Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. This bill is so critically important. Of all the bills that we have passed--and this body, in a bipartisan way, has passed a whole series of bills--this particular one has enforcement, it has prevention, and it has help for the survivors. I applaud everyone who worked on this important piece of legislation, and we can't pass it fast enough.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Senate-passed Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. I commend the ranking member for the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations for her hard work on this bill and so many others and on this issue, and to Chairman Goodlatte and the leadership for bringing this bill swiftly to the floor. I particularly applaud the efforts of Congressman Poe, who, as a former judge and prosecutor, brought a keen understanding and passion to moving this bill forward. For well over 10 years, I have worked on trying to pass legislation that focused on the demand side of sex trafficking. It is only by going after the demand side that you will ever make a dent in protecting these young girls and boys. With his leadership, he brought new life and focus to getting this passed, and I cannot thank him enough. I truly believe that this bill will save lives. I am so pleased that Democrats and Republicans have come together, as we have historically done, in efforts to combat human slavery, human trafficking, and to bring forward a bill to help victims of this modern-day form of slavery. This bill cracks down on traffickers and provides resources to trafficking survivors. There are an estimated 21 million victims around the world today, including in all 50 States, being sold for sex and slave labor. Business is very good for some very bad people. Every year, sex trafficking yields well over $9 billion in illegal profits. But unlike guns and dope that can only be sold once, the human body can be sold over and over again, usually until they die. This legislation starts to put a dent in those profits by levying fines on convicted traffickers and using the money to create the domestic trafficking victims fund. This is appropriate justice. Traffickers are forced to pay for rehabilitative services for the girls, boys, men, women, and children whom they have victimized and profited from. But we have to capture these criminals first, and perpetrators too easily have slipped through the cracks. In fact, trafficking victims are commonly charged with prostitution, while their pimps and johns and traffickers are never held accountable for their terrible crimes. This bill will flip that equation by giving law enforcement tools to help victims, and new powers and resources to identify, arrest, and prosecute buyers and sellers of sex with minor children, pornography, slave labor, and other forms of sex and labor trafficking. This will clarify, once and for all, that traffickers and johns and pimps are the true criminals in sex trafficking because, make no mistake, prostitution is not, and never has been, what has often been called a victimless crime. Patronizing a trafficked individual is not a casual act of sex; it is a criminal act of rape. Stiffening penalties and levying fines on perpetrators of these terrible crimes can start to decrease demand and put the people who buy and sell children behind bars, protecting other children from being hurt and destroyed--put them behind bars, where they belong. This bill also enables victims and survivors to get the help that they deserve. Most trafficked individuals have multiple encounters with law enforcement while enslaved, but police are not sufficiently equipped to identify them. To that end, the bill also provides support for law enforcement to better identify and serve trafficking victims. These are victims who need help, not culprits to lock up while their traffickers and pimps go free. We cannot afford to miss opportunities to recognize a trafficked victim when he or she walks into the police station or hospital or local clinic. And there must be protocols, such as those called for in this bill, in place to ensure their safety and not to treat them as the criminals. This bill provides a comprehensive approach to address these issues and to banish this horrific crime from the United States of America. I urge Congress to act right away so victims need wait no longer for justice and the critical services and resources that they so desperately deserve. I urge complete bipartisan support for this bill. It is long overdue, and it will give a better future for those who have survived the worst crime in the world.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Heck for his leadership on this bill. As a former veteran, he has a deep understanding of these issues. I also thank Mr. Luetkemeyer, who is the chair of our Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance and one of our most active members on the committee, having served not only as a community banker, but as a community regulator. I am very pleased to rise in strong bipartisan support of H.R. 1816, the Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act of 2015. This bill will bring a measure of fairness to our government's treatment of severely disabled veterans. The bill excludes the payments that disabled veterans receive for in-home aid and attendance from being considered as income when determining their eligibility for HUD housing assistance. Under current law, these in-home aid and attendance payments are wrongly counted as disposable income, which makes it harder for disabled veterans who receive these payments to qualify for the Federal housing assistance which they deserve. These payments are absolutely not disposable income; rather, they are payments that are medically necessary to enable disabled veterans to perform everyday functions, functions that, if not for their extraordinary sacrifice, would not require in-home aid payments in the first place. Thousands of veterans across our country are unable to qualify for Federal housing assistance, such as Section 8 rental assistance, because these payments are improperly counted as income. Let's be clear. These are veterans who have suffered life-changing injuries and who are now severely disabled as a result of their service to our country. It is their service and their sacrifice made in the name of peace and freedom that have made this the great Nation that it is today. For our great Nation to turn around and make it harder for these veterans because of their service-related disabilities to qualify for housing assistance is grossly unfair and something that should be swiftly rectified. That is what this bill does. It rights a wrong in our Federal housing policy and gives the veterans the respect and support that they deserve. I applaud my colleague, Mr. Heck, who has served this country as a veteran. For three times, he has brought this bill to this floor. It has passed on suspension three times. I really applaud his persistence in pursuing this commonsense fix that will help thousands of veterans that deserve the aid and the assistance from HUD to rightfully get it. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield myself the balance of my time. I want to underscore a point that Congressman Heck made that so many of our veterans become homeless, and it is a huge problem across this country. By passing this bill, we will enable more veterans to stay in their homes and to have the respect and dignity that they deserve. This is a commonsense bill. It has passed this body two times before, almost unanimously. I hope that, as Mr. Heck said, the third time is the charm and that we will finally get this through the Senate. It is well deserved and long overdue. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this fair and commonsense proposal that will help our veterans. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to introduce today the Gun Show Loophole Closing Act--critical legislation to keep dangerous weapons away from criminals and other prohibited persons. First proposed by my friend and former colleague Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, I am humbled to continue her important effort to end gun violence, and this legislation would take an important step forward. States across the country, including my home state of New York, have recognized the danger posed by this significant gap in our gun laws that allows complete strangers to buy and sell guns without the background check requirements Congress passed in the Brady Bill. I'm proud that there is momentum around the country to update our gun laws and ensure that weapons do not end up in the wrong hands--but the fact is that we need a federal solution to this national problem. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has cited gun shows as a ``major trafficking channel'', and lax gun show regulations in one state can allow guns in the hands of criminals in communities many states away. The Gun Show Loophole Closing Act will close this gap in existing law and give the ATF the resources and authority it needs to ensure that gun shows do not facilitate dangerous gun sales. The legislation will make sure that law enforcement knows the details about shows and that records are kept on firearm sales. These common-sense measures will bring consistent national standards to gun shows, help combat gun trafficking, and keep guns out of the wrong hands. I hope my colleagues will join me to support this important effort.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. I thank the ranking member for yielding and for his strong leadership. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the amendment I have cosponsored with the gentleman from California, Representative Royce, and I thank him for his outstanding leadership not only on this issue, but on so many of them. This particular amendment expresses U.S. support for the defeat of the terrorist organization Boko Haram. Combating Boko Haram is in our national interest and is certainly in the interest of security in the region, and the United States should support the regional allies in their operations against Boko Haram, which are making significant progress in combating them. We just marked the 1-year anniversary of the kidnapping of 270 young schoolgirls from Nigeria. This horror raised the awareness of the world to the terror of Boko Haram and what it has unleashed on Nigerians for years. The amendment clearly affirms that Boko Haram represents a threat not just to our Nation, but to the world, and certainly to stability in the region. The amendment calls for United States support--which may be in the form of equipment, training, technical support--for a coordinated military response in Africa to combat Boko Haram. Since its formation, the coalition has made significant gains against this terrorist threat and has started to improve stability in the region. Many of the young girls have escaped and have come here to speak to us in Congress. The amendment also calls for reports to Congress on the progress of the mission and an accounting of U.S. support. Combating Boko Haram is and should remain a national security interest, and we must remain vigilant in fighting this enemy. I urge my colleagues to support this important amendment. Again, I thank Chairman Royce for his attention, strong leadership, and for really saving lives in this region. He is securing stability in the region and for America, too.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, it has been forty- three years since Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (also known as the Women's Equality Amendment). This historic amendment is intended to enshrine in our United States Constitution fundamental equality based on sex in all areas of society. In 1972, Congress passed the ERA with a measure that it had to be ratified by the necessary number of states (38) within 7 years. The deadline was ultimately extended an additional three years, but with this narrow and arbitrary time limit, the ERA fell just three states shy of full ratification when the deadline passed. Other constitutional amendments have been afforded much longer for ratification. One example is the 27th amendment, concerning Congressional pay raises, which was accepted after a 203-year ratification period. This Congress, I am joined by my colleague Representative Cynthia Lummis in this important bipartisan effort to finally add women to the Constitution. It is time for our nation to definitively declare that we will not tolerate discrimination against half the population. While we have made cracks in the glass ceiling throughout history, we have yet to shatter it. We believe that this amendment is far more than a symbolic demonstration of equality, but rather would provide protections that are vital to the wellbeing and prosperity of women and their families. The ERA will ensure all citizens have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Women and men must have equal rights for a democracy to thrive. The ERA will put women on equal footing in the legal systems of all 50 states, particularly in areas where women have historically been treated as second-class citizens, including in cases of public education, divorce, child custody, domestic violence, and sexual assault. Passing the ERA will put the full weight of the U.S. Constitution behind