Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of removing this arbitrary time limit for ratifying the equal rights amendment.

I ask all my colleagues: Are we going to tell our mothers, our sisters, daughters, nieces, and granddaughters that there is an expiration date on equality? I hope that answer is no.

This pandemic has only worsened the inequality that women are facing, especially women of color. Making the equal rights amendment a part of our Constitution guarantees that men and women are truly treated equal under the law.

Today, the House can send a clear message that we will not tolerate sexual discrimination, that gender equality should be the law of the land.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with the survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

It is completely unacceptable that we have allowed the Violence Against Women Act to expire.

I am proud to have introduced two amendments that will strengthen protections for our most vulnerable communities. The first amendment will stop punishing children who have been sex-trafficked and have been in contact with the criminal justice system. The pandemic has also illustrated the urgency on what we need to do to make sure that we reauthorize it.

Madam Speaker, as Americans, we have had to follow stay-at-home orders, and it has increased the amount of abuse among those who could not leave home. VAWA save lives. This isn't a Democrat or Republican issue. It is justice and safety. It is time we get this done and reauthorize.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include material on the subject of my Special Order in the Record.

Mr. Speaker, as a co-chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, I am pleased to lead this Special Order in celebration of Women's History Month. Throughout March, we recognize the women leaders, trailblazers, and pioneers who come before us.

We have chartered a path forward that will lift up and empower young women and girls. The soul and moral compass of our Nation rests on the shoulders of women throughout this history.

I am proud to fight every day so that we can improve the quality of life for women and girls in Michigan and across this country.

As the co-chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus and the vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, I have made it a mission to put women issues and Black women issues front and center in this Congress.

But before I go into the work that we have done and are doing in this Chamber, I want to recognize the inspirational women in my life who helped shape who I am.

First, I want to acknowledge my grandmother, who, without a high school education, taught me the value of education, taught me the value of being a woman, of being a wife, of being a mother. She is my rock and my foundation. She taught me that being a woman and being a Black woman in America ``is to be fearless, Brenda,'' to never apologize, and be accountable for everything that I do, and that I work hard, get my education, and keep my faith in God. There was no door I could not walk through or no table that I did not deserve to sit at. She had strength and confidence in something I carry with me every single day.

Then there is my shero, Shirley Chisholm, who paved the way for Black women like me to be in Congress. She proved every day the power that women had to change their community. Shirley Chisholm always said: ``If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.''

And, my goodness, the majority of women who represent us here in Congress are carrying their own folding chair.

So we have our first woman, our first Black American, our first Asian-American Vice President, who has coined the phrase: ``The first, but not the last.''

We stand on the shoulders, all of us, of giants. We continue to build the foundation so that the next generation of girls and young women can stand on our shoulders. Look at this Congress. There are over 140 Democrat and Republican women in the House and the Senate, the most ever in the history of our country.

That translates to the work we are doing in this Chamber to better the lives of women and girls. If you look at today, we voted to pass the equal rights amendment resolution and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. These are the steps in the right direction. We have come a long way, baby, for full equality, but we still have work to do.

We, unfortunately, have a system in America that often suppress women and does not support women. But we know that, ``A woman is like a tea bag,'' like Eleanor Roosevelt said, ``you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.''

And I know for a fact that women have continued to stand up against every barrier. You point to this pandemic and you see how women, especially women of color, have borne the brunt of this health and economic crisis. But we keep moving and we will continue in this Congress to fight for the women in America.

This is our responsibility, and I am glad that we have women leaders across the Federal, State, and local governments that we have looked up to. Every woman in this Congress today recognizes that the next generation is looking at us and asking us to stand up.

Our Vice President of the United States, our Speaker of the House, and half of President Biden's Cabinet, and even on the other side of the aisle, the chair of the House Republican Party, all are women. We are making success, and I know that we can do so much more.

I continue to work, and I want to know that when women succeed, America succeeds, as our amazing Speaker of the House reminds us.

I am so glad to share this hour with some of our amazing women leaders who will continue to tell us, while we have a month dedicated to women's history, we make history every single day.

I would like to ask for my first speaker to come to the podium.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Speier).

