Barbara Lee

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck the nation of Haiti on January 12, 2010. Today marks 6 years since the magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck some 15 miles south of Port-au-Prince, which is Haiti's population center and the seat of its government. The aftermath of the quake was unimaginable. It is estimated that as many as 316,000 people perished and nearly 1.3 million were displaced. This tragedy struck in a nation already hobbled by grinding poverty, health disparities, and food insecurity. Today, there remain approximately 147,000 internally displaced people in Haiti with countless others remaining displaced outside of IDP camps. The world and the American people, though, responded to the earthquake with compassion and generosity. To date, the U.S. has contributed billions to recovery efforts, along with donors from around the world. The Assessing Progress in Haiti Act, which I introduced in the House--it was a bipartisan effort with Congresswoman Ileana Ros- Lehtinen--which President Obama signed into law 2 years ago, provides critical oversight and reporting to ensure that aid be delivered in the most effective way possible. Unfortunately, more work needs to be done.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. First, let me thank the gentleman from New York for those very kind remarks. But also I want to thank you and Congresswoman Beatty for organizing this very important Special Order and for your tremendous leadership, Congressman Jeffries and Congresswoman Beatty, on ensuring public safety. Your leadership, both Congresswoman Beatty and Congressman Jeffries, has been bold, it has been visionary, not just as the result of the very recent tragedies but for many, many years even before both of you came to Congress. So it is an honor serving with both of you in this body. Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak this evening. Also, I want to just thank Congresswoman Robin Kelly, who is the vice chair on the Gun Violence Task Force. She also chairs the CBC's Health Braintrust. I thank you for your tireless work to ensure that gun violence is treated as a public health problem, which it is. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening with my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus to call on Congress to do something--to do something--about the epidemic of gun violence that is harming our communities. Since the start of the year--just 11 days ago--nine of my constituents have already become victims of gun violence, including an elementary school teacher and an innocent mother pushing her child in a stroller. Just this weekend alone my community suffered three gun homicides. My thoughts are with the victims' family at this very terribly difficult time. We have to do something. Enough is enough. Congress can and must do more to stop this senseless violence. Whether it is Charleston, Oak Creek, Sandy Hook, the streets of Oakland or wherever, too many people have already lost their lives, too many families have buried loved ones, and too many lives have been changed forever because of catastrophic injuries as a result of gun violence. Madam Speaker, now is the time for action. Our constituents are demanding action. The country is demanding action. I have received hundreds of calls and emails from my constituents, and I know other Members are also hearing from their constituents. They are calling for action as well. Earlier today in my own District, Oakland City Council President Lynette Gibson McElehany buried her grandson, 17-year-old Torian Hughes, who was shot and killed during a robbery just days before Christmas. This has been a very difficult period for Council Member McElehany and her family. So in addition to our prayers not only for my council member's family, but for all of those in our country who have been victims of gun violence, we must do something. We must do something in all of their memory. Let me be clear. Congress can no longer ignore the massive toll that this epidemic is having on our constituents, their families, and communities. Last week we joined with our colleagues and millions of Americans in applauding President Obama's actions to reduce gun violence in our Nation. Thanks to the President's leadership, there will be more background checks, better enforcement of existing gun laws, improved mental health services, and new research on how to end this epidemic of gun violence. But more action is needed to stop the more than 30,000 gun deaths that occur in our Nation each and every year. Congress must pass commonsense gun reform, like closing the gun show loophole, bipartisan measures that are supported by the vast majority of Americans and gun owners. Congress must also fund the expansion of mental health services. But this should not be an excuse, of course, to do nothing on gun safety. We have got to provide the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives the resources it needs to enforce our Nation's gun laws. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I have fought along with my colleagues to get these vital public safety resources in the appropriations bills which keep our communities safe. We must also end the extreme data restrictions that restrict law enforcement's ability to protect public safety and prevent policymakers from addressing gun violence as a public health issue. That is why I introduced last year H.R. 1449, the Tiahrt Restrictions Repeal Act, which would repeal the data restrictions on gun sales and background checks. These data restrictions are commonly called the Tiahrt restrictions. They prevent data on gun background checks from being released to the public. These provisions currently impede public safety by requiring the National Criminal Background Check System records to be destroyed--mind you, destroyed--within 24 hours, prohibiting the ATF from requiring licensed dealers