and they're still paying almost half their income for housing. we see a situation where children can easily be loved and yet neglected. and so one of the things that i've done, i'm going to reintroduce as i've done for several cycles, that family poverty is not child neglect act. i want to reinforce the notion that these agencies should not be snatching kids out of their homes when providing maybe some snap or other resources to the family could preserve that family. because it's not -- it's the best interest of the children to be at home if they can be. and my bill would make it so much harder for these agencies to use poverty as a rationale to pulling families apart.

i want to mention a second reason that children are placed out of homes. and it's because of parental substance abuse. now, mr. jackson, i know, i've known -- i've known you and your family for a long time. so i know that you recall how substance abuse has become a real curse in this country. and drug affliction and addiction happens in every corner of the united states. but how is it treated? in some communities, where there are fentanyl addictions, which are tragic, meth addictions, which are tragic, opioid

addictions, which are tragic. we are proposing government interventions to help people. but when children of foster families become addicted, they're treated like criminals often and have their children taken from them. instead of them being offered treatment. so this year's theme for national reunification month, i understand it, is we believe in the resilience and strength of our families. and if that's going to be our motto, mr. jackson, we ought to do something to reinforce the strength and resilience and not just talk about it. we need policies that match this audacious goal. policies like the new exemption from snap, harmful time limits

in the fiscal responsibility act for foster youth up to age 14. you know, the white house has done a marvelous job in -- they've estimated that as many as 50,000 youth who have aged out of foster care can now be exempt from onerous timelines which say that in a three-year period, you can only be eligible for snap for three months. in three years, you can only get snap if you're an adult. but we have exempted foster youth from that provision because who do we know, representative jackson, who is 18, 19, that's on their own? and can figure out -- i know i was still eating at home. when i was 19. and i'm so proud, again, of you

and mrs. cherfilus-mccormick for spending this time to lift this up to our community and -- communities and our constituents. and i'm inspired by your dedication and commitment to working -- and i'm committed to working with you as we move forward. and i thank you for yielding to me, mr. jackson. and i yield back to you, sir. mr. jackson: thank you, the honorable gwen moore from wisconsin, who so eloquently and passionately articulated the plight of reunification and the challenges that lie before us. it is now my privilege, mr. speaker, to yield to the honorable mr. donald payne jr. from the great state of new jersey. mr. payne: mr. speaker, i'd like

to thank my colleagues, the gentleman from illinois, the gentlelady from florida, for their leadership in the congressional black caucus special order hour, this first session of the 118th congress. they've demonstrated even as freshmen their leadership and breadth of knowledge of the issues that are important to the members of the congressional black caucus and i want to thank both of them for their outstanding leadership. but i rise today to discuss june as national reunification month. it is a time to recognize the people who work daily to help families stay together. i know this issue personally.

last wednesday i had the honor of hosting a young constituent from my district during forester youth shadow day -- foster youth shadow day. we spent a day discussing legislative process and i showed her around the congress. i was impressed with her questions and intelligence. she deserves to grow up in a loving and supportive household. and she is one reason we must do more to help families stay together in healthy environments. there are anywhere from 300,000 to 400,000 children in foster care nationwide. yet too many children are removed from households before parents receive the services necessary to avoid such action. and this situation is worse in

black communities. black families are more likely to be investigated by child protective services and lose children than white families. black children spend more time in foster care and they are less likely to be reunified with their families. family reunification is better for these children overall and the youth that shadowed me the other day talked about where her siblings were and that they weren't together and that even though she has not -- she is not with them, she tries to keep track of them, being the eldest. and has worked to see and make sure that she stays in their lives. research shows that children have better outcomes in life when they grow up in families that nurture and care for them.

