Donna Christensen

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, here the Republicans go again. I guess no one in this country, as they envision, it should ever have a different point of view than theirs. Liberty cannot be just an empty word. It certainly is not to us Democrats. We opposed the elimination of National Public Radio last year and I oppose it today. Thinking and discerning people like to get their information from different sources and different points of view and then make their own decisions. That is what NPR provides. The American people are smart and do not want to be spoon fed propaganda and brainwashed by any one ideology or political party. And they support Public Broadcasting--Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike. When asked, more than two-thirds oppose the elimination of federal funding for public broadcasting as this bill would do. This bill has nothing to do with reducing the deficit. It is an ideological battle--all about never supporting and always wanting to get rid of public radio and public TV. Republicans are showing again that they are out of touch with the American people. This attempt to shut down free radio is misguided and based on deliberately distorted information. Taking funding away from national Public Radio would hurt local stations, small stations--many even in Republican districts--which depend on NPR programming to survive so that they can carry local news, events and programming and even provide the opportunity for any of us to speak to the public. Colleagues, let's vote for Democracy. Vote ``no'' on this bill

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, no more short-term continuing resolutions. All respected economists and the deficit commission have told us we should not make cuts in this fiscal year. Is no one listening? These short and the longer CRs will make our recession worse and destroy jobs. At a time when the recovery is beginning to make small steps forward, these cuts will destroy the progress we have made. Yesterday, the Republican majority cut wildfire suppression by $200 million. Oklahoma, are you hearing this? Flood prevention, again. Are you hearing that, New Jersey? Funding for police. Don't Americans deserve safe neighborhoods? Programs that protect our food supply. Good for salmonella and E. coli but not for the American people It isn't enough for Republicans to deny the science on greenhouse gases; H.R. 44 and 48 cut funding from EPA programs that keep our air clean and our water safe. Are we creating jobs? No. Are we making a dent in the deficit? No. But are we hurting families? Yes. Don't stop the recovery our people need. Listen to the experts. Extend the CR at 2010 levels. No more cuts this year.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. I ask unanimous consent, Mr. Speaker, that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to add material to the subject that we are discussing this evening.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, this evening we in the Congressional Black Caucus are coming to the floor to honor the women in our communities that have been its backbone and who have employed their foresight, their hard work, and their sacrifice to move us forward, serving as the inspiration for all of us in our individual and collective journeys. March, as you know, is Women's History Month, celebrated this year with the theme, ``Our History is Our Strength.'' We all know the stories in our families and in our communities of mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, aunts and sisters who pulled together to make sure that everyone within their power was fed, educated and remained healthy. Those with a lot of resources shared what they had. Those with not much gave of their time and their heart to bring generations into existence, to nurture all of the community's children despite all of the odds before them. As we highlight the achievements of women, we will also speak to our concerns that the gains women have made and the progress we still need to make are being threatened by the actions and the agenda of the 112th Congress under a Republican majority. Before I yield to my colleague from Texas, I would just like to read some quotes from the Secretary of State and the President of the United States. First the Secretary, quoting from her remarks on Women's History Month: ``This year we commemorate the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, a global celebration of the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. International Women's Day is a chance to pay tribute to ordinary women throughout the world and is rooted in women's century-old struggle to participate in society on an equal footing with men. This day reminds us that while enormous progress has been made, there is still work to be done before women achieve true parity.'' And from President Barack Obama: ``We have to work even harder,'' he says, ``to close the gap that still exists and to uphold that simple American ideal: we are all equal and deserving of the chance to pursue our own version of happiness. That's what Eleanor Roosevelt was striving toward half a century ago. That's why the report on women that was issued this month matters today. And that's why on behalf of all of our daughters and our sons, we've got to keep making progress in the years ahead.'' It is now my pleasure to yield to the gentlelady from Texas, Sheila Jackson Lee.