Christian D. Menefee · TranslatePolitics.com

House of Representatives

Giving Voice to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Principles

2026-09-02

“Trump attacked DEI programs. Trump said DEI programs discriminate against White men. I don't like that. Houston's program helped minority businesses. They had evidence that minority businesses needed help. The program tried to make things more fair. But a judge said the program is unconstitutional. Now we can't help minority businesses. That's bad. Disparities still exist. But Republicans say it's reverse racism to fix them. I think that's wrong. We should address disparities. I want to help Black and Brown communities.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Jackson for setting this up and for shining a light on such an important issue. Mr. Speaker, President Trump has spent more than a year promising that he would make life more affordable for Americans, but when he took office, instead of lowering grocery bills, rent, and healthcare costs, he went straight after diversity, equity, and inclusion. He threatened private corporations that refused to give up their programs without legal action, while Vice President JD Vance even went so far as to describe these policies as discrimination against White men. That sounds ridiculous because it is, and my constituents know that. Last month, a Federal judge ruled that Houston's minority and women- owned business enterprise program is unconstitutional for considering race when awarding city contracts because of President Trump's anti-DEI policies. That program was created under the President Reagan administration because Houston had clear evidence that Black, Brown, and women-owned businesses were being left behind in city contracting. That evidence still exists today in 2026. Across industries, Black-owned businesses were consistently at a disadvantage. The goal of the program was simple: to address those barriers and give qualified businesses a fair opportunity to compete. Instead of asking why those disparities exist, we are being told that addressing them is the issue. If you look at every single metric for families in this country, whether it be annual income, wealth accumulation, or education, Black folks are behind in just about every single metric. Instead of us asking why those disparities exist and instead of us working as a government to solve those problems and address those disparities, we are now being told that it is reverse racism to address issues that come from a system that enslaved folks in this country and perpetuated inequalities and Jim Crow for much longer than that. Houston knows better. Republicans call DEI policies handouts and reverse discrimination, but we know that is not true. This is how we correct injustices that disproportionately harm Black and Brown communities like the ones I serve. That is what these programs are about, and that is a promise that is worth defending.

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House of Representatives

Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States to Require That the Supreme Court of the United States Be Composed of Nine Justices

2026-09-02

“I don't want this amendment. It would lock us at nine justices. This court takes away rights. Justices take secret gifts. The people want reform. They want term limits. They want a court that reflects them. We should use our power, not give it away. Vote no.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this constitutional amendment that would lock the number of Supreme Court Justices at nine. The more I listen to this debate, the more it is abundantly clear to me that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have no desire to use the power that was given to us under the Constitution. When President Trump starts a war in Iran, they refuse to pass a War Powers Resolution. Now I am hearing an argument that we should lock the number at nine because that is what the Supreme Court wants, but that is not how the Constitution works. The Constitution says that it is Congress that has the power to set the size of the Supreme Court. It is our call, and this has happened multiple times in the history of this country. Ask yourself, why would my colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to give that power away? Because they want to lock in this Supreme Court--this Supreme Court that has gutted voting rights, this Supreme Court that has taken away a woman's right to choose, and this Supreme Court where Justices take secret gifts and private jets and answer to absolutely nobody. Americans are asking for something in the Supreme Court. They are asking for reform. They want to see ethics reform. They want to see term limits. They want to see a Supreme Court that reflects the American people and not just the few, a small group of elites. Congress should be using its power, not giving it away. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

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House of Representatives

Take Care of America's Veterans Act

2026-07-16

“I am against this bill. It will cut money for veterans. It is bad. The government should spend more money on veterans. They should stop spending money on war instead.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose H.R. 9237, which, if we are being clear, cuts veterans' benefits. The President and my colleagues on the Republican side in Congress have no problem sending our men and women off to war, but the real measure of a nation is not just how it treats their servicemembers when they are on Active Duty. It is how it treats them when they are no longer dodging the bombs, the bullets, and the storms at sea and when they are no longer serving in war. As a Congress, we have to do right by our veterans, and this bill simply does not do it with $57 billion in cuts for disability benefits for veterans. It raises home loan refinancing fees $4 billion on veteran borrowers. Mr. Speaker, I am the son of two veterans, and we would have never purchased our first home when I was in high school were it not for a VA home assistance loan. That is to say not just for me but for so many folks across the 18th Congressional District of Texas. I keep hearing my colleagues on the other side of the aisle saying that we have to find money to offset to be able to pay for some of the other benefits in this bill. Yet, if we are pinching pennies, let's tell the President to end his war in Iran, which has cost taxpayers billions and billions of dollars. It is time for this Congress to do right by our veterans. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote against H.R. 9237.

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