Out of the house of representatives, the george floyd reform in policing act. That bill is languishing in the senate. We wanted to highlight today the efforts of the Congressional Black Caucus. Inspired that people can understand this is not one tragedy, and anomaly. It is a manifestation of deeper problems in our country. I am very proud to be joined by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who have been on the frontline in the house of representatives fighting for change. They will share those areas they have been fighting for. After you hear messages from congress, i will i have the open it up for comments. Representative of introducing barbara lee. She is the founder of the task force in the house of representatives to address poverty. We have a slogan in the house and in her district. Barbara lee fights for me. She is always on the front lines fighting for social and Economic Justice in our communities. You,e bring before congressman barbara lee. Thank you madam chair. Thank you for that spirited introduction. Let me thank you for your steadfast and brilliant and steady leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus. We are in our 49th year. I cannot think of an individual who has risen to the occasion to lead based on the aspirations and dreams of our founders. Thank you so much. I want to thank all of our colleagues who are with us today for their longstanding brilliance and visionary and powerful work at this historic moment but for so many years in the past. The tragic murder of mr. Floyd covid19 crisis illustrates the legacy White Supremacy has had on our country. We have to understand how systemic racism has been built in this country. Ways itof the insidious remains part of our criminal justice system, our education system, our economic system. It really is reflected in the dna of the United States of america. Racism is at the heart of every crisis. From Police Murders and brutality, mass incarceration, the health crisis, to the crisis of poverty, where africanamerican numbers are in the majority in this country. The percentage of poverty as it relates to the Africanamerican Community is the highest. We see how it has blocked so many black families from achieving the american dream. To move forward, and i have looked at this for over three years we have to fully account , for and bring to the Public Record the Historical Context of the generational aspect of slavery White Supremacy in this slavery and White Supremacy in this country. I introduced legislation to create the first u. S. Commission on truth, racial healing, and transformation. Over 130 cosponsors. We are continuing to Gain Momentum and cosponsors every day. We have been working on this for over three years with academics, officials. Elected truth andstarted racial healing commissions. We know we have to have that National Push to make this real. Many other countries around the world, i believe it is 40 countries now, have had commissions on truth and healing. We have never made a serious attempt to address the truth of this country. We have to have this truth telling day of reckoning in this country before we move forward through any forms of racial and transformation. Racism has been woven into this country since the beginning. As we note, from witnessing the brutal murder of george floyd and so many murders of black and brown people in this country we , must addressed systemic racism in this country. It is literally a matter of survival. We will examine the impact of slavery and our history has impacted laws and policies to get to today. And make transformations. We have to hear the truth about the last 400 years. This country has never had a historical reckoning. This will provide that opportunity for that. To move forward with some type of racial healing. And make recommendations on how we can deconstruct many and most of the policies that have created this country. And hour laws that move forward. N how we implement laws let me just say, we are working with colleagues. My community as long endorsed reparations. Mr. Greens bill on reconciliation, because we must have an all hands on deck to break these chains of 401 years ago. Now is the time to seize the moment with all of these efforts to dismantle systemic barriers and obstacles. I look forward to looking with working with everyone on this call and all of our colleagues in congress to act boldly and live up to the promise of this nation. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak today. I want to thank all of those who really have presented ideas and are not just tinkering around the edges as it relates to systemic racism but to make real changes in the policies of this country. Thank you again. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for the powerful message. I am likewise, thank you for the powerful message. We realize systemic racism is a disease comparable to the fight we are in even today, fighting the horrors of covid19. I am delighted to be here with my colleagues. The honorable al green, both of us are in the epicenter of covid19. He will take up the cause and be with as she moves forward on crucial issues that we can collaborate on. I spent time with the george floyd family. I want to again express my deepest sympathy to them. As we proceed in fighting for justice in policing, let it be known that these families, the last 24 hours, had to hear video and sound on officers trying to overcome the law and their dastardly deed. To hear the pain of george floyd saying he could not breathe and wondering why he was in that predicament. Why Breonna Taylor was in that predicament when everyone said she was innocent. Or why Ahmaud Arbery was in that predicament. Ofclearly is a question systemic racism that captures the hearts and minds of those that do not intend to do good. Sheer value of america on its face, on the words of the declaration of independence, we are all created equal, those words, if you did not have any other actions, would say that everybody should be in a place of equality. That is not the case. I would call the commission to study reparation proposals as the mother of this movement of trying to get us where we need to be. If you are listening and viewing on this, i ask you