has any political person got a question yet at the white house? guest: yes, politico has got a question on a few occasions. there is an article today on sean spicer changing up who gets questions. they have tried to introduce new things. the skype feed so they have local news reporters in once or twice a week via skype to ask questions. and they don't usually go through the normal pecking order of calling on the networks and the ap. the more outlets that get questioned in, people are happy with that. and sean spicer, to his credit, has been doing relatively well and taking a lot of questions. the skype is an interesting novelty that the local reporters are asking more local oriented

[captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2017] >> "washington journal" live every day at 7:00 a.m. eastern. watch this online at cspan.org. back live to the house floor. f under the rule. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk: report to accompany house resolution 116, resolution providing for consideration of the joint resolution house joint resolution 66, disapproving rules submitted by the department of labor for arrangements established by states for nongovernmental employees and allowing for consideration of h.r. 67, disallowing a rules established by qualified state political subdivisions for nongovernmental employees. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, proceedings will resume on motions to suspend the rules previously postponed. votes will be taken in the following order h.r. 244 by the

yeas and nays. h.r. 974 by the yeas and nays. the first electronic vote will be conducted in a 15-minute vote. remaining electronic votes will be conducted as five-minute votes. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from florida, mr. bilirakis, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 244 as amended, on which the yeas and nays ared ored. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 244, a bill to encourage effective voluntary investments to recruit, employ, and retain men and women with annual presidential awards to private sector employers recognizing such efforts and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill as amended. members will record their votes by electronic device. this will be 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 249. the noeses are one. the bill is passed and, without objection, moths to reconsider is laid on the table. without objection, the title is amended. the chair would ask all members o please take their seats. the chair would ask all members to please take their seats. members and staff, please remove conversations from the floor. the chair would ask all members o please take their seats.

the chair would ask all members to please take their seats. remove their trofferingses -- onversations from the floor. for what purpose does the gentleman from wisconsin, the speaker of the house, seek reck fission? the speaker: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized. the speaker: my colleagues, all us have people in our lives in these vocations for which none of this would be possible. today i want to say a good luck and good-bye to one of those people. joyce mire, who many of you know in my staff, is heading to

the white house after being with me in this office for 18 years. 18 years. and, yes, there are some gray hairs here. she and i go back even further than that. joyce and i started off as staffers together in the united states senate. in many ways we grew up together. we were just kids then, fresh out of college. she went by joyce ymaotte in those days. she was a good friend, but she was an equally good staffer, which is why she was at that time one of the first people i asked to come work with me when i at 28 years old got elected to the house of representatives. she has been at heart of our team ever since. through he every up and down, every adventure, every budget, every run for office. so much of what we accomplished has been because of her. because of her leadership. because of her planning. because of her caring nature. because of her deep understanding of how this place works. she really is a person of the

house. above all, she never, ever forgot and never let me forget who i was working for. the people of the first district of wisconsin. you know, she's from wisconsin. she's from franklin, wisconsin, a small town in southern wisconsin near milwaukee. she's a badger. wisconsin is so much at the heart of who she is. she knows when the -- when the dear rutt is. she knows on sunday there are only two things you do. mass and packer games in the fall. for all of her years, she never forgot where she came from. truth is, we've been through it all together. and in fact, she's not just been a confidant or a friend, she's family. i often refer to her as my sister. and to joyce, family is at the center of everything. she treated all of our staff like family. she hosted wedding showers and baby showers. she made sure that everyone on our team put their own loved ones first. it is her own family that through all these years has really been the source of inspiration.

her parents, her sisters, her husband, don, who himself was part of our team, and of course their beautiful and sweet daughter, ava. i know it is for a better life for ava and her generation that joyce has made serving government her life's work. she could have gone on and done something so much more rewarding for her in the pocketbook, but she's doing this because she believes in our country. i'll cut this short because, as anyone knows joyce, she doesn't not like attention or the fuss. she's here to serve. she is the best of what we aspire to in public service. this woman has done so much to make us successful. has done so much to make me successful. and i just want to thank from the bottom of my heart a person who has done so much to make this house successful, and that is joyce mire. joyce, i wish you and your family the best of luck. thank you for serving us so much. joyce, you are always going to be considered a person of the

house of representatives. ank you so much, joyce. the speaker: and there's her mom. with that, mr. speaker, i yield. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from maryland seek recognition? mr. hoyer: ask unanimous consent to speak out of order for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from maryland is recognized. mr. hoyer: i was going to ask the speaker to yield and he admonished us to be brief and so, i will be brief. often i rise on this floor when we have extraordinary staffers retire on either side of the

aisle, republican or democrat, and observe what an extraordinary difference they make to the comity that does exist but rarely seen by the public. nd joyce meyer has been an extraordinary member of our family. the speaker says family is important to her. family is important to all of us. and this is a family. it is sometimes a contentious family, but it is a family. and frankly, the peacemakers in the family are largely the members of the staff, particularly the highest ranking staffers and those staffers that have been with each of us and been with us for a significant period of time. so they understand the tensions that can be created. but they also understand that there is a responsibility to the american people. and joyce, every time, i went across the aisle and talked to

joyce, i knew she understood that and she wanted to be a positive force in making this institution work better. let me say that joyce meyer now has an even bigger responsibility because she's going to the white house, and may we all wish her the best in making that institution work better. joyce, god bless you and god speed. i yield back the balance of my ime. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. without objection, five-minute voting will continue. the unfinished business is the request for a vote on the motion by mr. bilirakis and pass h.r.

