Alma Adams

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to speak in honor of the first Black woman to serve on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board. One of the cofounders and conveners of the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Forum, not only a queen of the Queen City, but one of the crown jewels, Miss Sarah Stevenson. Sarah Belle Mingo was born in Heath Springs, South Carolina, in 1925, the first of 14 children. Her life quickly led her to Charlotte where, like many African- American women of her time, she worked as a housekeeper and did domestic work so that she and her family could achieve a brighter future. In Charlotte, she successfully integrated the school district's parent-teacher associations, and as an activist and mother of four, helped lay the foundation for one of the most integrated school districts in the Nation. You could have found her across the street from us on October 12, 1970, when she attended oral arguments at the Supreme Court for the Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education case. In 1980, she won election to the board of education, which she served for 8 years. Equity in education was always at the forefront of what she did, because even though the courts declared separate but equal was unequal, too many schools in Charlotte were still both separate and unequal. What she did made a difference. In 1984, halfway through Miss Sarah's tenure on the school board, President Ronald Reagan made a campaign stop in Charlotte at the height of his popularity. President Reagan had a line in his stump speech that won thunderous applause in cities across the country, and in Charlotte, he repeated it, saying that school busing was a failed social experiment that nobody wants. The crowd went silent. There was, at best, scattered applause. That is because in Charlotte, activists like Sarah Stevenson worked hard so that Black and White parents could come together in support of Charlotte's ``finest achievement''--school integration. She lost reelection to the school board in 1988 because she continued to value equity and integration even as the political winds changed. Her values were more important to her than winning votes. And that is an example that we can all learn from. While on the school board, she cofounded the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Forum, a group she continues to convene to this day. The Forum can best be described as the pulse of the community in Charlotte. The Forum has met on most Tuesdays for the past 40 years and is a required stop for candidates for public office in Charlotte and those running statewide. For these and many other achievements, it goes without saying that Sarah Stevenson has earned numerous awards and commendations over the course of her life. I was honored to be with her in 2007 as the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Partnership opened the 130-unit Stevenson Apartments in her honor. But perhaps the greatest honor she continues to bestow on us, the entire Charlotte community, is her wisdom. Not only her wisdom, but the wisdom of the Forum and its 40 years of guest speakers and attendees. As is said in a Fourfold Franciscan blessing that often starts the Forum: May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half- truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts. May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace. May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war so that we may reach our hands to them to comfort them and turn their path pain into joy. May God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done. I thank Miss Sarah, for working for justice, freedom, and peace, and for blessing so many people with enough foolishness to believe that we can make the impossible possible.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Fudge) for yielding and for her incredible leadership on this issue. It has been 66 years since the Brown v. Board of Education decision when this country took a step toward making amends for its legacy of oppression and discrimination against African Americans. But policymakers haven't always done the work necessary to make the promises of Brown a reality. After years of gains, the last three decades have been marked by increased racial isolation for Black and Brown students. Since 1988, the percentage of schools where less than 10 percent of the student body is White has increased from 6 to 18 percent. More than half of our Nation's schoolchildren are in districts where over 75 percent of students look just like them. So, I am happy that today, after 30 years of backsliding, the House will take a vote to live up to the legacy of Brown. The Strength in Diversity Act is as good as its name. It will restore the government's commitment to school desegregation and to ensuring that every child receives equal opportunity because as Brown told us, separate is inherently unequal. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to help this Nation live up to those ideals by voting in support of the Strength in Diversity Act. I thank my colleague from Ohio for bringing this bill forward.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Maloney for her leadership. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8015, the Delivering for America Act. Our courageous postal workers and letter carriers have been essential in keeping our country on track during this pandemic. More of us than ever are relying on the U.S. Postal Service to safely deliver medication and mail in a timely manner. But now, this handpicked Postmaster General is engineering an unconstitutional assault against the Postal Service from the inside out. I saw it myself just yesterday in Charlotte. Mail sorting machines have been reassembled and removed. Workers are being prohibited from working overtime. Letters and packages are piling up. I was proud to help lead the charge of Chairwoman Maloney, Chairman Connolly, and Mr. DeFazio earlier this month in a letter we wrote to Speaker Pelosi. Now, I am proud to vote in favor of protecting the essential institution. The U.S. Postal Service has been delivering for us our entire lives. Now it is time that we deliver for them and for America. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 8015.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time to me. I rise in support of, specifically, my amendment to prohibit the use of Federal funds for the acquisition of chemical agents, such as teargas and pepper balls. Since the tragic death of George Floyd, millions of Americans have sought to exercise their first amendment right to protest and to assemble. Too often these actions have been met by the brutal force of the State as the elderly, as children, as those with medical conditions choke and asphyxiate due to the use of so-called riot control agents. Mr. Speaker, we can no longer condone the use of agents that hundreds of public health professionals say can help spread respiratory illnesses, such as COVID-19. The use of such agents is banned by international law, so why would we use them against our own people? This is absolutely unacceptable. And so with my amendment, it is my hope today that we are nearing the dawn of a fairer, more equitable and more just era of policing in this country.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of our colleague, my friend, John Lewis. Everything John Lewis did was in the service of justice--a courageous, compassionate man who gave everything, including his blood and his body, to the civil rights movement. From the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma to the floor of the House of Representatives, John was never afraid to put it on the line, everything, for what he believed in. John was many things: a fighter, a leader, one of the ``Big Six,'' an HBCU graduate, a ``good trouble'' maker. He was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and over 50 honorary degrees, from Portland State University in Oregon to Bates College in Maine, and yet he was always humble. Many have called him a hero, a living legend, but most of us here just knew him as John, our colleague, our friend. It was an amazing privilege to serve in Congress with John Lewis. John was not only a leader of the civil rights movement, he was a modern-day Founding Father. Because, while the Founding Fathers assured us that ``all men are created equal,'' it was the sweat and the blood and the sacrifice of people like Congressman John Robert Lewis that made that assurance true, that made our Nation more perfect and made our form of government turn towards justice. John Lewis earned the respect of men, women, and little children, and he made our world and our community and our Nation much better than he found it. My prayers are with his family and every seeker of justice who mourns him today. Thank you, brother Lewis. Thank you. Rest in peace.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, with 32 million Americans receiving unemployment benefits, nearly 20 percent of our workforce is in need of relief. And, yes, folks who have loans and folks who signed a contract to pay rent and their mortgage, because of this pandemic and they have lost jobs, they can't do that. You know, according to one higher education expert's calculations, some 10 billion student loan borrowers could be out of work amid the recession, and right now, the most important expenses for Americans are food, medical care, housing, and utilities. So, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to operate from a place of compassion and fairness. As Members of Congress, we are blessed to have jobs. No one here has lost a paycheck. We have health insurance and all the other basic needs that we have, so the least that we can do is provide a temporary economic life raft to our fellow citizens. This amendment gives us the opportunity to help those in need. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 6395, the William M. Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. As we debate this important legislation today, we must remain laser- focused on how our fellow Americans, servicemen, and veterans continue to face incredible challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, I remain concerned about the student loan crisis that existed long before the pandemic paralyzed our economy and threw tens of millions of Americans out of their jobs. Student loan debt has surpassed credit cards and auto loans as the largest debt held by consumers, second only to mortgages. According to the Federal Reserve, more than 40 million Americans hold $1.6 trillion in cumulative student loan debt. In 2019, private student loans comprised nearly 8 percent of the outstanding balances, amounting to roughly $123 billion. This crushing student loan debt reduces homeownership, jeopardizes retirement security, and limits the formation of small businesses. We also know that many Americans were struggling to repay their student loans before the pandemic. Now, it has only gotten worse. Prior to COVID-19, more than one in seven student