and is at home. in the days since we've all spent many hours in east lansing and talking to m.s.u. current spartans and alumni, the strength and resill yebs i've witnessed -- resilience i've witnessed has been both inspiring and moving. i've attended vigils where thousands have shown up to honor

the victims and talked to students who are too scared to leave their dorm rooms. we've seen demonstrations where brave young students have made clear that they want action, not just thoughts and prayers. i've also met with many of the 25 different law enforcement and first responder organizations that ran towards the danger that night and commend the 911 dispatchers that guided calmly during the response for both the shootings and the manhunt, as well as thank staff at sparrow hospital for saving students who were transported with gunshot wounds. our community is spartan strong, but grief remains palpable. even on my own team, my staff is here, m.s.u. current and alumni. almost 15 months ago this same group of michigan lawmakers with our friends and allies stood up here to mourn the loss of life at oxford high school. it seements beyond belief -- seems beyond belief that i am a

member of congress who has now overseen two school shootings in her district in 15 months. yet another horrific tragedy that has forever changed the families of the victims, their classmates, professors, the entire community. we cannot be desensitized to this senseless violence. as the representative of the university, i have heard from people across the state who love m.s.u. and want to protect our children. all anyone wants is protect our kids in the place that should be their sanctuary. gun violence is the number one killer of children under 21 and i will work with anyone who is willing to recognize that and decide that we are not going to accept it. in closing, i ask my colleagues for a moment of silence for arielle, for brian, for alexandria, and for their families and our state who grieve this immeasurable loss.

the speaker pro tempore: the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable, the speaker, house of representatives, sir, i hereby resign from the committee on science, space and technology. signed sincerey mike yes sherrill. sir, this letter serves as my intent to serve from the committee of natural resources effective today, jim costa. the honorable, the speaker, house of representatives, sir, following my appointment to the

house permanent select committee on intelligence for the 118th congress, i resign from the house committee on agriculture for the 118th congress effective today, signed sincerely, stacy plaskett. the honorable, the speaker, house of representatives, following my appointment to the house permanent select committee on intelligence, i resign from the science, space and technology committee effect titi today. it is my intent to return to this committee at the next opportunity. signed sincerery, r.a. bera, member of congress. the honorable, speaker, house of representatives, sir, this letter serves to resign from the house armed services committee, jason crow, member of congress. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. without objection. the resignations are accepted.

for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> by direction of the democratic caucus i offer for a privileged resolution. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 164 resolved that the following members are elected to the following -- >> i unanimous consent that the house resolution is read. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. house resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from oklahoma seek recognition? >> i request to be removed as co-sponsor of h.r. 1139. the speaker pro tempore: the request is granted.

the chair will entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> at 5:19 this afternoon i became a grandfather. my middle son had our first grandchild john whilen, 8 pounds 4 ounces and this congressman is excited. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? >> i request unanimous consent

to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to praise a great speller in my district. tavia jackson yeah, 7th grade student in jersey city won the 2023 hudson county spelling bee recently. and vested a field of 62 of my district's top spellers to take the crown. it was a tough battle to the end. mr. payne: after 12 rounds she spelled the word internexine correctly to win out the spelling bee. for mill colleagues and my edification who are curious

about internexine means deadly or marked by great slaughter. with her victory, she advances to the scripps spelling bee on may 30-june 1. i know she will do a great job. she has already made me, her school, her family very proud of her success. and with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? >> i seek unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. >> mr. speaker, i rise to honor senior master sergeant an american hero who retired after years of service from the united states air force.

he was born in knoxville and joined the air force in 1985. sergeant lett was a refueling specialist in addition as a flight instructor and flight engineer, mr. speaker. during his long career he was stationed in five states while serving as a flight engineer he was in support of operation enduring freedom and received numerous awards and the meritorious award afghanistan campaign medal. after the retiring, he retired to knoxville and he joined the knox county. and my honor to senior are master sergeant lett. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the

gentlewoman from texas seek recognition? >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. without objection. the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, house democrats are putting people over politics by lowering kitchen table costs and creating better paying jobs and cutting costs for drug costs for seniors. however, extreme maga republicans have a plan to do just the opposite. house republicans are set to advance a 30% national sales tax. this will increase the average family costs for groceries by hundreds of dollars and some maga republicans say they want to cut social security and

medicare and working families will lose their hard-earned benefits and putting special interests over the few. democrats will always put people over politics, seniors over party. and we will always, always put people first. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to call on secretary of transportation pete bullet jej to resign and don't line up with with what the american people. he has failed to execute the mission to improve the quality

and safety. he is laser focused at wokeness at the agency. think about it, he took 10 days to acknowledge the train derailment and during those 10 days as the people of ohio fled, he found that there are too many white people in the construction industry. when i see the men and women who willed the structures that house us i'm not thinking about their race. i just appreciate they are doing hard work and necessary for our society to thrive. time for pete to go back to indiana so someone serious about building infrastructure and transportation systems that are safe and effective can get the job done. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my

remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today in support of the free and independent nation of ukraine. it's been over a year since putin ordered his tanks and troops in the ukraine. in the past year, the united states has led an extraordinary coalition of global partners to stand against russia's unprovoked invasion of ukraine. i traveled to ukraine with vice president al gore in the 1990's as a staffer and fills my heart with pride that kyiv stands strong. you ip crane is still free and democracy still prevails. our support will not waiver. i wish we didn't have to spend any money but if putin wins we will spend more to contain an

emboldened and aggressive russia. we must stand with ukraine in their freedom for democracy. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: i rise today to congratulate armstrong claireion drug and alcohol to win the community service award. it is given to a nonlaw entity that makes a significant to hrm liquor and tobacco. the armstrong indiana commission provides alcohol, tobacco and other drugs in problem in the three county region to schools, universities, businesses and other entities.

