Juanita Millender-McDonald

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I thank my dear friend and colleague, one of the great women out of the State of California, for coming today to lend the support of why we did not vote on this budget and why this budget is not good for American people who have been left short of the American Dream. I now have another outstanding leader of this House who has demonstrated over and over and other again her leadership on a myriad of issues, but critically on the environment and education. I am pleased to yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) to speak about the impact of this budget on her constituents and on some of our American people.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. That would be fine.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. McKinney) for her extraordinary leadership, for bringing the really poignant issues to the American people. The American people need to hear what passed out of this House or, more importantly, what did not pass out of this House in terms of a budget for them. If we are indeed to have a value system that speaks to those who are less fortunate, then a budget should reflect that. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) here, who is an outstanding Member, an outstanding woman who had served with me in the State legislature of California, who was also a mayor of a city at the time that I, too, was one in another city in California. The gentlewoman has been extremely strong in her leadership on the issues of education, the environment, on our children who are limited English-speaking. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano) to discuss this budget.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Well, again, we thank the gentlewoman so much and thank her for the work that she has done on the budget, irrespective of how it came out today. We have again with us one of the great leaders of another State that has been front and center on education and on the environment, and I am sure she can pull from that budget any number of things that she feels was really egregious for the constituents whom she serves. Let me please recognize now the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. McKinney).

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Madam Speaker, it is good to be here today, though I am saddened by the fact that a budget has passed out of this House and I was unable to be on this budget resolution. That budget did not speak to the needs of my community. In fact, it did not speak to many communities, that of the environmental community as well as the education community. It is amazing that the President said, when he was Candidate Bush, that he promised a new era of environmental protection, and that we should leave no child behind. Yet the impact of this budget today was simply that: We are leaving children behind, and the environment has not been given anything to enhance or direct some of the toxic wastes, the brownfields and all of those other environmental hazards that impact my district. I can recall that last year in the budget when we talked about 100,000 new teachers. When I was a teacher, I really did gleam at the whole notion that we would for once pay attention to the importance of quality teachers, to bring those 100,000 new teachers into classrooms, whereby no child would be left behind in having a quality teacher. When we talked about reducing class sizes, where class sizes would be no more than 20 students per class, again I was excited about the budget last year that brought forth those types of innovative provisions and initiatives that certainly did speak to leaving no child behind. Today's budget resolution did not have either of those in there. In fact, the President has been very inconsistent with the application of his promise. If the President were true to his promise, he would not cut critical and necessary environmental and education programs. It is so important for Watts in my community and other Members' urban communities to have gotten from this body a budget that would speak to the issues that are so important to them, and yet we rushed quickly to get out the $1.6 trillion tax cut, which invariably the Senate did reduce a bit to a $1.35 trillion tax cut overall. I am for a tax cut, have always been for one, but we must have targeted tax cuts that will enable us to have those 100,000 new teachers, that will enable us to have those reduced class sizes, so that in my districts of Compton and Watts and the Los Angeles Unified School District, students really will get quality education that they sorely need. It is important that the American people understand that the children that we speak about are poor children. Those 53 million children that we have to educate in this country are poor, they are disabled; they are, for the most part, limited English speaking. They are in need of a budget that speaks to them, a budget that does not leave them behind. So the Republican proposal provided less than half the average funds Congress granted the Department of Education for the past 5 years, in speaking to education, the Department of Education that Congress granted over the past 5 years, speaking to education, speaking to the environment, speaking to those needs of the children, the majority of the children who make up the 53 million children who are in dire need of those qualified teachers. This proposal that the majority put out fraudulently inflates their increase by taking credit for funding previously provided initiatives during the past administration for the 2002 appropriations. In reality, Madam Speaker, that is not the way you do business in terms of a budget. Let us look at some of the things that happened in this budget proposal. It actually guts out school renovation, whereby States have to then divert $1.2 billion in their 2001 budget to fund other critical education programs, because they need more than $100 billion to bring classrooms up to adequate condition. I certainly would like for Members who voted on this budget to come to my district and to look at the classrooms in my district, where the ceilings are falling, where the seats have splinters, where the students cannot move around in the seats because they will really be in danger of getting some type of sore, some kind of mark, or just simply cannot sit still in a seat because the seat is not adequate for them. I would like for you to come to my district, where we do not have computers for every student, that once a semester they get a different teacher, and this teacher has an emergency credential. I want those who really voted on this budget to come to my district to look at the school environment and recognize that this budget did not speak to those students. This budget also caps the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, funding at $1.25 billion. Disabled students, students we are trying to bring into the mainstream, should be in the mainstream of education, having now to deal with caps and funding that is below par in meeting their needs, the needs of these students who have special needs, but still are very sharp, very much wanting to be in the mainstream of education, and needing the funding to provide them the type of resources that are critically needed. Madam Speaker, it also cuts educational technology funding by $55 million, less than the 2001 freeze level of $872 million. What a travesty. We have an H1-B bill that passed out of this House