Brenda Lawrence

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the extremely serious and ongoing issue of safe drinking water in our schools. This week in my hometown of Detroit, the Detroit Public Schools began the year without safe and clean drinking water. The superintendent chose to shut the water off to the entire school district after 16 of the schools tested positive for elevated levels of lead and copper. What should have been an exciting first day of school was overshadowed by the fears of lead poisoning and unsanitary learning conditions. This, unfortunately, is no surprise. We have seen this happen all over the country, where schools put bags over their drinking fountains because they are not safe for the children to consume the water. This is a consequence of years of neglecting our Nation's infrastructure. For years, I have spoken out against the severe funding decrease in our infrastructure and our public schools. For too long we have kicked the can down the road and ignored this critical issue of safe drinking water in America. Deliberately not funding necessary and long overdue upgrades for our water infrastructure hurts women, children, and especially the poor and people of color. We cannot repeat the Flint water crisis, and we must learn from our mistakes. This situation demands a sense of urgency and should be handled in a timely manner. As adults, we are responsible for protecting our children. We are the ones who must make the right decisions. This is not a partisan issue, but a public health issue. The Detroit Public Schools and the Detroit children, every day they work hard to face the challenges to simply obtain an excellent education. We need to address the immediate health concerns. And we need resources to protect our children from future harm. Every child must be tested. I appreciate and applaud the superintendent's positive response to this emergency. I urge the school district and the city to use whatever resources are immediately available to test these children for lead poisoning. We need to know how widespread this situation is. The tests will help us understand how much damage our children have been exposed to. Children covered by Medicare are already required to receive blood lead screening tests. I will work with the city and the State to see how we can get every child in Detroit tested. Without adequate resources and access to information, we stand to fail our children. This is unacceptable. We also learned from Flint that professionals, not politicians, should be making health decisions. That is why I introduced H.R. 1909, the Environmental Health Workforce Act. Only 28 States require the environmental health workforce to be credentialed. And unfortunately, Michigan is not one of those States. This legislation I am proposing will ensure every State has a credentialed workforce. We would not go to a doctor who did not have an MD. Why would we let someone who is making decisions about our water quality and food do it without proper qualifications. These emergencies show us that we cannot keep relying on a patchwork of quick fixes. We don't know how many children are in danger until every child is tested. We need to truly invest in long-term solutions. As I continue monitoring this situation, I will continue pursuing the issue until we have solutions and funding on a Federal level to protect our children. Water is not a luxury, it is a necessity for life. And the least of ours, our children, should not be put in danger.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak against H.R. 6311. This bill does no favor for the average working American. This is yet another bill to sabotage the Affordable Care Act and make healthcare more expensive for those who need it the most. Expanding these health savings accounts, which are simply investment accounts, doesn't cover basic healthcare. It does not help the average American who needs true healthcare. This Republican legislation will not help my constituents in Michigan. It does not serve the need of access to healthcare for America's most vulnerable. The bill does not serve seniors either. It hurts them by drawing Medicare recipients into high-cost care. In Michigan, 92 percent of Medicare beneficiaries make under $50,000, and 14 percent are Black seniors who live below the poverty line. We know seniors can't afford this. We also know this bill will drain more money from Medicare by adding $60 billion to the deficit. We need affordable care for everyone, not unaffordable health plans for a few. This bill would destabilize and destroy affordable healthcare.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Intercountry Adoption Information Act. As co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption and an original cosponsor with Congressman Collins, I am pleased to see the House take up this bill on suspension. There are an estimated 140 million orphaned children worldwide and many families waiting to provide a permanent, loving home. However, in recent years, countries have carried out policy changes that have reduced our intercountry adoptions altogether. Many of these changes are suddenly implemented, leading to confusion for families in the middle of the adoption process. H.R. 5626 adds reporting requirements to the act of 2000 to track foreign countries that have made changes to their adoption policies. This bill is a simple fix that allows families to access accurate, updated information. It gives clarity to prospective families and the millions of children who are in need of a permanent, loving home. Again, I want to say thank you to my ranking member and to Representative Collins, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 4760, the Securing America's Future Act. Instead of working in a bipartisan manner, like open rules and committee hearings, Members of this body now must vote on two bills that will hurt immigrant families and communities by worsening the family separation crisis on the border and funding the divisive border wall. H.R. 4760 is a hardline anti-immigration bill that fails to provide a permanent path to citizenship for our Dreamers. It makes family reunification much more difficult. It provides $25 billion for the Trump wall. This is while we are going to be confronted with a farm bill that cuts food for starving and poor children in America. It would expand the family separation, and it harms children. Madam Speaker, this is not the America I know. This bill is nothing more than an attempt to appease the administration and the most extreme faction of the Republican Party.