to conduct annual inventory checks to detect lost or stolen firearms and restricting local and State law enforcement from using trace data to fully investigate corrupt dealers and traffickers. This is outrageous. We have got to restrict and repeal these Tiahrt amendments right away. It will help tackle the bad apple gun dealers who provide dangerous weapons to criminals. It is estimated that just 5 percent of sellers supply the weapons used in nearly 90 percent of gun crimes. The Tiahrt restrictions block access to vital data that lawmakers, law enforcement, and Federal agencies need to tackle gun violence in our community. Of course, many of us are proud to support Congresswoman Kelly's bill, which would allow the Surgeon General to study gun violence as a public health issue and the Consumer Product Safety Commission to regulate firearms. Madam Speaker, the time for action is now. Let's start listening to the American people and insist that Congress do something. It is really disingenuous to criticize the President for issuing commonsense gun safety measures when we have been trying for years in this body--for years--to get these sensible bills passed. The Speaker should allow these and many other bills to come to the floor so that Congress can act. No more excuses. We should support Congressman Thompson's proposal to establish the select committee on gun violence. The Speaker should do this now. So we can't continue to really allow the misinformation to get out about Congress. We need to do our job. We have been trying, many of us, the Congressional Black Caucus and others, especially Democrats, for many years to try to get the Speaker to bring these bills to the floor. So what did the President do? He had to do something. But no more excuses. Congress needs to act. So I thank Congresswoman Beatty and Congressman Jeffries for this very important Special Order hour and for your tremendous leadership.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 3762, the Restoring Americans' Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act of 2015. It really does just the opposite. Not only does this bill represent Republicans' 62nd attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but it is yet another ideological attack on women's health care. It would defund Planned Parenthood for 1 year, preventing millions of women from accessing critical healthcare services, such as cancer and STI screenings and contraceptive care. In 2013 alone, Planned Parenthood provided healthcare services to more than 800,000 Californians and provided more than 93,000 pap tests and 97,000 breast screening exams. Although Planned Parenthood centers make up only 10 percent of all publicly funded family planning centers, they serve, mind you, 36 percent of clients who obtain care from the family planning center network. Denying access to healthcare providers such as Planned Parenthood will harm the communities that need these services the most, including low-income women and women of color. Enough is enough. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon will mark the 11th vote to attack women's health care this Congress. It is past time for Republicans to end their attacks on Planned Parenthood and recognize that they are really harming women by denying them these badly needed healthcare services. I hope my colleagues will vote ``no'' on H.R. 3762 and really begin to look at what they are doing in terms of the freedom of women to make their own decisions and to really access the vital healthcare services that they need. Again, this reconciliation act does nothing to reconcile healthcare services, which women desperately need in our country.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Absolutely. Thank you, Congressman Farr. I now yield to Congresswoman Karen Bass, who has been a great leader for many, many years. In the day, I think Congresswoman Bass was really very clear on why we needed normal relations and should have normal relations between their country and the United States. It is in our own national interests to do that. She certainly knows that and has been before a lot of people very involved in ending the embargo.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and, really, thank the Progressive Caucus for allowing me to use the remainder of this time. Thank you for your very steady and clear and very powerful leadership. Let me say, Mr. Speaker, that today, myself and Congressman Farr, we rise to mark 1 year since President Obama's historic announcement that started the process of normalizing relations with Cuba. On December 17, 2014, the President took a very bold step to end more than five decades of failed policy and, instead, chart a new path for relations between the United States and our Cuban neighbors. For more than half of a century, the United States pursued a shortsighted isolationist policy born of Cold War tensions. This policy was wrongheaded and ineffective. It alienated us from our allies and estranged us from one of our nearest neighbors. Yet, through the President's persistence and very bold leadership, we are finally making some headway in reversing this, and Congress is finally beginning to catch up. Yesterday, I was proud to join nine of my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, in announcing the launch of a bipartisan Cuba Working Group that will promote a commonsense United States-Cuba policy that reflects the interests of the American people engaged with Cuba. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend and colleague from Monterey, California (Mr. Farr), who has been such a leader on so many issues, but especially on ending the embargo and normalizing relations with Cuba. He understands that this is good for trade, that this is good for jobs in America, that this is good, basically, for our foreign policy, and it is in our national security interest that we normalize relations with Cuba.

