[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 4, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H951]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                     A SERIOUS AND PROFOUND MOMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Ms. Stevens) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, within 12 hours, this very Chamber is going 
to witness a joint address to Congress. I will take my time and my 
privilege as a duly elected Member of this Chamber to share some of the 
sentiments about the state of the Union that is emerging very clearly 
and loudly from Michigan and on behalf of my constituents.
  First and foremost, tariffs that are coming down today on Canada are 
wreaking havoc on autoworkers, our auto industry, and, frankly, the 
stock market.
  Secondly, I am hearing very grave concerns about the state of Social 
Security and Social Security's ability to meet its fiduciary 
commitments to its millions and millions of recipients. Never once in 
the history of that program has a payment been missed, but the actions 
of DOGE are disrupting that very agency.
  There is also a very palpable fear in my constituents. Veterans who 
are 100 percent disabled are concerned and fearful that they may or may 
not be able to continue to receive their medical care.
  This is a serious and profound moment. This is a self-inflicted 
crisis.
  I did serve this Nation during a time of real economic crisis during 
the Great Recession in the administration of Barack Obama. That was 
when I was in the Treasury Department, working to save General Motors 
and Chrysler and millions of American automotive jobs as the companies 
were staring liquidation in the face.
  Mr. Speaker, I will take a moment to share some words. On February 8, 
at the Sheet Metal Workers union in Oakland County, Michigan, I was 
joined by an incredible medical expert from Michigan, my friend, Dr. 
Preetha Iyengar, who happens to be in this very Chamber alongside her 
family here today.
  She read these words, which I would like to share and read on her 
behalf, and on the behalf of the American people, in this Chamber.
  Dr. Iyengar shared:

       I am a pediatrician and epidemiologist. After residency, I 
     trained for 2 years at the CDC and then worked in Washington, 
     D.C., at an NGO and the D.C. Health Department.
       I am here today to highlight the impact of recent policies 
     and actions on scientific institutions and how that impacts 
     us in Michigan.
       Our scientific institutions are being attacked from many 
     angles, but I wanted to highlight three areas: spreading of 
     misinformation, purging of experts and destruction of 
     scientific institutions, and destruction of critical 
     infrastructure.
       We are seeing that the current administration's agenda is 
     misinformation and confusion. Federal healthcare and public 
     health institutions are facing unprecedented censorship and 
     harassment. Bans for external communications have crippled 
     international collaborations, with special exceptions given 
     at random and many that have not been restored. Websites with 
     CDC healthcare guidelines used by doctors and public health 
     information used by all of us in the medical community, like 
     vaccine safety information sheets, were forced to be removed 
     without warning.

  Dr. Iyengar also mentioned that we now are less safe in protecting 
ourselves during the flu season, particularly with bird flu.
  I may insert the question: How much are egg prices today in the 
United States of America? People are stealing eggs outside of delivery 
trucks and engaging in fights in supermarkets across this country. This 
is the United States of America, and we need an egg price plan.
  Dr. Iyengar also went on to say that, as a woman in STEM, she is 
horrified to see the targeting of DEI programs, and let's say the 
words: diversity, equity, and inclusion. Equity, which is enshrined in 
our very Constitution, is something that all equal Members of this 
Chamber swore an oath to uphold. I will remind people of the rights and 
the tenets of Article I in our Constitution.
  Dr. Iyengar says that she is horrified by the cuts to diversity, 
equity, and inclusion as a woman in STEM.
  Frankly, as the leader of the Women in STEM Caucus, I founded this 
bipartisan caucus with four Members of this Chamber, two Republicans 
and two Democrats. It is Women's History Month, and we would like to do 
some things for women in STEM to meet the workforce challenges and 
needs of this great Nation. Of course, I cannot, at this present time, 
tragically, get a Republican Member of Congress to join the Women in 
STEM Caucus for this term.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair reminds Members that the rules do 
not allow references to persons in the gallery.

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