Thank you madam speaker. I would also like to thank many of my colleagues for the opportunity to not only speak today at but the many members from both sides of the aisle who have reached out to me in support following an incident earlierr this week. About two days ago i was walking up the steps of the capitol one representative yoho suddenly turned a corner and he was accompanied by representative Roger Williams. He accosted me on the steps right here in front of our nations capitol. I was minding my own business walking up the steps and representative yoho put his finger in mydi face and he they called me disgusting. He called me crazy. He called me out of my mind and he called me dangerous. And then he took a few more steps and after i had recognized his comments as rude he walked away and said im rude . Your policy as rude. I took a few steps ahead and walked inside to cast my vote. My constituents sent me here each and every day and to make sure they are able to keep a roof over their head and they are able to feed their families. I walked back out and there were reporters iner the front of the capitol and in front of reporters representative yoho called me and that quote these are the words that representative yoho levied against a congresswoman did a congresswoman that not only recognizes new yorks 14th Congressional District in every congresswoman and woman in this country because all of us have had to deall with this in some form, some way, some shape and some point in our lives. Ii want to be clear that representative yohos comments were not deeply hurtful or piercing to me because i have worked a workingclass job. I have riddenn the subway. I have walked the streets in new of language is not new. I have encountered words uttered by mr. Yoho and men uttering the same boards as mr. Yoho while i was being harassed. I have talked to men out of guards m who have used language like mr. Yoho and i have encountered this type of harassment riding the subway in new york city. This is not new and that is a problem. He was walking shouldertoshoulder with representative Roger William and thats when we started to see thatth this issue is not about e incident is cultural. It is a culture of lack of impunity of accepting of violence and violent language against women and an entir structure that supports that. Not only have i been spoken to disrespectfully particularly by members of the Republican Party and elected officials of the Republicant Party not just here but the president of the United States last year told me to go home to another country with the implication that i dont even belong in america. The governor of florida, Governor Desantis before he even was sworn in called me a weather for that is. The key dehumanizing language is not new and what we are seeing isre incidents like these are happening in a pattern. This is a pattern of an attitude towards women and dehumanization of others. While i was not deeply hurt or offended by little comments that are made when i was reflecting on t honestly thought that i should just pack it up and go home. Its just another day, right . Then yesterday representative yoho decided to come to the floor of the house of representatives and make excuses for his behavior. That they could not like to. I could not allow could not allow the little girls that i go home to, i could not allow victims of verbal abuse and worse to see that, to see that excuse and to see our congress accepted as legitimate and accepted as an apology and to accept silence as a form of acceptance. I could not allow that to stand which is why i am writing today to raise a point of personal privilege. And i do not need representative yoho tose apologize to me. Clearly he does not want to. Clearly when given the opportunity he will not and i will not stay up late at night waiting for an apology from a man who has no remorse over calling women and using abusive language towards women. What i do have issue with is using women are wise and daughters as shields as excuses for poor behavior. Mr. Yoho mentioned me mention he has a wife and two daughters. Im two years younger than mr. Yohos youngest daughter. I am someones daughter to. My father thankfully is not alive to see how mr. Yoho treated his daughter. My mother got to see mr. Yohos disrespect on the floor of this house towards me on television and i am here because i have to show my parents that i am their daughter and that they did not raise me to accept abuse from men. Now what i am here to say is that this harm that mr. Yoho levied and tried to levy against me was not just an incident directed at me but when you do that to any woman what mr. Yoho did was give permission to weatherman to do that to his daughters. In using that language in front of the press he gave permission to use that language against his wife, his daughters women in his community and i am here to stand up to say that is notha acceptable. I do not care what your views are. E. It does not matter how much i disagree or how much it upsets me are how much i feel people are dehumanizing others i will not do that myself. I will not allow people to change and create hatred in our hearts. And for what i believe is that having a daughter does not make a man having a wife does not make a decent man. Treating people with dignity and respect