Mr. Speaker, I thank my amazing co-chair for everything she does.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel), my co-chair.

Mr. Speaker, it is also significant to note that the majority of the diversity in Congress is represented by the women Members of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), a fighter for the ERA.

Mr. Speaker, I can't wait for that museum.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), another leader and fighter for women's rights.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congresswoman Lee for being a voice for women year after year after year.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), who has been one of our fighters from the beginning.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Adams), who has been a trailblazer in her own right.

I thank the gentlewoman and thank her for being the 100th woman to enter into Congress.

I now yield to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez).

Mr. Speaker, how much time is remaining, please?

I thank the gentlewoman so much. We are standing on the shoulders of Deb Haaland and my amazing mentor and friend, Marcia Fudge, who have left the Halls of Congress to go to the White House to lead the administrative staff.

I now yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. McBath), a community organizer who put her boots on and walked the streets, and made change, and then blessed us by coming to Congress to continue the fight.

I thank the gentlewoman from Georgia.

I know there is a tradition that says, as long as you say the names of your forefathers, they will never leave you. So I just want to introduce into the Record Etta Cranford, who was my grandmother. At the age of 55, she inherited a 3-year-old and 5-year-old when my mother died, and she gave everything she had until her death to ensure that I would be a strong Black woman in America.

I yield to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon).

I now yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Manning), a woman who has made a difference. I am looking forward to the brilliance of her future.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Ross).

I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina.

I now yield to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild), our final speaker tonight, who came to Congress with a mission. She has made her voice heard, and she has made such a difference. We welcome her as not only a woman Member of Congress but as an amazing Representative.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this moment to thank everyone who spoke tonight.

I want everyone to know that women are making so many strides. We are currently on target to send women to the Moon. We are on target to make sure that women continue to be leaders in education and healthcare. I am proud to say that not only do we have a woman as our Vice President, but we also have a woman as our amazing Speaker of the House. We have six chairs of our congressional committees headed by women. We also have over, as I said, 194 women in Congress currently.

With Women's History Month, sometimes the men will roll their eyes in the back of their head and say: Women, why do you need a month? Because, so often, the strides and hard work that it took for us to accomplish what was given to privileged men are often overlooked.

I am proud to stand here today to lead this Special Order hour to honor the women, as Congresswoman Wild said, the ones who often don't get a platform, don't get a mic, and they just do the work every day.

Women are the predominant group of educators. If you are educated in America, you were probably touched by a woman. Those who are in hospitals and went through COVID and all the suffering, the caregivers and nurses are predominantly women.

We all owe a debt of gratitude to the mother who gave birth to us. We are often in the kitchens and other places that women are such strong leaders, but now we have women in the C suites. We have women manufacturing and designing. We have women in every area of America working.

The only thing that any woman wants is the opportunity to have a seat at the table to be able to show her brilliance. As my grandmother told me, never apologize for your hard work, your brilliance, or your skills and talents that you have been blessed with. You use them, and you do a good thing with them.

And as John Lewis said, get in good trouble. The suffragists taught us that the good trouble they went through gave us the right to vote in America.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the scale of our relief bill must match the scale of this crisis, and the American Rescue Plan meets this moment.

In addition, this comprehensive plan includes much-needed relief for our battered cities. As a former mayor, I understand the struggle and strain of our cities right now. Congress cannot sit back as our mayors, Democrats and Republicans, are calling for help. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. This pandemic is reaching every corner of our country.

Mr. Speaker, let's answer this call and pass the American Rescue Plan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of a legend and the conscience of this Congress, a civil rights hero and a dear friend, the late Representative John Lewis.

I stand here today also to give honor to the facilitator for this hour, and that is Sheila Jackson Lee; and also to honor the current chair of the Black Caucus because we in the Black Caucus remind ourselves that we are the conscience of Congress. We could never forget that with John Lewis and his guidance because the pictures that you saw displayed by Terri Sewell are the things that when we looked at John Lewis, we have flashbacks of the sacrifices he made so that we could enjoy the freedoms that we have.

