Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, this weekend we celebrated an important anniversary in our nation's history. Three years ago, only nine days after taking the oath of office, President Barack Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law. It was the first bill he signed into law as President, solidifying this Administration's commitment to women's equality. I met Lilly Ledbetter during a Judiciary Committee hearing in 2007. She told us then how after working at her company for more than twenty years, she learned of the long-standing pay discrimination against her based on gender. Unfortunately, this type of workplace discrimination occurs all too frequently across our country. Women still make just three-quarters of a man's salary for the same work. Fortunately, for women all across the country, Lilly Ledbetter found out about the discrimination carried out against her and took action. As a result of her courage and strength, President Obama and the Democratic-led Congress passed this important piece of legislation that protects women and addresses a critical aspect of the wage gap in our country. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act closes numerous loopholes and clarifies that an employee is discriminated against each and every time she receives an unfair paycheck. It also makes modest, common-sense reforms that hold employers accountable for their actions. But our fight is not over. We have a long way to go until women reach true wage equality, which is why we must support legislation like the Paycheck Fairness Act, which builds on previous efforts and continues to address wage disparities. Lilly's story is proof that progress can be made on this front, and just as importantly, she is a testament to how one person can create a lasting legacy of change. Today, we celebrate Lily Ledbetter's courage by commemorating the anniversary of this essential legislation becoming law, and by remembering that in America, one person can make a difference.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark an incredible milestone. Thirty-nine years ago from this past Sunday, the Supreme Court of the United States guaranteed the women of this country our right to privacy. In handing down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, the justices of the Supreme Court affirmed the right for American women to keep medical decisions between women and their doctors. This right was not easily won, and it has not come without four decades of fighting to protect it. And yet today, some are still trying to strip women of this right. Many of those who seek to overturn Roe claim to be protecting life-- but it's no secret that making abortion illegal won't end the problem of unplanned pregnancies in this country. In fact, legal abortion keeps women more safe. In 1965, almost 20 percent of all maternal deaths were due to illegal abortion--and that's only what was reported. So in looking ahead for 2012, I invite my anti-choice colleagues to consider this: instead of working against us by voting to defund title X programs for women who need them most, work with us in a shared goal of making abortion safe, legal, and rare. That is what the pro-choice movement stands for. I was 6 years old when Roe v. Wade was handed down, and never in my life have I felt that my rights were threatened like I do now. Last year alone, 69 laws containing 92 anti-abortion provisions were enacted in 24 states--and my home State of Florida was unfortunately responsible for several of them. But the problem isn't only at the State level--last year, the Republican majority in the House took up a slew of bills that tried to do everything from defund Planned Parenthood, a crucial title X provider in our country, to redefine rape to say that if the victim was mentally unable to consent, then it didn't really count as forcible rape. These bills are insulting and dangerous to women's health and wellbeing, something that we as Members of Congress should be working together to protect. In this spirit, I remind my anti-choice colleagues that the concern for human life and dignity cannot end at birth. So, it is my sincere hope that in the budget bills we will soon take up, all Members work to pass a budget that holds women and children harmless, placing important programs like title X family planning, Head Start, and Maternal and Child Block Grants at the top of the priority list. In these trying financial times, we cannot afford to balance our budget on the backs of women and children. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to note this anniversary with the gravity it deserves, as well as the energy it will require to work to ensure that next year at this time, we are once again commemorating this crucial right as protected by the Supreme Court, and not lamenting yet another year in which this right has been assailed. Women's lives depend on it!

