While we will continue to fight for the passage of this bill in the senate, we wanted to highlight today the efforts of the Congressional Black Caucus defined find on many different manifestations of systemic racism. That thisly inspired new movement has elevated the issue, and that people understand this was not a tragedy, one tragedy, and anomaly, but it was a manifestation of much deeper problems in our country. Proud to be joined by members of the Congressional Black Caucus who have been on the front lines, and the house of representatives, fighting for change, and they will share those areas where they have been fighting for with you today. After you hear presentations from members of congress, we will open it up to hear your questions and comments. Right now, i have the honor of introducing representative barbara lee. She is is apart of the congressional caucus and is the founder of the task force in the house of representatives to address poverty. And we have a slogan in the house and actually in her district that barbara lee fights for me because she is always on the front lines fighting for social and Economic Justice in our community. Youme now bring before congresswoman barbara lee. Thank you, madam chair. Can you hear me . Yes. Thank you for that spirited introduction. We are in our 49th year now and i cannot think of an individual who really has risen to the based on theead aspiration and dreams of our founders. Thank you so much. I want to thank all of my colleagues who are with us today for their longstanding brilliant and very visionary and powerful words at this historic moment but also for so many years in the past. Floydagic murder of mr. And the current covid19 crisis has illustrated once again the painful and dangerous legacy that White Supremacy has had on our country. We have to acknowledge it in hell systemic racism has been built into this country for the of the1 years and all insidious ways it remains part of our criminal justice system, our educational system, our economic system. It is really reflected in the dna of the United States of america. Racism is at the heart of every crisis that we are dealing with right now from Police Murders and brutality, mass incarceration to the economic and Public Health crisis disproportionately affecting the Africanamerican Community, to the crisis of poverty were africanamericans have large numbers in the majority in this country in the percentage of poverty as it relates to the Africanamerican Community is the highest. How it has blocked many black families from achieving the american dream. I have worked on this for over three years. We have to fully account for and bring to the public, a Historical Context of the generational effects of slavery and White Supremacy in this country. That was 401 years ago where this started as it relates to the africanamerican population in america. I introduced legislation to create the first u. S. Submission untrue, racial healing and transformation. It now has over 100 30 cosponsors and we are continuing to gain more cosponsors. We have been working with activists, with elected officials, was so many people throughout the country, who have actually started in many communities with racial here and lean with racial healing. We know we have to have that National Push to really make s real and ringing the end the ends real and bring of systemic racism. Had 40 countries have commissions on truth and healing, but we m never made a serious attempt to address the deeply rooted truth of this country. We have to have this truth telling day of reckoning in this country before we move forward toward any form of racial healing and transformation. Racism has been woven into this country. Slavery and jim crow to the genocide of native americans to modernday mass incarceration and Police Brutality. Witnessing the brutal murder of mr. Floyd and so many murders by police of africanamerican and black and brown people, we must address systemic racism in this country. It is literally a matter of survival. The commission will examine the effects of slavery committed to a racism and discrimination against africanamericans and how our history impacts laws and policies today, and make recommendations for transpiration for transformation. We have to hear the truth about the last 401 years. The public needs to have this, and this country has never had the historical document of reckoning. This will provide that opportunity for that and to move forward toward some former racial healing, but to make recommendations on how we can deconstruct most of the policies that have created this country based on systemic racism and our laws, and also move forward on how we actually implement laws a stone justice. And so finally let me say, we are working with my colleague on hr 40. In my community has long endorsed reparations. Have an allwe must hands on deck to finally break these chains of 401 years ago. And so, now is the time for us to seize the moment with all of these efforts to begin to dismantle systemic boundaries and obstacles to moving forward so i look forward to working to usher in the change to live up to the promise of this nation. Thank you again to give us the opportunity to speak today, and i want to thank my colleagues and all of those who really have present ideas and proposals to stop tinkering around the edges as it relates to systemic racism, but to make the real andges that need to happen the institutions and policies of this country. Thank you again. Thank you for that powerful message from congresswoman barbara lee. Likewise, so thank you very much for the powerful chair thatour realizes that systemic racism is a disease comparable to the 5a we are in even today to the fight that we are even today. I am delighted to be here with my