employment laws relating to the prevention of sex discrimination in hiring, firing, promotions, and benefits--especially in the public sector. Pregnancy discrimination continues to be prevalent in the workforce. The ERA can protect women from being harmed by a policy simply because she is a woman. The 14th amendment is not enough. Only the ERA would provide for gender equity and offer an ``overriding guarantee'' of equal protection for women. The ERA would protect the progress made on women's rights from any shifting political trends. The ERA will ensure that the rights of American women and girls will not be diminished by any Congress or any political trend, but instead be preserved as basic rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Over the past several decades, legislative efforts have aimed to advance the rights of women--but this progress is not irreversible. Without the ERA, women have often been denied the ability to seek justice when they have experienced discrimination. We have seen that constitutional ambiguity on women's rights can have negative consequences when cases that affect the lives of women are brought before the Supreme Court. Until women's equality is clearly acknowledged in our Constitution, half of our population will continue to be without constitutionally guaranteed equality. The time is now to make women's equality a constitutional reality. Our democracy rests on the principle of ``liberty and justice for all.'' We need the ERA to ensure that this concept applies equally to all. I am pleased to introduce this bill with 171 of my bipartisan colleagues. I urge my fellow Members of Congress to join in support.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the highway trust fund, this Congress has kicked the can down the road so many times that pretty soon we will not even have a road. In just 5 legislative days--in 5 legislative days--the fund will expire, and with it, 660,000 good-paying jobs will be on the chopping block. America cannot lead the next century with broken roads and bridges collapsing. We are spending barely enough to repair the infrastructure of yesterday, as China and Europe build a transit system worthy of the 21st century. In my district alone, we have two large infrastructure projects--the Second Avenue Subway and the East Side Access--and both of them depend, as do large infrastructure projects, on Federal funding. They create thousands of jobs, and they will cut commute times. They are investments in productivity and economic growth for our country. After a dozen short-term extensions, it is time for a long-term highway bill. Our future depends on it. Our economic growth depends on it.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Even after four decades of settled law, some of my colleagues still refuse to cede women their constitutional right and the autonomy and human dignity that goes with being allowed to make your own decisions about your own body and your own health care. The party of individual rights and states' rights wants to go into medical, personal decisions of women in this country with their doctors. I urge my colleagues to reject this awful bill, H.R. 36, and recognize that women are both capable and prepared to make decisions about their own bodies and their own medical care.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership. I rise in opposition to H.R. 36. It endangers women's health. It contains a woefully inadequate rape exception, is patently unconstitutional, and it contains no health exception for the mother. The entire premise that women must provide ``proof of rape'' is preposterous and hurtful to women who have already faced incredible trauma. Most of us cannot begin to fathom what a woman has faced in these situations. The FBI rates rape the second worst crime, preceded only by murder, in terms of the destruction and continuing harm to the victim. This is truly adding insult to injury. The majority party expects survivors to be mindful of keeping good medical paper records and to file paperwork that they, the majority, have decided that the rape victim should file. The reality is that abortions after 20 weeks are rare and represent just 1.5 percent of pregnancies that are terminated. In almost all of these cases, the women choosing an abortion are doing so because there is a grave problem with their pregnancy and their own health that affects their fetus. Some fetuses are incompatible with life, and in some cases, going to full term would destroy a woman's ability to have future children.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, another Mother's Day has come and gone, and millions of Americans took time out to express their gratitude to their mothers for all the wonderful things they do. But some still have an outdated picture in their minds of their mothers spending all their time home baking cookies when, more typically, American mothers are at a job bringing home the bacon. According to a Mother's Day report produced by the Joint Economic Committee, the typical American family has changed dramatically over the last 50 years, and fewer than one in five families match the old stereotype of the father at the job and the mom at home. Today, fully 70 percent of mothers are in the labor force because they have to be in the labor force to provide for their families. Our lives have changed dramatically, but our public policies haven't kept pace with these changes. For instance, the United States and Papua New Guinea are the only two countries in the world--the only two in the world--that do not provide paid leave for the birth of a child. So before another Mother's Day rolls around, let's give mothers something they really want: policies that allow them to hold well- paying jobs so that they can help provide for their families.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement into the Record, and the House should be focusing on the real priorities facing Americans: the economy. They should not be rolling back women's access to health care.