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. If I can ask my colleagues to join me at the well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker and Madam Leader, Mr. Whip, and Majority Leader. I couldn't prepare anything this morning because I knew that I would not be able to hold it together for very long. I am so proud of my friend, and it will always be one of the great treasures of my life to have met Gabby Giffords and to have served with her in this body. We have all been through such a tumultuous year. The Nation has been through a tumultuous year, no one more tumultuous than Gabby and her family and her constituents in her beloved home city of Tucson, Arizona. Being able to be Gabby's voice today and knowing her as well as I do, the one thing that has not been said is that Gabby wants her constituents to know, her constituents who she loves so much in southern Arizona, that it has been the greatest professional privilege of her life to represent them; that she loves them, as a fifth- generation Tucsonian; that her public service has meant a great deal to her; that this is only a pause in that public service; and that she will return one day to public service to represent them, as she has so capably done for the last 5\1/2\ years. And let me just say, a point of personal privilege, that the last year has been one of the honors of my life. The most important thing to remember is that no matter what we argue about here on this floor or in this country, there is nothing more important than family and friendship, and that should be held high above all else. I will always carry that in my heart, and even though I know we won't see each other every day, Gabby, we'll be friends for life--for life. It is my privilege to read this letter on behalf of Gabby and her family and her constituents: January 25, 2012. Hon. John Boehner, Speaker of the House, The Capitol, Washington, DC. Dear Speaker Boehner: In 2001, strongly holding the belief that there is no higher calling than serving my country, I went from selling tires in my Tucson family business to being a freshman representative in the Arizona State House. And for 10 years I served--in the Arizona legislature, in the United States Congress, and, after marrying Mark, as a proud military spouse. Always I fought for what I thought was right. But never did I question the character of those with whom I disagreed. Never did I let pass an opportunity to join hands with someone just because he or she held different ideals. In public service, I found a venue for my pursuit of a stronger America--by ensuring the safety and security of all Americans, by producing clean energy here at home instead of importing oil from abroad, and by honoring our brave men and women in uniform with the benefits they earned. I found a way to care for others. And in the past year, I have found a value that is unbreakable even by the most vicious of attacks. The tragic January 8th shooting in Tucson took the lives of six beautiful Americans and wounded 13 others, me included. Not a day goes by that I don't feel grief for the lives lost and so many others torn apart. Christina-Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, John Roll, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, and Gabe Zimmerman embodied the best of America. Each in their own way, they committed their lives to serving their families, community and country, and they died performing a basic but important act of citizenship that's at the heart of our greatness as a nation. They will be remembered always by their country and by their Congress. I don't remember much from that terrible day, but I have never forgotten my constituents, my colleagues, or the millions of Americans with whom I share great hopes for this nation. To all of them: Thank you for your prayers, your cards, your well wishes, and your support. And even as I have worked to regain my speech, thank you for your faith in my ability to be your voice. The only way I ever served my district in Congress was by giving 100 percent. This past year, that's what I have given to my recovery. Thank you for your patience. From my first steps and first words after being shot to my current physical and speech therapy, I have given all of myself to being able to walk back onto the House floor this year to represent Arizona's 8th Congressional District. However, today I know that now is not the time. I have more work to do on my recovery before I can again serve in elected office. This past year my colleagues and staff have worked to make sure my constituents were represented in Congress. But if I can't return, my district deserves to elect a U.S. Representative who can give 100 percent to the job now. For that reason, I have submitted the attached letter of resignation to Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. Amid all that was lost on January 8th, there was also hope and faith. This past year, it is what I have often clung to: Hope that our government can represent the best of a nation, not the worst. Faith that Americans working together--in their communities, in our Congress--can succeed without qualification. Hope and faith that even as we are set back by tragedy or profound disagreement, in the end we come together as Americans to set a course toward greatness. Everyday, I am working hard. I will recover and will return, and we will work together again, for Arizona and for all Americans. Sincerely, Gabielle Giffords, Member of Congress.