Floor Statements

Madam President, no community in America has been spared from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationwide, we have lost nearly 570,000 mothers, fathers, grandparents, neighbors, and friends. In Illinois, the number is 21,000.

Like so many other diseases and health conditions, the pandemic has inflicted disproportionate harm on communities of color: Black Americans, Native Americans, and members of the Latinx community. Sadly, these disparities come as no surprise. America has a long history of medical inequality. From premature births to premature deaths, people of color suffer disproportionately in America's troubled health system. People of color in

America suffer more chronic and acute health conditions; they are likely to go without needed medical care; and they have shorter life expectancies. The reasons for the disparities are many, but they include access to affordable healthcare, inadequate research, and too few healthcare professionals of color.

Martin Luther King, Jr., called healthcare inequality the most shocking and inhumane form of injustice. Far too often, this inequality begins even before birth. It should shock the conscience of America-- one of the wealthiest nations on Earth--that we have one of the poorest records on the globe for maternal health.

Think of this: The United States is 1 of only 13 nations in the world wherein the maternal mortality rate--the death of mothers--is worse now than it was 25 years ago. How is that possible? Every year in America, nearly 1,000 women die from pregnancy-related complications, and 70,000 others suffer near fatal complications as a result of pregnancy.

Now think of this: Women of color in the United States are two to three times more likely than White women to die as a result of pregnancy. In Illinois, sadly, that number is six times more likely. What makes these maternal deaths even more tragic is that an estimated 60 percent--more than half of them--are preventable.

I have given much thought to this and have spoken with real experts, which is why Robin Kelly--the Congresswoman from Illinois--and I joined with Senator Duckworth and a number of other Democratic Senators in introducing legislation to decrease America's rates of maternal sickness and death, especially among new mothers of color. We call our measure the MOMMA Act.

One of the major provisions of this legislation is a requirement that Medicaid provide health coverage for new moms for a full year post- pregnancy instead of just 60 days, which it currently is. Congresswoman Kelly and I worked hard to get a modified version of this provision in the American Rescue Plan, President Biden's singular achievement in his first few weeks in office. Thanks to the law, States now have the option to expand their Medicaid programs for new mothers for the next 5 years.

Making sure that new moms have health coverage for a full year post- pregnancy will go a long way toward catching, preventing, and treating potentially life-threatening conditions and problems. This is critical because, in some States--even in my State of Illinois--nearly 60 percent of pregnancy-associated deaths occur between 43 and 364 days postpartum.

Well, there is good news to report today. While we are still working to pass the MOMMA Act, the State of Illinois pursued another avenue for expanding Medicaid coverage for new moms. For over a year, Illinois has been seeking a Medicaid section 1115 waiver to allow Medicaid-eligible women in our State to keep their health coverage for a year after their pregnancies.

Representatives Kelly, Underwood, Senator Duckworth, and I have been leading letters and championing this effort from our State, and, this week, I am happy to announce that the Biden-Harris administration granted that waiver, making Illinois the very first State in the Nation to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage for new moms. This will ensure access to vital health services, help to promote better birth outcomes, reduce the rate of maternal sickness and death in my home State, and, I hope, set the stage as a model for other States to follow.

I can think of no better way to honor this year's Black Maternal Health Week than to support State efforts to expand Medicaid healthcare to new moms. Another way would be to pass Senator Booker's 2021 Black Maternal Health Week resolution, which I am proud to cosponsor.

As poet Maya Angelou told us, we cannot change the past, but when we know better, we must do better. We now know that we can do better to protect the lives of pregnant women and newborn babies, and I am pleased that my State of Illinois will be part of leading that effort.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I have 5 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders.

Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Committee on Armed Services

The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing.

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, at 3 p.m., to conduct a hearing.

Committee on Finance

The Committee on Finance is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing.

Mr. President, today marks the first day of Ramadan. For the second year in a row, Muslims around the world will be celebrating Islam's holiest month in the midst of this pandemic.

Traditionally, Ramadan is an opportunity for families to gather in prayer and break bread together after a day-long fast, but I know many people of the Muslim faith will not have that opportunity this year. It is a painful reminder of all the sacrifices all of us have been called to make since the beginning of this pandemic.

For all of those who observe, may this holy month be a time of peace for you and your loved ones, and I hope you will be able to break bread together soon.

Mr. President, today is also another day of mourning for the men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police Force.

I spent much of my life working in this building as a college student, law student, staff member, Congressman, and Senator. This building has a special place in my life and in the lives of many Americans. It is an enduring symbol of American freedom and democracy. It is recognized around the world.

Sadly, it is also a target for mean-spirited attackers and troubled souls. We saw that on January 6, when a mob invaded these halls and this Chamber. We saw it on 9/11, when terrorists hijacked a plane with the intent of crashing it into this building. And, sadly, we saw it again on April 2 with the vehicular attack on the north entrance barricade to the Capitol, one of the most frequently used entrances.

The men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police guard this Capitol 24/7, 365. They put their lives at risk to protect this building and those of us who work here and those who visit. They literally risk their lives for us. It is the clearest symbol of heroism that I can think of.