sending for folks from other countries over here to do high-tech jobs because we do not have trained personnel for these jobs, and yet we are not even in the process of trying to train the future leaders in high-tech when we cut educational technology by $55 million. I have just mentioned to you that these schools do not have computers for every child or even a computer for every two or three children in a classroom; and if you look at the projections of the workforce in the next 5, 10, or 15 years, they will be the absolute children we are talking about today who are the poor children who will not have a chance to move into the world of work and high-tech jobs. They will simply be unable to meet the criteria for these jobs because of our not putting the money in a budget today that speaks to education for our children who will be the workforce of tomorrow. So, I am simply concerned about this. It is a critical issue that really touches me deeply, because I was sent here by people who want to make their life better by education. They want to have a better quality of life by ensuring that their children have a qualified teacher and that the class sizes are conducive to learning. That means students who are in classes which have no more than 20 students. So I say to you, those of you who voted on this bill, obviously you do not need the money for educational technology. Perhaps you do not need the money in your district for the individuals with disabilities. But I certainly do, and many of the Members here who represent urban and rural districts need this. So when we talk about ``leave no child behind,'' I am afraid this budget in terms of education has left many children behind, many of whom represent the 53 million children who I speak of today. When we talk about the environment, we again recognize that Candidate Bush promised a new era of environmental protection. I have grandchildren who talk about the water, because they have heard by others and have seen on television that we have a problem with arsenic in our drinking water. Yet this budget rescinded an order that limits arsenic in drinking water, rescinded that, that limits the arsenic in drinking water. It is asking for more studies. How many more studies will we have to present to discern the notion that we must limit arsenic in our drinking water, that we must have that Clean Water Act, and cannot erode that by any means; and yet it is being looked at as a possibility of being eroded by this budget, this President's budget that passed out of this House today. There has been a renouncement of the Kyoto Agreement on global warming and reversed a campaign promise to regulate carbon dioxide emission from power plants. Again, there was a promise that the Candidate Bush did, but now we see has totally dissipated. But the emissions in the air are not dissipating at all. We still have this problem of carbon dioxide and other toxics in the air. This is why the clean air and clean water bills cannot and should not be eliminated or diminished in their effectiveness, because of the critical need for the environment to again be conducive to children who play outside, who have no other recourse but to play outside, and they are playing in these areas where you have toxics, where you have carbon dioxide emissions in the air. If that was not enough, we looked in this budget to see delayed new hard rock mining regulations that would require companies to protect water quality, pay for cleanup, and restore public lands ruined by mining activities. These are provisions that were inside of this budget. A delay on this, rescinding on that, pushing back, suspending on others, clearly issues that do not and will not help this environment at all. We will not have a budget that speaks to clean air, clean water, clean up of toxic waste, clean up of brownfields. Another provision in this budget that was proposed was a proposal to drill for oil and gas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We have heard a lot about ANWR. We have heard a lot about the need for that. And that is not a need. We should not disturb wildlife. We should try to find alternative means by which to deal with our environment, and it should not be that drilling for oil and gas at all in a place that will disturb the inhabitants. The proposal was to suspend several of the past administration's environmental rules, including one that would protect the remaining roadless areas in the National Forest. What are we trying to do? What are we simply trying to do when we tend to erode those things that past administrations have done to speak to the needs of a cleaner, safer environment? Why are we trying to destroy those provisions, those initiatives, that will help the communities, the urban and rural communities, to reach levels where the air is cleaner, the water is safer, and, indeed, that there is no drilling in places that will create a climate that is not conducive to one who wants to go into National Forests and wants to not have roads and other areas that will, again, impede their solace of being there. We have looked at EPA in the budget that is supposed to help us with the clean water, clean air, brownfield cleanups, and yet there has been a cut in the funding of EPA by $500 million, less than the 2001 freeze level. Those of us who come out of local government, and once as a mayor of a city I recognized if you do not clean up the environment, you will not be able to induce or to even bring in businesses to provide the jobs for those who are the least of those who will get a tax cut or the results of a tax cut. You will simply not have those persons who will be able to make the charge of investing in this economy, investing in this country, if they do not have the jobs that accord them the salaries that will be conducive to the quality of life that we would want all Americans to have. Yet we see these cuts in EPA of $500 million. The budget also provides $850 million for the Clean Water State- Revolving Fund program, but it is less than two-thirds of last year's level. If, again, Madam Speaker, we are talking about clean water, we cannot make this budget and its resources less than two-thirds of last year's level. We have to bring this up to the level where those in this country will realize that we are trying to clean the water, we are trying to clean the air, we are trying to clean those brown fields, we are trying to stop the emissions in the air. We simply cannot state that charge if, in fact, the budget reflects something that is totally different, and which this budget did. The budget also cut the EPA's science and technology program by $54 million, again, from the 2001 freeze level. This cut includes $4.5 million for safe drinking water research and a $6.3 million cut in research on key air pollutants. I simply cannot understand a person who said with the most oratorical stance that one could make that there will be a new era of environmental protection; and yet this budget does not reflect any of that, a person who spoke about this comprehensive education package that will leave no child behind; and yet we see that many children will be left behind. I simply say as an educator, I cannot go back to my district and say, well done, we have done what you need, we have met those needs that you have. I cannot go back to my grandchildren and those children who think that the water is tainted, that there should be something done with the water and say, well, we do not know whether we can do that; we do not know