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today in firm opposition to this resolution, a political stunt that prevents the increase in the debt limit that this Congress has already approved. This is a dangerous distraction from our efforts to move the country forward, support continued economic growth, and promote job creation, and it flies in the face of the Budget Control Act, which 174 House Republicans voted for last summer. In 2011, my colleagues across the aisle caused multiple self- inflicted economic crises with the specter of defaulting on our Nation's debt each time they played with fire regarding the debt limit. The Republican majority simply has not learned that these kinds of empty, partisan measures can cause immediate harm to our economy and hurt working families everywhere. This resolution is nothing but a deeply harmful and dangerous charade: dangerous for Americans still struggling to find work, dangerous for our economy that is depending on a robust and focused recovery, and dangerous for our responsibility as a legislature, tasked not with these grand charades of brinkmanship but of safeguarding the well-being of our Nation. We have already seen America's credit downgraded and have watched as other nations have faced the worst of default. It is time to stop holding our economy hostage to an ideological agenda. I urge my colleagues to reject this resolution and protect the full faith and credit of the United States of America.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 90th anniversary of the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale. The Association has a long, successful history of growth and success that mirrors the community growth and economic development of the City of Fort Lauderdale and surrounding South Florida community. From its humble founding in 1922 by six local real estate professionals as the Fort Lauderdale Board of Realtors, the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale has grown over the past nine decades into one of the largest realtor Associations in the state of Florida. Today, the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale serves more than 7,500 members across Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties who in turn assist tens of thousands of South Floridians. Since its inception, the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale has helped its membership conduct thriving businesses and along the way has promoted the highest standards of professional practice in the real estate community. As a Member of Congress, I have been particularly proud of the Association's work over the years as a constant champion for consumers in our local communities. In cities and towns across America, realtors provide expert advice and guidance to current and future property owners on what often is the biggest investment a family makes. Realtors promote affordable housing, expand home ownership, and work to end housing discrimination wherever it exists. The Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale does all of these things while maintaining the highest level of professionalism. The Association's realtors study long hours to hone their professional skills and adhere to the Code of Ethics set out by the National Association of Realtors. The last few years have been extremely difficult for the housing market nationally, and especially in South Florida. Yet, realtors have stood ready to assist with the challenges of the current market because they know--as all of us who live in South Florida know--that our community is one of the best places in the country to live, work, and raise our families. I am pleased to join in celebrating the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale on their 90th anniversary and wish to honor all of Florida's realtors who serve our communities. I look forward to continuing to work with the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale as it continues its long tradition of excellence to the South Florida community.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in firm opposition to this motion to go to conference without a vote on the Senate bill to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits. It is deeply disappointing and troubling that we'll be denied the opportunity to vote on the Senate's overwhelmingly bipartisan compromise that would bring relief to millions of America's working families. Now, my Republican colleagues have said: Pass the 1-year bill that passed the House last week. Well, talk to your Republican colleagues in the Senate. Four times the Senate Democrats tried to bring up your bill, and four times a Senate Republican objected. Facts are hard. If we do not pass this bill, 160 million Americans will face a $1,000 tax increase as we go into the new year. If we do not act, in my home State, 9 million Floridians will see this tax increase next year. If we do not act, 2.2 million unemployed Americans will lose their unemployment benefits. And if we do not act, 48 million seniors will face the specter of having to find new doctors due to cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates. Like many of my colleagues, I have received countless constituent calls, letters, and emails, many of them very personal and emotional. Just this morning, I was especially moved by a note from a single mom, Christine, with a 3-year-old daughter, from my congressional district. She wrote: I am pleading my case to you out of desperation to extend unemployment insurance. These benefits help her provide food and necessities for her daughter. Too many of my colleagues like to paint unemployment beneficiaries with one insensitive and cruel brush. This young woman is not someone sitting around just collecting government