Robin Kelly

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Madam Speaker, we are in the midst of a shameful healthcare crisis. In 2021, there is no reason that giving birth should be more dangerous for women today than it was for their mothers. Despite declining rates and maternal mortality around the world, in the United States, the rates have been climbing in recent years. Decades of institutional racism in our society and our healthcare system have brought us to this moment. Data released by the CDC last month shows that the maternal mortality crisis is only worsening, and the risks are even greater for Black women and other women of color. Black women are three times more likely, and indigenous women are more than twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes as non-Hispanic women. Even worse, more than two-thirds of the deaths are preventable. Additionally, the rates of pregnancy-related complications are on the rise. And for every maternal death in the United States, there are approximately 100 women who experience severe maternal morbidity, or a ``near miss.'' As chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust and co- chair of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls, I have seen so many examples of how the healthcare system fails Black women. Maternal mortality is a complex crisis with inequities stemming from many factors, including access to care, standardization of care, bias, and racism. Pregnancy and birth should be one of the happiest times for a family, but for Black women that is too often not the case, and we must take action now to begin saving the lives and protecting the health of Black women. One of the most pressing issues related to the maternal mortality crisis we must address is access to high-quality, affordable healthcare. We know there are major risks associated with becoming uninsured shortly after pregnancy. That is why I fought to have extended Medicare coverage included in the American Rescue Plan, so that women are able to receive postpartum care up to 1 year after birth instead of the existing 60 days of coverage. But we need to take additional steps to incentivize every single State to permanently implement this policy. That is why, today, I am introducing the Helping Medicaid Offer Maternity Services Act, or Helping MOMS Act of 2021. This bipartisan legislation will amend the American Rescue Plan to provide a permanent State option to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days after delivery to a full year. The Helping MOMs Act would also authorize a 5 percent Federal medical assistance percentage rate for the first year that States adopt extended coverage. Ensuring healthcare coverage for the entirety of the postpartum period will save lives and prevent needless complications that endanger the health of mothers and their babies. This is an important step forward, but is not the only change that is needed. The Black maternal health crisis is a multifactorial epidemic, and solving it will require a multifaceted approach. That is why, tomorrow, I will reintroduce my Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness Act, or the MOMMA Act. This comprehensive bill tackles a growing maternal mortality crisis and severe morbidity in five ways. The MOMMA Act will standardize maternal mortality and morbidity data collection across States and authorize a designated Federal agency to aggregate that data. Maternal heath advocates agree that standardization of data across the country is critical in fully understanding this crisis and informing future decisions about how to improve women's healthcare. This bill will empower the CDC to provide technical guidance and publish best practices to prevent maternal mortality and morbidity. It will authorize evidence-based national obstetric emergency protocol to save mothers' lives. The MOMMA Act will expand healthcare coverage through the full postpartum year after giving birth. Finally, the MOMMA Act will ensure improved access to culturally competent care training and workforce practices throughout the entire delivery continuum. This aspect, in particular, is so important in addressing the harmful biases and misconceptions that are, unfortunately, persuasive through our healthcare system, but especially rampant when it comes to Black maternal health. We have already lost too many mothers to this crisis. While many of us celebrated Mother's Day just a few weeks ago, families across the country mourned lost mothers and babies and remembered traumatic and unacceptable birth stories. I have talked with husbands who are so frustrated with the way their wives were treated, and wonder if there is something else they could have done to protect them. I have heard the heartbreaking stories of tragedy and loss directly from these fathers. I have cried with them and shared their pain. I introduce these bills, the Helping MOMS Act and the MOMMA Act, in honor of those mothers and families, and recommit myself to always fighting for the health and safety of women.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 154. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress Allred (Wexton) Beatty (Lawrence) Buchanan (Dunn) Cardenas (Gallego) Carter (TX) (Calvert) Crenshaw (Pfluger) Deutch (Rice (NY)) Grijalva (Garcia (IL)) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Kirkpatrick (Stanton) Lawson (FL) (Evans) Lieu (Beyer) Lowenthal (Beyer) McEachin (Wexton) McHenry (Banks) Mullin (Lucas) Napolitano (Correa) Ocasio-Cortez (Bush) Payne (Pallone) Ruppersberger (Raskin) Rush (Underwood) Sewell (DelBene) Slotkin (Axne) Waters (Barragan) Wilson (FL) (Hayes) Wilson (SC) (Timmons) Young (Joyce (OH))

