Press Releases
Congresswoman Lee Applauds Announcement of Three Additional Honorees In the American Women Quarters Program
Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) today applauded the United States Mint for announcing the names of the three additional women to be honored on coins issued under the American Women Quarters Program: Wilma Mankiller - the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and an activist for Native American and women's rights; Adelina Otero-Warren - a leader in New Mexico's suffrage movement and the first female superintendent of Santa Fe public schools; and Anna … Continue Reading
June 04, 2021
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Marks the 40th Anniversary of the AIDS Epidemic
Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Co-Chair of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus, today introduced legislation marking the 40th anniversary of the first reported cases of AIDS in the United States on June 5, 1981 in Los Angeles, California. June 5th, 2021 marks the 40th Anniversary since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) described the first five cases of what later became known as AIDS. This day is … Continue Reading
June 03, 2021
Lee, DeLauro Applaud Biden Administration’s Global Vaccine Distribution Plan
Washington, D.C. - Barbara Lee (D-CA-13), Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, and House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) released the following statement on President Joe Biden's announcement that the United States plans to distribute 80 million U.S. COVID-19 vaccine doses globally by the end of June: "As long as COVID-19 exists anywhere, it is a threat everywhere. The COVID-19 global distribution framework … Continue Reading
June 01, 2021
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Joins President Biden at Event Commemorating Tulsa Massacre
Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) today joined President Joe Biden at an event in Tulsa, Oklahoma to commemorate the 100th year since the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. President Biden invited Congresswoman Lee to the Greenwood Cultural Center, along with Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge and Senior White House Advisors Susan Rice and Cedric Richmond, and other members of Congress. The President hosted a "meet and greet" with descendants of the … Continue Reading
June 01, 2021
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride Month
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, a founding member and Vice Chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, released the following statement in honor of LGBTQ+ Pride Month: "Every June, we celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month in honor of the invaluable contributions and accomplishments of our LGBTQ+ neighbors, family members, and friends. "Historically, Pride has always been a celebration and demonstration of activism to uplift and liberate the LGBTQ+ community. Over 50 … Continue Reading
June 01, 2021
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Introduces Legislation Recognizing the Significance of National Caribbean American Heritage Month
Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) today reintroduced a Congressional Resolution recognizing the significance of National Caribbean American Heritage Month, which is celebrated every year beginning June 1st. Some prominent figures celebrated in the text of the resolution include Vice President Kamala Harris, Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and famous entertainer Harry Belafonte. "Throughout our history, Caribbean Americans have served the country and contributed to … Continue Reading
May 31, 2021
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Recognizes the Centennial of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre
Oakland, CA - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) today released the following statement in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Greenwood Massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1921: "It has been 100 years since the horrific tragedy of the Tulsa Greenwood Massacre. In one of the worst acts of racist violence in United States history, a white mob ransacked a prosperous African American neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, known as Black Wall Street. "A thriving Black community became the target of … Continue Reading
May 28, 2021
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Statement on President Biden’s Budget Proposal
Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee released the following statement on President Biden's $6 trillion budget, which will make historic investments in addressing the needs of the American people. "President Biden's first budget proposal since taking office comes as 140 million Americans confront poverty or low-wealth and are one crisis away from financial devastation. The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a light on the systemic inequality and racism that has existed for generations in our … Continue Reading
May 28, 2021
Pro-Choice Caucus leaders applaud exclusion of Hyde amendment in president’s budget
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Leaders of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus hailed the exclusion of the Hyde amendment from President Biden's first annual budget proposal submitted to Congress today as a significant moment in their fight to expand access to reproductive care. It's the first time in decades that the White House has submitted a budget to Congress that does not include the controversial and damaging amendment that bans the use of federal funds to pay for abortion services - and could … Continue Reading
May 28, 2021
Lee, Fleischmann Introduce Legislation to Improve Equity in Computer Science Education
Washington, D.C. - Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) today reintroduced the Computer Science for All Act with Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN). This bipartisan legislation provides $250 million in new grants to support a diverse tech pipeline in pre-K through grade 12 education. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field of computer science is projected to grow by 22 percent through 2029, making it one of the fastest-growing professions in the global economy. In 2020, … Continue Reading