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, this resolution is extreme, and it is an outrage to women everywhere. The Republican majority is saying with this resolution that they think a woman's employer has a say in the woman's reproductive healthcare choices, even though the Supreme Court, the Constitution, and women all across this country know that they don't. It is bad enough that the majority party believes your boss should dictate whether your healthcare plan covers birth control. Now they want to make sure your boss has the right to fire you just for using birth control. If that was all they were saying, that is outrageous enough, but it is not. This resolution would actually give employers the right to fire an employee for the reproductive healthcare choices of their spouses, or even their children. Think about it. The other side is saying that it is all right to fire someone because their boss doesn't like their wife's, or even their children's, healthcare choices. Talk about restricting someone's rights. It would take away a whole range of women's private decisions and make them fireable offenses. In vitro fertilization, you are fired. Exercising your right to choose, you are fired. You have a daughter on birth control, you are fired. This is outrageous, ridiculous, and totally unacceptable. It is an insult to women everywhere. And even more amazing is that this resolution is being proposed by the so-called party of states' rights. They are not proposing a Federal law. They are taking away the rights of a locality, the District, Washington, D.C., which is larger than some States and has a population larger than most States. This is a new low in this Congress. I urge a strong ``no'' vote.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, each summer, Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute brings together some of the brightest young musicians from around the country to form the National Youth Orchestra USA. The members of the orchestra spend the first 2 weeks in residency at Purchase College, taking master classes from the best. They have the chance to perform at the world famous Carnegie Hall, where their performance is heard live around the world; then they go on tour. This summer, the orchestra will make a historic visit to China. It is an incredible experience, and I am extremely proud that, among the 114 amazing young people, two are from the district I am privileged to represent, Ms. Jasmine Lavariega, a horn player from Astoria; and Laura Michael, an oboist from Manhattan. Congratulations to them both. Please let your parents know they were right; all that practice, practice, practice paid off. It was worth it. You are performing at Carnegie Hall and in China. Congratulations.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, this resolution is an insult to women everywhere. What business is it of an employer-- or anyone else, for that matter--to know whether or not workers or their daughters are taking birth control? It is absolutely none of their business. And it also makes a mockery of the majority party's oft repeated claims that it wishes to scale back the overreach of the Federal Government, yet here they are reaching into personal lives. And the resolution is being proposed by the so-called party of states' rights. They are not proposing a Federal law. They are trying to override the decisions of elected officials in the District of Columbia. Why should the Congress have the right to override the democratic decisions of people in our Nation's Capital? A city with more people than the State of Wyoming and larger than Vermont gets no voting Senators or Congressmember in this body. This offensive effort to intrude into the most intimate of decisions of a woman's life sends a loud and clear message from the majority that they think a woman's employer does get a say in a woman's reproductive healthcare choices, even though the Supreme Court, the Constitution, and women all across this country think that they do not. This resolution would give an employer coercive power to intrude on a woman's private decisions about birth control, in vitro fertilization, and abortion. They are activities that obviously happen off the job and decisions that have no bearing whatsoever on a person's ability to do her job. The District of Columbia's Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act does not diminish the right of religious freedom. This new D.C. law is modest in its scope. It simply protects an employee's right to self-determination. It handles a perceived conflict between two differing claims to rights in a simple and straightforward way. I urge a ``no'' vote to this new low and public policy. Madam Speaker, this resolution is an insult to women everywhere. What business is it of an employer--or anyone else for that matter-- to know whether or not workers or their daughters are taking birth control? It is none of your business. And it also makes a mockery of the majority party's oft repeated claims that it wishes to scale back what it calls the overreach of the Federal government this offensive effort to intrude into the most intimate of decisions of a woman's life--sends a loud and clear message from the Majority that they think a woman's employer does get a say in a woman's reproductive health care choices. Even though the Supreme Court, the Constitution and women all across the country think you don't. This resolution would give an employer coercive power to intrude on a woman's private decisions about birth control, in vitro fertilization, and abortion. They are activities that obviously happen off the job and decisions that have no bearing whatsoever on a woman's ability to do her job. The District of Columbia's Reproductive Health Non-Discrimination Amendment Act does not diminish the right of religious freedom. This new DC law is modest in its scope--it simply protects a employee's right to self-determination. It handles a perceived conflict between two differing claims to rights in a simple and straightforward way. An employer has the right to hold whatever belief his conscience dictates--but he does not have the right to discriminate against employees based on their private choice to use birth control, in vitro fertilization, or abortion. The DC law received a unanimous vote on the DC Council and was even revised to make it clear that it would not force an employer to provide insurance coverage for contraceptive or abortion coverage. And while this resolution might just affect women and their families here in our nation's capital, women across the U.S. should be very much alarmed: Because if this resolution stands--Can there be any doubt-- they're coming for you next. I urge my colleagues to consider the ways this resolution would threaten the jobs and economic security of hardworking DC residents, and to oppose this absurd, discriminatory resolution.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, when the survivors of human trafficking are freed from their captors, they are often victimized again. This time they are abused by a system that does little to help them recover from years of rape and abuse. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act would help change that. It would provide support and restitution to survivors, and it would clarify the law, helping to bring the demand side--the pimps, the sex traffickers, and the purchasers of women and girls--to justice. I have been proud to work with Congressman Ted Poe on very similar legislation that passed this body overwhelmingly, unanimously, in January; but to become law, the House must now take up the Senate version and pass it here in the House. I urge the leaders of the House to schedule a vote. Let's send a message: women and girls are not for sale in the United States of America. They cannot afford to wait any longer for this vital legislation.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, on the 1- year anniversary of the kidnapping of the girls of Nigeria, there were solemn acts of remembrance in Nigeria's capital. In the Republic of the Congo, they tied red and purple ribbons around the capital. There was a solidarity protest near the Eiffel Tower in Paris and a gathering in London to call for the girls to be returned. In my home city of New York, as the sun was setting, the Empire State Building was lit up brightly in purple and red, purple for violence against women and red for the girls of Chibok. It seems like the very act that ripped them from the arms of their parents has somehow tied the rest of the world together, united us in our outrage, and armed us with hope. Feelings are not enough. It is time for action. It is time for the governments of Africa to unite and to act. Already, the Governments of Chad, Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon are holding Boko Haram accountable. It is time for Western countries to unite because we will never, ever forget our girls. We could not forgive our failure to act.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask for a moment of remembrance for the girls of Nigeria. I believe, and people all around the world believe, that we can and should do more to bring our girls home, the girls who have already suffered so much. Late on the evening of April 14, in the northeast corner of Nigeria, young girls were attending a government-sponsored secondary school when they heard gunshots. Soon after, they saw men on motorbikes entering the school compound. The men told them that they were policemen, but they were lying. The men gathered all the girls together, some 276 of them. They were mostly Christian girls between the ages of 16 and 18. Then more men came, fighters, and the one guard ran away. The men began shouting, and the girls realized that they were captured by Boko Haram. As most know by now, Boko Haram is a homegrown Islamist insurgency. Roughly translated, their name means, ``Western education is forbidden.'' In the eyes of the men, the girls had committed a grave sin of seeking an education. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, the birthplace of Boko Haram is Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, a place of great poverty. Estimates by Human Rights Watch suggest that more than 7,000 civilians have died at their hands, and the fatalities are just part of the horror. To the anguish of the girls' families, some meet a fate even worse than death. Women and girls abducted by Boko Haram are forced to marry insurgent fighters, converted to Islam, and endure beatings and psychological abuse, forced labor, and rape in captivity, and the terror will last a lifetime. The terror group has now abducted more than 500 young women and girls since 2009. Back in Nigeria that night, some of the terrified girls were forced into a truck and taken away. Others marched into the jungle. That night and the coming months a handful of them--57 of them--escaped, and reports are that some of them have died. Now, after nearly a year of inaction, the Nigerian Army along with forces from Chad, Niger, and Cameroon have mounted an offensive against the terrorists and have retaken territory, but still the Nigerian Army says they have no clue where the girls are. As I speak, there are over 200 frightened, abused, and desperate girls somewhere in the jungle hoping against hope that they are not forgotten. Today, April 14, marks 1 year since the girls were taken, 1 year in captivity, 1 year in terror. Though I am glad to see that Nigeria's immediate neighbors have begun providing assistance, I believe it is time for us to call on all African leaders to do more, to come together, to provide resources, to provide manpower to unite and fight against Boko Haram. We here in America have a role to play. I encourage everyone to do whatever they can, small or large, to bring our girls home and to keep the pressure up. Consider for a moment how thousands of terrorists who comprise ISIS and Boko Haram have had such success in recruiting people from distant lands to pledge their lives to their murderous cause by using social media platforms. Well, we are the people who created social media, and we are the billions. Can we not do better than them, pursuing a cause of mercy, not murder? Let us, the billions, overwhelm their hate with our hope. Let's defeat their violence with our vision of a better world. I hope you will consider that you will do one small thing to help. Consider joining one of the global schoolgirl marches taking place across the world on this day. Tweet out your call to bring our girls home. Post something on Facebook, or you can join me in the purple and red ribbon campaign of remembrance. Tonight the Empire State Building in New York City will light up in red and purple in remembrance of the girls. Purple is the color of violence against women, red of bring back our girls. There will be a march from the United Nations to the Empire State Building to thank them for remembering. Let each of us find some way that we can help to bring these girls home. If we don't, the violence will continue. If you don't stand up and fight back, they will continue abducting, murdering, raping, and killing young girls. I call upon everyone to do what they can--particularly, the African leaders--to stand up and fight back against Boko Haram.