On April 2, one of those heroes, Capitol Police Officer Billy Evans, made the ultimate sacrifice. He was killed in the line of duty defending the people in this building.

Officer Evans was 41 years old--41. An 18-year veteran of the Capitol Police, he was a familiar, friendly face to many of us here at the Capitol, where he often worked at the north entrance.

Officer Evans was a native of North Adams, MA, a father of two children, Logan and Abigail. His family said that he was ``the best father, son, brother, and friend that anyone could ever hope for.'' They went on to say:

The absolute most important thing in life was his two

children. . . . He was always so eager to show how proud he

was of everything they did. Any opportunity to spend time

with his children brightened both their lives and his. Their

dad was their hero long before the tragic events of last

week.

The loss of Officer Evans is heartbreaking. I join in praying for his family and loved ones.

We also send our prayers to Officer Ken Shaver, who was injured in the April 2 attack, and we wish him a speedy recovery.

The U.S. Capitol Police have faced incredible hardship this year with the loss of three officers: Officer Evans, Officer Brian Sicknick, and Officer Howard Liebengood. And 80 officers were seriously injured in the insurrectionist mob attack on January 6.

The debt that we owe Capitol Police officers like Officer Evans can never be repaid, and the same is true for Capitol Police Officers Brian Sicknick, Howard Liebengood, Jacob Chestnut, and Detective Michael Gibson, and others who have been injured or lost their lives through their service. Our gratitude for their sacrifice cannot be captured by words.

This Tuesday, Officer Evans will lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, where those whom he died to protect can pass by and pay their respects.

Every day it is incumbent for those of us who work in this building to remember this brave officer and to thank him and the men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police, who have given so much to keep us safe.

(Ms. HIRONO assumed the Chair.)

I announce that the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray) is necessarily absent.

Mr. President, our Nation is built on some fundamental ideas. One of those ideas is fairness.

But there are millions of women across this country today who are doing the same job as their male colleagues and are being paid less.

That is why on this National Equal Pay Day, I stand with my fellow Senators to close the pay equity gap and ensure equal pay for equal work.

Fifty-eight years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act, women still only earn, on average, 82 cents for every dollar paid to men.

This wage gap is even worse for women of color.

African-American women who work full time make only 63 cents for every dollar paid to White males.

Hispanic women make only 55 cents on the dollar.

In nearly every industry in our country, women's median earnings remain less than their male counterparts.

There has been one profound change since the passage of the Equal Pay Act 58 years ago. Forty-one percent of women are now the primary-or only-breadwinners for their families.

In my own State of Illinois, women earn, on average, just 81 cents for every dollar earned by men.

African-American women in Illinois make just 63 cents for every dollar paid to White males. Hispanic women are paid even less-just 49 cents on the dollar.

This pay discrimination hurts working families. More than one-third of households led by women in Illinois live in poverty.

Over their lifetimes, this persistent pay equity gap will cost the average woman in my State nearly $500,000 in lost wages.

This is not right, and it is not fair. And it means women have to work that much harder to support their families and retire in dignity, and too many can't achieve those goals no matter how long or hard they work.

The coronavirus pandemic has underscored just how deep and damaging pay inequality is in the United States.

Nearly 2 in 3 frontline workers are women. Yet they-nearly universally-are paid less than men in the same roles.

For example, 88 percent of registered nurses are women. Yet they make 93 cents for every dollar a male nurse makes.

Women who work as home health aides, personal care aides, or nursing assistants typically lose $250 per month, or $3,000 per year, because of the gender wage gap.

While our economy is slowing starting to recover as people become vaccinated and the virus is brought under control, economists warn that it may take years for women to recover from the economic and career setbacks they have suffered during this pandemic.

Four times as many women as men left the workforce in September of 2020 alone. More than 860,000 women compared to 216,000 men.

From wage discrimination to the unavailability of childcare, women are not getting a fair deal. That means working families are not getting a fair deal. That must change.

This Senate should pass the Paycheck Fairness Act reintroduced by Senator Murray.

The Paycheck Fairness Act would build on the successes of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which was the first bill signed into law by President Obama back in 2009.

The Lily Ledbetter Act prohibits gender-based pay discrimination, but it is hard to enforce because many employers still maintain policies that punish employees who voluntarily share salary information with their coworkers.

Workers can't demand equal pay if they don't know that they are being underpaid.

The Paycheck Fairness Act would close loopholes that still permit retaliation against workers who disclose their wages.

It would prohibit employers from asking prospective employees about their salary history.

It would require that employers prove that pay disparities exist for legitimate, job-related reasons, not simply because they think that ``women's work'' is worth less.

I am disappointed that Republican opposition has prevented the Senate from passing this bill, which is vital to the economic security of millions of American women and their families. But we are not giving up.

Women have carried America's families and our economy through this pandemic. As the pandemic begins to end, so should the persistent pay discrimination against women.

I urge my colleagues across the aisle to commit to passing the Paycheck Fairness Act and working with us to close this gender wage gap once and for all.

