[Pages H1843-H1849]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRUMP'S FIRST 100 DAYS

  (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Ms. 
Kamlager-Dove of California was recognized for 60 minutes as the 
designee of the minority leader.)


                             General Leave

  Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include any extraneous material on the subject of this 
Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise 
today to coanchor this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour, 
along with the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Brown), my distinguished 
colleague.
  For the next 60 minutes, members of the CBC have an opportunity to 
speak directly to the American people on the harmful policies of Donald 
Trump's first 100 days in his second term, an issue of great importance 
to the Congressional Black Caucus, to the Congress in general, to 
constituents that we represent across this country, and really to any 
living, breathing person on this planet.
  The first 100 days of this administration have been about policies 
that are delusional, diabolical, destructive, and dangerous. These have 
been doozy policies and politics that are doing nothing but hurting 
America, and especially Black Americans.
  We are also going to be talking about so many of these policies that 
seem uniquely targeted to focus on the place and the progress of Black 
Americans. Make no mistake, if you are trying to hurt Black Americans, 
you are inadvertently also going to hurt all other Americans because so 
many folks are dependent on Section 8 vouchers, on Social Security, on 
Medicaid, on Medicare, on an economy that is working, on not being 
tariffed up the wazoo so that we can be able to purchase goods and 
services that we need to keep this economy growing.
  The American people need a moment of peace and structure coming from 
this administration, not the chaos and the ringing of alarms every 
single moment.
  This is not hyperbole, even though it might sound like it. This is 
not partisan spin. We have seen this when we have gone into our 
districts, when we have hosted townhalls, when we have talked to the 
American people. Everyone is saying the same thing. How can we protect 
our Constitution, protect our economy, protect our way of life, our 
freedoms, our liberties; not deport us? What is this administration 
doing to help us rather than to hurt and harm and divide us?
  The power of this country is in the people. For the next 60 minutes, 
the Congressional Black Caucus is going to be speaking to the people in 
crystal clear ways, using crystal clear words about how we are on the 
brink, if not through the door, of a constitutional crisis, of an 
economic, of a political, of a moral crisis, and a crisis of the very 
identity of this country.
  It is often said that when America has a cold, Black America has 
pneumonia. Let me tell you something. We are all up in urgent care and 
in the community clinics and in the hospitals because we are all sick 
right now.
  We cannot afford another 100 days of the 100 days that we have just 
seen.
  I have so much more that I want and that I will say, but I yield to 
the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Brown) to share some words before we 
allow members of the Congressional Black Caucus to also speak to the 
American people.
  Ms. BROWN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California, (Ms. 
Kamlager-Dove), my dear friend and colleague for leading our CBC 
Special Order hour this evening.

  Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate Ms. Kamlager-Dove's voice in 
Congress, from the way she fights for her constituents in Los Angeles, 
to her work on the Judiciary Committee. She is such a strong advocate.
  On the Oversight Committee, we are doing similar work, trying to 
provide the American people with some amount of transparency and 
accountability because we have a President who doesn't think that the 
rules apply to him.
  Here we are tonight to talk about Trump's first 100 days.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage people watching--shout out to my mom and 
dad. I know we have at least two viewers tonight. For the others, I 
encourage them to check out Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove's social media 
series titled ``Is This Stuff Legal?''
  She is doing a great job breaking down how this has been a lawless 
White House from day one, and the truth is time and time again what 
this administration has been doing has not been legal.
  In fact, in Trump's first 100 days, more than 220 lawsuits were filed 
directly challenging his agenda. Federal judges have issued over 130 
court orders blocking or pausing those actions. If we do the math, 
Trump is being sued more than twice a day, and he is losing in court 
more than once a day.

[[Page H1844]]

  They have tried to fire Federal workers without cause, detain and 
deport people without due process, freeze and deny congressionally 
appropriated funds, and seize sensitive taxpayer information through 
the Treasury and Social Security.
  This is why Trump's White House is now ignoring Federal courts and 
openly ignoring the Constitution. He doesn't have a mandate. He doesn't 
have the votes in Congress, and he doesn't have a legal agenda, so he 
wants to ignore the law.
  We should not be surprised by this. Trump said he was going to be a 
dictator on day one. He told us this is what he was going to do. I 
personally don't know of any dictators who stop being a dictator on 
their own.
  We have got to fight back, and we have got to fight back in Congress, 
in the courts, and in the community.
  My constituents in Cleveland and people across the country are 
counting on us to stand up, fight back, and use every tool we have to 
oppose this agenda because this has been 100 days of chaos, cruelty, 
and cuts.
  The Trump administration has broken the economy, broken the law, and 
broken our alliances.
  In just 100 days, this White House has shrunk the economy, raised 
prices, and put us on track for a recession.
  Now, President Biden handed him the strongest economy in the world, 
and Trump is running it into the ground, which really isn't surprising 
because this is a man who could not make money running a casino; not to 
mention the fact that he filed bankruptcy six times.