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Chairman, as a member of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee and a cosponsor of this bill, I rise in support of H.R. 8. Our water infrastructure is important to the health of our economy and job growth, including infrastructure job opportunity in the skilled trades. Supporting our water infrastructure is essential to the goal of ensuring environmental justice. Communities in poverty and women and children are especially vulnerable to the harsh consequences of failing and faulty water infrastructure. Let us not forget Flint, Michigan. This bill continues this important bipartisan process. As a Representative from Michigan, this bill continues to protect the Great Lakes region. The Davis amendment on the floor today affirms the commitment to fighting invasive species. Completion of the long-awaited Brandon Road Study is needed to combat environmental threats to our region. The Great Lakes waterways create thousands of jobs and create billions in revenue, annually. We must continue to support the Army Corps' operations that operate these critical waterways. As Members know, our Nation's infrastructure is in desperate need of repair, and we cannot kick the can down the road anymore. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak out against this terrible farm bill. Mr. Speaker, we were working together, Democrats and Republicans, to work on a farm bill. Unfortunately, the Republicans are putting all of our constituents in danger by making this bill purely a political agenda. At the last minute, after working together and reaching consensus, the Republicans decided to include major devastating cuts to SNAP, or food stamps, instead of helping rural and urban Americans. This bill cuts SNAP by $23 billion, which will kick 1 million households off the program. The bill will also kick 265,000 kids out of free school meals and reduce benefits for millions of families. In Michigan 1.3 million people rely on SNAP and it keeps 141,000 children out of poverty. This bill includes so many other programs in my district.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, my district supports urban farmers and food banks so our farmers and people can thrive. We should not put all of this in danger. Mr. Speaker, I call on Republicans today to stop, to remove this terrible proposal for SNAP with this poisonous bill.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment that will direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on the diversity of the cybersecurity workforce of the FAA in order to develop recommendations to increase the size, quality, and diversity of such workforce. Every day, Federal departments and agencies across our Nation face a barrage of cybersecurity attacks that threaten our national and economic security. An attack in 2006 forced the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to shut down one of its air traffic control systems in Alaska. Another attack that possibly involved malicious hacking and phishing targeted 75 airports in the United States in 2013. Now, in recent years, the FAA has taken concrete steps to improve cybersecurity protection mechanisms; however, Congress needs to ensure that the FAA has the ability and resources to implement cybersecurity protocols across all segments of the National Airspace System. The mission of the FAA is ``to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world,'' and one of the five values of the agency to execute on that mission includes, in their vision statement: ``People are our strength. Our success depends on the respect, diversity, collaboration, and commitment of our workforce.'' According to CyberSeek, a national program of National Institute of Standards and Technology in the Department of Commerce, in 2017, the U.S. employed nearly 800,000 people in cybersecurity positions. However, that same report goes on to add that approximately 350,000 jobs remain open in the cybersecurity space. To ensure that FAA continues to safeguard the world's safest and most productive aviation sector, Congress needs to ensure that the FAA has all of the tools necessary to ready its workforce. According to the FAA 2015 Performance and Accountability Report, the agency has over 45,000 employees who have diverse educational and career backgrounds. So when we look at our air traffic controllers, researchers, maintenance specialists, safety inspectors, and mechanical and electrical software engineers, innovative solutions to national cybersecurity challenges will come from a diversity of perspectives. That is why my amendment will study the needs of the existing cybersecurity workforce of the FAA, and help identify and address any gaps that exist, and ensure that the size, quality, and diversity of such workforce at the FAA keep pace with the rapid technological advancements in the aviation sector. I want to thank Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member Peter DeFazio for their strength and their leadership. And I want to thank Chairman Shuster for his leadership and emphasis on skills development and training. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague on the other side of the aisle for his support. Our skilled trained workforce is one of the greatest challenges we have in America in supplying a workforce that is going to address the skilled needs of our workforce. If we don't address it and be proactive, it is going to be creating a challenge not only to filling jobs, but creating the workforce that will get the job done. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to pass this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Clarke for all of her strong leadership as a Member of Congress and also as a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls as she advocates for awareness, fairness, and equality for all. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today during Women's History Month to acknowledge the impact and legacy of Black women in America. Black women have blazed trails, set standards, and broken barriers in every job sector, elected position, and civil rights movement in America. I am especially proud of the strong leadership of African-American women during the suffrage movement. The suffrage movement was the demand and struggle for the right for all women to vote and run for office and was a very important part of the overall women's rights movement. Faced with constant opposition and threats of violence, women of various social classes, economic classes, and race traveled across the country to make their proclamation loud and clear. They have a voice, and they deserved a vote. As women fought and marched for their right to be treated as first- class citizens, in addition to their gender, African-American women were also faced with the barriers of racism in America. While women were united by gender, they remained divided by race. In the march for respect and dignity, Black women were asked to march at the back of the suffrage parade. Despite being asked to go to the back of the parade, 22 founders of the amazing Delta Sigma Theta sorority marched. This sorority was the only African-American women's organization to participate in the parade. I am proud to say I am a proud member of Delta Signa Theta. Another member of Delta Signa Theta sorority, Ida B. Wells-Barnette, marched for the right to vote. A journalist, antilynching crusader, and outspoken suffragist founded the first African-American women's suffrage organization, the Alpha Suffrage Club of Chicago. The members of the Ida B. Wells organization joined her in marching in the women's suffrage march parade in Washington in 1913. Mr. Speaker, this is just one of the examples of how Black women have faced, head-on, the double barrier of being Black and being a woman in America. As a Black woman of Congress and as vice chair of the Democratic Women's Working Group and the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, I stand on the shoulders of women who refused to accept the status of being a second-class citizen, a second-class woman, or a second-class race. I stand on the shoulders of Shirley Chisholm, as my colleague has outlined this amazing woman being the first African-American woman of Congress. I stand on the shoulders of women like Erma Henderson. She was a Detroit civil rights activist who became the first Black woman to be elected to the Detroit City Council. She was the first woman I was able to look up to as a little Black girl growing up in the city of Detroit. She inspired me to believe that one day I, too, could have a seat at the table. Mr. Speaker, the legacy of Black women is far from over. I am proud of how far we have come, and I am encouraged by the hope of what is next. I am encouraged by my colleagues--White, Black, men, and women-- who continue to fight for fairness, justice, and equality for all women and for Black women in this country.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I just want to close with some words of wisdom from Black women who absolutely have inspired me. ``It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it,'' Lena Horn. ``I did what my conscience told me to do, and you can't fail if you do that,'' Anita Hill. ``Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts,'' Nikki Giovanni. ``Don't feel entitled to anything you didn't sweat and struggle for.'' That is the legendary Marian Wright Edelman. And I close on an amazing woman we have talked so much about: ``Service is the rent that you pay for room on this Earth,'' Shirley Chisolm. Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to be a woman in America and to be blessed by God with this beautiful, Black skin and to be a Black woman in America.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Officer Glenn Anthony Doss, a Detroit police officer who died while serving in the line of duty. Officer Doss, who joined the police force nearly 2 years ago, was answering a call when a gunman opened fire and shot Officer Doss in the head before he could get out of his patrol car. He was immediately rushed to the hospital, but, unfortunately, he died on Sunday, January 28, 2018. Officer Doss is what we call an American hero. He did what any police officer does the moment they put on their uniform and go out and serve their community with courage and honor, knowing that even the smallest interaction may put their life in harm's way. Officer Doss followed in his father's footsteps who has been a member of the Detroit Police Department for nearly 20 years. I want to say God bless his memory, his family, his friends, and the Detroit Police Department for the work they do. He had a 9-month-old child.