Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise with an extremely heavy heart to pay tribute to the life of our beloved Anne Louise Taylor who passed away last week.

Words cannot really express my sadness as we mourn Anne's untimely death. She served as my district director for more than 5 years, but more importantly, she was a trusted and loving friend.

Anne's contributions to the residents of the East Bay were enormous. With true compassion and commitment, she touched the lives of thousands of people. Prior to joining my office, Anne's accomplished public career included working for California Assembly Member and California State Board of Equalization Member Johan Klehs; was district director for Assembly Member Ellen Corbett; and was head of government relations at California State East Bay during the administration of President Mo Qayoumi.

Not only was she a true public servant and a phenomenal woman, but she was deeply passionate about her community of Alameda, California, where she attended high school and loved the Fourth of July parade and the Alameda Point Antique Faire.

Our deepest condolences from my office, my community, and my staff. Our condolences go out to Anne's two exceptional daughters, Eleanore and Grace Guenon, and to her entire family, whom she loved deeply.

Our thoughts and our prayers are with them during these very difficult days. May her spirit continue to soar and her memory stay very close to our hearts. She touched so many lives. We know that her soul is resting in peace.

I want to thank the gentleman for yielding and for your tremendous support and leadership on behalf of the majority of the American people in our country.

Mr. Chair, I rise, of course, in strong opposition to this very reckless Republican budget. This is yet another Republican messaging document masquerading really as a budget resolution. Once again, Republicans have brought forth a budget that slashes the programs that keep the poorest and most vulnerable Americans healthy, working, and with food on the table.

Under this cruel plan--and, yes, it is a cruel plan--seniors on Medicare would see their payments for services and prescriptions skyrocket. We would see an end to the Medicare guarantee as we know it.

By converting SNAP to a block grant program, Republicans, once again, seek to balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable by cutting our Nation's first line of defense, and that is hunger. Between cuts and policy changes, this budget would cut $137 billion in SNAP benefits over 10 years--$40 billion wasn't enough.

And at the same time that our Nation is facing the greatest income inequality since the Great Depression, this Republican budget would protect some of the most outrageous tax breaks and loopholes for the wealthiest millionaires, billionaires, and Big Oil companies. That is right. Once again, this plan really wreaks havoc on the poor and the middle class, who really pay the price so that my colleagues across the aisle can claim a balanced budget.

Sadly, it does not stop there. While the Republican budget continues to keep the American Dream out of reach for the poor, it would increase spending, mind you, for the already bloated Pentagon budget and continue the Overseas Contingency Operations slush fund, which is really paying for wars hopefully in the future that won't exist. We simply cannot continue to write a blank check for spending on war if we are to ever have a chance of getting our fiscal house in order.

We can't do this to America's struggling families and the working poor. Republicans claim they want to eliminate poverty, and, yes, we are holding this debate. Finally, it has become a national debate. We are debating poverty and how to make sure people find pathways out of poverty. Yet just read this budget. It is a pathway into poverty.

Yes, I said a pathway. And thank you, Mr. Van Hollen, because we have looked at this budget and looked at how it will create more poverty. So it is a pathway into poverty.

Budgets are moral documents. They reflect our values. So the underlying values in the Ryan budget really do not reflect who we are as Americans, believing that we really are our brothers' keepers and we really are our sisters' keepers.

So I urge Members to reject this Republican budget and instead support the budget proposals presented by the Democratic Caucus, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and the Congressional Black Caucus. We need a budget that puts Americans back to work.

I just want to conclude by saying we need a budget, and all three of the budgets that I just mentioned put Americans back to work. They invest in our future, they protect the safety net, and they work to reignite the American Dream for all. This budget does just the opposite. So I hope that all of us will vote ``no'' on the Ryan budget.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Keith Carson for his extraordinary career in public service. Mr. Carson is currently a member of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors for District 5, where he has served his constituents with dedication.

A proud Berkeley native, Mr. Carson graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor of arts in social sciences. He went on to receive his master's degree in public administration from California State University, Hayward. Mr. Carson served as an aide for Congressman Ronald V. Dellums for 14 years before holding public office.