Ms. LEE. Thank you, Congressman Farr. Let me thank you for laying out much of the history and the rationale for what seems so simple, to normalize relations between our country and Cuba. And December 17 marks another milestone, and that is the release of our good friend, Alan Gross. He and Judy Gross, of course, are very excited about the forward agenda that we have here in Congress to lift the embargo and to lift the travel ban. Also, it is a day that we just want to say to Alan that a year later we are really pleased that he is home with his family. We salute Alan Gross, the people of Cuba, and our own government for making sure that this happened on December 17 of last year.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman from California, once again, for being here and for her leadership. We have legislation, H.R. 3238, to lift the embargo; H.R. 664; and H.R. 403, also to lift the embargo and travel ban. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 158, the Visa Waiver Program Improvement Act. I agree that Congress has a responsibility to carefully examine the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and to take appropriate steps to improve the program and ensure our national security. Yet I am concerned that this bill would allow for the arbitrary discrimination of individuals based on their nationality. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, the language contained in H.R. 158 is written so broadly that all nationals of Iraq, Syria, Iran or Sudan would have their VWP revoked, even if they have never resided or traveled to Iraq or Syria and only have nationality for those countries as a result of their parents. This bill would also terminate VWP travel privileges for anyone who has been in Iraq and Syria at any time on or after March 1, 2011, including those traveling to Iraq and Syria for professional purposes. This includes anyone from a journalist to a humanitarian aid worker. Congress can take steps to improve the program and ensure our national security without putting in place blanket provisions that allow for the discrimination of individuals based on their nationality. I look forward to working with my colleagues to address these issues as this legislation moves forward.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Conference Report for S. 1177, the Every Student Succeeds Act, a bill which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) through 2020 and replaces the misguided No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy. This bill makes important changes to ESEA by including student and school supports in state accountability plans, supporting responsible efforts to reduce over-testing, and requiring states to provide the public with information on school discipline and expulsion rates, which we know disproportionately impacts students of color. S. 1177 also maintains critical provisions about overall student performance by setting clear goals for achievement and graduation rates, targeting funds to at-risk children such as English Language Learners, and helping states to increase teacher quality by providing on-going professional development. Yet I am concerned that this bill shifts the majority of power and oversight from the federal government to the states and does not do enough to protect disadvantaged, minority, LGBT, low-income, and migrant students. A strong Federal role is critical to ensuring that minority and underserved students get the support they need to succeed. And as a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I am concerned that this bill fails to include a requirement to disaggregate data within groups of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. This is critical to ensuring that AAPI students receive the support they need. Moreover, S. 1177 fails to include strong accountability measures to ensure that schools address resource equity gaps. As Members of Congress, we have a shared obligation to ensure that our education system provides equity and excellence for all students, closes the achievement gap, and prepares our students for a 21st century workforce.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for roll call vote 682. Had I been present. I would have voted no.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because passing commonsense gun legislation should really not be a partisan issue. What our country needs is commonsense gun reform, but many in this Chamber won't even take the first step: taking guns out of the hands of terrorists. Time and time again, Republicans have voted to block debate. Let me say that again: a debate. They won't even let us discuss Congressman Peter King's Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act, otherwise known as H.R. 1076. That is simply outrageous. We should debate, yes, and we should vote up or down on this important bill. This bill, which I am proud to cosponsor, would close a dangerous loophole that allows individuals on the government's no-fly list to legally purchase guns. Let me emphasize this. These are people who are deemed too dangerous to fly on planes, but they can and do purchase guns. If they are too dangerous to fly on an airplane, why aren't they too dangerous to have a weapon that fires 800 rounds per minute? My Democratic colleagues and I remain committed to blocking dangerous individuals from buying guns, and we remain committed to stopping the senseless violence that has already taken too many lives in this country. It is past time to listen to the American people and not to the NRA.