Juanita Millender-McDonald

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD.. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that today the House is considering my bill, H. Con. Res. 165, which deals with uterine fibroid tumors. I want to express my gratitude to the House leadership and to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Subcommittee on Health. My thanks also to the ranking members, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) and my dear friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), for their efforts to bring this measure to the floor for consideration. I also want to recognize the respective majority and minority committee professional staff for their work. This resolution, Mr. Speaker, expresses a sense of Congress that continual research and education must be directed to the causes and cures for noncancerous uterine fibroid tumors. These tumors afflict women of reproductive age and affect African-American women 2 to 3 times more frequently than other women. Although the tumors are usually benign, they are quite painful, troublesome and dangerous, depending upon their size and their location. It has been estimated that 20 to 30 percent of women experience fibroid tumors, even though many of the cases are not diagnosed. Although these tumors can be quite small, they can multiply and cause great physical discomfort. For many years a surgical procedure known as a hysterectomy, the removal of the uterus, has been used to eliminate the tumors. This surgery unfortunately also eliminates a woman's ability to have children. Therefore, it is imperative that women become more educated about the nature of fibroid uterine tumors and the possible implications for women who suffer from this debilitating health problem. The best approach for women to effectively deal with this unique health dilemma involves regular exams by their doctor. Furthermore, it is paramount that the medical community explore alternatives to eliminate recurring fibroids by other than a woman having to undergo a hysterectomy. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that H. Con. Res. 165 has been brought before the House for consideration. For much too long women have suffered terribly with uterine fibroid tumors. I applaud my colleagues for bringing this bill before the House for a vote. This legislation, when enacted, will be implemented to encourage women to seek early detection of uterine fibroid tumors and will further enable doctors to pursue research concerning better treatment to avoid unnecessary and painful surgery. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I ask that the Record reflect that on rollcall 168, had I been here, I would have voted ``yea.'' I was detained by my constituents, and therefore, I was unable to get to the floor in time.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the Representative of California's 37th Congressional District and representing some of the country's most impoverished areas! I would like to draw the attention of Congress to one of the key issues relating to the reauthorization of TANF. My concern is with the mandates imposed by H.R. 4737. By forcing states to absorb costs that will total up to $11 billion over the next 5 years, we are in effect crippling their ability to help people transition to work. The Republicans' emphasis on creating ``make work'' workfare programs will defeat the purpose of trying to move individuals and families off of welfare. Workfare programs have been problematic for states to implement for years and have in fact been scaled back. Without guaranteeing minimum wage protections, let alone creating jobs imparting meaningful work experience, we are dooming our states and the people they serve to fail. We can do better. By limiting states' ability to be flexible, and by forcing them to reinstate work requirements that have already been rejected, we're preventing welfare recipients from attaining financial independence. If we are serious about wanting to move people from welfare to work, we must enact legislation that preserves state flexibility, creates real work, and elevates families from poverty to full-time work. We cannot help anyone become self-sufficient by giving a ``superwaiver'' authority to the executive branch that would sanction the waiver of any and every federal requirement pertaining to food stamps and housing. The proposed changes to TANF could cause this state of affairs to change. The reason for this relates to the level of funding, which does not take into account how inflation will negatively impact the $1 billion now proposed by the Republicans to provide for child care. This proposal will require families to work longer hours. In order for California to fulfill its work participation requirements, parents would have to participate in work-related activities for 40 hours each week. If we double the number of hours mothers with children younger than 6 must work from 20 to 40, we simply must allot a more realistic level of funding for child care. California now has 280,000 children waiting to be placed into child care programs, and H.R. 4700 would require $1.23 billion in additional child care funding over the next 5 years. With California facing a deficit, due to Enron's rogue statics with our energy, H.R. 4737 will not allow us to help individuals successfully transition to full-time work. By enacting the Democratic Substitute, we will require states to increase to 70 percent the number of individuals who must work out of the overall population receiving benefits. Further, states will be able to raise the work requirement to 40 hours provided they have sufficient child care and educational resources, as current law permits. Under the Substitute, $11 billion in additional child care funding will be available over the next 5 years so the stringent work requirements will be achieved without hurting children. The Substitute will remove the ban that now prohibits states from serving legal immigrants. Under the Democratic substitute to H.R. 4737, we would have up to $6 billion in additional funding which must be earmarked in part to provide access to transportation so that individuals can get their children to child care providers and get to work on time. Yet another reason why current funding levels will be insufficient to maintain child care assistance in the future is related to the problem of inflation. The proposed TANF bill will freeze funding for both the TANF and child care block grants at the current levels. Over the next 5 years, the purchasing power of these funding sources would erode steadily with inflation. This could occur at the same time that states such as California could be required to meet costly new work requirements. In the case of California, the non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) estimates that California will have to spend an addition $2.8 billion over 5 years to meet the proposed work requirements. About half the $2.8 billion will go toward increased employment services' costs. The other half, $1.4 billion, will be spent on increased child care costs. An annual rate of inflation of 3 percent would increase costs to California by nearly $250 million between 2003 and 2007. Mr. Speaker, I believe that the TANF reauthorization provisions do not take into account the points that I have brought up and that the new provisions will not achieve their purpose. In addition, extra burdens will be placed on the states, and, in the long run, children and families will suffer. I will be voting against the TANF reauthorization bill. It will do nothing to help persons to become self-sufficient who are trying to move from welfare to work.