in 2021 five 2022, they partnered with the p.a. bureau with the fetal disorder campaign and aware around proposal session. the this is a model example of programming and partnerships that continue to make contributions to enhance the raise awareness through environmental strategies. congratulations on this recognition. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does gentlelady california seek recognition? >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentlelady from california is recognized for one minute. >> i rise today in support of h.r. 132 to respond to the

devastating earthquakes in turkiye and syria. three weeks ago the world watched as one of the deadliest earthquakes hit syria and turkiye. the damage affected 20 million people in turkiye and eight million in syria. i want to recognize the heroism and courage of the rescue and aid workers who have responded to this disaster. i am deeply proud that a research team in my district was deployed to turkiye to help for relief efforts 18 hours. 80 personnel and eight members of the sheriff's department led and 6,000 buildings to determine their safety for residents. as is always the case when disaster strikes, those who

suffer most are the marginalized. those who have endured russian air strikes, syrian refugees -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is reek needed for one minute. mr. lamalfa: many americans have raised over the effectiveness of the covid-19. now we have information that raises serious doubts. one company asked that its research and safety data be hidden for 75 years what's to hide if these shots are safe and effective. government agencies incurred that social media giant to

censor that giant. the vaccine report that lists the potential side effects has been censored and left plank. this is what comes with the vials censored, intentional left blank. one company's representative admitted they have no idea if their injections worked before introducing them to the market. several shots have been removed from the market and pregnant women were pushed into taking these injections. given the number of deaths of covid-19 it is worth asking these questions, are they effective. next question is are they even safe? i yield back. . . the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> to address the body for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without

objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, today i rise to honor the 100th birthday of my constituent, world war ii veteran, joe juarez, a member of the greatest generation. joe was born in fullerton, california. while growing up, his favorite sport was baseball. in 1942, joe and his high school baseball team were on their way to the c.i.f. championship game, but they never made it. because joe and his teammates were drafted and served in world war ii. as a private first class, joe fought in the pacific and watts awarded the -- was awarded the asia-pacific campaign medal and the world war ii victory medal. joe spent 2 1/2 years in the pacific before returning home. several of his teammates, including one of his brothers, never made it back. joe and his wife were married

for 68 years and raised three children. throughout his life, joe has never forgotten his band of brothers who made the ultimate sacrifice for this great country. happy birthday, joe. happy birthday. you're a true american hero. mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from new jersey seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i request unanimous done sent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to recognize the strength of the ukrainian people after enduring one year of merciless attacks by russian forces. ms. sherrill: this, the following is from a record entry on friday that marked the 1-year anniversary. when putin ordered his tanks and forces into regions like mariupol and car conceive, he thought ukraine would fall in a matter of days. instead of an easy victory, putin's war of aggression has been a dismal failure.

the people of ukraine refused to be forced into an authoritarian state where any opposition is met with jail, torture or murder. they are prepared to pay the ultimate price for their freedom. nato is now more unified than ever in providing military, economic and humanitarian assistance to support ukraine's right to sovereignty. since the invasion, the united states has provided unprecedented support and coordination which has helped the ukrainian military make exponential gains. my congressional district has been integral to ukraine's military success. they've developed the primary cannon being used by the ukrainian army and continue to be responsible for every piece of ammunition being sent by the united states to ukraine. i remain committed to protecting the fundamental values of peace, prosperity and stability across the globe and in ukraine. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek

recognition? >> mr. speaker, i'd like to request unanimous consent to speak on the house floor for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, today i stand before this body to remind congress of the following names. mr. thanedar: arielle diamond anderson. brian fraser. alexandria verner. the lives of these three students were brutally taken from us this month on the campus of michigan state university. arielle anderson, brian fraser were students at schools in my district. although this tragedy has personal significance for me today, it is a sad truth that until our country recognizes the sickness of gun violence, we will continue to have tragedies

like this. these incidents are all too common in this country. we as congress must ensure and demand that these atrocities never happen again. it is past due that we pass sensible gun laws that expand safe storage regulations and reform red flag laws and improve access to mental health care. we can't keep living like this. we must act now. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask for unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise to celebrate elizabeth city state university's women's basketball team and north carolina

university's men's basketball team. for their remarkable championship wins this past weekend. for elizabeth city state university, this impressive achievement is the first ciaa championship win in the institution's 132-year history. the lady vikings showed everyone in their arena -- in the arena that teamwork brings home friesm. mr. davis: in their chaim championship game, north carolina wesley university defeated second seed to claim the program's fifth u.s.a. south title. on behalf of the first congressional district -- north carolina's first congressional district, i applaud elizabeth city state university coach and north carolina wesleyan university coach for building their respective programs. and i thank the student-athletes for their determination and for showing the entire country the best of eastern north carolina.

i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, it is with great respect that i rise today to celebrate black history month and recognize the honorable calvin d. hawkins who is a late county superior court judge in northwest indiana, and a champion for equality and civil rights. while still in his teens, judge hawkins participated in the historic march on washington in 1963. mr. mrvan: and then embarked on his distinguished leal career where he has faith -- legal career where he has faithfully served with purpose, integrity and respect. outside of the courts, he also has proven himself to be a tireless advocate for the youth of northwest indiana, launching a state in-le -- stay in school initiative and has also served this president of the board of directors for the indiana legal services. i ask my colleagues to join me

today in celebrating black history month and recognizing the dedication of judge hawkins and all individuals who have fought and continue to fight for civil rights and justice. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 9, 2023, the gentlelady from michigan, ms. slotkin, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. ms. slotkin: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask for unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my special order. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. slotkin: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, every february black history month afforded us the opportunity to learn about, celebrate and honor black leaders and to shine a light on the often neglectedded contributions of african-americans in every area of our history. today i rise to pay tribute to 10 remarkable individuals from michigan's seventh congressional district, some of them famous

names, others were buried histories that deserve to be shared. their stories span the geographical breadth of the district, as wellals the depth -- as well as the depth of our nation's history. from civil war heroes and escaped slaves to modern singers and scholars. all of them should be celebrated and all of them called michigan home. before i share their stories, though, i must also share the story of our great state. while many know michigan as motor city or motown, what you might not know is the critical role our state blade in the underground railroad. there are endless accounts of our state's importance to the secret network that aided thousands of people on their journey to freedom. conductors hid freedom seekers in their homes and barnes during the day, at night freedom seekers would go to a deepo in the next town. for many, detroit, code name midnight, was the last stop before making their way to a free life in canada. but a number stayed in michigan and started their new lives.

i'm so proud of the role our state played in securing freedom and it's my mondayer to high -- my honor to highlight those stories of black michigan anders who have been shaping our state from day one. today i rise to honler abraham lostford. a brave man who escaped slavery and used the trade he learned while captive to build a life of freedom for his family and for generations to come. it was 1849 when abraham lostford fled north with nothing but his clippers from kentucky where he had been enslaved and served as a plantation barber. he was captured, escaped again, and after emancipation returned to free his children, benjamin and sally. the plan was to travel to lansing, michigan, via the old plank road, and open a barbershop. but when he sto stopped in howeo change stage coaches he was convinced to stay in the small town. the people of howell promised to keep him safe if he would stay and open a barbershop which they sorely needed.

