{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where year = 2001 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-supports-education-reform", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE SUPPORTS EDUCATION REFORM", "2001-12-13", "2001", "2001-12", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.13.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE SUPPORTS EDUCATION REFORM \n\t\t\tWashington, DC B Congresswoman\r\nLee today joined an overwhelming majority of the House of Representatives in\r\npassing by a vote of 381-41, the conference report to H.R. 1, an historic\r\neducation bill that will raise student achievement levels through a combination\r\nof higher standards, stronger accountability, and increased resources.\r\nH.R. 1 provides teachers with new resources for mentoring, training, salary\r\nenhancement and other improvements. It also provides for an expanded\r\nafter-school program, greater support for technology programs and an expanded\r\nreading program, including a new pre-kindergarten reading program. The bill\r\nestablishes clear goals and a time line for narrowing the achievement gap\r\nbetween disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers and between\r\nminority and non-minority students, while targeting federal dollars toward the\r\nneediest children.\r\nAFor the first time in federal law,\r\nwe will set a goal of eliminating the harrowing achievement gap between rich and\r\npoor students and minority and non-minority students that has plagued our\r\neducational system for decades,@ said\r\nLee. AThe Oakland Unified School\r\ndistrict will receive more resources to serve our children.@\r\n\r\nThe Oakland Unified School District will directly benefit as the conference\r\nreport authorizes increased Title I funding to the nation=s\r\n50 school districts with the highest percentage of poor students. It also\r\nauthorizes funding for new small schools, which were each designed by the staff,\r\nparents and students. They are supported by a partnership between the District,\r\nOakland Community Organizations and the Bay Area Coalition for Equitable\r\nSchools, and have been given a unique degree of autonomy in the areas of\r\nstaffing, budget, curriculum and assessment.\r\n\r\nAThe hard work and unity of our Democratic Caucus has enabled Congress\r\nto pass a strong education reform bill that meets the high standards we set\r\nforth at the outset of this debate,@\r\nsaid Lee. AToday Congress has passed a\r\nbill that shows real promise of improving the quality of education for our\r\nchildren.@\r\n\r\nDemocrats were successful in defeating conservative provisions that some\r\nRepublicans attempted to insert into this legislation. Democrats were successful\r\nin defeating provisions for vouchers and state Block Grants. They were also\r\nsuccessful in retaining After-School programs and the Hate Crimes program that\r\nteaches tolerance in our schools. Perhaps most importantly, Democrats were\r\nsuccessful in their argument that we cannot have meaningful education reform\r\nwithout adequate resources. President Bush had only requested $19.2 billion for\r\nESEA programs, an increase of about or 3% for ESEA programs. In contrast, the\r\nconference report authorizes about $26.3 billion for ESEA programs, an increase\r\nof about 20%.\r\nPresident Bush is expected to sign the bill into law before Christmas.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-supports-election-reform", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE SUPPORTS ELECTION REFORM", "2001-12-12", "2001", "2001-12", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.12.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE SUPPORTS ELECTION REFORM \n\t\t\tWashington, DC B\r\nCongresswoman Lee today supported House passage by a vote of 363-63, H.R. 3295,\r\nthe Help America Vote Act, which begins to reform the nation=s\r\nelectoral system in response to problems identified during the 2000 presidential\r\nelections.\r\nThe bill authorizes $2.65 billion over three years to recruit and train poll\r\nworkers, improve the accuracy of voting registration lists, and enhance\r\naccessibility for people with disabilities. Included in the funding is a\r\none-time payment of $400 million to states or counties to replace punch-card\r\nvoting systems or upgrade voting equipment. H.R. 3295 requires states to adopt\r\nminimum standards for voting, including the creation of statewide voter\r\nregistration lists linked to local precincts, a uniform definition of what\r\nconstitutes a vote and provisional ballots to allow voters whose names don=t\r\nappear on voter registration lists to cast a ballot that would be counted later\r\nif their registration was later verified.\r\n\r\nAOne of the main reasons I voted in favor of H.R. 3295\r\nis that the bill provides $400 million to replace the outdated, unfair\r\npunch-card voting machines,@\r\nsaid Lee. AAlameda\r\nCounty uses these machines, but wants to upgrade to more advanced, easy-to-use\r\nvoting machines. The funding included in this bill will help Alameda County and\r\nother jurisdictions throughout the nation get rid of the much-reviled chads once\r\nand for all.@\r\n\r\nSenator Chris Dodd (D-CT) has introduced S. 565 in the Senate that is\r\nidentical to H.R. 1170 introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) and\r\nco-sponsored by Congresswoman Lee. These bills permit voters to verify their\r\nvote on a ballot before it is cast and counted and correct any voting errors\r\nprior to casting and counting. It requires voting systems to be accessible for\r\nindividuals with disabilities and other individuals with special needs, and\r\nprovide the same opportunity of privacy and independence. It also requires that\r\nall voting systems provide assistance to individuals with limited proficiency in\r\nthe English language. The Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Civil\r\nRights at the Department of Justice would oversee enforcement of the law.\r\n\r\nAI am extremely disappointed that provisions included\r\nin the Conyers bill, which I strongly support, were not included in H.R. 3295\r\nnor were allowed to be offered as amendments,@\r\nsaid Lee. AThe\r\nlegislation that is sent to the president must contain provisions included in\r\nthe Conyers bill, and it is my hope that the Senate will move to pass a stronger\r\nbill this year.@\r\n\r\nAThe bill passed today will serve as a stepping stone\r\nto true electoral reform,@\r\nsaid Lee. ADemocracy\r\nis at a crossroads, and when Congress returns next year, we must fight\r\ntirelessly to build upon the election reforms in H.R. 3295. We must ensure that\r\nno voter is ever again disenfranchised from our democratic process.@\r\n\r\n###\r\n\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-honors-capitol-police-for-dedication-to-protecting-the-us-capitol", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE HONORS CAPITOL POLICE FOR DEDICATION TO PROTECTING THE U.S. CAPITOL", "2001-12-11", "2001", "2001-12", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.11.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE HONORS CAPITOL POLICE FOR DEDICATION TO PROTECTING THE U.S. CAPITOL \n\t\t\tWashington, DC B The House of\r\nRepresentatives today passed by a voice vote H. Res. 309, a bipartisan\r\nresolution offered by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), John Shimkus (R-IL),\r\nSteny Hoyer (D-MD) and Robert Ney (R-OH), to honor the United States Capitol\r\nPolice for their commitment to security at the Capitol.\r\nThe United States Capitol Police force was created by Congress in 1828 to\r\nprovide security for the Capitol and today provide protection and support\r\nservices throughout the Congressional buildings and the surrounding Capitol Hill\r\nneighborhood. The dedicated force provides security for Members of Congress,\r\ntheir staffs, other government employees, and many others who live near, work\r\non, and visit Capitol Hill.\r\n\r\nAThe men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police diligently and\r\nprofessionally perform a great duty in protecting Members of Congress, ensuring\r\nthat our democracy is secure to operate freely,@\r\nsaid Lee. AThey also protect millions\r\nof people who visit the Capitol each year to learn about our democratic process.\r\nThey continually earn our utmost respect and admiration.@\r\n\r\nThe terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 have required increased security\r\nand heightened alertness, with Capitol Police Officers working twelve hour\r\nshifts, six days a week, to ensure the continued protection of the Capitol,\r\nMembers of Congress and the public.\r\n\r\nADuring a time of confusion and fear, it was reassuring to know that\r\nCapitol Hill Police were protecting all of us,@\r\nsaid Lee. AThey responded to this\r\ncrisis quickly and courageously. It is impossible to express the gratitude that\r\nwe all have for these officers who continue, day after day, to protect our\r\nnation=s capitol. You are our heroes\r\nand we salute you!@\r\n\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/house-passes-congresswoman-barbara-lees-bill-to-increase-funding-for-hiv/aids", "HOUSE PASSES CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE'S BILL  TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR HIV/AIDS", "2001-12-11", "2001", "2001-12", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.11.01\n\t\t\t HOUSE PASSES CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE'S BILL  TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR HIV/AIDS \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - The House of Representatives today passed by a voice\r\nvote H.R. 2069, The Global Access to HIV/AIDS Prevention, Awareness, Education,\r\nand Treatment Act of 2001, which increases bi-lateral and multi-lateral funding\r\nfor international HIV/AIDS programs.\r\nHR. 2069 passed out of the House International Relations Committee in July,\r\nand comprised the Hyde-Lantos-Leach-Lee Amendment offered as a substitute to\r\nH.R. 2069, a bill offered by Chairman of the House International Relations\r\nCommittee Chairman Henry Hyde (R-IL) to increase bi-lateral HIV/AIDS funding.\r\nCongresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) led negotiations with Chairman Hyde to\r\nincrease overall bi-lateral funding in the bill from $469 to $535 million,\r\nincluding $50 million for a drug procurement pilot program. It dropped a\r\nprovision that limited the United States=\r\nper year contribution to an international trust fund at 25% of the total\r\ncontribution from other donor nations and set multi-lateral funding at $750\r\nmillion.\r\n\r\nAThis is a great victory in our fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis,\r\nand malaria. HIV can be prevented and AIDS is a manageable disease,@\r\nsaid Lee. AWe must do all we can to\r\neradicate both from the face of the earth and this a great step in the right\r\ndirection. However, the U.S. must continue its commitment to this fight by\r\nproviding more resources.@\r\n\r\nIn November, more than 85 Members of the House of Representatives sent a\r\nbipartisan letter to President Bush calling for the United States to provide $1\r\nbillion in emergency funds to combat the global scourges of HIV/AIDS,\r\ntuberculosis, and malaria for this fiscal year.\r\n\r\nAWe have the means to prevent the spread of HIV, we have the means to\r\ntreat AIDS patients and we know that we must continue our work in vaccine\r\ndevelopment,@ said Lee. AThe\r\nUnited States must commit $1 billion to the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis\r\nand Malaria.@\r\nAThis is the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time. It is not a\r\nRepublican or Democratic issue, but a moral issue that threatens the entire\r\nhuman family,@ said Lee. AThe\r\nU.S. contribution to the international trust fund must be increased, and I will\r\ncontinue to work for more funding.@\r\n###\r\nCongresswoman Lee is Chair of the\r\nCongressional Black Caucus (CBC) Task Force on Global HIV/AIDS and serves on the\r\nAfrica and Europe Subcommittees of the House International Relations Committee.\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/alameda-county-honors-congresswoman-lee-for-work-on-hiv/aids", "ALAMEDA COUNTY HONORS CONGRESSWOMAN LEE FOR WORK ON HIV/AIDS", "2001-12-10", "2001", "2001-12", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.10.01\n\t\t\t ALAMEDA COUNTY HONORS CONGRESSWOMAN LEE FOR WORK ON HIV/AIDS \n\t\t\tCongresswoman Lee was honored this evening for her work on HIV/AIDS with an\r\nHIV/AIDS Community Service Award from the Alameda County Office of AIDS and the\r\nAfrican American State of Emergency Task Force.\r\nThe HIV/AIDS Community Service Awards Program recognizes individuals who have\r\nbeen active and committed to the prevention of HIV/AIDS. In 1998, Congresswoman\r\nLee joined a community wide effort to address Alameda County's African American\r\nAIDS crisis. This effort led to the declaration of a State of Emergency on\r\nHIV/AIDS in Alameda County, which resulted in an increase of over $5 million in\r\nlocal HIV/AIDS care and services funding.\r\n\r\nAI want to thank the African American Task Force and the Alameda\r\nCounty Health Department=s Office of\r\nAIDS for this award,@ said Lee. AI\r\nthank you for your commitment and applaud your diligence in fighting HIV/AIDS.\r\nIn my eyes, you are our warriors in the war against AIDS at home and world-wide.\r\nI humbly accept this generous HIV/AIDS Community Service Award, knowing that our\r\nwork has just begun.@\r\n\r\nIn the three years since Alameda County declared a public health emergency,\r\nHIV/AIDS prevention resources and efforts have been widely expanded and\r\ninfection rates in the African American community are slowly decreasing AHIV\r\ncan be prevented and AIDS is a manageable disease. We must do all we can to\r\neradicate both from the face of the earth,@\r\nsaid Lee. ADeclaring a State of\r\nEmergency places the right emphasis on the fighting the HIV/AIDS crisis. It is\r\nbeginning to work in Alameda County and other communities throughout the country\r\ncould benefit by following Alameda=s\r\nexample.@\r\nIn June of this year, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair of the Congressional\r\nBlack Caucus (CBC) Task Force on Global HIV/AIDS joined the CBC to call on the\r\nBush Administration to declare a State of Emergency in minority communities as\r\nit relates to HIV/AIDS.\r\n\r\nAThe urgency to call for a State of Emergency on HIV/AIDS in Minority\r\ncommunities is clear,@ said Lee. ARacial\r\nand ethnic minorities continue to be disproportionately impacted by the HIV/AIDS\r\nepidemic in the United States, and we need to direct our resources towards those\r\ncommunities hit hardest.@\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-helps-to-secure-transportation-funding-for-alameda-county", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE HELPS TO SECURE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING FOR ALAMEDA COUNTY", "2001-11-29", "2001", "2001-11", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.29.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE HELPS TO SECURE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING FOR ALAMEDA COUNTY \n\t\t\tWashington DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today\r\napplauded House passage of H.R. 2299, the Transportation Appropriations\r\nConference Report for Fiscal Year 2002, which includes $2.5 million for the\r\nAlameda Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) Job Access and Reverse\r\nCommute Program and for new bus procurement. It will also provide $2 million to\r\nthe Unity Council in Oakland for construction of the Fruitvale Transit Village.\r\nH.R. 2299 will provide the Unity Council with $2 million to fund the\r\nconstruction of a Pedestrian Plaza and Paseo in order to link the BART (Bay Area\r\nRapid Transit) station to International Boulevard and the new BART parking\r\nstructure. The plaza and paseo are designed to encourage transit use by making\r\nthe Fruitvale BART station safer with a well-lit and landscaped walk from\r\nInternational Boulevard to the station and also from the new parking structure\r\nto the station. This project will also include the development of a bike storage\r\nfacility.\r\n\"Buses on International Boulevard carry more passengers than any other\r\nbus lines in the AC Transit system, and the funds in this legislation will make\r\nit safer and more pleasant to transfer between the AC Transit system and\r\nBART,\" said Lee. \"The Unity Council's vision and hard work in\r\nhelping to secure this much needed federal money for the Fruitvale Transit\r\nVillage is a testimony to their dedication to serving the needs of the\r\ncommunity.\"\r\n\"This is wonderful news and we are extremely proud of Congresswoman\r\nLee's efforts to secure this funding,\" said Arabella Martinez, Chief\r\nExecutive Officer of the Unity Council. \"The Fruitvale Transit Village will\r\nbe a national model of urban community development and this federal money will\r\nbe instrumental to construction and ongoing development efforts that will begin\r\nin January.\"\r\nThe bill includes $2 million to AC Transit to fund the Job Access and Reverse\r\nCommute program, which will supplement current transit opportunities for Welfare\r\nto Work participants in Oakland. AC Transit's expansion of service in several\r\nareas has been highly successful in bringing CalWORKS recipients to new jobs.\r\n\"One of the main impediments to full-time employment for those at the\r\nbottom of our economic ladder is transportation, because the newly employed and\r\nthose seeking work often do not have the financial resources to purchase or\r\nmaintain a motor vehicle,\" said Lee. \"These funds will go a long way\r\nin expanding access, and making transportation easier and less expensive.\"\r\nThe bill also includes $500,000 in funding to purchase new buses.\r\n\"Millions of people in the East Bay rely on public transportation for\r\nwork and recreation, and this funding goes a long way in increasing that\r\nservice,\" said Lee. \"It is also a great step towards improving the air\r\nquality that is associated with California's notoriously congested\r\nhighways.\"\r\n\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/finance-panel-unanimously-passes-two-of-rep-lees-amendments-to-support-women-and-minority-owned-businesses-people-of-developing-nations-regarding-dam-projects", "FINANCE PANEL UNANIMOUSLY PASSES TWO OF REP. LEE'S AMENDMENTS TO SUPPORT WOMEN- AND MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES, PEOPLE OF DEVELOPING NATIONS REGARDING DAM PROJECTS", "2001-11-20", "2001", "2001-11", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.20.01\n\t\t\t FINANCE PANEL UNANIMOUSLY PASSES TWO OF REP. LEE'S AMENDMENTS TO SUPPORT WOMEN- AND MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES, PEOPLE OF DEVELOPING NATIONS REGARDING DAM PROJECTS \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Today the Financial Services Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy passed two amendments\r\n   offered by Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) - one to require the Secretary of the Treasury to disapprove any multi lateral\r\n   development bank loan that does not follow the recommendations of the World Commission on Dams and the other to increase\r\noutreach and the number of loans at the Export-Import Bank to women and minority-owned businesses. The first amendment was offered to H.R. 2604, a bill to re-authorize multilateral development banks, including the Asian and  \r\n   African Development Banks. Representative Lee offered this amendment at the request of the Berkeley-based International  \r\n   Rivers Network. The Lee amendment, which was also supported by a number of other environmental and social justice  \r\n   organizations, requires that any multilateral development bank loan approved by the Secretary of the Treasury follow the  \r\n   recommendations of the World Commission on Dams. The WCD recommendations were released in November 2000 and state\r\nthat assessments of the impact on the community must be made before a project is approved; that local people should have a\r\nvoice in these projects; and that reviews should be conducted on dam safety and recommissioning. Lee said, \"I am pleased that my amendment on the World Commission on Dams recommendation was unanimously accepted  \r\n   by the subcommittee. In light of the WCD recommendations, which show that indigenous people are often displaced, that  \r\nwomen are affected worse than men, and that HIV/AIDS rates can rise in\r\nthese areas where dams are built, the U.S. government\r\nhas a responsibility to disapprove any multi-lateral loan application\r\nthat would further exasperate these very serious problems.