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, the past year has been tough for many of us but especially difficult for seniors. Many have lost friends and loved ones from the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased isolation and dependence on digital resources have put extra burdens on millions of Americans. From frantic calls of, ``Grandma, I am in the hospital sick with COVID. Please wire money right away,'' to calls from supposed Good Samaritans offering to run errands and then pocketing the money, scammers are using the pandemic to take advantage of vulnerable populations. They are preying on fear and uncertainty to steal money and personal information or sell fraudulent services or products. One of the best ways to prevent seniors from falling victim to scams is to supply them with the information they need. That is why H.R. 446 requires the FTC to report on the number and type of scams that target older adults. It also will have the Commission's web portal updated with current information about such scams and coordination with media outlets and law enforcement to disseminate scam information. Seniors need to know what scams are happening in their areas so they can protect themselves. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Balderson for joining me in leading this legislation and Chairman Pallone for his support in advancing legislation to protect our seniors.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, soon we will take a bipartisan vote on the Background Checks Act, a bill which could save lives in every district of our Nation. Expanding background checks will help prevent guns from getting into the hands of those who may be a danger to themselves or others. This is a simple commonsense solution to a worsening problem in our Nation. Even in 2020, when many people were at home during the raging COVID- 19 pandemic, we lost more than 41,000 people to gun violence. That number includes nearly 300 children under the age of 11. My heart breaks for their parents. But heartbreak will do little to comfort those mourning families, and we know well enough by now it will do nothing to prevent any future tragedies. It is time for us to step up to say enough is enough. It is time for our families to be able to play in the park, drive a car on the expressway, or on a bus, or other things we take for granted without fear of gun violence. We need to pass legislation that will save precious lives. I ask: How many funerals have you attended? Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 8, expand background checks, and make our Nation safer.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, experts estimate that the Charleston loophole has allowed more than 75,000 guns to fall into the hands of prohibited gun owners. The Enhanced Background Checks Act is a necessary and straightforward fix to close this loophole and allow the FBI to investigate potentially dangerous individuals. This bill would simply increase the time Federal investigators have to complete background checks on gun sales from 3 to 10 days, 1 week's time. That is all we are asking for, an additional week for investigators to ensure that there is no reason the person who is buying a gun should not have one. Think of the lives that could be saved or could have been saved by allowing that extra 7 days. Mr. Speaker, I think we can agree that gun ownership is a serious responsibility. There is no need to rush through a background check with so much at stake. This bill is an urgently needed tool in gun violence prevention. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to once again pass H.R. 1446 and close the Charleston loophole.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on the heels of Black History Month, at the beginning of Women's History Month, and 1 year into a pandemic, I rise today to bring attention to an urgent task: achieving health equity for Black women and girls. Over the past year, we have watched firsthand as centuries-long systemic health and economic disparities have translated into higher rates of coronavirus and fewer resources to fight it in Black communities. COVID-19 did not create these disparities. It has just made them plain for all to see. Inequality comes in many forms, but health inequalities are among the most glaring. As it stands, Black women's life expectancy is nearly 3 years less than our White counterparts. Recently, the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls unveiled our first-ever report on this pressing issue and others facing Black women and girls in our country. More importantly, we have laid out solutions to these problems. It is incumbent upon Congress to take on these initiatives because we cannot be satisfied until every American, including Black women and girls, can lead a long and healthy life. Mr. Speaker, to help to accomplish these things, we must pass the American Rescue Plan.