whether we can fix that now. I cannot tell my asthmatic children and grandchildren who have asthma that you really cannot go outside because the emission in the air is so thick that you will not be able to breath. I simply cannot go home and say that ``well done'' on a great budget resolution. I cannot go home and say that this budget speaks to the needs of my community. I simply will have to say that we do not have the right people making the right decisions for you; and, therefore, we need to look at the possibility of changing that in the near future. Because, Madam Speaker, if we are talking about the environmental and educational welfare of our children, then our Nation is at stake, our children, the environment really are at stake here. Because we have to speak to the children. We have to speak to the environment. We have to speak to the critical needs that will help us to address these needs, the critical needs of these areas that will not be advantaged by this tax cut. In fact, they do not even meet the levels of the tax cuts. So if we are to live up to our promises, if we are to be the types of leaders that will be obligated to be responsible for those who are less fortunate, for those who are looking to us to provide those things that have not been provided for on the local and State level, then we must address why this budget resolution did not present itself in the fashion that would create the type of climate that would be conducive to the needs of those of whom I speak. This is why I could not support the budget. I wanted to. I really wanted to help the President and help our country to have a budget that we could all rally behind and would appreciate. But that budget left behind our Nation's poorest and the most underserved children. And because of that, we simply cannot go out and rally that this budget was one for the urban or the rural communities. In fact, we cannot even say this budget presented itself for children so that we could bring them forward and not leave them behind. It is a pretty sad day when we cut from educational technology and children are desperately trying to get on the Internet and trying to see just what that computer is all about. It is a sad day when the disabled student cannot get some of the resources that he or she needs because of this budget that did not speak to them. It is a very sad day when children cannot have adequate schools because of the renovation, the funding that has been cut from this budget. I am pleased that we have one who has come to the floor who is a great leader, who is one of our budget persons, and who can speak to and articulate why the majority of this Democratic House did not vote on this budget. I present to my colleagues now this outstanding leader, the gentlewoman from the State of North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton).

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to advise my colleagues that every day in the United States, three children die from physical abuse or chronic neglect. Additionally, I remind my fellow House Members that ten children die each day as a result of firearm use. It is important for us to remember the lives of children lost due to physical abuse, and to commemorate those youth who have died as a result of violence. As a mother, the issue of child abuse and neglect evokes strong and negative emotions within me. My maternal instincts and my sworn duty as a Member of the House dictate that I wage a vigorous fight to protect our society's most vulnerable segment, our children. Unfortunately, child abuse has many faces. Mistreatment occurs in a variety of ways such as physical, emotional, sexual abuse or by neglect. In 1997, almost 300,000 children in the United States were subjected to abuse, and over half a million more were found by child protective services to be neglected. Unreported cases of maltreatment are estimated to be as high as three million a year. Abusive behavior threatens and imperils entire families. An alarming and startling statistic is that in approximately 60 to 75 percent of families in which a woman is battered, the children are also battered. The effects of abuse reverberate throughout the lives of victims. Studies indicate that abused children are 53 percent more likely to be arrested as a juvenile offender and are 38 percent more likely to commit a violent crime. Furthermore, children who are abused or neglected are far more likely to abuse their own children later in life. As co-chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women's issues, I am committed to combating this pervasive and horrific problem in order to protect the lives of children and strengthen women and families. Mr. Speaker, that is why it is crucial for there to be safe havens for children. Ideally our communities, schools and homes should be places of refuge for them. Today, more and more of our children are victims of abuse, and far too many children live in fear; a fear that is compounded by the prospect of violence occurring in their own classroom and homes. Mr. Speaker, violence is learned behavior. Our children witness aggressive behavior, anger, and hatred to others as a matter of routine and often to a parent as a matter of course. Is there any wonder then, why children demonstrate anti-social behavior that they learn from those closest to them when they commit violent acts? For this reason, it is important to learn the signs and patterns that lead to violent behavior and address them before lives are lost. I am saddened and appalled by the extent of youth violence that has proliferated into an epidemic. The consequences of abuse are now being equated with the impact of war. The fact of the matter is, violence and neglect are more devastating than polio, AIDS, or motor vehicle crashes. The problem of violence in the United States is especially acute because we have the highest youth homicide and suicide rates among the 26 wealthiest nations. I am committed to protecting the lives of our children by: Introducing H.R. 233, the ``Child Safety-Lock Act''--meaningful gun control legislation designed to limit children's access to firearms; encouraging collaboration and coordination among education, mental health, social service, and juvenile justice agencies; creating legislation that will re-establish and strengthen the mandate of juvenile judges to use discretion and creativity in sentencing children and adolescents; and by supporting any legislation that brings us closer to an end to youth violence and protects the interests of our children. Violence of any kind weakens families and especially hurts our children. Regardless of its form, youth violence and violence against children must be stopped. Tragically, children die as we contemplate recommendations. We must act quickly and responsibly to reestablish safe havens in our communities. Our children and our nation deserve nothing less.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Like you said, I tried to put my head in the sand, but that head was lifted rather quickly when I saw the data that was presented to me. So I do not think anyone can really shy away from it.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. And may I please add that women now over 50 we are finding by data, mostly African American women, are contracting this HIV/AIDS. And it is so devastating because they are fearful of disclosure, because their ministers will find out and family members. And it is a very hard thing when we talk with the women who are over 50 who have now contracted this. So it is not just the young women, the young men; it is the older women as well. So we do have quite a battle, but I know with the help of the gentlewoman from North Carolina, and the help of this Congress, which the gentlewoman is right, there is not a Member who has not been sensitive to this issue, we will continue to do both.