Ben Ray Luján

It really is an honor and a privilege to introduce a well-respected friend, neighbor, leader, mentor in New Mexico.

It really is an honor and a privilege to introduce a well-respected friend, neighbor, leader, mentor in New Mexico.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to Ranking Member Grassley for this hearing and to all the panelists who are here today.

Is it true that Starbucks can hold shareholder meetings virtually, but it refuses to allow some union members to join bargaining negotiations virtually, even if other members are present?

Most technology that we now benefit from, all the way from GPS to other areas, were developed by Federal agencies through the use of an investment and then private entities were able to do much more with commercializing or finding those…

I appreciate that, and one area, Mr. Chairman, that we've been able to do some work in an area that was completely ignored, which was included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure package, was to plug abandoned and orphaned oil and gas wells.

Investing in tribal energy is not just about energy; it's about economic opportunity.

I am very concerned about the lack of basic utilities for too many brothers and sisters across the Country.

It is similar to when people come in and tell me, we had a virtual meeting on how many of you don't have broadband.

So I am looking for how that information was gathered.

The National Labor Relations Board requires an employer and the union to bargain in good faith about wages, hours, and other terms of employment until they agree on a labor contract, not after.

I venture to say there is more than 16,800 homes on the Navajo Nation that don't have electricity.

I understand that Starbucks has a widespread pattern of reducing worker hours in stores that have unionized.

I certainly hope that everyone else will catch up with what we can be doing in that space.

I have had a terrible time also trying to get accurate data on the number of tribal homes that don't have electricity or don't have broadband.

I have had a terrible time also trying to get accurate data on the number of tribal homes that don't have electricity or don't have broadband.

Just for 30 seconds, can I be recognized to submit a letter into the record from the Albuquerque store that sent it to Mr. Schultz?

So I am looking for how that information was gathered.

What concerns me is practices that have been shared with me where a reduction in hours, where an employee maybe once worked full time, 36 hours or so, but then hours were changed at that property for whatever reasons.

It is similar to when people come in and tell me, we had a virtual meeting on how many of you don't have broadband.

Is it true that Starbucks can hold shareholder meetings virtually, but it refuses to allow some union members to join bargaining negotiations virtually, even if other members are present?

I would like to highlight for the witnesses and for my fellow Committee members, another type of stranded risk, in the area of stranded communities or livelihoods lost or job opportunities as well.

I appreciate that, and one area, Mr. Chairman, that we've been able to do some work in an area that was completely ignored, which was included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure package, was to plug abandoned and orphaned oil and gas wells.

I certainly hope that we can find that way back, because a lot of folks support Starbucks because the employees were treated well.

Most technology that we now benefit from, all the way from GPS to other areas, were developed by Federal agencies through the use of an investment and then private entities were able to do much more with commercializing or finding those…