it was a deal both sides would forever uphold. lostford and his barber business thrived in howell and he became a successful, respected businessman in the predominantly white community. no small feat for a former slave in the years following the end of the civil war. newspaper ads from the time boast his salon offering shaving, shampooing and hair dressing for both men and women, and it was noted in the local press that when lostford fell ill, a band of 60 kids and adults joined together to bring him gifts and money in a show of support and affection for their beloved town barber. abraham passed the trade to his son who went on to open a barbershop of his own in the town of edmore, michigan. today ben's story and that of his father are immortalized in it's a book. it is a story of how skill equals freedom and a potent reminder that we must all make the most of the tools we've been fortunate enough to receive. abraham lostford died in 1897 and is buried at lake view

cemetery in downtown howell, michigan. his obituary states that, quote, his presence as well as his open, manly character was a living reminder of the sin of slavery. many winters will come and go before the name old uncle abe is forgotten in this community. mr. speaker, i ask that his name and his accomplishments live forever in our hearts and minds as well as here in the permanent record of the people's house. mr. speaker, today i rise to pay tribute to a man who should have been hailed as a hero but for too long his story was lost in history. alexander johnson was a black civil war veteran who lived and worked in michigan in the late 1800's and when a group of white residents chased most black folks out of town, johnson and two others refused to go. born in tennessee in 1833, johnson fled slavery and made his way to michigan before enlisting in a union regiment of african-americans in kalamazoo, michigan, to fight in the civil war. then moving to canada at the war's end and later returning to

michigan to settle in owossoo with his wife. some believe johnson's wife may have family nearby. still others say that at the time the growing community was a place where people of all races moved to explore economic opportunity. whatever the reason, owosso is where alexander johnson chose to put down his roots, opening up a downtown barbershop and was, by all accounts, a well-liked businessman and respected member of the community. unfortunately the good times did not last long as racial tensions grew and the ku klux klan become active in the county. the tensions culminated in 1871 when 40 white vigilantes gathered together and attempted to drive the black residents out of town. there's little we know about this dark moment in owosso's history but we know that alexander johnson was a light that would not be extinguished. johnson stayed on in owosso

along with two other black men until he died. he received a military burial at oak hill cemetery in owosso and his story was buried with him for more than 100 years. there are those who seek to ignore, even wipe away, those painful pieces of our history and there are those who understand that we cannot ever be great without acknowledging our failures, learning from them, and moving forward with the commitment to grow. the owosso rotary club falls into that latter category, as they were the ones to not just uncover johnson's story, but to acknowledge it and honor it as a piece of owosso's history. alexander johnson was formally recognizessed by the owosso rotary on veterans day twown with a sol -- 2021 with a solemn ceremony at his gravesite. it is only fitting that i too pay tribute to this man who led him out of slavery and then to fight for a country believed in to establish the life he wanted and stay in the community that he loved. may his memory be a blessing and inspiration to all of us and may

his story forever rest here in the permanent record of the people's house. mr. speaker, today i rise to honor one of the first african-american college athletes and scholars who paveed the way for students of color across the state of m and this nation -- michigan and this nation. higher marcher was the first student of color to be officially documented as a graduate of olivet college located in michigan's seventh district. a historic place in and of itself. he attended olivet from 1888 to 1904 and played on the school's varsity baseball team, making him one of the first 10 black athletes in the nation to play intercollegiate sports. while a student at olivet, archer was active in music and other creative endeavors. a gifted public speaker, archer won several oratory and debate contests and spoke at prominent events, including the inauguration of college president william g. spery in 1893. the school the school considers him a model representative of the history

and students of color. he completed his master's degree and served in leadership positions at several institutions. at the college in normal, alabama which is known as alabama a&m. and finished his career at the smithsonian institution. he passed away in 1945. his alma matter to olive dlrch the and and dr. -- according to the current president, archer's successes were extraordinary. and this was truly groundbreaking and added much to the rich black history that shaped this college and our country. his legacy lives on with the student success academy and

mentorship and support group for students of color. and shall live on where he will be remembered for his contributions to the great state of michigan. mr. speaker, i rise to honor a legend of lansing, michigan, whose advocacy on behalf of education of children of color changed the students. ava evans was born in mississippi and grew up in detroit, former teachers and students remember her as one of the most willing and giving and traits that would define her life of service. she earned a bachelor of science in wayne state and doctorate. she served in a number of positions in the lansing from elementary education. the first female ever to hold that position.

as a leader in the school system she developed programs such as schools of choice and talent fair for students and staff. she connected the school district with lansing community college and michigan state for the two plus two plus two program right into michigan's state's college of engineering. she had a particular passion for math and science and had performing arts' programs and endured over years benefiting countless individuals in education, health care, social services and beyond. dr. evans devoted herself to dozens of causes. she was the 24th international president of a sority. president of the lansing women's club and grand marshall of the

family pick. evans was appointed by the governor to serve on the michigan council and chairwoman of the michigan department of civil rights. she championed causes with the american red cross and created programs to raise awareness of hiv-aids. she is a great connector connecting to underprivileged students and connecting communities in need of programs that had the programs to help. dr. evans passed away in 2020 receiving honors including the ymca excellence and educator of the year. and lansing chamber of the crystal apple award for michigan state and applause award for lansing michigan. and the most profound title was to be called a teacher. i ask the permanent record of

this chamber reflect her legacy and her forever service be remembered here forever in the house of representatives. i rise to honor of a man who has spent his entire life breaking racial barriers. the name clifton wharton junior is known by many in the michigan state university community thanks to the prominent the wharton center for the performing arts. i want them to know his story as it features a percent cyst tenth rise and a tale being staged in the building. by the time he became the president of michigan state university, the first african-american university, he was no stranger. wharton grew up in boston entered harvard at age 16 and

first plaque announcer at the campus radio station and first black secretary of the the lobbying group he founded and first african-american admitted to johns hopkins university and earn a ph.d. from the university of chicago. he worked with the agricultural development council before he returned to the academic world. when he was appointed the 14th president in 1969, it was a time of tremendous change with college campuses taking center stage in the civil rights movement and protests over the vietnam war. wharton set another first. he supported students who demanded that their concerns be heard and offering to take students' petitions to michigan's congressional

delegation in washington, d.c.. his tenure was marked by successful efforts to maintain the quality of the academic programs. his commitment to serving underprivileged students and the integration of the college of ons tee owe pathic medicine. wharton achieved another first and stepped down to become the chancellor of the new york system making him the first african-american leader of the nation's first university system. in 1987, president and c.e.o. of teachers' aassociation making him the first black c.e.o. of a fortune 500 company. he became the deputy secretary of state under president bill clinton and the first african-american to hold the