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Thank you, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, for your inspiring words, and thank you for being such a faithful participant in these Monday evening Special Orders. You listed a lot of the very special women in your district, as you said, on whose shoulders we stand. I could also list women from my district who are leaders in the fight for freedom and justice: who are labor leaders, doctors, clergy, writers, nurses, teachers, and those who have just been role models and who have helped to nurture our territory's children. I do want to spend some of my time saluting a pioneering educator in my district of the U.S. Virgin Islands, one who would have celebrated her 96th birthday on March 26 had she not left us this past January. Like many Virgin Islands women of her generation, Mrs. Delta Dorsch was a force of nature. Born in the town of Frederiksted in 1915, 2 years before the Virgin Islands became a part of the American family, Mrs. Dorsch was a renowned educator, storyteller and tradition bearer of the territory. She was tall in stature and stood out as a woman of class, of intelligence and excellence in all that she did. In her lifetime, she witnessed the birth, growth and development of the modern Virgin Islands: from the transfer of ownership from Denmark to the United States, to the quest of its people for greater self-government and self-determination, to its welcoming of many people from many shores, to its present position poised at the dawn of a new century with its modern concerns of quality health care and education for all, environmental and cultural sustainability, energy independence, and a future for its children of a life lived in peace and security, with access to a quality life that provides good, stable employment opportunities. Mrs. Dorsch, who was educated at New York University, at Columbia University and who studied international education at the University of London in England and at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, served for more than 38 years as a teacher and elementary supervisor in the Virgin Islands school system. From 1977 to 1982, she also served as an instructor of elementary education in both undergraduate programs at the University of the Virgin Islands and as Deputy Commissioner for Curriculum and Instruction in the Virgin Islands Department of Education. She was also the chair of the board of directors of the St. Dunstan's Episcopal School in St. Croix. Her excellent educational resume does not adequately convey the quality of care she gave to Virgin Islands students. She was a mentor and a special friend to many, encouraging them to achieve and to work for excellence. She also worked throughout her lifetime to preserve traditional values and her cultural heritage, taking it upon herself to learn the many folk stories that had been passed down from generation to generation and to share them with the young and with the not so young. Her message was simple: As you progress and embrace change, don't forget your culture, your way of life, and the everyday things that make you unique and special and identifiable as a people. In addition to education and culture, she was active in the political life of the community, supporting the campaigns of worthy candidates and giving sage advice to those who, like myself, sought her counsel. In her lifetime, Mrs. Delta Dorsch received many accolades and awards. The National Junior Honor Society of the Elena Christian Junior High School is named in her honor as is the residence hall at the University of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix campus. She was among the tradition bearers who participated in the Virgin Islands Folklife Festival in 1990 here in Washington, DC, on The Mall, where she told the Bru Nansi and Jumbie stories that are particular to the U.S. Virgin Islands. She authored a book and an accompanying video on the role of the storyteller and of the preservation of the Virgin Islands culture, and she contributed to our town Frederiksted's current edition of the ``Glory Days of Frederiksted.'' Mrs. Delta M. Jackson Dorsch made her mark as a woman of substance in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and left a remarkable trail for the rest of us to follow. It is in her spirit of determination and advocacy that I stand here today to speak about the current state of women, not only in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but across our Nation. Mr. Speaker, we are now in a time that has shown great progress for women, as I read from our President earlier; but we also find ourselves at a crossroads where there are many areas in which our welfare is threatened. Some of these areas were enumerated by my colleague from Texas. According to the report prepared for the White House Council on Women and Girls, entitled, ``Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being,'' which was published this month, women have outpaced men in educational attainment, earning more college degrees and graduate education, but they are still more likely than men to live in poverty. Black and Hispanic females are likely to be poorer than non-Hispanic white females. Black women have a 28 percent rate of poverty, Hispanic 27 percent, white women 11 percent--also too high. While more education increases income for both men and women, the pay gap between the two still exists. More women than men work part time, and of course that means they are less likely to be insured or to have other benefits. At all levels of education, women still earn about 75 percent as much as their male counterparts. The female-headed families have the lowest family earnings among all family types. Women today face health challenges, with depression, for example, and more women than men report having chronic medical conditions. Yet more of us are uninsured, and many women report not having a usual source of care. Eighteen percent of nonelderly women lack health insurance. Of unmarried women, almost 25 percent are uninsured. Twenty-one percent of African American women and 38 percent of Latinas are uninsured. So the challenge to improve the lives of all women continues, and we Democrats are proud that in the historic 111th Congress, presided over by the first female Speaker of this House, we passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restores the rights of women and other workers to challenge unfair pay and work events. We passed the Paycheck Fairness Act, which updated the 47-year-old Equal Pay Act, by providing more effective remedies for women who are not being paid equal wages for doing equal