Yesterday marked the 56th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the first of which was commemorated without John standing there welcoming all of us. Although he is not with us, his life serves as a blueprint of how we can make this country a better place. Every single day John was committed to justice, equality, and a little bit of good trouble. We must carry on this legacy by working to restore the Voting Rights Act.

I remember one time being challenged by John. He said, ``Why do you think they worked so hard? Why do you think they worked so hard to take away your right to vote?'' He said that we have to stand up, and we can't allow that freedom and the right in our democracy to vote.

We passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act once before. And I stand with my colleague, Terri Sewell. We will pass it again. In honor of John's memory and the hundreds of civil rights activists who were beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the countless others who have fought for voting rights, we must pass this bill again.

As John famously said, ``Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get into good trouble.''

He reminded us that that good trouble was necessary trouble for the rights and freedoms of Americans--all Americans.

While we say we miss John, he has not left because of the memories, the

blood he shed, the example he led, and his constant voice in our ears to never, ever give up. I stand here today to honor him.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately, on March 2, 2021, my vote was not recorded on the second vote of the second vote series (Roll Call No. 55 on H.R. 1). Had my vote been recorded, I would have voted: ``Yes'' on the Democratic En Bloc 3 Offered by Ms. Lofgren (Gallego Amendment, Grijalva Amendment No. 23, Grijalva Amendment No. 24, Langevin Amendment, Lawrence Amendment No. 26, Lawrence Amendment No. 27, Levin (MI) Amendment, Luria Amendment, Manning Amendment, Phillips Amendment, Plaskett Amendment No. 33, Plaskett Amendment No. 34, Plaskett Amendment No. 35, Plaskett Amendment No. 36, Schneider Amendment).

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendments, 26 and 27, to H.R. 1. The Postal Service has been an essential service for the American people for centuries, written into our Constitution. And as we take steps to expand voting by mail, we must ensure that the Postal Service is not weaponized to restrict its mission to promptly and effectively deliver mail.

My first amendment would require the Postal Service to appoint an election mail coordinator to assist election officials. My second amendment would prohibit the Postal Service from enacting any new operational change that would restrict the prompt delivery of mail materials 4 months before the election; specifically, targeting removal of the collection boxes and sorting boxes.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support these amendments as part of this en bloc.

Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, the 6th, Democrats and Republicans hid on the floor, put on gas masks, and were ushered out of this room.

We, in this country, cannot begin healing and unity without accountability and justice. The President of the United States incited a violent insurrection against Congress--you, me--and the Vice President of the United States. This cannot be ignored. Impeach now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the issue of stagnant wages for African Americans and, as a result, the lack of economic opportunities. The Federal current minimum wage is $7.25, not enough to sustain an individual's necessary expenses, let alone for those who are an entire American family.

In fact, the purchasing power of the current minimum wage has gradually eroded over the past decade. Since this minimum wage was raised to $7.25, its purchasing power has declined by 17 percent due to inflation.

Mr. Speaker, this is a staggering thought: A person working 40 hours a week at the current Federal minimum wage earns a gross income of $15,000 per year before taxes. Even families working full-time earning the Federal minimum wage are below the Federal poverty level.

This is why we need to pass the Raise the Wage Act. Under H.R. 582, 1.3 million Americans will be lifted out of poverty. This includes 600,000 children who will finally have a shot at a better life simply because of raising the minimum wage.

The Raise the Wage Act helps women and workers of color the most since women are nearly two-thirds of the American workforce who earn the Federal minimum wage or just above that. In Michigan's 14th District, up to 61,000 women and over 76,000 Black and Hispanic workers in my district alone will receive a wage increase. This bill is way overdue.

Mr. Speaker, let me reference a letter from my colleague, the Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas: ``We have seen a recent epidemic of the working poor, hardworking Americans who each day are forced to choose between food, shelter, clothing, or healthcare for themselves and their families. In the past 40 years, minimum wage increases have not kept pace,'' causing many families to struggle.

The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson says that the current minimum wage in her home State of Texas ``is only $7.25 an hour and even lower for workers in the service industry who instead rely heavily on customer tips for take-home pay. The African American community, which makes up a significant portion of the minimum wage workforce, is disproportionately affected by lower wages.