                              {time}  1930

  The disastrous policies of this White House are hurting the entire 
country, absent a few of his billionaire buddies, of course, but it is 
the people that many of us represent that are the most at risk.
  This is a White House that constantly diminishes and dismisses Black 
achievement; a White House that blames anything and everything on 
diversity, equity, and inclusion; a White House that is trying to 
defund our public safety programs and our police; a White House that is 
trying to defund our schools, and a White House that has rolled back 
Federal antidiscrimination policies that have been on the books since 
1965--that is right--since 1965.
  In his first week, President Trump revoked the ``Equal Employment 
Opportunity'' executive order that prohibited racial discrimination for 
Federal contractors.
  Let's be clear: They aren't hiding this agenda to make discrimination 
legal again.
  That is why I filed legislation to restore those policies, and I am 
proud to have had over 60 cosponsors in the House, including many of my 
colleagues here this evening.
  Mr. Speaker, it has been a disastrous 100 days, but I feel the worst 
is yet to come.
  This week, the Republican-led committees are working on Trump's 
Republican rip-off, a plan to take from our constituents so that they 
can give to the ultrawealthy and the very well-connected. We are 
talking about healthcare and taking away Medicaid coverage. We are 
talking about nutrition and taking away SNAP benefits from families and 
so much more, because the budget they voted for called for $880 billion 
in cuts to Medicaid and $230 billion in cuts to SNAP.
  Here is the reality: 21 percent of my district is living below the 
poverty line and 30 percent of children are in poverty. I represent 
280,000 people on Medicaid, 160,000 people on SNAP. These aren't just 
numbers; these are real people. Sadly, this White House isn't listening 
to them, so it is up to us to amplify their voices tonight, today, and 
every day.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove, for 
leading this Special Order hour.
  Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Brown from Ohio 
for her remarks.
  As you can see, Congresswoman Brown was breaking it down, she was 
keeping it real, and she was bringing the receipts. That is what the 
Congressional Black Caucus does each and every day. We break it down 
for the American people, we keep it real for the American people, and 
we bring the receipts for the American people. The problem is there are 
so many receipts to share right now in just 100 days, we don't have 
enough tote bags for all the receipts.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia, Congresswoman 
Lucy McBath, to share remarks.
  Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, I thank so much my esteemed colleagues, 
Representative Kamlager-Dove and Representative Brown, for their 
leadership in tonight's CBC Special Order hour. It is the most 
opportune time for us to be able to talk directly to the American 
people about the truth of this White House and its administration.
  Mr. Speaker, last week marked the first 100 days of the second Trump 
administration, and on behalf of my constituents in Georgia and an 
ever-growing number of American people, I am here tonight to continue 
speaking out against the chaos, the division, and the indefensible 
hatred that is being sown by this President and this administration.
  Just over 100 days in and the American people are exceedingly worried 
and exhausted. They are exhausted by the uncertainty that has defined 
this Presidency. They are fatigued by the endless cascade of bad news 
from every corner of our Federal Government. They are bone weary by the 
fear of the impact these reckless actions continue to have on our 
working families.
  For Black Americans, in particular, the Trump administration has made 
direct attacks on our communities and emboldened extreme hatred and 
bigotry. The symbolism of using the Presidency to eliminate 
foundational programs cannot be understated. He has used the most 
powerful office to dismantle foundational policies and scapegoat the 
American citizens.
  These attacks have material consequences: The uncertainty surrounding 
the future of longstanding Federal programs harms the most vulnerable 
populations that we serve.
  Just last week, I toured a Head Start site in my home State of 
Georgia and heard directly from parents and educators about the vital 
role these childcare programs play in supporting the economic success 
of families with young children. Head Start affords working families 
the peace of mind that their children will be cared for and educated 
during the workday.
  Recent White House budget documents show that the administration has 
backed down, for now, in some of their attacks on Head Start and the 
resources that are helping our families, but we can't stop our advocacy 
until these programs are absolutely protected.
  The continued actions of the so-called Department of Government 
Efficiency, DOGE, to dismantle the Federal workforce also have a 
devastatingly outsized impact on Black Americans. Federal Government 
work has long been a path to upward mobility for those seeking a career 
in public service and the elimination of tens of thousands of positions 
across our Federal workforce will continue to hurt families in our 
communities.
  I grew up in the heart of the civil rights movement. As a child, I 
saw my father and my mother take a stand against those who legislated 
against our freedoms and our rights as Americans. Mr. Speaker, 60 years 
later, those same forces are animating the actions of this 
administration. We cannot afford to go back in time. Though I know so 
many across the country are dealing with the feelings of exhaustion and 
hopelessness, we cannot grow complacent. We cannot succumb to the 
forces of fear, hatred, and bigotry.
  The work the Congressional Black Caucus and House Democrats are 
taking up just reinforces our resistance to the division that we are 
living and seeing at this very moment. Together, we are using every 
legislative tool at our disposal to fight back against these reckless 
actions.