During his tenure on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, Mr. Carson has promoted and continues to promote many beneficial programs for youth in Alameda County. Among these, Mr. Carson initiated the Family Journeys/Youth Ancestry Project in partnership with McClymonds High School, Berkeley Technical High School, Beyond Emancipation, the African American Genealogical Society and the staff at the Family History Center at the Mormon Temple. The Ancestry project is a semester long research project with the aim to spark conversations between youth, their parents, and other family members. Furthermore, Mr. Carson spearheaded a pilot youth bus pass program in 2001, providing AC Transit passes for all students in grades 6 through 12 who qualified for free and reduced lunch in the county.

Mr. Carson has also been at the forefront of the fight to improve health services in Alameda County. One example, Alameda County's Place Matters is an initiative designed to improve the health of communities by addressing the social conditions that lead to poor health. In addition, he pushed for the Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services to develop an African American Utilization Study to determine which behavioral health care services in Alameda County African Americans utilize in an effort to better serve the population.

Mr. Carson is keenly committed to community leadership, serving as chairman of several Alameda County committees and organizations. He currently sits on the Board for the Alameda County East Bay Economic Development Alliance, one of the largest business organizations serving the East Bay Area. Mr. Carson is also the Chairman of the Alameda County Budget Work Group and is a member of the Alameda County Transportation Commission. Moreover, he represents the Alameda Board of Supervisors in State and national organizations, including the Board of Directors for the California State Association of Counties and the National Association of Counties.

Throughout his prolific career, Mr. Carson has been praised for his commitment and contributions to the community. He has worked tirelessly to enhance the lives of the community he serves through public service and raising awareness on critical social issues.

It is a privilege to call Keith one of my closest personal friends. We have traveled to Cuba, Africa, and Asia together and have shared many unique experiences in learning about the world and our responsibilities as global citizens. As our beloved, the late Supervisor John George instructed us--think locally, act globally. Keith's life is the epitome of that wisdom. As a longtime friend, Keith not only supports my work as an elected official, but constantly checks in with me to remind me of the importance of work-life balance, whether it's taking time to rest, exercise, eat properly, and spend time with my family. He cares deeply about my personal well being given the 24/7 nature of my work and for that, my family and I are deeply grateful.

On behalf of the residents of California's 13th Congressional District, Mr. Keith Carson, I salute you. I thank you for a lifetime of service and congratulate you on your many achievements. I wish you continued success as you serve the residents of the East Bay.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in calling for a vote on comprehensive immigration reform. We have bipartisan legislation that has the support of the American people and the votes needed to pass the House.

Our system has been broken for far too long. In my own district, there are heart-wrenching stories of families who came here for a chance at the American Dream only to have been torn apart and separated.

Not only is comprehensive immigration reform morally right, it is the right thing to do for our economy. Also, the Congressional Budget Office this week found that passing H.R. 15 would reduce the deficit by $900 billion over the next two decades. The economic benefits are clear.

Now is the time to pass a fair immigration plan which provides a pathway to citizenship, reunites families, and helps grow our economy. The Senate passed immigration reform last year. Now the House must act. We have the votes. Let's do it now.

Let me first thank you, Representative Horsford and Congressman Jeffries, for organizing the Congressional Black Caucus' Special Order. You have really shown tremendous leadership and consistency and have been working so hard on behalf, not only of your constituents, but for the entire country and especially for the CBC.

Let me just thank, while she is here, our phenomenal chair, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, for her leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus.

As we celebrate women's history and trailblazing women, we celebrate them for their courage, character, and commitment. That is our 2014 Women's History Month theme.

So I am so proud that we have a chairwoman who exhibits all three of these characteristics. Thank you for standing strong and for leading the Congressional Black Caucus on so, so many fronts. Thank you and congratulations.

Let me just say that I agree with Congressman Horsford when you say, each month--each day, really--we should always celebrate women's history; though in March, we, again, take a moment to recognize really the triumphs of women throughout the course of history and to mark how far we have come, but also to recognize that there is much work to be done.

Now, let me just start by mentioning the phenomenal and beautiful 89- year-old woman, Mildred Massey, who of course is my role model. She raised three girls in segregated El Paso, Texas, until desegregation and, at one point, worked three jobs to help take care of her family.

We lived in a multigenerational household and, until his death, was her father's--W.C. Parrish, my grandfather--primary caregiver while working and taking care of her girls.

She taught me at an early age that girls and women are born equal to boys and men and to never forget that and to always fight for equality and justice. That was a given in our household.