checks. She was laid off from her job this fall and has only been on unemployment for a couple of months while she looks for another job. My constituent's story, while personal and moving, is, unfortunately, not a unique one. My Republican colleagues who callously ignore the needs of middle class Americans by refusing to vote on the payroll tax extension and unemployment benefits are sending the message to millions of working families that, despite their efforts to look for and find work in this delicate economy, they simply don't care. The House Republican leadership needs to allow a straight up-or-down vote on the Senate bill which passed 89-10 with strong bipartisan support. Clearly, they are afraid it might pass. I urge you to listen to the plight of constituents like Christine who said: I'm asking that they give people more time to find work by pushing these dates back further. I'm having a very hard time trying to find work that will accommodate my living expenses for myself and 3- year-old daughter. Christine has only been on unemployment since September. She needs our help. Millions of Americans need our help. Pass this bill and stop playing politics with people's lives.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 1 minute to a woman with whom I experienced one of the most emotional experiences in my life, along with our colleague from New York, Kirsten Gillibrand, when we watched Gabby Giffords open her eyes after her injury, the gentlelady from California, our leader, Nancy Pelosi.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, before I yield back, I want to share one more story to really demonstrate to the entire country the heart of the young man that we are honoring here today, because even those who only occasionally came into contact with Gabe Zimmerman were touched by his passing because of the way he treated them in life. The week following Gabe's death, the night shift security guard came and knocked on the door of Congresswoman Giffords' Tucson office. They were working late, and her staff opened the door. The guard came hoping that the person he so often talked to at night hadn't really been killed. Tearing up, he said he hadn't known Gabe's name, but said that he often found Gabe working late and that Gabe would always ask him about his family or his weekend or just talk about sports. Gabe always treated him with dignity, which meant so much to him. That's the importance of the legislation that we have in front of us today. Knowing that we are going to forever designate HVC 215 as the Gabriel Zimmerman Meeting Room sends a message to all of our staff and to the hearts of all who serve that we will honor their service, honor their commitment, honor their willingness to make a personal sacrifice to devote their lives to helping others. That was the epitome of Gabe Zimmerman. I want to close just by thanking the entire Arizona delegation, particularly Mr. Franks and Mr. Flake, and most especially Dave Schweikert, who had such courage in sponsoring this resolution with me, was passionately committed to garnering cosponsors for it, and really worked incredibly hard to bring it to the floor. I also want to thank the leadership of both the Democrat and Republican Members. This is a very challenging and difficult time for our Nation, Madam Speaker. It is my hope, as hard as it is and as hard as it has become for us to engage in civil discourse, that we really all redouble our efforts as we have all publicly stated that we are willing and interested in doing, myself included, to make sure that we can earn the respect and earn every day the privilege that our constituents have given us to represent them here in our Nation's capital. And in doing so, we will honor Gabe's memory, honor the service of our colleague and friend Gabby Giffords, and know that Gabriel Zimmerman did not die in vain. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Pastor). (Mr. PASTOR of Arizona asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, it is now my privilege to yield 2 minutes to a good friend of Congresswoman Giffords and a wonderful representative of the great State of Arizona (Mr. Grijalva).

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. It is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as I may consume. I rise today to offer House Resolution 364, designating HVC 215 of the Capitol Visitor Center as the Gabriel Zimmerman Meeting Room. On January 8, in Tucson, Arizona, tragedy struck this country in a shooting that shocked our Nation and tore through the fabric of the congressional community. Six people died that horrific day, including Gabriel Zimmerman, a congressional staffer for our friend and colleague, Representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona's Eighth Congressional District. Now, less than a year after this horrible day, it is fitting that the United States House of Representatives, through passage of this resolution, properly honor the sacrifice and service of one of our own. Gabe Zimmerman served as the community outreach director for our friend and colleague, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Gabe was perfectly suited for this position, as anyone who knew him would tell you. That's because working as a community outreach director married two great passions in his life: his drive to help individuals and a firm conviction that America's Government needed to be open, accessible, and responsive to every American. Ask any Member of Congress here what is one of the most valuable positions in their office, and they will tell you it is our constituent outreach director. They