makes a decent man and when a decent man messes up as we all are bound to do he tries his best and does apologize not to save face, not to win a vote, he apologizes genuinely to repair and acknowledge the harm done so that we can all move on. Last week what i want to express to mr. Yoho is gratitude. I want to thank him for showing the world that you can be a powerful man and the cost women. You can have daughters and the cost women without remorse. You can be married and you can take photos and project the image of the world of being a family man without remorse and with a sense of impunity. It happens every day in this country. It o happened here on the stepsf our nations capitol. It happened when individuals who hold the highest office in this land admits, admit hurting women and using this language against all of us. Once again i thank my colleagues for joining us today. I will reserve the hour of my time and i will yield to my colleague representative jaya poll of washington. Thank you. Madam speaker that was brilliant, grace, intelligent and complete dedication to what justice, equality and dignity in the United States looks like. That is our colleague Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and we are so grateful to her for her voice. What my colleague from florida did was unacceptable. It was violent. It was sexist and i do believe he needs to apologize not because its goingol to make our colleague ms. Ocasio cortez feel any better but because he too needs to learn what unacceptable behavior looks like an rise to level of the office that he has been alive to two. He does not dignify not just him but the 750,000 people that he represents. I thought madam speaker would be good to review for my colleagues a little bit of the history of the word that was used, the word that begins with a b with five letters and that rhymes with witch. Thatt word from 1915 to 1930 madam speaker that word suddenly took off in usage in newspaper reports and articles and do you why . Because in 1920 this body gave women the right to vote and that was just a little too much power for too many men across the country and so all of a sudden that word rose in prominence because god forbid that women would have the right to vote, that we would have power in this body, that we would have power anywhere in this country. God forbid that women would actually have a voice to speak out on issues that mattered and be the arbiters of what is fair and right and spoken with dignity and truism. So that is when edwards started to take off. Now i want to be clear, that this violent language is about power. It is about power. Its about exerting power. Its about wielding power over people and its about fear of people who may well be smarter than you harder working than you andng more dedicated to achievig justice venue. Just maybe that. It is about diminishing when you have no other tools to do so. And its not new. Madam speaker you were right here managing time on this floor when i is a new member of congress was told by one of my republican colleagues that i was a young lady and i didnt know a thing about what i was talking about. You were right here managing and you helped me through that moment. Thank you. I did get an apology on this floor from my colleague across the aisle. I was also told in Judiciary Committee to learn how to read another one of my members across the aisle. These are the things that happen to us all the time. These are not jokes. They are not little things. Not because they heard us. We are way too strong for that but it does they Say Something about the caliber of the person the unitede in states congress. Do you know madam speaker of the 11,000 people in the United States congress there are only 79 women of color who have ever served in this body and we bring a news voice. I say to mike College RepresentativeOcasio Cortez thank you for your grace and for your brilliance and for your dignity and to everybody that is out there watching us and to our colleagues across the aisle let me say this, we are not going away. They are going to be more msier. There is going to be more power in the hands of women across this country and we are going to continue to speak up. We are going to continue to say madam speaker we will continue to have a voice for people so that everyday working people, our daughters and our mothers and our wives across the country understand that somebody is standing up for them so madam speaker i believe mr. Yoho should apologize. I never thought i would hear this kind of language from them. I really didnt and im stunned and yet at the same time its a pattern and its an old pattern. Thank you madam speaker and i thank my colleagues. Representative jayapal thank you in giving a context of how these words and this language have always been levied towards women and women who are ascending in power prevent now yield to another phenomenal leader from my own home state of new york representative velazquez. My friends at times like this it will benefit us all to remember what the Word Congress actually means. Congress means a coming together. That is the entire part of this institution. People from different regions of the country with varying political views, individuals of different backgrounds, ethnicities, orientation and come together to solve