colleague, the honorable john green. I will mention something briefly. I know that he will take up the cause. Omare been with bill and ilhan omar in minneapolis. I do spend time with George Floyds family and express my deepest sympathy for them. As we proceed in fighting for justice in policing, let it be known that these families, George Floyds family, the last 24 hours, had to hear video and sound on officers again trying to overcome the law and their dastardly deeds, and here again, the pain of george floyd saying he could not breathe and wondering why he was in that predicament as a lovable, largesized africanamerican male and why Breonna Taylor was in that predicament when everyone said she was nsn or why Ahmaud Arbery was in that predicament. It is a question of systemic minds that captures the and hearts of those who dont attend to do good, and are. Gainst the real value if you take this year values of america on its face, on the words of the declaration of independence, we are all created equal to create a more perfect union, those words, if you did not have any action, we say everybody should be in a place of equality. That is not the case. I would call the commission to study and develop reparation proposals as the mother of this movement of trying to get us where we need to be. If you are listening or viewing this, i ask you to be sure to send messages to your Congress People because this is a bold effort that people want to not do. You must, as a community, and sure that the Congress Moves on hr 40, and that is call your members of congress to ensure that they are cosponsors. Our numbers are growing, but we are the provocative legislation that people wanted think twice about being on because it clearly sends that somebody must that something must be done about the governmental action that was done to enslave africans, and then, the descendents of enslaved africans. We know that slavery is the original sin. This legislation deals with restoration. Deals with the question that it deals with the question of repair, and it also deals with the question of a government influence and the question of restoration. We know first of all that slaves go as human beings, were not counted in the constitution. Freedw that we were not the emancipation proclamation freed some in 1863, but did not free of quarter of a million until 1865. Then the general said, you dont have to go anywhere. You can stay here and work on the plantation field, thinking that black folks do not have sense. We did not get legally the compensation and the wealth transfer by not getting 40 acres and a mule. So, we have seen the government clamp down on our opportunities for equality, the failed reconstruction only lasted for 12 years, even though there was a push of africanamericans and descendents of enslaved africans , and they were lieutenants, clearlys, and they were people of dignity, but it did not last long. They went to congress. On the floor stood of the house in 1901 and was drawn out never to be found again, if you will. Loss of theseen the land continuing to deny africanamericans the wealth. We have seen the disparities in the environment, economic opportunities. We have seen the calling, if you a better education, and of course, wealth transfer. It is important to know that this is not unlikely. We can do this. And we can look at systemic racism and get into the overall broad solution by law, by policy changes, and of course, embracing the work of healing as indicated embracing the work of the department of reconciliation, but focusing in on this commission that is been in the Congress Since 1989, using examples like the 10 million settlement for those in 177milar study, and the black people are forced sterilization. Must be responded to pra we must be responded to for systemic racism and the development of the response back to the community of africanamericans as well is the individual actions that should be taken to draw away from these horrible disparities. Forank you so very much letting me discuss this. I hope the people on the line will pierce into what we are doing and ask questions on how you can help advocate to get hr 40 and the collective body of work we are doing the deal was systemic racism. Let me be very clear. We will be able to hold hearings and be able to hear from you, scholars, appointed by the house and senate, and looking foward to really putting this on the national forefront, and to make sure we do the actual work that needs to be done. I am delighted to introduce and yield to the distinguished gentleman from houston, texas, al green, as we Work Together to heal this nation. Thank you, congressman. Rep. Green thank you ever so much, sheila, if i may say so affectionately to congresswoman lee, you and i have been great partners here in houston, and i look forward to continuing this longstanding relationship that we have developed over the years. I am also honored to thank the chairperson. It appears she was sculpted and for timef you will, such as this. She seems to have all of the havesary attributes that been a great benefit, not only to the cpc would also to the people of this country. This has been a wonderful experience serving under your leadership, madame chair bass in an 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. I have been to her district. She is a hardworking congressperson who really does reach out to what i call the and the lost. T, those who have been locked up or left behind, 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. And to the neophytes who came as prepared as any to serve in congress, representative omar, i cannot tell you how much i have been impressed with her. She had an agenda when she arrived. Unfortunately there are some who , are not prepared for agendas. Difficults, the most