[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 20 (Monday, February 3, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H1535-H1540]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS: WHEN WOMEN SUCCEED, AMERICA SUCCEEDS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2013, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to lead the Congressional 
Black Caucus' Special Order hour on: ``When Women Succeed, America 
Succeeds.''
  I am honored to serve as the co-guest anchor this evening with my 
colleague and classmate, the gentlewoman from Illinois, Congresswoman 
Robin Kelly. We realize the importance ``when women succeed, America 
succeeds'' has on our economic agenda. I would also like to thank my 
colleagues Congressman Horsford and Congressman Jeffries for their 
assistance in organizing this evening's Special Order hour.
  Too many women across America are being left behind in today's 
economy. As the President so passionately stated in his House floor 
speech of the state of the Union on Tuesday, today, women make up about 
half of our workforce, but they still make 77 cents for every dollar a 
man earns. This is wrong--and in 2014, it is an embarrassment. It is 
important for me to note: for Black women, the pay gap is even larger. 
Black women on the average earn only 64 cents to every dollar a man 
earns.
  The President implored Congress, the White House, the businesses from 
Wall Street to Main Street to come together and give every woman the 
opportunity she deserves, because, ``when women succeed, America 
succeeds.''
  Mr. President, I couldn't agree more, and I thank you for adding this 
statement, this call to action, to your State of the Union.
  Many Democrats invited women from across America to attend the State 
of the Union address or to watch it--women who are among long-term 
unemployed women who are making a difference in their community, like 
in my community, a lady by the name of Amelia Caldwell, from the west 
side, working as a home health aide, or to my guest Karen Morrison, 
working as an executive in health care. Both must balance the work 
life, and both understand that we must continue to mentor and provide 
resources to support women, resources such as health care, child care, 
equal pay, affordable college tuition, early childhood education, 
economic development opportunities, and more advocates. Why? Because, 
when women succeed, America succeeds.
  We know that women have made and continue to make great strides, but 
there is more work to be done. We must provide women with economic 
security and opportunities that they deserve, that their families need.
  I want to thank the Congressional Black Caucus chairwoman, Marcia 
Fudge, for her leadership in making this a front-burner issue for the 
Congressional Black Caucus tonight.
  Just think about it. Jeannette Rankin was the first woman elected to 
Congress in 1917, who stood before this body and said, I may be the 
first woman to be here, but I won't be the last. She was right. 
Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman to serve in 
this body, and was the first in our Nation as a female to run for 
President of the United States. Leader Pelosi was the highest ranking 
female elected to serve in American history and was the first female to 
serve as House Speaker.
  America is a much better place because of their service, but there 
are still far too many women who are left behind. We can help rectify 
that by making sure that we advocate for women's rights--to have the 
right to vote, to have pay equity, pay leave, and access to quality 
child care. This evening, we will have the opportunity to hear many 
firsthand stories about women and the challenges that they face and how 
we can help overcome them.
  Let me start by introducing my co-guest anchor, Robin Kelly, from the 
Second District of Illinois. Robin is no stranger to the challenges 
that women face in the workforce. As a former State legislator and 
administrator and scholar and now a congressional advocate for women, I 
proudly present the gentlelady from Illinois, and I yield to her.
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you, Congresswoman Beatty.
  I want to thank all of my colleagues in the Congressional Black 
Caucus who have joined us here tonight and who continue to fight and 
serve as the conscience of our Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, ``When Women Succeed, America Succeeds.'' It is a simple 
enough concept, yet it hasn't received the attention it deserves in the 
policy arena. As we reflect on moments like the fifth anniversary of 
the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act--a bill that most of us would agree 
was long overdue--it is important that we keep in our minds and hearts 
the critical lesson of that important legislation, which is that it is 
unacceptable for pay discrimination to exist in our workforce, that 
workers who face discrimination have a right to claim compensation for 
the injustices they face, that regardless of gender, race, religion, or 
sexual identity, we all have a right to be justly compensated for our 
work, and most importantly, that it is beneficial to our economy, our 
families, and our children to pay fair wages to all of America's 
workers.
  In that spirit, we must lift up the cause of an economic agenda for 
women and their families. As we look to grow our economy, let us keep 
in mind how women drive that growth.
  Women are the breadwinners or co-breadwinners in nearly two-thirds of 
America's families. Women now outnumber men at every level of the 
higher education ladder. In 1964, only about 40 percent of women were 
enrolled in any type of college. Today, that figure is 57 percent. 
There are, roughly, 3 million more women currently enrolled in college 
than men. Women-owned businesses, like those owned by Vicky Linko, 
Letty Velez, and Christie Hefner in Illinois, account for nearly $3 
trillion of the gross domestic product in the United States.
  Women are vital to our economic future. Still, the facts on how far 
we need to go for women to truly achieve the American Dream are 
staggering.
  One in three adult women is living in poverty or on the brink of it. 
One-quarter of single mothers spend more than half of their incomes on 
housing compared to one-tenth of single fathers. Of all single mothers, 
nearly two-thirds are working in low-wage retail, service or 
administrative jobs that offer little economic support to adequately 
provide for the needs of their families. Women make only 77 cents for 
every dollar a man makes--a pay gap that exists even the first year out 
of college and continues through a woman's life. If you are a woman of 
color, no matter what your education is, there is that gap, and the gap 
grows as your education increases. Wage disparities cost American women 
an estimated $400,000 to $2 million in lost wages over a lifetime.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Thank you so much, Congresswoman Kelly, for providing us 
with those necessary statistics so we have a better understanding of, 
when we move forward, how we need to deal with making a difference in 
the lives of those women.
  Now I have the great honor to yield to the gentlelady from Ohio's 
11th Congressional District. She is the chairwoman of the Congressional 
Black Caucus. She is a leader, a lawyer, and an advocate for the 
people. She leads the largest delegation of the Congressional Black 
Caucus in its history. We stand 43 strong following her leadership. 
Please join me as I yield to the chairwoman of the Congressional Black 
Caucus, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge.

