Summer Lee

You still believe in the humane infrastructure of America that started with the Statue of Liberty, and realizing people flee persecution, political dynasties, if you will, that cause violence and the forcing of leaving.

This is an oversight hearing, not an impeachment hearing. This is a hearing to address the questions of the work that has been done.

The real two-tiered system of justice is one in which, in 2021, according to the DOJ's Bureau of Justice Statistics, the imprisonment rate for Black men aged 18 and 19 was 11.6 times the rate for White males.

Republicans have been invoking this term 'two-tiered system of justice' a lot recently, so I want to talk about what the real two-tiered justice system is where Black and Brown people are over-criminalized and over-incarcerated.

We well know that immigrants contribute $1.3 trillion in spending power to the economy.

But it does no good for any of us to suggest that the President of the United States and the Secretary of Homeland Security are the key and only reasons for migration.

It is clear that not one American, no matter what their party affiliation, abhors cartels violence and viciousness.

I do believe that we can do this and solve the problem of immigration reform together.

This is not America.

It's so important that we look at the biases that AI technology presents.

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss opportunities for this body to be more reflective of the nation it serves.

You don't need to be an astrophysicist to be a member of this Committee, and that is a good thing.

Eddie Bernice Johnson, the first and only Black person to ever chair this Committee, she dedicated 40 years of her life to public service, and her work championed STEM education, diversity--and diversity.

The 118th Congress has demonized all things remotely related to DEI.

For too long, we have failed to prioritize or even acknowledge the vast contributions that the Black community and other minoritized groups have made toward scientific discovery and innovation.

Embracing DEI initiatives and ensuring diverse representation among congressional witnesses will be a crucial step this Committee can take towards creating a more inclusive, innovative, and ethical future for everyone.

Diversity fosters a wider range of ideas and approaches, leading to more innovative solutions and better problem-solving capabilities in the scientific community.

When I look up at the walls of this Committee room and only see one person who looks like me, I feel reminded that many people for a long time did not believe that people like me belong here.

It sets a dangerous precedent that this Committee, I believe, has a responsibility to answer or really to kind of account for.

I and my colleague Rep. Bice plan to introduce our bipartisan Abandoned Well and Remediation Research and Development Act.

I believe this Committee's work will be an important start.

Today, I am disappointed to say that not only has this hearing been disingenuous with the American people, it has wasted an opportunity to go after real waste, fraud, and abuse.

Republicans like to paint a picture of America in crisis, millions of people lined up at the border all coming to destroy your way of life.

Republicans are holding a hearing to deny 129,000 people healthcare. Sad.

All Americans deserve healthcare, and DACA recipients deserve to have a secure and healthy future in our country.