Brenda Lawrence

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I want to recognize the strong leadership of our co-chair, not only just now in her leadership role in the Democratic Women's Caucus, but throughout her tenure in Congress, Jackie Speier. I thank her for this Special Order hour. Since the start of this pandemic, women have lost more than 2 million jobs, and our labor force is down, for women, to 57 percent. Why does that matter? It is because women's labor force participation--please hear this number--contributes more than $7 trillion to the U.S. GDP every year. So when you talk about building back with women, there is an economic incentive for us to do that in America. The reality is there are far too many women in the United States who care for their children and the elders in their families. They are looking at situations where it is far too expensive. We heard the description of my two colleagues caring for their elder parents. Do you know what that would mean if they didn't have a childcare or elder care system to take care of them? In reality, in America, there are women who call in sick and who take off from work because they have a child that is suffering from cancer or a parent who is dying, and they are the only ones to do this. And they cannot afford to pay for it. We know that caring for our loved ones should not force women to make a choice between the two. In Michigan, 44 percent of the Michiganders live in a childcare desert. As we talk about this, some people go like, you know, let them figure it out. In some scenarios, there isn't even a childcare facility for the parent to even consider or try to figure out how to pay for it. The reality is that there is such a large number of women who work two jobs, one to pay for childcare and one to put food, shelter, and clothing on their children, because there are not other options. They can't afford the childcare. So, do I lose my home and have childcare? They work two jobs, and being away from home for an extended period of time has its own built-in problems. I want you to know that the Build Back Better agenda increases access to affordable childcare. How amazing is it to say that every family in America would not have to pay more than 7 percent of their income for childcare? We talk about childcare workers--and I just want to go back to the page that my colleague was just talking about. Disproportionately, when we are at that point where we have needs, it is a woman who knocks on our door to provide the childcare, and it is a woman who knocks on the door to take care of our elderly. And, disproportionately, they are women of color, Black women, Hispanic women, Asian women who are the majority of caregivers in this country. What do we do? We say our children and our elders are our most precious in our family. I will walk through fire for my child. There is nothing I won't do for my parents. But we disrespect these workers every day with these pathetic salaries that we have in America. In the Build Back Better agenda, we will be boosting the compensation for our care workers so that they can feel the respect and the honor and go home and take care of their own families. Madam Speaker, I was a dear friend of Aretha Franklin, and every time I talk about this, I think about that song: All I am asking for is just a little respect. In America, how can we say something is so precious to us but we disrespect those who show up, hold the hands, wipe the noses of our children, who tuck in our elders, and sometimes they are there when they take their last breath. America, we can do better. I want you to know that building back better--and we have coined the term, and we will not walk away from that--and our colleagues are working because we can build back better in this country with human infrastructure. You can't do it unless you build back better with women, and that means paying attention to the service, to the need for care, for the need to invest in our human infrastructure. If you want to improve poverty in America, invest in jobs and invest in women. The majority of those in poverty in the United States of America are women heads of households who have children. We make an effort to ensure no one goes hungry in America, but we disrespect those who care for our loved ones. Madam Speaker, I want you to know that I am standing here today locking arms with my colleagues. I want to, and I will, demand that America build back better. I know that my colleagues in the Democratic Women's Caucus are fired up and ready to go because we know this opportunity to put our thumbprint on the values of America, of what we are going to do, is laid out in Build Back Better. We know that we are negotiating and fighting, and we will not step down, just like the suffrage women who fought and knew it was time to stand up, march, chain ourselves to the fence, whatever we have to do to continue to build back better, and we are making this investment. We have a President who has joined in. We have a Speaker of the House who has joined and locked arms with us and the Democratic Caucus. We are saying that Build Back Better will build back families, and it will transform the lives of women in America. We can't wait any longer. On infrastructure, a pothole is an inconvenience, and we need to fix our potholes. We need to make sure that our children are not drinking lead-poisoned water. We need to make sure that our bridges and all those are fixed. But we also need to know that the human beings in this country deserve our passion, our work in the build back better agenda.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the FY22 NDAA. As the co-chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, I am proud to see two of my amendments, 238 and 239, included as part of this en bloc. These amendments would help us understand the factors that influence women servicemembers to stay in or leave the military as well as to take action to improve mental health outcomes for pregnant veterans. Unfortunately, pregnant veterans have been found to be disproportionately impacted by mental health disorders and must be given adequate support to prevent childbirth complications. This language would encourage the VA to support the use of doulas for expectant mothers and increase access for doulas for pregnant veterans. This is a time we must come together in our support of the growing number of women in the military.