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank my friend and colleague from New Jersey, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, for her tireless work on so many issues, and for allowing us to use the Congressional Progressive Caucus' time tonight to organize this Special Order on poverty and its impacts on American families. Also, I would like to recognize my friend and colleague from Missouri, and thank our cochair of the Congressional Black Caucus' Poverty and Economy Task Force, Congressman Cleaver, for his leadership on poverty, opportunity, housing, and so many issues that he cares about and has been a champion about for so many years. Also, to our colleague and our good friend and whip, Mr. Hoyer, his unwavering commitment is very evident in making poverty a priority for this body. Also, to Leader Pelosi, I want to thank her and recognize her for her commitment to the most vulnerable, and for reminding us constantly that 20 percent of America's children continue to live below the poverty line. So this evening, I rise as the chair of the Democratic Whip's Task Force on Poverty, Income Inequality, and Opportunity, and cochair of our Congressional Black Caucus' Task Force on Poverty and the Economy to call on all of our colleagues, and our country, really, to refocus our efforts on programs and policies in funding that help lift Americans out of poverty, but also to remember that there is a safety net that has to be preserved until we can do just that: People want to work; people want opportunity. I invite all of our colleagues to join us tonight in creating a national strategy to eradicate poverty once and for all. Mr. Speaker, I am going to hold my remarks and yield to my friend and colleague from Ohio (Ms. Fudge), former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and member of the Education Committee and the Ag Committee. She has been, consistently, since she has been in Congress, and before she came to Congress, worked and spoke on behalf of the most vulnerable in our country.

Ms. LEE. I thank the gentlewoman for her very powerful statement and for, once again, her leadership. I want to remind this body that she has been such an active advocate on behalf of those needing that safety net of SNAP and food stamp benefits and for making sure that people have the right to eat in this country regardless of how much money they have. Again, I thank Congresswoman Fudge. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the ranking member on the Appropriation Committee's Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, on which I am honored to serve. Every day she is a champion on behalf of all of those who we are discussing tonight in terms of making sure they have an opportunity to live the American Dream.

Ms. LEE. I thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut for that very poignant statement and for her tremendous leadership each and every day. Also, I want to thank the gentlewoman for laying out what the choices are in terms of our priorities and the fact that we know how to eliminate, really, poverty if we just have the will to. So I thank the gentlewoman for laying it out. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend and colleague from New Jersey, Congresswoman Watson Coleman, who each and every day is so consistent with her votes and her voice in terms of doing what is right for children, for the American people, for her constituency. Once again, I thank her for giving us the time this evening to talk about poverty because that certainly is a priority of hers. With the Progressive Caucus, she has just hit the ground running and has really captured this moment to talk about the issues that the American people care about.

Ms. LEE. I thank the gentlewoman from New Jersey for her very eloquent statement, but also for laying out a pathway out of poverty. It is comprehensive. We have to do this together in an integrated approach. Whether it is child care, whether it is housing, whether it is SNAP benefits, whether it is higher education, whether it is K-12, Congresswoman Watson Coleman has laid out the intricacies of what we mean when we talk about pathways out of poverty. I thank the gentlewoman very much for taking us to the next level in terms of how we need to really view our strategies. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), our Democratic whip, who has really insisted that we, as a body, look at how we develop our pathways out of poverty within the context of our Task Force on Poverty, Income Inequality, and Opportunity, because it takes opportunity to help lift people out of poverty. Again, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for making this a priority for this body and for continuing to beat the drum on behalf of those who have the least.