                              {time}  2030

  Ms. FUDGE. Thank you so very much, and thank you for yielding.
  I want to especially say this evening that as we talk about women, we 
are anchored tonight by two women, Congresswoman Beatty, of course, 
from the great State of Ohio, and Congresswoman Kelly from Illinois. I 
have had a wonderful opportunity to meet these outstanding women, and I 
am so pleased that they are here this evening. I thank them again for 
leading this Special Order hour for the Congressional Black Caucus.
  Today, members of the CBC raise our collective voices to advocate for 
a stronger economy by supporting and investing in working women across 
America.
  My colleagues and I know improving the economic condition of families 
and communities across the country begins with strengthening the 
economic position of women, because when women succeed, America 
succeeds.

[[Page H1536]]

  Last week, we marked the fifth anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter 
Fair Pay Act, the first piece of legislation signed by President Obama. 
As a result of this important legislation, women can more effectively 
take legal action against employers for gender-based pay discrepancies. 
While the Lilly Ledbetter Act helped provide a pathway for women to 
litigate pay discrimination, it does not address how we will invest in 
the economic future of working women in the United States.
  Today, women comprise almost half of the American workforce. The 
country has come a long way in promoting equal rights and equal pay for 
women, but it is unacceptable that in 2014, women still make 77 cents 
on the dollar compared to their male counterparts.
  In my home State of Ohio, women make approximately $10,000 less than 
men each year, and in my district, the median wage for women is 86 
percent of the median wage for men. According to the 2010 Census, in 40 
percent of American households with children, women are the sole or 
primary providers, and over 30 percent of households headed by women 
are living in poverty.
  African American and Latino women tend to feel wage discrepancy more 
acutely, receiving approximately 64 cents and 55 cents on the dollar, 
respectively, when compared to White, non-Hispanic males.
  This inequality must not continue. The economic security of our 
Nation's children depends on women's access to fair pay. This Nation 
cannot afford to continue treating women unfairly or leave women behind 
if they expect to strengthen and grow our economy.
  We can start to address this inequity by increasing the minimum wage. 
Almost two-thirds of workers earning the minimum wage are women. The 
minimum wage has not been sufficiently adjusted to reflect inflation. 
Increasing the minimum wage will help lift millions of women and 
children across the country out of poverty.
  It is also necessary to establish policies that enable working 
mothers to earn a living wage and to take care of their families. This 
requires workplace protections for pregnant workers, paid family sick 
leave for emergencies, and affordable child care.
  We cannot sit idle as half the population of our Nation lags behind. 
I look forward to voting in support of measures that break down 
economic barriers preventing women from reaching their full potential, 
because when women succeed, we all succeed.
  Thank you.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Thank you, Congresswoman Fudge. Clearly, we can see that 
she is no stranger to advocating for women and for lifting women out of 
poverty and standing for them.
  Earlier today, Congresswoman Fudge had the opportunity to speak to 
thousands of women who are gathered here this week to advocate for the 
same agenda, women of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, where she served 
as the 21st president. She spoke to them because they, too, join us in 
understanding that when women succeed, America succeeds.
  Now I would like to yield to the gentlelady from California's Third 
Congressional District, a woman who has a long history of standing up 
for people; a woman who understands when you talk about the statistics 
that we have heard tonight, and we will continue to hear tonight, about 
women living in poverty; a woman who only a few weeks ago, as we 
celebrated the 50th anniversary of President Johnson's war on poverty, 
led us in a press conference with his daughter. Standing with her were 
members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
  I call her a champion of the people. I call her our warrior of the 
people.
  Join me as I yield to the gentlelady from California, the Honorable 
Barbara Lee.