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Yes, the gentlewoman did give me peanuts. I had them from North Carolina. They were there, and we had them in the stuffed bags along with those from Alabama and Georgia. But the one thing that we are happy to say is that that has now presented us proceeds of over $600,000 that we are giving to different health facilities to treat persons, especially women and children, with this very deadly disease. It was years ago that someone told me about this disease; and I thought, well, I am in the State legislature, trying to pass laws, and I really do not have time for this. But it was not until that next year or so that someone brought me the facts, brought me the data; and that is when I said, no, that is not their problem, it is our problem and, more importantly, it is my problem to look at. We know that HIV/AIDS continues to devastate women throughout the world, and nowhere is it more overwhelming than on the African continent. As news reports tell us daily, AIDS in Africa has reached crisis proportions. In fact, it is a pandemic. Two-thirds of the world's 33 million AIDS-infected victims live on the African continent. Tragically, the epicenter of this disease is among African women, with profound effects on their children. More than nine-tenths of 8 million children were orphaned by AIDS last year, and those kids were in Africa. So when we ask ourselves, what can we do? Simply go around and have an outreach program, an education program on this devastation. No one needs to wait for groups like mine, the AIDS walk, or anyone else. Simply just go to your churches and your organizations and your schools encouraging folks to remain abstinent, because we cannot continue to see the devastation that is affecting our children and this deadly disease that is permeating communities of color. I have a bill that is called the Mother-to-Child Transmission bill which speaks of the drug therapy Nevirapine. Because if that drug is given to the mother, the child will not come out of the womb of the mother with this deadly disease. And programs like that new and inexpensive drug treatment that help prevent mother-to-child transmission need to be employed in Africa. This is what I am concentrating on at this point, trying to see whether we can get pharmaceutical companies to invest in Nevirapine on the continent of Africa. And not only that but in India, China, Eastern Europe and Central America. All of those areas we have found now have a very alarming percentage of women and children who have been affected and contracted this deadly disease. Governments, corporations, nongovernmental organizations must coordinate their strengths and their projects in addressing major problem areas, including the critical absence of adequate infrastructure throughout the continent. I heard the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) speak about that just a moment ago, because there has to be the infrastructure to deal and to help those who have been afflicted with this deadly disease. Ofttimes those who are in villages and tribes and other places do not have the adequate infrastructure. It is very important that we have and we look for funding to expand and to bring about the infrastructure that is needed, especially in Africa and in India. Local capacity must be developed through education of the masses, the search for a vaccine must be accelerated, and access to medicine must be expanded as well. I again call on this administration to include $150 million in its fiscal year 2002 budget for the World Bank AIDS Trust Fund. I was told just a month ago, and now in looking at the budget, that the Ryan White Act program has been cut. We can ill afford to do that. We must try to find some methodology by which we can include funds for this dreadful deadly disease. The President has spoken in very sensitive and very caring terms about persons afflicted with HIV/AIDS. We are asking now that we have that so that we can expand the outreach, expand the medicine, the therapy, and expand the education for this deadly disease. The landmark public-private partnership that was authored under the Global AIDS and Tuberculosis Relief Act of 2000 is designed to leverage contributions with additional resources from the international donor community as well as from the private sector. We all know that money alone, though, Mr. Speaker, will not solve this problem; but it is a vital part of the solution. These funds are necessary to implement HIV/ AIDS best practices in countries hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. While the HIV/AIDS disease continues to devastate humanity and the human element, and finding a cure seems far into the future, we cannot afford to give up. I will continue to fight and devote my time and energy to finding solutions to the myriad difficulties surrounding the treatment and fight against AIDS. I call on all of my colleagues to support local and international efforts to fight this deadly disease at home and abroad. Again, my colleague, the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton), I thank so much for her tenacity, for her leadership and for her ongoing support of all of the efforts we have put on this floor through legislation to try to find a cure for this.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina, especially for her leadership on this. I can say unequivocally, though, that every member of the Congressional Black Caucus has made this a centerpiece, a priority, in this Congress as well as Congresses before and Congresses to come, because this is a very critical issue. And it is so timely today given that just last Saturday I had my fifth annual Minority Women and Children's AIDS Walk.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 90 and 91, due to delay of the plane coming in from Los Angeles to Dulles, I missed the votes. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' on both.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the ranking member for his leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 503. As the cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues, I am insulted by this misleading piece of legislation. This legislation is deceptive, destructive, and a poor attempt to mislead and strip away a woman's reproductive rights. This bill is extremely volatile and has the potentiality to eradicate a woman's right to choose as recognized by the landmark case Roe v. Wade. This bill, in fact, undermines a woman's right to choose as cited in the New York Times editorial yesterday, ``The Reproductive Rights Under Attack.'' In fact, it says, ``Packaged as a crime fighting measure, H.R. 503 is actually aimed at fulfilling a long-term goal of the right to life movement.'' I stand firmly in the belief that women's reproductive decisions are private and their individual freedoms must be preserved. Those who support this bill claim that it is necessary in order to vigorously punish offenders who harm pregnant women. If the emphasis of the bill is to protect women, why is this not mentioned anywhere in the bill. Assault against pregnant women is serious. Legislation that has a separate agenda such as this one cannot provide the adequate protection to women. I oppose H.R. 503 because its real purpose is to erode the reproductive rights of women. It is not intended to recognize violence against women. In fact, it does not even reference a woman. It could make matters worse for women by encouraging antiabortion prosecutors to pursue charges for harm to embryos or the fetus while ignoring the woman who has also been harmed. Mr. Speaker, this is, indeed, a smoke screen. It is an affront to American women who wish to have their reproductive rights left to them. I say, if you are going to protect the rights of all other folks, the gun owners, the oil drillers, then protect the rights of women. I oppose H.R. 503.