Ms. LEE. I thank the gentleman for his message of hope tonight and for reminding us of the fact that poverty does take its toll on the mental health and well-being of the human spirit. I want to thank all of the Members who participated. I hope we can move in a bipartisan fashion to address some of the major, major issues that this body knows that it can address if it so chooses. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. LEE. I thank our whip for that very important statement. A couple of things I would like to just comment on, Mr. Hoyer, that you mentioned. In terms of ``first, do no harm,'' a couple of years ago--and this was with bipartisan support--in all of our appropriations bills, we put in language that said that we will do nothing in this legislation that would increase poverty. We did that on a bipartisan basis. Also, when Speaker Ryan was the chair of the Budget Committee, we talked about poverty and tried to determine a way to put into legislation--it was our job to develop a national strategy to eliminate poverty. So what you are raising tonight I think is very important in terms of a window of opportunity for us to work in a bipartisan way to begin to really do this in terms of reducing and eliminating poverty for the 46 million people who deserve to live the American Dream. I think that this task force and yourself, really, with Speaker Ryan should be able to do this on behalf of the American people. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland.

Ms. LEE. I yield to the gentlewoman from southern California (Ms. Roybal-Allard), my colleague, friend, and an individual whom I have known for many, many years who has been consistent over the years on behalf of supporting pathways out of poverty, the most vulnerable, our immigrants, our immigrant women, our children. Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard serves on the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, which Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro serves on also. She has done unbelievable work on this subcommittee, again, being as consistent as she has ever been since I served with her in the nineties in the California Legislature.

Ms. LEE. I want to thank the gentlewoman from Los Angeles, California, for her very powerful statement, but also once again for her tremendous leadership on the Committee on Appropriations and in her district on so many issues, especially relating to children. It would never happen if it were not for Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard on the subcommittee. Thank you so much. Hopefully, our amendment will hold in the conference report. But, if it doesn't, it is certainly not because you haven't worked hard and have not been committed to reducing and eliminating childhood poverty. I am pretty confident that we are going to win this one. Thank you again for being here with us tonight and for your leadership. Mr. Speaker, I would like to come down and put some charts up in the well and speak so that the statistics will be very visible before the public as it relates to the poverty rates in the United States. First, let me just say, Mr. Hoyer, our whip, talked about the 50th anniversary this year of President Johnson's War on Poverty. Now, this War on Poverty included such initiatives as Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, the Higher Education Act, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. There was a very important immigration bill--you name it--50 years ago. This legislation, the War on Poverty, really has helped to reduce our poverty rates in the United States. Poverty has fallen from 26 percent in 1967 to 15 percent in 2015. Yet, we have a long way to go. It is not time to end this War on Poverty. Actually, it is time to increase our efforts to make sure that the 47 million people living in poverty have access to all of these initiatives that were begun 50 years ago that really have lifted families out of poverty and have prevented families from moving into poverty. That is very important to remember about this 50th year anniversary. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, for example, SNAP, that has kept nearly 5 million Americans, including 2.2 million children, out of poverty in 2014. That is why we do not want to see any more cuts to this program. Social Security benefits kept 1.2 million children out of poverty in 2013. Medicaid kept nearly 3 million people out of poverty in 2014. Programs beyond the War on Poverty, like the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit, which Congresswoman DeLauro and Whip Hoyer spoke about, these two initiatives, these two policies and programs, have kept nearly 10 million Americans, including 5 million children, out of poverty in 2014 alone. These programs strengthen our economy, increase opportunity for