Congressman Meeks' compassion and ability to collaborate are rooted in his upbringing. His family ventured north during the Great Migration from Rock Hill, South Carolina, eventually settling in East Harlem. He grew up in a public housing project and knew in his early years that he wanted to be a lawyer. He was inspired by a mother and father who worked hard to ensure that their children would have opportunities for advancement that they never did. Meeks' parents passed on to him a profound sense of social justice, commitment to community, and willingness to extend a helping hand to those in need.
Growing up in a public housing project, I was inspired by parents that worked hard to ensure better opportunities for their children than the ones they ever had. Now, as a member of Congress, I bring that inspiration each day as I work to bridge the wealth gaps across our nation and to advocate for the underrepresented voice in housing and financial matters. As such, I have introduced the American Dream Down Payment Act to help Americans achieve the dream of owning a home. This is just one example of the work I am doing every day to ensure the promises of equality of opportunity for my constituents, regardless of who they are or how they may identify.
However, housing is just one way in which racial inequities disrupt equal opportunities in our country. I am dedicated to developing measures for diversity and inclusion across a number of financial services sectors. These include, but are not limited to, credit opportunity, business ownership, stock ownership, community banking, and corporate governance. By establishing in law provisions to bridge racial gaps in wealth and opportunity, we all can continue the hard work to improve inclusivity and accountability and build a stronger economy.
I am proud to have introduced several financial services bills in the current (117th) Congress, including the following:
H.R. 1360, The American Dream Down Payment Act will assist potential homeowners by allowing them to create tax-exempt savings accounts to go towards a home down payment. This legislation would also help close the racial gap in home ownership rates by providing a new tool for Black and Brown families to save up for a home of their own.
H.R. 3861, Making FHA Work for Borrowers with Student Debt Act of 2021 requires the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to more fairly treat student loan borrowers looking to obtain an affordable mortgage through FHA’s insurance program. The bill achieves this goal by reforming FHA’s guidelines so that student borrowers – particularly those enrolled in repayment programs that lower their monthly obligations – are judged on their capacity to repay a mortgage based on what they actually pay in student loans monthly.
H.R. 1187, Corporate Governance Improvement and Investor Protection Act which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, would require public companies to annually disclose the race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and veteran status of their board directors, nominees, and senior executive officers. The amendment also creates a Diversity Advisory Group that would report on strategies to increase corporate diversity. The amendment empowers the SEC’s Office of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI) to publish triennially best practices, in consultation with an advisory council of investors and issuers, for compliance with these enhanced disclosure rules.
The immortal words of Dr. King remain true today: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. As chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, part of my job is to advocate the values of American justice – liberty, equality, freedom, and democracy – to the entire world. Yet, as I’ve seen too many times in my life and as the world saw in grueling detail last summer, the dreams of Dr. King still have not yet been realized for many in our country. As an example, gun violence is a plague in our nation, and it is my duty as your Congressman to fight for a cure. There is absolutely no reason why Americans should live in fear of being a victim of gun violence. Parents should not have to worry that their children will not come home from school because they have been murdered in their classrooms.
Furthermore, too often today the justice inequities in our country disproportionately affect our communities of color. We have seen too many black men plead that they cannot breathe to allow ourselves to remain silent. In the wake of George Floyd’s death last summer, this Congress has already drafted numerous pieces of legislation to address the injustices that African Americans and communities of color face today.
As the Congressman for New York’s 5th District, I am proud to sponsor and cosponsor several of these bills because I am committed to making our streets safer and extending the promises of the American justice system to each and every citizen. Too many lives have been cut short by weapons that have no place on our streets, and too many do people do not get the due process they deserve. However, as Dr. King’s companion and my late colleague Rep. John Lewis said, “freedom is the continuous action we all must take, and each generation must do its part to create an even more fair, more just society”. I am honored to take part in this effort with the following legislation:
H.R. 1, For the People Act of 2021 addresses voter access, election integrity and security, campaign finance, and ethics for the three branches of government by expanding voter registration and voting access.
H.R. 1280, George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 addresses a wide range of policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. It increases accountability for law enforcement misconduct, restricts the use of certain policing practices, enhances transparency and data collection, and establishes best practices and training requirements.