loan borrowers were more than 90 days delinquent, and almost half did not pay down their balances over the previous quarter. That is why we created protections for student borrowers in the CARES Act. In CARES, we granted people with Federal student loans a break from their payments until next September. Unfortunately, private student loan borrowers continue to find themselves with very few relief options. During the pandemic, the number of private student borrowers not making repayment progress has increased by 36 percent. Even though Congress has passed a number of bills to provide relief during these difficult times, we have left millions of Americans uncovered and without necessary protections. That is why I proposed an amendment with the NDAA that is simple and fair. It would extend the CARES student loan protections that were provided to Federal student loan borrowers to private student loan borrowers who were left out. This would include a pause in borrower payment obligations, in accrual of interest, in negative credit reporting, and in debt collection. Additionally, the CARES student loan protections expire on September 30, 2020, and the pandemic and the economic fallout do not appear to be ending in the near future. So, the amendment extends the private student loan protections an additional year, until September 30. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I want to remind the gentlewoman that, since March, this body has provided $600 billion in funds for the Paycheck Protection Program. But because of shoddy implementation, the administration lavished billions on this Nation's country clubs and private jet companies and other entities of the 1 percent. That doesn't even include the multiple tax breaks and the advantages for corporations that were written into the CARES Act, which, combined, equal as much as the amount spent to provide Americans with $1,200 in a stimulus check. So, Mr. Speaker, why is it that it is only socialism when we endeavor to provide relief to working-class or middle-class Americans? Why are American taxpayer dollars only sacred when we try to provide for those who are in need the most? We are living in unprecedented times, and so we need an unprecedented response. People are struggling. They are trying truly to get by, no fault of their own. We know that supporting our fellow Americans will require significant investments and funding, so let's find the courage and let's have some compassion to provide the financial support that student loan relief could do that they urgently need. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure to override the President's veto and to stand up for our Nation's 20 million college students. Secretary DeVos' rule would harm tens of thousands of college students and would allow bad actors to continue some of the worst practices, such as forcing students to sign pre-arbitration agreements that limit their rights. We cannot allow predatory institutions to steal the dream of a college degree from any child. It is shameful that in his veto message, President Trump used historically Black colleges and universities, HBCUs, as cover for his pro-fraud, anti-student agenda. Now, let's be clear. No HBCU has ever been implicated in a borrower defense claim, and no HBCU has voiced support for Secretary DeVos' rule. That is fake news. It is time that President Trump and Secretary DeVos began standing up for North Carolinians seeking opportunity instead of lying down to our Nation's worst institutions. And if they won't do it, Congress will. It is a fundamental right. Du Bois told us: ``Of all of the civil rights for which the world has struggled and fought . . . the right to learn is . . . the most fundamental.''

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 7120, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Enough is enough. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Too many of our neighbors have died at the hands of law enforcement. Valuable people, beloved people, people who were siblings and coworkers and parishioners, members of our communities, parents, children, grandchildren are now hashtags. They are household names who would have all traded that fame for just one more day, one more day with their friends, their families and loved ones. Across this country we have learned too many names, but not as many people know their ages. Walter Scott was 50. Tony McDade was 38. Alton Sterling was 37. Philando Castile was 32. Sandra Bland was 28. Breonna Taylor was 26. Botham Jean was 26. Freddie Gray was 25. Ahmaud Arbery was 25. Stephon Clark was 22. Michael Brown was 18. Laquan McDonald was 17. Tamir Rice was 12. Aiyana Stanley-Jones was just 7. In Mecklenburg County in my district, we have too many names, over 50 since the year 2000, people of every race and background. Keith Lamont Scott was 43. Reuben Galindo was 29. Danquirs Franklin was 27. Clay McCall was 26. Jonathan Ferrell was 24. Darryl Turner was 17. Laquan Brown was 16. Since January 1, 2015, at least 155 people have been shot and killed by police in my home State of North Carolina, and at least 5,428 people have been shot and killed by police across the United States. David McAtee, 53, was killed by the Kentucky National Guard while protesting these injustices. Eric Garner, 43, and George Floyd, 46, were put in chokeholds. They begged they couldn't breathe. Imagine how many of these killings didn't have to happen. Imagine how many years of life we could give back to these men, women, and children. Imagine what God will say to us on judgment day if we fail to act. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is a first step to righting these wrongs. Importantly, the bill bans chokeholds so that a death like George Floyd's or Eric Garner's never has to happen again. Additionally, it will force police departments nationwide to reexamine the use of chemical agents like tear gas, bringing us closer to a day when protestors exercising their constitutional right won't choke, both figuratively and literally, on injustice. It was a tragedy that George Floyd will, in the words of Roxie Washington, never get to walk his daughter down the aisle. But like their 6-year-old daughter, Gianna, said, ``Daddy changed the world.'' So let's do right by Gianna. Let's make good on her promise of change, and let's pass the Justice in Policing Act. Let's pass it today.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my support for the HEROES Act. Yesterday, another 56,000 North Carolinians filed for unemployment, and 20 lost their lives. Unfortunately, the public health and economic catastrophes caused by COVID-19 are not over--our families, our small businesses, our essential employees, our front line workers, and our Heroes need relief now. I'm proud that the HEROES Act contains bills I've worked hard to support: Emergency funding to keep our most vulnerable students fed and healthy. Essential health and safety protections and essential pay for our workers who supply our food, deliver our mail and serve our seniors. Desperately needed funding for housing, cities and states. Critical student loan debt reliefs. It's a lot easier to keep an economy moving than try to bring it back from a screeching halt.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, the American people, our constituents, are keeping this country afloat during this emergency. They are looking at the representatives to lead--not only through the legislation we debate and pass, but through the example we set. I support H. Res. 965 because it will allow the House to do the People's business in a thoughtful and safe way. We are in the midst of the unprecedented crisis--we cannot operate as if things are business as usual when all the science tells us that ``business as usual'' could mean hundreds of Members, staff, and employees of the Capitol get sick. We need to change how the People's House operates until we ensure that America's frontline workers have access to adequate testing and PPE--and then can provide that same access to Members, staff, and Capitol employees. Because as we all know--that is the only way to dig our way out of this health crisis. H. Res. 965 would allow Members to designate a proxy to cast floor votes if it's considered too dangerous to travel to Washington and would allow for our Committees to continue their work in holding hearings and marking up legislation. Over the past two months, Congress has passed 4 bills to provide much-needed relief to the close to 40 million of newly unemployed Americans, and the 1.45 million Americans that have tested positive for COVID-19. Despite what my friends on the other side of the aisle say, Congress is working and will continue to work to meet the health and economic challenge in front of us. H. Res. 965 gives us the ability to do that as we fervently do what is necessary to ensure this health emergency passes.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Madam Speaker, I was absent on March 3, 2020 due to my primary election. Had I been present, I would have voted: Roll Call No. 81 YEA, and Roll Call No. 82 YEA.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, America is in the middle of a crisis, and our constituents are looking to us for help. COVID-19 has shuttered businesses, closed schools, left millions of Americans without the means to pay rent or put food on their tables, and worst of all, killed over a thousand of our neighbors. Congress has passed two bills to address the stubborn lack of testing that still plagues our health system, and to provide Americans with federally guaranteed paid sick leave for the first time ever. However, it's clear that the scope and impact of this pandemic is far greater than we could have imagined. So today, we take another step towards giving Americans a helping hand and some needed relief from an emergency that has changed life as we know it. I support H.R. 748, the CARES Act, because it reflects a bipartisan compromise that will allow our elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools to pay their faculty and staff, and continue providing nourishment to their students. I support the CARES Act because it will put money directly into the pockets of working Americans who aren't looking for a handout, but who need assistance to make it through the next few weeks. I support the CARES Act because it provides billions in assistance to our number one job creators, our small businesses, as they look to make payroll and keep their workers employed. It was the author William Feather who said: ``The prizes go to those who meet emergencies successfully. And the way to meet emergencies is to do each daily task the best we can.'' The American people have done their best to meet each day of this crisis with resolve. Now it is up to Congress to meet this crisis with the same kind of moral fiber.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Madam Speaker, I was absent on March 3, 2020 due to my primary election. Had I been present, I would have voted: Roll Call No. 81--YEA, and Roll Call No. 82--YEA