  Mr. Speaker, I, once again, want America to know that the Democrats 
and the Congressional Black Caucus and all of the other tri-caucuses 
are fighting every single day for you. We are using our voices to speak 
up and sound the alarm on the harm this administration is causing 
communities all across this country and we are doing so with 
unflappable energy and determination.
  As Democrats, we know that our light shines in the darkness and the 
darkness shall not overcome it. Just as I sang as a little girl during 
the civil

[[Page H1845]]

rights movement: ``Deep in my heart, I do believe that we shall 
overcome someday.''
  Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Honorable Lucy McBath 
from the great State of Georgia for her remarks, and I am grateful that 
she talked about DOGE because the reality is that DOGE has not found 
any substantive evidentiary fraud in all of their work these past 100 
days.
  If they had, they would be blasting it across every social media 
platform and every network. They probably would be making stamps and 
stamping your head with all of the fraud that they have found, but that 
is not the case.
  What they have been doing, however, is harassing and intimidating and 
disrespecting our workers, creating a hostile environment for our 
Federal workers, intimidating them to resign or to leave, mostly 
because of ideology, not because of the work they are doing.
  We have to continue to tell the truth, which is that government is 
people. Government works because of people. When you have a healthcare 
claim, when you are trying to get your insurance, when you are trying 
to apply for FEMA, when you are trying to get your Social Security 
payment, when you are trying to get access to your Medicaid or your 
Medicare benefits, when you are trying to find a nursing home facility, 
when you are trying to get a passport, when you are trying to call in 
to the government to get the help that you deserve from the government 
that we have all pledged to provide for you, there ain't going to be 
nobody to answer the phone when you call because DOGE and this 
administration are actually working overtime to make sure that you 
don't have access to government.
  The policies of this administration are working overtime to try to 
make sure that there will be no government and they are painting it all 
under the auspices of Black folks because somehow they think that Black 
America is responsible for so many of the ills that they are trying to 
cure.
  Once again, as Representative Brown shared, the diversity, the 
equity, and the inclusion, and when last I checked, this country was 
founded on all of those things. It has been made great because of all 
of those things.
  When we talk about DOGE, I know one thing for sure is that these 
folks working for DOGE are actually squatting in the departments where 
they have worked to terminate Federal workers, and they are bringing in 
washers and dryers and mattresses and all their kids, living rent-free 
in departments that are actually designed and structured to answer the 
call and to take care of the needs that you have as a citizen, as a 
constituent, as an American. We have to talk about that. That is the 
fraud.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas, the Honorable 
Jasmine Crockett, and you know that she is going to bring receipts. I 
know she has a trunk full of them.
  Ms. CROCKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank so much my amazing colleague from 
the great State of California for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a simple but clear message. First of 
all, I just have to clear up a few things. Instead of the President 
cosplaying as the next Pope, he may want to try to cosplay as an actual 
President of these United States. That means that he may have to do a 
little bit of research and decide that he wants to understand that he 
swore an oath, and this oath was to protect and defend the 
Constitution. That is the oath that he was supposedly taking on January 
20.
  We may want as well that the President look into what the Declaration 
of Independence was about. We may want him to understand that there was 
a foundational document as relates to self-determination of those who 
had recently gained their independence from Great Britain.
  I hoped that he would maybe spend a few of these days in his first 
100 days doing that. It is sad to say it is his second term, and he 
doesn't understand that the Declaration of Independence is about this 
idea that we are entitled to the rights of life, liberty, and the 
pursuit of happiness, and that is for all of us that are here.
  Let's go through some of the things that he did manage to do and some 
of the havoc that he has managed to wreak.
  In the first 100 days of the Trump administration, we have had to, 
unfortunately, endure a lot of pain. This administration clearly is not 
ready to lead. They are only here to tear down.

