What Danny K. Davis said, and what was done

“Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Chu for her leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I believe that you can measure the greatness of a society by how well it treats its old, how well it treats its young, and how well it treats those who have difficulties caring for themselves, through no fault of their own, yet need help from other elements of society.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mr. Eugene Williams, a dear friend and colleague, who has passed away recently. Eugene is the brother of my district director, Ms.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Emmett Louis Till. Emmett Louis Till was born July 25, 1941. I was born September 6, 1941--just forty-two days later. Had Emmett lived, he would be turning 85 years old today.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an issue that transcends politics because it is about life itself--protecting mothers, protecting babies, and protecting the healthcare that millions of American families rely on through Medicaid.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mr. Danny Crawford, who is recognized as being one of the most accomplished and respected basketball officials in the history of professional sports, having dedicated more than three decades to officiating the highest level of competition in the National Basketball Association.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 61st anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid. On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed these essential programs into law, guaranteeing that seniors, children, and families would no longer have to face a health crisis alone.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate two important efforts that connect current and former foster youth with federal policymakers--Foster Youth Shadow Day hosted by the National Foster Youth Institute in collaboration with the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, and the Foster Youth Internship Program hosted by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute in collaboration with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Caucus.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate and pay tribute to the Original Providence Baptist Church on the occasion of its 163rd Anniversary. One hundred and sixty-three years is a long time by any measurement of time; but to exist and remain functional through this period is exceptional and deserves special attention.”

“State of Illinois, to exact revenge on Governors who stood up to President Trump. The Trump administration intentionally chose to harm vulnerable families, children, small businesses, and communities in five States: namely, Illinois, California, Colorado, Minnesota, and New York, to settle a political score, and the Republicans in this House remained silent, not a word.”

“Madam Speaker, I just want to remind my colleagues that despite the rhetoric we will hear this afternoon on the floor, there is nothing in this bill that actually addresses fraud in the TANF program.”

“Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time. President Trump's economy has zero job creation.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the life and legacy of Mr. Spencer Leak, Jr., who passed away a few days ago unexpectedly at the young age of 56.”

“Alongside his parents and siblings, Spencer offered comfort and guidance during some of life's challenging times, earning the trust and admiration of families and communities throughout Chicago and beyond.”

“Youth who must enter foster care have already experienced significant trauma, and to our shame, many experience additional trauma while in our care. One of the greatest honors and greatest challenges of my service in Congress has been listening to youth who experienced foster care, learning from them, and trying to make sure we do better in the future.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the month of April as Sarcoidosis Awareness Month. Sarcoidosis is a rare inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of granulomas--tiny clumps of inflammatory cells--in one or more organs of the body.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Mr. Thomas Earl Clayton who passed away on April 8, 2026, just one month shy of his 89th birthday. Mr.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize April as Second Chance Month, a time to reflect on and celebrate the growth and successes that emerge from giving people with records new opportunities.”

“For decades, I worked to expand educational opportunities to those with criminal records, with two key bills becoming law in 2020 as part of P.L. 116-260, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Derrick Rose, an outstanding professional basketball player, whose jersey is being retired today by the Chicago Bulls. Derrick grew up on the South Side of Chicago and went to Simeon high school.”

“Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize and honor Mrs. Essie Pough, one of my constituents from Oak Park, Illinois as she prepares to celebrate her 100th birthday on February 11, 2026.”

“Mr. Speaker, as we begin 2026 with Trump and Republican policies squeezing workers, spiking costs, tanking job security, the Republican leadership advances this bill to divert money intended for poor children to dangerous anti-abortion centers.”

“Mr. Speaker, in Illinois, there are 465,000 people who depend on the Affordable Care Act to acquire health insurance. For the past several years, the majority of them have used enhanced Federal tax credits to lower the cost.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my dear friend, brother in Christ, and fellow servant of the community, Deacon Andrew Washington, who departed this life on November 14, 2025.”

“Madam Speaker, I rise to express condolences to Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton and her family on the passing of her father, Dr. Henry Wiggins, a renowned physician, military veteran, and health activist.”

“Mr. Speaker, I got this note this morning from a constituent of mine who said: ``Dear Congressman Davis, I wish you were voting to extend the tax credits for healthcare today.”

“Mr. Speaker, the President and the Congressional Republicans have passed a bill, the Big Ugly Bill and signed into law on July 4, 2025 that would cut more than 1.5 trillion dollars toward investing in our families, children, and seniors' healthcare.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to express congratulations to my dear cousin Cora and her wonderful husband Floyd, on the occasion of their 65th wedding anniversary. Sixty-five years is a long time, but when you can spend them with one person sharing every moment the time becomes more and more precious as the days go by.”