problems on behalf of the American People who elect of. That is where the Word Congress originates from, a coming together. We will frequently disagree. We argue on this for and in committees hearings and meetings we may even disagree on the steps of the capitol. However let us disagree agree justly. The words being discussed today did not live up to those ideals and the gentleman must, must say that he is sorry. He must apologize. And not just apologize to Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. He must apologize to his wife, to his daughter, two women in this country. Today our Political Forces often infected with an anger and becoming of our democratic institutions. As elected officials we are expected to dodo better, to acts an example of how we can debate passionately but treat one another with compassion, and a duty and respect. It saddens me that the words that we are discussing today failed to live up to that standard. For those reasons of madam speaker i stand with my friend from new york in condemning the remarks that were made and i ask all of us to do better. We must do better and i yield back. I would also like to thank representative velasquez for her leadership as well and before i was a young woman an incumbent representatives velasquez was asde well. We have to stand on the shoulders and the efforts made by other women who have had to fight, fight hatred, fight patriarchy, fight hateful men in order to simply exist in bodies like this. I would also like to thank not only represented velasquez but representative lauren who is ais leader in the womens caucus and sharing that others and other women who will walk through these doors not just a day but in generations to come continue to be protected then amplified and i yield to ms. Lauren. I stand here today in support ofof women could i stand here today condemning the words of unfortunately a colleague of mine. I want to reflect on history. The first africanamerican woman was elected in 1968. The first hispanic woman in 1989. Ladies and gentlemen we are here to stay. This is the 100th year that women have the right to vote. For far too long women and people of color have been subjected to being mistreated, humiliatedhu and trying desperately with words to minimize us. Women of color have traditionally been excluded from the halls of congress but i am herem today saying in congress where we have the largest members of diversity and women congress, our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power. You will see todays speakers coming to this microphone. We are standing up because of theem words of one member but im standing here today a generation of assault, a generation of abuse and i stand here proud aso a survivor. Our constituents expect leadership, not schoolyard bullying from their elected colleague. Almost 100 years after the ratification of the 19th amendment to congress to the constitution, and now at the most derse that our body has ever been, this is a time we should be celebrating each other, thanking god that we have legends like john lewis. Ith behavior thats unacceptable. Im the little black girl from the east side of detroit who was raised by a woman who is the grandchild of an emancipated slave. Im not scared of you. I will call you out. And i demand respect and i will respect you. I yield back. Ms. Ocasiocortez thank you to i will call you out and i demand respect and i will respect you and i yield back. Thank you. Thank you to my colleagues. Having a wife does not make a decent man. But treating people with dignity and respect makes a decent man. Im incredibly thankful to have the honor and privilege to serve with decent men in this body each and every day. Each and every day. I am thankful with representative green who is an example of a decent man and i yield to him. Thank you. Thank you for this opportunity to speak. I am 72 years old. I have no children but if i had a daughter, i would name her alexandria. If i had a a daughter, i would want her to be bold, i would want her to be courageous. I would want her to speak truth, i would want her to be just like alexandria ocasiocortez, the name means help our humankind and thats what shes about doing. I salute her for the positions shes taken. Madam speaker, this is not the first h time weve heard this wd by people in position of authority. A Higher Office in this country has corrupted the discourse, we all took it for granted. We just assumed. Slb. Youre talking about the mother. This is unacceptable. I believe weun must change the discourse in this country and i believe what she said is something all of us should take notice of. She spoke from her part, as she usually does. A brilliant head with a compassionate heart. I am proud of her. I will stand with her not only today but in the future. I dont have to agree with everything she says to respect for humanity and dignity. I grew up in a home where this was commonplace. There were many skits allergy in my home. I learned early on how that impactspe the psyche of people. We cannot allow what happened to go unnoticed which is why i am here today. Its something that demeans every woman when it is used. I will stand against it and i will stand with the honorable alexandria ocasiocortez. I yield back any time i have. Thank you representative green. Your words