first foreign policy post. i salute him for his groundbreaking career and humbled to ask that his accomplishments be enshined in the official record in the people's house, the house of representatives. mr. speaker, i rise today to communicate to you the profound influence and legacy of a man who was the ultimate communicator, larry carter informed and uplifting lansing's black community and later through a newspaper that he founded with his wife under his daughter. carter known as jay price was born in mississippi but grew up in the midwest and graduated in 1967 and met his future wife at the age of 12 and married her. together, they raised three beautiful children. larry spent the early years of

his career spanning several mimi my media markets. a colleague convinced him to move to lansing michigan. there, he quickly talked the station owner to change it to adult contemporary. he worked behind the scenes as sales manager. despite what he achieved he was exploring other avenues. 1986 he launched a print publication called "the capital chronicle." the focus was simple. fill the void that larry sought by spotlighting awareness of issues in the black community. it was a family affair. carolyn learned how to design and kids enlisted their kids. today, larry and carolyn have

both passed. the tropical newspaper is published twice monthly. the free publication is distributed throughout michigan and found in municipal buildings. they leave behind a legacy of family, three children, six grandchildren and a host of nieces cousins and friends. he lifted up the stories and it is my great honor to lift up his story and inscribe it in the official record of the house of representatives to creating a platform for the plaque community to be seen, heard and understood. mr. speaker, i rise to honor the legend of r and b sound who hales not from detroit, chicago or new york but from the small town south lyon. barbara lewis was the great

granddaughter of john w. lewis and born with a musical heritage as her band leader played trumpet and her aunt was a music teacher. surrounded, it was no surprise that she began playing guitar writing songs at the age of nine and singing local. while bash bar told her family that she had no career. and a d.j. turned producer and changed all that and changed the course of her life. impressed by her original songs, he signed barbara on the sot. a peppy "my heart want to do that." and written on her upright piano. lewis holds the distincton of the first artist and the span of

her career she went on to record three r and b hits including the number one smsh "hello stranger." and 10 songs on the top 100 and second to aretha franklin for female solo artist. she recorded songs at the motown studios and many of her songs have been remade and remastered and live on today including by queen latifah and other sound tracks including "the bridges of madison county" and she lived many years in her home state before real locating florida. she received the pine year award in 1999 and barbara lewis was

inducted into the michigan rock and roll hall of fame. i ask that her contributions to the arts be forever recorded in our hearts and here in the permanent record of the united states house of representatives. mr. speaker, i rise today in honor of an extraordinary educator who shaped the lives of mid-michigan students during her groundbreaking career. kerry owens grew up in high racial tensions and knew she wanted to work towards dismantling the systems she saw around her. her parents had no formal education, she pushed her kids. she became a teacher and was hired at a public school becoming its first black teacher in the district. when mrs. owens applied for a job, she vowed to help each

student individually because she recognized what many circles did not yet grasp that all students learn at different paces and different ways. owens did everything to ensure her students did the same and put in in charge of transitional students. owens made sure each of her students progressed to grade level and empowered them to how they learned. and her innovative teaching philosophy and many people moved to the county. when she retired. not only did her hiring pave the way for other teachers of color, they had the first plaque superintendent and the district was a more overall diverse community. i salute kerry owens.

this trailblazing teacher has left her mark on the hearts and minds of her students. may her lessons live on and the students she touched and here in the permanent record of the united states. mr. speaker, today, i rise to pay tribute to mr. speaker, today i rise to pay tribute to one of the greatest basketball players of all time, a man who brought so much magic to the game it became part of his name. to to the say earvin "magic" johnson came from humble roots is an understatement. his mother worked as a school janitor, his father worked at the car factory per day and then collected trash at night. he helped his father collect trash and was teased by other children. but that teasing stopped in

basketball. he led to team to a championship and was dubbed magic. he was already considered the greatest basketball player to come out of michigan high school. he attended michigan state university where he became a two-time all-american leading the spartans to the 1979 national championship while being voted the most outstanding player of the year in the year's final four. he was the number one overall selection for the 1979 nba draft, chosen by the l.a. lakers where he'd play his entire professional career. in 13 season with this -- seasons with the laker he was a key member of five championships as well as being a 12-time all-star, three-time nba finals m.v.p. and three-time league m.v.p. during his nba career johnson averaged 19.5 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game and 11 assists per game. he was a member of the original nba dream team winning a gold medal in the 1992 barcelona

olympics. bolt his spartan jersey and his lakers jersey were retired and magic johnson has been inducted in the college basketball hall of fame, naismith memorial hall of fame, m.s.u. hall of fame and michigan sports hall of fame. johnson stunned the world in 1991 with the announcement he tested positive for h.i.v. testimony it was a mys mick moment in our culture as an athlete of johnson's stature vowed in public to raise awareness about a virus that was shrouded in stigma. in the decades since that pivotal moment, his advocacy off the court has been as impressive as his skills on the court and he's not been limited to that one topic. he's used his platform to support so many topic, from h.i.v. to aids and mental health and the transformational pow over wealth building for black families. johnson said about his legacy, quote, now these kids dream that they can become not only a basketball play ore football player but they can become a

businessman. so that's what's important. that we have power and we have a seat at the table. with gratitude for his enduring contribution, i submit to the permanent record of the united states house of representatives that earvin "magic" johnson not only provided a seat at the table but helped construct it, a table formed in the heart of east lansing, shaped by a fierce work ethic and raw talent andstringled with magic. finally, mr. speaker, today i rise to pay tribute to a visionary social justice innovator and academic who is making space for african-american women and girls to celebrate who they are and what they bring to the world and bringing new and critical opportunities to students at michigan state university. ruth nicole brown is the inaugural chairperson of and professor in the department of african-american and african studies at m.s.u. dr. brown, an internationally

recognized leader in black girlhood, joined m.s.u. in 2020 and got to work creating and advancing the mission of this new degree-granting department at michigan state university. thank it is her effort, in the 2022-2023 school year students were for the first time able to declare a major in african-american and african studdies and many have jumped at the opportunity. in addition to her accomplishments she's the found over saving our lives, hear our truth, a creative space that brings young african-american girls together to celebrate black girlhood. she also started black girl genius week, a city and statewide social media awareness campaign. she's written several bongs the topic and is a highly sought after speaker. it's this combination of scholarly work and public information that make her such an innovator. one day he's working on academic