  Ms. LEE of California. Let me first thank you, Congresswoman Beatty, 
for those very humbling remarks, for your tremendous leadership, and 
for the work that you do each and every day not only for the people of 
your district but for the people and the women and the children and 
families in the entire country.
  I just have to say that you have certainly hit the ground running 
here in Washington, D.C. I think you have because of your life's work 
in Ohio, and what you have done in Ohio as an elected official and how 
you have just charted the course for so many issues for so many women. 
Thank you for leading us tonight.
  Also, Congresswoman Kelly, I want to thank you for organizing this 
Special Order and also for being such a champion for women and children 
and your district in Illinois.
  Again, I have been here now for probably eight terms. You all have 
just arrived. I just want to thank you. It is really an honor to work 
with you.
  Congresswoman Beatty, you earlier mentioned the President's quote. I 
want to mention once again what he said during the State of the Union 
because I think it is important to make sure that the country continues 
to hear that the President understands when women succeed, America 
succeeds, and he is leading the charge in the White House for that, in 
terms of his leadership.
  Today, women make up about half of our workforce, but they still make 
77 cents for every dollar a man earns. That is wrong, and in 2014, it 
is embarrassment.
  So thank you again, Congresswoman Beatty, for reiterating the 
President's quote, because we can't forget that he truly is supportive 
of our overall agenda.
  It is simply unacceptable that women are still being paid 77 cents 
for every dollar that a man makes. African American and Latina women 
are being paid even less, at 64 cents and 50 cents, while doing the 
same work as men.
  That is why our Democratic women of the House, under the leadership 
of Congresswomen Nancy Pelosi, Donna Edwards, and Doris Matsui, along 
with all of us, have launched the ``When Women Succeed, America 
Succeeds campaign.
  In drawing attention to the need for a true economic agenda for women 
and families in D.C., we all have been hosting a series of events in 
our districts across the country, and we are hearing the same thing. 
Congresswomen Kelly and Beatty, myself, Congresswoman Fudge from Ohio, 
are all hearing the same thing.
  Saturday, I was really thrilled and honored to have been joined by 
Leader Pelosi at my event in Oakland. I was also joined by former 
Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, who so courageously told her story as a 
former public assistance recipient needing affordable child care and a 
good-paying job as a bridge over her troubled waters.
  Also at this event I was joined by two of my constituents, Clarissa 
and Irma, who shared their struggle of trying to take care of their 
family.
  Clarissa told us about her struggle as a single parent. When budget 
cuts caused her to lose the subsidy that she received to pay for child 
care, she was forced to pull her son, Xavier, out of preschool and 
resign from her job to care for him during the day. Xavier started 
kindergarten unprepared and is now in his second year, catching up with 
his peers. It is very difficult.
  Clarissa is an unbelievable mother. So Xavier is going to make it, 
and he is going to be a true leader because of Clarissa, who is working 
each and every day to make sure he catches up. This didn't need to 
happen if she had affordable child care.
  Also, it reminded me of when I was in college with my two sons. I 
always say they were the two best educated children under 3 years of 
age. They were college-educated under 3 years because I had to take 
them to class with me while a student at Mills College because I could 
not afford child care.
  Child care is so critical to the success of women. When women 
succeed, America succeeds.
  Let me tell you about Irma. She is a single mother and a restaurant 
worker, a low-wage worker. She shared her experience with pregnancy 
discrimination. There was not a dry eye in the room.
  Irma, like so many women, became pregnant, and her manager reduced 
her work hours from 40 hours a week to less than 30 hours a week. He 
assigned her difficult tasks. You know why he did? To try to get her to 
resign. They had her doing work that she would never be allowed to do 
if her doctor had known that they were requiring her to do that.
  After assigning her a particularly difficult task when she was 8 
months pregnant, Congresswomen Beatty and Kelly, do you know what her 
manager told her? He said, Well, if it's so hard, then why go to work? 
Why go to work?