to be sure to send messages to your congresspeople. Because this is a bold effort that people want to not do. You must as a community ensure that Congress Moves on this on hr 40. Call your members of congress. Ensure that they are cosponsors. Our numbers are growing. This clearly says that something must be done about the governmental action that was done to enslave africans and the descendents of enslaved africans. We know that slavery is the original sin. This legislation deals with restoration. It deals with the question of repair. It also deals with the question of government influence in the question of restoration. Slaves were not counted in the constitution. They were not freed until a broken emancipation proclamation. It freed some in 1863, but did not free others until 1865. Granger said you do not have to go anywhere. You can stay here and work in the plantation fields. We did not get legally the wealth transfer. We have seen the government clamp down our opportunity for , theity, the black codes field reconstruction, even though there was a push of , theanamericans descendents of enslaved africans. They were clearly people of dignity. It did not last long. They went to congress. George white stood on the floor of the house in 1901 and he was thrown out, never to be found again. We have seen the laws of the land continually deny africanamericans wealth. We have seen the disparities in the environment. Economic opportunity. We have seen the calling for a better education. It is important to know that this is not unlikely. We can do this. We can look at systemic racism and get into the overall Broad Solutions by law, policy changes. And, of course embracing the , work of healing. Embracing the work of the department of reconciliation. Focusing in on this commission that is been in the congress using examples of the 10 million settlement for those in the tuskegee study. Be responded to hr 40 and the developing of a response back to the community of africanamericans as well as individual actions that should be taken to draw away from this horrible disparity. I thank you so very much for letting me discuss this. I hope the people on the line will pierce into what we are doing and how you can help advocate and the collective body of work we are doing to deal with systemic racism. Let me be very clear, we should be able to hold hearings and scholars you, appointed by the house and senate. We are looking forward to really putting this on the national forefront. And to make sure we do the work that needs to be done. I am delighted to yield to al green as we Work Together to heal this nation. Thank you, congressman. Thank you you ever so much. You and i have been great partners here in houston. I look forward to continuing this longstanding relationship. I am also honored to thank the chairperson of the cbc. She was sculpted and molded for a time such as this. She seems to have all the necessary attributes that have been of great benefit not only to the cbc, but also to the people of this country. This is been a wonderful experience serving under your leadership. I look forward to continuing to do so. I would like to reference the honorable barbara lee. We have a friendship that started upon my arrival in congress. She has reached out to the least, the last, and the loss. The lost. She brings them in and they receive an opportunity to be heard. She is a person i have Great Respect for. I look forward to continuing the relationship with her as well. I cannot tell you how much i have been impressed with representative omar. She had an agenda when she arrived. Unfortunately there are some who , are not prepared for agendas. , the most difficult challenge we have is setting an agenda for ourselves. Everybody has an agenda for us. They have got something for you to do. Agenda and i an respect the fact that she has moved forward with that agenda. I look forward to continuing to serve with her. Now to what i have been asked to do. I have an assignment that incorporates two whether lengthy recitations, i will commend first to you an article from the new york times. The fullest look yet at the racial inequity of the coronavirus. I am commending it to you because it is thorough, but also just this topic alone would consume an inordinate amount of time. It is an easy read. Figures you facts, the that you need. It addresses some of the salient issues that we have to embrace. It is dated july 5, 2020. It is something that can make a real difference in terms of how the of the coronavirus. I will address a couple of issues that it raises. Latinxamerican and persons or three times as likely persons are three times as likely to become infected. They have been twice as likely to die from the virus. Very strong statistical information. The query that we have to address is why . Why is this so likely . We are persons who have an out of home, hands on experience with our work. Many of us are, workanamericans, latinx out of the house. Out of necessity. Not because we enjoy riding the bus. Working on sanitation trucks, picking up the waist. It is not because we enjoy doing it. By necessity, we have to do it. When we traverse the community, going away from home, we are more likely to encounter the virus. There was no ppp available to us, and still as we traverse the me. Ppe, excuse the personal protective equipment. We are out of home working. Why do we find ourselves having to be out of and working . Is it because we have not properly educated ourselves . Is it because we have not been as dutiful as we should be . It goes back to what my colleagues have called to our attention, this discrimination has existed since we arrived in what we call the americas. It really goes back to being emancipated, but not having reconciled. Required us to become employees. It allowed us a certain amount of freedom but it required us to state with the slave masters and become employees. Like towhat it would be become the employee of a slave master. Sickness can be traced back to 1619 and the fact that we have not been given equal access to opportunities in this country. After slavery, we found ourselves dealing with jim crow. We have had to deal with redlining. We have had to deal with lawful segregation, and now we deal with discrimination. We have not had the opportunities others have had. Because we have not had these Opportunities Health care has not been readily available to , us. Morbidities,ese many of us have comorbidities. The myth that we diet more because we have the comorbidities is something we need to expose. It is true we have comorbidities. You have to get sick before you will die. You have to be sick first, and we are more likely to get sick. There are white people with comorbidities, but they work from home, they dont get sick, they dont die. We leave home to work, we have the comorbidities, we get sick. As a result, we die. In houston, the largest Medical Center in the world is here. Center sees 7. 