                              {time}  1945

  In just 100 days, we have witnessed an administration hell-bent on 
dismantling the very systems designed to protect the most vulnerable 
amongst us. For Black Americans, those of us who have always carried 
the weight of a broken system and bad policies, the danger is real, it 
is tangible, and it is urgent.
  Let me be clear: The last 100 days have not been an accident or a 
fluke. He has done exactly what he said he was going to do. He gave us 
the blueprint in Project 2025. Some tried to warn us of the dangers 
and, well, here we are.
  Let's talk about education. Within weeks of taking office, the 
Department of Education quietly rescinded guidance encouraging schools 
to teach honest, inclusive Black history. Instead, they are attempting 
to whitewash history and have begun promoting so-called patriotic 
education, a sanitized version of history that skips over slavery, Jim 
Crow, redlining, and systemic racism.
  He signed an executive order reinstating ``commonsense discipline 
practices in school,'' rolling back previous administrations' attempts 
to address racial disparities in school discipline practices. Make no 
mistake: These decisions have a direct impact on Black children, 
children who deserve a fair shot to learn in safe and supportive 
environments.
  Let's talk about housing. HUD announced plans to gut fair housing 
rules meant to fight discrimination. Those are the same ones that he 
violated back when he was a landlord so many years ago. Yeah, those 
same rules that were supposed to fight discrimination in lending and 
zoning. This means there will be even more roadblocks for Black 
families trying to buy a home and yet another generation locked out of 
building wealth.
  Let's talk about public safety. While they are cutting afterschool 
programs and community violence prevention, they are pouring millions 
of dollars into militarizing police departments. They are criminalizing 
our communities while stripping away the very resources that keep us 
safe.
  Finally, money talks, so let's talk money. This administration 
slashed funding of seven government agencies that provide Black 
communities with educational materials and economic opportunities, 
including the Minority Business Development Agency, the only Federal 
agency dedicated to uplifting minority businesses. This agency helped 
entrepreneurs all across the country, including in my own district, 
keep their doors open and their workers employed. Now, it is under 
attack.
  While all of this is happening, they are dismantling environmental 
protections in environmental justice, slashing funding for HBCUs, and 
rolling back civil rights enforcement across Federal agencies. Let me 
repeat what that means. To roll back civil rights enforcement across 
Federal agencies, this is the so-called DEI attacks that we continue to 
endure in this country. This is their way of trying to roll back the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964 that so many died and bled for.
  Mr. Speaker, this is not just about policy disagreement. This is 
about direct attacks on Black futures, Black prosperity, and Black 
freedom. This is about right versus wrong, point blank. But here is 
what they don't understand. We have seen this playbook, and every time 
they have attempted to silence us, erase us, and hold us down, we have 
resisted and we have pushed this country closer to the ideals it claims 
to hold.
  They are trying to bury us, but what they don't realize is that we 
are seeds and still we rise. I stand here a proud Black woman and a 
proud member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and I refuse to stand 
by while this administration tries to turn back the hands of time. We 
will resist. We will continue speaking truth to power, and we will keep 
organizing until everybody is free because, in the words of Fannie Lou 
Hamer, nobody is free until everybody is free.
  Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Honorable Jasmine 
Crockett for her remarks and for always keeping it real. I will 
reiterate

[[Page H1846]]

some of the things that she said, which is that this administration has 
been targeting Black Americans, possibly because they are so afraid of 
our shine. This administration and its policies have certainly been 
laser focused on trying to tear down Black women. You don't have to 
connect too many dots to understand why that is.
  I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ivey) to break it down 
for us and share some of his receipts.
  Mr. IVEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California, my 
colleague from Ohio, and the previous speakers. It is an honor to be 
here, not just as a Member of Congress, but to be here as a member of 
the Congressional Black Caucus, especially at a time like this.
  I rise today not just with concern, but with alarm. In his first 100 
days back in the White House, Donald Trump has unleashed a full-blown 
assault on America, on our institutions, on our workers, on the rule of 
law, and on democracy itself. This is not leadership. This is a broken 
promise.
  I will talk a little bit as we go forward about the promises that now 
President Trump made during the campaign, especially with respect to 
the economy. He said he was going to put money back in people's 
pockets, but as we have seen dramatically in the first 100 days, it has 
been quite the opposite.
  I had one friend tell me that his 401(k) had turned into a 101(K) 
after Trump put his destructive tariffs in place. It has been damaging 
not just for people who own stocks, not just for people who are small 
business owners, but for every American across the country. 
Unfortunately, it looks like it is going to get worse in short order.
  I will start first with government workers. The President promised to 
tackle government waste, but it has been anything but that, as we have 
seen his administration systematically targeted the Federal workforce, 
gutting critical agencies, sidelining career professionals, and pushing 
out civil servants not for failing to do their jobs, but for doing them 
too well.
  I will talk about the waste piece for just a moment here, too. I know 
they said he is out here trying to cut waste, fraud, and abuse, but we 
know that is not right because one of the first things he did was fire 
the investigators who were in charge of ferreting out waste, fraud, and 
abuse. They are called inspectors general. He fired 18 of them all at 
once almost on his first day in office, so you know he is not trying to 
cut back on waste, fraud, and abuse.