\" Representative Lee offered an amendment, which also passed unanimously, to H.R. 2871, the Export-Import Bank  \r\nRe-authorization Act. This provision, which she offered with\r\nRepresentative Mel Watt (D-NC), requires the Export-Import Bank to\r\nplace a particular focus on outreach to women and minority-owned\r\nbusinesses to ensure that they can secure these loans for\r\ntheir export activities. Currently, the Export-Import Bank only\r\nprovides less than  of 1% of its loans to women and  \r\n   minority-owned businesses. The Lee-Watt amendment also strongly encourages the Bank to increase the number of loans to  \r\n   these firms. Said Lee, \"Women and minority-owned firms deserve to have access to Export-Import Bank loans so that they can continue to\r\ngrow their businesses, which contribute so greatly to our economy. Women and minority-owned firms are the fastest-growing in\r\nthe U.S. At a time when we are seeing our budget surplus shrink and our trade deficit grow, expanding the number of\r\nExport-Import Bank loans to women and minority-owned businesses is vital to our global economy.\"\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-secures-funding-for-district-helps-restore-funding-for-vital-housing-program", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE SECURES FUNDING FOR DISTRICT, HELPS RESTORE FUNDING FOR VITAL HOUSING PROGRAM", "2001-11-08", "2001", "2001-11", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.08.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE SECURES FUNDING FOR DISTRICT, HELPS RESTORE FUNDING FOR VITAL HOUSING PROGRAM \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Lee's work on H.R. 2620, the annual\r\nspending bill for the Department of Veterans Affairs and (VA) and the Department\r\nof Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for fiscal year 2002, helped to secure\r\ncritical funding for projects in the Ninth Congressional District and to restore\r\nfunding to the HUD Shelter Plus Care Homeless program.\r\nH.R. 2620 passed by a vote of 401-18 and included $1 million for the Chabot\r\nSpace and Science Center in Oakland, $250,000 for the Martin Luther King Jr.\r\nFreedom Center in Oakland, and $100,000 for the Ed Roberts disability campus in\r\nBerkeley. It also restored $100 million to the Shelter Plus Care program.\r\nThe Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland received $1 million to\r\ncontinue funding for astronomy-based math and science programs and advanced\r\ntechnology programs that capture the interest of students throughout the San\r\nFrancisco Bay Area.\r\n\"The Chabot Space and Science Center continues to be an integral partner\r\nin math and science education and for technology education and training for\r\nchildren in the district and also the surrounding area,\" said Lee.\r\n\"This funding will go a long way in strengthening our public school system\r\nand enriching the lives of our students and communities.\"\r\nH.R. 2620 provided $250,000 for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Center in\r\nOakland, which is dedicated to employment opportunities in the areas of\r\nnon-violence, conflict resolution, environmental education and ecological\r\nrestoration with a specific focus on at-risk youth in the Bay Area.\r\n\"The MLK Freedom Center is a wonderful resource for under-served youth\r\nin our community to learn about Dr. King's Legacy and principles of justice\r\nand equality,\" said Lee. \"This federal funding will further assist\r\nwith the center's construction so they can continue their outstanding work in\r\nthe community.\"\r\nThe bill provided $100,000 for the Ed Roberts Campus (ERC) multipurpose\r\ndisability center in Berkeley. Once built, the ERC will be a national prototype\r\nof non-profit collaborations, representing a trend towards developing\r\nmulti-tenant centers that provide lower rents, accessible facilities and an\r\nimpressive array of disability related services and programs in one totally\r\naccessible location.\r\n\"We are very pleased that Rep. Lee recognized the importance of the Ed\r\nRoberts Campus to the community and worked so hard to secure funding for this\r\nyear.\" said Jan Garrett, Executive Director, Center for Independent Living.\r\n\"The ERC will be a national model of integrated and accessible service\r\ndelivery and a resource for research, legal analysis, education, training and\r\nmodel program development,\" said Lee. \"Internationally, the ERC will\r\nshine as a beacon of the Independent Living Movement of People with\r\nDisabilities, providing training, technical assistance, and opportunities for\r\ncollaboration among people with disabilities and activist organizations\r\nworldwide.\"\r\nThe Shelter Plus Care program provides critical rental assistance and\r\noperating subsidies to state and local governments, housing authorities, and\r\nnon-profit and faith-based agencies to create permanent supportive housing for\r\npeople at risk for homelessness who also have disabilities. Congresswoman Lee\r\noffered an amendment to the House version of the bill in July that was\r\nunfortunately defeated, but she continued to work with appropriators to include\r\nfunding for the vital program in the final version of the bill.\r\n\"The cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, and Albany are\r\nall facing a terrible homeless crisis, and the Shelter Plus Care program is a\r\ncritical component of addressing the housing and social services needs of the\r\nhomeless, working poor, and disabled,\" said Lee. \"The success of\r\nservice-supported housing has been both dramatic and well-documented in\r\naddressing the condition of the most vulnerable people in our society  those\r\nwho are homeless and have the special problem of dealing with mental illness,\r\ndisabilities, or who are turning around their lives in recovery from alcohol or\r\ndrug abuse.\"\r\n\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-applauds-house-passage-of-port-of-oakland-funding-bill", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE APPLAUDS HOUSE PASSAGE OF PORT OF OAKLAND FUNDING BILL", "2001-10-31", "2001", "2001-10", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.31.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE APPLAUDS HOUSE PASSAGE OF PORT OF OAKLAND FUNDING BILL \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today applauded House passage of H.R.2311, the Energy and Water\r\n   Appropriations conference report for FY02, which provides $25 million for projects at the Port of Oakland, including two 1999\r\nArmy Corps of Engineers projects: the Port of Oakland -50 foot dredging, and the wetlands restoration project at the former\r\nHamilton Army Airfield. The House passed H.R. 2311 by a vote of 399-29; and it is now\r\nawaiting action in the Senate. The Hamilton wetlands restoration\r\nproject received $4.5 million, and the Port of Oakland received $10\r\nmillion for the 50 foot dredging project, as well as $10.127\r\nmillion for channel maintenance dredging. Funding for the dredging\r\nproject is the underpinning of the largest maritime expansion\r\nin the history of the Port of Oakland. The continued project will\r\ncreate 8,000 jobs and generate millions in commercial and\r\ngovernment revenue. \"The economic vitality of the region, and the nation, are\r\ndependent on the effective and reliable dredging of Northern\r\nCalifornia's\r\nport facilities,\" said Lee. \"The Port of Oakland dredging project will\r\nalso create thousands of direct and indirect jobs. This is\r\nespecially crucial during this downturn in the economy.\" \"Congresswoman Barbara Lee showed tremendous leadership and skill in steering our funding request through the  \r\n   appropriations process. In what has been an undoubtedly difficult period in Washington, Representative Lee has remained  \r\ndiligent in her pursuit of this very necessary funding for the\r\nproject,\" said Tay Yoshitani, Executive Director, Port of Oakland. \"As\r\na result of her efforts, the Port of Oakland is able to move further\r\ntoward completion of this essential economic development and\r\nenvironmental restoration project. This project will bring important\r\neconomic stimulus and environmental enhancement to our\r\nregion.\" The Army Corps of Engineers, working with State Coastal Conservancy as a local sponsor, would utilize dredge material to  \r\nrestore the former Hamilton Army Airfield property to a tidal marsh.\r\nThis is a key element of the federal-state partnership known\r\nas the Long Term Management Strategy for dredge material disposal. \"The project is truly one instance in which we can help improve the local and national economy, while being environmentally  \r\nresponsible at the same time,\" said Lee. \"Using the material from the\r\ndredging project to restore the tidal marsh at Hamilton will\r\nlead to critical habitat restoration and provide a proper balance of\r\ngrowth and environmental protection.\" Congresswoman Lee thanked her colleagues in the House for demonstrating leadership by passing H.R.2311 in support of this\r\nlandmark project, and urged the Senate to pass the bill. Congresswoman Lee expressed her hope that President Bush will sign\r\nthe bill, and also her appreciation to the many organizations that worked to secure this funding, including the Port of Oakland,\r\nlocal environmentalists, the AFL-CIO, Army Corps of Engineers, leaders in the shipping industry and the local business\r\ncommunity.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-outraged-at-passage-of-weakened-airline-security-bill", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE OUTRAGED AT PASSAGE OF WEAKENED AIRLINE SECURITY BILL", "2001-10-31", "2001", "2001-10", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "10.31.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE OUTRAGED AT PASSAGE OF WEAKENED AIRLINE SECURITY BILL \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today criticized the House of Representatives for passing, by a vote of\r\n286-139, H.R. 3150, the Aviation Security Bill, which excluded many of\r\nthe provisions in the version passed by the Senate earlier\r\nthis week by a vote of 100-0. Congresswoman Lee voted for the Democratic Substitute, under which the Department of Justice (DOJ) would have been  \r\n   responsible for the screening of all passengers and baggage. It also would have required that federal employees conduct  \r\nscreening at the 137 largest airports. The substitute would have\r\ncreated a Deputy Secretary for Transportation Security at the  \r\nDepartment of Transportation (DOT) to carry out security\r\nresponsibilities for all modes of transportation and, during national  \r\n   emergencies, coordinate all domestic transportation. \"It is important that we provide the safest environment for both our aviation industry employees and the customers who have  \r\ncome to rely on airline travel, air cargo, aircraft recreation and\r\ntourism,\" Said Lee. \"Today, the U.S. Congress failed to provide\r\nthe appropriate resources to strengthen and implement expanded aviation\r\nsecurity measures so that our airline industry can get\r\nback on track and our nation's economy as a whole can once again\r\nprosper.\" The Democratic Substitute would have required the DOT to develop a program to enable airports to screen 100 percent of  \r\nchecked baggage, as is done on all international flights. It would have\r\nplaced Air Marshals on all aircraft and mandated cockpit\r\ndoors and locks that cannot be opened by anyone other than flight deck\r\ncrew. The bill would have enacted a user fee of $2.50\r\nper passenger to pay for security services, including a strengthening\r\nof perimeter security and increasing the presence of law\r\nenforcement. \"I recently met with officials to discuss enhanced security\r\nmeasures that are in place at the Oakland International Airport,\" said  \r\nLee. \"The legislation passed today fails to support existing plans for\r\nfurther strengthening those security measures, and lacks  \r\n   provisions contained in the Democratic Substitute that would have gone a long way in making our skies safe, boosting  \r\n   confidence in the airlines, and improving the economy.\"\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/2001/09/20/finance-panel-unanimously-passes-two-of-rep-lees-amendments-to-support-women-and-minority-owned-businesses-people-of-developing-nations-regarding-dam-projects", "FINANCE PANEL UNANIMOUSLY PASSES TWO OF REP. LEE'S AMENDMENTS TO SUPPORT WOMEN- AND MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES, PEOPLE OF DEVELOPING NATIONS REGARDING DAM PROJECTS", "2001-09-20", "2001", "2001-09", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "09.20.01\n\t\t\t FINANCE PANEL UNANIMOUSLY PASSES TWO OF REP. LEE'S AMENDMENTS TO SUPPORT WOMEN- AND MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESSES, PEOPLE OF DEVELOPING NATIONS REGARDING DAM PROJECTS \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Today the Financial Services Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy passed two amendments\r\n   offered by Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) - one to require the Secretary of the Treasury to disapprove any multi lateral\r\n   development bank loan that does not follow the recommendations of the World Commission on Dams and the other to increase\r\noutreach and the number of loans at the Export-Import Bank to women and minority-owned businesses. The first amendment was offered to H.R. 2604, a bill to re-authorize multilateral development banks, including the Asian and  \r\n   African Development Banks. Representative Lee offered this amendment at the request of the Berkeley-based International  \r\n   Rivers Network. The Lee amendment, which was also supported by a number of other environmental and social justice  \r\n   organizations, requires that any multilateral development bank loan approved by the Secretary of the Treasury follow the  \r\n   recommendations of the World Commission on Dams. The WCD recommendations were released in November 2000 and state\r\nthat assessments of the impact on the community must be made before a project is approved; that local people should have a\r\nvoice in these projects; and that reviews should be conducted on dam safety and recommissioning. Lee said, \"I am pleased that my amendment on the World Commission on Dams recommendation was unanimously accepted  \r\n   by the subcommittee. In light of the WCD recommendations, which show that indigenous people are often displaced, that  \r\nwomen are affected worse than men, and that HIV/AIDS rates can rise in\r\nthese areas where dams are built, the U.S. government\r\nhas a responsibility to disapprove any multi-lateral loan application\r\nthat would further exasperate these very serious problems.\" Representative Lee offered an amendment, which also passed unanimously, to H.R. 2871, the Export-Import Bank  \r\nRe-authorization Act. This provision, which she offered with\r\nRepresentative Mel Watt (D-NC), requires the Export-Import Bank to\r\nplace a particular focus on outreach to women and minority-owned\r\nbusinesses to ensure that they can secure these loans for\r\ntheir export activities. Currently, the Export-Import Bank only\r\nprovides less than  of 1% of its loans to women and  \r\n   minority-owned businesses. The Lee-Watt amendment also strongly encourages the Bank to increase the number of loans to  \r\n   these firms. Said Lee, \"Women and minority-owned firms deserve to have access to Export-Import Bank loans so that they can continue to\r\ngrow their businesses, which contribute so greatly to our economy. Women and minority-owned firms are the fastest-growing in\r\nthe U.S. At a time when we are seeing our budget surplus shrink and our trade deficit grow, expanding the number of\r\nExport-Import Bank loans to women and minority-owned businesses is vital to our global economy.\"\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-blasts-house-for-passing-weakened-patients-bill-of-rights", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE BLASTS HOUSE FOR PASSING WEAKENED PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS", "2001-08-01", "2001", "2001-08", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "08.01.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE BLASTS HOUSE FOR PASSING WEAKENED PATIENTS' BILL OF RIGHTS \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today blasted the House of Representatives for passing late last night a\r\n   weakened version of H.R. 2563, Bipartisan Patient Protection Act, by vote of 226 - 203. This bill would fully expand medical savings accounts (MSA), which only benefit the wealthy and would increase health care  \r\n   costs for those who remain in traditional insurance and managed care plans and would also weaken enforcement provisions  \r\n   found within H.R. 2563, making it nearly impossible to pursue cases in state court, and stacks the deck against patients who  \r\n   have been harmed by insurance companies. \"This is the fifth year that strong bipartisan patients' rights\r\nlegislation has been blocked by the Republican Leadership,\" said  \r\n   Lee. \"The public has once again been denied meaningful reform because the GOP is intent on protecting the HMO's and health\r\ninsurance companies that fill their campaign coffers.\" \"The Ganske-Dingell Patients Bill of Rights would have greatly limited the amount of control that managed care companies have\r\nover decisions that should be made by doctors and patients,\" said Lee. \"Unfortunately, the Bush Administration and the  \r\n   Republican Leadership have once again effectively killed real reform by adding poison pill amendments to legislation that had  \r\n   broad bipartisan support.\" \"We must continue to fight for a patients bill of rights that\r\nensures the best possible care, access to specialists, and proper  \r\n   recourse in the courts which holds managed care companies accountable to their patients,\" said Lee. \"But we must also provide\r\nhealth care for the more than 44 million individuals who have no health insurance.\" This year, Congresswoman Lee re-introduced H.R. 3000, the United States Universal Health Service Act (U.S. UHSA). This bill\r\nwould establish a United States Health Service (USHS) which would take the profit motive out of health care, distribute services\r\naccording to need and provide high quality comprehensive care for all. \"As national leaders committed to justice, equity, and the health of the public, we must renew the debate on addressing our  \r\n   social health care needs of the people in this country,\" said Lee. \"We must not continue to ignore the millions of Americans  \r\n   without health care and the financial chaos that their health needs generate.\"\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-criticizes-house-bush-commission-report-on-privatizing-social-security", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE CRITICIZES HOUSE BUSH COMMISSION REPORT ON PRIVATIZING SOCIAL SECURITY", "2001-07-24", "2001", "2001-07", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "07.24.