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Evans for his strong representation of his constituents of the Second District of Pennsylvania and his leadership and support of civil rights. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address racial inequality with America's wealth gap. As we continue to celebrate Black History Month, we remember victories such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. We can look back and celebrate these victories that brought us closer to the American principle of liberty and justice for all. But the fight for equality, fairness, and justice continues. I am proud to stand with my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus to call for true economic justice for the Black community. Still, today, Mr. Speaker, in 2018, Black people in America have to earn a high school education, a high school diploma, and complete some time in college to catch up to the wage of White high school dropouts. The Black-White wage gap is larger today than it was in 1979. This tragic truth does not affect Black men and women the same. Since the year 2000, young Black women have been hit the hardest. However, the racial wealth gap is even greater. The average wealth for White families is seven times higher than the average wealth for Black families. Mr. Speaker, with facts like this, no wonder many find it difficult to stand and applaud President Trump's belief that there is a trend of lower Black unemployment rates. Lower unemployment rates does not address this imbalance of wealth and opportunity, and backward policies do not deserve our cheers. When we have an administration that puts forth policies that would eliminate programs to support minority businesses, drain the Black labor pool by doubling down on the war on drugs and mass incarceration, put forth a tax plan that gives billions to corporations and the wealthiest while leaving crumbs for the hardworking middle class, Mr. Speaker, this does not deserve our applause. Certainly, under this administration, African Americans and minorities have a lot to lose. We heard that often during the campaign: ``What do you have to lose?'' Today, this administration is surprised we are not standing and applauding. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The strength of America is at its best when we are all strong. Mr. Speaker, that is why this fight from the Black Caucus--we are raising our voices--this isn't just about Black America; this is about America. We are a country that the stronger each and every one of us is--regardless of our race, our religion, or where we came from--if we are in America and we are Americans, if we are all strong, the United States of America is strong. Equality is smart economics, and justice for all is our American way. Today, we stand and call on this administration and this Congress to fight to make America strong, to make America the best it can be. We call for equality and we call for economic justice for all.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, let me use the example of mass incarceration. In my State and in this budget in Congress, we are constantly cutting programs for education. In America, if you do not educate a child, their choices are very limited. Statistics have shown that the lower the education, the higher the rate of incarceration. I will share with the gentleman that if we truly want to reduce the cost of mass incarceration, if we truly want a workforce that is trained and available to address economic opportunities and invest in technology, and ensure that we are paying taxes and growing our tax base, it will be more efficient to invest in education. But, instead, we systematically, with budgets and cutting funds, empower the prison system, while at the same time create a disadvantage for people who then become what we so often hear: a burden to society, social welfare, and all these other things. When you create the opportunity to provide leadership to say, ``We, in America, understand an educated American is an economic advantage,'' and we have systematically ignored that--we sit here as if every child in America is getting equal education--it is not a reality. It should be an outcry from every CEO in America. All of these corporations are getting billions of dollars in tax cuts. Instead of saying, ``Oh, do you know what, we are going to open up a new factory,'' or ``We are going to do this,'' they should say that in conjunction with, ``We are going to make sure that every child who is our customer, every community will be able to improve the educational system.'' Because the larger our work base, the more powerful our corporation and our economy becomes. Why do you think these corporations go overseas and say they have to go to other countries to get workers? And, excuse me, you don't see the reality slapping you in the face when you have these children who are not educated, and you have school systems that don't have adequate books and technology to allow this child to reach their highest potential? That is a weak link. And this America that says that we are one of the best economies in the world, we are being attacked every day because our workforce is diminishing because we are not providing education that is competitive with other countries.