brought tears to my eyes. The relationship between fathers and daughters is a sacred one and a special one. Also, if my father was publicly using that language to another woman, particularly my age, but any woman, i would tell him he hised to apologize and behavior was reprehensible and embarrassing. Id like to yield to jackie spear of california. Im going to complement you on a profound articulate and accurate statement of what is wrong with what is going on in this country and whats going on wrong in this body. As one of the cochairs, i stand here is the author of the letter along with my colleagues calling on him to apologize, demanding an apology from him to alexandria ocasiocortez. He didnt give an apology yesterday as she indicated. We really are at a watershed moment in this body. We have mourned the loss of twoy great leaders of his body. John lewis, we sat on this for last night for hours and both sides of the aisle talking about his greatness. What did he call us . He called us family. A family does not talk to each s other as he talked to alexanda ocasiocortez. We mourn the loss of congressman Elijah Cummings who said we are better than this and we are better than this. We are the most Diverse Congress ever in the history of this country, 24 of us are women. 8 of us are women of color. Where does this come from . It comes from the top. It comes from the white house who calls women crazy nancy or such a nasty woman or low iq person of a colleague of ours serves as chair of the committee. A craze crying lowlife. Our colleague conducted himself like a hit and run driver. He does not want to take responsibility for his conduct, i believe he must take responsibility for his conduct. We are not as women, going anywhere. We are here to stay, we belong here and we will demand respect for alexandria ocasiocortez and every other woman in this house whos been demeaned by a colleague whether a democrat or republican. It not right and we can do better. I now yield to wisconsin, the cochair of the congressional progressive caucus andan another wonderful champion for all people. Thank you very much for yielding. Earlier this week, a member of this body attacked another member over the view but it wasnt the ordinary debate over ideology, it turned personal goal too quickly. What was the egregious offense . She said what we all know to be true, poverty is leading past due crime. If you cant pay your rent or feed your family, you willil do whatever you have to to survive and you turn to crime so your family doesnt starve. Thats called survival. Thanks to our nations disastrous response to covid19, more people arent working and that will cause poverty. Pretty simple, honest logic. One member not only took offense to that truism but they took offense to the person said it in a most frightening manner. They started to attack the person not just for f the values but who they are with the most antiquated view and response ive seen in this body. By swearing at someone and calling them in epping be, you dont denigrate yourself and honestly this institution. By not properly apologizing ford that, you further dig yourself into a dinosaur sized misogynistic hole. For the Republican Party to not deal with that member swiftly andh strongly, you show a grear problem with your party. Its likely not a coincidence when it looks more like a madman episode than a governing body of the greatest nation on the planet. I am so proud to serve with alexandria ocasiocortez and every other woman and woman of color in this body. This country is not just made up of older white wealthy men alone. We are a rich tapestry of sexual orientation, economic background and more. Afraid to look like the very country weom represent and smart women of color shouldnt make you afraid, they should make you proud of our nation, proud that we finally are starting to look more like it. Somehow the combination of truths of our actions in this body, if done improperly can lead to joblessness and poverty and could lead to more hunger and potentially more crime, if thats t true, if that scares y, then learned how not to be scared or figure out your next career. Weve got more of this coming. Truth telling and represented democracy couldnt come quickly enough. Thank you alexandria, i yield. Thank you so much for your brilliance, i think you bring up excellence points, but we are seeing is a resounding rejection of abuse and costing of women but why is it only happening from one party . Partisan issue. , when he walked down those steps and used these words, he was next to a republican colleague and that republican colleague did nothing. Not only did that colleague do nothing, he pretended he didnt even hear it when he had in fact, jumped in. So not only did a person do it but a bystander did nothing and i have yet to hear from the leader of the Republican Party personally, i have yet to of gotten a call addressing his members behavior. I have get to see republican colleagues standing up for their daughters and saying this behavior was unacceptable. In the resounding standing and loud calls for justice, equally allowed is the silence and pin drop for Republican Party about this type of misconduct. No matter because with that,du e have an incredible champion for women, four men, for gender nonconforming people and