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I'm proud to announce the beginning of our effort to reauthorize and extend the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which is providing health care and financial assistance to over 70,000 first-responders and survivors all across the country. These are the 9/11 heroes--the firefighters, the police officers, the EMTs, the volunteers--who came to Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, to sift through the rubble and help their fellow men and women. The clock is ticking for the heroes and survivors of 9/11. In just over 500 days, the programs that help them cope with 9/11 related illnesses will expire. After 9/11 we made a promise not only to pursue justice against those who attacked us and to rebuild but also to take care of those who were injured in those attacks and the heroes who risked life and limb in the recovery efforts. Our commitment to ``never forget'' knew no bounds and no party lines when joined in unison on the steps of the Capitol back in 2001. This Congress we must make sure we keep that promise by permanently extending this vital legislation. The health of those who were there in the aftermath of 9/11 was forever changed. More than 70,000 people in all 50 states and in 429 of the 435 congressional districts have benefited from the World Trade Center and National Health Programs. The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund is helping more than 10,000 people who were made ill by 9/11 and has determined they are eligible for more than $1 billion in economic assistance because of the hardships and the losses they suffered. So far medical research has identified more than 60 types of cancer caused by 9/11 toxins. Thousands suffer from diseases that don't go away in a year and sometimes don't present themselves for decades. Diseases and injuries that can make it impossible to find and keep work. Making these programs permanent is the least that we as a grateful nation can do for our heroes and heroines of 9/11. I thank my colleagues Reps. Jerrold Nadler, Peter King, and the entire New York delegation, as well as other Members from across the country who have committed to working together in this fight for reauthorization.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today, roughly three months into the New Year, we commemorate Equal Pay Day--the typical time into the year where a woman's wage catches up to what men were paid the previous year. This day symbolizes the blatant and persistent wage gap between men and women. Even in 2015, women earn only 78 cents to every dollar made by a man. It's time to make equal pay not just a nice slogan but a reality for women and families. Unequal pay is not just a women's issue--it's a family issue. Our country is evolving and more than ever before families rely on income from two parents. In fact, two out of three families now depend on the wages of working moms. Additionally, women are the primary breadwinners in 40 percent of U.S. households. It is a very real consequence that when women are discriminated against in the workplace the entire family struggles. This serves as an urgent reminder why we need to work together to ensure equal pay for equal work. Women have made remarkable strides in workforce participation and higher education. Today women make up nearly half of all workers as compared to 37 percent in 1970 and receive nearly 60 percent of all bachelor degrees granted in the U.S. Yet, regardless of the level of academic achievement, women's median earnings are still less than men's earnings. Sadly, a recent study by the American Association of University Women found that regardless of a woman's college major, occupation, age, geographic region, hours worked and more there is still an unexplainable seven percent wage gap a year after college graduation. The gap in wages only grows from there, leaving a disproportionate impact on women and their families throughout the rest of their lives. The Joint Economic Committee found that lower earnings ``can result in smaller private savings to draw upon in retirement, smaller contributions to employer-sponsored retirement plans, smaller Social Security benefits, and smaller paychecks for those women who continue to work later in life.'' The disparity is even more devastating when calculated over a course of a women's career. By the time a woman retires it's estimated that she's lost over $430,000 to the pay gap. It is important to recognize that women make tremendous contributions to our nation's economy with potential to make even more. It's estimated that greater pay equity between men and women would produce nearly half a trillion dollars of additional income, stimulating our economy by close to three percent of 2012 Gross Domestic Product. Also, by closing the wage gap between men and women we could cut the poverty rate in half, raising an entire nation to a better standard of living. Paying women their equal share has many implications. It means that we are a nation that stands for equality. That we are choosing to uplift women and families, reduce poverty and boost our economy. That is why I support the Paycheck Fairness Act, which strengthens the Equal Pay Act by closing loopholes and providing effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal wages for doing equal work. I urge my colleagues to pass this important legislation that confronts discrimination in the workplace. It is time for us to prioritize the long-term well-being of our nation's hardworking women and families.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Women's History Month, I would like to take a moment to honor a few women from New York who were trailblazers of the gun violence prevention movement. Barbara Hohlt, Tina Johnstone, Ellen Freudenheim, and Robyn Ringler are founders of and volunteers with New Yorkers Against Gun Violence who worked tirelessly to pass the original Brady Bill in 1993, which strengthened federal background checks on firearms purchasers. These women, along with my constituent Donna Dees-Thomases, and countless others went on to organize the historic ``Million Mom March'' which will celebrate its 15 year milestone this year on Mother's Day. These volunteers and activists are the backbone of the movement for sensible gun laws and safer communities. With the leadership of these courageous women and others like them, New York has taken important steps to improve our gun safety laws, including requiring background checks on all gun sales. It is critical that Congress follow through on sensible reforms to close existing loopholes, prevent accidental handgun deaths, and provide law enforcement with the necessary resources to keep dangerous firearms out of the wrong hands. In keeping with the theme of this Women's History Month: ``Weaving the Stories of Women's Lives,'' I would like to enter into the Congressional Record the testimony of one mother in particular, Karin Wilson. She was a talented Brooklyn artist who in 2005 delivered these words before the United Nations. If you take the time to read her words, you'll understand the toll of gun violence on our society and the need for bold action in Congress. No Child's Life Should End With a Bang Karin Wilson, Million Mom March, Brooklyn Address to the United Nations July 2005 I lost my beloved son, my only child Christian on December 3, 1999. Just 28 days after he turned 19, he was a man-child, not quite an adult but past adolescence. The