listen each and every day to the concerns of our constituents--their problems, their suggestions, their complaints-- and then they work to help them. The hours are long. Nights and weekends at home with family or out with friends are often sacrificed to attend community meetings. Each and every one of us have staff members working for us who show such dedication, and the hallways of this Capitol have echoed for two centuries with the hurried footsteps of congressional staffers serving the American people. This resolution, designating the Gabriel Zimmerman Meeting Room, is not put forward to mark Gabe's death but, rather, to recognize his commitment in life and to making others' lives better. Ask those who knew him and they will tell you that Gabe had a way about him that invited conversation. He could walk into any room and find a way to connect to people. Gabe would often put in extra hours and was known to pay out of his own pocket for poorer constituents' bus fare, whatever he could do to help that little extra amount. Gabe's dedication and cheerfulness had a profound effect on those with whom he came in contact. Just days after the shooting, well after dark, a gentleman came to Representative Giffords' Tucson office, tears in his eyes, visibly shaking. He explained that just days before, Gabe had taken the time to sit down with him; and even though he'd come in late in the day, he listened to him, treated him like a human being, and made it clear he was going to work to help him. The gentleman simply couldn't believe that such a good person had been taken so young. Among his colleagues in Tucson, Gabe was profoundly well liked. They told me, when I visited after the shooting, that Gabe was always excited to come in to work and that he cherished the ability to work for a Member of Congress and for one he so admired. His coworkers kiddingly called him Prince Charming because he was always there for them, always ready to come to their rescue. In Representative Giffords, Gabe found someone for whom he cared deeply as his mentor, as his boss, as a friend, and as a Member of his Congress who shared his passion for selflessly helping others. And while Representative Giffords counted on Gabe to be her eyes and ears in her district, her husband Mark Kelly said that Gabby also looked upon Gabe like a younger brother, as so many of us as Members of Congress look at our own staff members. Tragically, this loyal, determined, and talented public servant, someone who was a true apostle of our representative democracy, unknowingly also made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. Gabe Zimmerman is the first congressional staffer in the history of this institution to be killed while carrying out his official duties. It is in this historical and hallowed moment that we vote on this resolution to name the congressional meeting room currently known as HVC-215 the Gabriel Zimmerman Room. As those of us who work on the Hill know well, HVC-215 is frequently used for staff meetings of every variety. I can think of no better way to memorialize Gabe's service and ultimate sacrifice than to have this meeting place forever carry his name and memory. Over the past 4 months, a bipartisan group of more than 400 of our colleagues, 402 now, to be exact, have signed on to this resolution in solidarity as cosponsors of this resolution honoring Gabe's sacrifice. This makes this resolution among just a select few pieces of legislation in history to have garnered such broad support in the House of Representatives. With this vote, we honor the life of Gabe Zimmerman, and we also recognize all congressional staff--working in every corner of our great Nation--for their dedication to Congress and the American people. From now on, each time we enter the Gabriel Zimmerman meeting room, let us be reminded of Gabe and of the service and sacrifice of every congressional staffer. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of House Resolution 364. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Speier).

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, it is now my privilege to yield 2 minutes to a close friend of Congresswoman Giffords' and someone who has stood by her, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith).

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and thank you for the opportunity for calling us together on this very important topic. I just want to close out my time very briefly by saying to the gentlemen from Texas and New Jersey that we are not going to lay down and just allow these laws to stand, that there are civil rights organizations, as we speak, pursuing these laws because we know that they are violations of people's, of individuals' constitutional rights. We know they are violations of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. We know that the Justice Department is reviewing many of these laws because they have to be precleared under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. So people should know that while we are here expressing grave concern, we are certainly not only using our voices to fight these insidious laws; we are standing up for the franchise, standing up for the right to vote and making sure that, as Democrats, we go to bat to make sure every eligible voter has an opportunity to cast their vote for the person that is the individual that they want to represent them in this representative democracy. We are standing against individuals who try to fix the outcome of elections by blocking people's access to the polls.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Will the gentleman yield?

