Floor Statements

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.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Susan Muffley Act. This bill would restore pension benefits to over 20,000 Delphi salaried retirees, including over 5,000 Michiganders.

When GM filed for bankruptcy during the Great Recession, these families lost up to 70 percent of their earned benefits. They need and deserve the attention and action of this body.

This bill is named after Susan Muffley, whose husband worked at Delphi for 31 years and could not seek medical treatment when their family lost the pension.

Mrs. Muffley spent years fighting to have all these pensions restored.

Let me be absolutely clear: Michiganders and all Americans who have worked hard their entire lives to support their families deserve the right to retire with dignity and financial security. This is simply the right thing to do.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, Congressman Kildee, for introducing this bipartisan bill, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' In America we are better than this, and we need to pass this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise in unwavering support of legislation that protects a woman's right to make her own decisions regarding her own body. This includes H.R. 8296, the Women's Health Protection Act of 2022, and H.R. 8297, the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022. Women should have the right to make their own health care decisions; a right that was stripped away with the Supreme Court's decision to ignore almost fifty years of precedent and overturn Roe v. Wade.

In my home state of Michigan, a draconian 1931 abortion ban--with no exceptions for rape or incest--is only held back by a preliminary injunction. If the ninety-one-year-old law goes into effect, millions of Michiganders will lose their reproductive freedom. I've said it once before, and I will say it again, abortion bans don't ban abortions, they ban safe abortions.

The right to bodily autonomy, privacy, and even travel is at stake. Passing these two pieces of legislation is a critical step toward protecting the constitutional rights of millions of Americans. Now more than ever, the Senate needs to pass both bills so that women can make the best healthcare decisions for themselves and their families.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate Greater Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church upon the 30th Anniversary of their pastor, Rev. Patrick Oliver Lindsey, and the First Lady of the Church, Kathy Lindsey. Pastor Lindsey, the fourth of eight children born to John, Sr. (deceased), and Ida Lindsey, lived on the eastside of Detroit, MI, and were educated in Detroit and Highland Park Public School systems. Rev. Lindsey furthered his education at the University of Michigan and graduated in 1981 with a BA in Political Science. Throughout his professional career, Rev. Lindsey furthered his studies at various institutions, including the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College, the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and DaimlerChrysler Corporate University in Lautenbach, Germany, and the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

After marrying the former Kathy Sanders of Brownsville, TN, in April 1992, the couple was blessed with two wonderful children: a son named Kendall, a 2018 graduate of the University of Michigan, and a daughter named Kaylyn, a 2021 graduate of Wayne State University. This year, Rev. Lindsey and his wife celebrated 30 years of wedded bliss.

Rev. Lindsey made a firm commitment to the church in December 1983, and he began a life of faithful service at the Samaritan Missionary Baptist Church, where his family has worshipped since 1952. Under the stellar leadership of the late Pastor Robert E. Starghill, Sr., Rev. Lindsey was ordained as a deacon in March 1984 and served in a variety of leadership and service roles, including financial clerk, board secretary, Bible teacher, van ministry, Pastor's Chorus, and Men's group president.

In June 1992, Rev. Lindsey served as Pastor of the Greater Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan. During his tenure, Rev. Lindsey has diligently cultivated the congregation's spiritual growth and development and prioritizes expository preaching, sound biblical teaching, and the practical application of scriptural principles. With the assistance of faithful deacons and trustees, Pastor Lindsey oversees the church's pastoral and business administration. For thirty years, Rev. Lindsey has faithfully performed the clerical duties of ``feeding and tending the flock,'' including teaching and preaching the Word, christening newborns, baptizing new believers, providing spiritual counsel to individuals and couples, comforting the bereaved, visiting sick and infirmed members, and aiding congregants in times of need.

Under Pastor Lindsey's leadership, the church re-launched its weekly Bible studies and prayer ministries and established new ministries for men, women, and youth. He requires that all church ministries have evangelism as a core mission. Rev. Lindsey founded the Rev. CJ Henderson Memorial Scholarship to provide students with financial support in pursuing higher education. Pastor Lindsey spearheaded Phase 1 of the church's building project--a complete renovation of the existing facilities. With plans for Phase 2 to include expanded worship and education facilities.

Rev. Lindsey's passions extend beyond his pastoral duties, as Rev. Lindsey also serves as Vice President, Government and Community Affairs at Wayne State University in Detroit. In this position, he oversees the federal and state affairs offices, which support the University's goals and strategic plan by working with federal, state, and local elected officials to ensure adequate funding for the institution. He also is responsible for the community affairs office, which actively engages the University in the Greater Detroit community by building partnerships with the diverse ethnic and cultural organizations to make deep and sustained impacts.

Before joining WSU in 2012, Rev. Lindsey was Director of External Affairs & Development for Focus: HOPE and enjoyed a 20-year career at Chrysler as Manager of Community Relations and Senior Manager of State Relations.

I am genuinely amazed by Rev. Lindsey's extended capacity for a true impact on the community, evident in his various leadership roles, organizational affiliations, and volunteer activities. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Urban League, board member and past Board Chair of the Urban League of Detroit and Southeast Michigan, Vice Moderator of the Pleasant Grove Baptist District Association, board member and Secretary of Detroit Community Health Connection, board and executive committee member of the Eastside Community Network, member of the committee advisory committee of Meridian Health, and board member and nomination committee chair of the Detroit Public Schools Foundation. He has also served in other organizations, including the City of Detroit Workforce Development Board, Black Family Development, Inc., Mack Alive, Wayne State University Human Investigation Committee, and the Eight Mile Boulevard Association, to name a few. He is a proud member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and a life member of the Detroit Branch NAACP and the University of Michigan Alumni Association.