974. the clerk will report. the clerk: a bill to amend title 38, united states code to authorize the secretary of veterans affairs in awarding a contract for the procurement of goods or services to give a preference to offerors of veterans. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the bill and pass the rule. 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: the nays are zero. zero recorded as present. the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain requests for one minute speeches. the gentlewoman from florida is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: i request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. ros-lehtinen: i'm so honored that the gentleman from maryland, mr. hoyer, is hear to listen to this important one minute. rael bonds hosted its annual awards ceremony atal hotel in my

congressional district. israel bond has honored members of the jewish community from all over the country who have made an incredible impact on the u.s.-israel's relationship and help make israel's economy one of the world's strongest. i had the privilege of working with them and the many individuals who helped make its mission a success. one of those individuals who i know is a friend of mr. hoyer, was honored with the israel 69 award for his commitment to strengthening the economy of the democratic jewish state of israel. mr. speaker, alex is the chairman of israel bond for south florida. and they are deserving of such a high honor and i congratulate them for making suchal tremendous achievement. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the ouse will be in order.

for what purpose does the gentlewoman from ohio seek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. kaptur: thank you, mr. speaker. while president trump said he was going to drain the swamp, reallies i, his actions speak louder than -- really, his actions speak louder than words. check the facts. wall street's gold diggers are in charge of the swamp already. steve bannon spent half a decade working at goldman sachs. trump's national economic director, gary cohen, spent 25 years more. he rose to be goldman's president. trump's senior council for economic initiatives was a partner since 2010 at goldman sachs. steve mnuchin, up for a vote tonight for treasury secretary, spent 17 years at goldman, dubbed the foreclosure king, mnuchin was a fast buck artist who maneuvered onewest out of

indy max collapse, with shady tax ticks that kicked hundreds of thousands of families out of their homes in ohio and beyond. mnuchin is the ultimate swamp dweller. his father worked at goldman, his brother still works there. they all return for alumni engagements. while millions of americans lost their homes with millions more under water today, goldman increased its profits. it's obvious wall street's trolls have squiged their way through the white house, even before the first lady has remodeled the living quarters. when wall street rigs our economy again, does anyone seriously expect president trump to drain the swamp? he's fast in it with them. yield back my remaining time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? mr. thompson: mr. speaker, request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute, to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. thompson: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, february is career

and technical education month. as co-chairman of the career and technical education caucus, and a senior member of the committee on education and the work force, i have long been aware of the importance of c.t. programs that provide learners of all ages with career-ready skills. from agriculture to the arts from marketing to manufacturing, c.t. programs work to develop america's most valuable resource, its people. c.t. is taught in a range of settings from high schools and area technical centers to technical and two-year community colleges. in total, 12.5 million high school and college students are enrolled in c.t.e. programs across the nation. last congress, i was proud to introduce the strengthening career and technical education for the 21st century act. this bill, which passed the house by a vote of 405-5, aimed to close the skills gap by modernizing the federal investment in c.t.e. programs and connecting educators with industry stakeholders. i look forward to

re-introducing similar legislation this congress and remain committed to working with my c.t.e. caucus co-chair and good friend, jim langevin, to improve our nation's career and technical education system. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. langevin: mr. speaker, i'm so pleased to join my friend and co-chair of the career and technical education caucus, mr. thompson of pennsylvania, to recognize february as career and technical education month. in rhode island and across the country right now, employers are struggling to find workers with the skills that they need to fill jobs in stem, in manufacturing, and i.t., and smeen other skills trades -- and so many other skills trades. hundreds of thousands of high-skilled, high-paying jobs are open right now, going

unfilled. and this number is growing. to close the skills gap, we must better align education and industry, to make sure that what we're teaching in classrooms are better meeting the needs of real-world companies right now. we must increase work-based learning and build education pathways to help students become career and college-ready. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support investment in c.t.e., in the 115th congress, including by re-authorizing the act to adapt our work force to the 21st century economy. with that, mr. speaker, this act passed with strong bipartisan support in the last congress and i hope we can quickly bring it up again to pass it with strong bipartisan support in this congress as well. with that i want to thank mr. thompson for his partner on this issue and his leadership, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts eek recognition?

without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. kennedy: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise this evening with a heavy heart. to honor the memory of nick littlefield. a dear friend, dedicated public servant, who passed away last week. few in our country can match nick's career. from the stages of broadway, to classrooms at harvard law school, to courtrooms in new york city, and eventually the halls of this capitol. as an aide to my late uncle, senator ed kennedy. nick did it all. always guided by the simple principle that our laws should help protect our citizens, his fingerprints can be found on landmark legislation, such as the children health insurance program, the family medical leave act and the 1996 minimum wage increase. every day that he arrived at his senate office, he brought a contagious enthusiasm for his work, an extraordinary empathy to the people he served.

even while battling multiple system atrophy that ultimately cost him his life, he confered -- considered himself, quote, not entirely unlucky, to have this disease, because it allowed him to, quote, truly sympathize with those who had disabilities. nothing was ever more important to him than his family. and in this difficult time, my thoughts and prayers are with nick's incredible wife, jen, as well as his step-children, frank, tom and kate. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one inute. mr. payne: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i'm glad to join my colleague, congressman mark

wayne mullin, today in introducing a resolution designating the week of february 13 as national health and wellness recognition week. lifestyle-related chronic diseases are causing health crises in this country. chronic diseases are the leading cause of preventable death and disability. and they cost the u.s. economy more than $1 trillion per year. this crisis is so severe that the centers for disease and control prevention has deemed chronic disease to be a public health challenge of the 21st century. we can reduce lifestyle-related chronic disease and end this crisis. but that means improving and sustaining health-related behavior. that's where the health coaches come in. they step in to fill the gap between health care providers' recommendations and sustained lifestyle changes. by helping to improve

individual health and wellness, health coaches get to the root of this nation's health crisis. i want to give my deepest thanks to the health and wellness coaches for making the people of this nation healthier. we should all support them in their efforts. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the speaker yields. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one inute. mr. mceachin: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize the richmond free press, an independent black-owned weekly newspaper that recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. the newspaper was founded by raymond h. boone, a former howard university associate professor and reporter who tirelessly served as editor and publisher until his death in

june of 2014. the richmond free press serves as a voice for all people and since its inception has altered the media landscape of richmond, the former capital of the confederacy. the paper has positively impacted the community through its news stories and its editorials. through the leadership of ms. gene patterson boone, advertising director and wife of the late founder, raymond boone, this is an award-winning publication. not only has the free press been a source of information for 25 years, but it has been a pillar in our community. mr. speaker, it is appropriate that this recognition come -- during black history month, for the richmond free press does not only chronicle history, it has made history for the last 25 years. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the speaker yields. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? without objection, the