for justice. I am proud to call her my sister. I rise today to condemn in the strongest form, the language and disrespect. We are not on the house for today because of just one incident, unfortunately what brings us to this moment of cultural conditions, the very men normalized the moderate women of color, of inception. Patriarchy, it is a tool of oppression. Its very much at home in this powerful institution, not unlike the hostile working environment and harassment experienced by countless women across the nation who dare to speak truth. We rise for every woman who has dealt with these dynamics as a completed part of the walk in their life. Every woman that has oppressed the rhetoric in our lives. These tactics and marginalized are familiar and yet, still, we rise. Our fathers and women elected to congress before us, equip us to take on the world that was built on contradictions and injustice. Because of them,ea with learnedo walk with her head held high. The good we do on behalf of those we serve. I first stepped foot here at the age of 19. My mother poured into me a sense of reference for this institution, the power that it held. I walk through hard ways and still do by thehe statues of men that enslaved my ancestors in a building built by my enslaved ancestors. Wam speaker, while there still may be specters in this hallway, set on upholding oppression and misogyny, i know the moment your daughters walking through the hallways, she sees my name on a plaque on a board above this house floor. Our very existence is proof that progress has been made. In some instances we are better than we used to be but we are still not who we can be. With my eyes fixed on the moment but we are still on the promise of the future, i speak to our daughters so they are watching and carefully taking notice how we respond this moment. In this moment, i say to all our daughters, you are powerful. You arer limitless. Your contributions are brilliant, uniquely yours, your ideas and experiences, kind heart and critical i belong at every table where decisions are being made. Youci deserve a life filled with dignity and love. Youre not defined by that work. Women are the best in every family, of our communities and we are nation builders. We believe in you fully without reservation, you have the right to show up in the world exactly as you are. And who you are, its always enough. You belong everywhere. We find ourselves, as a nation, in a moment of reckoning, a reckoning which calls for reconstruction. This is a new day. Lets build the world Women Deserve and let us begin with the spirit institution. Thank you. Thank you so much. Ch i rise today in support of my friend and colleague, representative alexandria ocasiocortez but most of all, i rise and support i of basic humn decency. I condemn remarks that are respectful, disrespectful and offensive and recent remarks reflected on hostility that should alarm my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Its not expected that everyone in this chamber agrees with each other, it is expected that we treat each other with dignity and respect. There should never be a reason that anyone fails to meet this low bar. Turning policy disputes into personal disputes is dangerous. As leaders, we risk inciting violence in others, as Congress Members, it indicates focus on fighting the governing. We should never other comments that are misogynistic and hateful to any Congress Member. This week, as Congress Member cortez but if we dont speak out against this tomorrow, it could be any congressut member whos a woman or person of color. Thats why this must end now. If any such ugly curse words are uttered, there should be an apology. A real apology, a sincere apology, not words that simply deflect and blame others. On the seal of the u. S. , it says out of many, one. Disagreement and different perspectives were baked into this country. It is our ability to work with others that we do not always agree with what has allowed america to be the beacon of hope. We should never betray these values of unity despite disagreement. Congress mentor, alexandria cortez, she does deserve respect. She deserves a real apology now. Thank you and once again, i am thankful to all of our colleagues who are coming and standing upco today not just for one incident but all of us in this country. I yield to representative of florida. I thank you for yielding and i stand here in support of her courage. I rise to remind every man and woman on this for, we are sent to washington to destroy hostile work environment, not build them. Few women watching not build a menacing finger in her faceac as we were told exactly what our place was at work. I saw and felt and had a highly public similar experience here of congress once again and then florida member of congress. That former member was elected as the chair of thehe Republican Party in texas. Continue advancing. Today we take a stand for my colleague and friend, alexandria cortez and all women endure this behavior. Ho we take a stand and say enough is enough today. Most capitals including this one endure this behavior. We must stand shoulder to shoulder to say today is the last day we will tolerate it. Sadly, most capitals including this one are still undeniably boys club but women have critical numbers now and all of us, women