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you. In answer to the gentleman from Texas' question, what's wrong with it, is this is supposed to be a country that affords everyone-- regardless of any category that you fall into--the opportunity to vote. The voter suppression laws that have been passed by Republican legislatures, championed by Republican Governors across the country, have systematically targeted specific groups of individuals based on their propensity to vote differently than the legislators who support those laws would like to see them vote. In other words, they are essentially blocking access to the polls for people who vote against their interests, against Republican interests. Blocking anyone's access to the polls is unacceptable to begin with, but insidiously trying to influence the outcome of an election through systematically changing the law to prevent people who are likely to go to the polls to vote for your opponent is the most heinous form of antidemocratic policy. I mean, it's the kind of policy that you would see in countries that we abhor, countries that we criticize. For example, let's take the photo ID laws, and we have a photo ID law in Florida. There are photo ID laws across the country. You may have told the story about the 96-year-old woman from Tennessee. I'm sure you've already talked about that this evening. If you look at the statistics, which you may have gone over as well, 11 percent of Americans don't have a photo ID--11 percent. Twenty-five percent of African Americans don't have a photo ID, and I don't know the number, I was looking for the statistic for Hispanics. It is unacceptable to say that the only way you can identify somebody is by requiring them to carry a photo identification in order to vote. That's just ridiculous. Modern technology today allows for signature matches. All of our supervisors of elections have the signatures on file either in the old-fashioned way, written on a piece of paper, or scanned into a computer where they can match the signatures. That's how they have done it for many years in Florida until they imposed the photo ID law. All photo ID laws are an obstacle in the path of an individual who is more likely to go and vote for someone who is not a Republican. I'm sorry, elections should be won fair and square.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. 537.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I just want to tell a story on that very specific restriction. We had the Republican secretary of state in Florida recently ask the attorney general to start assessing $50 fines for each of the 76 voter registration applications that were submitted by a high school teacher in Santa Rosa County. There was no indication of foul play. The applications were of individuals who appeared to be eligible Florida voters. They were high school kids who were 18 and were eligible to vote. But because Florida has changed the law under the Republican voter suppression law that requires registration to be turned in within 48 hours, and it used to be 10 days, this teacher got fined because she was trying to help her students register to vote and didn't get them in under the new time limit.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I thank the gentleman for yielding. It's really wonderful that the gentleman from Texas has organized this opportunity to have Members come to the floor and highlight our concerns and our commitment to protect the fundamental right and the very bedrock of our Democratic principles--the right to vote. I am pleased to stand with so many of my colleagues who all share my deep concern over the organized, insidious effort now underway in many States to disenfranchise millions of Americans and to silence their voices in our democracy. These efforts are purported to combat so- called rampant voter fraud; yet no investigative effort to date has found voter fraud to be a major problem in our Nation, so no one should fall for this ruse. As my colleague from Florida just outlined, every American should understand and be concerned about the political disenfranchisement that is going on in many States, including in my home State of Florida. State legislatures are attempting to impose voting restrictions that are the modern day equivalent of poll taxes and literacy tests. Now, let me be clear. The foundation of our participatory democracy, of our democratic society, is rooted in the right to vote, in the right to choose our elected leaders, to have representation in government, to have input on the major policies of the day--the right to have our voices heard. That's why more than 250 years ago we threw off the shackles of the British Empire that denied American colonists representation in Parliament. The fight toward universal suffrage has been long and arduous, but it is a fight worth fighting. As May Wright Sewall, a leader of the women's suffrage movement in 19th century America, said: Universal suffrage is the only guarantee against despotism. Just as those who came before us have fought to gain and retain the right to vote, we, too, must stand vigilantly against those who seek to limit it. Each time I cast a ballot, I am reminded that it is a right not to be ignored. Less than a century ago, the women who came before us were denied the right to have their voices heard. Women during that time were confronted by a wealth of arguments against our right to suffrage. Women did not want the vote or women were already represented by their husbands or--one of my favorites--a woman's place is in the house. Well, I would agree with that last statement, if we're talking about the House of Representatives, with the note that a woman's place is also in the Senate, the Governor's