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as Black History Month comes to an end, I rise today to honor the organizations that have served as the training ground for many of our Nation's most extraordinary leaders. These organizations have fostered and empowered generations of bold, brilliant, and humane leaders, and they continue their transformational work today. Mr. Speaker, I am talking about the Divine Nine, the historically Black fraternities and sororities of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. This past year, they have played a pivotal role in helping communities deal with the COVID crisis, and they have also registered many people to vote and brought many people to the polls. The Divine Nine organizations are: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity founded in 1906 at Cornell University. Their brotherhood includes the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, and includes the president of the National Urban League, Marc Morial. Also, in Congress, we are honored to have Congressmen Emanuel Cleaver, Danny Davis, Al Green, Gregory Meeks, David Scott, Bobby Scott, Steven Horsford, and Senator Warnock. They are led by the honorable General President Dr. Willis L. Lonzer, III. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority founded in 1908 at Howard University. Their sisterhood proudly boasts having civil rights leaders, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King; and, of course, their sisterhood also includes our very own Vice President, Kamala Harris. Members of Congress are: Sheila Jackson Lee, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Terri Sewell, Frederica Wilson, Alma Adams, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Nikema Williams, and Lauren Underwood. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity founded in 1911 at Indiana University. Among their notable achievers are: Astronaut, Dr. Bernard A. Harris, Jr.; civil rights leader, the Reverend Ralph Abernathy; and former congressman, the late John Conyers. Members of Congress include: Sanford Bishop, Alcee Hastings, Bennie Thompson, Hakeem Jeffries, Al Lawson, and Don McEachin. And they are led by the Grand Polemarch Reuben A. Shelton, and a former colleague, Lacy Clay. Omega Psi Phi Fraternity founded in 1911 at Howard University. They include in their ranks: Poet, playwright, and author, Langston Hughes, and civil rights activist and reverend, Jesse Jackson, Jr. House Members are: House Democratic Whip, James Clyburn of South Carolina, Hank Johnson of Georgia, and Kweisi Mfume of Maryland. Their honorable Grand Basileus is Dr. David Marion. Delta Sigma Theta founded in 1913 at Howard University. Deltas count as their sisters, the first Black congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm, and Dorothy Height, president of the National Council of Negro Women. Their membership in the House includes: Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, Yvette Clarke, Joyce Beatty, Val Demings, Stacey Plaskett, Lucy McBath, and Brenda Lawrence. Their honorable President is Beverly E. Smith. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity founded in 1914 at Howard University. Not only are the Sigmas the fraternity of my husband, Dr. Nathaniel Horn, they also include: The late, great Congressmen John Lewis and Elijah Cummings, civil rights pioneer and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, Philip Randolph, and also record-setter, Jerry Rice, and a current congressman, Adriano Espaillat. Their honorable International President is Michael Cristal. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, founded in 1920, just finished celebrating their 100th year. Notable sisters include: inventor Annie Turnbo Malone; Zora Neale Hurston; the House also was honored to have the late Congresswoman Julia Carson and former Congresswoman Donna Edwards; and their honorable president, Valerie Hollingsworth-Baker. Sigma Gamma Rho, my favorite sorority, was founded in 1922 at Butler University. The late Congresswoman Lindy Boggs and former Congresswoman Corrine Brown honored this House. Also, they join members who are the first African-American winner of an Academy Award, Hattie McDaniel; the first Black woman CPA, Mary T. Washington Wylie; and our esteemed grand basileus, Rasheeda S. Liberty. Finally, Iota Phi Theta was founded in 1963 at Morgan State University. Members of their crew are Spencer Christian from ``Good Morning America''; Terrence C. Carson, known as ``Kyle'' from ``Living Single''; and also our fellow colleague, Congressman Bobby Rush. Their honorable grand polaris is Andre R. Mason. From standing up for women's suffrage, civil rights, and ending Jim Crow to leading industries, medical advancements, and e-innovation, the Divine Nine has been at the forefront of progress, and I am so proud to be a member.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the LGBTQ-plus community throughout Chicagoland and Illinois in support of the Equality Act. While we have come a long way in the fight for equality through the Supreme Court's decisions on recognizing the marriage of same-sex couples in Obergefell v. Hodges, and protecting workplace rights for the LGBTQ-plus community in Bostock v. Clayton County, it is time to codify protections into law. The Equality Act would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and extend existing nondiscrimination laws to ensure that LGBTQ-plus individuals are treated equally in all facets of their life. In 2021, it is unconscionable that LGBTQ-plus people continue to face harassment and outright discrimination while attempting to access healthcare, housing, and employment opportunities. It is past time that Congress pass legislation so that all people, no matter your race, color, creed, or sexuality, are treated equally under the law in this country. I rise as an ally in support of the Equality Act because no one should be discriminated against for who they love or who they are.