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Democratic alternative and in opposition to H.R. 8. Mr. Speaker, I am not opposed to estate tax relief, but this tax bill, H.R. 8, does not speak to providing estate tax relief to small businesses and family farmers. The Democratic substitute targets tax relief to small businesses and farms, as well as those estates that have increased in value over time. The Democratic bill will not result in an enormous drain on the Treasury, and it takes care of the problems of the vast majority of estates. I will support the Democratic alternative bill today. Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to H.R. 8. I want to urge all of my colleagues to support the only tax plan that gives true relief from estate taxes.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to lend my support and thanks to the chairman and the ranking member, those two men who have seen the need and who have been very sensitive to the women of this House and past women by bringing this H. Con. Res. 66 to the House today. I rise, Mr. Speaker, to support this resolution concerning the revision of the document, Women in Congress, 1917 to 1990. This book chronicles the biographies of the 129 women who served in the House and Senate during that period, but since that printing, another 79 women have served in Congress. The contributions of these women need to be recorded for present-day significance and posterity. The outstanding women who served and are serving in the House and Senate come from different walks of life. They are lawyers, teachers, social workers, mothers, doctors, veterans, child care providers, grandmothers, all serving in various roles and serving in this House. Their stories need to be told. We will begin with Jeanette Rankin, the first woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in March of 1917, 3 years before the ratification of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Another pioneer was Edith Nourse Rogers, who served in Congress from 1925 to 1960 for a total of 35 years until her death. Shirley Chisholm broke the color barrier in 1969 when she became the first African American woman elected to the House, and Carol Moseley-Braun was the first African American woman in the Senate. These women and all women serve in Congress as role models for current and future generations of girls and women. We want and need women to pursue public service in all segments of government, especially in the House and Senate. We are 61 strong in the House and 13 in the Senate, which makes up 74, and we want to see those numbers grow. As the cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues, we are certainly the voice of American women, monitoring legislation that addresses their health, education, children, child care and family needs. Women have come to appreciate the advocacy of our work. While we have achieved many victories since 1917, Mr. Speaker, we still have a long way to go, especially in the area of pay equity and health research and delivery. Today being Pay Equity Day, Congress has not been able to successfully pass legislation to make sure that women receive equal pay for comparable work. So our job is not over. We will not rest until our daughters and granddaughters obtain the right to be paid equally for comparable work. Mr. Speaker, we thank all of the outstanding men who have brought this to the floor today.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Pay Equity Day and to focus attention on the need for pay equity. Mr. Speaker, women across this country are speaking out on the importance of Pay Equity Day as data has shown that women must work almost 7 working days to earn what men earn in only 5 days. Appropriately, I am introducing legislation that will require Federal agencies to undertake studies that examine pay inequities and identify institutional barriers that can be lifted in order to diminish this disparity. Women make up more than half of this Nation's workforce. Yet, 38 years after passage of the Equal Pay Act, women still receive about 76 cents to each dollar paid to men. That means that women have to work 15 extra weeks in 2001 to earn what men earned in the year 2000. For women of color, the gap is even wider. Black women earn 65 percent and Hispanic women 52 percent of white men's weekly earnings. The wage gap widens as women mature and has significant implications for life-long savings, Social Security, and retirement earnings. Thus, lower pay is not the only source of difficulty. A higher percentage of women than men work in service, nonunion jobs, and part-time jobs, where pensions are less likely to be offered. Additionally, while women no longer routinely drop out of the labor force for child-bearing and child-rearing, more women than men leave work to care for children, elderly parents, or spouses. All of these factors take their toll. In the private sector, only 31 percent of retired women age 65 or older have a pension, and the median benefit received by women who have pensions is only 38 percent of the median amount received by men. Financial worries are exacerbated by the fact that women tend to live longer than men so their retirement assets must spread over a longer period of time. Clearly, there is something seriously wrong when women age 65 and older are twice as likely to live in poverty as their male counterparts. Today, there are nearly 6 million women business owners. They are the fastest growing segment of small business development in this Nation. Between 1987 and 1999, the National Foundation for Women Business Owners estimated that the number of women-owned firms increased by 82 percent nationwide. However, women still have less access to credit and are less likely to receive financing than men. This is a severe barrier to business growth, Mr. Speaker, and ultimately prosperity. We must recognize that when women thrive, our Nation prospers and families are strengthened. Women comprise more than half the world's population. We account for the majority of new workers in both industrialized and developing countries. When women are guaranteed basic human and labor rights, whole families and communities benefit. When women gain knowledge, power, and equal resources to make their own choices, the chains of poverty will be broken. This is how progress is generated. This is how lasting prosperity is built and measured. Mr. Speaker, I will end with the words of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg who said, ``Bias, both conscious and unconscious, reflecting traditional and unexamined patterns of thought, keeps up barriers that must come down if equal opportunity and nondiscrimination are ever genuinely to become this Nation's law and practice.'' Fighting for pay equity and advancing the status of women is not just a social and moral issue, Mr. Speaker, it is an economic imperative, and it is long overdue.