families, and provide millions of Americans with pathways out of poverty. We have tried to make sure that our Republican colleagues understand these facts and not gut these critical programs because they are extremely important. We do not need to continue to fund tax breaks and giveaways to corporations and the well-connected while so many people are still living below the poverty line. Stealing aid to the poor and handing more to the rich is really shameful and utterly unacceptable. We need to come together to really begin to recognize that we have got to lift people out of poverty and create a level playing field so that everyone can have the opportunity to live the American Dream. Cuts to these programs not only cost our government more money--the taxpayers, in the long run--but it is really morally wrong to cut these programs. Now, as a former food stamp recipient myself and public assistance recipient, I know firsthand just how important these safety net programs are. I would not be here today if it were not for that lifeline, that bridge over troubled waters, that these types of programs extended to me when I was a single mother, on welfare, raising two amazing sons, trying to get my life together so that I could move on and take care of my family and live the American Dream. Believe me, I know. No one wants to be on food stamps. No one. Everyone wants a good-paying job that allows them to provide for their family and contribute to society. They want to take care of their kids. There are bumps in the road, yes, and now the economy has turned around for many, but not for all. That bridge over troubled waters is needed now more than ever. I hope that, in the negotiations in this omnibus bill, we are going to make sure we remember these people and not raid the programs that keep people out of poverty and provide a safety net. As Mr. Hoyer said, let's do no harm in this bill and let's help people move into the middle class. We must recommit ourselves to combating poverty and inequality once and for all. It really is a disgrace when you look at these charts, when you see the percentage of people living below the poverty line, and this is in the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world. It is a challenge to all communities. Communities of color, of course, are disproportionately impacted and affected, but American Indians, Alaska Natives, African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Asian Pacific Islanders, Whites living below the poverty line in Appalachia and rural America. There are people living in poverty all over the country. I come from California. Close to 17 percent of the population of California, mind you, is living in poverty. That is almost 2 percentage points higher than the national average, and that is in California. While many people believe that poverty only touches cities and urban communities, as our whip indicated, our rural communities continue to be plagued with persistent poverty while lacking many of the resources found in cities, such as public transit, food banks, and access to critical workforce training. According to the United States Census Bureau, 85 percent of our Nation's persistent poverty counties, defined as 20 percent or more of a population living in poverty, are in rural America. Mr. Clyburn, our Democratic Assistant Leader, has laid out a formula for years--10, 20, 30--which would direct and target Federal resources to these counties and to these areas that would lift people out of poverty. We need to really understand where people are and make sure that our tax dollars go to those communities to lift people out of poverty. More than one-third of rural Americans and one in four rural children live in poverty in 2015. These statistics are appalling. Poverty touches our population that really needs help the most, including our children and our seniors. In 2015, more than 6 million seniors--now, that is 15 percent of all people over 65 years of age--are living in poverty. Even worse, while children make up just 23 percent of the population in the United States, they account for one-third of all Americans living in poverty. That is one in five kids. That is just plain wrong. I would like to inquire, Mr. Speaker. How much time do I have remaining?

Ms. LEE. I would like to in just a minute yield to my colleague from Florida (Ms. Graham), who would like to take the floor and talk about poverty in her own community. She has been such a tremendous voice on eliminating poverty and working to lift those who live below the poverty line out of poverty. We know that families around the country living on the minimum wage have to make choices each and every day. She knows that. She is here to speak to that. I really appreciate her presence tonight on the floor. I yield now to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Graham).

