Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Page H2428]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ELEVATING VOICES OF BLACK LEADERS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
California (Mr. Ruiz) for 5 minutes.
Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna
Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks by police officers have highlighted the
anguish and injustices that Black communities have experienced for
generations; have shook our Nation to its core; and made evident,
starkly, the racial injustice in our Nation.
As we watch the unrest, as we hear the pain, it is imperative we ask
ourselves: What are we doing about it?
It is more important than ever that we have the difficult but
necessary conversations to address racially targeted excessive use of
force and racial profiling by police who do not follow their own
professional code of conduct. There must be dialogue. There must be a
humble willingness to listen, reflect, and come together to make
change.
In the last few weeks, that is exactly what we have done in my
district, in California's 36th. Over the past few weeks, I held
listening sessions and roundtables to elevate the voices and
experiences of leaders in the Black community. They shared their
stories, perspectives, and recommendations for change.
I also convened an important dialogue between African-American
leaders and our local police chiefs. Our local police chiefs have come
to the table with open ears and a willingness to be part of that change
that we seek.
These conversations were impactful and productive. We outlined next
steps, steps like banning choke holds, expanding the use of body
cameras, increasing transparency and accountability, increasing
community engagement, and annual mental health wellness checks for
police officers.
I am encouraged by the progress, and I look forward to the hard work
that will lead to real change in our community, change that will move
our community and Nation from internalizing despair to externalizing
hope and action for change.
Supporting ACA Enhancement
Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, as an emergency physician, I have seen the
faces of failed healthcare policies. I have looked into the eyes of the
suffering when they couldn't afford care. I have cried with families
who have lost a loved one, knowing it could have been prevented with
routine care if only they had health insurance.
Even now, I have gone into hard-to-reach and high-risk communities
and personally conducted COVID-19 testing, watching the health
inequities and disparities play out in real time, seeing
disproportionately higher rates of transmission and deaths in low-
income, uninsured, Latino, farmworker, and the homeless communities.
As a physician and humanitarian, I find it unconscionable, repulsive,
that during a global pandemic, while millions are infected by COVID-19
and millions more are unemployed and struggling economically, that the
Trump administration is actively working to repeal the Affordable Care
Act through the Supreme Court.
Repealing the ACA would be a disaster, leading to millions of
families facing financial hardships and many, many more deaths from
COVID-19.
Repealing the ACA would eliminate protections for people with
preexisting conditions, the very same conditions that render a person
more likely to die from COVID-19.
Repealing the ACA would take away health insurance from millions of
Americans who, for the first time, have health insurance because of the
Medicaid expansion.
It is precisely during this time that we must work to expand
healthcare access and make it affordable, which is what H.R. 1425, the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act, would do.
It is precisely now that we need to lower healthcare premiums for
middle-class families, encourage States to expand Medicaid, strengthen
protections for preexisting conditions, and lower the cost of
prescription drugs.
I support this bill for the people, and I will continue fighting for
the people to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for the
people.
____________________