[[Page H1537]]

  So Irma's story is the story of so many of our constituents.
  It also reminded me, as my colleagues have mentioned, of 
Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the first African American women 
elected to Congress. She was fighting when she was here in Congress for 
pay equity for domestic women. She was fighting for affordable child 
care and for education.
  Congresswoman Chisholm was a founding member of the Congressional 
Black Caucus. She was someone that many of us looked up to. Her passion 
for the plight of working poor and women was undeniable.
  Leader Pelosi and myself unveiled the Shirley Chisholm Black History 
stamp on Saturday during our panel discussion. It was just an amazing 
moment because of all the people in that room. There were 500 of my 
constituents; young people, middle age, old people. My 89-year-old 
mother and my two sisters were there. People really understood when 
women succeed, America succeeds, and the fight that Shirley Chisholm 
mounted for that.
  In Brooklyn, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke serves in the spirit of 
Shirley Chisholm. She and Congressmen Jeffries, Rangel, Meeks, and 
Kelly had the privilege to unveil Shirley Chisholm's stamp in Brooklyn.
  Once again, the message of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm that when 
women succeed, America succeeds, is so relevant and so current today. 
So the principles of our women's economic agenda which we are 
discussing tonight resonates throughout our country, like raising the 
minimum wage. I just have to reference low-wage workers. The majority 
are women and women of color.
  Also, affordable, quality child care and paid family medical leave. 
Again, I mentioned my mother, a phenomenal woman who raised three young 
girls. Paid family medical care for not only our children but our 
elders, our senior citizens. It is so important that people know that 
they can care for their family members during their golden years, as 
well as their children.
  Pay equity and closing the gap in terms of the statistics we cited 
earlier. All of these efforts that we are mounting here in Congress, 
hopefully we will have bipartisan support for raising the minimum wage 
in this overall agenda.
  All of this means that when women succeed, America succeeds. The 
success of women is truly central and integral to the success of our 
country as a great democracy which stands for liberty and justice for 
all.
  So thank you again, Congresswomen Beatty and Kelly, for organizing 
this tonight.
  I have to close by just saying Congressman Shirley Chisholm was a 
true Delta woman. She was the epitome of a Delta woman, and so this 
week, once again, saluting Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and our 
overall women's agenda is so timely and so profound. Thank you again 
for this moment.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Thank you so much, Congresswoman Lee, and so timely are 
your words.
  Talking about Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm reminds me of a quote of 
hers that I read. It said:

       Tremendous amounts of talent are lost to our society just 
     because that talent wears a skirt.

  Certainly, like you, she was a phenomenal woman. So let me thank you 
again for your personal story and for telling us the story of Irma, 
because as I think of my congressional district and I think of a 
phenomenal family, I think of the Troy family, a family where I call 
her Mother Troy and Pastor Troy. They have four sons, but they have 
three daughter-in-laws who go out every day into the community, whether 
it is feeding a child, providing child care, or working with the 
homeless or in housing.

