Surveillance Pricing in Grocery Stores

Floor Speech

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Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, families in our community are already struggling with rising grocery prices. It is shameful that companies like Kroger are price-gouging our residents with surveillance pricing.

As you can see here, companies are already collecting a tremendous amount of data and private information about our residents to create custom profiles about them. Now, with electronic labels and facial recognition technology, this information is being used in real time to charge us more at the grocery store.

Imagine if you were at the grocery store right now, and they charged you a higher price for an item because it used technology to determine that you were willing to pay more than the next person. Maybe it is hard to believe, but it is true. You look at this, and you can see that they are being very clear about the fact that they want to instantly change the price if it is hot outside, if it is something that you, again, have been looking at online.

Now they are even adding the use of facial technology in grocery stores that not only raises serious concerns of privacy but also racial bias. We know that facial recognition technology discriminates against our Black and Brown neighbors. This is not just about discriminatory technology, Mr. Speaker. It is about corporate greed, and the CEOs are getting rich while working people struggle.

It is essential that we work together in this body to protect our communities and ban these practices. I ask my colleagues to please support my legislation to ban surveillance pricing, digital pricing in grocery stores. Come and see me. You need to stand with your residents, not these corporations.

Look at Walmart. Look at this: ``If it's hot outside, we can raise the prices of water and ice cream.'' That is what we are talking about. We need to protect our residents. Please, again, support my legislation. Keeping Firearms Safe

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Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and teens in our country. I have talked to pediatricians. They are telling me every day that gun violence is just increasing. Every day, over 125 Americans are killed from gun violence and more than 200 people are shot and wounded.

These aren't just statistics, Mr. Speaker. These are human beings with lives and futures. They are our babies, our friends, our neighbors, our loved ones. Many of these deaths involve accidental discharge of a firearm, often by a child, including several tragic incidents in southeast Michigan.

Just last month, Mr. Speaker, in Oakland County, a 9-year-old was seriously injured after he was accidentally shot. First responders found the boy bleeding from the head and transported him to the local hospital.

This Gun Violence Awareness Month, let's do something to save lives. I am introducing the Safe Storage Saves Lives Act with Representatives DeLauro, Frost, and Kelly to reduce firearm deaths among our children.

This legislation mandates every firearm seller to include a gun lock or gun safety device every single time a gun is sold in the United States. Far too often, irresponsible gun owners fail to properly secure their weapons with tragic consequences, leading to accidental deaths, preventable suicides, school shootings, and other mass violence.

When used correctly, a gun lock makes it impossible for a gun to be fired. Look at this. This is $4. This legislation is a commonsense solution that every Member of this body should support, every single one. Keeping firearms out of the hands of our children should not be a partisan issue, Mr. Speaker.

We must honor those who have already been killed with a lack of action in this Chamber. Our communities deserve better. Our children deserve better. Honoring Matthew Fisher

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Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor one of our dear neighbors in the 12th Congressional District. We worked over 3 years to present Matthew Fisher, a remarkable resident of my district, with the Purple Heart for his dedication and service to our country.

Matthew Fisher was born in Livonia and is a proud graduate of Stevenson High School. In 2004, Matthew answered the call to serve others by becoming a firefighter in one of our counties. In 2007, he made the decision to serve our Nation by joining the U.S. Army. He was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq from December 2007 to 2009. Unfortunately, he was there when a horrific bomb changed his life forever. It took us 3 years as a country to recognize his sacrifice.

Since his return, Mr. Fisher has continued to give back to our community. He currently serves as a mentor at the veterans court system in Redford Township, helping fellow veterans navigate their own paths and helping them heal.

He is a devoted husband to Kathryn and a proud father to stepson, Bankston, and also Sophia.

Please, Mr. Speaker, let's honor Matthew Fisher for his extraordinary service, again, as we honor him with the Purple Heart.

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