studies and the next she's performing. she's the master of seeing a void and stepping up to fill it. the performance community she's created responds to a need for spaces where black girls and women are seen and value and the department she chairs allows students for the first time to center their study on black history, including a critical exploration of the role of feminism and gender. today i salute dr. brown for the many ways she's changing the game thrashing art, through music and through education. i'm so grateful that along with her many distinguished titles we are able to call her a michigan state university spartan. many of her successes and contributions continue to enrich the m.s.u. community and be act knowledged here in the permanent record of the united states house of representatives. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 9, 2023, the gentleman from texas, mr. weber, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority

leader. mr. weber: th i rise today to celebrate texas independence day and ask that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous materials. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. weber: thank you, mr. speaker. as i say, i want to celebrate in advance texas independence day on march 2, 1836. folks, they say everything is better in texas. let me just tell you, i'm here to confirm that that rumor is true, or more correctly it is no longer a rumor. we have a saying in texas, and that goes like this. it ain't bragging if it's facts. and that's the facts about texas. mr. speaker, i'm glad to be joined by my good texas friends from both sides of the aisle to celebrate texas independence day. folks on march 2, 1836, that was the day the republic of texas was born.

during the texas revolution a convention of 59 texans met at washington on the bra coz -- brazos and declared our independence of texas from mexico. the declaration decried the arbitrary acts of oppression and tyranny from the mexican government under the dictator general antonio lopez desanta ana. in particular it noted that the government had, quote, ceased to protect the lives, liberty and property of the people from whom its legitimate powers are derived, end quote. and the texans signing that declaration sought to protect our rights of free speech, our rights to keep and bear arms, sound familiar? and our rights of freedom of religion. folks, i'm proud to report, these same freedoms still hold true in texas today.

march 2 is the day that all texas come together and celebrate the cause of, come and take it, and, remember the alamo. we remember and honor the pioneering, independent, trail blazing snoifort great state of texas. independence has flowed through the veins of texan -- through the veins of texans ever since. my our thirst for flea tom never die and may we and our offspring always remember that freedom is worth fighting for. mr. speaker, just like those iconic frontier day, we are still at work using what my grandfather who came over on the boat from germany, by the way, in 1903, on what my grandfather called good, old-fashioned texas horse sense. to get the jobs done. you tell kids todaygood old fashioned horse sense, they look

at you funny. they call it common sense, maybe, but the sad fact of the matter is common sense isn't very common these days. but in texas it's alive and doing quite well. before turning it over to my fellow texans i'd like to share two of my favorite quotes from davy crockett. he said, i must say from what i've seen of texas this is the garden spot of the world of. the best prospects for land and health i ever saw and i do believe it is a fortune to any man to come here, end quote. of course, when crockett ran for re-election to the u.s. house of representatives he got defeated and then he got in his second, probably more famous, quote. he said to his people who voted him out, he said, i may not know what y'all are going to do.

i'm going to texas, y'all can all go to hell. i'm just quoting davy crockett. i'm proud to be a texan and i'm even prouder to represent texan here's in congress. as the songs say, god bless texas. now i want to recognize my good friend, dr. brian babin, for two minutes. mr. babin: i appreciate my good friend and fellow texans representative weber for this special order. thank you for having it. i rise today to recognize one of the most important days in the history of this world and that is texas independence day. march 2 marks the day that 59 heroic texians gathered at washington on the brazos to ratify the texas declaration of independence. we know this freedom didn't come without great bloodshed at sites like gonzalez, the alamo, goliad

and san jacinto. there's a painting of theall moe right there. the farther thud of these men and the countless others who gave their lives is why the lone star state exists today. 187 years later. as a lifelong student of history, and a former member of the texas historical commission, i am incredibly proud to represent the san jacinto battleground here in my district, in the 36th district of texas. where a texian army under general sam houston officially secured independence following a defining battle at san jacinto that lasted a mere 18 minutes, amid cries of, remember the alamo! the republic of texas reigned as an independent nation for nine years before being admitted to the united states as he 28th state of the union. since its addition, texas has flourished as one of the most

prominent states in the country, emerging as a leader in many vital sectors including agriculture, space exploration, military readiness, tech knoll, tourism, and much more. our state is also home to many of the nation's top medical centers. where i when to school at one, texas medical center. it leads in energy production in. fact career ates twice as much energy as the next highest state in the union. in fact, as its own country today texas would be among the top 10 largest economies in the entire world. it's simply remarkable and no wonder why texans have so much pride. after all, everything in texas is bigger and better. we texans don't like to brag, we just tell the truth and it just sounds like we're bragging. i believe that those who envision what texas would be so long ago would be absolutely and

mighty pleased to see how far that we have come. so to all of my fellow texans, i say happy independence day, may god continue to bless our beloved lone star state. i yield back. mr. weber: i thank the gentleman for yielding back. it is my distinct honor to have one of our newest stars from texas, congresswoman monica de la cruz, to share with us for two minutes. ms. de la cruz: thank you. mr. speaker, i stand before you today to honor our heros of the texas revolution. on february 24, 1836, over 187 years ago, a group of texians and tejanos were surrounded by general santa ana in a little mission known around the world as the alamo. it is my high honor to read lieutenant colonel william travis' stirring words.

comnd sthoif alamo bexar, february 24, 1836. to the people of texas and all americans in the world, fellow citizens and come patriots, i am besieged by a thousand or more of the mexicans under santa ana. i i have sustained a continual bombardment and cannonade for 24 hours and have not lost a man. the enemy has demands a surrender at discretion, otherwise the garrisons are to be put to the sword and if the fort is taken, i have answered the command with a cannon shot and our flag still waves proudly from the walls. i shall never surrender or retreat. then i call on you in the name of liberty of patriotism and everything dear to the american

character to come to our aid with all dispatch. the enemy is receiving reinforcements daily and will, no doubt, increase to 3,000 or 4,000 in four or five days. if this call is neglected, i am determined to sustain myself as long as possible and die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor and that of his country. victory or death. william barrett travis, lieutenant colonel commandante. p.s., the lord is on our side and when the enemy appeared in sight, we had not three bushels of corn. we have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels and gone into the walls 20 or 30 head of

we know the texans lost this battle, but they could not lose the battle. cries of remember the alamo and from these arabs arose a nation, built on family, faith and freedom. i stand here in congress and encourage my fellow texans to honor the fearless men and women who built our land. known worldwide as texas. i yield back. mr. weber: i thank the gentlelady, and it is my honor to introduce another rising star, congressman keith self. i yield two minutes. mr. self: mr. speaker, i rise to recognize one of the drafters

