Press Releases
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Applauds Passage of Continuing Resolution to Avoid Government Shutdown, Calls for Swift Passage of FY22 Appropriations Omnibus
December 02, 2021Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, applauded the passage of H.R. 6119, the Further Extending Government Funding Act, which continues government funding through February 18. The stopgap funding bill, which passed on a bipartisan 221 to 212 vote, makes minimal changes to address the most urgent of needs during the period of the Continuing Re… Continue Reading
Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus Co-Chairs Call for an End to HIV Discrimination on the 33rd Annual World AIDS Day
December 01, 2021Washington, D.C. - Representatives Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Jenniffer González-Colón today recognized World AIDS Day, which is celebrated each year on December 1, by reintroducing the REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act of 2022. The theme of the 33rd annual World AIDS Day is "Ending the HIV Epidemic: Equitable Access, Everyone's Voice," which uplifts the need to address health inequities and ensure the voices of people with HIV are central in the work to end the HIV epidemic by 2030. In… Continue Reading
Pro-Choice Caucus Leaders Urge SCOTUS to Uphold Roe v. Wade
December 01, 2021WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Diana DeGette (D-CO), co-chairs of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, released the following statement urging the Supreme Court to strike down Mississippi's abortion ban and uphold nearly 50 years of Supreme Court precedent protecting the constitutional right to an abortion: "This is a critical moment. This case is a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade, and the state of Mississippi has explicitly appealed to the Supreme Court to overrule … Continue Reading
Congresswoman Lee Speaks on the House Floor in Support of the Build Back Better Bill
November 19, 2021Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee delivered remarks on the Floor of the House of Representatives urging members of the House to support the Build Back Better Bill. A video and transcript of her remarks can be found below: "Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Build Back Better Bill. "I thank Chairman Yarmuth, the Speaker, as well as the committee chairs who worked to craft this transformative legislation. It makes bold investments in our people, reduces… Continue Reading
Congresswoman Lee Statement on House Passage of the Build Back Better Act
November 19, 2021Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and Chair Emeritus of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, released the following statement applauding the passage of H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act: "After months of tough negotiations, and just a few weeks after an historic investment in repairing our crumbling infrastructure, we have delivered President Biden's economic agenda-the Build Back Better Act. This transformational legis… Continue Reading
Chairwoman Barbara Lee Releases Statement on Retirement of Senate Appropriations Chair Senator Patrick Leahy
November 15, 2021Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, released the following statement on the retirement of Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT): "For decades as the longest serving Senator, Chairman Leahy has served the people of Vermont with dignity, humility, and compassion. He has left an indelible mark on this country and our world, and Congress will miss his principled leadership.… Continue Reading
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Applauds Announcement that United States will Host Replenishment Conference for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in 2022
November 12, 2021Washington, DC - Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee celebrated the announcement by the Biden Administration that the United States would host the upcoming replenishment conference for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in 2022. "I am proud that the United States is showcasing its continued leadership in the global fight against HIV and AIDS, as well as tuberculosis and malaria. As the original author of legislation to create the Global Fund, I am proud of the US legacy of s… Continue Reading
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Recognizes Veterans Day
November 11, 2021Oakland, CA - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) today released the following statement commemorating Veterans Day. "On this Veterans Day, we honor the brave servicemembers who have risked and sacrificed their lives for our nation. "My father, Lieutenant Colonel Garvin Tutt, served in both World War II and the Korean War. He served his country despite the discrimination and racism he faced at home and in the military as an African American. I work each day in Congress honor his legacy and to e… Continue Reading
Congresswoman Lee Introduces Resolution to Monitor and Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the U.S. Military
November 03, 2021Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) today introduced a resolution aimed at monitoring and reducing the carbon footprint of the U.S. military - the single largest institutional source of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet. The resolution calls for the Department of Defense to set clear annual emission reduction targets in line with global goals in the 2015 Paris Agreement and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has said that … Continue Reading
Chairwoman Barbara Lee Holds Hearing on Global COVID-19 Response
October 27, 2021Washington, DC- Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, held a hearing on the global COVID-19 response. The hearing was focused on the administration's response to the global fight against COVID-19 and vaccine distribution. The featured witnesses in the hearing were: Sarah Charles, Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development Jeremy Konyndyk, Executive D… Continue Reading
Congresswoman Lee Releases Statement on Conflict in Sudan