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed from cosponsorship of H.R. 3686.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Madam Speaker, tonight many of the Democratic women come to the floor to speak on issues that were raised during the recess when we visited with the women members and women constituents in our districts. Because I represent the caucus chair on the Democratic side, I have been asked to speak at a lot of organizations to talk about where we are going in terms of Social Security. Madam Speaker, tonight we will try to see whether we can find some sense of where Social Security is going, and in fact speak about the vital importance of Social Security to all Americans, but especially women and minorities and persons who suffer from disability. At the present time, it is a lightning rod here in the House, and it incites strong responses. That is what the women across this Nation are asking. We recognize that the administration and the majority here in this House have proposed to privatize Social Security, which has created a firestorm of controversy. This proposal, if enacted, would create the possibility of individuals to invest in the stock market through personal accounts. Now, women whom I have spoken with certainly say that this will not benefit them at all, and they believe that a proposal such as this is a bad idea, and reckless public policy. So the Democratic women have grave concerns about the implications of privatizing Social Security for the following reasons: Women constitute the majority of Social Security beneficiaries, equalling approximately 60 percent of the recipients over the age of 65. Roughly 72 percent of beneficiaries above the age of 85 are women. So as a matter of necessity, 27 percent of women over 65 count on Social Security for 90 percent of their income. These are reasons why they cannot see anything that will drive funding from a pot that they perceive will give them the benefits that they sorely need in the event of the death of their husbands. Privatization of Social Security will be devastating because women earn less than men, and they count upon Social Security's progressive benefit structure to ensure that they have an adequate income upon retirement. Women are also less likely to be covered by an employer- sponsored pension plan. Hence, Social Security makes up a larger portion of their retirement income, and in many instances, it is their only source of income. So in the context of Social Security, women are also affected by other factors, which include living 6 to 8 years longer than men and having to stretch their retirement savings over a longer period of time. Furthermore, Madam Speaker, women lose an average of 14 years of earnings due to time out from the work force. We recognize what that is: from raising children to taking care of ailing parents. In most cases, a lot of women have to take care of sick husbands. So because women generally experience a higher incidence of part-time employment, many of them have less of an opportunity to save for retirement, thus relying completely on Social Security to subsist. There are also some startling economic realities that Americans need to be informed about relative to privatizing Social Security. Privatization would result in a drawdown of over $1.2 trillion from the Social Security and Medicare trust funds over the next 10 years to finance individual accounts, thereby increasing the long-term deficit of Social Security by 25 percent. Furthermore, privatization efforts will not restore long-term solvency to the trust fund, and will result in reduced benefits for women, the elderly, and minorities who benefit from the progressive structure of the Social Security system. In fact, Madam Speaker, one plan put forward by the President's Commission on Social Security would reduce benefits to all recipients by 46 percent. Benefits for future retirees would be tied to growth in prices, rather than wages. Now, under this scenario, retirees would not be able to maintain the standard of living in retirement that they earn during their working years. The combined effort of the proposed changes would mean benefit cuts of 30 percent for a worker retiring in 2075. A very important fact, Madam Speaker, that is not being touted by advocates of privatization is that although investing in individual accounts is voluntary, benefit cuts would apply to everyone. Current reality makes it abundantly clear that it is foolheaded to trust a universal defined benefit and totally portable system to the variances of the stock market. If we want a glimpse of the future, we need to look no further than the Enron situation to get a glimpse of what might loom on the horizon if we allow Social Security to be privatized. As Democrats, we believe in supporting and protecting the interests of all American workers. Therefore, we cannot and must not allow privatization to become a reality. We are duty-bound to preserve Social Security into the future. Privatizing Social Security and raiding its trust fund would be unfair and irresponsible. As leaders of this House and as women representatives of constituents who have so much at stake regarding Social Security, we are compelled to tell Americans the truth about proposals to privatize Social Security. My colleagues and I will be vigilant in our efforts to raise national awareness about the crisis our Nation will face if we adopt a policy of privatizing Social Security. The women around the country are watching very closely to see what this House does with reference to benefits of Social Security and putting them into, whether it is voluntary or mandatory, privatizing accounts. They recognize that this trust fund was set there for the purpose of making sure that their retirement benefits be given to them, and to allow them to do what they want to do with it. We can ill afford to speak on behalf of the women of this country, and certainly can ill afford to take their money that they have put in for their benefits and to even suggest that there be individual accounts through a privatized type of system. Madam Speaker, we all know that women are hamstrung in trying to find the benefits and the financial wherewithal to support themselves upon retirement. To even suggest the privatization of any types of trust funds of Social Security and Medicare would be devastating to women of this country. We will continue to keep them posted, as they will continue to watch us in this House as we move into the realms of reforming Social Security. I am happy tonight to be joined by women of this House on the Democratic side who will speak tonight on this issue, and to raise the awareness of what is at stake if in fact the trust fund is raided and the Social Security funding is put into any privatization account. We have with us the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Thurman), who is a point person and the expert on Social Security. She comes with a wealth of knowledge, and is the leader, with all of us, on the issue of Social Security. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Thurman).