challenge we have is setting an agenda for ourselves. Everyone has an agenda. Everybody. If you meet someone on the street, they have something for you to do, but she came with an agenda, and i respect that she has moved forward that with that agenda. I look forward to continuing to serve with her. Now to what i have been asked to do. I have been given an assignment that incorporates two rather lengthy recitations. I have decided that i will commend first to you an article from the new york times. The style of the article is the fullest look yet at the racial inequity of the coronavirus. I am commending it to you because it is thorough, but also because just this topic alone would consume an inordinate amount of time. It is an easy read. Cts. Ives you fa it gives you the figures you need, and it addresses some of the salient issues that we have to embrace. It looks of the inequity of the coronavirus at the inequity of the coronavirus. It is dated july 5, 2020. It is something that can make a real difference in how we a brace embrace the way forward with the coronavirus. I will address a couple of issues that it raises. First, it cost to our attention that africanamerican and latinx 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 we have to address is why . Why is this likely . Well, first of all, we are persons, who have an out of home, hands on experience with our work. , good many of us africanamericans, let inexpert, x persons, we work out of the house. Out of necessity. Not because we enjoy riding the bus. By necessity, we have to do it. When we traverse the community, going away from home, we are more likely to encounter the virus. We work in many jobs where, initially, there was no ppp available to us. Traverse thewe city, we find persons without ppe. Ppe, excuse me. Im on financial services, and we deal with a lot of ppp. I mean personal protective equipment. We are out of home working. Why do we find ourselves having to be out of home and working. Is it because we have not properly educated ourselves . Is it because we have not been as dutiful as we should be . Well, it really goes back to what my colleagues have called to our attention. Thisact that discrimination has happened since we arrived in what we call the americas. It really goes back to being emancipated, but not having reconciled. Emancipation requires reconciliation if it is going to give us the relief we richly deserve as human beings. That hasnt happened. Emancipation, general Gordon Granger read executive order number three. It allowed us certain freedoms, but it literally required us to stay with the slave masters and become employees. Imagine what it is like. So the death and sickness literally 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. 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. It is true we have comorbidities. I will just say this. Die morethat we ha because we have the comorbidities is something we need to expose. It is true that we have comorbidities, but it is also true that we have to get sick before we will die. You have to get sick first, and we are more likely to get sick. White people 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 more. In houston, the largest Medical Center in the world is here. It sees 7. 2 million persons per year. Right now, the beds at the Medical Center that are now assigned for icu persons, they are full. We are in phase two now. We are getting other beds to utilize to serve people. And these are feeling up. Filling up. We in houston are in the middle of a crisis. The crisis exists in large part because we did not practice using masks. We did not practice social distancing. We did not practice the things that have made a difference in other places. Because our governor was late to the game. He opened up early. Late to get involved shutting down. Havingsult, we are now to experience this influx in comorbidity. And a virus that causes death. Having said this, it is my honor now to yield to the person i spoke highly of earlier. I have a very special place in my head and my heart for her because of how she has conducted herself under some extreme circumstances. I salute to you and i yield to you. The honorable congresswoman omar. Rep. Omar thank you so much. Al,brother out congressman al green. Honor to have the opportunity to serve with people whou recognize recognize the importance of the value of our voices and the reason we need to have a seat at and why we should fully utilize that seat. 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. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson lee, barbara lee, who have been not just been big sisters, but really anchors for me as i have navigated this interesting space of existing in an environment that wasnt really designed to consume people like us, and the works every day to invalidate our voices, our pain, and our struggle. I do appreciate our fellowships. Our kinship. Our ability to collectively fight for a more just world. I appreciate everyone who put this townhall together. And addressing the critical needs that our communities have. As many of you know, i represent the district in minnesota where george floyd lived and was murdered by the Minneapolis Police department. And as many of you know, Structural Racism is not limited to police departments. Whether it is here in minnesota or across our nation. We continue to struggle with challenges in education and juvenile justice. And in health care. Spend we, like many oftes, spend millions dollars a year to pursue an agenda of mass incarceration. At the same time, we ignore education and training opportunities in our communities. I believe that education is a basic right. All students, regardless of race deserve equal access to it. ,tudents of color, particularly boys and girls face rampant discrimination in schools. It has a lifetime of consequences. Black girls are suspended, expelled, and arrested at higher rates. Often due to discriminatory hair and dress policies. Sometimes, it is outright prejudice. These disparities fall our queer hard on brothers and sisters and students of color. 