and signers of the texas declaration of independences, colin mckinney. i served as the county judge in the county of colin in the county seat of mckinney named for this texas hero. and we erected a stat thy of his hometown. i rise to recognize this lagger than life hero in the state of texas. i yield back. mr. weber: it is my honor to recognize a fellow thebes and, mr. pete sessions. cease cease i -- i thank the gentleman for yielding me time, we join texans back home in a day of

celebration for the state of texas. the state of texas as you have heard, began its formation not screws at the alamo but people came to texas with the understanding that we wanted freedom of our own country. and that's when on february 24, the day after the siege of the alamo began, heroism and opportunity filled the alamo with ideas not only about what they wanted to have their own country but about a land of people, a land of freedom and a land that would be full of opportunity. mr. speaker, that is what we still stand for in texas, a state that has distinguished itself not only in honor and in principles, but in the opportunity to be a part of the united states of america, one nation under god.

the opportunity to serve in war after war with the united states military, the armed forces of this country. and texas has produced for years, not just heroes like davey crockett and colonel travis barrett, but produced in every single war in this country, those men and women who would stand for the opportunity to make this country stronger and better. so, tonight, as we begin the celebration of texas independence day, it should be remembered here that in washington, d.c., that this delegation is proud of not only who we are and what we stand for, but we are proud to be the 28th state in the united states of america. in 1845, as we left texas being a country, to join the united states of america. and so, the heroism, the pride

of authorship and the love which we have for the state of texas, we also share for our country, the united states of america. i thank the gentleman for leading the texas delegation tonight as we stand on the floor to give thanks to give texas, all hail, the mighty state. mr. weber: i thank the gentleman for yielding back and it's my pleasure to yield two minutes to congressman lamalfa. great texas friends and neighbor, congratulations to the people of texas on their anniversary and also that goes

with that independence, that spirit that i admire of the people of texas and long great history. and i think that we need a lot more of that across the whole country, because you can always, i think trust a texan to stand up for this country. and so as a californian, we use todd have a lot of that same spirit as pioneers going back to the west and a lot of things to point to my home state. but we are on harder times. but i think the spirit of patriotism, of america first that is exhibited by texas is one that the whole country can use. and talking about annexation a little bit earlier and texas might take over the world, i wouldn't do doubt it, it's

possible. but my home state of california, there is a mass exodus from my state to others, escaping the cost of living, the regulation and some of the other things that are going in my home state and the recipient, those people leaving. i'm not sure if california is and exing tk texas or texas california. but we are trying to sort through our issues and get back on track. and conserving the water to do so. i'm getting off on a tang ent -- tangent here. every chance i get to be in the state, it feels like an extension of home to me. i come from rural northern california and listen to some of the same music and eat some of

the similar food. my hats off literally to the people of texas. i can't get along with the cowboys as a 49er fan. but we'll leave that aside. i'm glad to stand here with you tonight and wish the best and happy anniversary of texas independence. please keep leading the way and leading our nation through difficult times. god pleas texas. mr. weber: i thank the gentleman for his remarks. a little historical perspective. when you think how texas came into the union, he called it annexation, texas came into the union unlike any other state. texas was a republic. so we came in by treaty, of

course we did. we had to do it our own way. and things were happening really fast. after america won its independence, 1787 was the battle, maybe 1781, battle of yorktown. that was eight some 30 years later that mexico in 1821 won its independence from spain. 1821. a constant 15 years later, the texticans won its independence from mexico. i don't know if congressman lamalfa was talking about how annexation was happening fast. and of course pete seeings was right, texas entered the union as the 28th state on december

29, 1845 and i think about that from time to time, what was the legislature of texas thinking back then when we had a chance to annex the rest of the united states. nonetheless. it is my distinct pleasure now to bring up another rising star in the texas legislation, i nathaniel morep ann. mr. morrison: this is my great day to celebrate. on march 2, 1836, a group of texans adopted the declaration of independences to create the republic of texas. this occurred in the midst of one of the most sack cry official stance, the battle of the alamo that lasted is 13 days

and cost the lives of all combatants. remember the alamo was the cry that day that went out and inspired other texans to victory and propelled us to liberty in this great story. it mirrors the story of freedom for the united states. it was born out of selfless sacrifice by so many looking for a better life and looking to carve out a better life for their families and make with their own hands and decisions with government out of the way. freedom will always find a way. and there are those who will rise to the occasion when the time comes. and we see many of those here today that are rising to the occasion to speak for liberty and speak for freedom just as those texans did a long time

ago. with gratitude from outside of texas who made that drive and made it who came from kentucky and tennessee and we celebrate it and share it with those who graciously gave. we honor their sacrifices and those who made it possible. texans are kind-hearted and hard working and deep love to our lord, working for their community. these are the values of texas and values i was raised with and values i passed down to my four children and i represent the first district of texas and only state to have been its own republic. happy independence day texas and god bless you and the years to come. i yield back. mr. weber: i thank the gentleman for yielding back.

and i will say all of your speakers today laid out an exact reason why texans love freedom and willing to fight for freedom at any costs. we need to be teaching our children freedom isn't free. i hope we are. texas in texas, texans get it. freedom isn't free. so i want to end by saying, may all the united states join us in proclaiming what the song says so eloquently got blessed texas. i want to say amen and amen, congratulations texas. congratulations, texas. and mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 9, 2023, the chair

recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. kiley, for 30 minutes. mr. kiley: secretary of labor marty walsh has announced his intention to leave the biden administration and deputy secretary julie su is the leading candidate. as chair of the house committee on work force protections, i am urging president biden not to appoint her to this important cabinet post. prior to joining the labor department, she was the secretary of labor under governor newsome. to say she failed would be an

extreme understatement. i'm serving in the state assembly. failures on the stale that no state in this country ever experienced. i sent a letter from members of the california congressional delegation urging him to nominate someone other than her. i will expand on the points we raised in that letter. her labor department inflicted on my constituents and millions of californians needs to be understood by the president and every senator who would be voting on her nomination. i will be discussing three main failures. each of which is independently disqualifying. . . . . first, under her direction they failed to deliver benefits to