but there is a hope for children in traumatic households before they even enter foster care. this year marks the fifth anniversary -- 5th anniversary of the passage of the family first prevention services act. this law made funding available for resources and activities to make families healthier and safer for children. these resources include programs to address mental health and substance abuse issues in the home. also, these programs help fathers and mothers become better parents. we need to identify families at risk sooner so we can implement these programs before child removal becomes necessary. we need to increase funding for

more preventive services such as home visits. studies show that home visits lower the rate of child maltreatment, the leading cause of child removal. in addition, right now there are 2.5 million children who are being raised by relatives or close family friends. research has found that children staying with a relative or a friend have better behavior, mental health and physical health than children in foster care. they're allowed to grow up in their culture and stay connected to their families. children do the best with their own families. that is why we must provide more resources to families to prevent

children from being removed at all. healthy families are better for children and they are better for america. and as i stated, my colleague prior to me, the honorable gwen moore, has picked up the mantle from one of our great colleagues that has moved on to lead the metropolitan of los angeles, karen bass, who did an outstanding job with this program, the foster shadow youth day on capitol hill, was an outstanding leader in that and ms. moore has picked it up and not lost a beat. so i just want to say that it is an opportunity for us to do the best that we can to make sure that families stay uni unified d have a healthy outlook on life and with that, mr. speaker, i

yield back. mr. jackson: i thank you, the honorable donald payne jr. from the state of new jersey, for those eloquent words. it is now my privilege, mr. speaker, to yield to the honorable sheila cherfilus-mccormick from the state of florida. mrs. cherfilus-mccormick: in honor of caribbean heritage month, i rise today to recognize dr. judith joseph, who has helped shine a light on mental health issues and inspired countless others to seek support. dr. joseph immigrated from the -- to the u.s. from trinidad at the age of 4. after growing up in a religious community, with a father as a pastor, judith became interested in exploring the intersection of spirituality and science. today she lead as team of 10 talented women at the manhattan behavioral institute who are dedicated to developing and exploring novel treatments for mental health conditions such as

depression, anxiety and adhd. dr. joseph has shared her expertise with a wide audience, using social media as a positive vehicle for change and digestible, accessible manners. thank you, dr. joseph, for your invaluable contribution to mental health research and education. i yield back to my co-lead, mr. jackson. mr. jackson: thank you, the honorable sheila cherfilus-mccormick. mr. speaker, june is national reunification month. an important designation that remains unknown to many. but one that warrants wider understanding and greater attention. in the grand tapestry of life, one universal truth weaves its thread throughout. that none of us can journey far or aim high without some form of familiar structure to ground us.

family in its various forms and definition provides the anchors that we all need. as we turn our attention to the realities underscored by the data from fiscal year 2021, a stark and uncomfortable picture emerges that further emphasizes the urgency of the matter at hand. over the years, investigations of maltreatment involving a staggering 587,330 children in the united states. each of these represents a unique story. a child who has faced abuse or neglect, severe enough that allegations of maltreatment were substantiated. and a life irrevocably scared by these experiences. moreover, this vast number doesn't tell the complete story. over 200,000 children were placed into the foster care system in that same year.

a heart rendering reflection of the urgency and complexity of the issue that we confront. while these numbers are staggering on their own, the statistics take on an even darker shade when viewed through the lens of racial disparities. the overrepresentation of african-american children in the foster care system is a disturbing trend that we can no longer ignore. despite representing only 14% of the general population, african-american children accounted for 20% of the children entering the foster care system in fiscal year 2021. this disproportion representation -- disproportionate representation extends to multiracial children as well, revealing a systemic bias that must be addressed. in certain states, this disproportionality is even more pronounced, spotlighting a deeply rooted racial bias that

is pervasive and detrimental. the repercussions of these disparities stretch far beyond the immediate impact. creating a ripple effect that touches every aspect of these children's lives, from their education, mental health and future economic opportunities. taking a broader perspective, if we look back over the span from 2005 to 2021, the data paints an even more troubling picture. during this period, an alarming one out of every 125 children identifying as black or african-american found themselves in the foster care at any given point in time. this points to a that points to a keep-seated systemic issue that transcends temporal and geographic boundaries, further underscoring the urgent need to reform. i stand before you today not just as an elected

representative, but as a living testament to this profound truth. i am an embodiment of the power familiar support, a witness to the transformative impact it can be on a child's life it is within the secure con fines of a loving family that a child can break free from the con striefnts financial, existential and emotional insecurity, daring to dream bigger, reach higher, and grow fuller. a grim reality, however, casts a long shadow over our nation. the practice of unnecessary family separations. this is not a side issue or minor concern, but a grave matter that demands serious attention and conscious action from each of us. the current system as it stands is marred by prejudice and arbitrariness, permitting the removal of children from their families without the absolute justification of immediate harm.