I would not be where I am had it not been for my mother and also for many incredible fighters like my mother who came before me in the public arena. I would like to take a moment to honor three women in particular, in addition to my mother, whose shoulders we stand on: Bessie Coleman, Dr. Dorothy Height, and, of course, Shirley Chisholm.

Bessie Coleman, as she was quoted, refused to take ``no'' for an answer. Although she dreamed of becoming a pilot, no flight school in the United States would accept her simply because she was a woman and because she was Black, but she refused to take ``no'' for an answer. She enrolled in flight school in France and became the only woman and the only person of color in her class in Paris. She soon became the first African American woman pilot and the first American of any race to hold an international pilot's license.

Several weeks ago, a portion of Airport Drive at the Oakland International Airport, in my district, was renamed ``Bessie Coleman Drive.'' It was such an inspiration to be part of this dedication ceremony because she, of course, was from or worked in Oakland, and really went to many of her classes and learned a lot about piloting in Oakland, California.

Another great woman who refused to take ``no'' for an answer was our beloved and great doctor, Dorothy Height. Let me just say how fortuitous it is that today is Dr. Height's birthday. She was a bold and brilliant African American woman who blazed many trails and opened many doors to the American Dream for women and people of color.

From her stewardship as the national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority--of whom I know our chair, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty are proud members--to her leading the National Council of Negro Women for 41 years and to her more than 60 years at the YWCA, which she was responsible for desegregating, Dorothy Height dedicated her life to achieving racial equality and securing women's rights. Dr. Height was especially committed to empowering women and girls, and worked to ensure that Black women's issues were equally addressed. She was

also dedicated to helping women work towards full employment, pay, and education.

I remember when Dr. Height turned, I believe it was, 90 years old. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus honored her at a luncheon here on Capitol Hill. She really gave us more background and knowledge and information during that luncheon as to how those following behind her needed to really focus on the fact that, yes, when women succeed, America succeeds. Dorothy Height was a true leader for all women not only in our own country but throughout the world.

In the seventies, Women's History Month was little more than an idea. As this idea was taking formation, Shirley Chisholm, a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, had only recently made history by becoming the first African American woman elected to Congress. I was a student at Mills College in the early seventies when Mrs. Chisholm again made history by becoming the first African American woman and the first African American to run for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Although she did not win the nomination, her campaign inspired thousands, myself included, to use their voices and to speak up through the ballot box. She blazed the trail for, of course, our Nation's first great President, President Barack Obama.

Throughout her congressional career, the unbought and unbossed Mrs. Chisholm continued her fight against discrimination in all forms and championed issues for women and their families. She was a strong voice for domestic workers and led the fight to give them the right to a minimum wage. This was way back in the day, but we are still struggling and fighting for many of those issues. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm was instrumental, along with the first Asian Pacific American, our beloved Congresswoman Patsy Mink, in passing title IX, which prohibits discrimination in the funding of education programs. She was also a fierce advocate for the Affordable Child Care Act. There is no doubt that the 16 African American women in Congress today are truly standing on the strong, strong shoulders of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm.

After years of trying, I am pleased that we were finally able to secure a postage stamp in her honor. Just last month, I was joined by Leader Pelosi in my district for the west coast unveiling of the United States Postal Service's Black Heritage stamp as a small token of our thanks while Congressmen Jeffries and Rangel and Congresswoman Clarke had the privilege to unveil the beautiful stamp in Shirley Chisholm's former district in Brooklyn, New York.

So 101 years after women marched in Washington, D.C., for the right to vote, women are still fighting to break down barriers. It is really a disgrace that in 2014, despite making up 50 percent of our workforce, women still make, on average, 77 cents for every dollar a man makes. Even worse, African American women are making only 64 cents and Latinas only 55 cents for every dollar a White man makes. The point is that working women are paid less for the same work as men. This is wrong and it is discriminatory. What is more, child care remains unaffordable; quality, affordable education remains out of the reach of far too many women; and pregnancy discrimination continues. Again, this is simply unacceptable.

That is why the Democratic women of the House, including the women of the CBC, under the leadership of Nancy Pelosi and Donna Edwards and Doris Matsui and Rosa DeLauro, have launched When Women Succeed, America Succeeds, and are championing an economic agenda for women and families, one which our President supports.

Finally, let me just quote from my dear friend, our beloved Shirley Chisholm. She once said: I want to be remembered as a woman who dared to be a catalyst for change.

There is no doubt that she was.

