Press Releases
Lee Leads Bipartisan Effort to Protect Almost $ 1 Billion in AIDS Funds
(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) and Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) are leading a bipartisan, bicameral effort to prevent the passage of a Continuing Resolution to fund the government at last year’s level from eliminating almost $1 billion to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS.“We have done tremendous work building momentum behind our global HIV/AIDS programs and we really cannot afford to lose ground,” said Lee. “The difference between adopting the Senate levels and … Continue Reading
January 09, 2007
Barbara Lee Responds to Bush’s Call for Escalation in Iraq
(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) issued the following statement in response to President Bush’s speech tonight calling for more troops in Iraq and increased funding for reconstruction:“Tonight President Bush went on prime time television to present to the nation the results of his listening tour on what to do about Iraq.“Four years into this war, the President has suddenly taken an interest in listening, but he certainly is not hearing the American people.“The … Continue Reading
January 08, 2007
Barbara Lee Lauds DHS Decision to Prioritize Bay Area Port Security
(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) welcomed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announcement that it would make the Port of Oakland and other Bay Area ports a top tier priority for port security funding, saying the move was “a step in the right direction” after the agency failed to provide any port security funds for Oakland or San Francisco last year.“Less than three months ago, we called on the Department of Homeland Security to fundamentally change the way port … Continue Reading
January 04, 2007
Barbara Lee Sworn In as Democrats Kick Off 100 Hour “New Direction” Agenda with Ethics Reform
(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) was sworn in today as the 110th Congress began as Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) took the gavel as the nation’s first female Speaker and the Democratic Party assumed control of the House of Representatives after twelve years in the minority, opening a bold 100 hour reform agenda with an aggressive ethics reform package.“Today is a new day, both for Congress and for our nation,” said Lee. “The voters asked for a new … Continue Reading
January 04, 2007
Barbara Lee Named to Powerful Spending Subcommittees Lee Will Serve on Labor, Health and Human Services, Foreign Operations and Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittees
(Washington, DC) - Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) was named to House Appropriations Subcommittees that make decisions about federal spending on issues ranging from foreign humanitarian and military aid to healthcare, labor and education to the activities of the legislative branch.“I consider it an honor to have the opportunity to help set the nation's spending priorities and ensure our spending truly reflects our nation's values, particularly in the critical areas of health, … Continue Reading
January 03, 2007
Barbara Lee Sworn in as First Vice Chair of CBC
(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) was officially sworn in as the First Vice Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) at a ceremony today in the Coolidge Auditorium of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. Also sworn in were incoming CBC Chair, U.S. Representative Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI); Second Vice Chair, U.S. Representative Emmanuel Cleaver II (D-MO); Whip, U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX); and Secretary, U.S. Representative … Continue Reading
December 12, 2006
Barbara Lee Named to House Appropriations Committee
(Washington, DC) - Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) was named to the House Appropriations Committee, which controls the federal purse strings and is widely viewed as one of the most powerful committees in Congress. "I thank Speaker-elect Pelosi and my colleagues for the opportunity to serve on this important committee. I look forward to working with Chairman Obey and my colleagues on the committee to help set the nation's spending priorities and ensure our spending truly … Continue Reading
December 05, 2006
Barbara Lee’s Statement on the Passing of Yvonne Scarlett-Golden
(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) released the following statement in response to the news that Daytona Beach Mayor and long-time San Francisco resident, Yvonne Scarlett-Golden died yesterday of cancer at the age of 80:“Yvonne Scarlett-Golden was a friend to me and an inspiration to many. As the first African-American Mayor of Daytona Beach, she knew about breaking down barriers, and the fact that she came to politics after a full career as a teacher and school … Continue Reading
December 04, 2006
Barbara Lee’s Statement on Democratic Forum on Iraq
(Washington, DC) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) issued the following statement today following a Democratic Caucus forum on Iraq featuring Representative Ike Skelton (D-MO), Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee; Representative John Murtha, Ranking Member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee; Richard Holbrooke, former Ambassador to the United Nations; Major General John Batiste, USA (ret.), former Commander of the First Infantry Division in Iraq; and Jessica Tuchman … Continue Reading
December 01, 2006
Barbara Lee, Minority Leaders Get Tested on World AIDS Day to Highlight Importance of Knowing HIV Status
(Oakland, CA) - As part of the high profile mobilization to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and to emphasize the importance of regular testing in that fight, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and representatives of the African-American, Latino and Asian-American communities celebrated World AIDS Day by getting tested for HIV at AIDS Project East Bay in Oakland on December 1st.“We have to do everything in our power to stop the spread of this disease, and getting tested is one of the simplest things we … Continue Reading
