Issues of the Day
Floor Speech
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Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to coanchor this CBC Special Order hour along with the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick), my distinguished colleague.
For the next 60 minutes, members of the CBC have the opportunity to speak directly to the American people on the default on America act, Speaker McCarthy's draconian plan to default on our debt. The act proposes drastic cuts to vital government programs such as SNAP, Social Security, and housing programs, which serve as lifelines for our communities.
There is a group within the Republican Party that are holding these programs hostage in exchange for paying the debt we have already incurred. However, the CBC is here tonight to declare that this approach is a nonstarter, and we will not negotiate over paying the Nation's bills that we have incurred. We advocate for a clean debt limit, a bill that will protect the well-being of our citizens and our Nation's financial stability.
This issue holds great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus, to our Congress, the constituents we represent, and all Americans.
I now yield to my coanchor, the Honorable Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.
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Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Waters).
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Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) for her keen words and precise insight.
Mr. Speaker, fellow Americans, I come before you today with a heavy heart and a deep sense of concern for the future of our beloved Nation.
It appears we have reached a crucial juncture where our democracy's very essence is being challenged. The Republican proposed budget, also known as the default on America act, seeks to slash a minimum of 22 percent from nondefense discretionary programs as a condition for raising the debt ceiling.
Mr. Speaker, this money has already been spent. It has benefited the American public. This is a game of brinksmanship, but it has dire consequences even for us having the conversation.
The plan contains severe cuts to essential programs like SNAP. SNAP, the acronym meaning Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. I shall repeat: Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. This is for people that simply do not have enough to eat in our great country.
This plan also contains severe cuts for Social Security and housing assistance, which act as crucial lifelines for all of our communities.
This minority group within the Republican Party is callously using these indispensable programs as bargaining chips, bargaining on the backs of the most vulnerable. This strategy not only endangers our economy but undermines the foundation of our society.
For residents of my district in Illinois, the First Congressional District, the consequences of not raising the debt ceiling and defaulting on the debt would be dire.
I am compelled to share some startling statistics with you today. Mr. Speaker, 7,000 jobs would be lost alone in the First Congressional District in Illinois. Over 103,000 people in the First District nearing retirement would lose on average $20,000 out of their 401K. Mr. Speaker, 95,300 households in the First District would have their Social Security checks at risk.
These devastating impacts not only affect the families who are directly involved but would also disrupt the local economy.
In the First District alone, $151 million a month would be removed from Social Security income from families.
Moreover, the health benefits of over 305,000 residents in the First District on Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans coverage would be jeopardized.
It is clear that we must demand a clean debt limit that addresses the needs of our communities without threatening the livelihoods of the most vulnerable.
As a member of the Agriculture Committee, I am particularly upset and appalled about the suggested cuts to our food and nutrition assistance programs.
We have been in committee for over 100 days now and have not had a single meeting on the largest portion of the ag bill, the SNAP food portion, which comprises 75 percent of our funding.
The bill, proposed by the House Agriculture Committee with over 20 Republicans, would dramatically expand the population of people subject to policies that take SNAP away from those not meeting onerous work and work reporting requirements.
I want some of my fellow colleagues to understand. Some people are in transit deserts where they do not have easy access to mass transit or private transportation.
Many people that are on the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program are women and children. Eighty percent.
Some people have to care for aging parents and have to care for disabled children. I think it is more complicated than what is being shared.
This punitive and ineffective work will put SNAP's grocery benefits at risk for adults up to age 65 and many families with school-age children, in which parents or other adults are unable to work or cannot find jobs or cannot find enough hours.
In the last 2 weeks, in my district again, Mr. Speaker, Walmart, the Nation's largest employer, has pulled out of two stores directly in the district. We are now having a work crisis where we don't have enough employment, and new employment has to be created.
In Illinois' First Congressional District, over 54,000 households, about 20 percent of all of our residents, receive SNAP benefits. Of these recipients, a staggering 85 percent are African American.
The median income of households on SNAP is a mere $20,289. Mr. Speaker, that is $390 a week where people are having to pay their rent, their transportation, and trying to get food.
Not only is it $20,289 annually, $390 a week, which comes out to simply $55 of income a day. These statistics paint a clear picture of the most vulnerable populations in our society; those who are struggling to make ends meet, those who are disproportionately affected by systemic inequalities, and those who desperately need our support to ensure their basic human rights to healthy supplemental food.
Our people need shelter and dignity, and they should not be used as bargaining chips to advance anyone's agenda.
In the face of these proposed cuts, we must acknowledge the catastrophic impact that they would have on our Nation's housing, a fundamental human right that is critical to the health, safety, and dignity of all of our citizens.
If these cuts were to be implemented, 640,000 families across the Nation would lose access to rental assistance if we go through with the draconian 22 percent proposed cut across the board.
We are talking about more than 430,000 low-income families facing eviction from Section 8 housing.
This would result in an unparalleled loss of affordable housing for older adults, families with disabilities, families with children, and our veterans--individuals who have already confronted adversity and who deserve our unwavering support and protection.
Yet, these threats to housing are not the only concern we must address. Amid these proposed budget cuts, we must also be vigilant of the detrimental effects on the central services provided by the Social Security Administration.
The cuts would necessitate the closure of field offices and limit access to persons having in-person visits, imposing undue burdens on those seeking assistance.
Furthermore, people applying for disability benefits would experience an additional 2-month delay in the processing of their claims, prolonging the struggle to access crucial financial support.
This is a moment that demands our outrage, our empathy, and our unwavering commitment to justice. It is a moment that calls upon each and every one of us to stand up and say, ``no more,'' not to negotiate with the debt ceiling.
The bills are already due, and our Nation has the character and the capacity. Now we must furnish the will. I hope Wall Street is watching tonight because the chasm and the gap between the proposals is stark, and the time is limited.