gentleman is recognized for one inute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in honor of black history month. it is especially meaningful to me this year, as i am so proud to have the honor to represent the great people of florida's fifth congressional district. now more than ever it is incumbent upon all of us to work to ensure we are protecting our beacon of democracy within our government institution. mr. lawson: many departments of justice, to robust department of health and human services, to ensure that our department of education advances public education and protects our historicically black colleges and yoorts. one -- universities. one american who left a lasting legacy in education in florida is john g. riley, who was born a slave in 1857, and died as a millionaire in 1954. he was a school teacher near

tallahassee and later became the principal of lincoln academy in tallahassee, florida, serving the community as an educator for 49 years. he was also the first african-american tallahasseean to own property in the turn of the century. today we can all visit john c. riley musician -- museum for african-american history and culture to learn more about the contributions to the fabric of african-american history. and in jacksonville, we celebrate mary littlejon singleton who became the first black woman elected to the city council in jacksonville, florida, and then elevated herself to be elected to the florida legislature and the first one since the reconstruction era. paving the way for other black women to follow in her footsteps in the florida legislature. i'd like -- like the former congresswoman meeks, and our colleague, frederica wilson, who serves now with us today. is a story -- countless

others that remain to work and lead us ahead in the future. we must think differently and act differently to affect change by working together to help our fellow men and women. i am committed to standing with congressional black caucus and to keep the fight for equality for all americans. thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the speaker yields. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. veasey: mr. speaker, i rise today to celebrate the 60th birthday of my good friend, overseer, elvis l. bowman, the senior pastor of the greater mount taber christian center in my hometown of fort worth, texas. pastor roman was born 23 and became a life-long member of the greater mount taber and their congregation and the church was founded by his

father. pastor bowman graduated from the university of texas-arlington, with a bachelor's degree in business and a another in music. he has sinced used his dedication to serve the congregation in so many wonderful ways, an accomplished musician, served as a staff musician under his father before being appointed minister of music in 1974. he then served as the church business manager before he was appointed pastor in 2002. and he was later elevated to full gospel district overseer of tarnte county in 2008. pastor, i wish you happy birthday, my friend, on your 60th birthday. i wish you nothing but health and happiness, and please enjoy your special day. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the speaker yields. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from texas seek recognition? ms. jackson lee: i ask unanimous consent to speak the to us who are found win. the speaker pro tempore: -- for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for

one minute. ms. jackson lee: i thank the speaker very much. on a warm sunday morning, in a blue ix men truck and six men in a black truck began shooting along grigs road. women and children fled. families fled in fear of their lives. because of the gunshot noise, police were able to come and those who were hovering and sheltering could dial on their cell phones 911. so today i want to join with the law enforcement coalition, for working with former congresswoman gabby giffords, and mark kelly, who are standing up against legislation that would deregulate and allow civilians to buy silencers. it indicates that the gun lobby applauds introduction of the hearing protection act. a quote in an article says, many gun owners and sportsmen suffer severe hearing loss after years of shooting.

yet the two necessary to reduce such laws is onerously neglected. what about the law enforcement officers who will suffer at the hands of those who want to do us harm with silencers on their guns? what will happen to those who will be murdered in the streets? what about them and their families? this is legislation that's misdrenthed, this is a legislation that's unfortunate and i join with my fellow americans and law enforcement officers, first responders, in standing up against a nonsensical and misdirected initiative. let's stand with those who are to protect us and let's protect our families. and not support this legislation. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's policy, january 3, 017, mr. veezey is recognized.

mr. veasey: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. . dubois said the cost of liberty is worth the cost of repression and the cost of liberty has come at a steep price. but despite this immense challenge, a resiliencey is what we celebrate every month. every february, we get together to talk about it and highlight it with school children, friends and family and the accomplishments of the men and women who changed the course of american history. we thank the pioneers for expanding and use them as an inspiration for the fight that remains. and there have been so many

african-american piners. smith practiced medicine in the u.s. dr. williams, owned the first black-owned hospital. dr. charles drew, many have heard of him. renowned for his research during world war ii for us to understand blood plasma and its storage for transfusion. and dr. bean gentleman minimum became the first black woman elected to the board of trustees of the american medical association. and each of these medical pioneers broke barriers for the betterment of the community and each worked to use tools to their profession to improve the health of each patient they

treat and also for future generations. the secretary of health and human services has it on a wider scale. the agencies, as you know of h.h.s. is tasked with enhancing and protecting the health of all american sit accepts. however, the recent appointment of dr. tom price threatens to roll back the progress and the progress made under president obama. dr. price as many of you know and has been documented and seen on television and cable news shows, was very hostile, extremely hostile and openly hostile to the affordable care act during the time that he was in congress. despite the law extending health insurance to close to 20 million americans that didn't have it

before. that's what's so amazing that a doctor would take that view. because the -- because of the a.c.a., 2. african-americans gained coverage. d the uninsured rate among african-americans failed by 7% and in the district that i represent, 47,000 more residents now have coverage thanks to the a.c.a. and for the district that i represent, that's pretty significant. people here about the texas miracle and all the jobs and economic growth in the state of xas and despite in living in dallas-fort worth, have the highest uninsured rate than any congressional district in the country. it's a shame that we would have such a large group of people, over a million people collectively when you include

people outside the district that i represent in dallas-fort worth that don't have insurance. it's a shame. we cannot let the progress forged by african-american trail playsers be undermind by the secretary who does not see expanding health access can help health out comes for african-americans. and where we saw eric holder and lore et lynch, the recent confirmation of jeff sessions is very troubling. and a reminder that we must remain vigilant for those who would like to turn back the clock that african-americans fought and died for. particularly when you start talking about voter fraud. it seems like it is that right

now we are starting to see -- the very beginning of people that are against the gains that have been made and trying to lay the groundwork and do sore really serious oppression and that is scary. just because that was a chapter in our country's history that we don't want to go back to. and we want to know that the new attorney general is going to be working for us and not underminus when it comes to people being able to exercise their suffrage and in the senate in er, various colleagues congress, the senator warren, brought much attention to a letter that coretta scott king wrote opposing senator sessions for a federal judgeship.

