A SERIOUS AND PROFOUND MOMENT

On 2025-03-04, Representative Haley M. Stevens (D-MI-11) delivered a floor speech titled "A SERIOUS AND PROFOUND MOMENT" in the House. The speech addressed healthcare and also covered the economy, taxes.

A SERIOUS AND PROFOUND MOMENT

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 41 (Tuesday, March 4, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 4, 2025)] [House] [Page H951] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1015 A SERIOUS AND PROFOUND MOMENT The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens) for 5 minutes. Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, within 12 hours, this very Chamber is going to witness a joint address to Congress. I will take my time and my privilege as a duly elected Member of this Chamber to share some of the sentiments about the state of the Union that is emerging very clearly and loudly from Michigan and on behalf of my constituents. First and foremost, tariffs that are coming down today on Canada are wreaking havoc on autoworkers, our auto industry, and, frankly, the stock market. Secondly, I am hearing very grave concerns about the state of Social Security and Social Security's ability to meet its fiduciary commitments to its millions and millions of recipients. Never once in the history of that program has a payment been missed, but the actions of DOGE are disrupting that very agency. There is also a very palpable fear in my constituents. Veterans who are 100 percent disabled are concerned and fearful that they may or may not be able to continue to receive their medical care. This is a serious and profound moment. This is a self-inflicted crisis. I did serve this Nation during a time of real economic crisis during the Great Recession in the administration of Barack Obama. That was when I was in the Treasury Department, working to save General Motors and Chrysler and millions of American automotive jobs as the companies were staring liquidation in the face. Mr. Speaker, I will take a moment to share some words. On February 8, at the Sheet Metal Workers union in Oakland County, Michigan, I was joined by an incredible medical expert from Michigan, my friend, Dr. Preetha Iyengar, who happens to be in this very Chamber alongside her family here today. She read these words, which I would like to share and read on her behalf, and on the behalf of the American people, in this Chamber. Dr. Iyengar shared: I am a pediatrician and epidemiologist. After residency, I trained for 2 years at the CDC and then worked in Washington, D.C., at an NGO and the D.C. Health Department. I am here today to highlight the impact of recent policies and actions on scientific institutions and how that impacts us in Michigan. Our scientific institutions are being attacked from many angles, but I wanted to highlight three areas: spreading of misinformation, purging of experts and destruction of scientific institutions, and destruction of critical infrastructure. We are seeing that the current administration's agenda is misinformation and confusion. Federal healthcare and public health institutions are facing unprecedented censorship and harassment. Bans for external communications have crippled international collaborations, with special exceptions given at random and many that have not been restored. Websites with CDC healthcare guidelines used by doctors and public health information used by all of us in the medical community, like vaccine safety information sheets, were forced to be removed without warning. Dr. Iyengar also mentioned that we now are less safe in protecting ourselves during the flu season, particularly with bird flu. I may insert the question: How much are egg prices today in the United States of America? People are stealing eggs outside of delivery trucks and engaging in fights in supermarkets across this country. This is the United States of America, and we need an egg price plan. Dr. Iyengar also went on to say that, as a woman in STEM, she is horrified to see the targeting of DEI programs, and let's say the words: diversity, equity, and inclusion. Equity, which is enshrined in our very Constitution, is something that all equal Members of this Chamber swore an oath to uphold. I will remind people of the rights and the tenets of Article I in our Constitution. Dr. Iyengar says that she is horrified by the cuts to diversity, equity, and inclusion as a woman in STEM. Frankly, as the leader of the Women in STEM Caucus, I founded this bipartisan caucus with four Members of this Chamber, two Republicans and two Democrats. It is Women's History Month, and we would like to do some things for women in STEM to meet the workforce challenges and needs of this great Nation. Of course, I cannot, at this present time, tragically, get a Republican Member of Congress to join the Women in STEM Caucus for this term. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair reminds Members that the rules do not allow references to persons in the gallery. ____________________