[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 14, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H2005-H2006]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        SUPPORTING THE WOMEN'S BUREAU AT THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

  (Ms. Bonamici of Oregon was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn in the strongest 
terms the attack by DOGE on the Women's Bureau at the Department of 
Labor, the only Federal agency representing women in the workforce.
  Last week, Elon Musk's unelected, unqualified, inept team at DOGE 
canceled millions of dollars in grants funded through the Women's 
Bureau by calling them wasteful.

[[Page H2006]]

  These terminations decimated the important work of the Women's 
Bureau, including programs to support survivors of gender-based 
violence and Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations, 
which has successfully expanded pathways for women to enter the 
workforce and lead in all industries, including the trades.
  A Department of Labor spokesperson claimed that the Women's Bureau 
funds discriminatory DEI experiments. I would like to know why exactly 
they think helping women enter and succeed in the workforce is a 
discriminatory DEI experiment. Canceling more than $20 million 
in congressionally authorized funds is both illegal and 
unconstitutional, and we must hold DOGE and Secretary Chavez-DeRemer 
accountable.

  Congress established the Women's Bureau 2 months before women 
officially gained the right to vote, 105 years ago this year. Instead 
of celebrating its achievements and recognizing the benefits of these 
grant programs, the Trump administration is trying to send us backward 
in time, harming millions of women in the process.
  Mr. Speaker, I am not going back. I encourage my colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle to stand with me in support of the Women's Bureau 
and the crucial opportunities and protections it provides for women in 
the workforce.


     Congratulations to Lincoln High School and Sprague High School

  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and congratulate 
two high school teams on their recent cochampionship win of the We the 
People: The Citizen and the Constitution competition.
  Run by the Center for Civic Education, this competition tests the 
knowledge of high school students from around the country about the 
U.S. Constitution and American Government. Students display 
understanding about historical and contemporary constitutional issues, 
and their breadth of knowledge is incredibly impressive.
  I am proud to report that both top teams are from public high schools 
in Oregon. Lincoln High School and Sprague High School won the national 
competition in Virginia after competing at the State level and then 
spending 3 days here in the D.C. metro area at the finals answering 
tough questions with confidence, intelligence, and grace.
  Both teams showed deep knowledge of constitutional law and U.S. 
history, and this year we saw something amazing. The average team size 
is 21 students, but the Sprague team had only two. Impressively, the 
Lincoln team was mostly sophomores, but they all worked hard and it 
showed. A scoring anomaly resulted in both the Sprague and Lincoln 
teams earning the title of cochampions for the first time in the 
competition's history.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the Center for Civic Education for making this 
opportunity available. I also thank the teachers and coaches who worked 
with the teams and these impressive students for giving us hope for the 
future at a time when it is desperately needed.
  Please join me in congratulating Lincoln High School and Sprague High 
School on their cochampionship win of We the People: The Citizen and 
the Constitution competition.

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