and sessions could wreak on voting rights. and if you look at her letter, free exercise of voting and we continue tolerate infringement. of all the groups have been disgeneral franchised. none has suffered to win the vote than black citizens. no group has had access to the ballot box denied so persistently and intently. and ms. king continued, the actions taken by mr. sessions in regard to the 1984 voter fraud prosecutions represents one more technique and thus deny the most precious franchise. the process will in the counties where blacks achieved in local

elections and local government. whice have been using the absentee process for years. then when blacks began to use it with success, criminal investigations were denied. ms. king said, mr. sessions sought to punish advisers and colleagues of my husband who had been key figures in the 1960's. these were persons who were realizing the potential of absentee votes among blacks had learned to use the process within the bounds of legality and had taught others to do the same. and that is what i am talking about, mr. speaker. it's that sort of attitude and hostility towards the african-american community when it comes to the right of suffrage, the right to vote,

that we hold so precious that all of us are wary about. ms. king went on to describe why she believes jeff sessions would do irreparable harm to her husband's legacy. the exercise of the franchise is an essential means which our citizens ensure that those governing would be responsible. my husband called it the number one civil right, the denal denial access results in the fundamental rights when the poor and disadvantaged are empowered they are able to participate in the solution of their problems. we have a long way to go to say that minorities are no longer concerned. blacks, his pan is are grossly underrepresented at every level of golf in america.

and if we are to realize our dream, the spirit and intent of the voting rights act of 1965 and 15th amendment of the constitution is honored. and with that, mr. speaker, i would like to call up a member of this body that is no stranger en it comes to civil rights, knew ms. king and many of the key players and was a key player, that is the gentleman from south carolina, i would like to recognize jim clyburn to come and talk on this topic on black history month and things that are so important to our community and why we will continue to talk about these issues. mr. leader. mr. clyburn: thank you for yielding me this time. i'm very pleased, mr. speaker,

to join my colleagues and people throughout the united states to celebrate black history month. it may come as a surprise to some that black history month is also celebrated in canada and the united kingdom. in united do so kingdom in the month of october. thanks to the hard work of wood son and the association of the associated life of history, known today as the association for the study of african-american life and history, the celebration of black history was inaugurated in 1926. response to mr. woodson's advocacy, it was to be the second week knee february in order to envelope the birthdays

of bra ham lincoln, february 12 and frederick douglass, february 14. first proposed by students at kent university in 1969 and 1970, the week was expanded to a month in 1976. geraldford was president at the time. when the month was established, president ford urged the country to and i quote, honor the two neglected accomplishments of black americans, end of quote. there is a lot of talk about health care these days and in area has the contributions of african-americans been more neglected and dishonored as much as? in the field of health care.

prominent people are aware of the contributions of charles drew, who unlocked the secrets that led to the ability to perform blood transfusions or niel haye williams who performed the first successful en heart surgery or samuel koontz on performed the first successful kidney transplant not done on identical twins. because of these and many other slites in many other fields, mr. speaker, i have not always celebrated this occasion with pleasure. during those discussions back in the late 1960's and early 1970's, i and many others felt that the appropriate action was not just to expand from one week

to a month, but to mandate the incorporation of african-americans' contributions and achievements throughout the curriculum of all of our schools year round. but with each passing day, i grow more and more appreciative and respective of the lesson corinthians in 11. . and i quote, when i was a child, young and inexperienced, i sprow with the reasoning and understanding of a child. but as i grew and matured, i put those childish thoughts, expressions and ways behind me. i have come to understand, mr.

speaker that black history month is not onlt billion celebrating past achievements and contributions, there is also a intro r reflection and spection. i have spent a lot of moments for the last several weeks. and over the last several days, i reflected on the comments made by dr. martin luther king junior at the annual meeting for the committee of human rights back in 1966, when he said, of all e forms of inequality, injustice until health care is the most shocking and inhumane. .

that was what was on my mind when i addressed this house on the day that we passed the patient protection and affordable care act. on that occasion, i referred to the affordable care act as the civil rights act of the 21st century. it may seem a bit odd to some to hear the affordable care act referred to as the civil rights act. but that is exactly what it is. the affordable care act outlawed discrimination against children with pre-existing conditions. outlawed discrimination against people with disabilities. it outyouthlaud discrimination against women -- it outlawed discrimination against women just because they are women. mr. speaker, i want to believe that we have grown and matured

beyond where we were. when our country allowed insurance companies to discrimination against women with breast cancer an men with -- and men with prostate cancer. i would like to believe, mr. speaker, that we have put behind us the practice of kicking children off of their family's insurance policy as soon as they turn 21. even if they are still in school. or have not yet found employment. and, mr. speaker, what could be more childish and immature than allowing insurance companies to deny benefits to the sick and disabled in order to gain big bonuses and pay-outs for executives? these arguments are not new. in fact, they are reminiscent

of an age-old debate. 50 years ago, during my years of student protests, there were those who urged us to slow down. you are pushing too hard, too fast, they would say. some of those who wanted a slower approach claimed to be on our side, like those eight white ministers who implored dr. martin luther king jr. to slow down, arguing that hristianity took 2,000 years to accomplish all it had. those ministers believed that the escalation of marches and demonstrations to secure civil ights was unwise and untimely. in 1963, while sitting in the

birmingham city jail, dr. king started penning a letter, a letter that of course he finished after leaving jail, but in that letter he dealt ith the whole issue of time. n his letter, dr. king said, time itself is neutral. it can be used either destructively or constructively. dr. king continued, more and more, i feel, that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than the people of goodwill. we will have to repent in this generation, not merely for hateful words and actions of the bad people, but for the

appalling silence of the good people. dr. king continued, human progress never rose -- rode in on wheel of inevitably. it comes through the tireless forts of men and, might eat, women, willing to be -- and i might add, women willing to be co-workers with god, and without his hard work, time itself an ally of the forces of social stagnation. .e must use time creatively in the knowledge that time is always right to do right. i believe these words ring true today. in our current situation. our nation has waited for nearly a century to find a way to bring all its citizens into