  What he is trying to do actually is eliminate nonpolitical Federal 
workers, people who have gotten their positions based on merit, people 
who are distinguished in their careers, have outstanding experience, 
great credentials, but he is trying to force them out so he can replace 
them with people who are politically loyal to him.
  I just want to chat a little bit about the firing of these people 
because I know a lot of folks across the country are not in love with 
government workers. They think maybe it is a good thing to get rid of 
government workers, but I am asking people to keep in mind the dire 
consequences of these terminations.
  For example, he terminated people who were running clinical trials at 
NIH, clinical trials on things like Alzheimer's, cancer, and measles. 
Take the measles one, for example. I ran into a woman at a church I was 
attending a few weeks ago. She had a Ph.D., and she was working on a 
clinical trial in measles. The idea was to figure out how to address 
the measles outbreak that has just been happening.
  On that front, think about this: Basically, measles had been 
eradicated in the United States. At this point, though, last I heard a 
few days ago, we have 2,000 people in the United States who are now 
suffering from measles, and we have actually had two people die--one of 
them a child--from measles, something that has been eradicated, and we 
have been addressing for decades now, but it is catching its steam 
again and starting to kill more people.
  The Alzheimer's piece is especially of concern to me. My father died 
from Alzheimer's, and watching that happen is like ripping your heart 
out. They had clinical trials going on Alzheimer's which were shut down 
based on the terminations of the Trump administration.
  The thing about clinical trials that you need to remember is it is 
not like a light switch. You don't just switch it right back on again. 
When you shut down a clinical trial, some of which have been running 
for years and have cost thousands, potentially even millions of 
dollars, you can't just start it right back up again. You have to start 
over with those. The decision he made to shut down these clinical 
trials will push back the ability to have cures for some of the most 
debilitating and dangerous diseases facing humanity today.
  Cuts to hospitals is another one. Now, closures of rural and urban 
hospitals in many instances are going to be a result of the Medicaid 
cuts that they are talking about making right now, and that is not just 
President Trump, that is some of my House Republican colleagues here, 
too.
  Make no mistake: That is going to lead to hospitals closing in the 
places where they are needed most. I just read an op-ed over the 
weekend about a doctor who was working in a rural area, and his 
hospital was dead center between hospitals that are 200 miles apart, so 
if his hospital has to shut down, you would have to drive 100 miles 
each way to get to another hospital. He talked about the emergency 
surgery that they had performed once when there was an accident near 
where his hospital was located. If they hadn't had the hospital there 
and been able to provide the emergency treatment that they provided, 
those people would have died. He is talking about closing these 
hospitals down.
  Make sure you understand, too, for many areas, this is the only 
access to medical care that those communities have. Not only that, 
those hospitals are economic engines for those communities because for 
many of them, those are the jobs in those communities that the people 
turn to and need the most.
  Schools. Terminating title I funding or cutting it back to the extent 
they have talked about I have been told could lead to the shutdown of a 
number of schools, not just in urban areas, but in rural areas, as well 
because the title I funding goes to teachers who are teaching at low-
income schools, based on the formulas that they use to make those 
determinations.
  You are going to have teachers being lost, teachers who were 
terminated in the schools and districts where they are the most needed. 
In many of these areas, those are the schools that are still trying to 
catch up from the losses that were caused during the COVID outbreak. We 
shouldn't be shutting these down. We should be expanding the resources 
that they have, but those title I schools are at risk.
  Firing veterans. When they fire these government workers, one thing 
they don't seem to remember is that 30 percent of all government 
workers across the country are veterans. Keep in mind, too, these 
aren't just people in the D.C. metropolitan area. Eighty percent of 
government workers live outside of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan 
area. There are jurisdictions and States and communities across the 
country, providing services that those communities need. They won't 
miss the water until the well runs dry.

  Mr. Speaker, I will stop with this one, just on the government cuts 
piece. There have been cuts for victims of crime. There are VOCA cuts 
and VAWA cuts. VOCA stands for Victims of Crime Act, VAWA stands for 
Violence Against Women Act. These are the type of funds, grants that 
have been making a difference in law enforcement across the country and 
in fights against things like domestic violence and sexual abuse, and 
he is making the cuts there, too.
  It is not just there. I will chat a little bit about the rule of law 
issue here, too. The President promised to uphold the law, as he must 
do. All of us take an oath when we are sworn in--the President, all of 
us in Congress, I even took one when I was elevated to become a Federal 
prosecutor. He is not following that oath, though.
  As a matter of fact, we have seen this administration illegally deny 
due process rights despite a Supreme Court order to return my 
constituent, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, back to the United States.
  Just a moment on that. Kilmar was deported from the United States 
even though a judge had given an order saying that he could not be sent 
to El Salvador until another determination was

[[Page H1847]]

made. Not only did they send him to El Salvador in violation of that 
order, they sent him to one of the worst jails in the world, which 
houses MS-13, which is the exact group that that judge said he was 
supposed to be kept away from. That is where they sent him.
  The Supreme Court said: You need to facilitate his return. The Trump 
administration has made no efforts whatsoever to do that. As a matter 
of fact, President Trump was sitting in the Oval Office with President 
Bukele, the President of El Salvador, and they were joking about it.
  Last week, when President Trump did an interview, he said, yeah, he 
could just pick up the phone and have him brought back, but he is not 
going to do it, despite the Supreme Court order. There have been other 
orders, too, that they are ignoring and not following.
  This isn't just a problem for Mr. Garcia. Think about that 4-year-old 
child who was deported last week, the one with stage IV cancer who was 
sent out of the United States with no medicine, no chance to talk to 
his doctor. Is that what America has become? Apparently that is what 
Donald Trump thinks the people want.
  I have to tell you, that is absolutely the wrong path for this Nation 
to be taking. I know we want to deal with the immigration issue, but we 
can't do it at the expense of children, and we can't do it at the 
expense of violating basic due process rights.