                              {time}  2045

  So in each of our communities we have stories because we understand 
in our communities that when women succeed, America succeeds. Thank 
you.
  At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield to Congressman Jeffries from the 
great State of New York, and it is, indeed, an honor, as he is coming 
to share with you that he represents the Eighth Congressional District.
  He is no stranger to this platform. You see, as our colleague and 
classmate, we are standing in tonight as co-anchors because Congressman 
Jeffries is the real anchor. He and Congressman Horsford have been 
stellar in their leadership, in their scholarship, to come here for 
every Special Order hour under the Congressional Black Caucus and lead 
us in an agenda that makes a difference in the lives of so many people.
  To have him here today, standing with us not only as a Congressman 
but as a spouse, as a father, sends a strong message that not only do 
women understand when women succeed, America succeeds, but men also 
understand it.
  I yield to the gentleman from the great State of New York (Mr. 
Jeffries).
  Mr. JEFFRIES. I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from Ohio for 
yielding, as well as for the tremendous job that you have done 
anchoring this CBC Special Order along with our good friend, the 
distinguished gentlewoman from Illinois.
  It reminds me, back at home, sometimes the pastor in my church would 
have a guest preacher come and deliver the sermon for the occasion, and 
the guest preacher will do so well that he will remark afterward, it is 
a dangerous thing when you bring that type of preacher to the pulpit 
because the congregation may not want the main preacher to come back 
again.
  You and Congresswoman Kelly have done such a tremendous job, 
certainly, Steven Horsford and I are at risk of losing our anchor 
positions. Nonetheless, we thank you for all that you have done.
  It was a particular honor on Friday, along with Congresswoman Yvette 
Clarke and Congresswoman Kelly and Congressmen Greg Meeks and Charlie 
Rangel, to be at the official unveiling held by the United States 
Postal Service of the Shirley Chisholm stamp to commemorate the life 
and times of this tremendous woman, this Member of Congress, this 
trailblazer, all that she had done.
  I recall that she once made an observation to a young person who was 
considering a career in public service and asked Congresswoman Chisholm 
whether he should pursue this or not. Congresswoman Chisholm responded 
by saying to this young man interested in public service, Well, if you 
decide to run for office, don't be a career politician. She said, Be a 
statesperson. Representative Chisholm explained that the difference is, 
a career politician is only concerned with the next election, but a 
statesperson is concerned with the next generation.
  As we stand here today, we would all do well to take that piece of 
advice that Congresswoman Chisholm uttered decades ago as it relates to 
the policy agenda connected to the theme ``when women succeed, America 
succeeds'' because, in order for that to be possible, we also have to 
be sensitive to what we are doing for the next generation of young 
people in the context of child care availability, universal pre-K, 
strengthening the Head Start program that has served so many over 
decades.
  What are we doing for the next generation to make sure that women, in 
particular, who are raising up the future leaders of America, are 
equipped with the resources and the ability to provide them with the 
best possible upbringing?
  Now, 50 years ago, in this Chamber, President Lyndon Baines Johnson 
spoke before a joint session of Congress and he declared a war on 
poverty. And we know that, as a result of that initiative, there were 
several legislative programs that were enacted into law between 1964 
and 1966--Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, school breakfast program, 
Food Stamp Act, college work study, minimum wage enhancement. All of 
these programs, taken together, contributed in a meaningful way to 
lifting millions of people out of poverty.
  Now, we know, as we stand here today we have still got a lot of work 
to be done. But instead of there being a war on poverty, what we have 
seen far too often during this Congressional session and the previous 
one is a war on women. That is unfortunate that we have gone from 
trying to lift people up and give them an opportunity to pursue the 
American Dream to failing to deal with the issues that women in America 
face today and, in some instances, aggressively trying to roll back 
rights that were hard-fought and acquired over the years.

[[Page H1538]]

  Now, as the President mentioned in this State of the Union that we 
all witnessed over the last week, that women in America make 77 cents 
for every dollar that a man earns. President Obama called it an 
embarrassment. I agree with that statement. It is also a national 
outrage.
  How can it be the case that in America, in 2014, we are still 
allowing for such significant pay disparity that, as Congresswoman Lee 
pointed out, is even worse for women of color? So we have got to move 
forward under the principle--to bring to life the notion that one 
should be provided equal pay for equal work.
  The second thing that we can do is to deal with this minimum wage 
issue that we have in America. As was pointed out earlier today, two-
thirds of minimum wage earners in America are women. And so the failure 
to raise the minimum wage, to have indexed it appropriately for 
inflation to account for cost-of-living increases in America, 
disproportionately adversely affects women in this country. The reality 
is, with a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, a woman in America can work 
full-time, 35 hours per week, across an entire year and, in attempting 
to raise a family, fall well below the Federal poverty line. It is the 
classic definition of working poor.
  So the failure to raise the minimum wage has consequences for women, 
for the family, and for the overall well-being of communities all 
across America, particularly when considering the fact that, in 40 
percent of American households, women are either the primary or the 
sole breadwinner.
  So that means, particularly as it relates to some of our good friends 
on the other side of the aisle who often express concern for family 
values--and I share that concern--the best family value is a good 
paycheck; because if you ensure that when people are working hard they 
are paid well for it, then we are ensuring that they have the capacity 
to take care of their families, of which women, increasingly, are the 
sole or primary breadwinners.
  So I just commend my distinguished colleagues, Representative Kelly 
and Representative Beatty, the dynamic duo of the CBC freshman class, 
for all that they have done and will continue to do on behalf of women, 
communities of color, and America in the context of their tremendous 
advocacy.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Thank you so much, Congressman Jeffries. And thank you 
for reminding us, if we could eliminate the wage gap, if we take, just 
in part of my district, in Columbus, in the metropolitan area, if we 
were able to eliminate the wage gap, it would allow women to have 77 
more weeks of food; it would allow them to have six additional months 
more to pay their mortgage or rent; it would allow them to also have 
2,555 gallons of gas to be able to take that child to child care or to 
go to work.