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, when you have what we call the working poor--they are going to work every day--think about a mother who is raising a family. She is not asking for a handout. She is actually going to work every day. Some of them are working two jobs and still cannot provide the basics of food, shelter, and clothing for their children. And then when she says, ``I need help,'' they say, ``Oh, these handouts, this social welfare these people are asking for,'' when these are people who are working every day to achieve the American Dream, not to have luxuries, but to have the basics, the minimum wage is a beginning. But you tie that to education. We must address that. Many of these individuals, who have never committed a crime--they are not criminals, they are not bad people--they did not get the education that prepared them, and now they are working, they are trying, they are pursuing the dream of: ``If I work hard every day, if I do the work and show up and be a good employee, I will be able to provide for my family.'' That is not a reality. In America, we should be ashamed of ourselves to have people working and still considered poor in America.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, we are close to a government shutdown. The Republicans' top priority, however, is taking away a woman's right to choose. The abortion survivors bill is nothing but an insensitive, insulting, and unconstitutional attack against a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions. No matter how sneaky the Republicans have been in drafting this bill, it is still, plain and simple, an abortion ban. It criminalizes doctors and intrudes into the doctor-patient relationship. Politicians are choosing what is best for a woman's health, instead of a woman making a choice with her doctor. This bill is part of the Republicans' agenda to take healthcare away from women. On the eve of the Women's March, we say again: Enough is enough. This bill will intimidate and close down reproductive health clinics across the country, leaving women who truly need help with no choices at all.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge Congress to move quickly on finding a legislative solution for DREAMers before January 19. With every passing day that Congress delays action from now until March 5, approximately 122 people will lose their DACA protection. We cannot forget about the consequences that DACA termination will have on women and their families. Mr. Speaker, 53 percent of active DACA recipients are women. As the vice chair of the Democratic Women's Working Group, I am here to say that we need to represent all women and their families. All women just want a better future for themselves and their children. Without safety from deportation, families will be torn apart. Many DREAMers now have children of their own. It is time for Congress to act. I am standing here today speaking for women in this country.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, 100 years ago today, this House passed a constitutional amendment granting women the right to vote. 274 Members voted for it, but 136 voted against it. One Representative said: ``Important issues cannot be decided by women's fears and tears and emotions. They have to be decided by the real, manly men of America.'' One hundred years later, unfortunately, we hear similar comments. To get our rights and to protect our rights, the battle continues. But 2018, Mr. Speaker, is the year of the women. We will never give up our rights, we will never give up our votes, and we will never, ever give up our voice. Mr. Speaker, we have history slapping us in the face. We, as a body, need to recognize and respect women's rights in this House and in America.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, last month, Republicans rammed through a terrible tax bill with devastating consequences, and women are among the hardest hit. This tax plan drains funds from working mothers while giving huge tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy. Women are breadwinners for half of the American families with children. These women often do more work for less pay. Nearly six in ten workers in low-wage jobs are women. Women earn 82 cents on the dollar. In Michigan, it is even lower: 74 cents. The tax plan takes away the individual mandate, so 9.5 million women could lose healthcare--annual exams, birth control, cancer screening, pregnancy support--and lose economic security. Under this new law, the wealthiest continue to prosper at the expense of hardworking women in this country. We deserve better in America. People deserve better than this reckless tax bill.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, on December 18, 2017, I was not able to cast my votes during the vote series due to a prior obligation in my District. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted: NO on the Motion to Fix the Convening Time; YES on H.R. 4375-- STEM Research and Education Effectiveness and Transparency Act, as amended (Rep. Comstock--Science, Space, and Technology); and YES on H.R. 3979--Keep America's Refuges Operational Act, as amended (Rep. Jeffries--Natural Resources).

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, Ms. Norton, for having this amazing interest to our country put before us for a vote. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1532, No Human Trafficking on Our Roads, and S. 1536, the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act. As the vice chair of the congressional bipartisan Caucus for Women's Issues and a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am pleased that we are solving these issues of real concern. Human trafficking is an inexcusable crime. According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, about 8 in 10 reported victims are women. It is a crime that exploits women more than anyone else, and especially young girls. Mr. Speaker, combating human trafficking is a serious concern of mine. Unfortunately, in my district--I represent the Metro Detroit area--a major international transportation and shipping hub in southeast Michigan, we rank number seven in total human trafficking cases reported in our country. These bills mark progress toward combating human trafficking. We are improving our systems to better recognize and report this crime. We are closing loopholes in our transportation system that traffickers have taken advantage of for far too long. I am proud to support these bills, and I urge my colleagues to support them as well. Mr. Speaker, today I needed a vote and a voice for something that is good for this country, and so I stand here in support.