2 one million persons per year. Right now, the beds at the Medical Center that are now normally assigned for icu situations are full. We are in phase two now. Houston are in the middle of a crisis. The crisis exists in large part because we did not practice the use of the masks, social distancing, the things that have made a difference in other situations, because our governor was late to the game. Open up early, late to shutting down. We are having to experience this of this disease. Having said this, it is my honor now to yield to the person i spoke highly of earlier. I do not think i can say enough about her. I have a very special place in my head and my heart for her because of the way she has conducted herself under some extreme circumstances. I salute you, congresswoman, and i yield to you, the honorable congressman omar. Rep. Omar thank you so much. Congressman al green, it has have the an honor to opportunity to serve with people like you who recognize the importance and value of our voices and really understand the reason why we have a seat at the table. And how we should fully utilize that seek to better our communities and to rid ourselves of injustices of the past. I want to thank the chairwoman, karen bass, who has been leading us as the Congressional Black Caucus with vision and vigor. Two congresswoman Sheila Jackson lee and barbara lee, who have not just been big sisters, but really anchors for me as i have navigated this interesting space of existing in an environment consume not designed to People Like Us that works every day to invalidate our voices, our pain, and our struggles. I do appreciate our fellowships. Our kinship. Our ability to collectively fight for a more just world. Everyoneto also think who did the work of putting this town altogether and addressing the medical needs of our communities have. , i representu know the sixth district of minnesota where george floyd lived and where he was murdered. As many of you know, Structural Racism is not limited to police departments, whether it is here in minnesota or across the nation. We continue to struggle with challenges in education and juvenile justice and in health care. We spent millions of dollars each year to pursue an agenda that promotes policing and mass incarceration. We ignore funding that is needed propercation and training for those in our communities. I believe that education is a basic right. All students, regardless of race, deserve equal access to it. Students of color, particularly boys and girls face rampant discrimination in schools. It is having a lifetime of consequences. Sometimes it is out right prejudice. In my hometown of minneapolis, black students are 40 of the student population. They make up three quarters of all suspensions. One of the middle schools in my district, an africanamerican student is 380 more likely to be suspended than their white peers. Likely to be suspended than their white peers. The expulsion of minors creates an environment where kids are being pulled out of the education and opportunity they should have. My sisters worked with me in investcing the act to over 1 million into our schools. Along with colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, these bills create universal preschool meals. We will have to keep working in Food Processing plants in Grocery Stores and other work races. Despite risks to their health. We have faced higher rates of joblessness related to the rhinovirus. This is why i joined her in introducing the jobs guaranteed to last week. Black students struggle with obtaining the necessary resources to attend institutions of higher education. Black students borrow more often and no more money on their educational loans. We cannot only address racism in the criminal justice system. This conversation is about us figure out how we holistic address the systems. For leading the charge and giving us the opportunity to hold this townhall. To have a conversation with our constituents. We can take some questions. Thank you, members. We have received a number of russians from the attendees today. I want to open it up and read some of the questions. What can our communities due to pressure the senate to vote or this act . I will start out. This is one of the most reasoned, important, and reimaginings of policing in america. Policing is local to state and local governments. That thisact legislation deals directly with africanamericans who died because the policies we have prohibited were in place. Those provisions consistently cause the death of africanamericans. Ofthey want to be on record blocking such legislation and not being part of the progressive thinking of eliminating those divisions, ending racial profiling, getting a handle on 18,000 police departments. Not doing deescalation. And then not getting outside entities the authority to when there is no effective action locally. Effective ismost senators have to make decisions. I think that is a large question for them to as. All the people who were in the streets of many generations and many backgrounds and many ethnicities can collectively push that that is not acceptable. That is not going to be tolerated. The senate must move on this legislation. What must be understood is that provisions in the justice and leasing act have to be passed. They have to do with life and death. That is the moment you have to engage in. Rep. Lee let me just quickly followup. I agree with everything you said. I just want to add that we have to remember this is a political system. We must hold