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. Dose approaches to education not help our kids get the education they need, suspension, expulsion, policing minors creates an environment where kids are being pulled out of the education and opportunity they should have. This leads to the perpetuation of racism in the education system. My sisters Ayana Pressley and Bonnie Watson coleman worked with me in introducing the act to invest over 1 million into our schools. So that we can combat these practices and hopefully ban them outright. Along with colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, we have introduced bills to create universal preschool school meals. Allocating more money for resources and teachers. Just exist innot primary schooling. People of color make up a disproportionate share of lowwage essential workers who have to keep working at Food Processing plants, grocery stores, and other workplaces despite risks to their health, as al just alluded to. We have faced higher rates of joblessness related to the coronavirus. While also suffering racialized Police Brutality and discrimination. This is why congresswoman coleman and i introduced the jobs guarantee act last week. Given the wealth gap, black students struggle with obtaining the necessary resources to attend institutions of higher education. Lack of resources to pay for college means students need to borrow more, and issues with repayment of debt lead to persistent financial constraints upon leaving school. Black students borrow more often more often, owe more money, and default more frequently on their educational loans. We have advocated for student debt cancellation. We cannot only address racism in the criminal justice system. We must address it wherever we see it. This conversation to be about us figuring out how we collectively address these systems. Thank you all for leading the charge and giving us the opportunity to hold this townhall. To have a conversation with our constituents. With that we can take some , questions. Thank you. Thank you, members. We have received a number of questions from the attendees today. I want to open it up and read some of the questions. This is open for all of the members, no specific person was mentioned. What can our communities due to to pressure the senate to vote for the George Floyd Justice act . I will start out. Can you hear me . Can you hear me . Can you hear me . You. S, we can hear this is congresswoman Sheila Jackson lee. I firmly believe as i have read it over and over again, the justice for george floyd act, this is one of the most reasoned, important, and thoughtful reimaginings of policing in america. There are many different attitudes about what should be done about police. This bill does not bar any of that thinking or any of those of the local any communities making their own decision. Through is local anyhow state and local government. But the very fact that this legislation deals directly with africanamericans who died because the policies we have now prohibited and eliminated were in place. The question to the senate at their peril is whether or not they want to block legislation that saves lives . It has consistently caused death. Andprovisions being blocked eliminated, those provisions consistently cause the death of africanamericans. Do they want to be on record of blocking such legislation and not being part of the progressive thinking of eliminating those provisions, ending racial profiling, getting a handle on 18,000 police andrtments by accreditation eliminating excessive force, not and whatescalation, happened with george floyd, not intervening . And then not giving outside entities the authority to investigate when there is no effective action locally. I believe what will be most effective is senators have to make decisions that will cast ,hem for history purposes without ceasing, that they decided to block legislation that directly resulted in the death of africanamericans. I think that is a large question for them to ask. We can as a nation to listen to 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. Engagingnish by saying in conversation and understanding is welcome, but what must be understood is that provisions in the justice and policing act have to be passed because they have to do with life and death. That is the advocacy that i think those who want to see this bill passed, those on this virtual call that is the moment , you have to engage in. Lee can i answer that, madam chair . This is barbara lee. Can you hear me . Yes, we can. Rep. Lee let me just quickly followup. I associate myself with everything congresswoman jackson lee just 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. I would suggest we need 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. Thernal mobilization and right to petition our government, and the responsibility for us to ensure that our issues are addressed at this moment through the George Floyd Justice of policing act has to be front and center on their agenda because they have to know we are holding them accountable come november and 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. I encourage you to vote. I encourage you 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 one of the ways is voting at the polls at election day. Thank you. Thank you, members. The next question we received is open as well. It reads, is there any effort to ban qualified immunity for Law Enforcement . Rep. Jackson lee