H.R. 55, Emmett Till Antilynching Act - would specify that an offense involving lynching is a hate crime act. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a prison term, a fine, or both.
It is my duty to provide for and protect Americans’ well-being. To me that includes ensuring your access to a healthy living environment, and to quality, affordable healthcare. In spite of impressive advancements in health, like new medical technology and the Affordable Care Act, there’s still much work to be done to bring Americans to the standard of health which they deserve.
Health is more than just our response to the coronavirus, routine vaccinations, or the costs of medications - as important as those are. Reproductive rights are a health issue. Gun control is a health issue. Addiction, homelessness, domestic violence -- these are all health issues. There is not a single moment in our lives which is not influenced by public health.
Climate change and other environmental issues pose an enormous threat to global public health. Extreme weather, crop destruction, changes to ecosystems, and the mere presence of air and water pollutants are all serious threats to people’s well-being across the globe. We must fight climate change and protect the environment like our lives depend on it, because they very much do.
Racial health disparities have only been exacerbated by the pandemic, which has disproportionately affected Black and Latino Americans. Our approach to healthcare reform must address medical and environmental racism, equitably serving those of us who have been particularly disadvantaged by the American healthcare system.
There’s no excuses for all the preventable, systemic health issues Americans currently face. Better health outcomes for all Americans are within reach. That’s why I am a proud cosponsor of several forward-thinking healthcare reform bills in the current (117th) Congress:
H.R.265, The Insular Area Medicaid Parity Act would eliminate Medicaid funding limitations for U.S. territories. As the law currently stands, U.S. territories are forced to operate their Medicaid programs under strict funding caps, jeopardizing peoples’ access to healthcare, particularly oral care. For American citizens in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, this legislation could be life-saving.
H.R. 586, The STANDUP Act of 2021 would support youth suicide prevention programs in schools. States, schools, and Tribes would receive grants in exchange for implementing screening and training policies which have been proven to prevent suicides. These grants, through Project AWARE, would promote mental health awareness in schools. Teen suicide has been increasing at an alarming rate for years, now exacerbated by the stress and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill could provide life-saving support to struggling young people across the country.
There’s no denying that immigrants have shaped America into the beautiful, diverse, and flourishing nation that it is today. However, to say our country is one of immigrants is an oversimplification. For centuries, racism and xenophobia have shaped our immigration policies - from the mass kidnapping of Africans during the slave trade, to the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, to all the issues we are facing today.
As Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I fight every day for the promotion of democracy and human rights around the world. A country that prides itself on these values has no excuse to treat newcomers the way the U.S. currently does. Seeing prohibitive legal costs, inhumane detention centers, and more, I believe our country needs to fundamentally change its treatment of immigrants and refugees. It is my duty as your elected Representative to be part of that change.
Serving NY-5 is one of the greatest honors of my life. We are one of the most diverse Congressional districts in the nation. Roughly a third of us are immigrants. For the sake of my constituents, and for others around the country and world, I am committed to reforming our immigration system to better serve the millions of people it affects. I recognize that to speak of my support for our country’s immigrants is one thing, and to take action is another. That’s why I am a proud cosponsor of several compassionate immigration bills in the current (117th) Congress:
H.R. 572, The National Office of New Americans Act would create resources for immigrants and refugees’ social, cultural, economic, and civic integration into life in the U.S. From workforce development programs, to English language learning programs, this bill would be life-changing for new Americans who so often feel overwhelmed, confused, or isolated when adjusting to life in a new country.
H.R. 536, The New Way Forward Act would reform our country’s immigration enforcement practices. This bill would end mandatory detention requirements for certain people, including asylum seekers. Among other measures, the Department of Homeland Security would be prohibited from entering or extending contracts with for-profit detention centers, while immigration judges would be instructed to impose the least restrictive detention conditions necessary for migrants.
H.R. 6, The American Dream and Promise Act would protect over 1 million people from deportation. Additionally, the 700,000 DACA recipients, 300,000 TPS holders, and 3,600 individuals with Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) affected by this bill would be given a variety of pathways to apply for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status. A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) grant program would be established to assist individuals with their applications under this bill. This bill passed the House last Congress.
