Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today as the granddaughter of immigrants in support of the American Dream and Promise Act. We need a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers who arrived in the United States as children and know this country as their only home; for TPS recipients who, like my grandparents, sought refuge in the United States when crises in their home countries put their very lives at risk.

These are doctors, nurses, first responders, who cared for us during the pandemic. Many have served bravely as members of our military.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' for our friends and neighbors who yearn to become citizens of the country they already call home.

I would like to thank my colleague from my hometown for holding this Special Order and for all she has done on behalf of women.

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to celebrate Women's History Month by highlighting the multiple and irreplaceable roles that women play in our communities.

Generations of women have worked to balance jobs with raising children and caring for aging loved ones. This isn't new. Women have always disproportionately shouldered the burden of caring for family. But for the first time, this pandemic has highlighted the toll these various roles take on women, as so many have been forced to leave the workforce to care for others.

Over the last year, 2.3 million women have left the workforce, a nearly 3 percent drop in female participation in the labor force. Several factors have contributed to this drop, but none more than the closing of childcare facilities and schools.

The American Rescue Plan is helping women recover from this pandemic and return to work by bolstering the childcare sector, increasing the child tax credit, expanding paid leave, and safely reopening schools.

We must treat women with dignity and respect and put into place systems that allow women to care for their families and excel at work. I proudly voted to support the American Rescue Plan because it is an important step in the right direction.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of my amendment, which would bolster the mandate that no voter be forced to wait longer than 30 minutes to cast their ballot.

In my home State of North Carolina, it is not uncommon for voters to wait in line for hours on election day to vote. Long wait times come at a cost. For people who work or have family obligations, it is challenging to stand in line for hours to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

Sadly, North Carolina is not alone. In recent elections, we have witnessed lengthy wait times at polling locations across the country. Research shows that people who live in poor and more diverse neighborhoods are more likely to wait over an hour or more to vote.

Long wait times amount to voter suppression, plain and simple, by causing voters to leave before voting, by

discouraging people from voting in future elections, and by decreasing confidence in our democratic process.

Mr. Speaker, we must end this tactic of voter suppression, and I urge my colleagues to vote for this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021.

We are living in a time of record job loss with 10 million people out of work and many businesses devastated by this pandemic. That is why this legislation is critical.

We must invest in helping people gain the skills they need to prepare for high-quality jobs that earn good wages. This apprenticeship act will do exactly that, including those with barriers to employment.

This investment is projected to yield $10.6 billion in net benefits to U.S. taxpayers by increasing their productivity and decreasing spending on public assistance programs and unemployment insurance. Equally important, it will help countless Americans achieve the dignity of providing for their families and the satisfaction of having good jobs.

This is exactly the kind of investment that will help us build back better.

Madam Speaker, on February 1, 1960, four young Black men sat down at a Whites only Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, and asked to be served. These students from North Carolina A&T State University had trained for weeks to be able to withstand the hostility and abuse that would be thrust upon them.

The next day, the ``Greensboro Four'' were joined by women from Bennett College and Greensboro Woman's College. The courage demonstrated by these students sparked a national sit-in movement that spread to 55 cities in 13 States. The sit-ins lasted for 6 months until, finally, the Woolworth's lunch counter was integrated.

As the Representative from Greensboro, I join my colleagues, Representatives Adams and Butterfield, in introducing a resolution to recognize the legacy of the Greensboro Four, and follow their lead in fighting for a future that will bring equal rights to all people.

Madam Speaker, this President has repeatedly lied to the American people about his election loss. He incited his followers to attack our democracy, resulting in five deaths. His dangerous efforts to derail the peaceful transition of power were a violation of his oath of office. This President is unfit to lead our Nation and unable to discharge his duties of office.

I call upon my Republican colleagues to speak the truth to their supporters and join me in holding President Trump accountable by voting to impeach.