millions of californians. second, the e.d.d. allowed the largest fraud of taxpayer dollars in history. third, su help dead stroy the careers of thousands of california freelancers as an architect of a labor law that effectively bans independent work. let's start first by looking at the e.d.d.'s staggering failures under su's watch to perform its basic function of delivering benefits to the unemployed. now california had the highest or second highest unemployment rate in the entire country through most of the covid-19 era. this in itself could be seen as a significant failing of the state's secretary of labor. yet what was even worse is that those people who lost their paychecks on the government's orders, millions of californians, had to wait weeks, months or in some cases indefinitely for the unemployment benefits they were entitled to by law. now in fairness, the covid shutdown presented unemployment

departments with unprecedented demands. in a number of state -- and a number of states struggled to keep up. but what happened in california under su's management is simply without comparison. an estimated five million claims were delayed, many for months on end. an estimated one million people were wrongfully denied benefits. as a result, many of my constituents were left helpless with no income, no ability to provide for their families. many became dependent on food banks, had to cut back on basic necessary tirks had to dip into their life save organization take on debt. for example, in late april of 2020, my office received a call from a woman named emily who was inconsolable saying she was on the brink of giving up hope. she was out of work and her e.d.d. claim had been pending for a month. she had no money, no way to pay her bills or put food on the table. i just can't do this anymore, she said, adding, she couldn't hang on to the governor's promises anymore.

we later learned the agency had made a basic processes error denying her claim and not even telling her. i could provide hundreds of other stories just like this. at times during 2020, my office would open dozens of new cases every day from constituents who could not get their benefits. we heard from folks who could -- who called multiple times with no answers. they rev stood information with someone else's social security number, someone else's earnings. the level of service was worse than anything i have seen in government eclipsing the worst horror stories of bureaucratic ineptitude by one estimate only one in 1,000 people would reach a live person when they tried to call the e.d.d. sometimes after timely getting thru the caller would be abrupt live hung up on. the callback option routinely failed with people requesting a callback and not getting one. often no rp was given for

benefit denials and when one was given, it did not make sense. one had an electronic application deemed illegible. a democrat lawmaker used a hashtag to highlight these incidents. months went by with no progress made you don't need to take my word for it in. july of 2020, 61 of the 80 members of the california assembly, mostly democrats, wrote as follows. in our fifth month of the pandemic work so many constituents yet to receive a single unemployment payment, it's clear that e.d.d. is failing california. millions of our constituents have had no income for months. as californians wait for answers from e.d.d. they have depleted their life savings, gone into extreme debt and are in deep

panic as they try to figure out how to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. the lawmakers went on to explain how the e.d.d. time and again failed to take responsibility and failed to correct its mistakes. they have been met with long-winded excuse, fumbling nonanswers or unclear and inconsistent data a long with a, quote, lack of transparency and accountability and even obfuscation and dishonesty in their deal wings the agecism we have exhausted all avenues at our disposal, they said, as the agency addressed only a few of the issues we highlighted for months and it was only scraffing the surface of the disaster that is the e.d. deform. those are the words of the democrat supermajority in the legislature, the dasser that is the e.d.d. the legislators lamented, quote, how little has improved at e.d. deform over the course of the pandemic. independent reports would soon confirm the extent of the agency's mismanagement and

deception. within where the e.d.d. said in july of 2020 that its claims backlog would be cleared by september, a report found 1.5 million claims remained unresolve and the backlog was increasing by 10,000 each week. the independent legislative analysts' office found the e. deform deform mischaracterized the crisis repeatedly. they claimed 175,000 claim were denied when the real number was 3.4 million. under julie su, california's unemployment office became the national poster child for government failure. su failed to prevent avoidable problems, failed to address the crisis as it spiraled out of control and failed to acknowledge pops after the fact. millions of californians paid the price. and it bears emphasizing that these were people who had lost their jobs on the government's orders and had been paying in to the very system that was now failing them. even althrives governor and

secretary s uconn colluded that she was responsible. democrat assemblymen connie petri-morris who was on the administrative review committee said, su has not done a good job running the development department, saying su's mismanagement, quote, caused heart break for millions of californians. that's the first reason. that heart break for millions. why president biden should not even consider elevating deputy secretary su. the second independent basis for disqualification is the historic fraud of taxpayer dollars that occurred on her patch. as so many hardworking citizens waited in vain for the checks they were owed by the e.d. deform there was one group of claimants for whom the delivery of benefits was swift and seamless. prisoners and fraudsters who were not entitled to them. in the largest fraud of taxpayer dollars in history, an estimated

$32 billion was wrongfully paid out from the e.d.d. to state prison inmates and international crime syndicates. payments were made to murderer, rapists and child molesters. 133 death row inmates collected over $400,000. these hardened criminals didn't have to try hard. they used names like diane feinstein and john doe without raising an eye grow brow. the district attorney of sacramento county called the scheme, quote, relatively easy. the scale of this fraud boggles the mind. it equates to over $800 per person in california. the amount of money wasted was enough to pay the annual salary of $330 -- of 330,000 teachers in california. you could end world hunger with this kind of money. but instead where did the mungo? it went to the worst of the worst. funding organized crime, both domestically and internationally. this $32 billion was used not to help citizens who had loster

that job or to pay teachers or to end hunger but to fund further criminal activities. and it was easily preventable. nothing even close to this happened in any other state. the reason it happened in california was secretary julie su. she made the inexplicable decision to forego a basic fraud prevention system. she ignored the federal government's guidance that claims be cross checked against the prison roles which was standard practice in other states. the agency sent hundreds of benefit cards to the same address, sent cards directly to correctional facility, issued benefits to infants and centenarians. the district attorney of sacramento county called the e.d.d.'s response to the fraud, quote, slow and nonexistent and advised to look to other states for solutions. fresno county's district attorney said the administration did nothing until the elected district attorneys brought it to the media, adding she did not think the state, quote, has a

handle on it. riverside county's district attorney said, quote, i don't know who was at the wheel. the chairwoman of the state assembly committee responsible for overseeing the e. deform d., a democrat, decried the failure to follow, quote, simple and obvious steps that are implemented across the country. she added, it's absurd. this is outrageous. perhaps most outrageous of all, as the district attorneys who uncovered the fraud put it, fraudulent unemployment claims deny those who have lost their employment, many due to covid-19, who are legally eligible for benefits an are truly in need from getting the financial assistance they need. assemblyman david zhu, a democrat from san francisco, summed it up this way. it's egregious my constituents make a single typo that holds up their e.d.d. benefits for months while an inmate on death row and use a fake name and still get benefits paid out. as if these first two reasons

