[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 183 (Tuesday, December 10, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H6540]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    WITH GRATITUDE TO NORTH CAROLINA'S SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Manning) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with deep gratitude for the 
people of North Carolina's Sixth Congressional District for trusting me 
to represent them in the U.S. House of Representatives.
  I have been proud to stand with House Democrats to pass historic 
legislation to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, lower the cost of 
prescription drugs, strengthen domestic manufacturing, protect our 
future with the development of clean energy, address gun violence, and 
provide vital support for our veterans.
  Thanks to these efforts, 80,000 households in my district have gained 
access to affordable high-speed internet, 39,000 residents are saving 
hundreds of dollars annually on their prescription drugs, and more than 
4,700 veterans exposed to toxins during their service have filed claims 
to access benefits they have earned.
  I have also been proud to secure nearly $60 million in Federal 
funding for community projects across the Sixth District. From improved 
transportation to new equipment for our police and firefighters, public 
safety initiatives, expanding education and job training, incentivizing 
economic development and public health, these projects are making a 
real difference.
  I have also been proud to fight against the terrible loss of women's 
rights. Two years ago, the Supreme Court overturned 50 years of 
judicial precedent with its decision to strike down Roe v. Wade. This 
terrible ruling stripped millions of women of their right to obtain an 
abortion, has placed devastating hurdles in obtaining care for 
miscarriages, and has unleashed a wave of rightwing attacks on the full 
range of women's reproductive healthcare, including birth control.
  That is why I introduced my Right to Contraception Act, to protect 
access to all FDA-approved birth control, which passed through the 
House in the last Congress. Sadly, my bill was blocked by Republicans, 
first in the Senate and again this term by Republicans in the House. It 
is shameful.
  As policy co-chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, I have been 
proud to fight for all women to make decisions about their own bodies 
and to have the ability to succeed in the workplace while still caring 
for their children and their family members.
  In addition to fighting for North Carolinians' basic freedoms, I have 
worked to advance America's values and interests on the world stage. As 
the vice ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I have 
advocated for rebuilding and expanding strong relationships with our 
allies, including unwavering support for Ukraine and Israel in the face 
of unprecedented attacks.
  After Hamas' brutal October 7 invasion of Israel, I have stood up 
against the alarming rise in anti-Semitism here at home and around the 
globe as the co-chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating 
Antisemitism. This includes introducing my Countering Antisemitism Act, 
the most comprehensive legislation aimed at addressing the disturbing 
increase in anti-Semitism in our country's history.
  This bill must be passed if we are serious about eradicating the 
scourge of the world's oldest hatred and protecting the fundamentals of 
our democracy. What begins with hatred against the Jews never ends 
there but spreads to other vulnerable groups.
  As a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, I have 
championed investments in our students and schools and worked to 
address the youth mental health crisis, introducing the Improving 
Mental Health and Wellness in Schools Act to expand resources for our 
students.
  As chair of the New Democrat Coalition Workforce Development Task 
Force, I have fought to address ongoing labor shortages and prepare 
workers for the jobs of the future.
  While I would love to continue this important work on behalf of my 
constituents, the blatantly gerrymandered congressional districts 
passed by the Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly make it 
impossible for me to do so. These maps are a deliberate distortion of 
the will of the people, designed with surgical precision to split 
communities of interest and deny real representation to North 
Carolinians. These maps force me to depart Congress, but I recognize 
that I am doing so at a time of great division within our country.
  Now, more than ever, it is our duty in this Chamber to reaffirm the 
fundamental values that unite us as Americans: freedom, democracy, the 
rule of law, and the belief that all people are created equal.
  While I will not be here to witness the next chapters of history 
written in this Chamber, I will keep using my voice to defend these 
values and trust in their enduring power to make our Union more 
perfect.
  I will close by thanking my extraordinary staff members who work 
every day to get things done for the people we represent. I thank 
everyone who supported me in getting to Congress and all the colleagues 
with whom I have worked to develop friendships on both sides of the 
aisle.

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