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I mistakenly voted ``no'' on rollcall 90, the Miller substitute. My intention was to vote ``yes.''

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. I rise too in support of the Velazquez-Manzullo amendment to H.R. 3925. This bill attempts to facilitate the exchange of technological talents between the Federal and private sectors in order to respond to evolving opportunities being created as a result of digital technology. As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Workforce Empowerment and Government Programs, I recognize how important this provision is because it requires that 20 percent of the employees detailed to the private sector be detailed to small businesses. Small businesses will benefit directly from the loan of Federal employees with specific technological expertise who will use that expertise to assist small businesses to improve and expand their businesses. Small businesses constitute the core of the emerging and flourishing digital economy known as the Internet. E-commerce is the wave of the future, and for many businesses it is the standard method by which they do business. Therefore, it is critical that we enable small businesses and emerging small businesses to be able to compete in this evolving arena. In order for this to happen, Mr. Chairman, many small businesses need to conduct business online. They will need the technical expertise that can be provided to them via detailed Federal employees. One of the biggest obstacles to small business participation online is the prohibitive costs for training and hiring the staff necessary. This amendment will help to defray some of those costs. Obviously, Mr. Chairman, this last week I gave a congressional hearing in my district regarding technology and small businesses, and this amendment serves the purpose which many of the small businesses mention they need to have to flourish. Finally, Mr. Chairman, 75 percent of new jobs are being created by small businesses. Minority- and women-owned businesses will benefit immeasurably from this provision. So I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and thank our chairman and the ranking member for their leadership.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, please join me in welcoming the Reverend Sylvia Sumter, the Senior Minister at Unity Church here in Washington, D.C., and today's guest Chaplain. It is most fitting that in this month dedicated to recognizing the many accomplishments of women, this Chamber is blessed by the words of a truly inspirational woman. Entering into a nontraditional vocation, Reverend Sumter has excelled, and has become a role model for women everywhere who wish to assume pastoral duties. Prior to coming to Washington, D.C., Reverend Sumter served as the Chairperson of Communication Studies and Skills for the Unity School of Religious Studies in Unity, Missouri. Reverend Sumter has traveled around the country conducting workshops and seminars, as well as serving as guest speaker at churches, institutions of higher learning, and professional and business organizations, as she held her constant commitment preaching her faith in God, and empowering her gender. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Reverend Sumter for all of her accomplishments in her field, and to thank women throughout the world for those agendas and vocations they espouse to advance the status of women every day.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my concerns about the budget resolution that is under consideration. I feel very strongly that the budget we are debating is seriously flawed because it contains cuts and funding amounts that are frozen at previous year levels. Furthermore, the priorities reflected within the budget are a clear indication that vital needs and programs are being sacrificed. I am dismayed about this budget because the majority failed to make in order any of the amendments offered before the Rules Committee that would have restored many of the cuts proposed by the president. None of the (4) amendments I offered in committee were ruled in order. Consequently, my efforts to restore $379 million for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG's) to the purchasing power level of FY 2002 will not become a reality. These grants are critical to local communities. They fund programs that promote economic development in low and moderate-income communities and are used to eliminate or prevent slums and blight and to address needs that pose a threat to the health and safety of our communities. The cuts, if implemented, would affect wealthy and low and moderate-income communities that receive CDBG's. I also advocated restoring funding for employment and training programs, which was cut by $686 million from the 2001 level. My amendment would have restored the funding for the Youth Opportunity grants program back to its current 2002 level which would have amounted to a nominal add-back of $180.6 million to the program for 2003. Youth training services prepare low-income youth for academic and employment success. They are vital to curtailing high school dropout rates, increasing college enrollment, and improving the unemployment rate of young adults. I also sought to restore a modest amount of $3 million to the Public Health Service's Office of Minority Health that is located in the Department of Health and Human Services. The funding would be used to reverse the tragic imbalance and racial disparity in terms of babies born in the African American and white communities in our country whereby a black baby born today is twice as likely to die within the first year of life than a white baby. That baby is twice as likely to be born prematurely and at a low birth weight. We must do all that we can to determine why out of 1,000 births, 14 African American babies die, while for their white counterparts it is only 6 out of 1,000. Had my amendment been ruled in order, I would have been able to make the case to have the Secretary of HHS undertake research, in collaboration with other relevant agencies, to help address and eliminate racial health disparities in birth outcomes. This is one of our Government's Healthy People 2010 target goals. Finally, I offered an amendment that would reduce the proposed $28 billion in new tax cuts in order to pay for the additional highway spending. This amendment