National Voter Registration Day, 2022
Floor Speech
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Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, the right to vote is fundamental to our democracy. While the path to full voting rights for all American citizens has been and still is long and challenging, this week we honor the heroes who fought to secure this right by encouraging and supporting all eligible Americans to register to vote.
This call to action would be incomplete if I did not mention the nearly 4 million Americans living in U.S. territories and those in the District of Columbia who still do not have equal voting representation in this Congress and in our country.
As such, Americans living in the territories and the District of Columbia are accustomed to being last in line or given short shrift for hurricane relief, Medicaid, and infrastructure funding.
We must remain committed to building an America where every vote matters and where every citizen has the ability and the right to participate freely in the democratic process.
That is why I stand with House Democrats to continue to work on securing the vote for all Americans. Our Nation depends on it. Better-Paying Jobs
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Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to affirm my commitment to expanding work opportunities to all corners of the country, including the often excluded territory of the Virgin Islands. That means forming better-paying jobs and economic opportunities so Americans can work and live with dignity and security.
The Democratic Caucus has remained committed to people over politics in this with safer communities, better-paying jobs, and opportunities for all Americans.
That is why they have supported and I support the three significant pieces of legislation that have been passed by House Democrats: the CHIPS and Science Act which provides billions of dollars in new funding to strengthen American research and development and rebuild our supply chain; the Inflation Reduction Act which has stimulated job growth through investments in clean, affordable, and secure American energy while simultaneously cutting families' energy bills and fighting the climate change; and, lastly, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, let us not forget, which aims to rebuild our roads, bridges, and transit systems while bringing broadband and clean drinking water to more communities. Black Women's Equal Pay Day
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Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the disparities that exist for Black women due to the double-pronged existence of institutional racism and misogyny in our country. Black women bear the unique burden of experiencing both gender and racial discrimination. We have seen this in health, wealth, education, and work among all socioeconomic, geographic, and age groups.
Black women earn 58 cents to the dollar of a White man--the same job, the same position--58 cents to the dollar. Their earning gap is even more severe for mothers, with Black mothers only earning 46 cents for every dollar a White, non-Hispanic father earned nationally.
It is imperative that we demand pay equity for Black women. So today, I stand with all of my sisters and demand and implore my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support Black Women's Equal Pay Day.
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