                              {time}  2000

  Guess what, Mr. Speaker? The judges who have told him that are not 
just the Supreme Court but sometimes conservative Republican judges 
like Judge Wilkinson in the Fourth Circuit based in Richmond. He is one 
of the most conservative judges in the country and a Reagan appointee. 
He chastised the Trump administration for violating basic due process. 
Basically, he said it could not be more obvious than this, that a 
person should have a chance to have his day in court before something 
as drastic as deportation happens to him.
  Not only did Trump ignore that but he talked about deporting American 
citizens when he was sitting there with the President of El Salvador. I 
raised concerns about that. I had Republican friends who got on me 
about it. Guess what? The House Committee on the Judiciary and the 
Committee on Homeland Security had votes. The Democrats proposed 
amendments that said let's make it illegal, let's make a ban on 
deporting American citizens. Every Republican on both committees voted 
against that ban. That is where we are right now.
  Let me talk a little bit about tariffs. The President promised to 
make our lives more affordable. He said America was too expensive. Yet, 
his tariffs have sent the Nation into a tailspin. Mr. Speaker, I guess 
you could say there are times when tariffs might make sense, but he did 
it the exact worst way possible that it could be done. He did tariffs 
on all countries and on all products at the exact same time.
  There is no way that can work, and there is no reason to do it 
because sometimes tariffs are placed on things that we don't even make 
in the United States. We don't grow bananas. We don't grow coffee. We 
don't grow chocolate. Why is he imposing tariffs on those items?
  Then, the tariffs he imposed on some of our best allies, like Canada, 
disrupted the automobile market. They are still struggling to try to 
get their way. He backed off of the giant tariffs that he put in, but 
he left 10 percent tariffs in place.
  We are still in the middle of one of the worst trade wars we have 
ever seen in human history based on--what is it?--140 percent now with 
China. At some point, it is going to be zillions, I suppose, with those 
sorts of tariffs.
  The bottom line is it is going to take the country into a recession, 
and we know it.
  I hope that we get a sense of how to pull this back together. I saw 
the President making comments, and he doubled down on them the other 
day. This is the one about maybe kids will have to get just two dolls 
instead of 30 dolls or something. Maybe it will cost a little bit more. 
I guess that was his best ``bah, humbug'' imitation to sort of make 
light of the fact that these tariffs that he has put in place are going 
to make things more expensive for the American people.
  That is in contrast and the exact opposite of what he promised to do 
when he ran for office and was elected. That is not right.
  President Trump, Elon Musk, and their billionaire buddies have pushed 
a budget that is nothing short of a war on working families. While 
Trump and House Republicans push for new handouts for the wealthy, we 
have massive cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and SNAP. The 
same man who claims to champion the forgotten American is cutting 
healthcare for the disabled, for children, and for seniors.
  This is an administration that rules not with hope but with fear, and 
it is using the machinery of government not to serve the people but to 
punish the President's perceived enemies, including those who brought 
January 6 rioters to justice. I will take just a moment on that.
  He actually forced out the Department of Justice prosecutors who did 
nothing but handle cases that they were supposed to handle. I guess he 
is going to say that they were mishandled in some way. Guess what? The 
prosecution of the January 6 rioters resulted in more than 1,000 
convictions. My recollection is there might have been two or three 
acquittals during that period, but everything else was a conviction.
  Let's say even more people have been acquitted. That doesn't mean 
these prosecutors did anything wrong. It certainly doesn't mean that 
they should be forced out of their positions.
  It is the same thing with the FBI agents. They sent over a list of 
5,000 FBI agents to the Department of Justice. Guess what the common 
denominator was? They had all worked on January 6 investigations. 
Instead of our FBI agents focusing on terrorism or organized crime, 
they have to look over their shoulders because they know the President 
is coming after them.
  He has the Department of Justice weaponized not to go after the 
criminals but to go after career FBI agents who have done nothing but 
serve the public and fight crime for the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. As we move past 100 days, I will never 
stop fighting for those I represent against the abuses of this 
administration. We are not just battling over budgets. We are battling 
over the future of the country we wish to have--not a government for 
the wealthy and well-connected but a government that works for all 
people.
  This is not business as usual. House Democrats are standing up and 
fighting back.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleagues for tonight and for pulling this 
together and doing such an outstanding job in moving this forward. I am 
thankful for the people out there, the people in communities across the 
country who have come to rallies. Some are Democrats; some aren't. Some 
are Republicans; some aren't. They are coming out to express their 
concerns about the direction this Nation is taking.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank them for doing that and for making sure they 
remember that they have the ultimate power. They are the ones who 
determine what happens with this democracy, and now is the time for 
them to stand up and for us to stand with them.
  Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Honorable Glenn Ivey for 
his very sobering remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Taylor). The gentlewoman from California 
has 16 minutes remaining.
  Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I again want to add my thanks to 
Representative Glenn Ivey for talking about healthcare and the fact 
that this administration has been cutting grants to the National 
Institutes of Health and cutting clinical trials.
  Over the weekend, I was at an event. We had doctors and advocates who 
talked about cancer, about breast cancer. This country is actually on 
the precipice of discovering a vaccination for breast cancer, a cure 
for breast cancer. We have amazing scientists in this country who have 
been researching this, and they are at the point of clinical trials.
  Mr. Speaker, I don't know if you know anyone in your family who is a