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE CRITICIZES HOUSE BUSH COMMISSION REPORT ON PRIVATIZING SOCIAL SECURITY \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - In anticipation of the Bush Commission on Social Security recommending the privatization of Social\r\n   Security, Congresswoman Barbara Lee today voice her strong disapproval of any attempt to privatize the program. Approximately 45 million Americans receive Social Security\r\nbenefits. Over 4 million are residents of California. Social Security\r\nis\r\nthe principal source of retirement income for two thirds of elderly\r\nAmericans, representing 90% of the annual income for 29% of\r\nall seniors over the age of 65. \"Now that the Bush Administration has passed a $1.6 trillion tax\r\ncut that primarily benefits the wealthy, they need to find other  \r\n   methods of paying for Social Security due to the lost revenue, but the proposal to privatize Social Security does absolutely  \r\nnothing to extend the life of the program or save it,\" said Lee. \"For\r\nmillions of Americans Social security is the only protection  \r\nagainst the shackles of low lifetime earnings, the financial hardships\r\nrelated to death or disability, the danger of poverty in old  \r\nage, and the uncertainty of inflation. Privatization undermines these\r\nprotections and adds one more risk that workers would have\r\nto worry about  individual financial risk.\" Under privatization, Social Security benefits would no longer be\r\ndetermined primarily by a worker's earnings and the payroll tax\r\ncontributions made over the span of a career. Benefit levels would\r\ninstead be determined by the whim of the stock market and\r\nby the timing of his or her decision to retire. \"Between March 2000 and April of this year, the S & P 500 fell\r\nby 28%. If Social Security had been privatized, retiring workers\r\nwho had their individual account invested in a fund that mirrored the S\r\n& P 500 would have 28% less to live on for the remainder of their\r\nlives,\" said Lee. \"Social Security provides guaranteed, life-long\r\nbenefits. No matter what the stock market does the day\r\nyou retire or in the months leading to up to your retirement, your\r\nbenefits would be unaffected.\" Congresswoman Lee concluded by pointing out that young workers would also be negatively affected by privatizing Social  \r\nSecurity. According to Social Security experts, if 2% of the current\r\n12.4% payroll tax were diverted into individual retirement  \r\n   accounts, Social Security benefits would have to be cut by 54% for workers aged 30 and younger by 2002 in order to restore\r\nSocial Security's long-term solvency. \"The Congress has an obligation to strengthen Social Security,\"\r\nsaid Lee. \"It is the most sacred and fundamental safety net for  \r\n   all Americans.\"\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-blasts-house-republican-leadership-for-killing-campaign-finance-reform", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE BLASTS HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP FOR KILLING CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM", "2001-07-12", "2001", "2001-07", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "07.12.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE BLASTS HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP FOR KILLING CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today blasted the House Republican Leadership for bringing to the House floor\r\na rule written intentionally to kill H.R. 2356, the bipartisan Shays-Meehan Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2001.  The rule, which governs how a bill is considered on the House floor, broke down the manager's amendment, a compromise  \r\n   reached by Representatives Shays, Meehan, and numerous other Members of the House, into 14 separate provisions, ultimately\r\ndecreasing support for the overall bill. The rule was defeated by a vote of 203-228.  \"As a supporter of full public financing of elections, and as a\r\nco-sponsor of the Shays-Meehan bill, today is a horrible setback for\r\nthose of us who wish to take the influence of big money out of our\r\npolitical system,\" said Lee. \"The Shays-Meehan substitute\r\nwas the product of extensive negotiations with the House and Senate,\r\nand the House Republican Leadership knew that the only\r\nway they could ensure its failure was to use sham parliamentary\r\nprocedures to destroy it.\"  The Shays-Meehan campaign finance bill would have banned soft money, except for individual donations to parties for  \r\nget-out-the-vote and voter registration, retained the current\r\nindividual, or \"hard,\" money limit at $1,000 for House candidates,  \r\nrequired disclosure of so-called \"issue ads,\" and banned advertising\r\nfor candidates 60 days before a general election or 30 days\r\nbefore a primary.  \"House Republican Leaders have made no secret of their opposition to campaign finance reform legislation,\" said Lee. \"The  \r\n   House Republican Leadership has killed campaign finance reform on four separate occasions over the last decade, and has  \r\nonce again chosen special interests over reform that would help bring\r\nus closer to achieving true democracy in this country.\"  Representative Lee has been a co-sponsor of the Shays-Meehan\r\nlegislation, which is the companion to the\r\nMcCain-Feingold bill that passed the Senate on April 2, 2001.\r\nAdditionally, she is a cosponsor of H.R. 1637, the Clean Money, Clean\r\nElections Act,\r\nwhich would establish full public financing for campaigns.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-joins-in-introducing-legislation-to-create-us-department-of-peace", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE JOINS IN INTRODUCING LEGISLATION TO CREATE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF PEACE", "2001-07-11", "2001", "2001-07", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "07.11.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE JOINS IN INTRODUCING LEGISLATION TO CREATE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF PEACE \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, joined Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and other members of Congress today to introduce legislation that would establish the United States Department of Peace, a Cabinet-level department in the executive branch of the Federal government dedicated to peacemaking and the study of conditions that are conducive to both domestic and international peace.The mission of the Department would be to hold peace as an organizing principle; endeavor to promote justice and democratic principles to expand human rights; strengthen non-military means of peacemaking; promote the development of human potential; work to create peace, prevent violence, avoid armed conflict and develop new structures in nonviolent dispute resolution; and take a proactive, strategic approach in the development of policies that promote national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful resolution of conflict and structured mediation of conflict. \"Domestic and International violence demands continued engagement and commitment to peace, and this legislation places the peacemaker at the table,\" said Lee. \"The Bay Area has historically been at the forefront of the peace and justice movement, and the creation of the U.S. Department of Peace will give our local peace organizations such as the MLK Freedom Center the support of a Cabinet-level Federal agency.\" The Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Center in Oakland is dedicated to providing programs and employment opportunities in non-violence, conflict resolution, environmental education and ecological restoration with a specific focus on under-served youth and at-risk youth in the Bay Area. \"Just as we have trained soldiers to wage war in the past, we must begin to raise up a new generation of leaders committed to peace and justice,\" said Lee. \"The establishment of this new Federal agency will provide us with the tools and resources necessary to move towards peace in our communities and worldwide. The Department of Peace would create and establish a Peace Academy, modeled after the military service academies, which will provide a 4 year concentration in peace education. Graduates will be required to serve 5 years in public service in programs dedicated to domestic or international non-violent conflict resolution. \"We confront new challenges every day in the quest for peace, and this proposal places that quest on an equal footing with the weapons of war,\" said Lee. \"Peace is not some elusive pipedream, but a matter of national and international security.\"  ###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-introduces-legislation-for-a-national-affordable-housing-trust-fund", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE INTRODUCES LEGISLATION FOR A NATIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND", "2001-06-27", "2001", "2001-06", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "06.27.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE INTRODUCES LEGISLATION FOR A NATIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today introduced the National Affordable Trust Fund Act of 2001, tri-partisan\r\nlegislation that would use a portion of profit surpluses generated from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Mortgage\r\nInsurance Program to create a trust fund to provide for the construction of affordable rental units and homes for low- and\r\nmiddle-income Americans.  According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), over 5 million people are paying more than half of their\r\nlimited incomes on housing or living in severely substandard housing. In Oakland, only 45.8% of homes are affordable to those\r\nmaking median incomes, earning the area a rank of 178th out of 193 metro areas surveyed the National Association of Home\r\nBuilders.  \"This affordable housing crisis is real for the people in the Bay\r\nArea and throughout the country,\" said Lee. There is more than  \r\n   $2 billion in FHA and Ginnie Mae accounts that could be dedicated to addressing this issue, without jeopardizing these  \r\n   programs.\"  The trust fund will use $2 billion in surplus Federal Housing\r\nAdministration funds, which are now lying dormant, to create a trust\r\nfund from which states and non-profits could draw to build affordable\r\nhousing rental units, to construct affordable homes for low-\r\nand middle-income individuals, and provide rental subsidies to\r\nlow-income individuals. This is a small portion of the more than\r\n$26 billion profit expected to be generated by the FHA over the next\r\nseven years.  \"The rental vacancy rate for Oakland is 4.6%, well below the U.S.\r\naverage of 8.1%, and there are 3,000 families on waiting lists\r\nfor section 8 vouchers,\" said Lee. \"Unfortunately, in most areas in the\r\nregion, the existing Section 8 subsidies no longer provide\r\na viable affordable housing option.\"  \"These facts are sobering and even sad, but they are a reality for\r\nmost Californians, and for many people across the country,\"  \r\n   concluded Lee. \"We need new and innovative ways to solve this severe lack of affordable housing, and the creation of the  \r\n   National Housing Trust Fund will provide enormous resources to combat our housing crisis, without harming any of our existing\r\nprograms.\"  The tri-partisan National Housing Trust Fund Act is co-sponsored by Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and John McHugh (R-NY). It is  \r\n   supported by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), the Macauley\r\nInstitute, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and other national housing organizations.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lees-amendment-increasing-funding-for-hiv/aids-passed-in-house-international-relations-committee", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE'S AMENDMENT INCREASING FUNDING FOR HIV/AIDS PASSED IN HOUSE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE", "2001-06-27", "2001", "2001-06", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "06.27.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE'S AMENDMENT INCREASING FUNDING FOR HIV/AIDS PASSED IN HOUSE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - The House\r\nInternational Relations Committee today passed by a vote of 32 - 4, an\r\namendment to H.R. 2069,\r\nThe Global Access to HIV/AIDS Prevention, Awareness, Education, and\r\nTreatment Act of 2001, offered by Congresswoman\r\nBarbara Lee that increased bi-lateral and multi-lateral funding for\r\ninternational HIV/AIDS programs. The\r\nHyde-Lantos-Leach-Lee Amendment was offered as a substitute to H.R.\r\n2069, a bill offered by Chairman of the House International Relations\r\nCommittee\r\nChairman Henry Hyde (R-IL) to increase bi-lateral HIV/AIDS funding by\r\n$150 million.  Congresswoman Lee lead negotiations with Chairman Hyde to increase overall funding in the bill. The amendment increased  \r\nbi-lateral funding from $469 to $560 million. It dropped a provision\r\nthat limited the United States' per year contribution to an  \r\ninternational trust fund at 25% of the total contribution from other\r\ndonor nations and set multi-lateral funding at $750 million. The\r\namendment retained a provision that provides $50 million for drug\r\nprocurement programs.  \"This is a good step in the right direction, but we need to invest\r\nmuch more money in this effort,\" said Lee. \"I was a member of  \r\n   the US delegation to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV/AIDS, where the international\r\ncommunity is calling for $7 to $10 billion a year to combat the disease. As the most powerful nation in the world we have an\r\nobligation to lead the world in addressing this pandemic.\"  \"This is the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time. It is not a\r\nRepublican or Democratic issue, but a moral issue that threatens  \r\nthe entire human family,\" said Lee. \"The U.S. contribution to an\r\ninternational trust fund should be $1 billion at a minimum, and I\r\nwill continue to work for more funding.\"\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-to-attend-united-nations-general-assembly-special-session-on-hiv-and-aids", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE TO ATTEND UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPECIAL SESSION ON HIV AND AIDS", "2001-06-22", "2001", "2001-06", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "06.22.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE TO ATTEND UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPECIAL SESSION ON HIV AND AIDS \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee was selected by the Bush Administration as a member of the United States\r\n   delegation to attend the United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on HIV/AIDS in New York.  The UNGASS will convene on June 25th through 27th and will be attended by United Nations member nations, Non-governmental\r\nOrganizations (NGO's) and civil society. The special session will seek to galvanize leadership at the highest levels, intensify\r\ninternational action and mobilize the resources needed to combat the epidemic.  \"I am honored to have been chosen to represent the United States\r\nat such an important meeting with World Leaders,\" said Lee. \r\n\"I look forward to meeting with this diverse group of leaders to hear\r\ntheir perspective on this deadly pandemic and their efforts to\r\ncombat it. I also look forward to discussing what the United States can\r\ndo to best support those efforts.\"  UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the delegations will address:\r\n \r\n    The importance of political leadership in developing effective responses and decreasing the stigma associated with\r\n        HIV/AIDS.\r\n  \r\n    Encouraging all sectors of society to play a major role.\r\n  \r\n    Increasing resources for treatment, prevention, and care.\r\n  \r\n    Preventing new infections and alleviating the social and economic impact of the epidemic.\r\n  \r\n    Access to care and the development of new technologies and treatments that are both effective and affordable. \r\n \r\n                                                ###\r\nCongresswoman Lee is Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Task Force on Global HIV/AIDS and serves on the\r\nAfrica Subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee.\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-lee-hosts-winner-of-congressional-district-nine-art-competition-at-us-capitol", "CONGRESSWOMAN LEE HOSTS WINNER OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT NINE ART COMPETITION AT U.S. CAPITOL", "2001-06-19", "2001", "2001-06", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "06.19.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN LEE HOSTS WINNER OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT NINE ART COMPETITION AT U.S. CAPITOL \n\t\t\tArt Work From Holy Names High School Student Displayed in U.S. Capitol Exhibit\r\nWashington, DC - AnJeanette\r\nGarcia was hosted by Congresswoman Barbara Lee\r\nfor the opening of An Artistic Discovery as the Ninth Congressional\r\nDistrict of California's winner of the 20th Annual National High School\r\nart competition. Ms.\r\n                                  Garcia's work, \"Frutas De Otono\" will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for the\r\nyear-long exhibit sponsored by more than 300 Members of Congress. \"We are very proud to have AnJeanette's work represent our District in the Capitol\r\nduring the An Artistic Discovery exhibit,\" said Lee. \"This is a great opportunity to\r\nhighlight the ways in which art education can enrich the lives of our young people.\"  52 high school students from the 9th Congressional District of California, which\r\nincludes Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Piedmont, entered the\r\ncompetition. \"Frutas De Otono\" was chosen in April to represent California's Ninth Congressional District by a panel of judges\r\nfollowing a month long exhibit in Oakland.  \"I am truly honored to have been chosen to have my artwork shown in the Capitol,\" said AnJeanette Garcia. \"Art is not just  \r\nsomething I do, it is my passion and an expression of who I am. It is a\r\ngreat honor to have won this award for doing something\r\nthat I love so much.\"  \"We must always remember that activities such as art, music and sports are essential to students' development and to our  \r\n   sense of identity, community, and pride,\" said Lee. \"This art contest is very important for our community because it supports  \r\n   artistic expression and rewards high school students for their outstanding accomplishments.\"\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/house-passes-congresswoman-barbara-lees-resolution-celebrating-the-life-and-accomplishments-of-the-honorable-shirley-chisholm", "HOUSE PASSES CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE'S RESOLUTION CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE HONORABLE SHIRLEY CHISHOLM", "2001-06-12", "2001", "2001-06", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "06.12.01\n\t\t\t HOUSE PASSES CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE'S RESOLUTION CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE HONORABLE SHIRLEY CHISHOLM \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - The House of Representatives today passed by a vote of 415-0 H. Res. 97, a resolution introduced by\r\n   Congresswoman Barbara Lee that recognizes the enduring contributions, heroic achievements, and dedicated work of the\r\n   Honorable Shirley Anita Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives.  Shirley Chisholm served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1964 to 1968 before being elected to the House of\r\nRepresentatives in 1968. She served as a member of the House from 1968 to 1983.  \"Ms. Chisholm's mission to include women, children, African\r\nAmericans, and other minorities in public policy opened the door to\r\na whole new debate lacking in Congress during that time,\" said Lee.\r\n\"She is a remarkable women who paved the way for many\r\nof us by fighting throughout her life for fundamental human rights.  \"Ms. Chisholm has devoted her life to public service,\" said Lee. \"She has been a committed advocate for progressive causes,  \r\nincluding improving education, ending discrimination, increasing the\r\navailability of child care, and expanding the coverage of the\r\nFederal minimum wage laws to include domestic employment.