Congressional Record—House H2636
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H2636 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE April 4, 2017 funding for communities across Amer- 588 healthcare clinics that prioritize very country they were working to de- ica with backlogged infrastructure women’s health and wellness. That is fend. The women were forced to run projects that create jobs and produce 49 healthcare clinics for every 1 their own mess halls, hair salon, re- robust economic benefits. Everyone Planned Parenthood health center. So freshment bar, and other facilities be- agrees on that. instead of driving 100 miles or more to cause of segregationist Department of He has also called for a nearly $3 bil- a Planned Parenthood in Missouri, Defense policies. lion draconian reduction to foreign op- women can receive the quality care Yet despite the harsh conditions of erations endangering our national se- they need within their own commu- war and unequal treatment, the women curity. We are the leader of the free nities. of the 6888th Battalion cleared a 6- world the last time I looked, and, Last Congress, I voted to increase month backlog of mail in just 3 months meanwhile, he and his family spend funding to those very clinics by hun- while posted in Britain. In France, millions of American taxpayer dollars dreds of millions of dollars. Congress they cleared a 3-year mail backlog in on travel and security costs for them- has a sincere duty to not only defund just 6 months. Thanks to their tireless selves. big abortion but to radically change efforts, United States soldiers were fi- With an investigation into President the conversation around life issues. nally able to receive lost letters from Trump’s possible entanglements with Members of Congress and this admin- loved ones during the war. Putin’s Russia already underway, and istration understand that life is beau- The courage exhibited by the 6888th members of the President’s family and tiful, that children are a blessing, that proved once again that senseless acts administration engaging in increas- abortion is not healthcare. It kills chil- of cruelty are no match for the will and ingly brazen conflicts of interest, this dren, and it hurts women. determination of African-American Congress should pass legislation to pre- Rest assured that our work to pro- women. vent these increasingly apparent con- tect life, all life, has only just begun. But in July 1945, tragedy struck Pri- flicts of interest from endangering our f vate First Class Mary J. Barlow, Pri- Nation and the American people. It is vate First Class Mary H. Bankston, and only a matter of time before his con- HONORING SACRIFICES OF AFRI- Sergeant Dolores M. Browne, who lost flicts of interest harm our country. CAN-AMERICAN WOMEN DURING their lives in a Jeep accident. Recog- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Mem- WORLD WAR II nizing their fellow comrades’ sac- bers are reminded to refrain from en- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The rifices, the women of the 6888th pooled gaging in personalities toward the Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from their personal resources to properly President. California (Ms. LEE) for 5 minutes. bury these women. These women who f Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, each year dur- tragically lost their lives while serving ing Women’s History Month, we pause in Europe are buried at the Normandy PLANNED PARENTHOOD V. to commemorate the contributions American Cemetery, which I was privi- WOMEN’S HEALTH CLINICS women have made to this country, but leged to visit a couple of years ago. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The we should really commemorate women Their contributions and sacrifices de- Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from every day. So I am here today in April serve to be celebrated. These Black Missouri (Mrs. WAGNER) for 5 minutes. to amplify the contributions of women women proudly sacrificed their lives Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise of color, particularly African-American for a country that did not value them today in honor of life and in respect for women. Far too often, the blood, sweat, due to racial discrimination and big- the conscience rights of all citizens of and tears sown by women of color goes otry. So it is with great pride that I this free Nation. unrecognized. So many are truly hid- speak their names today, hoping that I was proud to preside over the floor den figures. more people will come to acknowledge of the U.S. House of Representatives a Mr. Speaker, this morning, I want to their sacrifice and the sacrifices of few short weeks ago as we voted in honor the sacrifices African-American their fellow sisters during World War favor of No Taxpayer Funding for women made for this country during II. Abortion Act to strike down an Obama World War II. Sadly, to this day, their I want to thank our Military Con- administration policy that forces sacrifices have gone unacknowledged, struction, Veteran Affairs Appropria- Americans to fund abortion providers. and as the daughter of a World War II tions Chair Congressman CHARLIE We also passed H.J. Res. 43, which is veteran and a Korean veteran, I am DENT, then-Ranking Member SANFORD another step closer to restoring the honored to shed light on a few of the BISHOP, as well as our full committee rights of States to decide how to dis- tremendous contributions of African- Chair ROGERS and Ranking Member tribute title X funding for women’s American women during World War II. LOWEY for their support in the Appro- health care. The measures ensure that I want to rise to highlight the coura- priations Committee to help us un- States are not forced to fund abortion geous efforts of more than 800 African- cover this great history, and also the providers like Planned Parenthood. American women from the 6888th Cen- American Battle Monuments Commis- Based on its own annual report, tral Postal Directory Battalion, which sion. Planned Parenthood performs the most was the first all-women, all-Black unit These great sheroes need to be abortions in the United States. It com- deployed in World War II. brought to the attention of the Amer- mits more than 320,000 abortions every The 6888th, its nickname ‘‘Six Triple ican people so that they can properly year, 887 each day. Mr. Speaker, that is Eight’’, was an all-women, all-Black be recognized for their sacrifices and one abortion every 97 seconds. Three unit that helped boost morale among their legacies. unborn children’s lives will be taken by Allied troops by working through It is my hope that the United States Planned Parenthood as I stand here major mail backlogs in Europe during will no longer be shy about recognizing this morning. World War II. the value, accomplishments, and sac- Recently, Planned Parenthood has rifices of Black women in history. I am begun attacking me as a supposed b 1030 hopeful that we will come to know the enemy of women’s health care. Nothing To sort through the major backlog of many nameless sheroes of the Black could be further from the truth. All mail in Europe, the women were di- community. These hidden figures have Missourians deserve quality health vided into three subunits that allowed fought many battles, have sacrificed so care, which is one reason I oppose tax- them to run the postal service 24 hours much, and have paved the way for payer funding of Planned Parenthood. a day, 7 days a week, processing 65,000 Black women to move forward in spite This organization does not provide gen- pieces of mail per 8-hour shift. of the barriers which we are still trying eral women’s health or mammogram The battalion endured the harsh win- to break. screenings. That is a fallacy. ter of Europe, dimly lit rooms, and rat- On today, Equal Pay Day, I am re- In the State of Missouri, there are 12 infested headquarters to carry out minded that African-American women Planned Parenthood facilities scat- their mission. Adding insult to injury, earn 63 cents on the dollar. We are still tered across our 114 counties. However, these courageous women also faced seg- at the bottom of the economic ladder. Mr. Speaker, we are grateful to have regation and discrimination from the I urge my colleagues to fight for pay VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:26 Apr 05, 2017 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K04AP7.006 H04APPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with HOUSE April 4, 2017 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2637 equality and gender equality as we con- women in the United States who work school in a one-room schoolhouse, a tinue to honor the lives and legacies of full-time, year-round, on average still time without cell phones or television so many African-American women who only earn 80 cents for every dollar or even electricity and the other mod- truly are hidden figures but who have earned by men. This amounts to a ern conveniences we take for granted done so much to make this a better yearly gap of $10,470 between full-time today. Yet somehow she survived and country. working men and women. had a remarkable life. She saw hard f For African-American women like times from the Dust Bowl to the Great myself, the pay gap is even larger. Afri- Depression to countless world events A TRIBUTE FOR ROBERT ‘‘BOB’’ can-American women working full- over the past century. RAWLINGS time, year-round, on average still only When she was born, women didn’t The SPEAKER pro tempore. The earn 63 cents for every dollar earned by have the right to vote in America; but Chair recognizes the gentleman from White, non-Hispanic men.