[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 8 (Wednesday, January 15, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H155-H156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           ENSURING EVERY STUDENT FEELS SAFE, SEEN, SUPPORTED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Hawaii (Ms. Tokuda) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my deep concern and 
disappointment with the passage of H.R. 28.
  As a mother of teenagers in public schools, I am appalled that 
instead of addressing urgent challenges, like the youth mental health 
crisis, gun violence in our schools, and the growing teacher shortage, 
this legislation diverts our attention to dangerous and divisive 
policies.
  H.R. 28, under the guise of protecting fairness in sports and safety 
in schools, risks undermining the rights and dignity of girls and young 
women. Let me be clear: This bill threatens the very foundation of 
Title IX, the landmark legislation that, for over 50 years, has 
protected millions from gender-based discrimination in education.
  Patsy Mink, the trailblazing Congresswoman who championed Title IX, 
understood the deep injustices women face in education and beyond. As a 
woman and a Japanese American, she fought so that her daughter and all 
future generations could pursue their dreams without fear of prejudice 
or exclusion. They fought this hard fight, and for us, this bill 
betrays her legacy and all of her efforts by turning back the clock on 
these hard-won rights.
  Growing up, I experienced firsthand the pain of being bullied for the 
way I looked and being judged for not fitting traditional expectations 
of what a girl should look or act like.
  I remember vividly being told by the school administrator: ``Tuck in 
your shirt, boy.'' I was just a middle schooler, tall for my age, 
wearing my hair short, and pants, not dresses. The shock and 
humiliation of that moment stayed with me, and it fuels my resolve that 
no child should ever be made to feel ashamed of being authentically who 
they are.
  Our students already face incredible pressures and challenges. 
Instead of making their lives harder by policing their identities and 
questioning their worth, we should be supporting them, fostering 
environments where they can grow, thrive, and succeed as their true, 
authentic selves.

[[Page H156]]

  Transgender girls are girls. Transgender women are women. If we truly 
want to protect girls and women, we must stand for inclusion, dignity, 
and respect, not division and exclusion.
  This isn't just about a policy. It is about our values. It is about 
ensuring that every student feels safe, seen, and supported. That is 
how we protect our children. That is how we honor the spirit of Title 
IX.
  Let's move forward with solutions that uplift and unite our schools, 
not tear them apart.


       In Solidarity With Those Impacted by California Wildfires

  Ms. TOKUDA. Mr. Speaker, over the past 10 days, our Nation has 
watched with horror and sadness the harrowing scenes coming out of 
southern California, as these fires tore through homes, neighborhoods, 
and communities.
  On behalf of my constituents who know the terror and trauma of 
wildfire all too well, I rise today in solidarity with our California 
and Los Angeles ``ohana,'' ``family,'' and I am outraged over the 
callous and heartless remarks that conditions should be applied to 
their aid.
  Within days of our Maui fires, teams from CAL FIRE were by our side 
on the ground to help deliver relief and organize the cleanup.
  In our hour of greatest need, they stood by us without expectation of 
any reward. They simply stepped up for their fellow Americans. They 
showed us in Hawaii aloha.
  That is what we need to do as a nation, as one people. We help each 
other out in our times of need, regardless of where we come from, our 
beliefs, or how we vote. We as Members of Congress pledge to do this 
every single day when we convene for business: one nation, 
unconditionally, under God.
  Now, in California's time of greatest need, the President-elect, the 
Speaker, and other colleagues here in the House want to impose policy 
conditions on Federal disaster aid.

                              {time}  1045

  Mr. Speaker, this will endanger innocent lives and delay the ability 
of our fellow Americans to rebuild and recover from this disaster.
  Never before in our history has the Federal Government imposed 
conditions on disaster aid for its own citizens.
  This is just more than unprecedented. To deny our fellow Americans 
the help they need after losing loved ones, their homes, and their 
businesses in their darkest hour because of political differences, it 
is not just cruel; it is immoral. It is un-American. It is not who we 
are as a country.
  It is an affront to our most basic values, one that transcends any 
law or policy and lives at the core of our faith. We should do to 
others as we would do to us. We must love our neighbor.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me and our fellow Americans 
in solidarity in delivering the aid that California desperately needs 
without political conditions.
  In doing so, I urge my colleagues to do the right thing and stand up 
for our values as a Nation. Let us send the right message to the 
American people that their government of the people, by the people, and 
for the people will always stand by them unconditionally, no matter 
what.

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