As we honor heroines like my mother, Shirley Chisholm, Dorothy Height, Bessie Coleman, and so many others in our districts who fight each and every day with little resources to make our communities better, let us remember that, yes, when women succeed, America succeeds. Also, as I said at the United Nations very recently at the Commission on the Status of Women, when women succeed, the world becomes a more just and a more equitable place.

Thank you for your leadership.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Congressional Women's Working Group on Immigration Reform I rise to support the women in my district and around the country who are fasting for a vote on reform legislation.

Mr. Speaker, our system has been broken for far too long and now is the time to fix it.

Every day hardworking women all over America are living in fear that they will be separated from their family. They have been systematically left out of the programs that their tax dollars help support.

That is why I am proud to have joined Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham to introduce the HEAL Act that would guarantee access to safety net programs like Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Mr. Speaker, instead of bringing up bills to create jobs and grow the economy, Republicans continue to play political games--bringing up GOP message bills to nowhere.

It is time to pass comprehensive immigration reform. It is time to pass an extension of Unemployment Insurance.

We have the votes. Let's do it now.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for rollcall votes 55-56. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall votes 55 and 56.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the exceptional life of Ms. Elaine Pomeroy McKellar, devoted wife, mother, sister, friend and colleague. With her passing on January 8, 2014, we look to the outstanding quality of her life's work to improve the social welfare of individuals and families as well as the countless lives she touched over the course of her career in social work and advocacy.

Born on August 3, 1944 in Thomasville, Georgia, she and her family moved to Valley City, North Dakota following World War II, where she grew up with her three younger siblings Linda, Earl, and Glenn. Mrs. McKellar received her Bachelor of Science in Social Work from the University of North Dakota, and obtained her Masters in Social Work (MSW) at the Washington University in St. Louis.

After completing her studies, Mrs. McKellar headed to the San Francisco Bay Area determined to work in the progressive political climate and change-oriented environment. While she walked on the front lines advocating for fair wages and walking a picket line for the United Farm Workers, she met her husband Larry McKellar. They had one son, Dominic McKellar.

She started her career off in the 1970s at Catholic Social Services in San Francisco. She primarily worked on foster care services and with youth transitioning out of the foster care system. She later went to the Children's Home Society as the Coordinator of Emergency Foster Care Family and recruitment, a non-profit agency serving children and families through critical child welfare services.

In the late 1980s, Mrs. McKellar's career took her to Bay View Hunters Point Foundation, where she helped to implement elementary school mental health programs with her experience and expertise in social welfare. Following her experience at the Bay View Hunters Point Foundation, Mrs. McKellar worked at the UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion through a Robert Wood Johnson grant and provided critical mental health services to children victimized by domestic violence.

In April 2005, Mrs. McKellar came to work in my Oakland District Office. While initially starting as a part-time caseworker, she quickly rose to become the Senior Caseworker managing the casework services. She had spent the past 8 years providing outstanding constituent services to the residents of the 13th Congressional District. Mrs. McKellar's experience as a social worker was an asset to my office, as her institutional knowledge and expertise in social welfare easily allowed her to work closely with federal agencies and handle sensitive situations with the upmost professionalism and ease. She was committed to ensuring that my constituents received timely responses from agencies, often going above and beyond what was required.

Mrs. McKellar worked closely with veterans and constituents with issues relating to Social Security and Medicare. Her many contributions to the office have not gone unnoticed. For 5 years, she was responsible for organizing An Artistic Discovery, an annual Congressional high school art competition aimed at encouraging students to express themselves through the arts. Mrs. McKellar worked tirelessly to build relationships with high school art teachers and community stakeholders, which helped to successfully grow the event. In 2012 and 2013, Mrs. McKellar worked closely with staff from Congresswoman Jackie Speier's office to host the Veterans' Fix-It Event, an event to address the backlog in veterans' claims and cases with the Oakland VA Regional Office.

On a personal note, Elaine was an exemplary example of a public servant. She demonstrated the highest ethical standards and truly embodied the social work code of ethics in all aspects of her life. She will be deeply missed.