  So it is so important that we understand the agenda and why we stand 
here today as members of the Congressional Black Caucus advocating for 
women in this agenda, because we understand, when women succeed, 
America succeeds.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my great honor now, to yield to the gentleman from 
New Jersey, the 10th Congressional District of New Jersey. And we share 
a common bond: his father from New Jersey, my father from New Jersey. 
He is someone who understands all too well the value of when women 
succeed, America succeeds. He is a spouse; he is a father of triplets. 
And so it is so important, when we talk about early childhood education 
and when we talk about childhood, child care, that we understand that 
he understands, when women succeed, America succeeds.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey, Congressman 
Donald Payne.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, let me just acknowledge my colleagues from 
the freshman class, the gentlewoman from Ohio and the gentlewoman from 
Illinois, for anchoring this hour, When Women Succeed, America 
Succeeds.
  I now am one of two members of the freshman class that has not had 
the opportunity to anchor this hour. Mr. Horsford and Mr. Jeffries have 
done such an exceptional job in that. As Mr. Jeffries pointed out, Mrs. 
Beatty is always ready for the challenge and has demonstrated and, as 
was mentioned earlier, has stepped up to the plate and hit the ground 
running in the Halls of Congress and has demonstrated her leadership on 
numerous occasions.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, let me just say that we know we have made 
great progress in this country closing the gender wage gap; but women 
still, as it has been stated, and we need to continue to let it 
resonate, earn just 77 cents on every dollar a man earns for the same 
work. And for women of color, unfortunately, naturally, I am not 
surprised, the gap is even wider, with women of color earning just 64 
cents for every dollar that a man makes.
  In New Jersey, the gap has even grown worse. In just 1 year, women in 
New Jersey earn, on an average, $13,000 less than their male 
counterparts. Now, that is shocking. That is absolutely incredible that 
the gap, the margin is that wide, because over the course of that 
woman's lifetime, that adds up to more than $434,000.
  Now, what could a family over their lifetime do with another 
$435,000? Probably could own a nicer home, send all their children to 
college, live in a manner in which all Americans deserve to live in.

                              {time}  2100

  What we have is working poor. $434,000--that is a significant amount 
of money over the course of someone's life. That is not the America 
that I was raised to believe in. The home of the free, the land of the 
brave. Equality is always discussed, but there are always underlying 
factors in why those words are not lived up to for some people--
particularly in this case, women.
  Mr. Speaker, we live in the 21st century. Women now make up more than 
half of our workforce. As President Obama said last week in his State 
of the Union Address, paying women less is just plain wrong. In 2014, 
it is an embarrassment, and we all agree with him in that respect.
  This gross gender pay inequality doesn't hurt just women. It hurts 
families, and it hurts our local economy as well. I don't know in my 
case of a husband who is happy that his wife is working that hard and 
making 77 percent of what she deserves to make. Any way you look at it, 
it is lost revenue coming into the home, and it could make such a 
difference on small things--vacations, education, groceries, food, 
sustenance to make it through the week, the month, the year.
  On top of that, a woman shouldn't have to feel like she may lose her 
job if she takes time off to care for her sick children. Now this is 
something that I know all too well, Mr. Speaker. I know that my wife 
and I were very fortunate to have the FMLA while we were raising our 
triplets, you see, because one would get sick, then the next one would 
get sick, then the next one would get sick, then I would get sick, then 
my wife would get sick, and it would start all over again. There is no 
way either one of us could care for them while worrying about whether 
she is going to have a job to return to, but still today, too many 
women have to choose between being employed and caring for their 
families. It is just not right, and it is just not fair.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, in the greatest nation on Earth, no one who 
puts in a 40-hour workweek should be living in poverty, ever. They are 
playing by the rules. They are getting up every day, working hard, two 
and three jobs sometimes, and still not making ends meet. No one in 
this Nation that plays by the rules should find themselves in that 
condition. In this country, it is just not about having a job, but it 
is about having a good job.
  More than two-thirds of minimum wage earners are women. We owe it to 
them to pay them a wage that they could actually live on and provide 
for their families because we know, Mr. Speaker, in many cases, that 
woman is the wage earner in the home, the only wage earner in the home, 
and to have them find themselves in that condition is unfathomable in 
the 21st century.
  I was very encouraged by the President's actions to raise the wage 
for new government workers. It makes sense. It makes sense in this day 
and age to have a living wage, something you can take care of your 
family on. Congress needs to follow that example.
  There are many things that this Congress could do to ensure that 
women succeed. Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, pass the Family Act, and 
raise the minimum wage for all. All of these