were not enough, the heart break for millions, and the waste of billions, deputy secretary su should not be elevated to the biden cabinet for a third independent reason. as california's secretary of labor, she championed and ruthlessly enforced a labor law that has been called one of the most disruptive pieces of legislation in the past 20 years. and it wasn't me that called it that. this quote came from gavp newsome's own former deputy chief of staff, yoshara lee who added, it's truly awful how many people wering afterred by the law. it bans independent work of any kind. while it was promoted as a way to convert rideshare drivers to the status of w-2 employees the law has ensnared hundreds of professions. videographers, caricaturists, technicians, engineers, musicians and conductors,

artists and dancers, writers and editors, coaches and trainers, nurses and doulas, hardly an industry or trade is unscathed. it is a law so pad that affected industries have had to lobby the legislature for exceptions over 100 of which have been granted but only to those with enough influence. countless other californians spanning hundreds of professions remain subject to the law and have lost theirable to -- their ability to earn a living in our state or have their professional options severely restricted. in fact, many national companies now explicitly disclaim on their applications that they can no longer work with california freelancers. in many professions, independent contracting is the only viable business model in. others it is much preferred thanks to the flexibility and freedom it affords. but regardless, the blunt instrument of a.b.-5 forebids it. most devastated by this law are

the most vulnerable. senior, care give, student, reformed convicts, single mother, people with disabilities or health issues or mental health needs. all of whom rely on independent contracting to balance work with their personal life circumstances. consider just a few testimonials of californians whose lived have been upsended -- upended by the law. a woman named jody said, i worked years to gain my skill as an american sign language interpreter. it was my goal since i was little. after a.b.5, i lost all three of my contracts. thousands of california deaf won't be sur senior serviced. andy says, none of my career as an artist, technician, designer or producer would have been possible under a.b.5. artists of color will be less able to create their own work. megan says, i'm a nurse

practitioners. ab-5 is widening the gap in health care as small areas that can only be served by providers have shut the doors. daniel said i'm a chiropractor in california, i was just terminated from my wonderful independent contract 10 hour per week job, they cited a.b.5. this job aloud me the flexibility to take care of my three special needs kids. jared said a.b. 5 forced me to shut down my business. he said i went from making millions in service to being a minimum wage employee. i've gone from spend timing with my kids to working seven days a week and not sure i can make ends meet. kathy said i wept to work in my 40's but had to retire at 62 due to health issues. i depend on my at-home transcription pay to survive and

pay my bills. for eight years i did ok until a.b. 5. barbara said i'm a proofreader. competition is fierce and it's hard to get clients but i did it. i was thrilled to choose jobs i was best suited for. after a.b.5 californians need not apply. she used her position as secretary of labor, to enforce it. she said the way toen force this is just doing investigations and audits. that would be on both wages and tarks she went on so we'll be doing informations and audit so that eases who want to reclassify can do so and those who won't understand that's not the kind of economy we want in california. think about how just wiping out hundreds of

professions. coventless people. that's not the kind of economy we want in california, she said. she said so we issue citations and demand wages and taxes and other kinds of penalties. she kicked this into high gear after the covid shutdown began and defied the will of congress in the process in one of the most disgraceful episodes. congress provided benefits through the cares act and put states in charge of distributing those benefits. she withheld those benefits as she aimed to exploit that independent contractors had to interface. a website called the people versus a.b.5 explained her scheme. they wrote they attempted to

weapon nighs by leading out of work californians into a trap. congress included for benefit contractors, they tried to get them in the unemployment system where they would have to name the names of their business partners and once it had the list, they would launch audits for violating a.b.5 and arranging from $5,000 to $25,000 and applied retroactively. the web site gave an a princess for your little girl's birthday party who was audited. as small businesses on the last legs, they filed ahead with these audits using personnel that could have been defecting

fraud. the worst consequence is countless freelancers forced out of work had to wait weeks or months as she played political games. you don't need to take my word for this. california congressman adam schiff wrote a letter in april of 2020 rebuking her for failing to release the benefits independent contractors were owed under the cares act. schiff wrote as follows. i represent thousands of independent free mans contractors including many the entertainment industry who do not qualify for standard unemployment benefits. the cares act extends coverage and i led the act to extend this. as states are now working to smand these benefits i'm hearing

from my constituents who are concerned because they are not able to apply and increasingly worried as their financial responsibilities continue to mount without anticipated income. it is little wonder that the coalition behind a.b.5 has issued a letter endorsing her to be president biden's new secretary of labor. the letter signed by the california labor of federation, the california teachers' association said no one is more qualified to help. they know exactly where she would lead the country down the same disastrous path as california, something her former boss has explicitly called for saying california is a model for the nation promising to highlight policy innovations so they can be scaled up.

given her role as enforcer, there is no doubt as secretary of labor she will do everything in her power and do things not in her power to nationalize the law and its destructive consequences. there are two vehicles for doing so. the pro act which passed the house last year would cause 350,000 freelance workers and at this moment the department of labor has a proposed rule that would threaten the livelihood of independent contractors nationwide. this is not a trivial matter. 57 million americans engage in free lain work. they need to be defended. her track record suggests she would be a secretary that does just the opposite. president biden faces a very clear choice, does he want a secretary of labor who will fight for workers, taxpayers and

citizens or rubber stamp of special interest groups? this is a moment of vital importance for the american work force. we are coming out of an era of unprecedented upheaval and transformation. the position of secretary of labor cannot be a gift to special interests or occupied by someone who has harmed so many workers in so many ways and cannot be consumed by the incompetence and corruption that californians are all too familiar with. i urge president biden to cease consideration and important a new secretary who is competent and qualified, pro-worker and small business and work with democrats and republicans alike and unleash and ingenuity and

hard work that has made the american work force that is the greatest work force that the world has ever known. i yield. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman have a motion. mr. kiley: i move the house do now adjourn. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion to adjourn. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly, ut house stands adjourned

who both served in the trump administration discuss the code by the chinese communist party not justified before a house select committee with live coverage on c-span2. you can also watch the hearing in its entirety on our free mobile video app, c-span now or online at c-span.org. >> preorder your copy of the congressional directory for the 118th congress. it's your access to the federal government.

important information on congressional committees, the president's cabinet, federal agencies and state governors. scan the code to the right to preorder your copy it is $.9 plus shipping and handling. every purchase helps supporou nonprofit organization at c-span shop.org. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and more, including charter communications. >> we are just getting started. 100,000 miles of new infrastructure to reach those who need it most. >>harter communications supports c-span as a public seice, along with these other television providers. giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> now a discussion be u.s.