[[Page H1848]]

survivor of breast cancer or any other kind of cancer. Oftentimes, when 
you go in and the surgeon puts you under to take it out, they don't 
know if they have gotten all of it out. They hope that they have, but 
for some odd reason, we have not advanced the technology to get all of 
it out. We are now on the precipice of being able to do so.
  Mr. Speaker, do you know what this administration did? Instead of 
accelerating those clinical trials, instead of offering funding for 
that research to continue, instead of wanting to be a champion of the 
cure for cancer, this administration cut that research, cut that 
funding, and cut those clinical trials. They cut funding to educational 
institutions, to colleges, and to universities that are doing that kind 
of research. They essentially cut off our future scientists, 
innovators, and problem-solvers.
  Our kids, who are investing their time, their money, our money, and 
their sweat to go to school and get an education and learn enough to 
help this country move forward and progress, are getting the short end 
of the stick. They are actually being beaten on the head with a stick 
that is held by this administration.
  Representative Ivey talked about what is happening with the 
judiciary. In fact, this President actually said he didn't know if he 
even had to uphold the Constitution. Then, this administration is going 
to sue Justice Roberts. We have moved from three branches of government 
to one branch of government.
  Republicans are silent tonight, just like they have been silent at 
all the markups and all the hearings we have had this month. They are 
silent, afraid, and unwilling to stand up for their constituents.
  Mr. Speaker, they are only willing to defend this administration. 
They are going to be tasked hard when they continue to have to go into 
their districts and sell the fertilizer that they have to feed their 
constituents, voters, Americans, the fertilizer coming out of this 
administration designed to harm everyone that hasn't bent the knee.
  Mr. Speaker, with that, I yield to the gentleman from the great State 
of Rhode Island (Mr. Amo).
  Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, as many of my colleagues in the Congressional 
Black Caucus have laid out, Donald Trump has failed the American 
people. That is why I am grateful to my colleagues, Representatives 
Kamlager-Dove and Brown, for leading this Special Order hour.
  Let's focus on these failures. In countless ways, Donald Trump has 
failed the American people. He has failed to bring down prices for 
families. He has failed to keep Americans safe. He has failed to heal 
or even attempt or pretend to address the deep divides that plague this 
country. In fact, he is making them worse.
  Worse still, he has refused any kind of accountability for the 
countless mistakes that he, Elon, and the crew have made over the past 
100 days. When the stock market is up, that is because of him. When the 
stock market tanks, that is Joe Biden's fault. If it doesn't get 
better, that is Joe Biden's fault, too.
  Mr. Speaker, no parent would accept this behavior from their child, 
so why do we accept it from the President? No company would accept this 
temperament from an employee, so why do we see this behavior normalized 
by Republicans when we see this bad behavior in our Commander in Chief?
  Mr. Speaker, surely, we can still tell the difference between right 
and wrong. Certainly, we can do that right here in this Chamber. 
Surely, when we see cancer research funding eliminated, when 2-year-old 
citizens are deported, when the budget resolution calls for the largest 
proposed cut to Medicaid ever, surely, we can say these things are 
wrong, no?
  The American people are calling for leadership. They are calling for 
solutions to help them afford basic necessities. They want to be able 
to tell their loved ones it is going to be okay, but they are not 
getting that right now, especially in the Black community.
  Instead, they are getting political theater about renaming the Gulf 
of Mexico and military parades. They are getting authoritarian threats 
about ignoring the Constitution and running for a third term.
  It is unserious. It is unbecoming. It is wrong. Let's call it what it 
is. It is dangerous.
  Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, history will judge how all of us 
respond to this moment. I think I know what side I want to be on. I 
want to be on the side of the Congressional Black Caucus, the side of 
the conscience of the Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, Donald Trump has been a failure. Where he fails, we are 
here. We will fight. We will fight for fairness, justice, and the 
promise that has been denied far too many Americans for far too long.
  May we continue down this righteous road today to fight and to march 
on for all the battles that lie ahead.