We will not allow policies that perpetuate inequality to widen the chasm between the haves and have nots.
We will not be complicit in the erosion of the very foundation upon which this great Nation was built. The belief that all people are created equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights; among them, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is our moral and ethical obligation to stand against these proposed budget cuts and call for a clean raising of the debt ceiling.
It has happened three times before in the previous administration. Close to $5 trillion was added. These are America's bills. We can be responsible and meet our obligation.
The consequences of such actions would be dire and felt by those who are already struggling the most. Overall, a default on the U.S. debt obligation would trigger a loss of nearly 7 million jobs, push the unemployment rate north of 8 percent, eliminate $10 trillion in household wealth, and reduce real GDP by greater than 4 percent, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
This is not a path we can afford to take. Our future and the very fabric of our society depend on us defending the rights of the most vulnerable among us and protecting the essential programs that have sustained our communities for generations.
Together, let us stand strong against these cuts and fight for the betterment of all Americans. We must ensure that every person has a fair chance to thrive and that the promise of equality and justice remain at the heart of our great Nation.
Mr. Speaker, may God bless these United States.
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Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman form Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick) for her remarks. Honoring Harry Belafonte
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Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a man whose life, legacy, and unwavering commitment to justice and equality has left an indelible mark on our Nation.
I speak of none other than the incomparable Mr. Harry Belafonte who passed away today at the age of 96.
At a time when segregation was still deeply entrenched and Black faces were scarce on screens, both large and small, Mr. Belafonte's historic rise to the pinnacle of show business broke barriers and paved the way for future generations.
Mr. Belafonte's exceptional music career earned him numerous accolades and awards. A three-time Grammy Award winner, including the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, he was recognized for his enduring contributions to the world of music.
His exceptional talent transcended mediums, earning him an Emmy Award for his work on television and a Tony Award for his brilliance on stage.
In 1989, he received one of the highest honors bestowed upon artists in the United States: The Kennedy Center Honors. Our Nation continued to recognize his extraordinary contributions when, in 1994, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts for his significant impact on American culture.
In 2014, Mr. Belafonte received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the Academy's Sixth Annual Governors Awards. In 2022, the world of music paid homage to his influence by inducting him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the early influence category.
As we celebrate Mr. Harry Belafonte's life and memory, let us also remember that he was much more than an extraordinary entertainer. I have had the privilege and honor of meeting and knowing Mr. Belafonte, and what attracted me to him the most is that he was a tireless advocate for civil rights, using his fame and fortune to further the cause of equality and uplift the lives of countless African Americans. He used his celebrity, his wealth, his power, and his influence to transcend the racial divisions of our day and time.
He contributed to Reverend Martin Luther King at the height of the civil rights challenges in America. That says something about where you stand in times of challenge.
Belafonte's close friendship and support of Reverend Martin Luther King exemplified the duality of his life's work. He stood beside Mrs. Coretta Scott King and Duke Ellington at the ``Salute to Montgomery'' in 1956, raising funds for the civil rights movement when it was not popular, but it was the right thing to do.
Part of the legacy he leaves behind is a call for our current generation to use their celebrity, their influence, and their access as they walk the corridors of power to give truth in high places.
During the tumultuous 1960s, Belafonte continued to provide much- needed financial assistance to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, most notably during the Birmingham, Alabama, campaign.
He opened his home and his heart, inviting prominent individuals for a meeting where Reverend King and Fred Shuttlesworth laid out their plans and appealed for support. Belafonte answered the call, not seeking a car, not wanting a bigger house, not wanting to boast about his earnings. He raised over $50,000 and donated it to the civil rights cause to keep Reverend Martin Luther King's movement and our movement alive to enable the campaign to proceed, even while Reverend Martin Luther King was in jail in Birmingham writing the ``Letter From a Birmingham Jail.'' Mr. Belafonte worked the outside, while Reverend Martin Luther King worked the inside.
In the aftermath of Reverend Martin Luther King's tragic assassination, it was Mr. Harry Belafonte, not the entertainer but the activist, who continued to fight for his dream, who gave the King family financial support after their father was slain with four young children at home, serving as the executor of King's estate and chairing the Martin Luther King Memorial Fund. His commitment to civil rights and humanitarian issues never wavered, and his voice rang out in support of those who sought justice and equality both at home and abroad.
My fellow Americans, as we honor the life and memory of Harry Belafonte, let us remember his unwavering dedication to the cause of justice, and let us strive to carry on his legacy by standing tall in the face of challenge and controversy. Reverend Martin Luther King said it is not where you stand in moments of comfort and convenience but where you stand in moments of challenge and controversy.
Let us, like Harry Belafonte, be champions of equality guided by the principles of compassion, empathy, and love. It is said: ``Each and every one of us has the capacity to be an oppressor. I want to encourage everyone to interrogate how we might be an oppressor and how we might be able to become liberators for ourselves and for each other.''
In the spirit of these words, let us forge ahead harnessing the power of our collective talents and passions to drive change and create a more just and equitable world for all. Let us not only celebrate his achievements but also emulate his unwavering actions and dedication to the cause of justice. Let us strive to become liberators for ourselves and for each other, working tirelessly to ensure that the torch of equality and freedom continue to burn brightly for generations to come.
May the life and legacy of Mr. Harry Belafonte serve as the guiding light as we navigate the challenges that lie ahead. Together, let us work toward a life and a world where justice, equality, and love will prevail.
Mr. Speaker, God bless us all.
I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick).
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Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, you have heard from our distinguished colleagues about the American debt cliff that we are facing. All of these issues are of great importance to the Congressional Black Caucus, our constituents, the Congress, and all Americans tonight.
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