I congratulate Rev., and First Lady Lindsey, on three decades of service to all.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to make an urgent plea for action.

How can we listen to an 11-year-old girl talk about smearing herself with her own dead friend's blood so she doesn't get killed and think that the appropriate response is thoughts and prayers. It is unacceptable.

We have the power to make real change and end gun violence. Right now, the American people are calling on us to protect their kids, their family, and their community. I am not going to sit on the sidelines and neither should this legislative body. If not now, when? Every Member should support commonsense gun safety legislation. Not taking away your right to own a gun or your constitutional right, but use common sense, that, as my grandmother used to say, is not very common today.

Madam Speaker, the people of America are counting on us. Act now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today, we honor and remember the 6 million Jews and countless others who were murdered during the Holocaust, as well as the families who were torn apart.

As a founder and cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations, I am committed to ensuring that our country never forgets this history and that we educate younger generations about this atrocity.

Today and every day, we must speak truth to power. ``Never again'' is more than a slogan. It is an unwavering commitment to combating anti- Semitism and hate wherever they exist.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3807.

Last month I held a roundtable in my district of small businesses, and their message was loud and clear: the restaurant industry is in a crisis. Small businesses need us to understand and send relief.

We know that this pandemic has disproportionately affected small businesses owned by women and people of color. Our small businesses are the backbone of our communities and local economy. If we are going to come back as a country, we must pass this much-needed legislation. Now is the time to take action.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation to honor our U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ginsburg and O'Connor with statues in our U.S. Capitol. I am so proud to hear my co- chair Lois Frankel talk about the importance of our history being recognized in these hallowed Halls.

Both Justices O'Connor and Ginsburg did exactly that. They showed what it meant to blaze trails and to break the glass ceilings as the first and second women to serve on the Supreme Court, the highest court.

Their story is an American story, and it is one that our country should be proud of. It is not what you say, it is what you do, and today we are taking action.

Through their long and legendary careers, they have paved the way for countless women and girls in the legal and judiciary system. Their life-changing words and actions will live in the hearts of Americans across this country. I am grateful and I am excited to be part of the Democratic Women's Caucus that is helping to lead this effort in honoring the life and the legacies of these two giants.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule providing for consideration of the Postal Service Reform Act. As the only Member of Congress who has a 30-year career as a Postal Service employee, I am honored to stand here today as the House takes action to protect the Postal Service for generations to come.

Few know that the Constitution defines that America will have a post office service. For more than two centuries, the hardworking employees of the Postal Service have lived up to the agency's motto: ``Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.''

As the agency finds itself losing billions of dollars, it is time for the Congress to step in and ensure the Postal Service can maintain its commitment to providing prompt and reliable mail service. This bill will provide the Postal Service with the critical reforms to help address this long-term financial solvency. The Postal Service has delivered the package. Today we have the opportunity to deliver the package.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3076, the Postal Service Reform Act.

As the only Member of Congress who served an entire career of 30 years at the post office before coming to this House, I am thrilled to support legislation that will be the groundwork for the Postal Service to continue serving America.

I came to Congress with a promise to my constituents and to this country that I would fight to protect and to ensure that we uphold and make sure that our Postal Service is strong. Throughout my career, I was a letter carrier, a clerk, a supervisor, and then moved up to management. I know firsthand how important the Postal Service is. As a matter of fact, I call myself a public servant. I know the hard work of our postal employees and how much this bill means to them and their lives.

I know that, today, in a bipartisan way--how amazing is that to say on this floor--we are working to uphold our commitment to address the longstanding financial issues facing this agency.

Every day, the dedicated Postal Service workers deliver packages around this country. They deliver them to us. Today, Congress has the opportunity to deliver a package that will take care of the Postal Service, one that is established by the Constitution, to ensure that neither rain, sleet, nor snow will deter them from their appointed rounds.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the America COMPETES Act.

I am proud to represent the Big Three automakers State and a district where GM is headquartered. I know how important it is to fix our supply chain. Semiconductors power our economy--everything from smart phones to computers to cars. We have to start making them here in America.

This legislation will make sure of that while increasing American innovation, manufacturing, and R&D. And I am proud to offer two amendments to ensure that our efforts in the America COMPETES Act is centered around equality so that all Americans will benefit from the significant R&D investment of our critical goods while creating good jobs.

Let's get this done so we can ensure that our economy is secure and strengthen our global competitiveness.

Mr. Speaker, today I stand on the shoulders of my grandmother and my grandfather, who migrated to the North from the South, who took me every election day, dressed up, and educated me every step of the way to understand the power of the right to vote. She was denied the right to vote.

It is heartbreaking that this bill that has been passed time and time again is now a political ploy. We now know that the freedoms and the rights of Americans are based and bred from voting rights. I stand here today in support of passing this bill.

Madam Speaker, on the cusp of celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, this Congress has an important decision to make. Will we stand to protect voting rights or will we hide behind voter suppression laws? Will we protect the fundamental right to vote or will we undermine it? This is an easy decision to make, and I know where I stand--to protect the right to vote. Now is the time for action. Now is the time for Congress to pass the Freedom to Vote John R. Lewis Act to the President's desk. As Dr. King said, ``The time is always right to do what is right.'' And that time is now.

Madam Speaker, today, my Michigan colleagues and members of the Congressional Black Caucus rise in honor of the life and service of Congresswoman Barbara-Rose Collins. She dedicated her life to community and broke countless barriers.

Madam Speaker, I ask that everyone rise for a moment of silence in honor of Congresswoman Barbara-Rose Collins.