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address my concerns with the GOP tax bill. Calling this bill the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is simply wrong. Adding $1.5 trillion to our deficit and assuming--and basically hoping--corporations will create jobs is irresponsible. There is no guarantee jobs will be created and no incentive for job training. This is wrong. In America, we have a skilled trade crisis. We cannot continue to operate our economy and jobs without skilled trades. We must give incentives to invest in new technology and equipment for our corporations, but we must do that while demanding that they also invest in skilled trade training and investment. Tax reform was a real chance to close the skills gap, reinvest in our workers, and create a 21st century job training program.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the Republican spending plans. Republicans in Congress have passed a tax giveaway to corporations and left behind everyday Americans. Now Republicans are refusing to address constituents' urgent priorities: from children's healthcare to disaster relief, to certainty for DREAMers, and more. They refuse to bring a clean reauthorization for the Children's Health Insurance Program--CHIP--which serves 9 million children and 370,000 pregnant women. They want to drastically cut other healthcare funding while saying they support CHIP. Republicans are also planning to cut Medicare and Medicaid. These cuts would be devastating for millions of people who depend on Medicaid for essential health services: children, seniors, low-income individuals, and people with disabilities. Mr. Speaker, this budget will hurt children, women, and all Americans just to pay for a tax giveaway, and it is simply unacceptable.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the congresswoman from the great State of North Carolina (Ms. Adams) for her endless passion for education of the next generation and her strong support of our HBCUs. I also want to acknowledge our chairman, Cedric Richmond, our CBC chairman. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to recognize something truly incredible. This year, nine Historically Black Colleges and Universities are celebrating their 150th anniversaries, 150 years of excellence, of endurance, and of new opportunity, collective strengths, and a core belief in the value of education. Mr. Speaker, we so often talk about the American Dream, and we talk about that ladder of success that any American can have if they work hard and get an education. We all know that that first rung of that ladder is clearly education, and if we do not keep our promise in America to educate, we are failing in our American commitment to excellence in developing all young people to obtain their greatness. As we look upon these accomplishments of 150 years, we are reminded how important and how vital these schools have been to the advancement of African Americans. Mr. Speaker, by establishing these amazing places or institutions of learning, against all odds, and by turning them into world-class institutions, African-American leaders have made it clear that we hold the belief in education just as dearly as anyone else in America. However, to ensure that some day we can celebrate these amazing institutions' 200th and 300th anniversaries, it is critical that we, as a country, resist the shameful attacks on our education system. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the current tax plan being negotiated by my Republican colleagues threatens our educational system like never before. It pains me to stand here tonight congratulating 150 years of academic excellence while a small group of Republicans are working behind closed doors to strip educational opportunities for millions of Americans. I do not believe that this is what the constituents voted for. U.S. citizens did not vote for higher student loan payments, teachers digging deeper in their pockets to supply the basic needs for their students, and a punishing tax on university endowments. This is truly a tax scam. But perhaps the most senseless attacks on this success are coming from the White House. Earlier this year, I was horrified to see the President refer to the HBCUs as ``unconstitutional'' simply because they were the answer to a fundamentally unequal education system. And let me be clear, HBCUs were created because there were no other choices. However, this feeling of being horrified or disappointed, I had frequently this year. While I am horrified, unfortunately, it is no longer a surprise. After all, this is a President who refused to denounce the blatant racism in Charlottesville and whose Education Secretary foolishly called HBCUs the ``pioneers of school choice.'' Clearly she doesn't know the history because there was no choice, Mr. Speaker. While this can be unfortunate, disappointing, and even sickening, HBCUs were born out of adversity, and I see no reason to cave to the pressure now. We need to protect our HBCUs for future generations, for tomorrow's leaders because, as we continue to see, equality is a fight. Equality is a process. I know a day will come, and I pray that I will be able to see with my own eyes, that equality in education and equality in this country is a reality. But until then, we must acknowledge today's successes, the successes of these amazing places, institutions of learning, and continue to fight for tomorrow's dreams of our next generation.