the health care system. the time was right. to do right. for the american people. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back my time. mr. veasey: i want to thank our assistant leader for his comments. has such a plethora of information when it comes to the civil rights movement. i mean, he knew reverend abernathy, he knew a lot of figures that aren't as well .nown, like a.g. gaston he's able to bring all of that into today and tie it into the relevancy of what we're working on here in congress. and also have another friend here on the house floor, the gentlelady from houston, texas, my fellow texan, sheila jackson lee, that also knows about black history. just because so much great black history in our country has been made in harris county in houston, tick. i would like to call her to

speak now, to talk on this subject. she will want -- sheila, i want to thank you for participating in really this very important special order hour. ms. jackson lee: let me thank my friends and distinguished leaders of this special order. congressman veasey of texas and congresswoman plaskett of the virgin islands. thank you for your courtesies, mr. speaker. thank you for your courtesy. -- thank you for your courtesies. mr. speaker, thank you for your courtesy. as i begin today, i want to pose a question that was posed by eddie chambers. chambers is a professor of art and art history at the university of texas-austin. as i say that, let me respond to congressman veasey and indicate that we do have a lot of history in harris county. but also in the state of texas. but also i had the privilege of working for the southern

christian leadership conference during the leadership of then ralph david abernathy. and met jose williams and many of the foot soldiers that worked with dr. king. and could see the historic perspective that they were able to garner by their experience and association with this great modern day protet -- prophet. a man who understood that thank injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. as i answer the the question e, i want to cite from eddie chamber's article that appeared in the chronicle today. he said in one of his sentences, is there an important place for a celebration that might well ppear in some respects anocronistic? one word he said, yes. as a professor whose classes invariably deal with aspects of african-american and african diaspora history, any moment of doubt i might have about the

validity of black history month are dispeled once classes begin each semester. i'm still shocked and saddened that the level of ignorance among students of important events and personalities that are part of african-american history. consequently, american heftry -- history. i don't, of course, blame my students. and this ignorance is by no means restricted to students of a particular ethnicity or cultural background. in his other words he said, widespread ignorance of black american history leads to insufficient grasp of american history. so my few words tonight will explain or highlight the fact that there is a need for not only african-american history month, which is february, but it needs to be taught throughout the year and integrated into the education of all students, no matter where they live, and it is a shameful testimony that the books that children are learning from, the curriculum,

is so missing, so lacking in the history that is american history, and that is african-american history. so my challenge tonight is for those of my colleagues who are listening, those educators, those in primary and secondary education, those in colleges, ivy leagues and otherwise, what is your answer to the question? is it now still time to celebrate and commemorate black history month? and what are you doing about it? i know that texas is certainly full and rich with history. although our school books do not denote that. in fact, there was a vigorous fight, the texas education board, of their lack of responsibility in terms of insisting on textboongs that had an accurate accounting of black history. certainly we know and hope that we know the names of cheryly chisholm, congresswoman, first woman african-american, to run for president. my colleague and former predecessor, the honorable barbara jordan, who in the

judiciary committee said we the people, repeated over and over again as a statement of the importance of the constitution. activists like harriet tubman and rosa parks. sojourner truth, secretary hillary clinton and myself introduced legislation to put the first african-american bust in the united states capitol, which she sits today. who would have known her name had it not been the celebration -- but for the celebration through that legislation of over 2,500 women who came to celebrate the placing of this bust. astronaut may gemson still remains the first african-american woman to go into space. and mathematicians catherine g. johnson, dorothy vaughn and mary jackson, who i believe is evidenced in the fit am "hidden figures." "senses" is another great movie. maya angelou and others. all of these are evidence of great people, or the likes of

ruby moseley, who started with the city of houston, but wasen a act visit and is an activist, not one thing of good news happened around the city without ruby moseley's great leadership. she still is going. knowing barbara jordan and mickey leland and craig washington and myself who served in this seat in the 18th congressional district. fighting to make sure that seniors had housing, make sure their social security and city services were there and standing up and fighting for civil rights. so many like ruby moseley, all of them should be placed in late are ature to announce their great -- literature to announce their greatness. let me say how proud i am to have a father by the name of ezra c. jackson. one of the first african-american cartoonists working in new york city, in the media of comic books. he was a strange figure there. tragically and unfortunately, as the white men began to return after world war ii, the

african-americans who worked during that time, since he was the youngest of four sons, three sons went to world war ii, they were displaced. racism. but yet i'm a so proud of him for being such an astute and brilliant artist. so much of his work still remaining. shown in the smithsonian in its early stages of putting together the african-american history and cultural museum. also my father-in-law, phillip ferguson lee, one of the tuskegee airmen. clearly it began as an experiment to determine whether colored soldiers were capable of prathing expensive and complex combrath combat aircraft. but it ended as an unqualified success. based on the experience of the tuskegee airmen, whose record included 261 aircraft destroyed, 141 aircraft ,over 15,000 8 -- and missions over italy and north africa. this past weekend, we buried a

church member of mine, clyde alexander, who was also a tuskegee airman. to both of those we pay tribute. and i ask the question, how many textbooks in america in school districts around rural and urban, have the story about the tuskegee airmen? is the question, do we need to celebrate and commemorate black history? if that is the question, then the answer is, not only a resounding yes, but what are you doing in the academic institutions of a-- across america to ensure that we tell the story, not of african-american history or black history, but of american history? let me finish my remarks by adding a challenge. evidenced in the "los angeles times." one of the things that comes out of the commemoration of african-american history is a connection to the diaspora. and the congressional black caucus has been the singular connecting force to the diaspora. whether it is to the caribbean, whether it is to the african

brazilians in brazil, who happen to be of nye jeer unanimous heritage -- nigerian heritage, whether it is, which i indicate in the caribbean which my parents, grandparents came from, from jamaica from panamay where my grandfather worked on the panama canal, all of this is part of the portfolio of the congressional black caucus. i thank our chairman, mr. richmond. we have been the strongest voices on these issues. mickey leland, who was my predecessor, died on the side of an ethiopian mountain because he cared about the horrible and devastating drought that was killing those in the region and continued to want to take food to hold dying babies in his hands. now we have a new challenge and that is of somalia, new hunger emergency, millions are going to die if this president does not recognize that his responsibility is not only the commander in chief, but many

times a chief humanitarian of the world. 150,000 children died in this region because of near starvation. right now they're expecting that starvation is going to impact hundreds of thousands of children, women and children. this is a picture of a woman and her child walking by the dead gotes. that would be the source of their -- goats that would be the source of their livelihood. because there's no water. as i close my remarks, i call pob this congress, call upon this president, to get the wheels back on the white house and recognize that america has always been the comforter, are seving refugees, it's always been a friend of the continent of africa, and there are members of congress who have gone to africa in times of need. but we have also worked with the administration from george bush to bill clinton, to barack obama.