adds $1.3 billion to the highway program for 2003 with similar increases in the following years, adjusted for inflation. This would put the total add-back from the President's budget to $5.7 billion, since the budget committee has already added back $4.4 billion. Continued investment in highway infrastructure will contribute to job creation and protection as the economy recovers from recession. We simply cannot afford to shortchange our infrastructure needs. Mr. Chairman, these are just some of the shortcomings of the budget being offered today. At this time in our nation's history, we can ill- afford to withdraw our important legacy of social and health services. Too many Americans are in need and feeling the impact of September 11th. Our Government's support is more vitally required than ever in these difficult days. Our funding of key programs must be sustained, if our fellow Americans are not to lose faith in our leadership. Money counts for all Americans but if you are unemployed, hungry, elderly and sick, homeless and or a dependent child, it is a lifeline and a commitment that must be kept. Our Government should shortchange no American and that is why this budget is so disappointing. The gap between our socioeconomic reality and this proposal is daunting. The Budget does not add up, Mr. Chairman, and should be voted down.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my dear friend and colleague, and a woman who has established herself as a leader in this country. I would really like to speak about my very own Congresswoman, the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink), the first Asian American ever to be elected to this body, and what a leader she has become and she is. The gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink) was instrumental in passing Title 9 in this Chamber to enable our young girls to see opportunities that they had not seen before in the fields of sports and other areas of education. We have such a leader as the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink) with us today, who is helping to groom the younger Members who are coming in and helping them to learn the process of this august body. As we recognize Women's History Month, it is the leaders such as the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink), the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) and others who have distinguished themselves in this body. Mr. Speaker, I last evening spoke to a group of women veterans in celebration of this particular week dedicated to women veterans. We find that women have increased in our armed services from about 7 percent to 14 percent. They are now not only just the nurses in our armed forces, but they serve now and are really flying fighter planes in Afghanistan and other parts of the world, as we know, and see hot spots throughout the world. Certainly women have positioned themselves on the front lines of these very hot spots. Women have positioned themselves in high tech, in viewing tomorrow's era, in viewing tomorrow's world, where young women will become scientists and biologists. And so today I am happy to recognize Women's History Month and to advance the leadership of women throughout the globe and to even put a spotlight on the women of this House, those who have been leaders for all of us.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Madam Speaker, I rise today as we celebrate Women's History Month to review some of the budget items that impact on women's issues. There are some issues in the FY 2003 budget proposal impacting on women that I would like to bring to the attention of my colleagues. It was disappointing, Madam Speaker, to find that the title X family planning program is not going to see an increase in funding. In fact, the program will be level funded at $266 million for the 2003 fiscal year. Title X is the only Federal program devoted solely to the provision of family planning and reproductive health care. The program is designed to provide access to contraceptive supplies and information to all who want and need them. Title X is designed to assist low-income women. For many clients, especially women of color, title X clinics provide the only continuing source of health care and health education. A growing number of uninsured women desperately need this care offered by title X clinics, because they cannot meet the increase in cost of Federal services. If the title X program had kept pace with inflation in recent years, it would now be funded at $564 million. That would have been more than double the current level. We Democratic women are pleased to see that the budget would provide $8.4 million for the Women's Bureau at the Department of Labor. Unfortunately, this is a decrease of $1.8 million from the 2002 fiscal year. The question I have, Madam Speaker, is what services to women are going to be cut to make up for this shortfall? Already, one organization has been threatened with closure. Women Work, the national network for women's employment, was led to believe that the Women's Bureau did not intend for its continuing funding. Happily, this did not happen. Programs continue to be needed to assist women to find their way into employment. The Women's Bureau, especially the decentralized Women's Center, have played a major role in this area and deserve to be fully funded. The welfare of children is, of course, of great concern to all of the Members of this House, not just the women Members. I am pleased to see that this budget includes $421 million for child welfare and abuse programs. These funds provide services to prevent child abuse and neglect. While it is laudable that this money has been allocated to such a worthy cause, it must be noted that the funding has been maintained at the same level as last year. Americans want to see all children in happy and safe homes and protected from abusive situations. For this reason, Democrats would like to see these programs strengthened. It is pleasing to see that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will receive $5.8 billion in this budget, but Democratic women have noted that there will be a decrease of $1 billion from the 2002 fiscal year. This is a very large reduction in the CDC budget. We all agree that every child born should be a healthy baby. It is disappointing to see that the Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Center will receive $1 