[[Page H1539]]

measures have been blocked by my colleagues on the other side of the 
aisle, but the success of women in America cannot and should not be 
bipartisan as an issue.
  We must put our political differences aside and show this country 
that we care and we understand. We owe it to our mothers, we owe it to 
our wives, and we owe it to our daughters to provide them with the 
quality of life that they deserve.
  So I implore my fellow Americans that are watching this tonight, 
whether your Member is a Democrat or a Republican, to see where they 
stand on this issue, to check how they are voting in your interests, 
and if they are not voting in your interests, then you should remove 
them. Because when women succeed, America succeeds.
  I yield back.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Thank you so much, Congressman Payne. ``Land of the 
free, home of the brave''--it reminds me of the words that Leader 
Pelosi talked about during the 165th anniversary of the Seneca Falls 
Convention, the first women's rights convention that addressed women in 
social, economic, and political life. It said that women should be 
granted all the rights and privileges that men possess. So thank you 
for that message.
  As we continue in this hour, I would like to yield to my coanchor, 
the gentlewoman from Illinois.
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you, Congresswoman.
  I, too, feel compelled to tell my Shirley Chisholm story. As you have 
heard, I was privileged enough to be at the unveiling of her stamp, and 
I was very, very proud to be there, but also, I met Shirley Chisholm 22 
years ago. I was a director of minority student services for Bradley 
University, and we invited Congresswoman Chisholm out to be a speaker. 
I picked her up from the airport and drove her back when her time was 
done.
  We had the opportunity to have coffee together, and I felt her 
passion for the everyday person, to improve their quality of life. 
Little did I know that she was planting a little seed in me, as she was 
the first black woman elected, and I am the 30th and hopefully counting 
black woman elected to Congress. So I am very proud of that moment, and 
it gave me that opportunity to reflect when I heard all of her stories 
last Friday.
  You have heard from our many colleagues that nearly half of the 
workforce is female, yet two-thirds of all minimum wage workers are 
women. You have heard 40 percent of working women are their family's 
primary breadwinner. If these women were paid the same wages as their 
male counterparts, their family income would increase by $6,776 a year. 
This is a $245 billion increase in wealth nationwide. If women receive 
equal pay, our economy would generate $447.6 billion in additional 
income. Again, we all would benefit from this, not just women.
  41.5 million adult women and 16.8 million adult working women live in 
households below 200 percent of the poverty line. Women workers, single 
mothers, and low-income workers are the least likely to have access to 
paid leave and workplace flexibility offered through their employer, 
only exacerbating gender inequality and women's poverty.
  The United States, as we said, the wealthiest country in the world, 
is the only developed nation that does not require employers to provide 
paid maternity leave, and the family and medical leave protections that 
do exist fail to cover nearly half of all full-time employees.
  Revenue of women-owned businesses is 27 percent of that of men-owned 
businesses. I remember when I was a State representative, thanks to 
SEIU, being a child care worker for a day, and I went into the home of 
a woman who took care of other children for other women so that they 
could go to work. Both the child care worker and the mom going to work 
were very low-wage earners, but if it wasn't for that low-wage earner 
or child care worker, the mom couldn't afford to pay her so she could 
then go to work. It would be easy for the moms to stay home, but they 
didn't want to stay home. They wanted to work. They wanted to build 
their resume, and they also wanted to give their children the 
opportunity to be around other children and to learn from those low-
wage child care workers. So both groups of women are affected by the 
minimum wage in this country.
  With that, I yield back, Congresswoman.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Thank you so much for sharing your stories, as my 
coanchor.
  All evening, we have heard the stories of women who have advocated 
and fought in these Chambers, women like Shirley Chisholm. We know the 
stories all too well of the Rosa Parks, of the Barbara Jordans. Then as 
we look to education, we know the stories of women who serve as 
presidents of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, women like 
Dr. Johnnetta Cole, women like Cynthia Jackson-Hammond at my alma 
mater, Central State University. We know women who have worked and 
earned their place in history because they understand that when women 
succeed, America succeeds.
  We know the stories of our parents. But one thing tonight I want to 
make sure that we add to these resources when we talk about economic 
development and we talk about child care and we talk about all the 
other services, pay equity and health care, and that is the right to 
vote. That is one of the most critical things that I want us to 
remember, because when we get people registered to vote and then we 
allow them to be able to vote, that is one of the most powerful tools.
  The story we don't hear when we talk about ``when women succeed, 
America succeeds'' is the story of a little lady from Hattiesburg, 
Mississippi, a lady by the name of Oseola McCarty. The name probably 
won't mean a lot to a lot of people. She was someone who was a washer 
woman. She washed clothes for women who didn't look like her or think 
like her and many who probably didn't even know her name, but this 
woman in her own little wisdom truly understood the value of when women 
succeed, America succeeds.
  You know why? She took her pay every week, and she put it in a jar, 
and she saved, and you see, she didn't have children. She didn't have a 
spouse or brothers and sisters, and she wrote a little note saying that 
she wanted these dollars to go to a child that was underserved, a child 
who would be able to take these few dollars and get a college education 
because that would make a difference in that child's life. Well, at the 
time of her death, someone opened up that container. And in that 
container, there was an estimated amount of $150,000.
  So when I think about ``when women succeed, America succeeds,'' I 
will add the name of Oseola McCarty to that list, because that is what 
we are talking about tonight. When we talk about members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus being the conscience of the Congress, it 
means that when we stand on this House floor advocating for folks who 
are voiceless, that is our role.
  So when we seem so passionate and so concerned when some of our 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle stand in the way of providing 
health care for women, for providing early childhood education or 
wanting to make a difference in how we feed our poor, then it reminds 
me of all the stories that we have heard today.