and many others. who recognize that we are connected to the continent of africa by the very slives who were brought here. let us fight for somalia to survive. i call upon my fellow colleagues to join me in legislation dealing with the starvation here when we can raise up humanitarian dollars and efforts to save the lives of hundreds of thousands who are now on the brink of starving. that is what this month commemorates. not only the african-american history, but the diaspora of which we are so connected. thank you and i yield back to my colleague. >> i want to thank my friend from texas for sharing that information and talking about the highlights of things african-americans have contribute during this african-american history month. mr. veasey: now i turn it over to my colleague from the virgin

islands, stacey plaskett who is also here to talk about the cricks from the part of the country she represents, the parled of the -- part of the world she represents. i want to thank her for her efforts here tonight and being part of this special order hour. ms. plaskett: thank you so much, congressman vee e-- veasey, for assisting me, for being a lead for the this special order hour for the congressional black caucus. of course i'd like to thank the chair of the congressional black caucus, our friend and colleague, the honorable cedric richmond, for his continued leadership of our caucus and on issues impacting black america and minority communities across this nation. mr. speaker, black history month is a time to reflect on notable african-american icons, their achievements as a people and our continued struggle for a more perfect union. not only does it serve as a source of great pride and an anchor to the african-american descendants and the

african-american community, but it's also a vehicle to educate the masses on the totality of the black experience throughout the history of this nation. as we gather this evening to celebrate the life legacy and a-- the life, legacy, and achievement of african descendants, it's important to tell the journey told and the same resilient spirit in our continued push for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. the congressional black caucus is a body of 49 members in both houses of congress representing millions of african-americans and other minority and majority people across this country. we're alarmed by the recent actions of this administration and the threat those actions pose to the hard-fought progress of african descendants of minorities in this country. the nomination of jeff sessions as attorney general for many minorities across this country was a direct affront to the legacy of dr. martin luther king, our colleague john lewis,

and the many others who sacrificed and dedicated their lives to the civil rights movement and the right to vote. the concerns expressed by the great coretta scott king 30 years ago about the dubious past of mr. sessions with respect to enforcing civil rights laws remain the same for many americans today. mr. speaker, the american dream was in fact made possible by the plight of african descendants and we must remain vigilant and steadfast in the fight against racial, social, and economic injustice. mr. speaker, i want to raise another area of concern that african-americans have and that's for health care. my district of the u.s. virgin islands, home to the first african-american female physician in congress, my esteemed pred saysor donna christiansen, like many underserved -- predecessor donna christiansen, like many underserved areas is -- has

disparate health outcomes. funding for diabetes and circle cell may be hurt by this administration. programs like supplemental nutrition assistance program which provides critical food to the neediest in all our communities, especially mine they can virgin islands, and especially to our children. repeal of the affordable health care act would create unhealthy african-american communities. since the affordable health care act was passed, nearly half of the african-american adults who didn't have health insurance now have health insurance. under the affordable care act, the numb of working age african-american adult whors uninsured has been cut from 27% to 14%. the lowest rate ever. the number of african-american children without insurance also decreased to the lowest rate ever, negative 5%. repealing the affordable health

care act would take away coverage from more than 3.3 million african-americans. in my district we are looking for ways to expand coverage, not remove or repeal it. members of this caucus and members of all of us are offered policy solutions and push policy initiatives that would hetch african-american communities because we know the work that our communities have done. the work of our forefathers to ensure we have a place at the table. individuals like those spoken about by my colleague sheila jackson lee, shirley chisholm. when we talk about people who have come to be part of the african diaspora are people from many parts of the caribbean. we have congresswoman yvette clarke of new york of jamaican descent. other notable jamaicans who have served this country, general colin powell, the first plaque u.s. secretary of state.

constance baker mot lee, first black woman appointed to the federal bench. our previous attorney general, eric holder, whose family hails from barbados. sicily tyson, her award winning, academy award winning actress is from nieves. hubert harrison a prm innocent political activist, writer and orator. and my own special hero, ruby rouse of the island of st. croix, the first black woman assigned as permanent staff for the supreme allied powers in europe. it is the work of these great african-americans and those who are not heralded and those we don't know. ms. jackson lee talked about her own family members, my own father, leroy plaskett, and my mother, who came from the virgin islands and came to new york as older siblings to give back and to ensure that their younger siblings could have the things needed back home in the virgin

islands. they have given a legacy for all of us. and we're so grateful for the work they have all done. i spoke about congresswoman yvette clarke of new york and i'd like to yield time now to another distinguished -- distinguished member they have new york dell garkse my colleague, the great hakem jeffries who has led this special order before and whom mark veasey and i look to for guidance on how to continue in the great work he and joyce beatty did previously. mr. jeffries: i thank the distinguished gentlelady from the virgin islands for her kind remarks and for yielding and for the tremendous job that you and my classmate, mark veasey have done in leading this c.b.c. special order hour over this 115th congress during the last few weeks. i stand here today in the midst of black history month when many

african-americans throughout the country are asking the question, what do we do now that the unthinkable has occurred? as a community, as a nation, we've gone from the presidency, distinguished and dynamic eight years of barack obama, to the current situation where we have a swamp percolating at 1600 pennsylvania avenue under the leadership of donald j. trump. he began black history month by saying he was convening folks for what he called his little black history breakfast, and those of us who actually watched some of the coverage seemed perplexed by his reference to the great frederick douglass. as if frederick douglass was still alive. so if anyone has any questions about the relevance of black history month, we can start by noting that perhaps it's