millennium came in a way I could have never imagined. The pain is indescribable; the magnitude of my loss makes me inconsolable. I've been wronged and robbed! I'm from the United States, I live in the state of New York, born and raised in the Borough of Brooklyn, which is just across the river from here. The U.S. is one of the most powerful and technologically advanced countries on this planet. We haven't fought a war in this country since the American Civil War, a war that was fought from 1861-1865. Yet in my neighborhood and in many others in this country we hear gun shots at night. Parents start doing silent headcounts of their children after hearing the sounds of gun shots. We have neighbors, friends and family members who were killed or maimed with a firearm. Because of my son's death I became part of the largest grassroots anti-gun violence movement in the United States. Let me tell you how my life has changed. I won't have the comfort of my son looking after me in my old age. I won't have my son around making sure I'm eating well, taking my medications properly, taking care of my bills, making sure that my house is warm in winter, and sidewalks shovelled and de-iced when it snows. I don't have any more graduations to attend, or opportunities to applaud successful career achievements. I no longer hear funny stories or jokes (and I was told my son was one of the funniest guys around, he kept people laughing and feeling good.) But worst of all I can't look or touch him anymore. When you people leave here, and fly back home to your country, you probably have wives and husbands, children and grandchildren. You know it's through our children we get a little bit of immortality. You know your face, your body type, your values are going to be around long after you're gone . . . because of your children. Children are our legacy. Well I was robbed. And it looks like I won't have a legacy now. My face, my body type, my values will probably disappear when I die. It doesn't look like any part of me will appear in the future. In the next century it will be as if I never, ever existed. And, that's pretty sad. I've learned that there is nothing definite, overt action to overcome the inertia of grief. Most of us have someone who needs us. If we haven't, we can find someone! So instead of praying for the strength to survive, I prayed for the strength to give away. I joined the MILLION MOM MARCH. I went from being a victim of gun violence to a survivor of gun violence. And, now I'm an advocate for survivors. I'm thoroughly committed to saving other children. Though I couldn't save my own child's life, I'm going to do all I can to save yours. I know it is possible to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by gun violence. Our children have the right to grow up in environments free from the threat of gun violence. My son certainly had that right which he didn't get. Our children want to grow old. All humans have the right to be safe from gun violence in their homes, neighborhoods, schools and places of work and worship. Gun violence is a public health crisis of global proportions that harms not only the physical, but the spiritual, social and economic health of our families and communities. The Million Mom March has a slogan, which I subscribe to 100 percent: ``No child's life should end with a bang''. I am trying to understand why my child had to die by gunshot, but I don't understand. I know that you people listening to me have very powerful positions in your governments, and you'll probably never cross paths with women like me again. So I implore to listen compassionately to what we have said today. If I had one wish, it would be that all governments would monitor the manufacture and distribution of firearms and bullets with the same degree of care that they use to monitor the removal of nuclear waste from reactors. We have an opportunity to change laws and create real accountability on these items. We have to stand up now and be counted on to do the right thing!

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, as a long-time advocate of women's health, I am proud to reintroduce legislation that would address unanswered health concerns regarding the safety of feminine hygiene products through the Robin Danielson Feminine Hygiene Product Safety Act. American women spend well over $2 billion per year on feminine hygiene products and the average woman will use over 16,800 tampons and pads over the course of her lifetime. Yet, despite this large investment and high usage, there has been limited research on the potential health risks these products may pose to women. Recent independent studies led by women's health organizations have shown that some feminine hygiene products could contain additives that may be harmful to a woman's health. While the FDA requires tampon manufacturers to monitor dioxin levels, this information is not made readily available to the public and much is still unknown about the cumulative adverse effects potentially posed by other components contained in these products. American women deserve the ability to make informed decisions when purchasing products that could affect their health. It is time to move past menstrual health being taboo and ensure that accurate information with regards to women's health is being collected and is readily accessible. That is why I am reintroducing the Robin Danielson Feminine Hygiene Product Safety Act which directs the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to research whether the presence of dioxin, synthetic fibers, and other chemical additives like chlorine and fragrances pose any health risks to women who use feminine hygiene products. This bill emphasizes the need for more research and an understanding of additives in all feminine hygiene products. I urge my colleagues to pass this important legislation that directs substantial, scientific research to be conducted in order to best protect the health of America's women.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, my friends across the aisle claimed that this recovery is weaker than ``average'' ones. However, economic research reveals that this is terribly misleading because financial crises like the one that caused the Great Recession have deeper, more damaging, and longer lasting effects. In addition, the Great Recession was caused by a bursting of a housing bubble, limiting housing's ability to contribute to recovery as it typically had after previous recessions. The recovery from the Great Recession is also different because monetary policy's ability to support the economy was limited by hitting the zero lower bound--interest rates simply could not go any lower. There have been a number of economic downturns since the founding of our Nation--some mild, some deep and strong. Last week, at a hearing of the Joint Economic Committee with Chairman Jason Furman of the Council of Economic Advisers, I asked him how would he characterize the 2008 financial meltdown under former President George W. Bush. I asked him: How does the 2008 Bush recession rate? He said that the economic blows in this recession were five times greater than the Great Recession. And he also said, when I asked him to put it into laymen's terms--was it a common cold? pneumonia? a heart attack? the flu?