Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, today I rise in honor of the first African American woman to serve in the United States Congress and the first woman to run for President of the United States, the Honorable Shirley Chisholm. As we celebrate Black history month, we must also commemorate our sheroes for their contribution to protecting and preserving our precious democracy.

I, including many of my colleagues here in Congress, stand on the shoulders of this courageous woman who was a champion for progressive policy that sought to improve the lives of society's most vulnerable both internationally and domestically. In particular, she fought against the oppressive Apartheid Regime in South Africa and the Vietnam War. In addition, she was instrumental in the movement for women's rights and the poor.

The Honorable Shirley Chisholm understood the plight of the poor and working-class in this country. The reality is that there is no American Dream without economic equity. I am committed to continuing her activism in addressing the wealth gap. The average Black household has $24k in wealth, whereas the average White family has $188K in wealth. Approximately 30 percent of my District's residents live on under $75K a year, while 21% live under $30K.

To address these systemic challenges, it is vital to ensure that Congress resembles the diversity that exists in this nation. However, in states like mine, the Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, is committed to disfranchising voters through gerrymandering in violation of the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution. Ron DeSantis took the unprecedented and anti-democratic step of proposing his own Congressional map for the state of Florida. Under DeSantis' proposed plan, two Congressional seats currently held by African-American representatives elected overwhelmingly by working Floridians would lose their seats.

This is yet another attack on Floridians' sacred right to vote and a blatantly undemocratic

power grab. We believe that voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around. By injecting partisanship into the redistricting process, DeSantis is attempting to dilute minority representation and undermine the true will of Florida voters. He is a threat to our democracy. My colleagues and I will continue to fight against his racist and discriminatory proposal.

The Honorable Shirley Chisholm once said, ``I want to be remembered as a woman . . . who dared to be a catalyst of change.'' I hope that her legacy and commitment to service will inspire us all to continue defending the United States Constitution and fight tirelessly to improve the lives of our constituents through progressive policy.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mrs. Bertha Watson Henry, a public servant who served Broward County for 24 years and is now retired.

Bertha is a native of Miami, Florida. She is married to the Publisher of the Westside Gazette Bobby Henry Sr., and they have two children Broderick and Byler. Bertha has seven siblings Roland Jr., John, Diane Jones, Roberta Conyers, Matthew, Glen and Donald.

Bertha is a civil rights activist who has marched against the Apartheid in South Africa with the likes of Muhammad Ali and dedicated her life to fight against injustice. Bertha is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority and a graduate of Florida State University, where she received a Master of Science in public administration.

Bertha worked for Broward County for 24 years. She was named County Administrator in October 2008. She was the first Black female administrator in Broward County history. As County Administrator, she served as Chief Executive Officer of Broward County and directed the functions of County Government under the auspices of the Board of County Commissioners. She oversaw a county with 1.9 million residents, and operations for nearly 60 agencies with more than 6,200 employees, including the airport, seaport and tourism bureau.

Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Diaz-Balart for those kinds words and introduction.

I would first like to thank my family: my husband, Corlie McCormick, my daughter, Ismanie McCormick, and son, Jackson McCormick, who are in the gallery.

I would like to thank my team and my family, and especially God, who has brought us this far.

I am a child of immigrant parents who risked their lives to come to the United States. I thank my colleagues who fought for me even before I was born here to ensure that immigrants can actually have a place in our country and can live the American Dream. So I thank Members in advance because that is how I got here.

I also want to thank the 20th District who fought with us and who believed in a new voice and is giving this little Haitian-American girl a chance to fight for our country.

I would like to say a special thank you for all the pastors who prayed. I pledge to work as hard as I can, tirelessly, to ensure that District 20 and the United States are getting their needs met. I pledge to work as hard as

I can with every Member who is present today as we move forward upholding the Constitution and the promises, all the promises that brought me here today.

For the other children who were told that it could never happen for them, we fight today, and we join hands today.