important to make sure that the nation's commander in chief understands the contributions that african-americans have made to the united states of america, going all the way back to the boston massacre. where one of its leaders, chris pus atucks was the first attucks was ispu one of the first americans killed in connection with the boston massacre, challenging the unjust taxation policies of the british empire. now, 45th president of the united states of america asked the question over the last several months, what exactly do black folks have to lose? many of us were perplexed by that question given his history. and actually think that you've lost your mind if you come to

the conclusion that the current occupant of 1600 pennsylvania avenue has any interest in making a positive difference in the lives of people who have color generally, african-americans specifically. perhaps because of his own history. we know that in the early 1970's, the trump organization, of which he was president, was sued by the justice department for racial discrimination in the housing stock that they owned. where they were denying african-americans and people of puerto rican an testry access to apartments notwithstanding the economic qualifications to be renters or co-op owners. i would just note parenthetically that it was the nixon justice department, not

the kennedy justice department, or the johnson justice department, or the carter justice department, or the clinton justice department, or the obama justice department. it was the nixon justice department that concluded that donald j. trump and his organization were discriminating on the basis of race. and those of us from new york, we understand that current occupant of the white house was the leader of the high tech linching mob designed to try to get the wrongfully convicted central park five sentenced to death. took out a full page ad in some of the local periodicals in new york calling for that. turns out all five individuals were wrongfully convicted and spent years in jail for a crime

they did not commit. donald j. trump has never apologized for that reckless and irresponsible action. then of course for five years he perpetrated the racist lie that barack obama was not born in the united states of america. all designed to undermine the legitimacy of the 44th president of the united states of america. which is why, here in black history month, it's interesting to me that some of my friends on the other side of the aisle question whether we as members of the congressional black caucus or others are being irresponsible in not giving the current president a chance. how dare you ask that question. from the quining of the presidency of barack obama, you declared war on him. you you -- you followed a philosophy that may be familiar to those of us from -- who are

familiar with the history of the deep south, obstruction today, obstruction tomorrow, bstruction forever. mitch mcconnell declared that his top priority was to make barack obama a one-term president. and yet you questioned whether americans who are part of the growing resistance movement have failed to give donald trump a chance. let's be clear. you have zero credibility on the issue of lecturing us about presidential etiquette. we will decide what the rules of engagement are when it comes to this current president. pipe down as it relates to talking to any of us about how to engage the white house. because you have no credibility on the issue. your obstruction took place in the midst of two failed wars

and the worst economy since the great depression. we have a lot of issues we've got to sort out with this current president. here in black history month. both of the african -- for the african-american community and of he broader community americans in blue states, in red states, in urban america, in rural america, in suburban america, in the north, the south, the east and the west. i look toward to -- forward to working with my colleagues in the congressional black caucus, and others, to tackle issues like criminal justice reform. to fix the voting rights act that was damaged in such an irresponsible way by the upreme court decision in shelby county versus -- vermont holder. and to work to -- vs. older. and to work to build an economy

that works for all americans, not only the millionaires and billionaires that dominate the trump cabinet. i thank my distinguished colleague from the virgin islands for giving me the opportunity to share some thoughts today and i thank my colleague, marc veasey, for his continued leadership. i look forward to hearing my distinguished colleague, brenda lawrence, from motown. and i yield back. ms. plaskett: thank you very much, mr. veasey. at this time i yield time to the distinguished gentle wovepl of detroit -- gentle -- gentlewoman of detroit, michigan, brenda lawrence, who is my classmate and one of my dear friends. thank you for your remarks this evening. mrs. lawrence: thank you so much. i want to thank representative marc veasey and -- from texas. who has been an amazing advocate for voting rights and has been standing with the people in texas across this

country for american values with the refugee ban. and i can't say enough about my colleague, my freshman class member, stacy plaskett from the beautiful virge -- staysy plaskett from the beautiful -- stacey plaskett, from the beautiful virgin islands. her ability to be a voice for people who are often not heard has been one that has been vrabel valable. not only to us here in congress, but for our country. mr. speaker, black history month is the time to celebrate our progress while recognizing the challenges we still face today. the president, donald trump, posed a question to african-americans asking, what do you have to lose? our black history is outlined with the great progress and hard sacrifices endured by our forefathers. under this administration and

under the current circumstances that we're dealing with, yes. mr. president, we have a lot to lose. we have a lot to lose for every point of progress that we have made in this country. and for every hard-fought step forward we have a lot to lose. instead of draining the swamp, this administration is filling it with unqualified and dangerous megadonors. ur basic rights and privileges included in our constitution are under the risk of being attacked. thunderstorm administration. old battles -- under this administration. old battles that we fought and celebrate the wins, such as equal rights and quality education and criminal justice, has now begun again anew. how are they under attack, you would ask.

well, let's go appointment by appointment. under devos' leadership, our educational system is under attack. african-americans have historically fought for equal access and opportunity in education. african-americans had to suffer through the jim crow era to fight segregated education system. they were forced to learn under a system that was both separate and unequal. african-americans have faced and fought against injustice in the education system ever since our emancipation. and now, in 2017, our secretary of education is betsy devos. frankly, she is not qualified to be the secretary of education. because she has zero experience in public education. and she's not the right person

to lead our public schools. being a millionaire does not mean you're qualified to direct good policy. we have real issues in detroit. under devos' direct involvement in michigan public schools, we now have a challenge in our city of detroit with school desert. some of you may not have heard about that. but a school desert is where a community does not have a local public school to attend. this means a family's only opportunity to educate their children would be to go to a for-profit charter school that is miles away and there is no public transportation given for your child to get there. so you are in a school desert. our secretary of education

should be enforcing civil rights equality and making sure that every child is educated in america. this includes children of color who can't advocate for themselves. funneling taxpayer dollars to private, religious schools is a step backwards. resegregation masked under the guise of school of choice is a step backward. so, let's talk about secretary sessions. our criminal justice system is under attack. civil rights icons that we know and celebrate during black history month, martin luther king and our amazing congressman john lewis, endure pain and suffering during the peaceful protests in support of voting rights in 1965. disproportionate injustice against african-americans and minorities did not end with the