work. We also passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which created 3.3 million jobs, many of them held by American women in emerging industries such as clean energy. The stimulus package passed by this House expanded opportunities for women and minorities in the transportation industry by investing in on- the-job training for them and even highway construction and transportation technology. It included technical assistance for them to obtain transportation infrastructure contracts, and is helping 3.5 million women students obtain higher education through the increases in the Pell Grant funding. It provided for key investments in early education by providing additional funding to increase Head Start enrollment by 65,000, creating 30,000 jobs for Head Start teachers and staff, while strengthening families, including some of the women-headed families. Services for families and children were strengthened in the 111th Congress with the increased funding for child care development block grants and for programs to reduce violence against women. In the 111th Congress, the Affordable Care Act increased access for the high number of uninsured women to access health care. For the insured, it made their insurance more secure, and it made it illegal for insurance companies to charge women more than men for the same coverage or to limit their choices by making caesarean deliveries or domestic violence preexisting conditions. Our 1.8 million women veterans have the chance at improved health care with the expansion of the VA health care services by removing barriers and providing up to 7 days of care for newborn children of women veterans and by enhancing treatment for sexual trauma for women at the VA. Much was done in the last Congress to enhance and protect the lives of women; but in this Congress, the 112th, it seems as though we are about to take giant steps backwards when it comes to the health, education, business, and finances of women and their families. The budget cuts being proposed to fund this year's budget and the next are definitely going to adversely impact the women of this country. I see I have been joined by another of my colleagues, Congresswoman Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, and I would invite her to use as much time as she might consume or to enter in a dialogue if she would like.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. I thank you for those words. And I know that those who are listening are really inspired by all of what you had to say. We are so proud and so very fortunate to have you as the cochair of the Women's Caucus in this Congress. Before we close, to take us back to where we are today, I just want to recap that, among the actions being proposed in this Congress, there are some repeals that--yes, we're going to rise above them--but that will make things very difficult for not only African American women but women all across this country. To recap: eliminating funding for the title X family planning program. These are the cuts that are being proposed in the CR for the rest of 2011 that eliminate the funding for the program that has provided family planning, breast and cervical cancer screening, and preventive health to low-income women. They propose to eliminate all Federal funding for Planned Parenthood, as we have heard, and to cut nutrition programs for pregnant women and their children; to cut Head Start and child care; to cut job training; to cut funding for college. All of these are going to make it much harder for our young and our older women to do what Gwen's mom did and move themselves up the educational ladder and help to provide a bridge for the youngsters that come behind. Their plan to cut funding for college and Pell Grants, to halt the implementation of the health care law that, as you have heard, will do so much for not just women but for all Americans, those who are insured and those who are uninsured. It will cut maternal and child health funding and funding that helps school comply with title IX. The CR that is proposed, the long-term CR for fiscal year 2011, also cuts funding for Social Security offices and support for senior programs, as the majority of Social Security recipients are women and of course are elderly, and many are poor. All of these programs and others are on the chopping block, and women will be greatly and adversely impacted by them. As we honor the history of women in our country this month, let us not celebrate it with an assault on women and their families. Let's not make it more difficult for poor women and minority women, for children, for students, for seniors, for small business women, for the many who need these necessary supports if they are to be a part of the vibrant future that we envision for our country. These cuts make any praise of Women's History Month by our Republican colleagues mere lip service, no more than empty words in a time when women are vulnerable because of our economic crisis and when we need the programs that they are planning to cut. We need those programs more than ever. In this month dedicated to women, we are calling on the leadership of the 112th Congress to continue to build, not to tear down, but to build on the gains we have made for women and for all Americans in the 111th Congress. Do not turn back the clock to a time that none of us want to go back to. Do not turn back the clock to a time that our country cannot afford to go back to if we are to be the number one country in this world. We, the members of the Congressional Black Caucus, dedicate this hour to the women of African descent, those known and unknown on whose shoulders we stand, the sturdy bridges that have brought us to where we are today. To them, we dedicate this hour, and we dedicate ourselves and our work on behalf of families and children, African American and all Americans here in this country and around the world.