``According to the Economic Policy Institute, 38.1 percent of all Black workers would receive higher pay as a result of an increased wage, therefore opening up new economic opportunities.

``We must act quickly to ensure that any American willing to work 40 hours a week can afford basic necessities.''

That is why, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson says, she is proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act. The bill will lift millions of Americans out of poverty by gradually increasing the minimum wage over a period of 5 years to $15.

Mr. Speaker, I want to be on the Record and join my colleague, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, to say: ``The growing racial wealth gap in our country can no longer go unnoticed. We now have an opportunity to take concrete steps to help close the gap.''

This bill is way overdue.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable life of Doctor Bernice ``Bunny'' Sandler, on the 47th anniversary of Title IX. Dr. Sandler was an activist and champion of women's equality in higher education, which earned her the nickname ``Godmother of Title IX.'' She passed away in January of this year at the age of ninety.

After being passed over for a job in 1969 at the University of Maryland, Dr. Sandler realized that she must act on the discrimination she experienced. During this time in history, academic departments refused to hire women in non-entry level positions and many graduate programs denied admission to women, but Sandler refused to take no for an answer. She researched the strategies of black civil rights activists and applied them to women's rights in academia.

After discovering a presidential executive order barring federal contractors from discriminating based on race, color, religion, and national origin, Sandler contacted the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance, where she planned the first complaint against universities and colleges on discrimination.

Sandler helped the Women's Equity Action League start a national campaign to file complaints against widespread sex discrimination at universities. She formed alliances with Members of Congress, including Representative Martha Griffiths of my home state of Michigan, who gave the first speech in Congress about discrimination against women in education.

Sandler went on to become a Congressional staffer, leading the hearings on women's education and employment which led to Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972. After the passage of Title IX Sandler continued her fight for gender equity, delivering thousands of speeches and providing consultation for schools who sought to integrate women.

As we celebrate the 47th anniversary of Title IX, we must celebrate Doctor Bernice ``Bunny'' Sandler for all the hard work she put into making it possible.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of myself and Representative John Lewis, along with my colleagues, Representatives Karen Bass, Alma Adams, Colin Allred, G.K. Butterfield, Andre Carson, Yvette D. Clarke, Wm. Lacy Clay, Emanuel Cleaver, Marcia L. Fudge, Alcee L. Hastings, Hakeem Jeffries, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Robin Kelly, Gwen Moore, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Donald M. Payne, Jr., Ayanna Pressley, Cedric Richmond, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Bobby L. Rush, Bennie G. Thompson, Marc Veasey, and Senators Cory Booker and Kamala D. Harris, to honor the life of a great public servant, Judge Damon J. Keith. For over half a century, Judge Keith fought for justice, transparency, and civil liberties, setting an example for generations to come.

Judge Keith was born on July 4, 1922--a fitting date for someone who so staunchly believed in American Democracy. The grandson of slaves, Judge Keith was a champion for racial equality. As he grew up in Detroit, he noticed that there were no African Americans in positions of power. He served in a segregated unit in World War II. Judge Keith always understood his importance in creating a more just nation.

Damon attended Howard University, where he was mentored by future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. In 1967, he was nominated to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan by President Johnson. This nomination came at the suggestion of Michigan Senator Philip Hart, the namesake of the Hart Senate Office Building. As a federal judge, Damon worked to end segregation in Michigan. He ordered for the bussing of ten thousand African American students in Pontiac to achieve racial integration. He also ordered the city of Hamtramck to relocate 500 African Americans who were displaced during a federally supported urban renewal project.

These decisions were not popular at the time, and often resulted in Judge Keith receiving death threats. He never backed down, however, saying: ``I don't scare easily.'' In 1977, he was nominated by President Carter to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, a position he held until his passing on April 28, 2019.