million less than last year. There is also a tragic imbalance and racial disparity in terms of babies born in the African American and white communities in our country. A black baby born today is twice as likely to die within the first year of life as a white baby. That baby is twice as likely to be born prematurely and at low birthweight. In order to help address these major problems and health concerns, we would like to see a modest amount of $3 million restored to the Public Health Service's Office of Minority Health that is located in the Department of Health and Human Services. The Fiscal Year 2003 budget includes $156 million for environmental disease prevention. This is a $1 million reduction. Cutting funding for environmental disease prevention is another unfortunate budgetary reduction. Madam Speaker, we Democrats are deeply disappointed with this budget and believe that it will have some very unfortunate repercussions for the well-being and provision of social and health services to the American public, and particularly how these cuts will affect women.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Matsui) and also the chairman for bringing this bill to the floor, as well as the ranking member. Madam Speaker, today we are considering amendments to H.R. 3090, the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act. As a ranking member of the Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment and Government Programs, I embrace this bill. However, I would have wanted to see more for small businesses and more tax credits than what we have, especially for the unemployed. I would like to have seen a more equitable bill, but this bill that is under consideration is a drastic improvement over the first bill that was introduced into the House. The major improvement to the bill is an extension of unemployment benefits for 13 weeks. I am sure unemployed workers throughout America will be comforted by this good news. Further, the bill reauthorizes TANF, the supplemental grant program and contingency fund, throughout the end of 2002. For families that have endured tough economic times, this reauthorization should provide some measure of relief. I am also pleased to note that my colleagues in the House demonstrate a compassion for the long-suffering victims affected by the events of September 11 by including measures that provide temporary tax breaks and incentives for reconstruction of the World Trade Center neighborhood of New York City. Madam Speaker, this is a bill that we can support. It does not have all of the benefits that I would have wanted to see, but as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment, and Government Programs, I welcome this bill. After months of wrangling over the economic stimulus bill, we have a bill that speaks to both business and unemployed workers.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I stand in strong support of the Shays-Meehan bill, as it will help us to clean up our campaign financing system. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Ney amendment because it deviates from the original Shays-Meehan bill that we supported in the House. At this juncture, when we are debating the merits of campaign finance reform, it is critical that we send a clear message to the American people that we are not pawns of campaign contributors. Furthermore, given the cynical attitudes of the American public about the affect of campaign contributions on the actions of Representatives, we must send a deafening message. Notwithstanding our past history of using soft monies to facilitate traditional and legitimate Get Out The Vote [GOTV] election-day efforts, we are prepared to embrace a clean piece of campaign legislation, Shays-Meehan, which will place us on the footpath of political integrity. Mr. Chairman, we stand on the brink of challenge and change. The challenge is whether we will support true campaign finance reform and will change the landscape of campaigns; or will we opt to poison the well of potential campaign finance reform by supporting poison pill amendments. I urge my colleagues to vote down all such amendments and support Shays-Meehan. Give full democracy back to the people. Mr. Chairman, I rise today as an ardent supporter of the Shays-Meehan substitute because it is time for this House to pass true campaign finance reform. We have a unique opportunity to step up to the plate and hit a homerun for promoting true change in the way we finance campaigns. The American people continue to be cynical about whether their legislators are bought by special interests. The path to true reform is being blocked by poison pill amendments that if agreed to, would have the effect of serving as procedural landmines that will have destroyed well-conceived and crafted reform language. I urge my colleagues to choose the path of cleaning up our campaign finance and encourage them and vote down all poison pill amendments, and support the Shays-Meehan substitute.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, all too often, we forget that work-first policies do not just affect adult individuals. We must remember that--when we talk about adults--we are also talking about families--and families include children. While their parents are away from home at work, children require quality--affordable--child-care. It is an unfortunate reality that many of the jobs performed by parents supported by TANF involve working late at night or at irregular hours--in fact, at the very times when it is extremely hard to find safe, affordable child-care. These circumstances are particularly difficult for families with young children and children with disabilities. Even when the parents are able to find child-care, they often find that their jobs do not pay enough to cover food, housing and utilities. Stretching those dollars to cover the cost of child-care can be extremely difficult for low-income families. I have co-sponsored the TANF Reauthorization Act of 2001 (H.R. 3113) because--as we continue to emphasize work as a means to achieving economic security--we must stand up for working families by making safe, quality, affordable child-care accessible to all children.