Ms. LEE. I want to thank the gentlewoman from Florida for that very important statement and for once again raising the issue of rural poverty and the StrikeForce and the fact that we know how to eliminate poverty. We just need the political will to do that. I know your constituents are very proud of you, and you are waging a noble fight each and every day on their behalf. Thank you for being here this evening. There are a couple more statistics which I would like to discuss for just a few minutes. That is the issue of raising the minimum wage. We know that raising the minimum wage is not only good for our hardworking families, but it also makes economic sense, too. According to the Economic Policy Institute, raising the minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2020 would lift more than 35 million Americans out of poverty--that is just to $12 an hour. But in many parts of the country, even $12 is not sufficient. We are mounting campaigns around the country for $15 an hour. In some communities and States, you can barely get by on $15 an hour, but raising it to $12 is a step forward. Just raising the minimum wage is a step forward. So many poor people are working. They are part of the working poor. They are working two jobs, and they still have to rely on SNAP benefits, Medicaid, and Section 8 housing. People who work should not be poor, and so we have got to have a living wage. We have got to raise the minimum wage and get to a living wage so that everyone in our country can live the American Dream, as we continue to say, and so that opportunity can be provided for everyone. Some people are working two jobs and barely can make it with children because their wages are stagnant and they are just too low to be able to survive in this American society. So raising the minimum wage to a living wage is a critical strategy. It is a critical policy that this body should embrace and pass. I yield to my colleague from Georgia Congressman Johnson, who has been a steady voice on so many issues since he has been here in Congress, especially on behalf of the most vulnerable in our society: the poor and the working poor. His voice and his work has certainly been a major contributor in terms of our task force growing to over 100 members. Thank you again for being a member of the task force and for what you do each and every day.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Paris Climate Summit. This international summit provides us with a historic opportunity to collectively tackle climate change head on. An agreement from this summit would--for the first time--produce an ambitious, effective, and transparent international work plan. Thanks to President Obama, our nation has already made real progress in addressing climate change. The President has taken bold steps with the Clean Power Plan, which sets the first-ever carbon pollution standards for power plants. By 2030, this plan would prevent up to 3,600 premature deaths and 90,000 asthma attacks in children--while spurring economic growth by creating tens of thousands of jobs and saving average families nearly $85 a year in energy costs. It's a win-win for families, public health and our planet. Sadly, Republicans are trying to dismantle these and other limits on polluters and pollution at every turn. Mr. Speaker, we have a moral obligation to protect our world for future generations by investing in renewable energy sources. I am proud that my district is home to more than 70 solar companies. In the East Bay, our green energy future is rapidly being transformed into a reality. Now, our nation and the world must join this movement. Too many people, especially in communities of color and low-income communities, are already feeling the impact of climate change on their daily lives. It's past time to address this issue. Our children and grandchildren deserve a planet worth inheriting.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and legacy of Congresswoman Shirley Chisolm. Last week, she posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our Nation's highest civilian honor. Congresswoman Chisholm is truly deserving of this honor. In 1969, she became the first African American woman to serve in Congress. She was the first majority party African American candidate and the first Democratic woman to run for President. She was also a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Congresswoman Chisholm--or Mrs. C, as we called her--was my mentor and role model. The course of my life changed, when I met Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, as a student in Mills College. At that time, I was the Black Student Union president, and I had invited her to speak her eloquent speech focused on the power of women and people of color to change the world. As she said: If you don't have a seat at the table, bring a folding chair. She explained why it was important for everyone to get involved in the policymaking process, because too often the voices of women and people of color are unheard. I know that today many of us, including myself, would not be here. We would not have the privilege to serve in this great body had it not been for Shirley Chisolm. She is truly deserving of our Nation's highest honor. I would also want to wish Mrs. C a very happy belated birthday. She would have turned 91 on the 20th of November.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate World AIDS Day. The theme this year is: The Time to Act is Now. First, I would like to thank Leader Pelosi for her steadfast commitment to fighting HIV and AIDS and for guaranteeing strong United States leadership in this area. As the cofounder and cochair along with my good friend from Florida, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of the bipartisan Congressional HIV/ AIDS Caucus, we have seen the significant progress that we have made in the global fight against HIV. From PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, which we were very proud to cosponsor, to the Ryan White CARE Act and the Minority AIDS Initiative, the U.S. has been a global leader in committing the critical resources needed to end this disease. Thanks to the leadership of people like Congresswoman Maxine Waters, former Congresswoman Donna Christensen, and the Congressional Black Caucus, we are turning the tide in providing lifesaving prevention and treatment services to disproportionately affected communities here at home. This has been a bipartisan effort which we must continue because we still have a lot of work to do. Mr. Speaker, in the United States, southern States are now the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Stigma, discrimination, and lack of education about the disease continue to be significant barriers to care and prevention. The time to act is now.