May 28, 2021
Reps. Lee & Pocan React to President Biden’s Pentagon Budget: “Pentagon Budget Fails to Reflect our Nation’s True Needs”
President Biden's FY2022 budget proposes a 1.7% increase in total defense spending from $740 billion to $753 billion. WASHINGTON, D.C.-Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Mark Pocan (D-WI), co-chairs of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus, released the following statement in response to President Biden's proposed FY2022 budget for the Department of Defense: "If budgets are moral documents, a $13 billion increase in defense spending is a failure that doesn't reflect this country's actual … Continue Reading
May 28, 2021
Reps. Lee and Jayapal Call for An End to Poverty in Newsweek Op-Ed
Washington, DC - Today, Representatives Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) published an op-ed in Newsweek that underscores the need to pass their resolution creating a framework for an end to poverty. Rep. Lee, who has chaired the Congressional Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity since 2013, and Rep. Jayapal, who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, unveiled a "People's Agenda" for pandemic recovery alongside the Poor People's Campaign earlier this week. This op-ed … Continue Reading
May 28, 2021
Lee, Nadler, Blumenauer, Jackson Lee, Jeffries, & Velázquez Reintroduce Comprehensive Marijuana Reform Legislation
Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) reintroduced the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, one of the most comprehensive marijuana reform bills ever introduced in the U.S. Congress. The MORE Act includes Congresswoman Lee's legislation, the Marijuana Justice … Continue Reading
May 26, 2021
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Commemorates the Anniversary of George Floyd’s Death at NAACP Event in Oakland
Oakland, CA - Today Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) commemorated the 1-year anniversary of George Floyd's death at an event hosted by the NAACP Oakland Branch at Youth Uprising in East Oakland. The event featured poetry and dance performances by Oakland youth, and other speakers including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Mayor Libby Schaaf, and Oakland NAACP President George Holland, Sr. The attendees also observed eight minutes of silence - the amount of time that a police officer … Continue Reading
May 25, 2021
Chairwoman Lee’s Statement on U.S. Increasing Funding to the Palestinian People and Reopening the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem
Washington, D.C. -- Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, released a statement following U.S. Secretary of State Blinken's announcement that the United States will increase funding to the Palestinian people and reopen the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem: "I have urged the Biden Administration on several occasions to reset U.S. relations with the Palestinian people and to resume the United States' role of … Continue Reading
May 21, 2021
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Applauds Release of Additional Funding to Develop Community-Based Workforce to Address Vaccine Equity
Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) today applauded the release of an additional $121 million to develop a community-based workforce of trusted messengers to deliver public health information, increase vaccine confidence, and address barriers to vaccination for vulnerable and medically underserved communities. In May, the White House announced that $250 million would be made available to community-based organizations to hire and mobilize community outreach workers and the … Continue Reading
May 21, 2021
Lee, Pocan Urge President Biden to Reduce Defense Spending Following Withdrawal from Afghanistan
Washington, D.C. - Representatives Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Mark Pocan (WI-02), Co-Chairs of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus, sent a letter calling on President Biden to reallocate the $50 billion saved by withdrawing troops from Afghanistan to address domestic priorities and human needs: "While your commitment to withdrawing U.S. troops is commendable and long-overdue, it should be accompanied by a corresponding commitment to reducing military spending," the lawmakers wrote in their … Continue Reading
May 20, 2021
Lee and Pallone Urge HHS to Continue Funding to Fight COVID-19 in Medically Underserved Communities
Washington, D.C. - Representatives Barbara Lee (CA-13), Senior Member of the House Appropriations Committee, and Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, sent a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra calling on the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that grant funding made available for the COVID-19 response under the American Rescue Plan includes public and nonprofit entities such as community-based and faith-based organizations. Due to the … Continue Reading
May 20, 2021
Reps. Lee and Jayapal Join with Poor People’s Campaign to Unveil Congressional Resolution Demanding Legislative Agenda to Dismantle Poverty
Washington, D.C. - Representatives Barbara Lee (CA-13), Co-Chair of the Majority Leader's Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity, and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chair of the House Progressive Caucus, today unveiled a Congressional resolution calling for a bold Third reconstruction, which demands that the U.S. fully address poverty and low wages from the bottom up. This legislation was endorsed by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-chairs of the Poor People's … Continue Reading
May 18, 2021
Lee, Adams, Booker, and Hirono Introduce the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act
Washington, D.C. - Today, Representatives Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Alma Adams (NC-12) joined with Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) to introduce the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act (REAHYA), which addresses both education and access to care for young people, with a focus on those most impacted by barriers to sex education and sexual health services. Currently, only 29 states and the District of Columbia require sex education, and when sex education is taught, … Continue Reading