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I had the joy on Monday to visit one of the hospitals in my district, the Miller Children's Hospital located in Long Beach and within the Long Beach Memorial Hospital complex. What a joy it was, Mr. Speaker, to talk with the many children who had such hope and such enthusiasm even given the fact that they are sickle cell anemia children. I was met, as I came into the hospital, by Kala, age 5. So much spirit, so vibrant, so eager to talk with me about the things that she does in school. I was absolutely pleased to see this youngster, who is really suffering from sickle cell anemia, to have such hope and such determination, something that we can all and should all emulate. And then I went to the next ward and I saw Etan. Etan was with his mother and father, and he, too, is suffering from sickle cell anemia. I talked with Etan. He is an A student in school. His father and his mother hailed from Nigeria. He has to come in every so often for a blood transfusion. I was so pleased to see these two young people, who are so vibrant, so much life, and yet their life can be taken in a moment's time if they are not given this type of blood that they have to have. Then I went down the hallway and I saw another young guy by the name of Chris. He was in the hospital, again having this blood transfusion, and he was with his father, his mother, and his brother Maurice. They are a family of 10. It was amazing to me how this family was so close- knit there, pulling for Chris to come through. He, too, had to have this blood transfusion, and he, too, had just a wealth of energy, as much as he could put out; and so much love, so much compassion, smiling all the time, not knowing exactly whether he will be with us next year or not. These are children, Mr. Speaker, that have been afflicted with sickle cell disease. And we, as African Americans, know much too often about sickle cell. We know that sickle cell and that disease is a disease that affects a special protein inside of our red blood cells called hemoglobin. The red blood cell has an important job. They pick up oxygen from the lungs and take it to every part of the body. We also recognize, Mr. Speaker, that sickle cell disease affects 3 in every 1,000 African American newborns. Although in the United States most cases occur among African Americans, this disease also affects people of Arabian, Greek, Maltese, Italian, Sardinian, Turkish, and of Indian ancestry. Affected children are at an increased risk of mortality or morbidity, especially in the first 3 years of life. This is why, Mr. Speaker, the Miller Children's Hospital at Long Beach Memorial is such an outstanding one because it treats these kids. It has an absolutely state-of-the-art clinic that has helped in so many ways with our children gaining their strength and being able to get back up and go to school and to monitor them. They monitor them to make sure that when there is a need for them to come back in for a transfusion, they come back in. Sickle cell disease is an inherited disease of the red blood cells, as I said before, which can cause attacks of pain, damage to vital organs, and risk of serious infections that can lead to early death. This is why, Mr. Speaker, for infants and young children with sickle cell disease they are especially vulnerable to severe bacterial infections such as those that cause meningitis and blood infection. Infections are the leading cause of death in children with sickle cell disease. I cannot say enough about the testing and the great physicians and nurses that are helping our children who have sickle cell. So I call on all my fellow colleagues to join me in the fight to support this universal patient access and research for sickle cell disease.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the issue of Cervical Cancer Awareness and the importance of early detection to prevent deaths as we close the month of January as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. In the year 2002, the American Cancer Society estimates that there will be about 13,000 new cases of invasive cervical cancer in the United States and about 4,100 women will die from this disease. Many of these deaths could be avoided by increasing screening rates among all women at risks. Cervical cancer screening using the Pap test detects not only cancer but also precancerous lesions. Detecting and treating such lesions can actually prevent cervical cancer--and thus can prevent virtually all deaths from this disease. We should recall that the Labor-HHS Appropriations final bill approved $192.6 million for funding for breast and cervical cancer screening. We hope the administration will implement these appropriations at the level passed by Congress. However, despite the funding approved, public awareness about the importance of early detection of Cervical Cancer still remains very limited. This is especially so among certain minority and ethnic women who have less than a high school education, or who live below the poverty level. Today I introduce a Concurrent Resolution to recognize the importance of good cervical health and the importance of early detection of cervical cancer. As January is Cervical Cancer month, I would like to encourage you to join me in supporting efforts to promote early detection of cervical cancer so that we can together eradicate this disease that has already taken the lives of many American women.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation to amend the Higher Education Act. This bill will help millions of students and their families across the nation deal with the rising cost of higher education. Now more than ever, it is important that our citizens can afford the costs of a college education. The bill we are about to vote on will help that cause by setting a low, fixed, interest rate of 6.8 percent on student loans. Right now, we are looking at the lowest loan interest rates in history. This low rate, 5.99 percent, is due to the current interest rate formula that will expire next year. We must act now to ensure a low interest rate for our students. Student loans have repayment periods that range anywhere from 10 years to 25 years. If we can do anything to protect our students from facing the possibility of sinking deeper in debt because of higher interest rates, we should do that now. Our students and their families deserve as much. This bipartisan bicameral legislation is a great way to start off the year and help our students across the country. It passed the Senate unanimously, and now I urge my colleagues to support this measure and vote ``yes.''