this is a practice that we must challenge, question, and ultimately reform. tthe era must come to an end whn social workers and others are permitted to pass judgment on a family's worthiness based on race, economic status, or cultural religious beliefs. a family's integrity should not be a matter of prejudiced scrutiny but respected as the bedrock of our society. it's crucial to emphatically state that black children, like all children, need the nurturing care of their parents. the need to experience life's joys and challenge witness the safety net of their own families. enriching their identity and strengthening their roots. are there exists a blatant contradiction when some claim to champion the cause of families while supporting policies that splinter their very familiar family structures. how can one profess commitment

to family values while advocating for policies that fundamentally undermine the very foundation of families? every family, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or geographical origin has an undeniable right to raise their children in an environment free from undue governmental interference and unwarranted judgment, from uninvested bureaucrats. be they black, hispanic, indig,000 asian, or from the appalachia or the southside of chicago. every family deserves an opportunity. perhaps it is time to look inward and address the root issues that plague our society. if we ensured a living wage for our workers, would we not see a reduction in the number of children entering the foster care system? if we treated the root causes of addiction, would we not see fewer children that would need to be separated from their families? moreover, if we can cease making

assumptions based on racial stereotypes about the families different from our very own view, we might prevent the stigmatization of countless chirnlg. we might stop reducing home to mere cogs in the machinery of systemic racism and bigotry, and instead acknowledge their individuality, their potential, and their dreams. today, i implore each and every one of us, and you, to present this to the house, to lend your ears to the voices that often go unheard. listen to the stories of children and young people in the foster care system. their struggles, their hopes, their dreams. remember their dedicated care takers who selflessly serve these children, children who have been placed in the foster care system for reasons reckless or legitimate must never be rendered indivisible or

forgotten. we must always remember that their lives matter, their dreams are of critical importance to the strap of our future -- the tapestry of our future. their spiritual, psychological and emotional well being is an essential cornerstone of the america we aspire to become. a child living with criticism learns to condemn. a child exposed to hostility learns to fight. a child steeped in shame learns guilt. however, if we raise a child in an environment filled with encouragement, fairness, and approval, they learn to be confident, just, and to love themselves. our government's paramount responsibility to the welfare of our children, this responsibility outweighs any issue of national security or economic superiority. it is the heart and soul of representative government. our constituents did not elect us to represent their vested

interest but to defend and advance policies that secure a brighter and better future for their children. nobody sent us here to indulge in meaningless squabbles. we were not elected to be rulers of insignificant territories. we were chosen to represent their hopes and dreams and to make the task of raising and keeping families together easier. as we recently celebrated juneteenth, we remember that formerly enslaved africans did what they did after their emancipation. history bears witness that they walked great distances in search of their families, who had been sold away and taken from them. they traversed the length and breadth of the south, driven by an indomitable spirit and unwaver regular solve to regiant unite their families. this is the spirit we should embody as we observe national reunification month.

the congressional black caucus members will not stand by and watch families be torn apart in america again. no child should be thrust into a system unless they are in immediate danger. this is our pledge. this is our sole promise. mr. speaker, i would like to acknowledge the life of my grandmother, gertrude brown, who was a foster child, who was orphaned at the age of 14. i represent her indomitable spirit. it is now my privilege to yield to the honorable speaker sheila cherfilus-mccormick from florida. mrs. cherfilus-mccormick: thank you, my co-anchor, representative jonathan jackson. mr. speaker, in honor of crib lain -- caribbean heritage month, i rise to recognize feeley shah ross whose prose as