civil rights movement. today we fight for equality under the law. this fight continues. now we have senator jeff sessions charged with leading the justice department. his record speaks for itself. he was denied for a position to federal court judge speaks volumes. and clearly there seems to be a certain amount of fear of the truth when it comes from the mouth of coretta scott king. we cannot go backwards. african-americans have worked ard to be a part of the fabric of this country through education, and health care is one of them. let's talk about charles drew. who, with his research developed a technique -- who with his research developed a technique to have bloodbacks --

banks that we can use in transfusions. daniel williams, the first person to successfully complete open heart surgery. and dr. patricia bass, whose invention in cat racket lenses -- cat rack lenses transformed eye surgery and she was the first african-american woman doctor to receive a patent for a medical intervention. hour in ow -- now our society's most vulnerable stand to lose something that we fought so hard for and that's ensuring everyone receive health care. america. a.c.a. women should not be charged for insurance -- more for insurance than a man. the sick shouldn't be denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions. and republicans, instead they want to repeal, take away the a.c.a., without any plan to replace it. we're going backwards. this month we celebrate how far we've come.

we celebrate the progress of the civil rights and voting rights act. we celebrate the heroes and sheroes that pave the way. we have come too far to go back now. that's why i'm proud to be a member of the congressional black caucus, along with others who have fought for americans' equality and for the millions of african-americans we represent. it's time for us to remember the great progress we've made as a nation, it's time to remember the past injustice, that we never repeat them. and the sacrifices of those who came before us must never be forgotten. their sacrifices must not be in vein. during this month of remembrance, let us all remember we're not going back. we, the african-american community, we, americans, we are moving forward. and i yield back. thank you. ms. plaskett: thank you so much for that discussion and the inspiration you've given us. we are not going to go back. and we've heard from so many of

our colleagues about the achievements of african-americans, but not just the achievements, the struggles, and the issues that we're facing today. congressman veasey, i think we heard from congresswoman sheila jackson lee who outlined not just the past struggles of african-americans and their achievements, but also talked about the rising concerns throughout the african diaspora when she talked about what's happening in somalia in other parts, and the fact that americans have a duty, african-americans have a duty to support other diasporas and the work that they're doing and the struggles they have. we heard about the affordable care act act from our assistant leader, mr. clyburn, the civil rights movement and the work that was done and how the assault that's occurring now on some of those issues. and so we as the congressional black caucus have a indicty -- duty to present those issues here before you all, our colleagues here in congress.

mr. speaker, to put those issues on the record so that we can expound on them. mr. veasey, i didn't know if there was else that you wanted to discuss or that you reflected on in hearing some of the words that our colleagues spoke about today. mr. veasey: absolutely. i want to thank the gentlelady from the virgin islands for offering that to me. there were several things that i heard that were deeply inspiring, yet deeply troubling at the same time. it's amazing how when you start talking about black history, and you apply it to present day and you understand just how important it is that we do bridge those two things. the history, the future, and where we're at today. you look at the -- at education, for instance. i know that brenda lawrence talked about the school desert phenomena. how there are some neighborhoods that have schools -- there are no neighborhood

schools. that's really sad. because when you think about brown vs. the board of education and some of the things that were brought out, about people having to travel great distances just to be able to get an education, and now you start looking at today and modern day america and they're still not being neighborhood schools, they're still -- there's still being segregation in schools, and then you see a secretary of education that wants to try to implement plans that many say would re-segregate the schools, would eliminate neighborhood schools. that's what brought us here. the neighborhood school is what brought us here. that's what allowed us to have so many great inventions, when you start talking about the inventions in black history month. when you start talking about medicine. when you start talking about science. almost all of those people mentioned, even during that time of some of the most awful segregation in our country, i think about that in my own family. have a high school invery --

invitation from the 1930's in a little town called henderson, texas. i think louie gohmert is the representative out there, and you open up the high school invitation, it ths from my grandmother's first cousin, it says, henderson negro high school. henderson negro high school. the graduation will be held at the henderson negro high school auditoriumment -- auditorium. and that's -- i like to bring up that. when people start asking, why is there a black history month? ms. plaskett: so we don't forgot -- forget. mr. veasey: so we don't forget. before there was a black history month, people started putting those things in front of black, negro, colored, whatever it may happen to be for at that time period, in front of schools. they didn't put white in front of there. there was no henderson white high school. it was the negro high school. but i think the important thing about that, in trying to bridge

all of that, is we want to make sure we don't get-go back we don't want to take steps backwards, when it comes particularly to education. all of those people, whether they went to the henderson negro high school, whether they -- blood transfusions, whatever it may happen to be, they got there because of the investment that we made in a country -- as a country in our public education system, and the fact that someone in a position of importance would want to roll back those opportunities, this -- it's absolutely scary. absolutely scary. and the same with health care when you start talking about health care and so many people that don't have adequate health care, when we see the racial discrepancies and life expectancy amongst african-americans, african-american men in particular, having the lowest life expectancy. you start wanting to remove people, 20 million americans, from having life insurance a? it is absolutely scary.

i want to yield back to you and thank you for participating in this timely conversation. we needed to have this conversation with the country. ms. plaskett: there are so many conversations we need to have. nnigh.our time has drawn i yield back and move that the house adjourn. the speaker pro tempore: members are reminded not to engage in permits with the president. >> the house is gaveled out. tomorrow, work on a bill that identifies and surveys red river boundary lines between oklahoma and texas later this week, more work on disapproving obama

administration regulations, including a labor department on drug testing for the unemployed, and another resolution on nongovernmental workers and state retirement plans. all of the house live here on c-span when members return tuesday at 10:00 a.m. eastern for morning speeches and at noon for legislative work. >> c-span's washington journal, live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. coming up tuesday morning, to north carolina republican congressman mark meadows and mark walker will discuss the house republican agenda and their approach to conservative ideology. we should watch washington journal live tuesday morning. join the discussion. tonight on c-span, president trump and canadian prime minister justin trudeau hold a

joint news conference at the white house. democrats on their opposition to the president's plan to roll back financial regulation. ambassador tohan the u.s. on relations between the two countries. canadian prime minister justin trudeau is the latest world leader to visit president trump at the white house. the two leaders held a joint news conference where they took questions on trade and immigration issues. from the white house east room, this is 25 minutes.