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the importance of mentoring. In today's society, our children face many challenges and they need every bit of help that we can provide for them. Mentors can provide that extra help for our children. Matching a caring, responsible individual with a young person is a proven strategy that improves the life of that person. A mentor's guidance helps to build up their confidence, enthusiasm, and trust. Studies have shown the positive impacts of mentoring, including increasing attendance at school, improving rates of high-school graduation and college attendance, and decreasing involvement with drugs and violent behaviors. Research has shown that the positive impacts go both ways, and that many mentors report having learned from their experience. But mentors are in short supply; 16 million young people are estimated to need mentors, and there simply are not enough to go around. January has been designated as ``National Mentoring Month''. We need to use this time to raise awareness of mentoring on a national level and to empower and energize the programs that provide mentoring programs in our local communities. The youth of America need positive direction and mentoring is a great way to do this.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2069, a bill that I co-sponsored in order to help raise awareness of the need to promote prevention of HIV/AIDS. There can be no more pressing issue than tackling this pandemic that is so ruthlessly killing millions of people across the globe. It has already reduced the population of the African continent by almost 20 million lives alone. It has created a generation of orphans that will never know the warmth and meaning of family. It is a relentless plague that destroys our universal productivity, labor and health. It affects each and every one of us. Mr. Speaker, we must do all that is in our power to resolve this multi-dimensional global crisis. In particular, I would like to highlight a portion of this bill's important provision that employs language from a free standing bill that I introduced which addresses the prevention of the transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to child. This transmission is the largest source of HIV infection in children under age 15 and the only source for transmission to infants. According to recent findings, the total number of births to HIV- infected pregnant women each year in developing countries is approximately 700,000. Funding under this bill will greatly contribute to decreasing this number by providing counseling and voluntary testing to infected women. With this information, mothers-to-be, who are aware of their status, can make informed decisions about treatment, replacement feeding to reduce risks to their unborn babies and future child-bearing. This act of prevention is only one first step, Mr. Speaker, but an essential one in our battle being waged against this devastating enemy. I therefore join my colleagues in supporting urgent passage of H.R. 2069.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2716, the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act. Homelessness remains a prevalent problem among veterans, with roughly one-third of the total homeless population consisting of veterans. With this legislation, we will take a needed step in addressing this problem as we are all aware that more needs to be done to help these men and women get back on their feet. It is a familiar principle among veterans in our Armed Forces that we do not leave our wounded behind. Homeless veterans are our wounded, and we are leaving them behind. The VA has reported there were about 345,000 homeless vets in our country in 1999, and there will yet be even more homeless veterans as we experience this economic downturn. This bill sets a national goal to end homelessness among veterans within 10 years. Who is opposed to that? The bill provides funding, authorizes 2000 additional Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 low-income housing vouchers over four years for homeless veterans in need of permanent housing and who are enrolled in health care provided by the Veterans Affairs Department. The bill contains funding increases for a number of existing veterans homeless programs. It will establish a demonstration program to provide information, including referral and counseling services, to incarcerated veterans and veterans in long-term institutional confinement to assist in their reintegration into their communities. As we continue to address the needs of our Nation's veterans we should heed the words of President Lincoln who called on all Americans ``to care for him who shall have borne the battle.'' I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, it is good to be with the gentleman tonight. He has always brought the critical issues to the floor and has really given the public the information that is true and real. A lot of times they hear the pontificating on this floor, and it is absolutely just loaded with all types of hypocrisy and misinformation and misgivings. But when the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) comes to this floor, the public knows that he is coming in to speak the truth. Mr. Speaker, as I look at my lapel and see the burqa cloth, I am reminded today that we pretty much stood with the Afghanistan women to say free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last. As I look at the burqa, I am reminded of the issue of Social Security and women, and how they are not saying free at last because of this report that has just come out from the President's commission. There were some of us who went and talked with the commission to let them know some of the adverse provisions of Social Security and how it impacts women, the elderly and the disabled; and yet this report comes out, and indeed it has those very things that we thought it would have, and how it impacts in an adverse way women and the disabled and the elderly. I would like to just speak a little bit about what we have seen in our research and the fact that this report is very disappointing to me as the recommendations contained in the draft final report of the President's commission to strengthen Social Security is in fact going to weaken it. The fact that the commission could not agree on a single plan and released three separate options is a matter of deep concern, as Social Security is an issue of critical importance to my constituents and the people around and across this great country. The three proposals all require profound and fundamental changes to the Nation's retirement plan. I am concerned in particular with the impact any changes to the Social Security system will have on women, retirees and disabled workers. The three approaches taken by the commissioners share several problematic features. The plans call for benefit cuts for retirees and disabled workers, and also for individual workers to open voluntary private investment accounts to provide them with an income in their old age, and we do know that once you rob out of the trust fund, it does not retain solvency at all. It weakens it. So to even call this report strengthening Social Security is a farce. It is absolutely a discredit to those who are looking for something different than what this report is saying. Each