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak about the Black Maternal Health Momnibus, an historic and comprehensive package that tackles one of the greatest public health crises of our time. My work on Black Maternal Health began when my daughter, a Black mom herself, survived a complicated pregnancy that almost claimed her life. How many people my age aren't as lucky, and now have grandkids who grew up without a mommy? I knew when I got to Congress, I had to make this a priority. In 2018, Senator Kamala Harris and I worked with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to introduce resolutions honoring the first Black Maternal Health Week, as well as the Maternal CARE Act. That effort led to last April, when Congresswoman Lauren Underwood and I launched the Black Maternal Health Caucus. This issue was deeply personal for both of us. We wanted to raise awareness, educate our colleagues, and shine a bright spotlight on the maternal health crisis--of mothers needlessly dying during what should be one of the most joyous times of their lives. Our caucus has grown to more than 100 members in less than a year, which I imagine might be a record feat, but it speaks to the importance of this issue and how it resonates so deeply within Congress and across party lines. Black maternal health is not a partisan issue. It is a life-and-death issue. The main goal of the caucus is to develop and advance evidence- based policy solutions. The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2020 builds upon existing maternal health legislation by filling gaps through nine new bills to comprehensively address every aspect of the Black maternal health crisis. Throughout the process, we were very intentional about centering the voices of Black women and ensuring that Black women-led organizations were consulted early and often. The Momnibus makes investments in social determinants of health, community-based organizations, the growth and diversification of the perinatal workforce, improvements in data collection and quality measures, digital tools like telehealth and innovative payment models. In addition to direct efforts to improve Black maternal health outcomes, the Momnibus focuses on high-risk populations, including women veterans, incarcerated women, and Native Americans. Mr. Speaker, I also want to take a moment to speak about the bill that I am leading within the package: The Kira Johnson Act. Kira was an entrepreneur, she traveled the world, and she was a mother to a healthy, little boy. On April 12, 2016, she checked into a hospital with her husband, Charles, to give birth to their second child, Langston. Despite being in excellent health, despite being a successful businesswoman, despite having health insurance, and doing everything right, Kira did not make it out alive. She died from hours of neglect and severe hemorrhaging, nearly 12 hours after safely delivering her second son. Kira Johnson mattered. Kira deserved better. And this legislation says, unequivocally, that Black Mamas matter. It makes investments in community-based organizations that are leading the charge to protect moms: By supporting maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders; by supporting doulas and perinatal health workers; and addressing social determinants of health, like housing, transportation, and nutrition. It also supports research, bias and racism training programs, and the establishment of Respectful Maternity Care Compliance offices to address bias and racism. At its core, this bill is about accountability and empowering our community health partners who have been providing safe and culturally- sensitive care to Black moms for years. Again, I am thrilled for the accumulation of nearly a year of research, information-gathering, and collaboration with key stakeholders. For decades, the U.S. maternal mortality and morbidity rates have gotten worse for all mothers, but especially for Black women whose health outcomes are further compounded by systemic and structural racism. The Black Maternal Health Momnibus is an historic piece of legislation that not only targets failures in maternal healthcare, but also addresses pervasive maternal health disparities through solutions that are culturally competent and proven effective. It provides a roadmap so that our healthcare systems, our providers, and society will finally make Black maternal and infant health a priority. No one should have to lose another friend, auntie, sister, daughter, or mommy to this crisis. Mr. Speaker, let's get it done for all of the moms out there.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the women of the United States House of Representatives for Women's History Month. This Women's History Month marks the 100th year of women's suffrage in the United States. While the first Congresswoman joined the House in 1917, the first woman of color didn't join our Chamber until Hawaii sent Patsy Mink to Washington in 1965. And the first African American Congresswoman didn't arrive until the unbossed and unbought Shirley Chisholm joined us in 1969. Our colleague, Nancy Pelosi, became the first and only woman Speaker of the House in 2007. In 2014, I will never forget, I was honored to be elected by the people of North Carolina's 12th District to serve as the 100th woman in the 113th Congress. In 2018, a record 127 women were elected to Congress, with over 100 women in the House alone. However, there is still work to be done. 127 out of 535 is just 24 percent, and that is not what our country looks like. We need more women Members because, despite the fact that women have had the vote for 100 years, we still don't have equal justice under the law. To this day, we are still paid less for our work, face workplace harassment, and are discriminated against simply because of being who we are. Women work full time, year-round still only making 82 cents on the dollar for the earnings men make. Fighting against these disparities and ensuring our Federal Government and policies are reflective of the whole country is why having women in Congress is so important. So, as we honor women's history, let's remember that all of us have not only the ability, but also the obligation to make history.