\"  In addition to being the first African American woman to be elected to Congress, in 1972 Shirley Chisholm was the first woman\r\nto be a candidate for the nomination of the Democratic Party for the Office of President of the United States. After campaigning\r\nin the primaries of 12 states, Chisholm won 28 delegates and received 152 first ballot votes at the Democratic National\r\nConvention.  \"When I was a student at Mills College in Oakland, Shirley Chisholm encouraged me to register to vote and to get involved in  \r\n   politics, and I ended up working on her Presidential campaign,\" said Lee. \"Her extraordinary work has inspired and empowered\r\nmany women to become involved in the political process. She continues to inspire me through her wisdom and vision.\" Before entering politics, the Honorable Shirley Chisholm was a nursery school teacher, director of a day-care center and a  \r\n   consultant for the New York Department of Social Services. She continues her dedication to progressive politics by writing,  \r\n   teaching, and giving lectures across the country. \r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-lee-awarded-the-interaction-congressional-service-award", "CONGRESSWOMAN LEE AWARDED THE INTERACTION CONGRESSIONAL SERVICE AWARD", "2001-06-06", "2001", "2001-06", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "06.06.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN LEE AWARDED THE INTERACTION CONGRESSIONAL SERVICE AWARD \n\t\t\t\r\nLee honored as a Leader in Combating the Global HIV/AIDS Crisis\r\nWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) today was awarded the InterAction Congressional Service Award for her\r\nwork in Congress and her support of initiatives to combat the global HIV/AIDS crisis.  InterAction is a diverse coalition of more than 165 US-based\r\nrelief, development, environmental and refugee agencies working in\r\nmore than 100 countries around the world. The Congressional Service\r\nAward is given in recognition of leadership on international\r\nhuman rights and development issues.  \"I am honored to receive this award, but the real recognition\r\nshould go to the many organizations and people who are dedicated\r\nto international humanitarian, development and relief efforts,\" said\r\nLee. \"The support we receive from organizations like those that\r\nare members of InterAction, is invaluable in our work to combat the\r\nHIV/AIDS pandemic.\"  Recognizing that national boundaries will not stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, Congresswoman Lee has worked successfully to  \r\npass legislation that will initiate multilateral international efforts\r\nto fight the devastating disease. She was co-author of H.R. 3519,\r\nthe Global AIDS and Tuberculosis Relief Act of 2000, which was signed\r\ninto law by President Clinton and could ultimately\r\nleverage over $1 billion to combat global HIV/AIDS. More recently,\r\nCongresswoman Lee has introduced legislation to increase\r\nthe worldwide affordability of AIDS drugs and linking international\r\ndebt relief to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and social and\r\nhealth infrastructure.  \"The fight to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS must be waged on many different fronts. The HIV/AIDS crisis cannot be removed from\r\nthe context of regional stability, poverty alleviation, development, and the empowerment of women,\" said Lee. \"In order to fully\r\naddress the HIV/AIDS crisis we must also address the many other problems that plague developing countries.\"  With headquarters in 25 states and grassroots chapters in many others, InterAction member organizations promote economic  \r\ndevelopment and self-reliance, improve health and education, provide\r\nrelief to victims of disasters and wars, assist refugees,  \r\n   advance human rights, protect the environment, address population concerns, advocate for more just public policies and  \r\n   increase understanding and cooperation between people.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-joins-cbc-in-declaring-state-of-emergency-in-minority-communities-for-hiv/aids", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE JOINS CBC IN DECLARING STATE OF EMERGENCY IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES FOR HIV/AIDS", "2001-05-27", "2001", "2001-05", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "05.27.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE JOINS CBC IN DECLARING STATE OF EMERGENCY IN MINORITY COMMUNITIES FOR HIV/AIDS \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Task Force on Global\r\n   HIV/AIDS joined the CBC to call on the Bush Administration to declare a State of Emergency in minority communities as it\r\n   relates to HIV/AIDS.  According to a June report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, more than 50% of the  \r\n   estimated 40,000 new HIV infections each year occur among African Americans. An estimated 1 in 50 African American men\r\nand 1 in 160 African American women are infected with HIV. Black males ages 13-24 comprised 37% of AIDS cases for their\r\nage group, and Black females accounted for 59% of AIDS cases among females in the same age group. African American\r\nchildren (under the age of 13) represent almost two-thirds (64%) of all reported pediatric HIV cases in the United States.  \"The urgency to call for a State of Emergency on HIV/AIDS in Minority communities is clear,\" said Lee. \"Racial and ethnic  \r\nminorities continue to be disproportionately impacted by the HIV/AIDS\r\nepidemic in the United States, and we need to direct our\r\nresources towards those communities hit hardest.\"  Although African-Americans represent only 12% of the population of the United States, they account for 47% of new AIDS  \r\n   cases. Hispanics represent only 13% of the population, but they account for 19% of new AIDS cases. Asian Americans, Pacific\r\nIslanders and Native Americans account for only 1% of new AIDS cases. However, due to the lack of detailed HIV surveillance,\r\nunder-reporting, and mis-classification by race, the true impact of this epidemic remains hidden in these communities.  Through a community wide initiative, a state of emergency task force was formed and on November 4, 1998, and the Alameda\r\nCounty Public Health Officer declared a Public Health Emergency on AIDS in Alameda County's African American Community. \r\nIn the three years since Alameda County declared a public health emergency, HIV/AIDS prevention resources and efforts have\r\nbeen widely expanded and infection rates in the African American community are slowly decreasing.  \"HIV can be prevented and AIDS is a manageable disease. \"We must do all we can to eradicate both from the face of the earth,\"\r\nsaid Lee. \"Declaring a State of Emergency is beginning to work in Alameda County and it can work throughout the country.\"\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/house-strikes-congresswoman-lees-bi-partisan-language-to-overturn-mexico-city-anti-family-planning-policy", "HOUSE STRIKES CONGRESSWOMAN LEE'S BI-PARTISAN LANGUAGE TO OVERTURN MEXICO CITY ANTI-FAMILY PLANNING POLICY", "2001-05-15", "2001", "2001-05", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "05.15.01\n\t\t\t HOUSE STRIKES CONGRESSWOMAN LEE'S BI-PARTISAN LANGUAGE TO OVERTURN MEXICO CITY ANTI-FAMILY PLANNING POLICY  \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - The House of Representatives voted 218-210 today to reinstate President Bush's global gag rule by voting to\r\nstrike pro-family planning language in H.R. 1646 that would allow badly needed family planning funds for women around the\r\nworld, and especially in developing nations.  The vote came in a motion to strike an amendment to H.R. 1646 offered by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) in the House\r\nInternational Relations Committee. The amendment passed by a bipartisan vote of 26-22 on May 02, 2001.  \"This vote puts at risk the lives and health of women all over the\r\nworld. International family planning helps save lives, promotes  \r\n   women's and children's health, and strengthens families and communities around the world,\" said Lee. \"With this vote we are  \r\n   essentially denying women access to methods of contraception, and increasing the risk of spreading the HIV/AIDS virus.\"  By placing these restrictions on family planning services, the Bush Administration and the House of Representatives are  \r\n   severely limiting the ability of family planning programs in developing countries to curb the spread of sexually transmitted  \r\n   diseases, including HIV/AIDS, and to utilize proper population control measures.  \"Often, family planning clinics are the only point of contact women have with the health care system in their country. It is  \r\n   essential that family planning counseling as well as information about HIV/AIDS prevention be provided,\" said Lee. \"We must  \r\ncontinue our work to overturn this misguided policy that limits women's\r\naccess to international family planning services on every\r\nlevel.\"  Last week, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) joined Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and\r\nJames Greenwood (R-PA), in sending a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell urging his support of the Foreign Relations\r\nAuthorizations Act for FY02 and FY03. The Bipartisan letter also requested a meeting with Secretary Powell to discuss\r\nstrategies to convince the Administration to reverse its Mexico City Policy.  Congresswoman Lee vowed to continue the fight to overturn this\r\ndeadly policy with the help of family planning organizations and\r\nMembers of Congress.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-authors-of-bi-partisan-language-to-overturn-mexico-city-policy-urge-secretary-powells-support", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE, AUTHORS OF BI-PARTISAN LANGUAGE TO OVERTURN MEXICO CITY POLICY URGE SECRETARY POWELL'S SUPPORT", "2001-05-06", "2001", "2001-05", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "05.06.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE, AUTHORS OF BI-PARTISAN LANGUAGE TO OVERTURN MEXICO CITY POLICY URGE SECRETARY POWELL'S SUPPORT \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) today joined Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Nancy Pelosi\r\n(D-CA), and James Greenwood (R-PA), in sending a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell urging his support of the Foreign\r\nRelations Authorizations Act for FY02 and FY03, which contains language to overturn the Mexico City Policy.  The bipartisan letter requests a meeting with Secretary Powell to\r\ndiscuss strategies to convince the Administration to reverse its\r\nMexico City Policy and put an end to a measure which prevents foreign\r\nNon-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) from using\r\ntheir own funds for family planning services. The Act includes an\r\namendment offered by Lee containing the text of a H.R. 755,\r\nthe Global Democracy Protection Act, a bipartisan bill authored by Nita\r\nLowey (D-NY), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Nancy Pelosi\r\n(D-CA), and James Greenwood (R-PA).  \"This is not about allowing NGOs to use federal funds to perform abortions. Since 1973, under the Helms Amendment to the  \r\nForeign Assistance Act of 1961, the United States has PROHIBITED\r\nforeign recipients of international family planning aid to use\r\nU.S. taxpayer funds to perform abortions,\" said Lee. \"The bill would\r\nnot fund abortions but would allow foreign NGOs receiving\r\nU.S. aid to use their OWN funds for providing vital family planning\r\nservices.\"  \"It is crucial that women across the world have fundamental access\r\nto health care. Our support of international family planning  \r\n   helps save lives, promotes women's and children's health, and strengthens families and communities around the world,\" said  \r\nLee. \"Often, family planning clinics are the only point of contact\r\nwomen have with the health care system in some countries. It is\r\nessential that family planning counseling as well as information about\r\nHIV/AIDS prevention be provided.\"  On May 03, 2001, the House International Relations Committee voted 26-22 to pass an amendment to the Foreign Relations  \r\n   Authorizations Act for FY02 and FY03 offered by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) to overturn the Memorandum issued by\r\nPresident Bush re-instating the Mexico City international family planning policy.  \"This language, which received bipartisan support on the\r\nInternational Relations Committee, will allow organizations to provide\r\na\r\nwide range of vital family planning services that will help curb the\r\nspread of sexually transmitted diseases,\" said Lee. \"By  \r\n   denying these vital services, we deny women access to methods of contraception, leading to a higher risk of spreading the  \r\n   HIV/AIDS virus.\"  \"The Mexico City policy would be unconstitutional in this country. We should not impose these unfair, dangerous provisions on\r\nwomen in other nations,\" concluded Lee.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/international-relations-committee-passes-congresswoman-lees-bi-partisan-amendment-to-overturn-mexico-city-anti-family-planning-policy", "INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE PASSES CONGRESSWOMAN LEE'S BI-PARTISAN AMENDMENT TO OVERTURN MEXICO CITY ANTI-FAMILY PLANNING POLICY", "2001-05-01", "2001", "2001-05", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "05.01.01\n\t\t\t INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE PASSES CONGRESSWOMAN LEE'S BI-PARTISAN AMENDMENT TO OVERTURN MEXICO CITY ANTI-FAMILY PLANNING POLICY \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - The House International Relations Committee today voted 26-22 to pass an amendment to the Foreign\r\n   Relations Authorizations Act for FY02 and FY03 offered by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) to overturn the Memorandum\r\nissued by President Bush re-instating the Mexico City international family planning policy.  The Mexico City Policy prohibits foreign non-governmental\r\norganizations receiving U.S. federal funds from promoting or providing\r\nfamily planning services. By placing these restrictions on family\r\nplanning services, the Administration is severely limiting the\r\nability of family planning programs in developing countries to curb the\r\nspread of sexually transmitted diseases, including\r\nHIV/AIDS, stop unwanted pregnancies, and utilize proper population\r\ncontrol mechanisms.  \"It is crucial that women across the world have fundamental access\r\nto health care. Our support of international family planning  \r\n   helps save lives, promotes women's and children's health, and strengthens families and communities around the world,\" said  \r\nLee. \"By denying these vital services, we deny women access to methods\r\nof contraception, leading to a higher risk of spreading\r\nthe HIV/AIDS virus. This amendment, which received bipartisan support,\r\nwill allow organizations to provide a wide range of vital\r\nfamily planning services that will help curb the spread of sexually\r\ntransmitted diseases.\"  The amendment offered by Lee contained the text of a H.R. 755, the\r\nGlobal Democracy Protection Act, a bipartisan bill authored\r\nby Nita Lowey (D-NY) Christopher Shays (R-CT) Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and\r\nJames Greenwood (R-PA).  \"I would like to thank all the Democrats and the Republicans on the International Relations Committee who worked with us in a\r\nbi-partisan manner to help overturn this misguided policy that limits women's access to international family planning services,\"  \r\nsaid Lee. \"Often, family planning clinics are the only point of contact\r\nwomen have with the health care system in their country. It\r\nis essential that family planning counseling as well as information\r\nabout HIV/AIDS prevention be provided.\"  \"The Mexico City policy would be unconstitutional in this country. We should not impose these unfair, dangerous provisions on\r\nwomen in other nations,\" concluded Lee.  Congresswoman Lee thanked Ranking Democratic Member Tom Lantos (D-CA) and the International Relations Committee staff\r\nfor all of their hard work. She also thanked the Democrat and Republican authors of the bill and urged her House colleagues to\r\npass the Foreign Relations Authorization Act when it comes to the House Floor. \r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-urges-president-bush-to-support-the-kyoto-protocol-and-to-take-the-lead-on-the-environment", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE URGES PRESIDENT BUSH TO SUPPORT THE KYOTO PROTOCOL AND TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THE ENVIRONMENT", "2001-04-30", "2001", "2001-04", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "04.30.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE URGES PRESIDENT BUSH TO SUPPORT THE KYOTO PROTOCOL AND TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THE ENVIRONMENT \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Ranking Member on the\r\nHouse International Relations Subcommittee on Europe, along with 11 of their colleagues, sent a letter to President Bush urging\r\nhim to improve rather than reject the Kyoto Protocol and encouraging the Administration to take a leadership role in promoting\r\nenvironmental progress.  The United States is the largest producer of fossil-fuel generated\r\nCO2 emissions in the world. European leaders and others have\r\nstrongly condemned President Bush's declaration that the Kyoto Protocol\r\non Global Warming is \"dead.\" In addition to the\r\nlong-term effects on the climate itself, the apparent U.S. withdrawal\r\nfrom the principles of the Kyoto Protocol and the Framework\r\nAgreement is having a dire impact on U.S. relations with Europe.\r\nMoreover, the failure of the United States to take the lead in\r\nthis issue will decrease incentives among industrializing nations to\r\nlimit emissions or seek out cleaner power sources.  \"We must send a strong message to the President and the country that Congress will hold Mr. Bush to his campaign pledge,  \r\nthat it recognizes that global warming poses grave dangers to our\r\nenvironment, our economy, and our national security, and that\r\nthis country must reduce its CO2 emissions,\" said Lee. \"We cannot\r\nabandon our national and international commitments to a\r\ncleaner environment.\"  The letter was signed by Reps. Faleomaveaga (D-AS), Delahunt (D-MA), Wexler (D-FL), McKinney (D-GA), Blumenauer (D-OR),\r\nLantos (D-CA), Berman (D-CA), Napolitano (D-CA), Crowley (D-NY), Menendez (D-NJ), and Ackerman (D-NY).  Representatives Lee, Hastings and Menendez are co-authors of a forthcoming amendment to H.R. 1646, the State Department\r\nAuthorization Bill, which emphasizes the dangers of global warming and the need for immediate action to make reductions in\r\ngreenhouse gas emissions and to complete negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol.  Congresswoman Lee also recently introduced H. Res. 117, the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions and Global Climate Change\r\nAct of 2001, which expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. should develop, promote and implement policies to reduce\r\nemissions of fossil fuel generated carbon dioxide with the goal of achieving stabilization of greenhouse gas emissions in the\r\nUnited States at the 1990 level by the year 2010.  The Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions and Global Climate Change Act has over forty original co-sponsors and has been  \r\nendorsed by the National Environmental Trust, the Natural Resources\r\nDefense Council, the World Wildlife Fund,\r\nCALPIRG, the Union of Concerned Scientists, NETWORK, the National\r\nCouncil of Churches of Christ in the USA, Physicians for Social\r\nResponsibility, and the Sierra Club.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-introduces-hr-1567-the-debt-cancellation-for-hiv/aids-response-act-of-2001", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE INTRODUCES H.R 1567,THE DEBT CANCELLATION FOR HIV/AIDS RESPONSE ACT OF 2001", "2001-04-29", "2001", "2001-04", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "04.29.