Louise Slaughter

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to a member of the Committee on Natural Resources, the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis), a valued member of the Committee on Rules.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. I will be glad to yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey, Rob Andrews. (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis), a member of the Rules Committee.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing, we have wasted yet another opportunity to pass some bipartisan legislation here. Everybody knows this bill is not going to be taken up in the Senate, so it's again a day and a half of exercise in some kind of procedure by the House of Representatives. By combining worthwhile proposals with extreme and partisan proposals, they've continued to move forward with an ineffective and unnecessary partisan agenda. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment in the Record along with extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and defeat the previous question. I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote Nos. 371, 372, 373, 374, 375, 376, 377, and 378. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote Nos. 374, 376, and 377. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote Nos. 371, 372, 373, 375 and 378. Personal Explanation

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote Nos. 358, 359, 360, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, 366, 367, 368, 369, and 370. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote Nos. 360, and 369. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote Nos. 358, 359, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, 366, 367, 368, and 370.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall Nos. 319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, 341, 342, 343, and 344. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote Nos. 320, 321, 325, 327, 329, 330, 331, 340, 341 and 344. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote Nos. 319, 322, 323, 324, 326, 328, 332, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 342, and 343.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Chair, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote Nos. 345, 347, 346, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356, and 357. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote Nos. 345, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351, 354, 356 and 357. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall Nos. 346, 352, 353, and 355.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, it is my esteemed honor and privilege to congratulate the Girl Scout tech team, known as the Hippie Pandas, who participated in the FIRST 2012 Championship--a celebration of science, technology, and robots involving more than 600 student teams from 32 countries around the world. For their innovative work and outstanding professionalism, the Hippie Pandas of Rochester, New York, were awarded the ``Gracious Professionalism Award.'' As someone who places great value on science and technology, I am so pleased to see the tremendous success of these four girls from Rochester, New York. The Hippie Pandas, aged 11 14, are not only an inspiration for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education for girls around the country, but they have also found a creative way to help communities in Nicaragua. After learning that women in Nicaragua experience a high rate of miscarriage and disease because they drink unpasteurized milk, the Hippie Pandas set out to use their skills to develop an inexpensive and accessible solution to address this pressing problem. With the help of their coach and mentor, Cheryl Lawniczak, a chemical engineer at Eastman Kodak Co, and faculty members at the Rochester Institute of Technology, the girls designed and built a solar powered device to heat milk to 145 degrees to kill harmful bacteria. The Hippie Pandas initially used a thermometer to determine when the milk reached target temperature, but realizing this would be impractical for most Nicaraguan women, they developed a clever and natural alternative--beeswax, which melts when milk has reached 145 degrees. This solar powered milk pasteurizing device is currently being implemented in Nicaragua to help women treat raw milk so that it is safe to drink. As one of the Hippie Pandas stated, ``One thing we definitely learned is how dangerous raw milk can be and how pasteurization helps. . .We also learned that as kids, we can help people around the world to live safer lives.'' At a time when we as a nation have fallen behind in STEM education, the success of the Hippie Pandas is truly inspirational. The life lessons of teamwork, leadership, and dedication can only be learned through hard work and experience. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating each of these girls along with their mentors at Rochester Institute of Technology and Eastman Kodak Co. for their innovative work and dedication to science and technology.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Chair, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote Nos. 315, 316, 317, and 318. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote Nos. 315, 316, 317, 318.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote Nos. 297, 298, 299, 300, 301, 302, 303, 304 and 305. Had I been present, I would have voted ``Aye'' on rollcall vote Nos. 300, 301, 302, 304 and 305. Had I been present, I would have voted ``No'' on rollcall vote Nos. 297, 298, 299, and 303.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Chair, I was unavoidably detained and unable to be present for the vote on the Grimm Amendment to H.R. 5854, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. I want to state for the record that I strongly support this amendment, and had I been present, I would have voted yes. Mr. Grimm's amendment would strike the anti-project labor agreement language inserted into the bill. This bi-partisan amendment is an important defense against Republican attacks on labor and project labor agreements. As a Member of Congress, I take the responsibility to protect workers' rights seriously, and I support economic solutions that protect and lift all Americans--not just the privileged few--in order to create a safe and prosperous nation for all. A cornerstone of this economy are Project Labor Agreements, which are pre-hire agreements that establish the terms and conditions of employment to ensure tax payer funded projects use local workers to finish on time and under budget. It is time to rebuild our economy in a way that is consistent with our values. Until all Americans are back to work, more must be done on behalf America's middle class and working families. Project Labor Agreements are a vital part of this process, and I strongly support all attempts to protect them.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Chair, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote Nos. 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313 and 314. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote Nos. 308, 312, and 313. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote Nos. 306, 307, 309, 310, 311 and 314.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and unable to be present for the vote on H.R. 3541, the Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act. Had I been present, I want to state for the record that my vote on this bill would have been a resounding no. This bill is nothing more than a further attack on women and women's health from a majority paty that claims to be focusing on job creation and economic growth. Yet, today they present us with the ninth opportunity in this Congress to restrict women's acess to reproductive health care. Passing this bill would mean someone would have to stand in the operating room and judge the motives of a woman seeking a Constitutionally protected medical procedure. A doctor could be sent to prison for five years if it can be shown that sex-selection was a factor in the decision to have an abortion. Of course, the doctor would have to either be a mind reader to know the reasons behind a woman's decision, or subject her to unreasonable scrutiny. If the doctor even suspects that sex-selection was involved, but does not report, she or he can be sent to prison for a year. The idea that threatening to incarcerate an obstetrician is somehow protecting women is ludicrous. It only serves to intimidate doctors and keep them from providing medically necessary and often life-saving services for their patients. Furthermore, this bill allows for an injunction preventing an abortion to be granted by a court if a woman's husband or her parents allege that sex-selection was a factor in the decision to have an abortion. A simple allegation from a third party can therefore prevent a woman from making a private and legal decision in consultation with her doctor. That is absolutely unacceptable. Sex-selective abortions are a legitimate concern. But this bill is a false solution to a very real problem. If the supporters of this bill truly wanted to end gender discrimination, they would be working on policies that address the root causes of inequality that plague women in America. They would be working to truly empower women to make decisions about their health and reproductive care. They would be working with us across the aisle to support federal programs that benefit women and their families, such as the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Instead they are on record voting to defund domestic and international family planning programs, dismantle health care reform, and in favor of proposals like the Ryan Budget that slash support for the most vulnerable women and families in this country. I would welcome the opportunity to work with my colleagues across the aisle on actual solutions to the problems of gender discrimination and inequality in this country. The Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act simply does not address the real issues facing America.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote Nos. 250, 251 and 252. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote Nos. 250, 251 and 252.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote Nos. 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288, 289, 290, 291, 292 and 293. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote Nos. 270, 273, 275, 276, 278, 279, 282, 284, 285, 287, 289, 290, and 293. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote Nos. 271, 272, 274, 277, 280, 281, 283, 286, 288, 291, and 292.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote Nos. 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, and 258. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote Nos. 256 and 257. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote Nos. 253, 254, 255 and 258.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote Numbers 259, 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268 and 269. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote Numbers 261, 262, 263, 264, 265, 268 and 269. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote numbers 259, 260, 266 and 267.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote Nos. 250, 251 and 252.