a musician allowed or the create unique muse take reflects her caribbean heritage. since the age of 3, she sang and played the piano. in 2006 she graduate fred worrell-renowned dreyfus school of the arts in west palm beach, florida. throughout her career she's been able to incorporate several stifles genres in her music ranging from classical to r&b, as well as muse nick several languages. her hit single is emblematic of her unique talents, playing homage to her haitian roots in its style. she's brought her music around the globe from the ivory coast to jamaica, touching audiences worldwide. in addition, ross also runs and operates her own independent music production company and helps mentor many young artists. i'm proud to recognize ross and her extensive artistic contributions to the caribbean american community and to the

united states. thank you, mr. speaker, and i now yield back to my co-anchor, jonathan jackson. mr. jackson: thank you, the honorable sheila cherfilus-mccormick. mr. speaker, you've heard from my distinguished colleagues about family reunification. we would like to thank the congressional black caucus chairman, mr. steve horsford, we'd like to thank the honorable gwen moore, we'd like to thank the honorable donald payne jr., we'd like to thank the honorable colleagues that joined us today. all issues of great importance to the congressional black caucus. our constituents, congress, and all americans tonight. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman have a motion? mr. jackson: i motion the house to adjourn at this time. 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. acordingly, the house stands adjourned until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow for morning hou bills today, including a program providing entrepreneurship training for veterans. lawmakers look toxpd health insurance options for small businesses, and a possible veto override vote on the biden administration's studen loan forgiveness plan. when the house returns, watch live coverage here on c-span. >> watch a video on demand anyte online at c-span.org, and find our interest feature to guide you to news where they and interesting highlights of our key coverage. use point of interest anytime online at c-span.org.

>> order your copy of the 118th congressional directory now available at c-span shop.org. it is your access to the federal government, with bio and contact information for every house and senate member. and important information on congressional committees, the president's cabinet, federal agencies and state governors. scan the code at the right to order your copy today or go to c-spanshop.org. every purchase help support our nonprofit operations. announcer: c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and more, including sparklight. >> the greatest tone on earth is the place you call home. at sparklight, it is our home too. right know we are facing our greatest challenge. that is why sparklight is working round the clock to keep you connected. we are doing our parts or it is

easier to do yours. >> sparklight supports c-span as a blic service, along with these other television service providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> members of the house intelligence committee speak to reporters after a closed hearing with former justice department special counsel john durham who investigated the fbi's probe into russian interference during the 2016 presidential election. >> our committee received testimony from john durham concerning his report on misconduct at the fbi. we did so as a committee on a bipartisan basis, there was a great camaraderie among our

members, trying to find answers to if there is misconduct, what are the solutions, what are the reforms? it was interesting to hear from mr. durham that he has concerns there are forms that need to go into place and there are issues that need to be addressed. he was forthcoming and sharing with us, we were able to get some information that would be helpful for us in the work we have to do on both pfizer renewal, pfizer reforms and form issues with the fbi. we have approached this together on the issue of what are the next steps, and i think he has been a great partner. >> i concur with everything the chairman said, we had a very detailed. -- fairly fleet -- special counsel durham's report.

>> our sessions are closed so we are not permitted to tell specific questions that occurred. we can tell you our impression. both the members of mr. durham the committee and mr. durham mr.

durham embrace the details of his report he has been very thorough. we discussed obviously our concerns and his concerns about misconduct but the real focus is what is next. we do not want this to happen again. and how do we put steps in place where we can try to had to stop in the past? >> some of the differences between the reports, because there are some distinctions and we were interested in what the distinctions were. we probed the boundaries that mr. durham was able to do. if you read the ig report and mr. durham's report, you will

discover the conflict is not so much in the text, but the expectations that were built around the reports. if you believed the behavior of the fbi was perfect you were disappointed. if you believe that special counsel mr. durham was going to uncover a deep state conspiracy you were disappointed. reporter: [indiscernible] >> mr. durham states she did not lay out recommendations. he agreed he would discuss with us his lessons learned, his issues he thinks need to be addressed, in addition to take questions from us.