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE INTRODUCES H.R 1567,THE DEBT CANCELLATION FOR HIV/AIDS RESPONSE ACT OF 2001 \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Task Force on HIV/AIDS,\r\nwas joined today by Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), other Members of Congress and leading debt relief and HIV/AIDS\r\norganizations to unveil HR 1567, the Debt Cancellation for HIV/AIDS Response Act of 2001.  The bill calls for the World Bank and the International Monetary\r\nFund (IMF) to cancel the multilateral debt of countries that are\r\nheavily impacted by HIV/AIDS. Countries who are eligible under the HIPC\r\nInitiative or have HIV infection rates of 3% or more\r\nwould be eligible for debt cancellation. The bill also encourages the\r\nsavings from debt cancellation to be used for establishing\r\nand implementing national HIV/AIDS response strategies.  \"Many African countries heavily affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis\r\nalso face rising international debt, which in essence depletes resources to attack the problem,\" said Lee. \"We must draw a clear link between developing an HIV/AIDS response and multilateral debt cancellation. AIDS KILLS AND DEBT KILLS. Together we must KILL DEBT TO KILL AIDS.\"  Due to the debt crisis in many impoverished countries, substantially more is spent on multilateral debt repayment each year than on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs and other health and educational services. Last year, the United States Congress and the Clinton Administration demonstrated leadership on the\r\nissue of debt relief by providing $435 million for bilateral\r\ndebt cancellation for highly indebted and poor countries.  \"This tremendous step in the right direction was launched by a phenomenal community-wide response that included bipartisan  \r\n   leadership in the US Congress,\" said Lee. \"Today, we are calling for the same coalition to draw the link between the development of an HIV/AIDS response and the cancellation of multilateral debt.\"  In countries where debt cancellation has already occurred, an\r\naverage of 2/3 of the debt savings has been assigned to HIV/AIDS\r\nand infectious disease control programs.  \"This bill represents a component of the AIDS Marshall Plan,\" said Lee.  H.R. 1567 will join H.R. 3519, the Global AIDS and Tuberculosis Relief Act, spearheaded by Lee and signed into law last year,\r\nand the recently introduced H.R. 1185, the Access to HIV/AIDS Pharmaceuticals and Medical Technologies Act, as one of\r\nmany other multifaceted solutions to attack the complex HIV/AIDS pandemic.  \"We must move multilateral debt cancellation and our response to the HIV/AIDS crisis to the forefront of our international agenda,\" concluded Lee.  H.R. 1567 is supported by Jubilee USA Network, Drop the Debt, Results, Washington Office on Africa, Episcopal Church-USA,\r\nConstituency for Africa, Global AIDS Alliance, and African Services Committee.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-denounces-house-passage-of-the-unborn-victims-of-violence-act", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE DENOUNCES HOUSE PASSAGE OF THE UNBORN VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE ACT", "2001-04-26", "2001", "2001-04", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "04.26.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE DENOUNCES HOUSE PASSAGE OF THE UNBORN VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE ACT \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today expressed disappointment at House passage of H.R. 503, The Unborn\r\nVictims of Violence Act, by a vote of 252-172, with one Member voting present.  H.R. 503 classifies a fertilized egg, zygote, blastocyst, embryo\r\nor fetus as a separate entity for purpose of federal law. It creates\r\na separate offense for criminal acts that cause death or bodily harm to\r\nthe \"unborn,\" separating out and making it possible to\r\nignore the injury to the woman as well as the violence directed at her.\r\nThe real goal of this legislation is not to deter and punish\r\ncriminal conduct but to undermine Roe v. Wade by establishing a system\r\nof separate legally enforceable rights for the \"unborn\"\r\nto the detriment of women's privacy and equal protection rights.  \"This full-scale assault on a women's right to choose is dangerous and it is wrong. As a woman, I am deeply offended and  \r\nangry,\" said Lee. \"First President Bush reinstated the Global Gag Rule\r\nas one of his first actions in office and now we have the  \r\n   Unborn Victims of Violence Act. Where is the compassion for women?\"  Nearly one in every three adult women experiences at least one physical assault by a partner during adulthood. H.R. 503 does  \r\n   nothing to address the epidemic of domestic violence. According to domestic violence experts, it could make matters worse for\r\nwomen by focusing on crimes to an embryo or fetus while ignoring the woman who has been harmed.  \"I deplore acts of violence against women, and stand as the strongest of advocates against domestic violence and domestic  \r\nabuse; however, while this legislation claims to protect pregnant\r\nwomen, the reality is that it will harm women,\" said Lee. \"If  \r\n   Congress wants to ensure safe pregnancies for both mothers and babies, we should be passing legislation to increase access  \r\n   to prenatal care and to support and strengthen WIC nutrition and food stamp programs.\"  Congresswoman Lee supported the Motherhood Protection Act, an amendment offered by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)\r\nthat recognizes the pregnant women as the primary victim of a crime that causes a termination of a pregnancy, thereby deterring\r\nviolence against women. The amendment was defeated by a vote of 196 - 229.  \"Lofgren's substitute amendment recognizes the pregnant woman as the primary victim of a crime, but also allows for further  \r\n   punishment if that woman's pregnancy is ended as a result of the attack,\" said Lee. \"It is tougher on crimes against women  \r\n   without weakening our reproductive freedom.\"  Lee urged the Senate to recognize H.R. 503 for what it is: a\r\nmisguided initiative, dangerous and harmful to women's rights, and\r\nto vote no on any legislation that undermines a woman's right to\r\nchoose. \r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/hud-secretary-martinez-appears-before-congresswoman-lees-housing-panel", "HUD SECRETARY MARTINEZ APPEARS BEFORE CONGRESSWOMAN LEE'S HOUSING PANEL", "2001-04-26", "2001", "2001-04", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "04.26.01\n\t\t\t HUD SECRETARY MARTINEZ APPEARS BEFORE CONGRESSWOMAN LEE'S HOUSING PANEL \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today questioned Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Mel Martinez about the Bush Administration cuts to HUD funding before a Housing subcommittee hearing.  \"I have been very disturbed about the administration's HUD budget\r\nsince its release, and I don't feel any better about it after hearing personally from Secretary Martinez at today's hearing, said Lee. \"Once again, the poor and lower income Americans who use FHA loans are bearing the brunt for Bush's $2 trillion plus tax\r\ncut that truly will benefit wealthy Americans. This is terrible social and economic public policy.\"  The Bush administration cuts $200 million from the HOME formula grants program which is a critical housing production program. It also hikes FHA loan fees by $86 million and tightens FHA loan underwriting guidelines when FHA and Ginnie Mae\r\nprograms have a combined current surplus of $3 billion.  The Bush budget cuts funding for public housing by $859 million including a devastating 23% cut in the Public Housing Capital  \r\n   Fund which funds repair and maintenance of public housing units, terminates the public housing Drug Elimination Program, and  \r\n   reduces the number of incremental Section 8 vouchers by 57%.  \"It is a simple fact that in most areas, regular police will not\r\ngo into public housing developments,\" said Lee. \"This cut in the Drug Elimination program on top of the Administration's cut in the COPS program means that the Bush administration is writing\r\noff public safety for anyone in low income housing. This is an outrage.\"  Due to the energy crisis in California, Congresswoman Lee also questioned Secretary Martinez about the cost of energy in public housing. The Bush budget freezes LIHEAP funds next year and\r\nprovide absolutely no funding in the LIHEAP emergency\r\naccount. Secretary Martinez said he is using Department of Energy data\r\nfrom last year to budget for public housing energy\r\ncosts even though energy prices, particularly in California, are\r\nsoaring well above these estimates. Public housing managers will\r\nhave to find the funds to pay for these expected higher energy costs\r\nout of services and maintenance accounts.  \"Even though he knows the estimates are out of date and flat out wrong, he said in the hearing he intends to continue to base the budget on them,\" said Lee. \"I'm very disappointed with his statement, and I will encourage him to work with me and my colleagues to pass supplemental appropriations to deal with the public housing energy crisis.\"  \"Secretary Martinez is really being strapped by the Bush budget,\" concluded Lee. \"He can't even make adjustments for rising energy costs. It is truly sad for the people who are working hard and trying to maintain a decent place to live.\" \r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/winner-of-congressional-district-nine-art-competition-chosen", "WINNER OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT NINE ART COMPETITION CHOSEN", "2001-04-24", "2001", "2001-04", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "04.24.01\n\t\t\t WINNER OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT NINE ART COMPETITION CHOSEN \n\t\t\tOakland, CA -  Congresswoman Barbara Lee joined a panel of judges on April 7th to announce that \"Frutas De Otono\" by Holy\r\nNames High School senior AnJeanette Garcia was chosen as the winner of the 20th Annual National High School art\r\ncompetition. \"Frutas De Otono\" will head to Washington, DC in June for\r\nthe opening of An Artistic Discovery, a year-long exhibit sponsored by more than 300 Members of Congress.  \"In a time when many people may be intimidated to even draw on a blank piece of paper, I found it refreshing that this young  \r\nartist created a collage of paper as a beginning,\" said Jack Da Silva,\r\none of the judges for the competition, and himself a local artist. \"The process of aesthetic exploration was enhanced by de-constructing the picture plane, reassembling it and then  \r\n   developing it into a finished composition.\"  52 high school students from the 9th Congressional District of\r\nCalifornia, which includes Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville,\r\nOakland and Piedmont, entered the competition. While only the winning\r\nartwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol, Lee\r\npointed out that the local exhibit will continue throughout the month\r\nof April at the Junior Center of Art and Science in Oakland.  \"I am very pleased that, thanks to the collaborative efforts and\r\nsupport of several organizations and individuals, we will have an\r\nopportunity to celebrate and reward the artistic accomplishments of all\r\nour students.\" said Lee. We are very proud to have AnJeanette's work represent the Ninth Congressional District in the U.S. Capitol during the An Artistic Discovery exhibit.  \"This art contest is very important for our community because it\r\nsupports artistic expression and rewards high school students  \r\n   for their outstanding accomplishments,\" said Lee. \"We need to remember that activities such as art, music and sports are essential to students' development and to our sense of identity, community, and pride.\"  In addition to the winning work of art, six honorable mentions were announced. The honorable mentions went to Elliot Glass, Jessica Lam, Joanna Criddle, Mariana Goodin, Noah DePietro, Nathan Cox, all from Oakland. Each student received a Congressional Certificate for their participation from Congresswoman Lee. \r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-supports-pharmaceutical-companiesdecision-to-drop-lawsuit-against-south-africa", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE SUPPORTS PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES'DECISION TO DROP LAWSUIT AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA", "2001-04-19", "2001", "2001-04", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "04.19.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE SUPPORTS PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES'DECISION TO DROP LAWSUIT AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) today announced her support for the decision of 39 pharmaceutical\r\ncompanies to drop their lawsuit against the South African government to overturn the Medicines Act of 1997.  On March 20, 2001 Lee was joined by many Members of Congress on the House floor to express opposition to the lawsuit and\r\ncalled on the 39 pharmaceutical companies to drop the lawsuit.  \"I stand firm in my belief that by denying the basic human right\r\nto medical care, this lawsuit in itself was criminal,\" said Lee. \"Through this lawsuit the pharmaceutical companies jeopardized the\r\nlives of millions of South Africans living with AIDS. By lifting\r\nthis road block, the South African government will be able to move\r\nforward with implementing the Medicines Act.\"  \"The momentum with which the international grass roots community, governments and elected officials launched a well targeted\r\ncampaign to oppose this lawsuit is testament that as we move together as a community, for the good of the human family, we\r\nwill overcome obstacles such as this lawsuit,\" said Lee. \"I am grateful for this activism; it must be applauded.\"  \"While South Africa may now move to implement the Medicines Act,\r\nthere still exists a threat of litigation against other countries\r\nsuch as India, Brazil and other developing nations who choose to implement TRIPS complaint strategies in order to provide\r\nlife-saving AIDS medicines to their people,\" said Lee. \"That is why I\r\nintroduced, along with Congresswoman Jan Shakowsky\r\n(D-IL), H.R. 1185, the Global Access to HIV/AIDS Medicines Act of 2001.  The Global Access to HIV/AIDS Medicines Act codifies President Clinton's Executive Order #13155 and expands its reach to\r\nother developing nations that have been hit hard by AIDS, but have limited resources to address the crisis. Countries that declare a national health emergency related to the HIV/AIDS crisis and/ or have an HIV/AIDS incidence of 5% or more would\r\nbenefit from this bill.  \"Life-saving medications still remain far out of the reach of\r\nmillions of people living with AIDS,\" said Lee. \"90% of the world's 36\r\nmillion people with HIV face a death sentence because they cannot\r\nafford medication-because they are poor and live in the\r\ndeveloping world.\"  Under the Clinton Executive Order, the United States would be\r\nprohibited from exerting pressure through its affiliation with the\r\nWorld Trade Organization, or through the United States Trade\r\nRepresentative to stop sub-Saharan African countries from engaging in parallel importing or manufacturing generic live-saving HIV/AIDS medication.  \"Addressing the issue of access to affordable life-saving HIV/AIDS medicines and technologies is only one part of our comprehensive strategy to combating AIDS, but it is a crucial one,\"\r\nconcluded Lee. \"We must not tolerate the current policy that\r\ndictates that life with a manageable illness is possible if you are\r\nwealthy, but death from AIDS is certain if you are poor.\"\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-lee-introduces-co2-global-climate-change-resolution", "CONGRESSWOMAN LEE INTRODUCES CO2 GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE RESOLUTION", "2001-04-05", "2001", "2001-04", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "04.05.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN LEE INTRODUCES CO2 GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE RESOLUTION \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) today joined fellow members of Congress and leading environmental\r\nand religious groups to announce the introduction of the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions and Global Climate Change Act of\r\n2001.  The Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions and Global Climate Change Act of 2001 expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S.\r\nshould develop, promote and implement policies to reduce emissions of fossil fuel generated carbon dioxide with the goal of\r\nachieving stabilization of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States at the 1990 level by the year 2010.  \"This resolution will send a strong message to the President and the country that Congress will hold Mr. Bush to his campaign  \r\npledge, that it recognizes that global warming poses grave dangers to\r\nour environment, our economy, and our national security,\r\nand that this country must seek to reduce its CO2 emissions,\" said Lee.\r\n\"This resolution represents the first step in restoring\r\nour national and international commitments to a cleaner environment.\"  The United States is the largest producer of fossil-fuel generated\r\nCO2 emissions in the world. European leaders and others have\r\nstrongly condemned President Bush's declaration that the Kyoto Protocol\r\non Global Warming is \"dead.\" In addition to the\r\nlong-term effects on the climate itself, the apparent U.S. withdrawal\r\nfrom the principles of the Kyoto Protocol and the Framework\r\nAgreement is having a dire impact on U.S. relations with Europe.\r\nMoreover, the failure of the United States to take the lead in\r\nthis issue will decrease incentives among industrializing nations to\r\nlimit emissions or seek out cleaner power sources.  \"It seems that President Bush believes that a salmonella burger washed down with a glass of arsenic laden water is a healthy  \r\nmeal for our children. If it's done while contracting melanoma from an\r\never-increasing hole in the ozone layer, it must be the ideal\r\npicnic,\" said Lee. \"A majority of Americans disagree with the\r\nPresident's environmental policy, and so do I. We must take the\r\nlead in protecting the environment and securing a livable world for\r\nfuture generations.\"  The Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions and Global Climate Change Act has over forty original co-sponsors and has been  \r\n   endorsed by the National Environmental Trust, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the World Wildlife Fund, CALPIRG, the\r\nUnion of Concerned Scientists, the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, NETWORK, the National Council of\r\nChurches of Christ in the USA, and the Sierra Club.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-blasts-bush/republican-budget", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE BLASTS BUSH/REPUBLICAN BUDGET", "2001-03-27", "2001", "2001-03", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "03.27.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE BLASTS BUSH/REPUBLICAN BUDGET \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today voiced strong opposition to House passage of the Republican budget,\r\nH.Con. Res. 83 by a vote of 222-205. The budget cuts funding for low income energy assistance programs, cuts programs in the\r\nDepartment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and omits funding for electoral reform.  \"The Bush/Republican Budget makes cuts to essential programs that\r\nimprove the quality of life for millions of Americans,\" said  \r\nLee. \"The budget requests the smallest increase for education funding\r\nin five years, dramatically slashes programs for affordable\r\nhousing and energy programs, and does not address electoral reforms\r\nthat will prohibit the electoral irregularities that were\r\nwitnessed in Florida.