“Vaughn (Uncle Dude) and my mother Mazzie Lee Davis were brother and sister. Our families worshipped together, and visited each other's homes. Cora and I were classmates in school and graduated from high school together.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Henry W. Wiggins, Jr., a physician, honorable veteran, civic leader, and social activist. Dr. Henry W. Wiggins, Jr. was born on March 18, 1933, in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, to Henry and Janie Wiggins.”

“Mr. Speaker, December 4, 1969 is a part of history that many Chicagoans would like to forget especially the family and friends of Fred Hampton, Sr., who was killed by Edward Hanrahan Cook County States Attorney and his band of police raiders in an apartment on W.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the U.S. Post Office as one of the Nation's most enduring institutions and the role it has played in keeping our Nation states federal government responsible for providing postal service in the United States.”

“Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of the United States Postal Service and the over 500,000 dedicated career employees that work for one of America's most trusted and fundamental democratic institutions.”

“Church to the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, and the United States of America. Since our Nation's inception, Greek Orthodox Christians have been an integral part of the American experience.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and commemorate the extraordinary service and enduring legacy of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, known with pride and reverence as the Six Triple Eight.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition and can never vote for this big, bad, inhumane, and ugly bill because it will wreck healthcare delivery. It takes food from hungry children.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition and could never vote for this Big, Bad, Inhumane, and Ugly bill because it will wreck health care delivery, take food from hungry children, sentence seniors to early deaths, eliminate jobs, and destabilize our economy just to give the super rich and wealthy more influence, more power, more wealth.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that affirmed marriage equality nationwide on June 26, 2015.”

“Mr. Speaker, June is Gun Violence Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about gun violence and its devastating impact on our citizens and Nation. It is a time to honor the lives of those tragically taken due to gun violence, to recognize that gun violence inflicts trauma and tragedy on individuals, families, and communities, and to advance effective gun violence prevention efforts.”

“Mr. Speaker, Representative Charlie Rangel was a dear friend and mentor of mine. He was very engaged and responsible for writing the Affordable Care Act and getting it passed.”

“Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and its administrators, teachers, staff, parents, and especially students. Whitney M.”

“Mr. Speaker, Margaret Wolfe Hungerford said: ``Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.'' I behold no beauty in cutting and seeing cut the heart out of healthcare in America.”

“Mr. Speaker, government should help people, not harm them. Government should aid the vulnerable in asking for help, not exclude them from assistance with excessive barriers only to lavish the wealthy with trillions.”

“Mr. Speaker, the Good Book teaches us to care for the least among us. In medicine, we vow to do no harm. Yet, the Republican budget plan inflicts suffering on the least among us to lavish riches on the wealthiest and most secure.”

“Mr. Speaker, my constituent, Debra, has this to say about Medicaid, and I agree. She says: It is absolutely essential. She adopted two medically fragile children from foster care.”

“Mr. Speaker, I am deeply concerned by President Trump's chaotic, contradictory, and harmful trade policy that affect American families and my state of Illinois. His emergency powers to impose tariffs have disrupted business and commerce to operate successfully during a time of inconsistent policy initiatives with major trading partners like Canada, China, and Mexico.”

“Mr. Speaker, as a policymaker and citizen, I unconditionally and absolutely reject President Trump's and Elon Musk's work to steal American's Social Security benefits, a scheme that hurts middle-class and working-class families and seniors to pay for tax handouts to billionaires.”

“Mr. Speaker, Henry Peter Brougham once said, ``Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern but impossible to enslave.'' The Trump Administration's deliberate evisceration of education--from preschool to higher education--is a dangerous attack on our democracy that will damage our people, communities, and country.”

“Mr. Speaker, H.R. 997 is a commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation and is the product of a recommendation made by the Taxpayer Advocate. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge its passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.”

“Extending the statute of limitations without a Senate-confirmed nonpartisan inspector general and without any guardrails limiting the extension to serious criminals could put every American who lost their job during the pandemic at risk of harassment and accusations of fraud.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 579, the Recruiting Families Using Data Act. This legislation is a good example of Congress doing the work our constituents sent us here to do.”

“Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this good bill to help ensure that children in foster care are in safe, appropriate homes. I further urge my colleagues to work with us to stop these indiscriminate, illegal layoffs and funding cuts which threaten to undermine the good bipartisan work we have done on behalf of vulnerable children.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a dear friend, great vocalist, entertainer, outstanding civic and community leader, and a solid member for many years of the Cook County Board of Commissioners with a primary focus on healthcare, Jerry Butler.”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 33, the United States-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act. This bill represents a bilateral tax agreement that prevents doubling taxation on U.S. and Taiwanese businesses and workers.”