                              {time}  2015

  Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Rhode 
Island for his remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman has 8 minutes remaining.
  Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I am so grateful to be a member of 
the Congressional Black Caucus, and I want to just share some of my own 
stories coming from my district and also my experience.
  I was in that Judiciary Committee where we had the hearing on 
immigration, and I was in that Committee when Republicans voted to 
deport and detain Americans, where they voted to allow for cavity 
searches on children, where they voted to allow ICE to go into domestic 
violence shelters, where they voted to allow January 6ers--those who 
wreaked havoc on this Capitol, assaulted Capitol Police, and terrorized 
everyone in this building--where they voted to allow them to work for 
the Federal Government, including the Department of Homeland Security.
  I ask: How can you deport an American? Where are you going to deport 
an American to?
  I don't understand.
  I have yet to see anything from the Republicans or even from this 
administration, can we get a poster, can we get a picture of what a 
safe American looks like, what a nondeportable American looks like?
  That is because I want to know. I want to be able to share that 
picture and that photo with my constituents to say: So if you look like 
this, if you are maybe this shape, if you have this degree of melanin, 
if this is the color of your hair, or this is the color of your eyes, 
or this is what you say, or if this is what kind of accent you have or 
not, then you might be safe.
  I think the American people need to know which one of them will be 
deported next. I think the American people deserve to know which of 
their Representatives is going to stand up for them. That is because I 
know when the question was asked: Will you stand up for Americans and 
prevent them from being deported? Raise your hand. Only Democrats 
raised their hand.
  I also have to ask when our loved ones and when our friends and 
family members go overseas and they get snatched, are Republicans going 
to pick up the phone and ask to have their constituents brought back?
  Are they going to fight for them?
  That is because in that Committee, they said that they were not going 
to. They have said that they are not going to fight for their 
healthcare, for Medicaid, for Medicare, and for Social Security.
  I represent Los Angeles. People think it is flossy and glossy, I like 
to say. However, I have the third highest Medicaid enrollee district in 
the country. Mr. Speaker, 7 of the 10 highest Medicaid enrollee 
districts in this country are in California, and some of them are 
Republican districts.
  I think we all want to know, Black Americans, White Americans, Asian 
Americans, and Latino Americans, all Americans want to know: Are you 
going to cut their Medicaid? Are you going to cut their Social 
Security?
  Mr. Speaker, 140,000 children under the age of 19 and 40,000 seniors 
over the age of 65 in my district are at risk because of the policies 
coming from this administration. Nearly 8 million Americans get 
healthcare through Medicaid and through CHIP, which is on the chopping 
block.
  This President wants to cut $5.6 billion from the Department of 
Education. The House Republicans' budget

[[Page H1849]]

includes $330 billion in cuts. Pell grants, school lunches, Head Start, 
and everything are on the chopping block.
  In my district, we have L.A. Unified School District. For many of the 
kids who go to school, their only meal is when they go to school.
  I am trying to figure out when folks say that they are Christian, 
what kind of Bible are they using? That is because the Bible that I 
have, Mr. Speaker, doesn't say that you starve children, that you cut 
off their healthcare, and that you cut off the healthcare for their 
grandparents.
  Mr. Speaker, if your Bible says that, then I submit that maybe you 
change your Bible. That is because that is unchristianlike to kill 
seniors and children.
  Let's talk about rolling back bedrock civil rights-era policies that 
are designed to actually allow everyone the opportunity to compete and 
participate in this marketplace. It is not about giving handouts. It is 
about creating opportunity. It is about creating access to competition.
  Mr. Speaker, why would you be afraid of that unless you are mediocre, 
less than average, and need extra help because you can't compete?
  Well, don't come for Black America. Fix yourself.
  Let's talk about the workers who are the backbone of our economy, the 
workers who run this government. I am always surprised when folks are 
talking about unelected bureaucrats. Elon Musk is an unelected 
bureaucrat. Keep it real. All the staff who help us do our jobs and 
help our constituents are unelected bureaucrats, and the majority are 
actually Republicans. The administration wants to cut the salaries that 
allow folks to answer the phones for our constituents.
  California has the second highest number of Federal workers.
  Why are the Republicans going to cut that?
  Mr. Speaker, might I remind you that we have the Olympics coming, we 
have the FIFA World Cup coming, we have the All-Star Game, and Super 
Bowl coming, and we are still producing movies and TV. We are helping 
people with their passports and their visas. If Republicans want all 
these games to be successful, then they have to resource the 
departments that process the visas and applications that allow people 
to come here. So let's keep it real.
  Mr. Speaker, if you want to talk about housing, this administration 
is proposing to terminate section 8, cutting rental aid and evicting 
32,000 families from their homes. This President even refused to come 
to Altadena after the urban fires. That is how little this 
administration thinks about Black communities.

  This administration is not interested in Black America, even though 
this administration wanted to thank Black America.
  What kind of thanks is that when they cut funding to HBCUs, when they 
cut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, and when they cut Meals on 
Wheels and SNAP?
  We are going to make America hungry again. We are going to make 
America sick again. I have a binder full of actions from this 
administration that have come out of this administration in just the 
last 100 days. They are terrifying. Not only are they terrifying for 
Black America, but they are terrifying for all America.
  Mr. Speaker, I am going to happily close out this CBC Special Order 
hour and remind America that we will be back again next week with more 
information, more receipts, and more truth.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my co-lead, Congresswoman Shontel Brown from the 
great State of Ohio, and all the members of the Congressional Black 
Caucus who spoke tonight, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.

                          ____________________