\"  The Bush/Republican budget cuts $859 million from the HUD public housing budget, including funding for repair and  \r\n   maintenance, for drug prevention security services, and for community development and other affordable housing programs. The\r\nCongressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) alternative budget resolution championed by Congresswoman Lee would invest $2\r\nbillion per year for an affordable housing construction program and an increase of $500 million for public housing upkeep. In\r\naddition, the CPC budget increases Section 8 housing vouchers by $575 million to provide 100, 000 more vouchers, and provides\r\na $200 million increase for Homeless Assistance Grants, as well as increased funding for child care development and social\r\nservices programs.  \"There is currently an extreme lack of affordable housing all over\r\nthe nation and particularly in the Bay Area. Efforts to rectify the\r\nproblem are being sacrificed in order to fund Bush's tax cuts that\r\noverwhelmingly favor the wealthy,\" said Lee. \"Families are\r\nfinding the American dream of home-ownership harder and harder to\r\nattain, and we must develop a national housing agenda to\r\naddress this crisis. The Progressive Caucus budget proposes real\r\nsolutions to our housing crisis.\"  The Bush/Republican budget freezes funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) next year and  \r\n   does not provide any funding at all in the LIHEAP emergency account. Despite record high energy prices in the West and recent\r\nwinter storms in the Northeast, fewer than one in three eligible families get LIHEAP assistance because the program is not fully\r\nfunded. The CPC budget provides a nearly 400% increase in funding for LIHEAP, and also provides increased funding for the\r\nlow-income weatherization program, for the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve, and provides funding for a Natural Gas\r\nReserve.  \"California is facing an energy crisis that will have a\r\ndevastating effect on other states facing energy problems of their own.\r\nThe  \r\n   Public Utilities Commission recently voted to raise consumer rates by as much as 46%,\" said Lee. \"The Progressive budget will\r\nhelp Californians and others across the country pay their increasing energy bills, but more importantly, the budget focuses on a\r\nlong term energy plan by redirecting resources from fossil fuel research to funding research and investment into cleaner  \r\n   alternative and renewable fuels.\"  The Bush/Republican budget also fails to provide funding for\r\nelectoral reform and does not include resources for the purchase or\r\nlease of updated voting technology for election jurisdictions. The CPC\r\nbudget reserves $2.5 billion to assist states and localities\r\nin upgrading election procedures and voting technology.  \"The right to vote is the very basis of democracy. When the Congressional Black Caucus met with President Bush earlier this  \r\nyear, he assured us that his budget would provide funding for electoral\r\nreform so that the voting irregularities that took place in  \r\nFlorida would not occur again,\" said Lee. \"President Bush has once\r\nagain shown that while he speaks of uniting the country and\r\nchanging the tone in Washington, his actions and the policies of\r\nCongressional Republicans are very conservative and out of\r\nstep with the beliefs and values of most Americans.\"\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-celebrates-the-life-and-accomplishments-of-the-honorable-shirley-chisholm", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE CELEBRATES THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE HONORABLE SHIRLEY CHISHOLM", "2001-03-20", "2001", "2001-03", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "03.20.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE CELEBRATES THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE HONORABLE SHIRLEY CHISHOLM \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - In celebration of Women's History Month Congresswoman Barbara Lee today introduced a resolution\r\n   recognizing the enduring contributions, heroic achievements, and dedicated work of The Honorable Shirley Anita Chisholm, the\r\nfirst African American woman elected to the United State House of Representatives.  Shirley Chisholm served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1964 to 1968 before being elected to the House of\r\nRepresentatives in 1968. She served as a member of the House from 1968 to 1983.  \"Shirley Chisholm has devoted her life to public service and to improving the quality of life for people in the community she  \r\n   served, as well as for everyone in the United States,\" said Lee. \"She has been a committed advocate for progressive causes,  \r\nincluding improving education, ending discrimination, increasing the\r\navailability of child care, and expanding the coverage of the\r\nFederal minimum wage laws to include domestic employment.\"  In addition to being the first African American woman to be elected to Congress, in 1972 Shirley Chisholm was the first woman\r\nto be a candidate for the nomination of the Democratic Party for the Office of President of the United States. After campaigning\r\nin the primaries of 12 states, Chisholm won 28 delegates and received 152 first ballot votes at the Democratic National\r\nConvention.  \"When I was a student at Mills College in Oakland, Shirley Chisholm encourage me to register to vote and to get involved in  \r\npolitics, and I ended up working on her Presidential campaign,\" said\r\nLee. \"She is a remarkable women who paved the way for\r\nmany us by fighting throughout her life for fundamental rights for\r\nwomen, children, seniors, African Americans, Hispanics, and\r\nother minority groups. Shirley Chisholm is truly inspirational and\r\ncontinues to be a great influence in our daily work to serve our\r\ncommunities.\"  Before entering politics, the Honorable Shirley Chisholm was a nursery school teacher, director of a day-care center and a  \r\n   consultant for the New York Department of Social Services. She continues her dedication to progressive politics by writing,  \r\n   teaching, and giving lectures across the country.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-congressional-progressive-caucus-support-cost-based-wholesale-pricing", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE, CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS SUPPORT COST-BASED WHOLESALE PRICING", "2001-03-13", "2001", "2001-03", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "03.13.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE, CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS SUPPORT COST-BASED WHOLESALE PRICING \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congressional Progressive Caucus Vice Chair Barbara Lee (D-CA), joined her caucus colleagues today in\r\nsupport of cost-based wholesale pricing as part of a comprehensive national energy policy that protects consumers, promotes\r\nconservation, and provides consistent, reliable power.  The proposed legislation will insulate consumers from the ravages\r\nof unjust prices, but will not deny producers legitimate profits. \r\nIt will establish cost-based rates set by the Federal Energy Regulatory\r\nCommission to reflect the cost of generation plus a\r\nreasonable profit for generators.  \"In California we are in the midst of a real energy crisis and consumers are paying the price. We have experienced blackouts  \r\nand skyrocketing prices that threaten both the public health and the\r\nstate economy,\" said Lee. \"While we may be the first state  \r\nto experience the full impact of this crisis, California will not be\r\nthe last, because energy is not a state issue, but a regional and  \r\n   national problem that we must address today. Energy is a vital necessity, and we cannot force senior citizens to choose  \r\n   between paying their utility bills and buying groceries so that power generators can reap enormous profits.\"  Cost-based wholesale pricing is one component of the Progressive Caucus Energy Plan, which will protect consumers, increase\r\nresearch and development for alternative energy sources, and protect against common market power abuses.  \"We must begin by protecting consumers by enacting cost-based whole sale pricing so that power companies cannot take  \r\nadvantage of winter cold snaps or summer heat waves to increase\r\nprices,\" said Lee. \"We do not want to deny reasonable profits,\r\njust prevent unjust prices.\"  \"The answer to our energy problems does not lie beneath the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but MUCH closer to home,\" said\r\nLee. \"It will be found in a comprehensive, forward-thinking national energy policy that protects Americans and safeguards our\r\nplanet.\" \r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-calls-on-congress-to-reject-bush-tax-proposal", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE CALLS ON CONGRESS TO REJECT BUSH TAX PROPOSAL", "2001-03-07", "2001", "2001-03", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "03.07.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE CALLS ON CONGRESS TO REJECT BUSH TAX PROPOSAL \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman\r\nBarbara Lee (D-CA) today called on Congress to reject President Bush's\r\ntax plan on the\r\nFloor of the House and to consider adoption of the Congressional\r\nProgressive Caucus American People's Dividend plan, which\r\nwill provide a $300 per person refundable tax dividend to every\r\nAmerican for their contribution to America's historic prosperity.  According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 55% of African American families and 56% of Latino families with  \r\nchildren would not receive one penny of tax relief. Altogether, six\r\nmillion African American and Latino families - and over 12  \r\n   million African American and Latino children - will not be helped at all by the Bush tax plan.  \"President Bush states that the average American family would receive $1,600 under this tax plan. But while some wealthy  \r\n   families will receive tens of thousands of dollars of tax relief, others will receive absolutely nothing,\" said Lee.  An estimated 12 million low-and middle income families with\r\nchildren - one third of all of American families would not receive any\r\ntax cut from the Bush proposal. Approximately 24.1 million children -\r\n33.5% of all children live in the families that excluded in\r\nBush's plan. This disproportionately effects African American and\r\nLatino children, 53% of whom live in families who will receive\r\nno tax benefit.  \"The nationwide statistics of who is left out of this tax proposal\r\nare staggering,\" said Lee. \"In California, 1.7 million families -  \r\nmore than one third of all families in California - will receive\r\nnothing from Bush's tax cut. About 40% of children in California live\r\nin\r\nfamilies that will get no tax benefit from Bush's proposal, while the\r\nwealthiest families will benefit greatly.\"  \"These families pay many other taxes, such as payroll taxes, and deserve the same tax benefits as every other family,\" said  \r\n   Lee. \"These are hard working families that have contributed to the nation's unprecedented economic expansion, but have not  \r\nbenefited greatly, and are struggling day to day to support their families. We must not ignore their needs.\"  As Vice Chair of the Progressive Caucus, Congresswoman Lee played\r\na pivotal role in developing and highlighting the American\r\nPeople's Dividend, a simple, fiscally responsible, plan that truly\r\nbenefits all by giving every adult and child a $300 tax credit every\r\nyear regardless of income, for the next ten years, provided that the\r\nprojected surpluses materialize. A reduced or larger dividend\r\nwould be given based on the size of annual budget surplus projections.\r\nBecause the plan only spends 1/3 of any projected\r\nsurplus, it will protect Social Security and Medicare and allow for\r\nmore investment in public education, affordable health care,\r\nand housing. \r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/san-francisco-mayor-willie-brown-proclaims-march-8-2001-representative-barbara-lee-day", "SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR WILLIE BROWN PROCLAIMS MARCH 8, 2001 REPRESENTATIVE BARBARA LEE DAY", "2001-03-07", "2001", "2001-03", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "03.07.01\n\t\t\t SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR WILLIE BROWN PROCLAIMS MARCH 8, 2001 REPRESENTATIVE BARBARA LEE DAY \n\t\t\tOakland, CA - March 08, 2001, was proclaimed Representative Barbara Lee day in San Francisco by Mayor Willie L. Brown. \r\nThe proclamation was presented at a University of California at San Francisco AIDS Research Institute event at which\r\nCongresswoman Lee was honored for her work on HIV/AIDS.  \"This is truly an honor, and I am very grateful and humbled to\r\nreceive this proclamation on International Women's Day. The U.S.\r\nCongress is finally realizing that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is not a\r\nRepublican or Democratic issue, but a disease that threatens\r\nthe entire human family,\" said Lee. \"We have a lot of work ahead of us\r\nin raising awareness about the HIV/AIDS crisis at home\r\nand globally. We have made good first steps in the right direction, and\r\nwe must continue our fight to eradicate this horrific\r\ndisease.\"  The Proclamation presented by Mayor Brown's office cited Congresswoman Lee, who \"has been a tireless advocate for women,\r\nand has brilliantly championed the need of African Americans in the U.S. in dealing with disparities in health outcomes,\" and\r\nbecause \"her efforts have made the Congressional Black Caucus' Minority AIDS Initiative a growing source of funding for the\r\ncities hardest hit by HIV/AIDS disease such as both Oakland and San Francisco.\"  Congresswoman Lee was also honored as the first recipient of what is to become an annual award given by the UCSF AIDS  \r\nResearch Institute's Center for Global Research on Women's Health. It\r\nis named after Auxillia Chimusoro, a pioneer in the battle\r\nagainst HIV/AIDS. In 1990 Auxillia became the first woman in Zimbabwe\r\nto declare openly her positive HIV status, despite the\r\nsignificant social stigma attached to HIV/AIDS and particularly to\r\nwomen with HIV/AIDS. In 1992 Auxillia formed\r\nBatanai, the first support group for HIV positive women in Zimbabwe.  \"I am deeply honored and grateful to receive the Auxillia Chimusoro Award. Women like Auxillia are the real heroes in the war\r\nagainst AIDS,\" said Lee. \"In my daily work fighting against HIV/AIDS, I am deeply inspired by her story. Her refusal to accept\r\nHIV/AIDS medications offered by treatment organizations, until the drugs are made available to all Zimbabweans infected with\r\nHIV/AIDS, reinforces the strong message that access to life-saving drugs is a basic human right. Again, I am deeply honored to\r\nreceive this award in her name.\"  Upon returning from the 13th Annual AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, Congresswoman Lee successfully authored an\r\namendment that increased the Foreign Operations Budget FY01 for international HIV/AIDS programs by $42 million. Last year\r\nCongresswoman Lee also co-authored the Global AIDS and Tuberculosis Act of 2000, which was signed into public law 106-264,\r\non August 19, 2000, by President Clinton. That bill created the World Bank AIDS Trust Fund, a multilateral initiative that may\r\nultimately leverage as much as $1 billion a year in international public and private investments. \r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-supports-homeless-prevention-permanent-housing-renewal-act", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE SUPPORTS HOMELESS PREVENTION PERMANENT HOUSING RENEWAL ACT", "2001-03-05", "2001", "2001-03", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "03.05.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE SUPPORTS HOMELESS PREVENTION PERMANENT HOUSING RENEWAL ACT \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Lee today joined Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services John LaFalce\r\n(D-NY) at a press conference to voice support for the Homeless Prevention Permanent Housing Renewal Act of 2001.  This bi-partisan legislation renews the expiring Shelter Plus Care permanent housing rental assistance grants through the HUD  \r\n   Section 8 Housing Certificate Fund. The bill comes one year after thousands of low-income families saw their rental subsidies  \r\ncut off when expiring grants were not renewed forcing Congress to step\r\nin with emergency legislation to restore rental subsidies\r\nfor these families. The renewal of this legislation would preclude that\r\ncrisis from recurring. \"We have at least 13,000 homeless people in Alameda County and\r\nunfortunately, the number is growing,\" said Lee. \"The cities\r\nof Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Emeryville, and Albany are all facing\r\nthis crisis, and the Shelter Plus Care program is a critical\r\ncomponent of addressing the needs  housing and social services  of\r\nthe homeless, working poor, and disabled.\" Shelter Plus Care provides rental assistance and a liaison with\r\nsocial service programs so that supportive housing is provided for\r\nhomeless people with disabilities and their families.  \"This population needs more than housing; they need medical care, counseling, and other supportive services to help them  \r\nprepare for living on their own,\" said Lee. \"As they acquire the tools\r\nthey need, Shelter Plus Care provides them with a warm bed\r\nand shelter.\" \"Our national leaders must work to develop a comprehensive housing agenda, and continue working towards ensuring that all  \r\n   citizens have the means to live in decent conditions with access to necessary services,\" concluded Lee. \"We are the richest  \r\n   nation in the world, and that leaves us with no excuses not to provide these services.\"  Congresswoman Lee thanked Ranking Member LaFalce for introducing\r\nthe Homeless Prevention Permanent Housing Renewal\r\nAct, and for his diligence in addressing the housing needs of\r\nlow-income families. The bipartisan legislation is supported by a\r\nbroad group of organizations including the National Alliance to End\r\nHomelessness, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, and\r\nCatholic Charities.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-denounces-house-passage-of-bankruptcy-reform-legislation-bill-that-punishes-low-income-workers-and-women", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE DENOUNCES HOUSE PASSAGE OF BANKRUPTCY REFORM LEGISLATION BILL THAT PUNISHES LOW-INCOME WORKERS AND WOMEN", "2001-02-28", "2001", "2001-02", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "02.28.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE DENOUNCES HOUSE PASSAGE OF BANKRUPTCY REFORM LEGISLATION BILL THAT PUNISHES LOW-INCOME WORKERS AND WOMEN \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee\r\ntoday voiced strong opposition to House passage by a vote of 306 to108 of H.R.\r\n333, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, which is\r\nalmost identical to the conference report that was pocket vetoed by President\r\nClinton in the 106th Congress.\r\nH.R. 333 makes a number of changes to the bankruptcy laws, including barring\r\nthose who make more than the median income in their region to file for\r\nbankruptcy under Chapter 7, a section of the bankruptcy code that allows debts\r\nto be forgiven after liquidation of property and assets. Under H.R. 333,\r\nmiddle-income individuals are required to file for bankruptcy under Chapter 13,\r\nwhich requires debtors to pay off all their debts with future income.\r\n\r\nAThis really is an anti-consumer, anti-working family,\r\nanti-woman, anti-low-income, ant-child bankruptcy bill,@\r\nsaid Lee. AMany\r\nAmericans were left out of the economic Aboom@\r\nof the past decade and are saving less while accumulating more debt. Many\r\nworking class families are forced into bankruptcy when emergencies arise, and\r\ninstead of helping working families get back on their feet, this Republican\r\nreform bill make declaring bankruptcy much more difficult and stigmatizing.