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2339, the Protecting American Lungs and Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act. In 1999, I was tapped to serve as one of the founding members of the American Legacy Foundation whose mission was to create a world where young people reject tobacco, and anyone can quit. For 7 years I served as vice chair of Legacy as we fought to help create a tobacco-free generation. That organization is known today as the Truth Initiative. We helped air the first advertisements that curtailed teen cigarette use and started us toward the end of an epidemic, but our work is not yet done. We have a new epidemic on our hands, one we cannot ignore. In 2019, over 5 million middle and high school students used e- cigarettes. That is up almost two million students from 2018. H.R. 2339 tackles this problem. By prohibiting the sale of all flavored tobacco products, we protect our children from the scourge of nicotine addiction. To be blunt, this legislation puts health before profit, and that is the truth.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak for our food insecure families. Federal anti-hunger programs like SNAP play a vital role in the lives of 12th District families, but the Trump Budget slashes $182 billion from food assistance programs. President Trump's proposal to cut SNAP benefits comes on the heels of three USDA rules which will cut benefits for almost 4 million Americans and jeopardize 1 million children's access to free school breakfast and lunch. These are real people they're hurting. These are our children, our friends, our neighbors. Here's the sad truth: this President wants to pay for his billionaire tax cuts by letting children starve. A couple months ago, I visited Windsor Park Elementary School in Charlotte as they were putting together their first food pantry for students. Of their 650 students, many are homeless and 150 have immediate needs. Their food pantry was put together because students kept asking their teachers and administrators for food. Principal Shanna Rae told a local TV station that ``you can tell a difference in students when they have something to eat.'' That's not Oliver Twist: sadly, that's our community. Over 20 million children across our country rely on SNAP. Instead of cutting SNAP, we should expand it, so that children and families don't have to worry about where their next meal is going to come from. Scripture tells us that Jesus said, ``Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'' How can we expect them to do that if they have nothing to eat?

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to voice my support for the Equal Rights Amendment. For 20 years in the North Carolina General Assembly, I fought tirelessly to get our state to ratify the ERA. And, since joining this body in 2014, I have supported the ERA in every Congress. That's why I was overjoyed to see Virginia's vote last month to become the 38th and final state needed to ratify the ERA. For 100 years women in North Carolina, Virginia, and all across this country have been fighting for the ERA. And we shouldn't have to wait another 100 years to get equal justice under the law. To this day, women are still paid less for our work, face workplace harassment, and are discriminated against simply for being who they are. Women who work full time, year-round still only make 82 cents on the dollar for men's earnings. For women of color, the disparity is even worse. Black women make only 62 cents, Latinas make 54 cents, and Native women make 58 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. One in three women experience sexual violence in their lifetime. Sixty to seventy percent of women face sexual harassment during their careers. Sixty-two percent of pregnant women and new moms are in the workforce, yet under current law, pregnant workers can be placed on unpaid leave or forced out of their jobs because of a pregnancy. These are just some of the reasons that ratifying the ERA is so important. The ERA would help us fight those battles by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in our most important, foundational document: the Constitution. I think we can all agree that our courts shouldn't have the option to treat women as less than equal. The Constitution was designed to be amended. Our founders made mistakes. They counted me as three-fifths of a person. They allowed slavery to persist in our country. They weren't Gods; they were men. And, as times change, we have a responsibility to change with them to ensure ALL people are afforded equal protections and rights. To quote Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, ``I ask no favor for my sex; all I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.'' That's why we won't rest until women and men are finally equal under the eyes of the law.