reporter: >> what elements were classified? do you think there needs to be classification? >> classification reform is a separate question and we are dealing with that in the committee. just as you can look at all the issues. reporter: where is the committee right now with pfizer at this point? what are you hearing about for accountability on that? >> i do not think anybody is

satisfied with the reforms the fbi has taken. it is certainly a great start. but i think our goal will probably go beyond that. >> i said this earlier, i think the committee and i think this is pretty close to unanimous is because we appreciate the essential quality of pfizer 702 from keeping us safe, must be reauthorized. i think it is unanimous and must be reauthorized with reforms. at the core of those reforms really is [indiscernible] as the chairman said, there are been a lot of reforms already made. the minimalist position would be let's just do that.

where we fall at the end of the day i think it is still to be determined. reporter: do you worry about tomorrow's public hearing? >> i am glad that we went first because i think having mr. durham in this environment allowed him to be forthcoming. certainly tomorrow has a different purpose, but i do think he was very comfortable with the commitment that our members had on a bipartisan basis. >> the world is different when the cameras are running. behind closed doors, on both sides there was an attempt to get at the truth. rather than what i fear you will

see tomorrow. i think that was useful for this committee. reporter: [indiscernible] >> we are not going to comment on that. this is about the durham investigation. reporter: what does this make you think about other reforms with the fbi? >> it was very clear that mr. durham believes there was misconduct. he lays out what those misconducts are. some of it is individualized. there were bad people doing bad things. but some of it was systemic. we need changes so that there is higher reviews. he did share those with us and i

think that gives us an opportunity. reporter: [indiscernible] did you get a sense of whether you think there is politicalization? >> let us be very clear to the specifics. the ig did not find politicalization and special counsel mr. durham did not find it either. he found confirmation bias, which is bad, but we are going to keep moving. that is different from saying it was politicized. the larger point i would make is that i grew up in a generation where you revered the fbi. it has been interesting in this job because i have found that culturally the fbi has a lotta

work to do. i would contrast them with the other agencies that we deal with . whether you are looking at some of the findings of the durham report or the recently declassified opinions or going back to the director of the fbi in october announcing publicly an investigation of one of the two candidates, there are all kinds of things where we need to redouble our efforts. at least making sure the fbi acts in such a manner that americans cannot say they are political. >> the issue here is not just politicalization. these were presidential political campaigns. that is why it has a higher degree of standard and concern because it can affect outcomes.

that is why her cup -- our conversations were so important today. thank you. >> wednesd, john durham testifies on his investigation unelected links bween the trump campaign and russian operatives. you can watch the hearing live at 9:00 a.m. eastern scice he spent three, c-span now or online at c-span.org. >> c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television companies and more, including cox.

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exploring the american story. watch american history tv saturdays on c-span2. or watch online anytime at c-span work -- c-span.org. >> c-span shop.org is c-span's online store. browse through our latest collection of c-span products, apparel, books, home decor and accessories. there is something for every c-span fan. every purchase supports our nonprofit operations. shop at c-span knoll -- c-span shop.org. >> president biden spoke on the benefits and risks of artificial intelligence during a visit to san francisco. the president also weighed in on the federal charges brought against his son, hunter biden.

pres. biden: in may, we convened the ceos of american companies involved in a at development two underscore the responsibility in making sure the products are used responsibly before making them public. i want to hear direct from the experts on this issue. at the intersection of technology and society who can

provide a range of perspectives for us. on the eyes enormous promise and its risks. -- on ai's enormous promise and its risks. ai is already driving the change in every part of american life, often in ways we do not notice. it is making it easier to search the internet. it is going to change the weight -- the way we teach and learn and help solve challenges like disease and climate change. given us time to focus on the things that matter most. in seizing this moment we need to manage the risks to our society. to our economy and national security. we are committed to safeguarding

america's rights and safety, from protecting privacy to making sure ai systems are safe before they are released. last october we propose an ai bill of rights to ensure important protections were dealt into the ai system. i signed an executive order to direct my cabinet and the use of ai. in may, we announced a strategy for responsible ai development so americans can lead the we -- way. from cybersecurity, public health, agriculture, education and so much more. social media has already shown us the harm that powerful technology can do without the right safeguards in place. that is why i said at the state of the union that congress needs to pass