[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 13, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    BLACK HISTORY MONTH--BETTY REED

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. KATHY CASTOR

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 13, 2019

  Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor beloved 
community leader, Florida State Representative Betty Reed. She was 
raised in Thomasville, Georgia, in a close-knit family of hardworking 
sharecroppers and with 12 other siblings Representative Reed and her 
husband, James, moved to Tampa after he was discharged from the 
military to raise a family of their own.
  Representative Reed was an active parent while her children attended 
school, and her involvement grew over time in the Parent Teacher 
Student Association, then the Hillsborough County Council of PTSA and 
all the way to the Florida State PTA.
  As her children became older, she was prompted to complete her own 
high school diploma by attending night and weekend classes. Her 
pursuits only grew over time--she earned an associate's degree from 
Hillsborough Community College, then her bachelor's degree in 
behavioral science from National Louis University.
  Representative Reed's commitment to access to education grew as a 
financial aid assistant for Education America (which eventually became 
Remington College) and then as its director of financial aid. All the 
while, she was active in her own community, becoming president of the 
Lucy Dell Civic Association. But advocating for her community didn't 
stop there. She was elected as a Florida State Representative for the 
59th District, a seat she held until she was elected to represent the 
61th District in 2012.
  During her tenure as a Florida State Representative, she passed 
meaningful legislation, including the Black Health Practice Initiative 
(BIHPI, pronounced ``Bippy''), which passed both chambers of the 
Florida Legislature without a single dissenting vote. With stark 
disparities between the infant mortality rates of different races--in 
some areas, the rate of black infant mortality was more than four times 
the rate for whites--the legislation funded state grants to local 
Healthy Start coalitions that served counties with significant 
disparities: Hillsborough, Gadsden, Palm Beach, Orange, Broward, Duval, 
Putnam and Miami-Dade. The University of South Florida and Florida 
Agricultural & Mechanical University were selected to provide technical 
assistance and scientific guidance. BIHPI produced positive outcomes 
and was particularly meaningful due to the relationships built in 
communities with the greatest needs. She also championed and helped to 
secure state funding to help open numerous Tampa Family Health Centers 
and expand the robust safety net of comprehensive health services to 
medically underserved communities. Representative Reed passed 
legislation to end shackling incarcerated pregnant women during labor, 
delivery as well as postpartum, and legislation to provide additional 
funds to combat homelessness throughout the state of Florida. In her 
final two years, she served as the Democratic Ranking member of the 
Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee.
  Representative Reed is a compassionate leader, who immersed herself 
in the challenges of her neighbors, and that allowed her to serve as a 
strong advocate. Madam Speaker, on behalf of a grateful Tampa Bay 
community, I am proud to recognize Representative Betty Reed for her 
drive for meaningful progress on behalf of our children, students, 
women, families and communities across the State of Florida.

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