Today, California's 13th Congressional District salutes and honors an outstanding individual and dedicated public servant, Mrs. Elaine Pomeroy McKellar. Her invaluable service to improving the lives of the underrepresented and underserved will live on in the endless legacy of her life's work. I offer my sincerest condolences to her many loved ones, friends and colleagues she touched over the course of her incredible life. May her soul rest in peace.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of Minister Rhonda White-Warner, a former minister and a social activist. Known throughout the Bay Area as a scholar, teacher, activist, preacher, and as a dedicated mother and grandmother, Minister White-Warner has left an indelible mark on our community. With her passing on January 15, 2014, we look to the outstanding quality of her life's work and the inspiring role she played in many lives through her community activism and as a spiritual leader.

Born and raised in Oakland, Minister Rhonda White-Warner's passion for helping people began at a young age. After graduating from Oakland Technical High School in 1969, she received her Masters of Divinity from the American Baptist Seminary of the West, graduating with the highest GPA in her class and advancing to candidacy for a Doctor of Ministry degree at the San Francisco Theological Seminary. Minister White-Warner graduated with honors and received the Jessie Drexler Award for outstanding competency in Biblical Studies.

Minister Rhonda White-Warner had a profound sense of dedication to helping the people in her community. As HIV/AIDS began to take its toll on the community, she knew it was important for faith based groups to step up and take action. She helped to establish the East Bay HIV Faith Collaborative. This collaborative is comprised of a group of HIV/AIDS advocates who educate and provide tools to African American Faith leaders. Aside from managing programs for HIV/AIDS, Minister White- Warner also worked to address domestic violence and mental health services.

Minister White-Warner also appreciated and promoted the arts. During the 1990s, she published a monthly magazine called Tibbets. This publication served to promote African American arts. Later, she became a founding member of the Oakland Ensemble Theatre in 1993, which established itself as the sole professional theater company in Oakland.

Minister Rhonda White-Warner has left a lasting imprint on our society and communities of faith. She was a charter member of the Womanist Symposium Project at the Graduate Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California. This project engages womanist theology within the context of Black women in the local church setting. Their mission is to energize African American women to live positively and productively, as well as to empower and liberate African American women in the context of biblical scripture.

Today, California's 13th Congressional District salutes and honors an outstanding individual and social activist, Minister Rhonda White- Warner. As an Oakland-native, Minister White-Warner's efforts have truly paved the way for minorities and impacted so many lives throughout the nation. I join all of Rhonda's loved ones in celebrating her incredible life. She will be deeply missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of Morris ``Morrie'' Turner, former cartoonist for the Oakland Tribune. Known throughout the Bay Area and the Nation by his cartoon strip ``Wee Pals,'' Mr. Turner has left an indelible mark on our national discourse. With his passing on January 25, 2014, we look to the outstanding quality of his life's work and the inspiring role he played in breaking racial barriers as the first nationally syndicated African American cartoonist.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Rosy Chu for her extraordinary career in television and community affairs on the occasion of her retirement. Ms. Chu is retiring after more than forty-two years of dedicated service with KTVU FOX 2 and KICU TV36, where she has served as Director of Community Affairs and Public Service since 1989.

A proud San Francisco native, Ms. Chu graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Communication Arts. She was one of the first women of Asian descent to work in the television industry, and was the first Asian American woman to host and produce a regularly scheduled talk show in the San Francisco Bay Area. She began her career with KTVU FOX 2 in 1971 as a secretary in the art department before moving on to a number of producer roles. From 1985 to 1988, Ms. Chu was the Producer of ``2 at Noon,'' which was the first newscast outside The Ten O'Clock News on KTVU FOX 2. She became the Director of Community Affairs and Public Service in 1989.

During her tenure at KTVU FOX 2, Ms. Chu has served as an ambassador for the station and has been a tremendous asset to the community. She has assisted non-profit agencies, service organizations and community interest groups in obtaining access to media to roll out key messages on social needs and issues. Ms. Chu reached a broad constituency through hosting and producing ``Bay Area People,'' a long-running and award winning public affairs program featuring educational and community issues. Ms. Chu has also traveled throughout California, China and Australia, allowing her to meet with diverse members of communities to host and produce a number of documentaries.

Ms. Chu is keenly committed to community leadership. She joined Asians in Mass Media and the National Asian American Telecommunications early in the start of her career. Ms. Chu served on the founding Board of Directors for the San Francisco Chapter of the Asian American Journalist Association, in addition to being the first Asian American on the Board of Governor's for the San Francisco Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In 2005, Ms. Chu was inducted into the exclusive Silver Circle Club of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences, Northern California Chapter.

