On the recordNovember 1, 2021
I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for spearheading this Special Order hour and for giving me an opportunity to share a few of my remarks. Mr. Speaker, I rise today optimistic, optimistic that our country is on the verge of taking a historic step forward for all of our communities. The Build Back Better Act is a once-in-a-generation investment in our country as a whole and in Black Americans, specifically. For too long, our country's institutions have been apathetic and even adversarial toward Black people. Four hundred years of slavery, Jim Crow, mass incarceration, and other forms of systemic violence have trapped Black Americans in a vicious cycle from which it can be nearly impossible to break. The Build Back Better Act will not instantly remedy four centuries of that pain and hardship, but it is a crucial starting point. Through revitalizing infrastructure and funding essential social services, the President's agenda will set the next generation of Black Americans up for success. Building back better means directly confronting the Black mental health crisis. This bill would fund universal childcare and pre-K, allowing Black mothers to return to the workforce while giving Black children the early childhood care that they need. Building back better means giving those same Black children safe places to grow up, to learn, and to thrive. We will do that by making the single-largest housing investment in our Nation's history.…