October 25, 2021Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) released the following statement on the ongoing conflict in Sudan: "I unequivocally condemn the military takeover in Sudan. Reporting has indicated violence against protesters and internet connection being cut from civilians. This is unacceptable and must stop. I strongly urge the Sudanese military to release the detained officials and cease violence immediately. The Sudanese people deserve a government that is accountable to them. It's cruci… Continue Reading
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Releases Statement on Latest Meeting With President Biden on Build Back Better Agenda
October 20, 2021Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, released this statement following her meeting with President Biden and her Progressive Caucus Colleagues on the Build Back Better Agenda: "President Biden continues to be a good faith partner in the negotiations of his Build Back Better Agenda. As a member of the Progressive Caucus, the House Budget Committee, and as a supporter of the Build Back Better bill, I thank him for his invitation to the White… Continue Reading
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Issues Statement on U.S. election to serve on the UN Human Rights Council
October 19, 2021Washington, D.C. -- Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) released a statement following the election of the United States to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC): "Beginning in January, the United States will regain our voice and vote at the UN Human Rights Council. By regaining a seat at the table, where the world's most pressing human rights needs are discussed, the United States will once again play its traditional, leadership role in ensuring the Council serves its purpose in holding countries a… Continue Reading
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Statement on the Passing of General Colin Powell
October 18, 2021Oakland, CA - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) released the following statement today on the passing of General Colin Powell. "I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of General Colin Powell. I send my sincere condolences to General Powell's wife, Alma, his family, his friends, and all of his loved ones. "General Powell was a trailblazer, serving as the first Black Secretary of State. I was fortunate enough to travel with General Powell during my early days in Congress to monitor election… Continue Reading
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Urges State Department to Address Dispute in Wadi Foquin
October 14, 2021Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, and Congressman David Price, Senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, sent a letter alongside 20 of their colleagues requesting the State Department address the dispute in Wadi Foquin, an agricultural village of approximately 1,300 residents in the West Bank. The letter responds to concerns that the Israeli government could confiscate farmland to construct a… Continue Reading
Chairwoman Lee Applauds World Health Organization Endorsement of Malaria Vaccine
October 07, 2021Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, released the following statement on the World Health Organization's endorsement of the world's first malaria vaccine: "I applaud the World Health Organization for their endorsement of the world's first ever malaria vaccine. This historic scientific breakthrough is a testament to the tremendous work of scientists that have remained committed to this incredibly imp… Continue Reading
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Announces American Rescue Plan Funding to Modernize Local Health Centers & Support Underserved Communities
October 06, 2021Oakland, CA - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) today announced more than $5.5 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding will go to modernize health centers and support underserved communities in the East Bay. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is awarding nearly $1 billion in ARP funds to almost 1,300 health centers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories to support major health care construction and renovation projects. "I want to express m… Continue Reading
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Releases Statement on Latest Meeting with President Biden
October 05, 2021Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13), former Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, released the following statement on the ongoing discussions with President Biden on the next steps for the Build Back Better Agenda: "I'd like to thank President Biden and Vice President Harris for their leadership and for the invitation to meet in the White House yesterday. My progressive colleagues and I spoke with the President about the path forward. I emphasized to him how beneficial… Continue Reading
Rep. Lee joins Reps. McGovern and Meijer to Introduce Sweeping New Legislation to Reassert Congressional Power Over National Security
September 30, 2021WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee James P. McGovern (D-MA) and Representative Peter Meijer (R-MI), Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, & Accountability, alongside Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Nancy Mace (R-SC), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), and Ted Lieu (D-CA) introduced H.R. 5410, the National Security Reforms and Accountability Act (NSRAA), sweeping new legislation in the U.S. House… Continue Reading
Congressional Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs Lee, Blumenauer Issue Statement Following Judiciary Committee Passage of Historic Cannabis Reform Legislation
September 30, 2021WASHINGTON, D.C.- Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)-co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus-released the following joint statement today after the House Judiciary Committee passed the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act: "Today's Judiciary Committee approval of the MORE Act continues our monumental effort to get the federal government in step with the rest of America, and move toward modernizing our federal cannabis policies and re… Continue Reading