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Madam Speaker, I was absent February 12-13, 2020 due to a family emergency. Had I been present, I would have voted: Roll Call No. 60 YEA; Roll Call No. 61 NO; Roll Call No. 62 NO; Roll Call No. 63 YEA; Roll Call No. 64 NO; Roll Call No. 65 NO; Roll Call No. 66 YEA; Roll Call No. 67 NO; Roll Call No. 68 NO; Roll Call No. 69 YEA; and Roll Call No. 70 YEA.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the survivors of gun violence. Last month, I had the opportunity to meet with Jules Oringel of Charlotte when she led the Pledge of Allegiance at my State of the District address. She is a local high school senior, and her story is a story that no young woman should ever have to tell. She was at home in her room, on her phone, like any teenager, and then she gets a message from one of her best friends. She says there is an active shooter in her school and she doesn't know what is going on. She tells everyone in the group chat she loves us. The best friend is at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Eventually, Jules learns that one of the people she had attended camp with lost her life in the shooting. Jules says, for the next few weeks, she was riddled with anxiety at school, at other public spaces; she couldn't sleep, and she did not know how her friends would heal. That is something no young woman should ever go through. That is not okay with me. In the aftermath, Jules stepped up to start the nonprofit Return Home Supplies, because every student and every teacher deserves to return home. It is hard for me to believe that we have reached a point in our country where people have legitimate concerns about making it home at the end of the day. As a 40-year educator, I cannot imagine how students balance those concerns with every other challenge that they face. And that is not okay with me. Last year, the city of Charlotte saw the worst violence that we have seen in decades. Tragically, we concluded 2019 with 107 murders, the highest in decades. Our community lost a disproportionate number of African American men whose lives matter, too. The towns of the 12th Congressional District lost people to gun violence as well. And that is not okay with me. 107 murders, total--the vast majority involving guns. Charlotte families lost siblings and parents and loved ones and community members, congregants, students, and children to gun violence. Our community has been torn apart. That is not okay with me. Our very own UNC Charlotte, our 49ers, lost two souls who called our community home. Four other students were gravely injured, and our community was shaken to its core. And many of us are still in disbelief. A school shooting happened in Charlotte. In a hallowed place that is supposed to prepare our youth for their future, two futures ended. It was the first mass shooting that we have had at a school in Charlotte, and it should also be the last. That is not okay with me. Many Holy Books tell us that whoever destroys a single life is considered by Scripture to have destroyed the whole world, and whoever saves a single life is considered by Scripture to have saved the whole world. Each time we lose someone, we lose an entire world, an entire universe of hopes, dreams, and aspirations; we lose a thread that binds together families and communities. Well, as a Charlotte community, as a nation, we must do something to stop the gun violence that tears at the fabric of our communities. In this Congress, the first three bills the House sent to the Senate took weapons of war off the street and would make our communities safer. Now that the Senate has concluded its impeachment trial, they have no excuse to continue to hold these bills up other than they just don't care. And that is not okay with me. My colleagues and I have led the efforts to introduce key pieces of legislation that would close the loophole in our background checks, extend the background check process, prohibit those convicted of hate crimes from purchasing firearms, and reinstate the Federal ban on assault weapons. I would like to take a moment to applaud the Charlotte City Council for taking the lead with their Safe Communities Committee and our educational institutions for their security upgrades and initiatives. Despite this Congress, more work lies ahead. And that is personal to me, because the violence must stop. Let me end by sharing one more message from the Queen City. Our city's comedians at Charlotte Squawks took a break from being funny to add a somber note to the comedy show. To the tune of ``This Land is Your Land'' by Woody Guthrie: This land is Parkland, It's Columbine and It's Thousands Oaks at A student line dance. From Santa Fe High School To Virginia Beach murders, This stuff is not okay with me. As I keep watching This endless violence, With thoughts and prayers for A moment of silence, The politicians Are doing nothing, This stuff is not okay with me. I agree. This is not okay with me. We need sensible gun laws, and we need them right now.