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, in keeping with the celebration of Women's History month, I rise to inform my colleagues and their constituents about a unique program, Dress for Success, designed to provide low-income women with appropriate dress clothing for job interviews. Dress for Success is a non-profit organization that helps low-income women to make the transition into the workforce. To assist in this transition, Dress for Success provides each of its clients with one business suit when they receive an interview and a second suit when they secure job placement. Most of these women are referred by organizations such as domestic violence shelters, job training programs, and programs for incarcerated women. To date, Dress for Success has provided suits to over 50,000 women. ``Clean Your Closet Week'' is its annual major business suit drive, and it is being observed during the period of March 17th--March 24th. This year ``Clean Your Closet Week'' will be celebrated in over 50 cities in the United States. One of the drop off points may be in or near your district. I encourage you to inform your constituents about this worthy and important event so that more women can be aided with re-entry into the work force. To find the Dress for Success site nearest you, please visit their web site at www.dressforsuccess.org. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I ask my colleagues to explore how this program works to provide appropriate business attire to women, and how it acts to improve their self-esteem. This program promotes charitable giving to individuals in needs of assistance. We all aspire to dress for success, therefore, we should endeavor to help those who are less fortunate to realize their goals to look and feel their best.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, HIV/AIDS continues to devastate women throughout the world and nowhere is it more overwhelming than on the African continent. As news reports tell us daily, AIDS in Africa has reached crisis proportions. Two-thirds of the world's 33 million AIDS infected victims live on the African continent. Tragically, the epicenter of this disease is among African women with profound effects on their children. More than nine-tenths of the eight million children orphaned by AIDS last year were in Africa. What can any of us do? New and inexpensive drug treatments that help prevent mother-to-child transmission need to be employed in Africa. Governments, corporations and non-governmental organizations must coordinate strengths and cooperate in addressing major problem areas, including the critical absence of adequate infrastructure throughout the continent. Local capacity must be developed through education of the masses, and scientific knowledge needs to be improved. I call upon the Administration to include $150 million in its FY2002 budget for the World Bank AIDS Trust Fund. This landmark public/private partnership, authorized under the Global AIDS and Tuberculosis Relief Act of 2000, is designed to leverage contributions with additional resources from the international donor community as well as from the private sector. These funds are necessary to implement HIV/AIDS best practices in countries hardest hit by HIV/AIDS. While the HIV/AIDS disease continues to devastate humanity and finding a cure seems far into the future, we cannot afford to give up. I will continue to devote my time and energy to finding solutions to the myriad difficulties surrounding the treatment and fight against AIDS.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, as we know, we proclaimed Women's History Month last week; and the topic last week was on education, women and education. Today I rise to speak about women's health issues as part of our Women's History Month series. Since the earliest days of the Nation, women have acted as the health gatekeepers of their families. In recent years, however, it has become clear that women have significant health concerns of their own, such as breast and cervical cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis. But women's health issues are much more than individual diseases. It is a lifespan issue, beginning with the delivery of high-quality prenatal care services to when a woman lives out of her final days, hopefully after a full, productive and healthy life. Sadly, though, Mr. Speaker, the health of the Nation's women is severely jeopardized by preventable illnesses, inadequate access to health care, poverty, domestic violence, chronic disease and a host of other factors. Currently, nearly 18 percent of nonelderly women have no health insurance. Even worse, more than 30 percent of Hispanic women and nearly 25 percent of African American women between the ages of 19 and 24 have no health insurance. Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death among all women. Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer of women, and its rate continues to increase. Battering is the number one cause of injury to women today, causing more injuries that require medical treatment than car crashes and mugging combined. In addition, one study found that 25 to 45 percent of battered women experience physical violence while they are pregnant. Much shame, Mr. Speaker. So much work needs to be done to help alleviate these startling statistics. There needs to be increased funding and more major national projects for women's health research, services and education. There is also a need to be a focus on women's health through the life cycle: adolescent, reproductive, middle-aged and older women, since their needs are different. Last but not least, Mr. Speaker, we need to work to eliminate barriers to health care services for underserved women. Mr. Speaker, much work has been done in the last couple of decades concerning research and education about women's health, but there is much more to be done. When the President spoke at the State of the Union, he mentioned an increase in funding for NIH. I was pleased to hear that, because I felt that we can have an increase in funding for cervical cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, heart disease and diabetes. So Mr. Speaker, I will be introducing a bill suggesting the increased funding for those areas. I would also call on the President to provide the health insurance for those over 10 million children who are without health insurance and the women who are without health insurance. So, as we celebrate Women's History Month, let us be mindful of the need for increased funding for women's health.