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, like in many States, Republicans in Michigan's legislature have introduced legislation to suppress the right to vote. Make no mistake about it, the fundamental right to vote in this country is under assault. That is why my dear friend, John Lewis, once said: Voting is the most powerful, nonviolent tool we have in our democracy. Today, we fight back. Today, we have an opportunity to restore the power of the vote. I urge my colleagues to support the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I thank the Congressional Black Caucus. I want to recognize and say how much we appreciate and how much Congress has benefited from the bold leadership of our chair, Joyce Beatty. I thank her for hosting, with the Congressional Black Caucus leadership, this Special Order hour. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak on the urgent infrastructure issue that needs and deserves the attention and the action of this body. Our water infrastructure in the United States is in serious need of repair. Families in Michigan and across this country are struggling to get safe and clean drinking water because of lead pipes in their homes and communities, not to mention the contamination of our water system sources. I am from Michigan, and the Great Lakes weigh on my mind constantly as the largest body of freshwater in this country. A 2016 study found that there were more than 6 million lead service lines across the United States, serving 15 to 22 million Americans. This is a crisis. Madam Speaker, I have lived through and witnessed the Flint water crisis in Michigan. I saw where the people, the United States citizens of this country, their drinking water was poisoned, and because of that, we saw them getting sick and being hospitalized. I am sad to say, not only did it happen in Flint, but it is happening all over our country. This issue disproportionately affects communities of color and the poor. We have an opportunity, a once in a generation chance, to rebuild our infrastructure and to build back better for the American people. The Americans Jobs Plan and the bipartisan infrastructure framework both tackle our water infrastructure problem. These proposals will replace lead pipelines across this country. It is an action that is long overdue. This is an investment that could not come soon enough. I want this Congress to know that the Federal investment in public water infrastructure projects--it is embarrassing to say--under our watch has fallen from 63 percent of our overall investment in 1977 to just 9 percent in 2014. Let me repeat that. We invested, at one time, as a government, 63 percent in our water, and now it is down to 9 percent. This is unacceptable. Let's pass a comprehensive infrastructure package to rebuild our water infrastructure, fix our roads and bridges, and invest in electric vehicles while creating good-paying jobs and positioning ourselves for the future. This is a public health issue; it is a racial justice issue; and it is an economic justice issue. Access to clean water is a basic necessity for human life. I am grateful to stand with my colleagues from the Congressional Black Caucus and call for our Nation's investment in infrastructure. This is our power, and this is our message. We must get this done.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a much-needed investment in our Nation's infrastructure, specifically our water infrastructure. Let me be very clear: Our crumbling and outdated water infrastructure is in a state of emergency. It is leaving our most vulnerable Americans struggling with water access and unaffordable rates, including my hometown of Detroit, Michigan. I want to commend President Biden and my colleagues for promoting the American Jobs Plan, a comprehensive Federal investment to repair and strengthen our infrastructure. This could not be more timely, as Federal investment in public water infrastructure projects have fallen from 63 percent of our overall investment in 1977 to just 9 percent in 2014. The American Jobs Plan will deliver the investments we need and eliminate all lead pipes and service lines in our drinking water systems. It is unacceptable that in the United States of America, schools are forced to put plastic bags over their drinking fountains because it is not safe for our children to drink water because there are elevated levels of lead. Too much of our existing infrastructure is jeopardized because of lead pipes. My home State of Michigan knows about this issue all too well. The Flint water crisis brought national attention to the dangers of elevated levels of lead in our drinking water. Unfortunately, what happened in Flint is happening all across this country. In my district, the same problem exists in the city of Detroit. About 1,500 children under the age of 6 test positive for elevated levels of lead every year, and of those tested, about 7 percent are diagnosed with lead poisoning. Congress cannot stand by and watch as Americans get sick and poisoned from their own drinking water. I always like to emphasize: Water is not a luxury. A pothole is an inconvenience, but water is a necessity to life. We have the opportunity to address this issue right now by passing the American Jobs Plan. It is a once-in-a-generation investment in our communities and families. It also includes provisions similar to my legislation, the WATER Act. My bill would fully fund the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds, provide funding for public schools to test and replace drinking water infrastructure, provide grants to replace lead service lines leading to our households, and much more to fix and strengthen our water infrastructure. Earlier this Congress, I submitted Community Project Funding requests to support water system improvements for two of my communities: Pontiac and Royal Oak Township. These communities are not alone. Similar water system improvement projects are needed across the country. With the American Jobs Plan, we can make that a reality. I look forward to continuing to fight for access to clean, safe, and affordable drinking water for every American.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I rise here today in strong support of Juneteenth National Independence Day. I want to say to my White colleague on the other side: Getting your independence from being enslaved in a country is different from a country getting independence to rule themselves. It is not a day that you can loop together. That is inappropriate. It is a day for reflection and commemorating the end of slavery. It is also a recognition that we have so much work to do to rid this country of systemic racism, discrimination, and hate. Let's talk about the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. We still have much work to do. Juneteenth, what we are doing today, should empower us to fight even harder every single day for criminal justice reform, for racial equality, and for economic empowerment of Black people in America. We are still today living through the blatant racism and slavery that denied us education, denied us opportunity for economic development and empowerment for ourselves, and denied us the right to have a job and own property. It is still today an issue in America. We have a responsibility to teach every generation of Black and White Americans the pride of a people who have survived, endured, and succeeded in these United States of America despite slavery. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation because Black history is American history. We cannot hold our heads and try to ignore the sins of this country, but we can come together and celebrate a time when we made the right decision.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable life of Pastor Phillip Aquilla Brooks, II, a man who dedicated his life to public service and to his church community for nearly seven decades. Pastor Brooks was born on December 21, 1931, after his older brothers, Jesse and Cecil, and followed by his little sister, Barbara Jean. In 1949, he moved from Chicago, Illinois, to Detroit, Michigan, to pursue his religious calling and after meeting the love of his life. Phillip Brooks married Doris Brooks on February 2, 1952, and they enjoyed an astounding 68 years of marriage. With his wife and his mother-in-law, Pastor Brooks established the New St. Paul Tabernacle Church Of God In Christ in Detroit, which he would go on to lead for 66 incredible years. Under Pastor Brooks' guiding hand, the New St. Paul Tabernacle Church Of God In Christ grew in both membership and expanded its evangelical reach. Pastor Brooks purchased the church's first building in April 1969. He later established the March of Faith Telecast and Radio Ministry, which operated for more than four decades, and ministered to millions across the nation in homes, hospital rooms, and prisons. Adding to an already impressive career of service, Pastor Brooks was consecrated Jurisdictional prelate of the Northeast Michigan Jurisdiction in 1975 following a recommendation by his mentor, the late Pastor C.J. Johnson, Sr. He served 45 years as jurisdictional prelate-- the longest serving Pastor in both the Northeast Michigan Jurisdiction and in the history of the Church of God in Christ in Michigan. In 1984, Pastor Brooks was once again recognized for his service and elected to the General Board of the Presidium of the Church of God in Christ, where he served for 36 years. His tenure on the Presidium was the longest of any Board Member, past or present, and he held multiple leadership positions with grace. Pastor Brooks' service did not end at the Michigan border. He spearheaded and assisted in raising funds for people affected by the 9/ 11 World Trade Center terrorist attack in New York and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Additionally, he also established the nation's first Blue Cross/Blue Shield Program for local pastors, which created the first life insurance programs for local pastors and their spouses. Pastor Brooks was also the first African-American pastor to broadcast on television in Detroit, Michigan--a broadcast that aired on WGPR 62, the first Black-owned television station in the country. Pastor Brooks will be sorely missed, but his decades of service in the Church of God in Christ in Michigan will never be forgotten.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, it is beyond me that in 2021 we are still having this debate on whether men and women are paid equally. And I just want to say to my colleague on the other side, being a Black woman in America, I can tell you I do not feel that she has had the discrimination and the disrespect in the pay scale that women of color have experienced. And during the brunt of this pandemic where women are in the forefront, those who are frontline workers, the service industry--predominantly women. Paycheck fairness corrects this injustice by allowing women to challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable. Many in this Chamber like to talk about leveling the playing field for all Americans. Then let's do it by passing this bill. And in America, when you walk in the room as a woman, you know you have overcome and you have work to do. And please don't continue to disrespect us by saying that everything is okay. In your world it may be, but today we can correct that.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with the survivors of domestic and sexual violence. It is completely unacceptable that we have allowed the Violence Against Women Act to expire. I am proud to have introduced two amendments that will strengthen protections for our most vulnerable communities. The first amendment will stop punishing children who have been sex-trafficked and have been in contact with the criminal justice system. The pandemic has also illustrated the urgency on what we need to do to make sure that we reauthorize it. Madam Speaker, as Americans, we have had to follow stay-at-home orders, and it has increased the amount of abuse among those who could not leave home. VAWA save lives. This isn't a Democrat or Republican issue. It is justice and safety. It is time we get this done and reauthorize.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congresswoman Lee for being a voice for women year after year after year. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), who has been one of our fighters from the beginning.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. I thank the gentlewoman so much. We are standing on the shoulders of Deb Haaland and my amazing mentor and friend, Marcia Fudge, who have left the Halls of Congress to go to the White House to lead the administrative staff. I now yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. McBath), a community organizer who put her boots on and walked the streets, and made change, and then blessed us by coming to Congress to continue the fight.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. I thank the gentlewoman from Georgia. I know there is a tradition that says, as long as you say the names of your forefathers, they will never leave you. So I just want to introduce into the Record Etta Cranford, who was my grandmother. At the age of 55, she inherited a 3-year-old and 5-year-old when my mother died, and she gave everything she had until her death to ensure that I would be a strong Black woman in America. I yield to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon).

