[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 17, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H7622]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           WOMEN OF THE YEAR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Garamendi) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, the success of our districts and the 
livelihood and future of our communities relies heavily on the devotion 
and service of those who go above the call of duty. The helpers willing 
to devote their time and energy to improving the lives of those around 
them deserve to be recognized.
  This fall, through my 2014 Women of the Year awards, I have made an 
effort to recognize, honor, and celebrate the vital contributions of 
outstanding women in my district. Through their work or volunteerism, 
these women have all vastly improved the quality of life in their 
communities.
  My office will recognize the achievements of Pat Ash, Marci 
Coglianese, Deborah Eernisse, Gloria Estrada, Lee Ann Grigsby-Puente, 
Mary Grimmer, Samina Masood, Dr. Frances Nelson, Gloria Partida, Linda 
Plummer, Lonetta Riley, Denise Rushing, Michelle Scully, and Nicole Van 
Vleck.
  These are exemplary examples of sacrifice and devotion. These civic 
leaders have helped improve their communities in various ways. They are 
advocates for education, agriculture, flood protection, environmental 
stewardship, the arts, promoting healthy communities, organizing events 
to promote world peace, and raising community awareness to end 
bullying.
  Throughout our history, America's foremothers have made great strides 
in securing their equal rights and equal treatment under the law. And 
while we have come very far, there is still work to be done. We stand 
on the shoulders of those giants, but that does not mean we should 
cease to reach further.
  The success these women have had in their lives translates directly 
to the success of their communities. The correlation is undeniable. 
When women succeed, our communities succeed, and our States succeed. 
``When women succeed, America succeeds.''
  I will continue to work to shape a Nation that fosters possibilities, 
opportunities, and equity for women. A large component of that mission 
is the Economic Agenda for Women and Families, which highlights three 
areas of importance.
  The first is pay. Women in this country make only 77 cents for every 
dollar earned by men doing exactly the same work. For African American 
and Latino women, the pay gap widens to 64 cents and 55 cents to the 
man's dollar. The minimum wage has not kept up with inflation, and when 
adjusted is more than 30 percent lower than it was in 1968. This is an 
unacceptable impediment to our success, and particularly the success of 
women.
  Women cannot succeed if wages are inequitable or insufficient. 
Paycheck fairness and increase in the minimum wage that includes tipped 
workers are just two solutions that will begin to mend the chasm 
created by the wage gap.
  The second area is work and family balance. The lack of policy 
ensuring earned paid sick days and paid maternity leave is, quite 
frankly, appalling. Our inaction on ensuring work and family balance 
not only affects the lives of parents, but the lives and the 
development of their children.
  The third area is child care. The passage of the Child Care and 
Development Block Grant Act of 2014 in the House of Representatives is 
a good first step towards ensuring access to child care, but there is 
still much more to be done.
  Ensuring the success of women, and thereby the success of America, is 
imperative. I am proud and extremely thankful to have these women 
working and serving in the communities I represent. The devotion, care, 
and service shown by them, and by those like them, are what make my 
district and America succeed.

                          ____________________