Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing.

Licensing requirements have exploded to new fields, some that merit regulation and others that raise the question of whether there is too much licensing.

I think showing those pictures, if anything, should get our point across. I hope that those pictures will send a message to all of us. Closing out tonight--and I think all our colleagues really just summed up this gun violence issue--is…

I would like to ask the gentleman, since I have never seen this thing called an AR-15, can he describe what this gun looks like?

I have someone who I have had the utmost respect for. He smiles. I told him he could get elected in Pennsylvania. He is from the great State of Mississippi. I don't want to shock the people of Mississippi. He is not leaving Mississippi…

I would like to ask just one question to the gentlewoman from Illinois, who has been speaking to this issue a lot. Does the gentlewoman have any sense of optimism of people hearing her in any way? Does she see any signs? I mean, she just…

I thank the gentleman for laying out that eloquent statement. Next is someone who is from the great State of Illinois, who, since I have been here, has been relentless on this issue, particularly from an inner-city standpoint, an urban…

Before the gentleman leaves, being that this is the 50th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination, I would ask the gentleman, to the point that he raises about the moments of silence, if we look back and look where we are today, are we any…

I thank the gentleman for his comments. Mr. Speaker, you just heard the gentleman from South Carolina, in my view, lay out a very clear vision of what it should be like from an aspirational standpoint. Speaking of the leader of the…

May I ask the gentleman a question. If the gentleman could just talk a little more about that magic he talked about and how do we get there. Does the gentleman have any sense of how we get there?

It is with great honor that I rise today to anchor the CBC Special Order. I would like to thank CBC Chairman Cedric Richmond for his leadership in this effort. Chairman Richmond has been leading this effort and raising the question about…

I thank the gentlewoman from Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have someone who, when I came here, I said I have to meet her. She is a very dynamic person. She is the Honorable Barbara Lee from the 13th Congressional District of California, and I…

I thought the gentleman gave a really clear sense of what the challenge is and what we face today. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining? The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Pennsylvania has 22 minutes remaining.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing. Licensing is a process which the state requires workers to meet basic standards at the local level--local and state level before they are able to perform a job.

I know this is something Congressman Evans, for much of your career, have helped in Philadelphia, summer jobs for kids.

your ability to grow is your ability to have workers who know exactly what they are doing.

I want to thank the panel for your time today, and I want to let you know what you are doing today is a very, very big public service because everything that you share with us gets entered into the Congressional record.

Nevertheless, occupational licensing persists and has become ever the more burdensome across the Nation.

I also want to thank Martin Williams of the Boilermakers. Sir, thank you for opening your facility to us. You have been a great partner as well.

While the origin of this limit had noble goals of protecting the safety and well-being of residents, we can think of instances where the requirements have proven burdensome, bear little resemblance to the function they were.

the number one issue was the workforce, as well relating to soft skills.

I would like to do a colloquy with my colleague on something that really got my attention; what she said about that chain. I would like her to talk about that chain, what that means in real life and what it means when it is not…

If I could ask the gentleman another question, because this issue of economic justice in the Black community is what I view as probably the issue, because we heard our colleagues from Michigan and New Jersey talk about that gap that…

I thank the gentleman for his knowledge and his information, and I hope that it has been very helpful on this subject of economic justice in the Black community. Mr. Speaker, in terms of the Congressional Black Caucus Special Order, I want…

I thank Mr. Payne very much for his comments. Someone who is from a great State that has done--was a mayor in a State that manufactured and did a huge opportunity in creating wealth, I couldn't think of a better person to speak about this…