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, as the cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues, I am proud to rise today to acknowledge International Women's Day. This day is a symbolic recognition of the great contributions that women around the world make everyday in society as mothers, teachers, farmers, doctors, maids, engineers, accountants, social workers, lawyers and activists. It is also a time to review the progress of women in the public arena and the workplace, as well as their struggle for equal status and full participation in society, justice and peace. International Women's Day is celebrated in the United States, United Nations and in many countries throughout the world. International Women's Day was declared in August 1910 at a meeting in Copenhagen. The Women's Socialist International Organization decided to commemorate March 8 as Women's International Day due to the strikes by hundreds of women workers in garment and textile factories in New York. The strike was against low wages, 12-hour workdays and inhumane working conditions. In 1975, during International Women's Year, the United Nations began celebrating March 8 as International Women's Day. Two years later, in December 1977, the General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming a United Nations Day for Women's Rights and International Peace to be observed on a date to be chosen by each Member State. Women around the world have assumed positions of influence in all sectors of society, Mr. Speaker, and also have contributed to economic and social advancement. Yet, women face discrimination in many areas of society, and violence against women is part of everyday life for many. Women constitute the majority of the world's poor. Eighty percent of all refugees are women. One in every three women have been beaten or abused in some way. Two million young girls are introduced into the commercial sex market each year. 130 million girls have undergone female genital mutilation. Every year 5,000 women and girls are victims of the so-called ``honor killings.'' Four million women and girls are bought and sold worldwide, either into prostitution, marriage or slavery. Two-thirds of the 300 million children worldwide without access to education are girls. In Africa, HIV-positive women now outnumber infected men by 2 million. In India, it is estimated that more than 5,000 women are killed each year because their dowries are not enough. Women are still underrepresented in governments and political parties. Despite slow progress in some areas, the advances that have been made in the status of women in society must not be underestimated. Female genital mutilation has been outlawed in several African countries. Many Latin American countries have modified legislation to improve women's access to resources, education and health services. Several countries have adopted or amended their constitutions to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex. Bermuda, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, South Africa and Venezuela adopted various forms of domestic violence legislation. Chile, Cyprus, the Sudan, and Zambia outlawed discrimination on the basis of pregnancy or childbirth. Egyptian women gained divorce rights similar to men's. Mr. Speaker, tonight I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the gains that women have made internationally and to acknowledge that we still have much to do in the struggle for equity and justice.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand here today as the Democratic cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues, being the first cochair of this millennium, and happy to share this role with my friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert). We will be submitting an education appropriation to address the role of education and our children. Mr. Speaker, we are here today to celebrate March as Women's History Month and to highlight the extraordinary achievements of all women throughout our history, while recognizing the equally significant obstacles they have had to overcome along the road to success. Women's History Month has progressed from Women's History Week, established in 1978, to coincide with International Women's Day, which we will celebrate tomorrow, March 8th. It is during this time that we acknowledge American women of all cultures, classes and ethnic backgrounds who have served as leaders in the forefront of every major progressive social change movement, not only to secure their own rights to equal opportunity, but also in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, the industrial labor movement, the civil rights movement, and other movements to create a more fair and just civil society for all. Women have played, and continue to play, a critical economic, cultural and social role in every sphere of our Nation's life by constituting a significant portion of the labor workforce working in and out of the home. One of the most significant roles of women is that of mother, bearing children, nurturing and protecting their children. In an effort to provide for the well-being of her children, a mother takes charge of all health and educational needs critical to the child's development. Thus tonight we will focus on women and education. As a mother and grandmother, I am well aware of the importance of a quality education in the lives of young people and know that next to mother a teacher is probably one of the most influential persons in a child's life. As a former educator and the only Member of Congress to serve on the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, I have been committed to promoting quality teachers in our Nation's public schools. Tonight I would like to discuss the issues of teacher recruitment, retention and professional development. Mr. Speaker, it is widely recognized that investments in teacher knowledge are among the most productive means of increasing student learning. Despite our gains, much work still needs to be done. We need to ensure that all of this Nation's children are taught by well- prepared and well-qualified teachers who have access to ongoing professional development and lifelong learning opportunities. The creation of more vigorous and rigorous professional standards for teachers is one methodology to address teacher preparedness. These standards ensure that teachers will know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to children; that they will understand how children learn and what to do when they are having difficulty; and that they will be able to use effective teaching methodology for those who are learning easily, as well as for those who have special needs. While new teaching standards may hold great possibilities for raising the quality of teacher preparation, these advances will have little impact on the Nation's most vulnerable students if school districts continue to hire teachers who are emergency credentialed and who are assigned to teach outside of their field of expertise. According to the Journal of Teacher Education, students learn significantly less from teachers who are not prepared in their teaching area. Fields like mathematics, physical science, special education, and bilingual education are suffering from a shortage of teachers across different regions of this country. These shortages occur in part because some States prepare relatively few teachers but have rapidly growing student enrollment. In my State of California, enrollments are projected to increase by more than 20 percent in that State by the year 2007. In order to achieve the educational goals and success we hold for all of our children, we must develop strategies that do not trade off student learning for the hiring of unqualified teachers. In addition, we must be willing to provide qualified teachers, especially in the urban areas, with professional salaries and much needed training and services. Mr. Speaker, we are proud to celebrate this month as Women's History Month. We also need to create high quality mentor programs for beginning teachers and expand teacher education programs in high need fields so that individuals wishing to teach math, science and special education can obtain the training necessary to accomplish their goals. I am committed to ensuring that America's teachers are well trained, and well compensated. What goes on in classrooms between teachers and students may be the core of education, but it is profoundly shaped by the policies we propose and pass in Congress. We must support the work of teachers and school administrators and work together to strengthen America's educational system. It is my hope that together, we can develop innovative methods to ensure that there is a competent, caring, and qualified teacher for every child in the United States of America. Women across America let's celebrate this month and showcase the accomplishments of women.