and men have had laws of congress are not middle school playgrounds, we have Serious Business to do. E people across the country are sick, dying, unemployed and facing evictions yet, misogyny numbers highest priority messaging. Unbelievable. Its a new day and i use that term loosely with some cases so a reminder for those who want to work with the tool of intimidation, your time is up. My sisters on the floor and listen at home, my daughters living at home, we must not let those intimidated by our strengths scare us away. I am proud to stand by my colleagues and friend, congresswoman alexandria ocasiocortez, today. I yield back my time. Thank you. Would like to yield to lori of massachusetts. Thank you for yielding. We can disagree on issues we face as a nation and on the policies and prescriptions we give our system. This very body was built on the belief that productive tension and spirited debate was forcing legislators to do the hard work of creating laws that will benefit all americans. The house of representatives has rejected personal attacks like those alexandria ocasiocortez earlier this week. His institution maintained rules that hold us as members of congress to a higher standard because thats what the hardworking people we represent expect from us and thats what we owe to them. When we learn of the kind of personal attacks levied against her, we cannot sit idly by, we cannot let it go unaddressed, as many of us have long been expected to do. We must call it out, demand accountability like we are here today. Thats what we owe to all women, especially our daughters. We have to send the message loud and clear because apparently people still arent getting it. The days of bullying women you disagree with others in a boardroom, on a military base are over. If my colleagues on the other side dont believe me, watch. We continue winning in districts across america, watch as women band together to say enough to being publicly humiliated because they disagree and watch as we make up for lost time by course correcting behaviors that women like us have had to endure so our daughters, and yours, will never have to. I want to thank my feelings congress, for the grace, courage and intellect you bring to this chamber every day. I yield back. I yield to our majority leader who has stood up for every member in this body. This is an issue of who we are as a people. Men and women have speaking on this for but this is an issue for fathers, four sons, four brothers. I have three daughters, two granddaughters d and three great granddaughters. Not be confronted with this kind of attack. Thats what it was. Some have tried to demonize the gentle lady from new york who does bring the intellect and passion and the focus on issues, surprisingly, that the gentleman mentioned yesterday in his non apology. All the men on this side of the aisle are supportive of alexandria ocasiocortez and all of her sisters and all of her mothers. I yield back. And q so much and i would like to now yield to representative cheryl of new jersey. Thank you for yielding. One to 16 congress has the largest member of women serving in this bodys history. One hundred and women women serving in the house, 26 in the senate. It represents the broad and diverse america we live in. We are all public servants, we all came here to serve our country and community. I frequently disagree with colleagues but policy differences are no excuse for personal attacks. We know some of the harshest personal attacks are often reserved for women of color. Furthermore, telling women im sorry you heard it that way is a cliche, it time to belittle and dismiss women after attacking them. We have got to do better. We are role models for our children and im standing here not just for my two daughters my two sons. We have got to do better. Thank you. I yield back. Thank you so much. I would like to yield to representative barbara lee of california. Thank you very much. First of all, i rise today to support not only my colleague, alexandria ocasiocortez but i rise and strong support of this resolution. As an africanamerican woman, let me say s i personally have experienced a lifetime of racism and sexism and believe me, this did not stop after being elected to public office. Its past time this body understands women of color are here to stay. Congresswoman, here to stay. Its past time this house recognizes women will not tolerate these attacks and insist we be treated with respect, to anyone in this house representing over 700,000 peop people. The impact of using this language against any woman dehumanizes women and girls send the message to other men that women are valued less than a human being. My mentor from brooklyn, new york, the first black woman elected to congress. As a member of the late congresswoman, i spent many years on capitol hill and witnessed a personal attack and curse wordss against her as a black female member of congress. She would not tolerate such behavior. She had to fight alone oftentimes but against despicable behavior and language. We are here today with you, we here reporting your lights to speak out to represent your constituents and be who you are, a brave and bold member of congress, which we know you can be. The gentleman from florida, he must apologize to you, he must apologize to all the little