Brenda L. Lawrence

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give my farewell speech on the floor of the House of Representatives.

It has been the honor of my lifetime to represent Michigan's 14th Congressional District for the past 8 years.

A few months ago, I announced that my family and I made this remarkable, tough decision that this will be my last term serving as a Member of Congress. For 8 years, I have been given an amazing opportunity, an opportunity to serve and walk the Halls of Congress, and I have enjoyed every minute of this journey.

I am deeply grateful to the people of the 14th District in southeast Michigan who gave me their vote and trusted me to represent them in office. I have been representing southeast Michigan for 30 years. I am coming home.

I was trained to be a public servant in local politics, where I was the first woman and the first African American to ever be elected to the position of mayor in the city of Southfield, for which I served for 14 years. I also served as school board president and president of the city council.

In this Chamber where I stand, we debate issues and confront challenges on behalf of the American people. This thing that we call a democracy is defined by the vote of the people and someone stepping up for public service.

I was raised by my grandmother, who migrated from Georgia to Detroit in the height of the American civil rights movement. I remember watching her in tears as America marched, protested, and fought for a nation where we would not be judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character.

She instilled in me the passion for democracy and the importance of voting. She told me: Brenda, if you work hard and get your education, there is absolutely nothing that you can't do in these great United States of America.

For the past 30 years, I have learned how important it is to be accessible to my constituents, to act as their voices in the rooms that they cannot enter. I went to places of worship, met with union representatives, walked with the people, and made sure that the door was open so that every citizen I represented had an opportunity to have their voices heard.

As a member of Michigan's congressional delegation, I am proud to have legislated on issues that are important to our great State of Michigan--water quality, union rights, justice, transportation and infrastructure, manufacturing and the auto industry, housing, and education. I am most proud of using my voice to fight on behalf of my constituents.

The diversity of my district truly represents the diversity in America:

I represent immigrants.

My district has an international border.

I have the Great Lakes.

I have one of the largest Jewish populations in the country.

My district is majority African American, and I have a very large Hispanic population.

Seeing the rich diversity in my district, I founded the Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations to foster that relationship between those of us who are targeted the most for hate and for discrimination.

We accomplished amazing work, and I am proud of the legacy that I will continue to support as a citizen of this country.

I currently serve as the vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, which is led by my colleague and my dear friend, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. I have been able to serve with some legends--like John Lewis and Elijah Cummings--in that capacity, and I know that having the Congressional Black Caucus, the conscience of Congress, this Congress will continue to move in the right direction.

As you know, I was a member of the United States Postal Service for 30 years. When I arrived in Washington, my top priority was to sit on the House Oversight Committee where I could continue to fight for the survival and the efficiency of the United States Postal Service and fight for my postal family.

I am so proud that we passed the Postal Service Reform Act that we have been fighting for for years. Also, I am proud of my fight for the Flint water crisis, to make sure that we have water in America that will not hurt or harm people and that we fight for clean water in America.

I serve on Appropriations, where I am vice chair of the House Committee on Appropriations. I am standing here to say that the dollars that you pay going to the right place has been very defining. I thank my staff for all the support they have given me, and I look forward to coming home. I am excited to spend time with my family--my husband, my children, and my granddaughter--and the community of southeast Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his dedication and the efforts of his entire team in bringing this bill to the floor. I also thank the ranking member for his support of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the DOULA for VA Act.

Maternal mortality in the United States is a public health crisis. While maternal mortality rates have declined globally over the past three decades, the United States' maternal mortality rates have climbed.

As we work to address this serious public health issue, we have a responsibility to make sure that our pregnant veterans are included in the conversation. This is because veterans who have experienced pregnancy disproportionately experience mental health afflictions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.

Studies have found that pregnant veterans were twice as likely to have a diagnosis of depression, anxiety, and stress disorder, and more than those who had not experienced a pregnancy.

We must provide veterans who have served our country optimal maternal and mental health care that takes into consideration their veteran- specific experiences.

Doulas have a proven positive effect on the health outcome of the mother and child. As the use of doula services continue to grow, we must look at ways to expand maternal health services for our women in the VA.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues for supporting this effort, the House leadership and their hardworking staff, and the amazing committee staff for working to advance this bill to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life of fallen Detroit Police Officer Loren Courts.

Officer Courts died in the line of duty at the age of 40 on July 6, 2022. I and all Michiganders share in the grief during this difficult time.

A 5-year veteran of the department and second-generation officer, Officer Courts risked his safety and ultimately sacrificed his life protecting his community. He will be remembered by his loved ones as a remarkable public servant, friend, son, husband, and father.

Madam Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and service of Officer Loren Courts of the Detroit Police Department.