House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) released the following statement on the retirement of Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Brenda Lawrence (D-MI-14):
“It has been my privilege to serve with Representative Brenda Lawrence, including in her most recent role as Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee.
“Representative Lawrence’s entire career has shown dedication to public service, taking her from the United States Postal Service to the halls of Congress. As a school board member, city councilwoman, as the first African American and first woman Mayor of Southfield, Michigan, and in the House since 2014, Representative Lawrence has tenaciously focused on the well-being of hard-working middle class families and those struggling to make it in the middle class.
“As Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and as a Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, Representative Lawrence has been a valued colleague. I have particularly appreciated her strong commitment to equal treatment for women and her work on policies that will close persistent racial disparities and move America forward. I have also seen up close her fierce advocacy for her district.
“Representative Lawrence’s leadership as Co-Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus has brought women’s issues, like equal pay for equal work, domestic violence services, and women’s health, to the forefront of the Democratic agenda. In turn, she has given women all over this country a voice in the Congress.
“I look forward to continuing to work with Brenda for the rest of the 117th Congress, and I wish her, her husband McArthur, and her entire family all the best as they embark upon this new journey together.”
117th Congress
