HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MOTHER PEGGY NOBLE

On 2026-01-08, Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12) delivered a floor speech titled "HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MOTHER PEGGY NOBLE" in the House. The speech addressed healthcare and also covered the economy, taxes.

HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MOTHER PEGGY NOBLE

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026)] [House] [Pages H146-H147] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MOTHER PEGGY NOBLE (Ms. Tlaib of Michigan was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I will take a moment to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Mother Peggy Noble. She was an inspirational leader and a champion for economic justice and for working families. Mother Peggy has dedicated her life to her College Park neighborhood where she lived. She was a community organizer, supporting her neighbors, advocating for children, and bringing people together. She believed deeply that real change is built through relationships and advocacy and showing up for our communities. Year after year, that is what she did. Peggy was a fierce advocate for our families from standing up for her neighborhood to fighting for fairness in our broken auto insurance system. Detroit is stronger because of her voice, her leadership, and her unwavering belief in people. We carry her spirit forward in how we organize, how we protect one another, and how we show up for our neighbors. My thoughts are with her loved ones, Rochelle, Eugene, Kimberly, Jaimi, Asante, and all of Peggy's loved ones, during this difficult time. May she rest in power and in love. ACA Tax Credits Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, we always seem to have money for war, to bomb countries, but we never have money for healthcare for our families. On January 1, Republicans ended the Affordable Care Act tax credits and raised healthcare premiums for millions of Americans, our neighbors throughout the Nation. This comes, of course, after Trump's big budget betrayal ripped healthcare away from 17 million Americans and cut Medicaid by nearly $1 trillion. Last year, Congress did approve over $1 trillion for the Pentagon budget, which just failed its eighth audit in a row. I want folks to think about that. They are cutting money for healthcare and spending it on bombs and death. The ACA tax credits are what help keep insurance affordable for many of our neighbors across the country. They are the difference between my neighbors having insurance or going without healthcare. It is heartbreaking to read the emails and messages I get from so many families that are putting off seeing a doctor and filling their prescriptions and now rationing their medication. No parent, Mr. Speaker, should have to choose whether to take their child to the doctor because healthcare is too expensive. Our healthcare system is already broken, and it is inhumane. My residents always tell me: Don't call it healthcare. Call it sick care. Because we know right now the for-profit schemes within our healthcare system are making it so unaffordable for our families. Why have we not passed the tax credits for the Affordable Care Act? Again, we are so grateful for the leadership of Hakeem Jeffries as we push forward a force vote for a 3-year ACA tax credit extension today. [[Page H147]] Again, instead of extreme cuts, we should be expanding access to care and guaranteeing healthcare as a fundamental human right in our country. We must pass this tax credit extension today and put pressure on the Senate to take it up immediately. Mr. Speaker, I urge my Republican colleagues to help fix this mess they have made by restoring the extreme Medicaid cuts and joining us in extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Housing is a Human Right Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, housing is a human right, but as everyone knows, we are facing a housing crisis right now. On any given night right now, more than three-quarters of a million people are unhoused nationwide. The last time the Federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour was increased was in 2009. Since then, average rental costs have increased 76 percent. That is just completely wild. We need action at every level of government. I know that many of our local elected officials are desperate to reduce housing costs and need the Federal Government's partnership. We know often here in this Chamber there are officials that will not promote affordable housing or address the unique barriers that our communities are facing. That is why I introduced the Housing Our Communities Act, and it is meant to address it immediately. This is part of a legislative package that passed out of the Financial Services Committee this past year. My bill directs the HUD Secretary to establish a competitive grant program to support a wide array of affordable housing planning and implementation activities. For example, grants, Mr. Speaker, can support officials in crafting their own housing plans, updating zoning codes, and increasing the capacity to conduct housing inspections so that developments are completed faster, reducing project costs. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Housing for the 21st Century Act and provide policymakers and our local governments with the resources they need to make affordable housing a reality. ____________________