Mrs. LAWRENCE. I thank the gentlewoman and thank her for being the 100th woman to enter into Congress. I now yield to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez). Mr. Speaker, how much time is remaining, please?

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, it is also significant to note that the majority of the diversity in Congress is represented by the women Members of Congress. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), a fighter for the ERA.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I can't wait for that museum. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), another leader and fighter for women's rights.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include material on the subject of my Special Order in the Record.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, as a co-chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, I am pleased to lead this Special Order in celebration of Women's History Month. Throughout March, we recognize the women leaders, trailblazers, and pioneers who come before us. We have chartered a path forward that will lift up and empower young women and girls. The soul and moral compass of our Nation rests on the shoulders of women throughout this history. I am proud to fight every day so that we can improve the quality of life for women and girls in Michigan and across this country. As the co-chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus and the vice chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, I have made it a mission to put women issues and Black women issues front and center in this Congress. But before I go into the work that we have done and are doing in this Chamber, I want to recognize the inspirational women in my life who helped shape who I am. First, I want to acknowledge my grandmother, who, without a high school education, taught me the value of education, taught me the value of being a woman, of being a wife, of being a mother. She is my rock and my foundation. She taught me that being a woman and being a Black woman in America ``is to be fearless, Brenda,'' to never apologize, and be accountable for everything that I do, and that I work hard, get my education, and keep my faith in God. There was no door I could not walk through or no table that I did not deserve to sit at. She had strength and confidence in something I carry with me every single day. Then there is my shero, Shirley Chisholm, who paved the way for Black women like me to be in Congress. She proved every day the power that women had to change their community. Shirley Chisholm always said: ``If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.'' And, my goodness, the majority of women who represent us here in Congress are carrying their own folding chair. So we have our first woman, our first Black American, our first Asian-American Vice President, who has coined the phrase: ``The first, but not the last.'' We stand on the shoulders, all of us, of giants. We continue to build the foundation so that the next generation of girls and young women can stand on our shoulders. Look at this Congress. There are over 140 Democrat and Republican women in the House and the Senate, the most ever in the history of our country. That translates to the work we are doing in this Chamber to better the lives of women and girls. If you look at today, we voted to pass the equal rights amendment resolution and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. These are the steps in the right direction. We have come a long way, baby, for full equality, but we still have work to do. We, unfortunately, have a system in America that often suppress women and does not support women. But we know that, ``A woman is like a tea bag,'' like Eleanor Roosevelt said, ``you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.'' And I know for a fact that women have continued to stand up against every barrier. You point to this pandemic and you see how women, especially women of color, have borne the brunt of this health and economic crisis. But we keep moving and we will continue in this Congress to fight for the women in America. This is our responsibility, and I am glad that we have women leaders across the Federal, State, and local governments that we have looked up to. Every woman in this Congress today recognizes that the next generation is looking at us and asking us to stand up. Our Vice President of the United States, our Speaker of the House, and half of President Biden's Cabinet, and even on the other side of the aisle, the chair of the House Republican Party, all are women. We are making success, and I know that we can do so much more. I continue to work, and I want to know that when women succeed, America succeeds, as our amazing Speaker of the House reminds us. I am so glad to share this hour with some of our amazing women leaders who will continue to tell us, while we have a month dedicated to women's history, we make history every single day. I would like to ask for my first speaker to come to the podium. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Speier).

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my amazing co-chair for everything she does. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lois Frankel), my co-chair.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Adams), who has been a trailblazer in her own right.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. I now yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Manning), a woman who has made a difference. I am looking forward to the brilliance of her future.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Ross).

Mrs. LAWRENCE. I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina. I now yield to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild), our final speaker tonight, who came to Congress with a mission. She has made her voice heard, and she has made such a difference. We welcome her as not only a woman Member of Congress but as an amazing Representative.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of removing this arbitrary time limit for ratifying the equal rights amendment. I ask all my colleagues: Are we going to tell our mothers, our sisters, daughters, nieces, and granddaughters that there is an expiration date on equality? I hope that answer is no. This pandemic has only worsened the inequality that women are facing, especially women of color. Making the equal rights amendment a part of our Constitution guarantees that men and women are truly treated equal under the law. Today, the House can send a clear message that we will not tolerate sexual discrimination, that gender equality should be the law of the land.