Our country runs on workers, and current policies don’t reflect what people deserve. Paying the bills, keeping the lights on, saving for retirement and college: these are the tasks that Americans face every day. That is why some of the most crucial work I do as a Member of Congress relates directly to helping everyday Americans secure employment opportunities.
From nurses to cashiers, lawyers to servers, every contribution to America’s workforce is valuable and should be treated as such. There’s no excuse to pay people a wage that they can’t live on, or to pay people less because of their gender, race, or disability status. Wage equity protections and a minimum wage increase are long overdue.
We know that when workers are unionized, they are paid more, receive better benefits, and work in safer conditions. Still - union membership in America is at a historic low. We need to address loopholes which allow companies to intimidate their workers out of joining unions, while facing minimal consequences for their exploitation.
The pandemic has made pre-existing economic inequities all the more apparent. Millions lost their jobs, while essential workers risked their lives by simply going to work. Many are still unemployed and hardly anyone’s job looks the same as it did before the pandemic. As we reckon with the effects of COVID-19 on our country, we need to consider how we can better protect peoples’ jobs and livelihoods moving forward.
Almost every aspect of our lives are tied to our work, from the places we can afford to live to the amount of time we get to spend with our loved ones. Pension plans and Social Security must also be protected, so that when people are ready to retire, they know they can afford to. Americans deserve so much more than today’s labor protections. That’s why I’m proud to cosponsor several pieces of legislation to protect workers’ rights this Congress:
H.R.603, The Raise the Wage Act of 2021 would gradually raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour over the course of four years. Additionally, it would increase wages for tipped workers and for workers with disabilities. Currently, under the Fair Labor Standards Act, it is legal to pay disabled employees as little as $1 an hour. Wages have not kept up with increasing productivity these past several decades, leaving many low and moderate income families struggling.
H.R.423, The Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021 (EPPRA) would protect workers and retirees from failing multiemployer pension plans. This legislation would enable the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to partition struggling plans, and simplify application processes for plans seeking help from the PBGC. In the long-term, this will help ensure that when people are ready to collect their pensions, the money is there and ready for them.
Technological achievement and innovation has been a hallmark of the era in which we live. As an example, thinking back on my time in Congress, I can remember a time when we could not carry powerful computers in our pockets. Today, our capabilities in cyber and energy technologies are evolving at a rapid pace. Also, NASA has recently landed another rover on Mars and we are even having conversations about outer space tourism and going back to the moon in the next ten years. Just as the past decade’s technological advancements changed our world, the innovations of the next ten years will affect every aspect of our personal and professional lives.
These innovations therefore present a powerful opportunity for our society and our lawmakers, and it is one that we cannot ignore. As our best and brightest charge into uncharted innovative territories, they end up operating in areas where rules and regulations have yet to be developed. For years, the United States has been a world leader in research and development. Through this, we have been able to assert our values of freedom and democracy in the areas in which new technologies operate. The first sets of rules to govern outer space and the internet were predicated on democratic values. Nowadays, our adversaries are active in emerging technologies, and the risk is that the next big technological break will not be free or provide protections for our human rights. As Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I work hard to protect our values abroad, but time and time again I see autocrats and dictators using technological control to oppress their citizens. Autocratic regimes and other bad actors manipulate internet blackouts to cut off communications for their protesters, and they use technology to surveil and spy on their citizens as well as spread disinformation and lies.
Therefore, now more than ever, it is important for the United States to invest in our research and development in technology so that the new breakthroughs exist within a realm that honors and protects the values of the United States and its allies. It is a question of our national security, our ability to lead internationally, and the protection of our democracy and freedom around the world.
I am a proud cosponsor of several technology bills in the current (117th) Congress:
H.R.869, RISE Act of 2021 would provide supplemental funding to extend the duration of a grant to a research institution, national laboratory, or individual that was awarded prior to the enactment of this bill, or to expand the purposes of such a grant as specified, issue awards to research the effects of the current pandemic and potential future pandemics, and
provide flexibility on awards to account for facility closures or other limitations during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
H.R.849, Scientific Integrity Act, will establish certain scientific integrity policies for Federal agencies that fund, conduct, or oversee scientific research, and for other purposes.