office, and in all seats of government. The women who fought for my right to vote were beaten, jailed, ostracized, and tormented. But still, they kept on and persevered because they knew that the women of our great Nation should not be deprived this fundamental right. So, no, we will not stand by and allow anyone's voting rights to be threatened, not on our watch. And many of our colleagues also know this fight too well. Despite the passage of the 14th and 15th Amendments, giving citizens equal protection under the law and the right to vote regardless of their race, African Americans still faced more than a century of overt voter suppression. And while we made huge gains with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a seminal moment in our Nation's history where we declared that truly no election law can deny or abridge voting rights because of race or color, we cannot afford to sit back and just declare the fight over. The struggle for universal suffrage is not over. We cannot allow State legislatures to drag our Nation backwards in what is nothing more than a political quest to protect their governing majority's interests. A little more than 10 years ago, Florida experienced election day turmoil that reminded us all how important it is to remain on guard against disenfranchisement. The many irregularities that occurred in my home State during the 2000 elections were a painful reminder of how rights can be denied. The Commission on Civil Rights report on the 2000 election in Florida found ``widespread voter disenfranchisement.'' As Commissioner Chairperson Mary Frances Berry stated at the time, ``It is not a question of a recount or even an accurate count, but more pointedly the issue is those whose exclusion from the right to vote amounted to a `no count.' '' In the last year, scores of States, including Florida, have passed laws restricting access to the polls. A recent Brennan Center report found that these changes in State voting laws will likely suppress the vote of more than 5 million voters nationwide. We need look no further than my own home State of Florida to see the threat against universal suffrage. The Florida law passed last spring restricts both voter registration and voting opportunities. It was championed by Governor Rick Scott and passed by the Republican-led legislature which has overwhelming majorities in both the House and the Senate. First, it restricts the ability of nonpartisan organizations or individuals from helping citizens register to vote. It fines people in groups up to $1,000 per voter if registration isn't turned in within 48 hours. Just the other day, a teacher was sanctioned and is now being prosecuted because she didn't turn in her students' voter registrations within the new amended time frame that voter registration cards have to be turned in. And now she is being subjected to a significant fine per vote. As a result of this law, the League of Women Voters, a champion of nonpartisan voting rights for over seven decades, has suspended its voter registration operations in Florida because they can't take the risk to think that they would be bankrupted by this absolutely unfair, terrible law. Second, the Florida law rolls back early voting opportunities, including the Sunday before an election. It eliminates voting on the Sunday before an election. And I can tell you firsthand how important weekend early voting is for the thousands of seniors who live in my district and for millions all across the State. Also in 2008, African Americans and Hispanics, who together make up roughly one-quarter of Florida voters, accounted for more than half of all voters on the final Sunday of early voting. So do we think it's a coincidence that that group of voters, which voted overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates, now suddenly has their right to vote on that particular Sunday removed from them? As far as we have come in our society in broadening the scope of civil rights, we cannot afford to revert to a time when it was acceptable to limit the rights of a select few. We are not meant to have a government of some people, by some people, for some people. I hope my colleagues will join me in ensuring that we uphold President Abraham Lincoln's democratic ideal of government for all the people, elected by all the people. I thank the gentleman from Texas for the opportunity to speak tonight.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Exactly. The League of Women Voters in my State, Mr. Holt, has registered voters in Florida for seven decades and suspended their voter registration activity after this law passed because they can't take the risk. The organization would become bankrupt. Can you imagine, the League of Women Voters no longer registers people to vote in the State of Florida.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you. Because in some States it's equally as bad. It is certainly bad enough in Texas they're not putting more funding in to make sure those people have more access to get those photo IDs. But in some States, because of the budget cuts, they're systematically, in communities that have large African American populations and large Hispanic populations, shutting down driver's license offices, so it's even harder for those communities to go and get a photo ID. This has been insidious. The disturbing thing about this is that it's clear that these Republican legislatures, led by Republican Governors, just don't think that they can win an election on the merits. And so they need an insurance policy because, in the event voters actually decide that no, Republicans aren't interested in creating jobs, no, they're not interested in getting the economy turned around, and, gee, maybe I'd like to actually go to the polls and vote for the candidate of my choice, they are using the insurance policy of voter suppression laws to make sure that people who are likely to go to the polls and vote for someone other than them can't do it. It's un-American. It's unacceptable.