Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2017

Floor Speech

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Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Chair, I want to thank Congressman Welch for his leadership on this common sense amendment.

Working mothers are driving our economy forward. Two out of every three women are the sole or equal breadwinner in their households. Many of these women are juggling the responsibilities of caring for their children and supporting their family.

Having workplaces that accommodate the needs of our hard working American mothers makes our economy stronger. Businesses across the country have made important improvements in their work place standards for women. And the Federal government has too. In fact, the General Services Administration now requires that federal buildings have lactation stations for breastfeeding mothers.

But here in the U.S. Capitol we are not living up to these standards--at the expense of the thousands of women who work in the Capitol and the millions of women who pass through these grounds every day. We need to make working mothers' ability to contribute to our economy easier, not harder.

This amendment simply brings the House of Representatives into compliance with existing laws already on the books and would not require any new funding. It is a common sense step forward for working mothers.

Our Capitol is a symbol of our democracy and should set the highest example for the American people. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment which makes our Capitol more welcoming to all.

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