our elected officials accountable. Elections are coming up in november. We have to pass this bill immediately. We have to do the work of making sure senators who are holding this up will be held accountable. We will put the pressure on. We must ensure that our issues are addressed at this moment through the george floyd policing act. It has to be front and center on our agenda. They have to do the right thing. I have a very brief comment. This is a participatory democracy. To participate, you have to register and vote. I encourage everyone to register. To vote. To take your friends to the polls. Many times, people who hold public trust respond to, how can i impact you . Let me count the ways. None of the ways is voting on the polls at election day. Thank you. Whens situation was dire he was followed wrongly and a white neighborhood. When his family came out and car, not only is this his because of actions against his mother and father, try to get up off the ground, he was shot. And severely injured. They went all the way to the supreme court. The federal court denied any action. They were limited in recovery. The qualified immunity. This gives rights to citizens, as they should have. Judicial immunity is a created law. The courts decided that. I have done that for other officials. Involved,and death is when you have an organization that is the only group licensed to carry a gun, we all know police, we have them in our we want citizens to go home to their family members. Almost a immunity is nonstarter. It is the key in the heart of the element of seismic change. Nd justice all of those officers of the george floyd case would want to use that. Showed a actually murder on the streets of america. They want to use that they are protected by qualified immunity. We have to have in altering and that. It protects no matter what you have done. That does not seem there. Most people would say, no one should be above the law. Thank you. I am concerned that covid19 might impact voter turnout. What can the federal government do to combat Voter Suppression in the state and local communities . Lee let me give you one thing we must do. Sure the resources for people who want to vote at home. We have been attempting to put money into all of our legislation. Some do not want to support the postal service. They want to privatize it. We have to stay vigilant. How do you think the Racial Disparity of covid has affected perceptions on reopening, developing treatment, vaccines, etc. . Our lee are chairwoman have been and others very focused on making sure there is a focused agenda that i come fromurces oakland and berkeley. Started, pandemic people called me, white progressive people, and they could not understand why this was happening. Why are somebody people of color and black people in particular dying from this disease . I had to deconstruct this for them. Anderms of systemic racism structures in this country that have allowed this. The issues that are embedded in this country that allow for people who have underlying conditions, because of the discrimination and the barriers , i had to explain all of this. Awareness is becoming glaring. It is unfortunate that somebody people are dying from this. For people to become aware of this. Just know that we have been fighting as a Congressional Black Caucus to make sure that the cdc puts forth the actual data based on ethnicity, social economic status, and race. Demanding that the resources for testing, contact tracing, and followup be put into communitybased organizations. We have been demanding that the administration move forward and allow the cdc to do this. We are having major difficulties. I think people are walking waking up to what is taking place. I still believe states do not understand the nature of this make racism and how insidious it is. It has manifested itself as a result of the murder of mr. Floyd. This is why we believe it is so important to keep race in these issues. The public has not come to grips that there are systemic and structural policies in this country that have allowed for these tragedies to continue. I am on Homeland Security along with my colleagues. We have been the only voice of raising the issue of status. We heard about covid19 as early as october of 2019. We should have had ppe and tests. We did not. We talked to doctors in new york. They were going to hospital Emergency Rooms with no health care. They were being sent home with aspirin. They were infecting senior citizens. That is the first statement about disparities in health care and systemic racism. We still have to convince people that this is real. It is important for us to keep emphasizing that this deals with systemic racism. We must also embrace our communities to say, during this time, they may have to selfisolate my have their own athome order. That is why we need to pass the heroes act. We need to get ready for the surge in the fall. We need to tell voters their life depends on voting safely. We need to make sure you fill out the mail ballot. Sitting on your Kitchen Table will not be helpful. We have to motivate and mobilize people to vote. If you can vote by mail, vote by mail. Do not forget. If you have to vote in person, make sure your county government or State Government gives you every measure to vote. In 2020 in voting november. I would like to share a word. I think my colleagues for what they have said. This question that has been raised today is not one that is new to me. There is this disparate impact on africanamericans and latinx persons. How is is impacting the thought processes and behaviors of persons who are not from these various can unities . Not a novel question. Especially given that we have a refusest who declines, to wear the mask. A rally with many. Eople in attendance developing,on is whether i agree with it or not, and i hope it is not the case, but perception is developing that there are some people who that this is a disease that will pass them by. This is a healthy concept for them to embrace. My hope is it is not being embraced. Think what has been in terms of the commission to study these issues. The department of reconciliation i have proposed would report directly to the president. This is a pervasive question. We do