117th Congress

"New York is the first state to dedicate funding to support President Obama's My Brother's Keeper initiative and has secured $20 million in its budget for this effort.

"As a former educator and founder of the 5000 Role Models of Excellence, an in-school mentoring and drop-out prevention program, I have dedicated over 25 years to changing the lives of thousands of at-risk boys and young men of color. Having dedicated a quarter century of my life to this cause, I applauded President Obama when he launched the My Brother's Keeper initiative in 2014.

"Today the Affordable Care Act turns six. Just like food, shelter and a living wage, affordable health care is a necessary lifeline. Thanks to the ACA, 20 million previously uninsured people now have access to affordable health insurance plans. In addition to enabling hardworking Americans to access much-needed preventative services, this historic legislation also lessens the likelihood that they will lose all that they've worked so hard for if they or a family member fall ill.

On Wednesday, February 24, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson was invited to attend a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade hearing titled "Boko Haram: The Islamist Insurgency in West Africa."

The congresswoman does not sit on the Foreign Affairs Committee, so her participation was an important recognition of the Florida lawmaker's deep and abiding commitment these past two years to defeating the Nigerian terrorist group and the safe return of the 219 Chibok schoolgirls who are still missing 682 days after 682 their abduction.

Today, the Brookings Institution released a paper that ranks Miami, Florida, among the top ten U.S. cities with the highest levels of income inequality. Since 2007, Miami, much like other major cities, has experienced increased levels of income inequality due to marked declines in household incomes in the bottom 20th percentile in the past seven years.

Today marks the anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first piece of legislation that President Obama signed when he took office. Seven years later, however, equal pay has still not been achieved. Last year, women who worked fulltime earn just 79 cents for every dollar earned by men. African-American and Hispanic women earn 60 and 50 cents, respectively, per every dollar earned by white men.

"Every February, the nation celebrates the many accomplishments and contributions that African Americans have made to the United States. Black History Month also is a reminder that diversity is one of our country's greatest strengths.

"Today marks the 23rd anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act. In a survey conducted in 2000, nearly 24 million workers took leave to manage work and family or personal medical issues, but just 15 million were covered and eligible under FMLA and could afford to take leave. According to recent statistics, since its enactment, the law has been used more than 200 million times and ensured that those workers did not have to choose between remaining employed and caring for a family member or themselves. That's good news.

Before the last census, District 24 was District 17, and classified in the 2010 Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index as the "most suffering" congressional district in the nation in the category of life evaluation, or how people described their quality of life, and the third most miserable district overall. This annual survey also assesses healthy behavior, work environment, and access to health services.