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 72, to remove Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee post. Congresswoman Greene is part of the cult conspiracy mindset that has infected segments of our American society and is ripping our Nation apart. The wild conspiracy theories that QAnoners invent are, in essence, outrageous lies. Even more alarming, they are lies backed by the threat of violence. Yes, Representative Greene and her QAnon adherents are ready to defend their deranged lies with violence. They have expressed a desire to assassinate Speaker Pelosi and to publicly execute those who disagree with their malignant lies. They have even expressed a passionate desire to overthrow our constitutional democracy. Congresswoman Greene indicated before last year's election that, if Donald Trump lost, Americans may need to reclaim freedom with the price of blood. Marjorie Greene has harassed a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, calling him a coward and proclaiming the massacre was staged as a plot to pass more gun laws. Yet her Republican colleagues believe she has the proper credentials and principles to serve on the Education and Labor Committee. Some will play both sides, but that is a false equivalence. I think it is clear that we need to draw the line at Jewish space lasers and calling for political assassinations, not policy differences. At least with one xenophobic racist, both sides were able to put country over party. The party of Honest Abe can no longer be honest with itself. Marjorie Greene and her fellow conspiracy theorists have saturated our Nation with lies. It is time to turn the tables and start talking about truth for a change. Gandhi liked to say: ``Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.'' Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to join in defending truth. Stand up for truth even if you are alone.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 4988) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 14 Walnut Street in Bordentown, New Jersey, as the ``Clara Barton Post Office Building'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 5451) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 599 East Genesse Street in Fayetteville, New York, as the ``George H. Bacel Post Office Building'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 5562) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4650 East Rosedale Street in Fort Worth, Texas, as the ``Dionne Phillips Bagsby Post Office Building'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 5972) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 500 Delaware Avenue, Suite 1, in Wilmington, Delaware, as the ``Mary Ann Shadd Cary Post Office'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 5983) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4150 Chicago Avenue in Riverside, California, as the ``Woodie Rucker-Hughes Post Office Building'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 6016) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 14955 West Bell Road in Surprise, Arizona, as the ``Marc Lee Memorial Post Office Building'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 5123) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 476 East Main Street in Galesburg, Illinois, as the ``Senior Airman Daniel Miller Post Office Building'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 6418) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 509 Fairhope Avenue in Fairhope, Alabama, as the ``William `Jack' Jackson Edwards III Post Office Building'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 7088) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 111 James Street in Reidsville, Georgia, as the ``Senator Jack Hill Post Office Building'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 7502) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 101 South 16th Street in Clarinda, Iowa, as the ``Jessie Field Shambaugh Post Office Building'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 7810) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3519 East Walnut Street in Pearland, Texas, as the ``Tom Reid Post Office Building'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 8611) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4755 Southeast Dixie Highway in Port Salerno, Florida, as the ``Joseph Bullock Post Office Building'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Reform be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 6161) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1585 Yanceyville Street, Greensboro, North Carolina, as the ``J. Howard Coble Post Office Building'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (S. 3461) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2600 Wesley Street in Greenville, Texas, as the ``Audie Murphy Post Office Building'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (S. 3462) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 909 West Holiday Drive in Fate, Texas, as the ``Ralph Hall Post Office'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. KELLY of Illinois

Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (S. 4126) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 104 East Main Street in Port Washington, Wisconsin, as the ``Joseph G. Demler Post Office'', and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.