She has also earned myriad accolades, including eight nominations and one award from the Northern California Emmy Awards. She has been recognized by numerous community groups and national organizations including: the Take a Bigger Role Life Savers Video Excellence Award; the National Association of Broadcaster's Children's Television Award; the New York Film and Video Festival Awards;

California School Boards Foundation Documentary Media Award; the California Teachers' Association Media Excellence Awards and American Women in Radio and Television.

In 2010, Ms. Chu was recognized by the Asian American Journalist Association's Honor Roll of Asian American Pioneers in Journalism as one of the first Asian American public affairs producer-hosts and managers in United States television. She was awarded the ``2012 Powerful Women of the Bay'' by the Black Women Organized for Political Action.

Throughout her prolific career, Ms. Chu has been praised for her commitment and contributions to the community and to KTVU FOX 2 and KICU TV36. She has worked tirelessly in building community outreach and enhancing the lives of the community she serves through advocacy and raising awareness on critical social issues.

On behalf of the residents of California's 13th Congressional District, Ms. Rosy Chu, I salute you. I thank you for a lifetime of service and congratulate you on your many achievements. I wish you and your loved ones all the very best as you transition to this exciting new chapter of life.

Let me first thank you, Congresswoman Beatty, for those very humbling remarks, for your tremendous leadership, and for the work that you do each and every day not only for the people of your district but for the people and the women and the children and families in the entire country.

I just have to say that you have certainly hit the ground running here in Washington, D.C. I think you have because of your life's work in Ohio, and what you have done in Ohio as an elected official and how you have just charted the course for so many issues for so many women. Thank you for leading us tonight.

Also, Congresswoman Kelly, I want to thank you for organizing this Special Order and also for being such a champion for women and children and your district in Illinois.

Again, I have been here now for probably eight terms. You all have just arrived. I just want to thank you. It is really an honor to work with you.

Congresswoman Beatty, you earlier mentioned the President's quote. I want to mention once again what he said during the State of the Union because I think it is important to make sure that the country continues to hear that the President understands when women succeed, America succeeds, and he is leading the charge in the White House for that, in terms of his leadership.

Today, women make up about half of our workforce, but they still make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. That is wrong, and in 2014, it is embarrassment.

So thank you again, Congresswoman Beatty, for reiterating the President's quote, because we can't forget that he truly is supportive of our overall agenda.

It is simply unacceptable that women are still being paid 77 cents for every dollar that a man makes. African American and Latina women are being paid even less, at 64 cents and 50 cents, while doing the same work as men.

That is why our Democratic women of the House, under the leadership of Congresswomen Nancy Pelosi, Donna Edwards, and Doris Matsui, along with all of us, have launched the ``When Women Succeed, America Succeeds campaign.

In drawing attention to the need for a true economic agenda for women and families in D.C., we all have been hosting a series of events in our districts across the country, and we are hearing the same thing. Congresswomen Kelly and Beatty, myself, Congresswoman Fudge from Ohio, are all hearing the same thing.

Saturday, I was really thrilled and honored to have been joined by Leader Pelosi at my event in Oakland. I was also joined by former Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, who so courageously told her story as a former public assistance recipient needing affordable child care and a good-paying job as a bridge over her troubled waters.

Also at this event I was joined by two of my constituents, Clarissa and Irma, who shared their struggle of trying to take care of their family.

Clarissa told us about her struggle as a single parent. When budget cuts caused her to lose the subsidy that she received to pay for child care, she was forced to pull her son, Xavier, out of preschool and resign from her job to care for him during the day. Xavier started kindergarten unprepared and is now in his second year, catching up with his peers. It is very difficult.

Clarissa is an unbelievable mother. So Xavier is going to make it, and he is going to be a true leader because of Clarissa, who is working each and every day to make sure he catches up. This didn't need to happen if she had affordable child care.

Also, it reminded me of when I was in college with my two sons. I always say they were the two best educated children under 3 years of age. They were college-educated under 3 years because I had to take them to class with me while a student at Mills College because I could not afford child care.

Child care is so critical to the success of women. When women succeed, America succeeds.

Let me tell you about Irma. She is a single mother and a restaurant worker, a low-wage worker. She shared her experience with pregnancy discrimination. There was not a dry eye in the room.