if i understand the question properly, yes. Policing has modified and refocused on the element of qualified immunity so that there in at an absolute bar civilian case by police when a victim is in the Court Challenging their injury. That has happened before. Of robertt the family tolan would not mind me using that as an example. He lived, but his situation was dire when he was followed wrongly in a white neighborhood. Which was his neighborhood. When his family came out and said not only is this his house, it is his car, because of actions against his mother and father, trying 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 against the officer on the basis of qualified immunity. It came back to the court and they were limited in recovery. The justice in policing act does modify the qualified immunity with a different standard, along with 242, which gives rights to citizens, as they should have. Qualified immunity is a judicial created law. The courts decided that. They have done that for other public officials. But when life and death is involved, when you have an organization that is the only group licensed to carry a gun, and let me be very clear, we all know police, we have them in our family, we want them to go home to their family, we want citizens to go home to their family members. Qualified immunity is almost a nonstarter. In terms of any changes that might be offered because it is the key and the heart of the element of seismic change and justice. Justice in policing act because that means that all of the georgeers in floyd case would want to use that. When they actually showed a murder on the streets of america. They want to use that they are protected by qualified immunity. Nobody should be above the law. We have to have in altering and an 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 . Rep. Lee let me give you one thing we must do. That is make sure the resources are there for people who want to vote at home. They are allowed to do that. We have been attempting to put money into all of our legislation. Now it is in the heroes act which is sitting in the senate, for the Postal Service. Many of you know that this administration, for many reasons, does not want to support the Postal Service. They want to privatize it. Y also dont one original dont want Additional Resources for the Postal Service because they want to deny access to the ballot box for millions more. We have to stay vigilant. Make sure the heroes act is passed, because there are resources there to address one part of the many Voter Suppression efforts taking place throughout the country, including, and we cannot forget this, for an interference in the election. Thank you. The next question reads, how do you think the Racial Disparity governments affected decisions and the White Communities perceptions on reopening, developing treatment, vaccines, etc. . Do you think this is another opportunity for systemic racism to occur . Rep. Lee our chairwoman and the Health Task Force chair, congresswoman jackson lee, omar, members of the Congressional Black Caucus have been very focused on making sure there is a focused agenda that targets resources into the most impacted communities where people are dying at disproportionate rates. What i have learned, and i come from oakland and berkeley. When this horrific pandemic started, people called me from a very progressive district, white progressive people, and they could not understand why this was happening. Why are so many people of color and black people in particular dying from this disease . I had to deconstruct this for them. In terms of systemic racism and in terms of the structures in this country that have allowed and i think congressman al green really laid out the issues in this country that have allowed for people who have underlying conditions, because of the discrimination and the barriers to health, i had to explain all of this. I believe awareness is becoming glaring. It is unfortunate that so many people are dying from this for people to become aware of this. But 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. Which they still havent done. We have been demanding that the resources for testing, contact tracing, and followup be put into communitybased organizations. And the messages be delivered by our community. We have been demanding that the administration move forward and allow the cdc to do this. We are having major difficulties. With our own federal government. So yes, i think people are waking up to what is taking place. I still believe states do not they do not understand the nature of systemic racism and how insidious it is. And how it is manifested today as a result of the murder of mr. Floyd. Or as a result of the disproportionate number of africanamericans with the virus, dying from the virus. This is why we believe it is so this is why congresswoman jackson lee, myself, congressman al green, why we believe it is so important to keep raising these issues. The public has not come to grips with the fact that there are systemic and structural policies in this country, and attitudes, that have allowed for these tragedies to still continue in 2020. Rep. Jackson lee just a brief comment. Barbara has done a stupendous job mentioning, of course, the head of the health brain trust, as i call it, dr. Kelly, and the great work of our chair, karen bass, who gathered us together. I am on Homeland Security along with my colleague, congressman green. We have seen this over the years. I want to emphasize that we have been the only voice, the Congressional Black Caucus and individual members, of raising the issue of data. New york got hit before we even understood covid19 because of the ineffectiveness of leadership at the level of the administration. We heard about covid19 as early