girlso who aspire to be who thy aree without being called disgusting names and to keep their voices silent. I will read you one verse of this poem. Im. Reminded today, she said e may shoot me with your words, you may cut me with your eyes. You may kill me with your hatefulness but still, like air, ill rise. So yes, you have risen again. Thank you for your leadership and with that, i yield to another incredible resilient, passionate leader from minnesota. Madam speaker, i am here not only to defend my friend and colleague, alexandria ocasiocortez. I am here on behalf of women around the world. This is not just about one woman, one incident or one assaulted. This is about respect and fundamental equality. Like alexandria, i was raised by a dignified man. Who told me that i didnt deserve equality, i deserved equality because i wasnt equal human being to my brothers. I am appalled when we hear men say i would never do this because i have a wife, i have a daughter, i have sisters. You know only respect women because they could be yourr mother, they could be your wife, it could be your sister. No, you respect women because they are an equal human being to you. Thats hower my father raised me and thats how alexandrias father raised her. Nearly every woman in the world has experienced verbal abuse, not just once but since they were little girls. We experience it on playgrounds, workplaces, we experience it on our social media feeds. We see it coming regularly from the president of the United States. Now we see it coming from his partisan. From birth, little girls are message that they dont matter. In this body, weve seen men who are afraid of muslim women like me because we say proudly you cannot ban us from this country because we pray differently than you. They are afraid of womenen everywhere, fighting systems of recession and Sexual Harassment through the need to movement. They are afraid, not just of us but losing their own power. It is no accident that she was verbally abused for speaking up for poverty in her district and its relation to unrest because when you push power, power pushes back. The people from marginalized when we speak of people from marginalized communities, we understand, as people who come from those marginalized communities and that is a threat to those who yield power against marginalized communities so we are here to say we will not allow sexism, misogyny and patriarchy to hold us back. We will not apologize for educating w advocating for women everywhere. We will not apologize for claiming the power Women Deserve for centuries. We will send message to our daughters and their daughters that they deserve fundamentalyo equality. Thank you so much. Thank you again to somebody numbers who have shown up today in support and although not everyone has been able to speak, i appreciate everyones present. Clark from brooklyn, new york. Oh, the other clark. My apologies. Of massachusetts. We like that there are so many women named clark that we can be confused. Thank you representative cortez. We know sexism isnt new to congress or america. It happens in homes, and schools and all places of work. The behavior, the language, the assault, wielded against my colleague was disgusting and appropriate and the toxic masculinity that permeates our culture and our country. Slurs like the one used are meant to degrade, and belittle women. It was an attempt to dismiss her. Herrole in this body and position altogether. All women have experienced this to some degree but so often, it women of color who are singled out. When we hear comments like this, men and boys think its appropriate. Women and girls expected. Today we stand with our colleague, we will not accept this behavior anymore. We will not be made to feel less then. This is our house and a we are claiming our space. I yield back. Thank you. Iig yield to representative of michigan. Thank you. I rise today is a proud member of this body and woman of color, a sister in service to my colleagues, alexandria ocasiocortez was verbally assaulted by a member of this same chamber. Gas lighting my colleague in our country wont work here. I rise to tell my sister in service, i believe you. I believe you not just because reporters happened to be standing there to hear the believeut because i women across our country when they tell us of the violence they experience at the workplace. Violence against women and politics specifically as a mobile problem. I know. I would invite any of my colleagues across the aisle to answer the calls into my office for just one day to hear the sexist remarks made about me and other women serving in this chamber. My colleague from florida made the remark in question, he echoed and perpetuated the sexist violent calls. Madame speaker, we must condemn in the strongest terms possible, the kind of sexism so women and girls across the country no is no room in any workplace, not in congress or anywhere. Thank you. Cspan has unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the Supreme Court and Public Policy open. You can watch all of cspans Public Affairs programming on television, online or another free radio up and be part of the National Conversation through cspans daily Washington Journal Program through our social media feeds. Cspan, created by americas Cable Television company, as a