need to have a means by which we can explore and get some empirical evidence as to whether or not behavior is being impacted because of the isception that this virus finding africanamericans as hosts as opposed to others. I hope we can get this legislation together and it can pass a week and a Lasting Impact on these questions. Thank you. We only have time for one more question. Some small blackowned businesses had trouble accessing resources and funds through the cares packages. To the cdc fighting cbc fighting to support blackowned businesses . I will start. Businesses necessitate the same opportunities as other businesses. The program was developed, they were prepared before we could actually apply for these loans. Blackowned businesses do not have the technology. Many of them do not have accountants. But they should be able to access the same opportunity. To have an opportunity to share these opportunities. What we are trying to do is make sure the access is available. Black banks are in need of technology. We have a black bank in houston. They spend 50,000 a month working with another entity to help them with their technology needs. This is the kind of thing that a good many black businesses have to do. We should continue to do what we have in doing. Find ways to have unique opportunities that have not been addressed over the years. Please do not assume that it is too late to apply. Go to the institution you have a relationship with. Make that application. They are allocated for the programs. But people have not accessed the money. Please do what you can to access this money. There are many more things that i can say because i set on financial services. I can tell you about legislation we passed that will get money in the hands of people by way of certain facilities that we are establishing. Know time is of the essence so i will yield to my colleagues. [no audio] rep. Lee let me take a moment to thank all of you who are with us today. Your voice and your involvement and your clarity of purpose as it relates to how we dismantled the barriers of systemic racism that are embedded in every aspect of our country is so important. We cannot do this without you. I want you to thank you for being with us. Bass,o our chair, karen and all of our colleagues who have been on the calls. Thank you for your continued relationship. It is a privilege to work with so many members of the Congressional Black Caucus on an agenda that has been the Heart Congress thate has really been an agenda for 49 years. That is when we were first conceived and became an institution within the body politic here in washington. This Congressional Black Caucus continues within the 2020 context to live up to the dreams and aspirations of our founders. Thank you to all of my colleagues. One thing i would like to say in closing is, i serve on the Appropriations Committee in the budget committee. To say am really pleased that out of the Appropriations Committee, we did move forward to remove the statues and the busts of confederate leaders and those who promoted racism and continue to promote and maintain slavery and committed acts of treason. To get that out of committee today and hopefully very soon we will be able to dismantle that one aspect of racism that should never be upheld and honored in the halls of congress, especially in our capital. As a member of the , weopriations committee look at all of these policies and initiatives through a racial lens. A member of the Appropriations Committee, we are in the processwe are in the prof looking at systemic racism. This years budget, i want you to know that we have really refined and built support for increasing funding for restructuring so many agencies so we can prioritize federal deconstructegin to the systemic racism in the federal government and begin to build and put resources into, for example, the office of racial ethnic disparities, which the president wants to zero out. Putting more resources into hbcus and other important programs. Jobs, tone of our really look at where our tax dollars are going, look at whether or not they are perpetuating the systems of systemic racism within the federal government, and if they are, reprioritize those resources and put them where we know they will have a system of government that promotes justice and fairness. Thank you all very much for being with us. I want to again thank my colleagues for their remarkable work and their presence here today. And really breaking it down, how this is a whole government response, a whole Congressional Black Caucus response. Passed. T to get hr 40 the racialo pass transformation commission. All these Work Together for the good. , whose something that time has come, in terms of embracing what the Congressional Black Caucus has always embraced , with no a broader and deeper and very Aggressive Movement of young people who are out there in the streets, pushing us and making sure that we live up to the creed of liberty and justice for all, to make sure that everyone understands black lives do matter. Monday, the new mexico governor talks about her state response to the coronavirus pandemic. Watch at 1 00 p. M. Eastern. On theor listen live cspan radio app. American history tv in people, exploring the and events that tell the american story. Coming up this weekend, saturday at 2 00 p. M. On oral histories, an interview with interview with courtland cox. Secretarygeneral of african congress. Theay at 4 00 a. M. Eastern, 1960 three report, the American Revolution of 63. A program on the status of the civil rights program. Reports from cambridge, maryland. And chicago and brooklyn. P. M. , the discussion in congress and polarization. Scientist political norman ornstein. At 8 00 p. M. , in the presidency, en talks about his book two days in june. 5wo days that defined jfk, response ask loring the american story. Watch American History tv. President trump spoke to reporters earlier today about remarks made by former Vice President joe biden and roger stone. Just outside the white house before he departed for miami. Hello, everybody. We are going to miami. We are going to different parts of florida today. We will be back at about 11 00 tonight. A lot of very good stops. We look forward to it