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an outstanding leader from my congressional district in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Honorable Terence A. Todman, a Career Ambassador who served our country across the globe for almost 50 years. On Saturday, March 12, 2011, my community will honor Career Ambassador Todman on the occasion of his 85th birthday. A native son, he began his distinguished career with service in the U.S. Army from 1945 to 1949, including a tour as a Commissioned Officer in Japan. He went on to diplomatic service as a Desk Officer for India-Ceylon-Nepal Affairs in 1952 and as a U.S. Government Intern on the United Nations Secretariat in 1954. From 1954 to 1957, he served as an Advisor to U.S. Delegations to the United Nations General Assembly and U.S. Representative on various Trusteeship Council committees. He ended the decade of the 1950s as a Political Officer in New Delhi from 1957 to 1959. Career Ambassador Todman, who is fluent in many languages, served as the Arabic Language and Area Specialist in Beirut from 1960 to 1961. From 1961 to 1964, he served as the Political Officer in Tunis, from 1965 to 1968 as the Deputy Chief of Mission and Charge d'Affaires in Togo and as the Country Director for East African Affairs from 1961 to 1969. Mr. Speaker, as United States Ambassador, Terrence Todman served in Chad from 1969 to 1972, in Guinea from 1972 to 1975, in Costa Rica from 1957 to 1971, in Spain from 1978 to 1983, in Denmark from 1983 to 1989, and finally in Argentina from 1989 to 1993. Although retired since 1993, Ambassador Todman has remained active serving on corporate and community boards from Argentina to the U.S. Virgin Islands. I recall that during one of Haiti's many crises and during the Aristide presidency, he was called back into service to share his expertise and experience as a special advisor to the Organization of American states. His recent focus has been on establishing joint ventures between U.S. and foreign companies with special emphasis on transportation and the environment. He is one of the Directors of the American Academy on Diplomacy, the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training, the Constituency for Africa and the Atlantic Council of the United States. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and a member of its International Panel and many other organizations in the diplomatic field. He serves on the board of Syracuse University, the Duke University Provost Advisory Council and the Advisory Board of the African Studies Program at Georgetown University. Ambassador Todman has received the Presidential Distinguished Service Award, the National Public Service Award, the Department of State's Superior Service Honor Award and the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award. He has been decorated by the governments of Argentina, Denmark, Spain, Chad and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In 1997, he received the U.S. Department of State's Director General's Cup. Mr. Speaker, as an ambassador extraordinaire who is credited with guiding our country through some difficult relationships and challenges, Ambassador Todman paved the way for other people of color to excel at and eventually lead the U.S. State Department. He is a trailblazer, and has opened many doors for young people who aspire to his level of excellence and dedication to country. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands, I wish Ambassador Todman a very happy 85th birthday and I extend my best wishes to his wife Doris and their 4 children, Terence, Patricia, Kathryn and Michael and his wider circle of family and friends. May God continue to bless him with good health and long life and on behalf of the Congress of the United States, thank him for his long, dedicated and distinguished service to our country.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Democratic leadership for giving the Congressional Black Caucus this time to stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Wisconsin, in Ohio, as well as those in Indiana, and anywhere the rights of workers are being trampled upon. The similarities in what is going on here in the Nation's Capital and in the Wisconsin capital are not only striking, but it's the kind of coordinated attack against working men and women that we have become accustomed to seeing from Republican legislators and Governors. I don't understand why Governor Walker can't take ``yes'' for an answer. The unions have agreed to most, if not all, of the concessions he asked for; but rightly, they will not--and should not--give up their right to collective bargaining. No one knows better than the African American community what unions have done to lift people out of poverty, to ensure them decent jobs with decent wages and protections in the workplace. Not only African Americans, but all Americans have benefited from the work of our labor unions. What Governor Walker is doing is not about balancing a budget or reducing a deficit any more than the cuts in spending are up here. It's about busting unions, thus making it possible for companies to run roughshod over workers' rights--a place no one in this country should ever allow us to go back to. For the life of me, I can't understand what Republicans have against children--or is it just poor and middle class children? The Governor and his allies in the State legislature would rather take teachers out of the classroom--killing jobs--and jeopardize the education of Wisconsin's children than raise property taxes just a little bit to help cover the cost of providing a quality education even after the teachers have agreed to give up some of their health and pension benefits negotiated in their contracts. In fact, it is my understanding that, just like the Republicans here insisted on tax cuts for the wealthy, who did not need them, before anything could be done to help struggling families, Governor Walker also enacted tax cuts as soon as he came into office. The spending cuts, as I understand it, would not have been necessary in Wisconsin if those tax cuts had not been enacted, just as the devastating cuts in health care, education, community economic development, and job creation programs in homeland security and public safety would not have been needed here if we had not given the wealthy a tax giveaway in December. With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she might consume to the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, who is always here, standing for the rights of workers, for the rights of children, for the rights of people everywhere, Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Thank you, Congresswoman Lee, and thank you for your leadership. We have a number of women leaders here, and I would like to now yield to the gentlelady from Maryland who has been a leader on many issues, including during the health care reform debate to make sure that those who were insured were protected, Congresswoman Donna Edwards.