@\r\nA majority of people who file for bankruptcy are working families who have\r\nexperienced a catastrophic event such as illness, job loss, or divorce. H.R. 333\r\nwill also make it much more difficult for businesses to reorganize, thereby\r\nforcing them into bankruptcy and eliminating much needed jobs. The bill may also\r\npit single mothers seeking to collect child support against credit card\r\ncompanies.\r\n\r\nAHundreds of thousands of women who are owed child\r\nsupport or alimony would be harmed financially under the Republican bill,@\r\nsaid Lee. A\r\nThe bill does nothing to protect women owed support by men who declare\r\nbankruptcy or those who need to declare bankruptcy themselves due to\r\nfinancial hardship when their former spouse or non-custodial parent fails to pay\r\nsupport.@\r\nAAdditionally, H.R. 333 fails to ensure that parents\r\nand children will have first claim on the bankruptcy filer=s\r\nfunds, rather than big business collection departments,@\r\nsaid Lee. AI\r\ncannot support the punitive Republican bankruptcy reform legislation. The\r\nDemocratic alternative more sensibly changes the means test, adds consumer\r\nprivacy protections, and further benefits consumers and struggling businesses.@\r\n\r\nLabor unions, consumer groups, and women=s,\r\nchildren=s,\r\nand senior=s\r\nadvocates all adamantly opposed H.R. 333. Congresswoman Lee thanked her\r\nDemocratic colleagues who had the courage to oppose H.R. 333, and urged the\r\nSenate to pass a more sensible alternative.\r\n\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-joins-cbc-in-election-reform-hearing", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE JOINS CBC IN ELECTION REFORM HEARING", "2001-02-27", "2001", "2001-02", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "02.27.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE JOINS CBC IN ELECTION REFORM HEARING \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today joined the Congressional Black Caucus in a hearing to examine\r\n   electoral reform in the wake of alleged voting rights violations in Florida during the 2000 Presidential Election.  The hearing provided a forum for national leaders, government officials, and affected voters to discuss the most recent  \r\n   presidential election and reforms that will ensure every vote is counted. \"This is another opportunity to record what happened and speak out\r\nagainst this travesty of justice,\" said Lee. \"We must get to\r\nthe bottom of what happened in Florida, and make sure that the proper\r\nsteps are taken so that no American will be denied the\r\nright to vote, and more importantly, that every vote is counted.\" Following the highest African American voter turnout in history,\r\nallegations of voting rights violations arose, including intimidation\r\nand harassment, a disproportionate disqualification of voters, lost and\r\ndistorted ballots, and even missing ballot boxes. More\r\nthan 480 complaints and 300 pages of testimony have been collected from\r\npeople who say they were blocked from voting in\r\nFlorida.  \"The one vote, one voice principal is the cornerstone of democracy, and too many people have fought, and even died, for that  \r\nbasic right,\" said Lee. \"To hear of these voting rights violations\r\nnearly 150 years after passage of the Fifteenth Amendment, and\r\nover 35 years since the passage of the Voting Rights Act, is simply\r\nunacceptable. We would denounce these occurrences in\r\nother countries, and we must do the same here.\" \"Our national leaders must come together and pass real election reform to make sure that this never happens again,\" said Lee.  \r\n\"This not a Republican or Democrat issue, nor is it a racial issue. It\r\nis a fundamental issue that should concern every American.\" \"The Congressional Black Caucus will continue to highlight the\r\nelection irregularities in Florida, and will continue urging our  \r\n   Congressional colleagues to come up with solutions that ensure free, fair and transparent elections, in which all can truly  \r\n   participate,\" said Lee. \"Our democracy is at a crossroads, and must be protected.\"  Congresswoman thanked her Congressional Black Colleagues for their leadership and diligence in pursuing election reform, and\r\nthe members of Congress who participated in the hearing. The CBC is committed to passage of strong election reform legislation\r\nbefore summer recess.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-supports-legislation-to-restore-federal-financial-aid-for-students-convicted-of-drug-offenses", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE SUPPORTS LEGISLATION TO RESTORE FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID FOR STUDENTS CONVICTED OF DRUG OFFENSES", "2001-02-27", "2001", "2001-02", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "02.27.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE SUPPORTS LEGISLATION TO RESTORE FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID FOR STUDENTS CONVICTED OF DRUG OFFENSES \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman\r\nBarbara Lee today voiced her support for legislation to repeal a\r\nprovision in the 1998 Higher\r\nEducation Act (HEA) that prohibits students convicted of any state or\r\nfederal drug-related offense from receiving federal financial\r\naid for college.  According to Department of Education Statistics, 8,162 students were denied federal financial aid during the 2000-2001 school\r\nyear because of the HEA provision on drug convictions. \"This unfair law is overwhelmingly targeted at preventing low- and\r\nmiddle-income students from attending college because they\r\nare denied access to Pell Grants, student loans, and other much-needed\r\nforms of assistance,\" said Lee. \"Wealthy students can\r\nafford to pay for college on their own, without the help of federal\r\nfinancial aid. It is the low-income families that depend on these\r\nfederal funds for higher education.\"  According to the Department of Justice, in 1997, the most recent\r\nyear for which data is available, over 66,000 juveniles age 17\r\nand younger were adjudicated on drug-related cases. Drug related cases\r\nare the only convictions that prevent students from\r\nreceiving financial aid. No such automatic ban on federal financial aid\r\nexists for any other crime, including murder, rape, or other\r\nviolent crimes.  \"Education is the most critical weapon we have in the fight against poverty and crime,\" said Lee. \"We cannot allow youthful  \r\n   indiscretions to hold back individuals who want to better themselves by attending college. Under the HEA, low- and  \r\nmiddle-income children who cannot afford to pay for college, are\r\nfurther disenfranchised by a limitation of options for education,\r\nand are therefore less likely to make a positive contribution to their\r\ncommunity.\"  The legislation was introduced by Representative Barney Frank\r\n(D-MA) in the 106th Congress and has garnered support from\r\nmore than 70 university student government associations, including the\r\nUniversity of California Berkeley, and national education,\r\nstudent, drug policy reform, religious, women's and civil rights\r\ngroups. \r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-to-president-bush-it-simply-doesnt-add-up", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE TO PRESIDENT BUSH: \"IT SIMPLY DOESN'T ADD UP!\"", "2001-02-27", "2001", "2001-02", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "02.27.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE TO PRESIDENT BUSH: \"IT SIMPLY DOESN'T ADD UP!\" \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Following his address to Congress, Congresswoman Barbara Lee responded to President Bush's budget\r\n   plan. In order to finance his proposed $1.6 trillion tax cut, President\r\nBush will have to cut $300 billion over ten years from other  \r\n   programs such as Social Security and Medicare, environmental protection, job training, and housing. Bush's proposal includes  \r\n   the Social Security and Medicare trust funds as part of the surpluses available to fund his tax cut and Social Security  \r\n   privatization.  Congresswoman Lee is the Vice-Chair of the House Progressive\r\nCaucus and supports its American People's Dividend which will\r\nprovide a $300 tax credit to every adult and child in the country. The\r\nyearly dividend is based on surplus projections and contains\r\na built-in trigger so that the dividend can be suspended if there are\r\nno future surpluses. \"This plan is simple, comprehensive, and\r\nfiscally responsible,\" said Lee. \"It is progressive in that low- and\r\nmoderate-income families will get more back than under Bush's\r\nplan. These are the people that need the tax break, not the rich, and\r\nnot big corporations.\" \"For President Bush to want to address the education crisis, expand defense spending, pay down the debt, shore up Social  \r\nSecurity and Medicare, and give a tax cut that exceeds $2 trillion if\r\nmade retroactive, is ludicrous. It simply doesn't add up,\" said\r\nLee. \"Additionally, we have 44 million Americans without health\r\ninsurance, yet Bush only mentioned a tax credit but no  \r\n   comprehensive strategy to address this issue.\"  \"I am also particularly concerned to hear reports that the Bush\r\nAdministration will freeze funding for the Department of Housing\r\nand Urban Development. Urban areas like the cities of Oakland,\r\nBerkeley, and Alameda in California's Ninth Congressional\r\nDistrict are facing a critical and severe affordable housing shortage,\r\nand this is not the time to inadequately fund programs that\r\nhelp elderly and low-income people,\" said Lee.  In closing, Congresswoman Lee made the following remark: \"I would like to see President Bush and his Administration show  \r\n   more leadership on the pressing social issues such as housing, health care, education, and Social Security and Medicare  \r\n   solvency. These are real problems, but his trickle down tax cut will not help most Americans deal with them.\" \r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-promotes-progressive-caucus-tax-plan", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE PROMOTES PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS TAX PLAN", "2001-02-14", "2001", "2001-02", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "02.14.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE PROMOTES PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS TAX PLAN \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Progressive Caucus Vice Chair Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) today called on Congress to enact the\r\nCaucus' American People's Dividend plan, which will provide a $300 per person refundable tax rebate to every American.  The Progressive Caucus plan would help low-income families, as well as African American and Hispanic families, much more  \r\nthan President Bush's proposal. Many families with children - and\r\nespecially minority families - would receive no tax credit at all\r\nunder President Bush's tax plan.  \"President Bush states that the average American family would receive $1,600 under this tax plan. But while some wealthy  \r\n   families will receive tens of thousands of dollars of tax relief, others will receive absolutely nothing,\" said Lee.  Many minority families will receive a disproportionately small\r\namount of tax relief in the Bush tax plan. This is primarily because\r\nthey have no income tax liability before the Earned Income Tax Credit\r\nis computed. However, these families pay many other\r\ntaxes, such as payroll taxes, and deserve the same tax benefits as\r\nevery other family.  \"An estimated 12 million low- and middle-income families with\r\nchildren - about 31% of all families - will get no relief whatsoever\r\nfrom the Bush tax plan,\" said Lee. \"Even more worrisome is that fact\r\nthat more than half of African American and Hispanic\r\nchildren live in families that will get absolutely nothing from the\r\nBush plan. In contrast, all of them would receive $300 per person\r\nfrom the Progressive Caucus American People's Dividend.\" Rep. Lee pledged to work to include the American People's Dividend program in any tax legislation that moves through Congress\r\nthis year.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/progressive-caucus-tax-plan-benefits-all-americans", "PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS TAX PLAN BENEFITS ALL AMERICANS", "2001-02-08", "2001", "2001-02", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "02.08.01\n\t\t\t PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS TAX PLAN BENEFITS ALL AMERICANS \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Progressive Caucus Vice Chair Congresswoman Barbara Lee today joined her caucus colleagues in unveiling\r\na ten-year, $900 billion tax cut that benefits all Americans equally.  The \"American People's Dividend,\" presented today by the Progressive Caucus, proposes a $300 tax credit for every man,  \r\nwoman and child in America. The Progressive Caucus plan is part of a\r\nlarger budget framework that will protect Social Security\r\nand Medicare, pay down the federal debt, provide tax credits, and\r\nvastly increase spending on education, health care, housing,\r\nalternative energy, and veterans programs. \"It is evident that President Bush's Plan will help the very rich\r\nfar more than others,\" said Lee. \"President Bush's Tax Plan leaves\r\nout childless couples, senior citizens, stay-at-home mothers and the\r\nvery poor.\" Economists agree that Bush's tax cut plan will cost somewhere between $2.0 and $2.7 trillion rather than the $1.6 trillion  \r\nclaimed. The Bush Tax Plan uses almost the entire projected budget\r\nsurplus for tax cuts, 43% of which go to the wealthiest 1%\r\nof Americans, while giving little to nothing to those in the lowest tax\r\nbrackets. Under the Bush plan, a low-income family of four\r\nmaking less than $13,000 per year would receive less than $100 in tax\r\ncredit. Under the American People's Dividend, the same\r\nfamily would receive $300 hundred per person, amounting to $1,200  a\r\ndifference of $1,100. \"President Bush's Tax Plan is \"Reaganomics\" revisited. We learned during the 1980's that a huge tax cut for the wealthy,  \r\nparticularly when combined with a significant increase in military\r\nfunding, leads to growing deficits and economic instability for  \r\n   the poorest Americans,\" said Lee. \"Trickle Down Economics' did not work then, and will not work as currently proposed by  \r\n   President Bush. Our tax plan will stimulate the economy, while protecting Social Security and Medicare, funding federal  \r\n   programs, and leaving enough money to pay off the long term national debt.\" \"With the skyrocketing costs of housing, medicine, college education, and other important and necessary items, we must act  \r\n   now to benefit people who need this tax credit to enhance the quality of their lives,\" concluded Congresswoman Lee. \r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-joins-congressional-black-caucus-in-voicing-concerns-to-president-bush", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE JOINS CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS IN VOICING CONCERNS TO PRESIDENT BUSH", "2001-02-01", "2001", "2001-02", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "02.01.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE JOINS CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS IN VOICING CONCERNS TO PRESIDENT BUSH \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee last night joined members of the Congressional Black Caucus in a meeting\r\nwith President Bush to voice their concerns over alleged voting rights\r\nviolations in Florida, and to discuss their objection to the\r\n   nomination of Senator Ashcroft to Attorney General.  \"Our meeting with President Bush was very serious and focused,\" said Lee. \"We reiterated our strong opposition to the  \r\nnomination of Senator Ashcroft to head the Department of Justice and\r\nour complete outrage at voting rights violations in Florida.\" \"By nominating a person with this kind of record to be the nation's top law enforcement official, President-elect Bush has  \r\n   dramatically widened the political rifts in our country; rifts he pledged to bridge during his campaign.\" Lee said. \"We let President Bush know that too many people fought and died\r\nfor the right to vote for us to stand silently by while African\r\nAmerican voters are dismissed from polling places, forced to use\r\nantiquated machines, and denied their rightful voice,\" said Lee.\r\n\"We let him know that what happened in this election is still on the\r\nminds of voters in Florida, and on the minds of the\r\nconstituents we represent.\"  \"We urged President Bush to embrace electoral reform because a fundamental principle of our democracy is that every vote  \r\n   counts,\" said Lee. \"He listened intently to our concerns, but stood behind his nomination of Senator Ashcroft. While he would  \r\n   not fully commit to a specific course of action, he agreed to review electoral reform proposals.\"  The Congressional Black Caucus also discussed their legislative priorities with President Bush, including strengthening our  \r\n   public schools, ending racial profiling, and combating the global HIV/AIDS crisis.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-elected-vice-chair-of-congressional-progressive-caucus", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE ELECTED VICE CHAIR OF CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS", "2001-01-31", "2001", "2001-01", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "01.31.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE ELECTED VICE CHAIR OF CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today was elected as Vice Chair of the Progressive Caucus.The more than 50 members of the Progressive Caucus share a common belief in the principles of social and economic justice, non-discrimination, and tolerance in America and in our relationships with other countries. The caucus seeks to embody and give a voice to national priorities which reflect the interests and needs of all the American people, not just the wealthy and the powerful. \"I am very honored to be chosen as Vice Chair of the Progressive Caucus, and look forward to working with Chairman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio towards a progressive legislative agenda that puts people first,\" said Lee. \"Now more than ever we must be unified in putting forth an agenda that will save Social Security and Medicare, increase access to health care for the more than 44 million Americans who are uninsured, provide affordable housing, strengthen public schools, protect the environment, and combat social and racial inequalities that still exist.\" \"A majority of Americans agree with a progressive agenda that focuses on the needs and well being of all Americans,\"said Lee. \"We should not be afraid to differentiate our agenda from Republican initiatives which often-times ignore the working poor, low-income communities, as well as communities of color, instead pushing the agendas of the NRA, the Christian Coalition, defense contractors, anti-choice organizations, and the tobacco, pharmaceutical, insurance, and oil industries.\" Congresswoman Lee was elected Vice Chair of the Progressive Caucus because of a demonstrated record supporting peace and justice in the United States and throughout the world. \"Barbara Lee is perhaps the most principled Member of Congress, with an understanding of the issues and a commitment to progressive change,\" said Progressive Caucus Chair Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) \"Her new position reflects the confidence that her peers have in her, and she will do a tremendous job.\"  \"I would like to thank my colleagues for their continued support and confidence, and for entrusting me with the responsibilities of this position in such an important caucus,\" said Lee. \"I look forward to promoting an agenda of fairness and justice in the 107th Congress.