December 01, 2006
Barbara Lee Responds to New Global AIDS Treatment Numbers
(Oakland, CA) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), long recognized as a Congressional leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS, responded to newly released numbers that show that two programs she led efforts in Congress to create are providing antiretroviral therapy to 1.2 million people worldwide.“While the numbers show that we have made some advances, our efforts moving forward should be guided by an urgent awareness that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is still spreading faster than we can treat … Continue Reading
November 30, 2006
Barbara Lee Lauds U.N. Move to Commemorate End of Slave Trade
(Oakland, CA) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) praised the United Nations’ unanimous adoption yesterday of a resolution declaring March 25, 2007 a day for global commemoration of the two hundredth anniversary of the end of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. “This is an historic and important step for Africans throughout the Diaspora. The massive human and civil rights abuses of the slavery continue to affect and influence us all - regardless of race, religion, class, or nationality - … Continue Reading
November 30, 2006
Barbara Lee Outlines Bold Agenda for Fighting AIDS on the Eve of World AIDS Day
(Oakland, CA) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), long recognized as a Congressional leader in the fight to stop HIV/AIDS, outlined a bold agenda for fighting the global HIV/AIDS pandemic for the incoming Democratic Congress on the eve of World AIDS Day (December 1st):“This World AIDS Day, as we once again recognize the challenges that loom ahead of us, we cannot forget the faces that lie behind these statistics. Each of the 4.3 million new infections and the 2.9 million deaths that … Continue Reading
November 21, 2006
Barbara Lee Responds to Report that AIDS Crisis is Growing
(Oakland, CA) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), long recognized as a Congressional leader in the fight to stop HIV/AIDS, issued the following statement today in response to the joint report issues by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization that found that the global AIDS crisis continues to grow and evidence that there is a resurgence in HIV infection rates in countries that were previously stable or declining:“As World AIDS Day approaches this year and we once again recognize the … Continue Reading
November 09, 2006
Barbara Lee’s Statement on the Passing of Ed Bradley
(Oakland, CA) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), who had known CBS Sixty Minutes correspondent Ed Bradley since the 70's and last spoke with him in September regarding the Congressional Black Caucus' Annual Legislative Conference, released the following statement today on his passing:“I was shocked and saddened to learn of Ed Bradley's passing. Ed was a first rate journalist, and throughout his career he not only set a high standard for his fellow journalists, he also helped to break … Continue Reading
November 07, 2006
Barbara Lee Responds to Rumsfeld Resignation
(Oakland, CA) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), who has long called for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, issued the following statement on the news today that he is stepping down:“The resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is long overdue, and I hope his departure brings a significant change in the administration’s policy in Iraq.“The fact that President Bush has agreed to accept Secretary Rumsfeld’s resignation only a week after declaring that he would … Continue Reading
November 07, 2006
Barbara Lee: Election Reflects Call for a New Direction
(Oakland, CA) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) released the following statement on the results of yesterday’s election:“After six years of one party rule in Washington, the American people cast a definitive vote against the Bush administration, the war in Iraq and the corrupt Republican Congress, voting to send a strong Democratic majority to the House, and likely changing control of the Senate. It was an emphatic vote for a new direction.“Nowhere was public sentiment clearer than in … Continue Reading
October 27, 2006
Barbara Lee Co-Chairs Clean Slate Summit to Help Formerly Incarcerated People Put Their Past Behind Them
(Oakland, CA) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), who helped establish the event over a year ago, was on hand for the Second Annual Clean Slate Summit at Laney College in Oakland on Saturday. The Summit is the latest part of an ongoing, collaborative local effort to remove barriers faced by formerly incarcerated people by helping them clear up their criminal records in order to take advantage of employment, education, housing and civic engagement opportunities.“When nine out of ten … Continue Reading
October 25, 2006
Barbara Lee Announces Launch of Minority Homeownership Initiative
(Oakland, CA) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) and the Bay Area HomeBuyer Agency (BABHA) held a press conference today to announce the launch of a program designed to help more than 200 local minority families realize the dream of homeownership.“We are working together to break down the barriers that prevent minority families from owning their own homes,” said Lee. The With Ownership Wealth Program (WOW) will provide homebuyer assistance to over six hundred minority households in the … Continue Reading
October 24, 2006
Lee: Bush's Refusal to Rule Out Permanent Bases Fuels Iraq Violence, Endangers Troops
(Oakland, CA) - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), leader of the Congressional effort to prevent the establishment of permanent military bases in Iraq, released the following statement in response to President Bush's refusal today to answer a direct question about whether the US intends to maintain permanent military bases in Iraq:“The President's continued refusal to clearly rule out a permanent U.S. military presence in Iraq only feeds the mistrust of the Iraqi public, strengthens the … Continue Reading