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman from Michigan for yielding, as well the gentleman from North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4981, which would designate the U.S. Post Office facility at 2505 Derita Avenue in Charlotte, North Carolina, as the Julius L. Chambers Civil Rights Memorial Post Office. Julius LeVonne Chambers was born in Mount Gilead, North Carolina, in 1935. When he was young, a White man stole from his father, an auto mechanic, by refusing to pay a substantial bill. When attorneys in Mount Gilead refused to hear his father's case because his father was Black, Julius Chambers vowed to become a lawyer himself. At North Carolina Central University--then the North Carolina College at Durham--for his undergraduate education, Chambers served as student body president. While attending UNC-Chapel Hill for law school, Julius Chambers was the first African American editor in chief of that school's prestigious law review. Upon graduating and moving to Charlotte in 1964, Julius Chambers began a prolific legal career that would see him fight for justice and equality. He founded his own law firm and immediately began to litigate key discrimination cases after White firms would not hire him. Mr. Chambers' firm would later become North Carolina's first integrated law firm, Ferguson Chambers & and Sumter, P.A. It is still in operation today. Notably, in 1970, Chambers argued successfully before the U.S. Supreme Court in the landmark Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education that resulted in the desegregation of the Charlotte- Mecklenburg school system. As he fought for equality, there were many who fought to stop him. In January 1965, his car was burned. In November 1965, his home was bombed. And in February 1971, his office was firebombed. According to The New York Times: ``His response was defiant; he said he would `keep fighting.' It was also measured. `We must accept this type of practice,' he said, `from those less in control of their faculties.''' Though he endured hardships, he did not grow weary of his mission. As he grew into one of the Nation's most accomplished civil rights lawyers, Julius Chambers would go on to lead the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund for over 9 years, where he continued to fight for social justice and equality. He would later return to North Carolina Central University to serve as chancellor, where he proudly cultivated young minds from 1993 until 2001. After a lifetime of service to others, Julius L. Chambers passed away at the age of 76 in 2013. Mr. Speaker, my State and our Nation are undoubtedly better because of the life of Julius L. Chambers. I admired this man, and I was pleased to know him and had many conversations with him during his lifetime. During this Black History Month, I hope that my colleagues will join me in voting in favor of this legislation and help me honor this civil rights legend in a community that he worked so hard to improve. I thank my colleague, Mr. Meadows, and all of my colleagues from North Carolina and that delegation for supporting this legislation.

Ms. ADAMS

Ms. ADAMS. Mr. Chair, I rise today to join my colleagues in support of H.R. 3621, the Comprehensive CREDIT Act. I commend Chairwoman Waters, Congresswoman Pressley, and my colleagues for their leadership and dedication to ensuring that the credit reporting system works for everyone. Our Nation's credit reporting system has an impact on hundreds of millions of Americans. Credit scores and credit reports are increasingly relied on for key decisionmaking by creditors, employers, insurers, and even law enforcement. However, it has been more than 15 years since Congress has enacted comprehensive reform of the credit reporting system. In particular, I would like to focus on the consumers who have experienced financial distress due to inaccurate information on their credit reports. When there is an error on a consumer report, the burden falls on the consumer. It can take months and even, in some cases, years to remove an error on a consumer's report, all the while the consumer's credit continues to suffer, potentially preventing them from receiving a much- needed loan or financing. My bill, the Improving Credit Reporting for All Consumers Act, which is part of this larger package, would help consumers by making it easier for incorrect information to be removed swiftly and painlessly. It would make much-needed improvements to the dispute process for consumers by providing a new right to appeal the results of initial disputes. It would also require furnishers to retain better records of negative information and that consumers be provided copies of any documents used during the dispute process. All furnishers who regularly report negative information would also be required to notify customers about this practice and alert customers when they first send derogatory information. The second portion of my bill prohibits credit reporting agencies from providing consumers with misleading and unfair information about the various credit monitoring services they offer. Credit reporting agencies would also be prohibited from misleading consumers by describing certain products and services as free that are, in truth, provided at no charge only for a limited trial period before automatically converting into a paid subscription service. The naysayers will say that my bill is well-meaning but significantly flawed because the dispute process would make things more complicated and difficult, but they would be wrong. The status quo is difficult and cumbersome, and too many consumers' lives, credit, and opportunities for healthy financial records hang in the balance. Credit scores have a significant bearing on your ability to secure access to loans and other opportunities for upward economic mobility. This is an issue far too important, life-altering, and impactful. We must do all that we can to ensure that consumers are fully knowledgeable about their options and that they have the necessary protections available to them. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this bold package.