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Thank you, Congresswoman Edwards, and thank you for those really strong words to encourage our union members in Wisconsin and Ohio and Indiana and wherever else unions are under attack. We appreciate your being here with us this evening and for reassuring those workers that you and the Congressional Black Caucus are standing firmly with them. At this time I would like to yield such time as she might consume to the gentlelady from Ohio, a former mayor, also a strong fighter for children, for the poor, and for the underserved, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Certainly. General Leave

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. And before we begin that, I'd like to just ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to enter extraneous material on the matter under discussion this evening.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. And to begin this dialogue, I'd like to turn now to the gentlelady from Wisconsin who feels it and who knows it, Gwen Moore.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. And the check is not that big to begin with.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. If I could just say for a moment it sounds very much like what's happening here. As the gentlewoman has said and our other colleagues have said, this is not just an issue for Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana; this is an issue for our country. And the same thing that's being done in Wisconsin is what is being done here. Tax giveaways to the wealthy and to business while we cut health care programs, education programs, community, economic development programs for people across America who need them. And that's why we have decided today, as a caucus, to come here and to voice our support and to give encouragement to the workers and to your legislators who have had to leave Wisconsin to prevent these devastating cuts that will further damage the health of--and I am sure your State is no different from other States, where the poor people of color, women, are not getting the kind of health care that they need. What we need is to make sure that the benefits that we passed last year in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are implemented in Wisconsin and everywhere. What your governor is doing is going backwards instead of forward.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. We haven't mentioned it yet.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. I'm sure they're not because people across America are not falling for it. The New York Times/CBS did a poll. They showed that the majority of Americans--and I'm sure in the States that are facing these issues--oppose efforts to weaken collective bargaining rights of public employee unions and are against cutting the pay or benefits of public workers to reduce State budget deficits. They oppose weakening collective bargaining by 60 percent, including large numbers, and not just Democrats but independents, they oppose cutting pay and benefits. The majority of Americans, over 56 percent, oppose cutting pay and benefits. And most of those who were surveyed are not union members and don't have union members in their family. So the American people get it. They don't like what they are seeing.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Surely.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. So you did say that the emergency was sort of created?

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Do you see the same thing happening here in this Congress?

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Thank you. I want to thank all of my colleagues for joining us this evening to talk about this issue. Again, this is not about budgeting. It is about union busting, and it is the kind of policy that will not only hurt workers in the State and across the country, but it only leads to stalled economic growth and the slashing of jobs. It is the kind of policy that hurts our Nation. We want to make sure that our workers in Ohio and Wisconsin and Indiana and everywhere know that the Congressional Black Caucus stands with you. We want to let our country's labor leaders, the union leadership know that we stand with them and support them, and that we have the highest respect and support for the Democratic legislators who have drawn the line and did what had to be done to stop the egregious attacks on the middle class and the poor.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Thank you, Congressman Green. At this time, I would like to yield to one of our newer Members. We are so pleased that he has joined not only the Congressional Black Caucus but the Congress. He represents New Orleans and brings welcomed insights and energy to the CBC and to the Congress. Congressman Cedric Richmond of New Orleans.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Thank you very much, Congresswoman Lee, for your leadership and for joining us this evening. General Leave

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, before I recognize the next Member, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to add extraneous material to the subject under discussion this evening.