Judge Keith was a champion for government transparency. In his most famous case, he ruled that the Nixon Administration had acted unlawfully when issuing domestic wiretaps, a decision which was unanimously by the Supreme Court. In 2002, he issued an opinion on the secret deportation hearings for alleged terrorists following the September 11th attacks. In another unanimous decision, he wrote: ``Democracies die behind closed doors.'' These wise words remind us that the United States is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

At the age of 94, Judge Keith was a firm supporter of voting rights, dissenting against voting restrictions in Ohio. He cited the sacrifices made by generations of civil rights leaders and refused to let voters be silenced after decades of struggle and perseverance. Judge Keith spent every single day committed to helping our country respect the dignity, worth, and equality of every human being--whether it was their right to vote, education, housing, employment, or privacy.

Judge Keith will be sorely missed, but his years of tireless service as a champion for civil rights will never be forgotten.

``On Saturday, June 17, 2017, the President called McGahn and directed him to have the special counsel removed . . . In interviews with the special counsel's office, McGahn recalled that the President called him at home twice and on both occasions directed him to call Rosenstein and say that Mueller had conflicts that precluded him from serving as special counsel. On the first call, McGahn recalled that the President said something like, `You gotta do this. You gotta call Rod.' '' This is from Volume II, page 85.

``Cohen also recalled speaking with the President's personal counsel about pardons after the searches of his home and office had occurred, at a time when the media had reported that pardon discussions were occurring at the White House. . . . Cohen understood, based on this conversation and previous conversations about pardons with the President's personal counsel, that as long as he stayed on message, he would be taken care of by the President, either through a pardon or through the investigation being shut down.''

Volume II, page 147.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to be here today, and I thank my colleagues, Representative Adams and Representative Underwood, for establishing the Black Maternal Health Caucus, of which I am a proud member.

I also want to recognize my colleague Robin Kelly for her continuous leadership in healthcare when it comes to maternal health.

I am also here to let the public know that this issue of maternal health is a priority for the Women's Caucus here in Congress. As my colleague Alma Adams has said, we in America have a crisis. Maternal mortality is not only a public health crisis, but it is also an American crisis.

It is an American crisis because we are the highest for any developed country in the world when it comes to deaths from maternal mortality. The CDC reported this week that most of the maternal mortality deaths in our country are preventable.

It saddens me that the maternal mortality rate in the United States, again, is the highest among developed countries in the world. We have women, mostly Black women and women of color, dying for no reason. It is unacceptable. It is heartbreaking.

In my home State of Michigan, 80 to 90 maternal deaths occur every year. These are women who are losing their lives to give birth.

We must do all that we can to end this crisis. As a leader on this issue, joining my other colleagues in their leadership, I look forward to working on both sides of the aisle to address this issue.

Madam Speaker, when we elected a record number of women to Congress this Congress, this issue, which has been escalating year after year, has finally been brought to the forefront. I am proud to say, when a woman sits at the table, the conversation changes, and we will fight for the lives of women giving birth.

To every woman who has given birth, who has been a parent, I want to say happy Mother's Day. We are fighting to make sure that every woman coming forth to be a mother can live.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to give honor to a great public servant, Judge Damon Keith. Judge Damon Keith was a judge of the United States Court of Appeals.

He was born on July 4, 1922, a fitting day for someone who so believed in American democracy.

He attended Howard and was mentored by the future Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall.

In 1967, he was nominated to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan by President Johnson. This nomination came at the suggestion of Michigan Senator Phil Hart, the remarkable namesake of the Hart Senate Office Building.

Judge Keith's career was spent fighting for civil rights and civil liberties, particularly for communities within the 14th District. He stood for transparency in government.

Judge Keith will be sorely missed, but his years of tireless service as a champion for civil rights will never be forgotten.

In 2002, he issued an opinion on the secret hearings for alleged terrorists after the 9/11 attacks. He famously wrote: ``Democracies die behind closed doors.''

Mr. Chairman, today, I rise in support of H.R. 1585, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019.

I would like to first thank Representative Karen Bass, the sponsor of this legislation, for her support of this issue.

As important as the successes of this bill have been, they are at times insufficient. Every day, an average of three women are killed by a current or former intimate partner. Every year, 7.9 million women are victims of stalking, rape, or physical violence by an intimate partner.

The bill before us today provides important updates to the Violence Against Women Act that improves services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Mr. Chairman, as co-chair of the Bipartisan Women's Caucus and as co- chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, I strongly urge my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to support this passage of legislation.