Irma, like so many women, became pregnant, and her manager reduced her work hours from 40 hours a week to less than 30 hours a week. He assigned her difficult tasks. You know why he did? To try to get her to resign. They had her doing work that she would never be allowed to do if her doctor had known that they were requiring her to do that.

After assigning her a particularly difficult task when she was 8 months pregnant, Congresswomen Beatty and Kelly, do you know what her manager told her? He said, Well, if it's so hard, then why go to work? Why go to work?

So Irma's story is the story of so many of our constituents.

It also reminded me, as my colleagues have mentioned, of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the first African American women elected to Congress. She was fighting when she was here in Congress for pay equity for domestic women. She was fighting for affordable child care and for education.

Congresswoman Chisholm was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. She was someone that many of us looked up to. Her passion for the plight of working poor and women was undeniable.

Leader Pelosi and myself unveiled the Shirley Chisholm Black History stamp on Saturday during our panel discussion. It was just an amazing moment because of all the people in that room. There were 500 of my constituents; young people, middle age, old people. My 89-year-old mother and my two sisters were there. People really understood when women succeed, America succeeds, and the fight that Shirley Chisholm mounted for that.

In Brooklyn, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke serves in the spirit of Shirley Chisholm. She and Congressmen Jeffries, Rangel, Meeks, and Kelly had the privilege to unveil Shirley Chisholm's stamp in Brooklyn.

Once again, the message of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm that when women succeed, America succeeds, is so relevant and so current today. So the principles of our women's economic agenda which we are discussing tonight resonates throughout our country, like raising the minimum wage. I just have to reference low-wage workers. The majority are women and women of color.

Also, affordable, quality child care and paid family medical leave. Again, I mentioned my mother, a phenomenal woman who raised three young girls. Paid family medical care for not only our children but our elders, our senior citizens. It is so important that people know that they can care for their family members during their golden years, as well as their children.

Pay equity and closing the gap in terms of the statistics we cited earlier. All of these efforts that we are mounting here in Congress, hopefully we will have bipartisan support for raising the minimum wage in this overall agenda.

All of this means that when women succeed, America succeeds. The success of women is truly central and integral to the success of our country as a great democracy which stands for liberty and justice for all.

So thank you again, Congresswomen Beatty and Kelly, for organizing this tonight.

I have to close by just saying Congressman Shirley Chisholm was a true Delta woman. She was the epitome of a Delta woman, and so this week, once again, saluting Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and our overall women's agenda is so timely and so profound. Thank you again for this moment.

Mr. Speaker, I was not present for rollcall Votes 24 and 25. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on both.

Madam Speaker, here we go again. Instead of working with President Obama and Democrats to create jobs, economic opportunities, and fight poverty, extreme Tea Party Republicans are at it again, attacking women's health care and reproductive rights. Yes, it is another battle in the war on women.

Instead of working together to extend unemployment benefits, here we are today debating another dangerous and divisive attempt to strip away the rights of women.

Madam Speaker, Congress currently imposes unfair limitations on insurance coverage of abortion and, through the Hyde amendment, that is a fact, even though I personally think we should get rid of all these restrictions.

Yet this bill, H.R. 7, creates an unprecedented interference in the lives of women and their families by restricting coverage for women's health in private insurance plans.

It specifically attacks low-income women in the District of Columbia by permanently, mind you, permanently prohibiting the District from spending

its purely local funds on abortions for low-income women.

How many of you would want the Federal Government to restrict your funding in your local districts for any health care benefits for women?

It codifies the harmful Helms amendment. Enough is enough.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement into the Record in support of extending unemployment insurance for 1.6 million Americans instead of this radical Republican assault on women's health care rights.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

Currently, Congress imposes unfair limitations on insurance coverage of abortions through the Hyde amendment for low-income women, which should be, quite frankly, repealed. Today, Republicans are asking us to go even further--to create an unprecedented interference in the lives of women and their families by restricting coverage for women's health in private insurance plans.

Instead of working together to extend unemployment benefits for the more than 1.3 million unemployed Americans, here we are debating another dangerous and divisive attempt to strip away the rights of women, instead of creating economic opportunity and jobs. Here you go again, attacking women's health care, not to mention that this bill singles out an attack on low-income women in the District of Columbia by permanently prohibiting the District from spending its own locally raised funds on abortions for low-income women. You would not want us

to restrict anything in your districts where privately raised local funds are used.

This is just another battle in the war on women. It has got to stop. We must stop these attacks on women's health.