Mr. President, I'm reintroducing a piece of legislation that I first introduced in 2017: the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act.

Back then, we knew there was an urgent need to address the crisis of hate and violent extremism in America.

In the years since, that crisis has only gotten worse, and Congress has failed to take meaningful steps to address it.

We can change that, and we can change it now.

Earlier this week, the Judiciary Committee held a hearing on gun violence in America.

It happened just one day after a mass shooting in Boulder, CO claimed 10 lives and just 1 week after a shooting spree at 3 Atlanta-area spas claimed 8 lives.

During the hearing, I mentioned how these tragedies--mass shootings, acts of terror, hate crimes--they occur with such frequency, that we can't keep track.

Each life lost is added to our national tally of failure. A failure to save American lives.

And behind each number is a person.

We lost eight of them last week in the Atlanta area in a hateful act of violence.

Each of them had a name and a story.

Xiaojie Tan was a hard-working mother, wife, and business-owner.

Soon Chung Park was a mother and grandmother who loved to stay active. Her family was sure she was going to live to 100.

Hyun Jung Kim was a former elementary school teacher who had immigrated to the United States from South

Korea. She dedicated her life to raising her two sons.

Delaina Ashley Yaun was a newlywed and a mother of two, one of whom was an 8-month-old baby. She and her husband were getting a couple's massage at the time of the shooting.

Young Ae Yue was a wife and mother of two sons who looked forward to sitting down for a traditional Korean dinner every Sunday night.

Paul Andre Michels was a loving husband and a U.S. Army veteran.

Daoyou Feng had recently started working at one the massage parlors that was attacked. She was described by a friend as ``kind and quiet.''

Sooncha Kim was a wife, mother, grandmother, and avid line dancer. She and her husband had been married for 50 years.

All of their lives were cut short by a lone gunman with hate in his heart.

How many more lives must we lose before we act?

How many more vigils, funerals must we hold?

How many more families must be devastated forever?

While the motives behind these horrific attacks are still being investigated, it is impossible to ignore that six of the victims in the Atlanta attack were Asian-American women.

It happened at a moment when violence against members of the Asian- American and Pacific Islander community has been on the rise.

Two of my colleagues in the Senate have shown tremendous courage in the wake of last week's attack in Atlanta.

I am proud to have Senator Hirono as my colleague on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and I am proud to serve alongside Senator Duckworth and represent our home State of Illinois.

The two of them have, rightfully, criticized the Federal Government for failing to protect members of the AAPI community from acts of hate and violent extremism.

And they have every reason to be angry.

A year ago, they warned us.

They-along with Vice President Harris, who was serving in the Senate at the time-introduced a resolution expressing alarm that people are, quote, ``living in fear and terror following the dramatic increase of threats and attacks against those of Asian descent.''

They called on us, the Members of this body, to have a ``singular focus'' on protecting the safety of AAPI people, along with every American.

We failed to do that.

Since the pandemic began last March, nearly 3,800 hate incidents targeting members of the AAPI community have been reported.

Now these Americans are afraid to walk the streets of their own neighborhoods.

It is one of many examples that highlight the dire need to transform the way we deal with domestic terrorism in this country.

Even before the pandemic began, a tide of hatred had begun sweeping over America.

In 2019, the FBI reported that hate crimes had increased to the highest level in more than a decade.

Another report, from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, found that the number of hate-motivated aggravated assaults in America had increased by nearly 50 percent between 2013 and 2019.

Since hate crimes are historically underreported, we know that the increase is probably much greater.

Recently, the Department of Homeland Security warned that violent, White supremacy is now ``the most persistent and lethal threat in the homeland.''

Violent extremism is a threat to all of us, whether it is a lone gunman in Atlanta or hordes of blood-thirsty extremists battering down the doors of this very chamber.

The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act will enhance the Federal Government's ability to prevent these acts of extremist violence.

It will establish offices to combat domestic terrorism at the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Those offices would regularly assess the threat of violent extremism so law enforcement can focus their limited resources on the most significant ones.

The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act would also provide training and resources to assist State, local, and tribal law enforcement in addressing those threats.

I want to thank Majority Leader Schumer for working expeditiously to bring this bill to the floor.

I want to thank Senators Hirono and Duckworth for their leadership and for joining me in cosponsoring a version of this legislation that combines the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act with their COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.

This combined bill, which we have named the ``Domestic Terrorism and Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2021'', would both combat the broader threat of domestic terrorism and ensure that the Department of Justice is promptly addressing the particular threats facing the AAPI community.

Over the past week, in response to the attacks in Atlanta and Boulder, CO, I have heard Senators on both sides of the aisle make speeches about taking action to prevent acts of domestic terrorism.

Well, I can think of no better first step than voting in support of this legislation. To be clear, it is just one step. There is more we can and must do to combat domestic terrorism.

But we have been waiting 4 years too long to sign this bill into law.

Too many Americans have died.

Let's work to save ourselves from another 4 years of unthinkable tragedies. I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to print the following letter in the Congressional Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.