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this joint resolution on behalf of the women of the Nation. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Joint Resolution which repeals a job safety measure under the Congressional Review Act which regulates the Ergonomics Standard. Every year, more than 600,000 U.S. workers suffer painful repetitive strain and back injuries on the job. These ``ergonomic'' injuries are caused by heavy lifting, repetitive work and poorly designed jobs. Ergonomic injuries are the biggest job safety problem U.S. workers face. As the Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues, I am particularly concerned about the disproportionate effect repealing ergonomics standards will have on women. Women workers are particularly affected by these injuries. Women make up 46 percent of the overall workforce, but in 1998 in fact accounted for 64 percent of repetitive motion injuries (42,347 out of 65,866 reported cases) and 71 percent of reported carpal tunnel syndrome cases (18,719 out of 26,266 reported cases). There is strong consensus within the scientific community, based on an extensive body of evidence that the consequences of ergonomics-related illnesses are serious and must be addressed. Janie Jones told a group the carpal tunnel syndrome she developed in both her hands came after working in a poultry plant where she and other workers on the deboning line were expected to process 28 chickens a minute--some 1,680 an hour--with just a 15-minute break in the morning and one in the afternoon plus a 30-minute lunch break. This should be unconscionable here in America. Ms. Jones reported that even after having surgery to try to relieve the pain, it was still difficult for her to do housework and cooking. She said if OSHA's ergonomics standard had been in effect while she was on the deboning line, her hands wouldn't be riddled with crippling pain today. Mr. Speaker, it is imperative to protect the ergonomics standard so that workers across this nation, many of whom are women, will have the opportunity to continue working in safe and productive environments.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank both the chairman and the ranking member for their support on this resolution. Today I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 31, which expresses the sense of Congress regarding the importance of organ, tissue, bone marrow, and blood donation and supports a National Donor Day. Currently about 73,000 patients nationwide await organ transplants, and some 12 die each day while waiting. Every 14 minutes, another name is added to the national transplant waiting list. An average of 16 people die each day from the lack of available organs for transplant. In 1999, there were 5,843 organ donors resulting in 21,990 organ transplants. Less than one-third, about 20,000, receive transplants each year. While the number of donors rose in 1998 to nearly 5,800, with about three organs recovered from each donor, it still falls short, Mr. Speaker, short of the substantial and growing need. Today, I have two nephews who are undergoing surgery for the transplanting of kidneys, Lamont and Galan. We wish them the very best as they undergo this very important undertaking. I say to my colleagues today that there is an important need for organ donations, one that will help the survival of families. Lives are saved because of the generosity of those who donate their organs. I strongly support this resolution and urge my friends to do so as well.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia. In fact, she brought such a spirit to this debate and to this presentation. She is absolutely right. We are 2 days before Women's History Month, and I was really grappling with the whole notion of whether we should introduce this month or the next month. But we know that there are young African American women who look up to Dorothy Height and the struggle that she had in trying to bring human dignity and human rights to this country, and so we thought that it was necessary to do this in the month of February. I would like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) in the absence of my cochair, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert), who could not be here to introduce it on the Republican side. Mr. Speaker, in keeping with our celebration of Black History Month, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 55, which honors Dr. Dorothy Irene Height's life and achievements. I have had the honor of knowing her for years but have formed a closer relationship since coming to Washington. I have always been impressed with her grace, dignity and wisdom. Recently, the League of African American Women, an organization of over 40 women groups that I founded about 10 years ago, honored Dr. Height for her vision and leadership. It was at that event that I expressed a need for a national declaration of gratitude for the works of this great leader and the seeds of greatness she has planted for future generations. Thus, the reason for this resolution. For more than half a century, Dr. Dorothy Irene Height has given leadership to the struggle for equality and human rights for all people by founding the Center for Racial Justice, promoting racial justice and religious freedom at the YWCA, and working with the National Council of Negro Women on women's rights, pay equity and educational advancement. Her life exemplifies a passionate commitment for a just society and a vision of a better world. During Dr. Height's career, she worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young and A. Philip Randolph and others and was the only woman allowed to be present in several high-powered strategy sessions, and I can remember looking at her and admiring her when I was a young girl as her being the only woman that sat in the room with President Johnson, and all of the men whose names I have just mentioned, to craft the civil rights laws. As a result, Dr. Height has participated in virtually all major civil and human rights events. Dr. Height is also known for her extensive international advocacy work, educating work and promoting human dignity in training assignments in Asia, Africa, Europe and South America. With more than six decades of public life as a valiant advocate, earth shaker and crusader of human rights, it is fitting to celebrate this illustrious woman as we enter into a new millennium. I am proud to honor Dr. Height by sponsoring this resolution with the women of the House. I am also very proud to announce that tomorrow cities around the Nation will be declaring February 28 of 2001 as Dr. Dorothy Irene Height Day. Dorothy Height is truly a historic figure and a renaissance woman, and I urge all Members to support this resolution and join me in honoring her lifetime achievements. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Mrs. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.