--he said that the Bush recession was especially deep and damaging, the worst since the Great Depression. And I asked him: Was it a common cold? He said: No. It was a heart attack. The reality is that when you compare our record to other countries that are recovering from the Great Recession, you can see in this chart that the United States economy has expanded at a significantly faster rate than other leading, advanced economies in the world. So when he says we are slow, we are certainly a lot faster than the rest of the world. Look at this. Here is the United States. Here is the European Union. Here is Japan. Here is the United Kingdom. The United States has recovered stronger and faster than the other world economies. So when my colleagues across the aisle say that the Obama recovery pales in comparison to average ones, just remember that the comparison is an absolutely ridiculous one. The recession was an economic heart attack, a financial calamity, and we should thank President Obama that we are now recovering, and recovering faster than like economies in the world. A budget is about planning for the future. That planning must be based on reality and must be grounded in our recent experience. The Republican budget is a misleading, dishonest budget which relies on accounting gimmicks and $1 trillion in unspecified cuts. It rejects lessons we should have already learned. In 2008 and 2009, this country faced the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression. The shocks that hit the U.S. economy in the fall of 2008 were at least as large as those that caused the Great Depression. The Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, Jason Furman, told the Joint Economic Committee last week that during the Great Recession, household wealth fell by at least five times the decline seen in 1929. More than $16 trillion in wealth evaporated in American families, causing great pain and suffering. Today, some 6\1/2\ years later, the economy is a very different place. The U.S. economy has expanded at a faster pace than nearly all other advanced economies. The GDP has grown in 20 of the past 22 quarters, and we have had a record--a record--60 straight months of private sector job growth. This didn't just happen. It happened because of the unprecedented response from the Federal Reserve and the bold actions taken by the Democratic Congress and President Obama. The Recovery Act stimulated growth and invested in our future, investing in infrastructure, education, research, and job training. Those are things we don't see in the Republican budget. We don't see those investments. The Recovery Act cut taxes for middle class families, increased tax credits for the working poor, and directed Federal funds to States and cities so that they could keep police officers on the beat, firemen on the job, and teachers in the classroom. It invested $50 billion in transportation infrastructure. We don't see any of that in the Republican budget. We don't even see cutting tax loopholes for special interests. We don't see any of that. We just see cutting tax support for the middle class and the working Americans. Other actions taken by Congress included extensions of unemployment insurance and COBRA subsidies, a payroll tax credit for hiring unemployed workers, a payroll tax cut for all workers, and help for small businesses. It stopped an economic disaster and got our economy moving again. Mr. Chairman, this chart shows this. Numbers do not lie. The deep, dark red valley covered Republican policies that are in this budget. When President Obama came to office, we slowly worked our way up and have continued to add millions of jobs for working Americans. Today, the unemployment rate is 5.5 percent, its lowest level in almost 7 years. We have had 12 straight months of private sector job gains exceeding 200,000 jobs, something that has not happened since 1977. The auto industry is thriving. Remember the Republicans wanted to abolish the auto industry? But we invested in restructuring, and 5 years later the industry has added more than 500,000 jobs, and we are exporting American cars at the highest level. The economy is strong and getting stronger. Now is the time to build on this progress. Now is the time to ensure that the economic recovery reaches every American. Now is the time to invest in our future by funding infrastructure, education, workforce training, and scientific research. But that is not what the Republican budget does. The Republican budget slashes spending on things that would help continue our forward blue high rise of creating more jobs, and it uses a slush fund and unspecified cuts to make it appear that it all adds up. Mr. Chairman, the Republican budget offered would get us off the path--this beautiful path of success--taking us back in the direction of the Bush recession. It represents an abrupt U-turn, one that we cannot afford. It would risk the recent economic progress and harm working families struggling to get ahead. So let's support the Democratic budget and the progress that we are making in creating jobs and improving the quality of life of Americans and the security of our country. Let's not turn around to the old, tired Republican policies that gave us that dark, deep recession and that red, dark valley. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Chairman, in response to my good friends on the other side of the aisle, numbers don't lie. These numbers were compiled by the bipartisan Bureau of Labor Statistics and updated in early March. It clearly shows that our economy was shedding 800,000 jobs a month before President Obama took office. And then because of his policies, it has continued to grow. Mr. Chairman, 12 million private sector jobs were added in the past 60 months--the longest of streak on record of job growth--and 288,000 private sector jobs added in February. Mr. Chairman, I now yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from the great State of Maryland (Mr. Delaney), an outstanding member of our committee.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. I yield the gentleman an additional 10 seconds.