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I rise in opposition to H.R. 822, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act. This ill-conceived bill is yet another distraction from what should be the most pressing concern of this Congress, putting Americans back to work. What's more disturbing is that this bill jeopardizes public safety by mandating that States honor even the most lax concealed-weapon laws of other States. The gentleman from Illinois is incorrect: this is about criminals. For my constituents in south Florida, gun control is a serious issue. Miami-Dade County has one of the highest rates of gun violence in the country. In the entire State of Florida, there are almost 800,000 permits for concealed firearms. Florida's process for issuing concealed-carry licenses is problematic enough, and I would certainly not suggest foisting it on any other State that has stronger safeguards that protect its citizens. But this bill will do exactly that. For States that require age minimums or safety training before getting a concealed-weapons permit or that prohibits certain violent offenders from getting a permit in the first place, that all goes out the window if this bill is passed into law. What we get in return is the worst of the worst, a lowest-common-denominator of all of the State laws. For example, in just one 6-month period in 2006, Florida gave concealed-carry licenses to more than 1,400 individuals who had pleaded guilty or no contest to felonies, 216 of them had outstanding warrants, 128 of them had active domestic violence injunctions. And under this bill, other States will be mandated to honor these permits. They will be mandated to allow Florida's self-admitted felons to carry concealed weapons in their States. This is why the Nation's leading law enforcement organizations strongly oppose this bill. It's also opposed by more than 600 members of the bipartisan Mayors Against Illegal Guns, including many of my local mayors of both parties in south Florida. Why would this bill be a higher priority than creating jobs? This is the 11th straight month of this Congress, and the House majority still has no jobs agenda. Regardless of how Americans feel about guns, the overwhelming majority would agree that gun policy is not a higher priority than job creation is right now. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill, and I urge my friends across the aisle to stop putting American lives at risk and start putting them back to work.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Work and Family Month. As a mother of young kids in a household with two working parents, I know all too well the daily struggle facing today's American families. How can we be great parents and also be great at our jobs? This summer, when I was home in my congressional district, a constituent raised a question that particularly struck me: Can you imagine what a typical workweek would look like if suddenly, without warning, every single child care provider failed to show up to work and left parents with no alternative child care options? From Wall Street to Main Street, America's businesses would come to a grinding halt; and the carefully spun web of endless schedules, systems, and to-do lists that we've created to make it all work would unravel. With the number of parents working full-time on the rise, more and more families are fully engaged in the daily juggling act that comes with trying to do it all. Particularly in today's economy when secure employment has become more tenuous, parents have become increasingly hesitant to ask their employers for greater flexibility in their work schedule, to encourage their company to open a day care center, or to ask for the option to work remotely. If anything, the current economic climate has led to an even greater need for increased flexibility. Thousands of parents are at home not by choice but because they lost their jobs and have not yet had the opportunity to reenter the workplace. These parents may be at home, but looking for employment is a full-time job. With thousands of American families experiencing the situation as we speak, we are hearing too many stories about parents who couldn't get to an interview, a networking opportunity, or a job training session because their partners didn't have the flexibility in their work arrangements to make it work. Studies show that employees and their families are not the only ones to benefit from greater workplace flexibility. From improved productivity and efficiency to higher employee morale, flexible work arrangements can help employees and help businesses reach their fullest potential. In the last decade, we have seen significant strides made toward improving the great juggling act that is work-life balance. We cannot let this progress slip away during these challenging economic times. In the spirit of National Work and Family Month, I urge my fellow policymakers, employers, and employees to pause this month to think about how we can better work together to make it just a little bit easier for today's families. Attending the school play, tending to a sick child, or just being able to meet your family's needs makes a huge difference in the morale and work ethic of an employee. Achieving work-life balance makes a more productive employee and a more loyal one. I encourage all employers to assist their employees in achieving this balance. It will reap immeasurable benefits for both the workplace and for our families.