of the plans diverts Social Security resources elsewhere, and none of the plans balance Social Security without the use of massive transfusions of general revenue. That surplus that they thought we had, and I suppose they must still think that, is not there anymore. So that is another misconception, a misnomer, a misdirection. Hypocrisy. No independent actuarial analysis was released, making it difficult to assess the commission's claims. What is clear is that each plan would ``carve out'' private accounts from Social Security, thus they would divert a portion of the trust fund revenues into private accounts. Let me give you just a couple of things. We will not go into this plan. I am urging all of the Members to read this plan, to synthesize it, to dissect it, because it has several plans and all talk about this ``claw-back'' that my dear friend the gentlewoman from Florida just mentioned. I would like to just give information as to why women really need a good Social Security plan. We recognize that women, on the average, earn less than men, meaning that they count on Social Security's weighted benefit structure to ensure that they have an adequate income in retirement. Women are less likely to be covered by an employer-sponsored pension fund, which means that Social Security comprises a larger portion of their total retirement income. Women lose an average of 14 years in earnings because they take time off from the workforce to raise their children or to care for an ailing parent or spouse. When women are in the workforce, they often work in part-time jobs. This means that they have less opportunity to save for retirement. So to even suggest that one would take voluntarily or otherwise from already a very weak type of income that they have, an income that is not conducive to caring for their family adequately, let alone talking about a private savings account. Since women live 6 to 8 years longer than men do, they must make their retirement savings stretch over longer periods of time. Consequently, women depend considerably upon Social Security's progressive, lifelong, inflation-indexed benefits. Privatizing Social Security would undermine many of the features that benefit American women, retirees and the disabled the most. Privatization would encourage individuals to invest their proceeds in private accounts, especially through the investment marketplace and the stock market. Private pension plans require sophisticated knowledge of the stock market. Many women, and even men, lack the skills involved in making investment decisions, decisions that would be vital to their long-term financial security. In addition, because women earn less, live longer and spend less time in the workforce, they will have less to invest in their private pension plan. The result would be that women would have to live on smaller benefits from smaller accounts. Finally, besides the risks evident in investing in the stock market, there is nothing to prevent individual private pension plans from being eroded by inflation, for heaven's sake. This is particularly devastating for women who have less money to retire on and the need to make their money last longer. Social Security resolves this problem by increasing benefits each year through a cost-of-living adjustment, which is COLAs. This safety net, it appears, will no longer exist, though, under this President's Social Security plan. I say to you that the women across this country will now have an opportunity to look closely at this new strengthening Social Security proposal that the President's commission has come out with, and they too will be rallying in the streets, thinking that what they thought they were going to get, they will not get unless some of us rescue the Social Security plan and put back into the trust fund those types of benefits that one should put back in and should have in terms of strengthening the solvency of Social Security. Another issue that my friend spoke about is the fact that unemployment and people who are laid off work cannot invest in Social Security. Therefore, the solvency will be eroded, eradicated, we will not have that. And so to mention and to even suggest that one can invest voluntarily into a privatized pension or an account is really suggesting that you will have more people on the street, poor people on the street, homeless people on the street, women who have no sense of security because if they invest, not knowing and not having the skills as most of us do not have, they will come out losers. This is a losing proposition, not strengthening but weakening Social Security. I thank the gentleman for allowing me to just make some statements tonight as I continue to work with women across this Nation to look at this plan that does nothing for us but to weaken the position that we are already weakened in.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. If the gentleman will yield, indeed they will. As we speak about the disabled, there is still not anything that is focused in a positive way in this report. So the disabled is out of luck in trying to find any redeeming qualities in this proposal. Then in addition to that, you are right. When people are now opting out and retiring early, they expect something in their Social Security benefits that will not be there if this is passed and institutionalized. I hope and pray that it is not, because the women of this country will be in an uproar, and men, too, those who opt to take an early retirement, thinking that what they are going to get is indeed what they will not get under this President's commission's plan. Again, to strengthen is the operative word. It does not strengthen. It weakens.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. This is very true. This is another reason why when we talked with them about that and they were trying to give us the formula, that formula was not adding up. Now that it is in print, it does not add up. The one thing that they should do is give us a stimulus package that really gives unemployment benefits to workers and to bring workers back to work. You bring workers back to work, then you can continue to buy into the Social Security trust fund, and then you might be able to do some of the things that they are talking about. But without the actuarial analysis, we cannot dissect this thing, we cannot really see all of the potentialities that they are talking about, but what we can see is that it is not strengthening Social Security. For that reason, we will have to denounce this. We will have to simply get our own plan going so that the American people, especially those women, the disabled and the elderly, will find comfort in a Social Security plan. This is no comfort at all. Again, I thank the gentleman so much. We look forward to working with the gentleman as we bring about a plan that is a real plan for those Americans who are looking to Social Security for their benefits.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. The report and some of the analysis that we have done through the Democratic staff will be sent to all Members, so you will get that. We will continue to be on the floor to talk about it.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, this is to inform you that on rollcall No. 487, I inadvertently voted ``yes'' when my intention was to vote ``no''.