                              {time}  2115

  It reminds me of all the women who are fighting because they 
understand that there are faces on all of the statistics that we have 
heard tonight. And all of these faces, whether well-known or not, when 
you go back to your districts, understand when you stand with us as 
members of the Congressional Black Caucus, as you stand with us, with 
women in our caucus, you are standing with all the women across 
America. And the message you are sending is, when women succeed, 
America succeeds.
  It is my great honor to ask my co-anchor tonight to close us out and 
ask everyone to remember that we are here, and, yes, I will say it 
again, when women succeed, America succeeds.
  I yield to the gentlelady from Illinois.
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Thank you, Congresswoman. You make me think 
about my grandmother, because it was my grandmother in the late 1940s 
who purchased a grocery store and told my grandfather, We are in the 
grocery business now. It was because of her parents instilling in her 
and helping

[[Page H1540]]

her to succeed and be a role model that she planted a seed for our 
family and her sons and then my father and my uncle. And it just fed 
the line for success and all of us going to college because of my 
grandmother. She was the very strong one in the family.
  America cannot afford to maintain the status quo. Nearly 70 percent 
of Americans on or above the brink of poverty are women and the 
children who depend on them. That is almost 42 million American women 
and more than 28 million American children living on or at the brink of 
poverty. Tonight's conversation is about sparking an agenda that will 
enable women to achieve greater security. This includes raising wages 
for women and their families and allowing working parents to support 
and care for their families.
  I want to thank the entire Congressional Black Caucus, especially my 
fellow co-anchor, the gentlewoman from Ohio, Congresswoman Beatty, who 
did a fantastic job.
  As we recognize Black History Month, we are reminded the 
Congressional Black Caucus exists to improve communities through policy 
action that meets the needs of millions of our most vulnerable 
citizens. It is that spirit that guides us here tonight. When we see 
millions of women and children on the brink of poverty, we must act. 
When we see total household incomes being short-changed because of 
gender biases in wage, we won't stand for it. When women succeed, 
America succeeds. I will say it again. When women succeed, America 
succeeds.
  I thank my colleagues for caring enough to get involved in this 
debate.


                             General Leave

  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. I ask unanimous consent that my colleagues 
have 5 days to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Messer). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentlewoman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. With that, I yield to my co-anchor, 
Representative Beatty, for any last words.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Let me just say as we close out that it is so important 
that you understand that our message tonight is certainly about making 
a difference in the lives of those who live in this wonderful country. 
So let me end as we started with, when women succeed, America succeeds.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to address their 
remarks to the Chair and not to a perceived audience.

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