as october of 2019, so we should have had ppe and tests and we did not. When you talk to doctors in new york, people were dying in the projects, or public housing, preferably, because they were going to hospital Emergency Rooms with no health care and people were sending them home with aspirin or whatever else y were sedate upon with, whatever else they were sending them home with, they were infecting their relatives and Senior Citizens and people were dying. No one could understand what this was or what was going on. That is the first, i think, statement about disparities in health care and systemic racism. Because the brunt of that was falling on africanamericans and other persons of color. We still have to convince people now that this is real. And it is spreading and there are other people dying and loved ones all over. My heart goes out to, no matter who you are, that you have lost a loved one. But it is important for us to keep emphasizing the disparate treatment that deals with systemic racism and the lack of access to health care, then we must also embrace communities to say that during this time they may have to selfisolate, have their own stayathome orders. Thats why we need to pass the heroes act, to continue the unemployment, to continue the dollars needed for ppp, to continue providing 75 billion for testing and providing more money for hospitals, because we need to get ready for the surge in the fall. And we need to get ready to say to voters, your life depends on you voting safely. So wherever states are able to do mail ballots, we need to encourage that. We need to make sure you fill out the ballot because the mail ballot sitting on your Kitchen Table is not going to be helpful. Yes, covid19 has a disparate impact, but we all have to pull together, to protect our family with masks and social distancing, washing our hands, but that Civic Responsibility as well in the backdrop of people not understanding how it has impacted the descendents of enslaved africans. We have got to motivate and mobilize to vote. If you can vote by mail, vote by mail. Dont forget to vote by mail. If you have to vote in person, make sure your county government, State Government provides you every safe measure to vote. But, please, you cannot miss voting in 2020 november. Rep. Green if i may, madam chair, i would like to share a word as well. I thank my colleagues for what they have said and would associate myself with their comments. This question that has been raised today is not one that is new to me. I have had it raised to me in various venues, the question of how is knowing that there is this disparate impact upon africanamericans, latinx persons, minorities, if you will, how is this impacting the thought processes and the behavior of persons who are not from these various communities . Not a novel question, especially being asked given that we have a president who declines, refuses to wear the mask. Has had a rally with many persons who were there in attendance and they were not socially distancing and not wearing masks. The perception is developing, whether i agree with it or not, and i hope it is not the case, but the perception is developing that there are some people who believe that this is a disease that is going to pass them by while occupying the space of other people, minorities. I dont think this is a healthy concept for them to embrace, if they do. My hope is it is not being embraced. But i do think that this is why what congresswoman lee has proposed in terms of the commission, pardon me, the opportunity to have reparations explored, what congresswoman jackson lee has proposed. I have mentioned her and now let me mention barbara lee, the two lees, have proposed in terms of the commission to study these issues. The department of reconciliation that i have proposed, which would report directly to the president , a secretary of reconciliation, and it complements what my colleagues are doing. These various institutions would afford us the opportunity to explore these questions when they become pervasive. And this is a pervasive question. We do need to have a means by which we can explore, to get some empirical evidence as to whether or not behavior is being impacted because of the perception that this virus is finding africanamericans, minorities, as hosts as opposed to others. My hope is that we can get these pieces of legislation together and they can pass so we can have a Lasting Impact on opportunities to examine questions such as these. Thank you, members. We only have time for one more question, so this will be the last question. It reads, some small, blackowned businesses had trouble accessing resources and funds through the cares packages. What is the how is the cbc fighting to expand access to capital, contracts, and support for blackowned businesses . Rep. Green i will start, if i may, madam chair. Blackowned businesses necessitate the same opportunities as other businesses. When the ppp program was developed, the businesses that had accountants and lawyers, cpas, they were prepared before we could actually apply for these loans. They were ready to, on day one, get their applications in. Blackowned businesses, on the other hand, do not have the technology. Many of them do not have the cpas and accountants. Many of them are mom and pop businesses. But they should be able to access the same opportunity. As a result of our desire to make sure they have some degree of access, we have made it possible for minority banks and minority depository institutions to have an opportunity to accord, share, if you will, these opportunities through these institutions, and we have had moneys that these minority owned institutions can access so they can get the money into the hands of the minority business owners. What we are trying