\" ###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-to-attend-united-nations-general-assembly-specongresswoman-barbara-lee-introduces-legislation-for-a-national-affordable-housing-trust-fundial-session-on-hiv-and-aids", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE TO ATTEND UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPECONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE INTRODUCES LEGISLATION FOR A NATIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUNDIAL SESSION ON HIV AND AIDS", "2001-01-26", "2001", "2001-01", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "01.26.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE TO ATTEND UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY SPECONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE INTRODUCES LEGISLATION FOR A NATIONAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUNDIAL SESSION ON HIV AND AIDS \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today introduced the National Affordable Trust Fund Act of 2001, tri-partisan\r\nlegislation that would use a portion of profit surpluses generated from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Mortgage\r\nInsurance Program to create a trust fund to provide for the construction of affordable rental units and homes for low- and\r\nmiddle-income Americans.  According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), over 5 million people are paying more than half of their\r\nlimited incomes on housing or living in severely substandard housing. In Oakland, only 45.8% of homes are affordable to those\r\nmaking median incomes, earning the area a rank of 178th out of 193 metro areas surveyed the National Association of Home\r\nBuilders.  \"This affordable housing crisis is real for the people in the Bay\r\nArea and throughout the country,\" said Lee. There is more than  \r\n   $2 billion in FHA and Ginnie Mae accounts that could be dedicated to addressing this issue, without jeopardizing these  \r\n   programs.\"  The trust fund will use $2 billion in surplus Federal Housing\r\nAdministration funds, which are now lying dormant, to create a trust\r\nfund from which states and non-profits could draw to build affordable\r\nhousing rental units, to construct affordable homes for low-\r\nand middle-income individuals, and provide rental subsidies to\r\nlow-income individuals. This is a small portion of the more than\r\n$26 billion profit expected to be generated by the FHA over the next\r\nseven years.  \"The rental vacancy rate for Oakland is 4.6%, well below the U.S.\r\naverage of 8.1%, and there are 3,000 families on waiting lists\r\nfor section 8 vouchers,\" said Lee. \"Unfortunately, in most areas in the\r\nregion, the existing Section 8 subsidies no longer provide\r\na viable affordable housing option.\"  \"These facts are sobering and even sad, but they are a reality for\r\nmost Californians, and for many people across the country,\"  \r\n   concluded Lee. \"We need new and innovative ways to solve this severe lack of affordable housing, and the creation of the  \r\n   National Housing Trust Fund will provide enormous resources to combat our housing crisis, without harming any of our existing\r\nprograms.\"  The tri-partisan National Housing Trust Fund Act is co-sponsored by Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and John McHugh (R-NY). It is  \r\n   supported by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), the Macauley\r\nInstitute, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and other national housing organizations.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-criticizes-president-bush-for-restoring-mexico-city-gag-rule-on-family-planning", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE CRITICIZES PRESIDENT BUSH FOR RESTORING MEXICO CITY GAG RULE ON FAMILY PLANNING", "2001-01-22", "2001", "2001-01", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "01.22.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE CRITICIZES PRESIDENT BUSH FOR RESTORING MEXICO CITY GAG RULE ON FAMILY PLANNING \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today voiced her strong disapproval of President Bush's decision to issue an executive order that restored the Mexico City Policy. The Mexico City Policy, created by President Reagan in 1984, strips non-governmental organizations that receive federal funding of their right to engage in a full range of family planning services in other countries. This policy was in effect until it was rescinded by President Clinton on January 22, 1993. \"The decision of President Bush to reinstate the gag rule will not unify the country or work to close the partisan divide.\" said Lee. \"By selecting anti-choice cabinet nominees like John Ashcroft and Tommy Thompson, and by reinstating the global 'gag' rule on the 28th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, President Bush has demonstrated that he will use his presidential powers to undermine the reproductive rights of the world's women.\" Approximately 600,000 women die each year of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death and disability among women aged 15 and 49 in the developing countries.  The Fiscal Year 2001 Foreign Operations bill included $425 million for bilateral international family planning services and reproductive health education to families worldwide. This funding is now subject to the gag rule on abortion.  \"It is crucial that women across the world have fundamental access to health care,\" said Lee. \"This executive order restricts family planning organizations from even speaking about family planning options or lobbying their own government on reproductive health matters.\"  U.S. international family planning programs play a pivotal role in preventing unintended pregnancies and reducing the need for abortion worldwide. They are also crucial to preventing maternal deaths resulting from childbirth and stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. In many developing countries, international family planning programs represent the only health care available to women and their families. \"Granting funds for family planning programs means saving lives, promoting women's and children's health, and strengthening families and communities around the world,\" said Lee. \"This restriction would be unconstitutional if imposed here in the United  States, and should not imposed on organizations in other countries. Reinstating the global gag rule is extremely dangerous and  shortsighted.\" \"I am deeply concerned that as we enter a new millennium, the Administration is seeking to return us to a period in our history when women did not have control over their own reproductive health,\" said Lee. \"This demonstrates the President's commitment to eroding a woman's right to choose, and I fear that this is only the first wave of an assault on the reproductive freedoms in our own country. Now, more than ever, we must stand up and defend those freedoms that we have struggled so hard to attain.\" ###   \n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-to-boycott-inauguration-of-president-elect-bush", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE TO BOYCOTT INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT-ELECT BUSH", "2001-01-19", "2001", "2001-01", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "01.19.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE TO BOYCOTT INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT-ELECT BUSH \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today announced that she will not attend the inauguration of George W. Bush this Saturday, January 20, 2001.\"I cannot in good conscience celebrate the inauguration of George W. Bush when in Florida, thousands of Americans were  harassed, turned away, or otherwise disenfranchised in the November elections. This travesty of justice and democracy must  never happen again, and to that end, I have pledged to make the case at every appropriate opportunity that we need election  reform in this country, and we need it now! In losing the popular vote and being selected President by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, President-elect Bush has no mandate  from the people. I challenge him to live up to his claim of being a unifier by embracing electoral reform legislation before  Congress and directing the U.S. Department of Justice to fully investigate voter disenfranchisement in the 2000 elections in  Florida. I look forward to working with President-elect Bush on this and other issues affecting the well-being of the American  people.  As the famous quote says, \"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.\" Too many have struggled and  died in this country for the right of all adult citizens to vote. We must not forget their fight and bloodshed. We must not forget  what happened in Florida in 2000. We must demand action now!\"  ###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-opposes-nomination-of-senator-john-ashcroft-as-attorney-general", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE OPPOSES NOMINATION OF SENATOR JOHN ASHCROFT AS ATTORNEY GENERAL", "2001-01-17", "2001", "2001-01", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "01.17.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE OPPOSES NOMINATION OF SENATOR JOHN ASHCROFT AS ATTORNEY GENERAL \n\t\t\tOakland, CA - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today announced her opposition to the nomination of Senator John Ashcroft as Attorney General, while members of the Congressional Black Caucus walked out of the Senate nomination hearing in protest of his divisive record of public service.\"I am deeply troubled that Senator John Ashcroft has been nominated to lead the department that defends the rights and  freedoms of all Americans\" said Lee. \"He has built a career on opposing those rights and seeking to dismantle all that women  and minorities have fought for.\"  In December, Congresswoman Lee, other members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and civil rights leaders met with  Attorney General Janet Reno to request a Justice Department investigation into widespread voter intimidation and harassment, a disproportionate number of antiquated voting machines in minority communities, and other voting irregularities in Florida. The Congressional Black Caucus is concerned that the Justice Department will not aggressively pursue those investigations under Ashcroft, who has shown little commitment to protecting civil rights, including equal voting rights. \"The one vote-one person principle must be more than empty rhetoric, and we must make sure that what happened in Florida  does not ever happen again,\" said Lee. \"Ashcroft has shown little commitment to equal voting rights throughout his many years  in public service, and I am skeptical that he will pursue a course of action to remedy the voting rights violations that occurred in Florida.\"  \"Furthermore, Senator Ashcroft has repeatedly tried to eliminate a woman's right to choose, and even opposes a woman's right to use common contraceptives such as birth control pills,\" said Lee. \"He has opposed civil rights remedies, including school desegregation orders and affirmative action laws, and has failed to endorse racial profiling legislation. Ashcroft led an  unscrupulous campaign against a well qualified African American judge, and looks to the confederacy for his heroes.\"  Congresswoman Lee concluded, \"By nominating a person with this kind of record to be the nation's top law enforcement official, President-elect Bush has dramatically widened the political rifts in our country; rifts he pledged to bridge during his campaign, and following his questionable election.\"   ###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/2001/01/14/representative-barbara-lee-calls-for-art-submissions-for-us-capitol-exhibit", "REPRESENTATIVE BARBARA LEE CALLS FOR ART SUBMISSIONS FOR U.S. CAPITOL EXHIBIT", "2001-01-14", "2001", "2001-01", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "01.14.01\n\t\t\t REPRESENTATIVE BARBARA LEE CALLS FOR ART SUBMISSIONS FOR U.S. CAPITOL EXHIBIT \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today issued a call for submissions for the 20th Annual National High School art competition and exhibition called An Artistic Discovery, a year-long exhibit sponsored by more than 300 Members of Congress.High School students from the 9th Congressional District of California, which includes Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Piedmont, are requested to submit artwork to their high school principal's office. This art contest is very important for our community because it supports artistic expression and rewards high school students for their outstanding talent and accomplishments, said Lee. A We need to remember that activities such as art, music, and sports are essential to a student=s development and to our sense of identity, community, and pride. Each high school may establish their own deadline for the selection of no more than three works to be judged in the district-wide competition, but Congresswoman Lee's office must receive submissions by Friday, March 16, 2001. One work of art will be chosen by a panel of judges following a month-long exhibit in April, 2001, at the Junior Center for Arts and Sciences. The work of art chosen to represent the Ninth District of California will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. While only one student's artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol, Congresswoman Lee pointed out the importance of displaying our students' work locally during the month of April. I am very pleased that, thanks to the collaborative efforts and support of several organizations and individuals, we will have an opportunity to celebrate and reward the artistic accomplishments of all our students. said Lee. The Junior Center is located at 558 Bellevue Avenue, Lake Merritt, in Oakland. It is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more info contact Kimberlee Garfinkle, at Congresswoman Lees office, at (510) 763-0370 or visit the national competition=s website at www.house.gov/shadegg/artshow. ###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-and-congressional-black-caucus-oppose-florida-electoral-college-votes", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE AND CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS OPPOSE FLORIDA ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES", "2001-01-06", "2001", "2001-01", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "01.06.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE AND CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS OPPOSE FLORIDA ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today joined members of the Congressional Black Caucus in opposition to counting Florida's 25 electoral college votes for George W. Bush.formal objection to counting Florida=s electoral votes must be presented in writing, signed by at least one Senator and one Representative, under 3 U.S.C. section 15. Unfortunately, not one single Member of the Senate submitted an objection, thereby rendering the objection out of order. Rules may prevent the hearing of our challenge, but they do not relieve us of our responsibility to the people in this country who voted, only to find that their vote was not counted, said Lee. AWe will not stand silently by while African American voters are intimidated, dismissed from polling places, forced to use antiquated machines, and denied their rightful voice. The Congressional Black Caucus and civil rights organizations have pursued various initiatives and legal action in the months following the election. Congresswoman Lee, other members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and civil rights leaders met with Attorney General Janet Reno to request a Justice Department investigation into widespread voter intimidation and harassment, a disproportionate number of antiquated voting machines in minority communities, and other voting irregularities. Congresswoman Lee also recently co-sponsored H.R. 57, which would create a 12 member non-partisan commission to take a systemic look at federal election practices such as voter registration rules, ballot design, technology for counting ballots, and rules for mail-in and absentee ballots, poll locations, and a variety of other election reforms. I traveled to Florida to work to get out the vote for the same reason that I have served as an election observer abroad: because free and fair elections are the very lifeblood of a democracy and because the principle of one person, one vote must be more than empty rhetoric. said Lee. It is deplorable that many voters faced intimidation and barriers to casting their ballot for President, only to have their votes not counted, concluded Lee. ALet the world know that we failed in upholding our democratic principles and that the Reagan-Bush Supreme Court, not the people of the United States, decided the outcome of this election. We must challenge the acceptance of Presidential Electors from Florida, and take concerted action towards election reform that ensures that this never happens again. ###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-re-elected-as-regional-whip", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE RE-ELECTED AS REGIONAL WHIP", "2001-01-03", "2001", "2001-01", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "01.03.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE RE-ELECTED AS REGIONAL WHIP \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee today was re-elected Whip of Region II by unanimous consent of her Northern California colleagues.The Regional Whips develop strategy, count votes, gather and distribute information among members from their region. Once  again, Congresswoman Lee will join Democratic Whip David Bonior in garnering support for key legislation and bringing members of the Democratic Caucus together in support of a strong Democratic agenda. \"I look forward to working with my fellow Democrats to support a progressive legislative agenda that puts people first,\" said Lee. \"Now more than ever we must be unified in putting forth an agenda that will protect Social Security and Medicare, strengthen public schools, and combat social and racial inequalities that still exist.\" Congresswoman Lee was elected Region II Whip in the 106th Congress, and was re-elected unanimously for her ability to bring colleagues to consensus on important legislation and Democratic initiatives.  \"I am pleased that my Democratic colleagues have once again recognized the leadership of Rep. Barbara Lee by re-electing her to the important position of regional whip,\" said Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-SF). \"She distinguished herself in this position last session by lining up Democratic support for key party initiatives and we all look forward to her continued efforts in the new Congress.\" \"I would like to thank my colleagues for their continued support and confidence, as well as the voters of California's Ninth Congressional District for entrusting me to be their voice in Congress,\" said Lee. \"I look forward to the challenges and opportunities that we will face together in the 107th Congress.\" ###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 53, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"year\" = :p0 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "2001"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?year=2001", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 53, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?year=2001&party=Democrat", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?year=2001", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 53, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?year=2001&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?year=2001", "results": [{"value": "CA", "label": "CA", "count": 53, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?year=2001&state=CA", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?year=2001", "results": [{"value": "2001", "label": "2001", "count": 53, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": null, "next_url": null, "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 16.22255239635706, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}