to do is make sure the access is available, but still, there is the need for the technology for the businesses. In fact, black banks are in need of technology. We have a black bank in houston, Unity National bank. They spent approximately 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. So my belief is that we should continue to do what we have been doing, and that is trying to find ways to have unique opportunities for persons who have a unique circumstance that has not been addressed over the years. Finally on this, i would suggest that persons who do need some of the ppp money, i would ask you to please, do not assume that it is too late to apply. You should go to the institution that you have a relationship with. If you dont, establish one. And make that application. We still have billions and billions of dollars that are allocated for ppp that have not been received, that have not been allocated to people. They are allocated for the program, but people have not accessed the money. So please do what you can to access this money. There are many more things i can say, because i sit on financial services. I could tell you about the legislation we have passed that is going to hopefully get money in the hands of the people by way of certain facilities that we are establishing. When i say passed, i mean in committee. I know time is of the essence, so i will yield to my colleagues. [no audio] congresswoman lee, you are off of mute. Rep. Lee ok, let me take this moment to thank all of you who are with us today. Because your voice, your involvement, and your clarity of purpose as it relates to how we dismantle the barriers of systemic racism that is embedded in every aspect of our country is so important. We cant do this without you and i want you to thank you for being with us. Also, to our chair, karen bass, and all of our colleagues who have been on the call excuse me let me 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 and soul of the congress, that has really been an agenda for 49 years, mind you, when the Congressional Black Caucus was 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, so thank you to all of my colleagues. One thing i would like to say in closing, that is i serve on the Appropriations Committee and the budget committee. Today, i am really pleased to say that out of the Appropriations Committee, we did move forward to remove these statues and the busts of confederate leaders and those that promoted racism and continued to promote and maintain slavery and committed acts of treason. We were able to get that out of the committee today and hopefully soon, and 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 capitol. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, just like congresswoman jackson lee on judiciary, al green on financial services, and our chair on the Judiciary Committee and foreign affairs, we look at all of these policies and initiatives from a racial lens. That always has to be added. So as a member of the Appropriations Committee, we are in the process now of looking at systemic racism, myself through the eyes of an appropriater. This years budget, i want you to know we have really refined and built support for increasing funding for restructuring so many of our federal agencies so that we can prioritize our federal funding to begin to deconstruct the systemic racism in all of the federal government and to begin to build and put resources into, for example, the National Institutes office of racial and ethnic disparities, which, of course, the president wants to zero out. We are putting more resources into hbcus and other important programs. A second chance, the reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals. That is one of our jobs, to really look at where our tax dollars are going, look at whether or not they are perpetuating the systems of systemic racism within our federal government, and, if they are, we need to reprioritize those resources and put them where we know we will have a system of government that promotes justice and fairness at its core. So thank you all very much for being with us. I want to again thank my colleagues for their remarkable work and their remarkable presence here today. And really breaking it down how this is a whole of government response, a whole of the Congressional Black Caucus response. Weve got to get hr 40 passed. We have got to get congressman al green, his departments bill passed, and we have to pass my truth and reconciliation racial healing transformation commission. All these Work Together for the good. This is something that has whose time has come, in terms of embracing what the Congressional Black Caucus has always embraced, with now 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, and to really make sure that everyone understands that black lives do matter and that we are taking that on in a big way in the Congressional Black Caucus once again. Thank you very much. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin up years before the house Small Business community on oversight of the Small Business administration and pandemic program. Live coverage begins friday at 10 30 a. M. Eastern on cspan. Attorneys month, general william barr appears before the house Judiciary Committee general oversight hearing on the justice department. On tuesday, july 20 eight, watch live coverage of the Steve Mnuchin hearing friday at 10 30 a. M. On cspan. Watch anytime on cspine cspan. Org or listen on the cspan radio app. The house incident return on monday to resume legislative business following their state work your bank over the fourth of july. The house considers the 2021 National Defense authorization act with votes expected as early as 11 30 a. M. Eastern. 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