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(upbeat music) - Good afternoon, and welcome to the City Club of Cleveland, which is devoted to conversations of consequence that help democracy thrive.

It's Opening Day in Cleveland.

(audience cheering) And there's also a playoff game tonight.

So enjoy that.

It's Friday, April 15th.

I'm Dan Moulthrop, chief executive here at the City Club and also a proud member.

It is so good to see all of you here.

Thank you for joining us today.

I'm really pleased to introduce our speaker today, Congresswoman Shontel Brown.

(audience applauding) Just over five months ago in November of 2021, Ohio's 11th congressional district underwent a special election to fill a vacant seat.

It was left vacant by Marcia Fudge, who was confirmed as the 18th secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development last year.

Shontel Brown, a Cleveland native, went on win that election and take up the seat once held by Louis Stokes and Stephanie Tubbs Jones.

The 11th District carries a deep legacy.

It is one of two majority-minority congressional districts in Ohio that is protected under the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

It currently encompasses much of Cleveland, it's eastern suburbs, a western portion of Akron, and about 30 other communities.

Before being sworn into Congress in November, Congresswoman Brown served as Cuyahoga County Council member and Warrensville Heights City Council member.

And while serving at County Council, Shontel Brown instituted a countywide 911 text message system, wrote a bipartisan bill that declared racism a public health crisis, she worked to end the no-bid government contract practices, and she protected residents from lead exposure and poisoning through the policies that she championed.

In 2017, Shontel Brown was elected chair of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party.

She's the first woman and first Black person to hold that role.

As our congresswoman, she serves on the House Agriculture Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and is also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

And she joins us today as both congresswoman and candidate.

She's running for reelection in the district, which actually has new boundaries, as you all know.

It's now consolidated in Cuyahoga County and represents all of Cleveland, is that correct?

Or will after this election.

And last week, you should note that we heard from her challenger in the primary, former State Senator Nina Turner.

If you have questions for Congresswoman Shontel Brown, you can text them to 330-541-5794.

The number again is 330-541-5794.

You can also tweet them @TheCityClub, and our staff will work them into the second half of the program.

But for now, members and friends of the City Club of Cleveland, please join me in welcoming Congresswoman Shontel Brown.

(audience applauding) - My, my, my Opening Day, Good Friday.

Ha, good afternoon everyone.

- Good afternoon.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you, Dan, for the kind introduction.

It is truly an honor and privilege to be here with you all today.

I hope this will be the first of many opportunities to speak before the historic club, a beacon of democracy in Northeast Ohio.

Again, my name is Shontel Brown.

I have the distinct privilege of representing Ohio's 11th congressional district in the House of Representative.

The district includes portions of the City of Akron, and Cleveland, and many Eastern Cuyahoga County suburbs.

And soon, as Dan stated, it will include the entire city of Cleveland, Lakewood, the Eastside, Hillcrest area, and our neighbors in the village of Chagrin and Chagrin Falls.

I wanna thank one of the nation's great free speech forums, the City Club of Cleveland and Dan Moulthrop for the opportunity to speak before you today.

And of course, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my supporters and fellow elected officials joining us this afternoon.

Are any elected officials in the room?

If you are, there you are, Mr. Councilman Nate Martin of East City of Cleveland.

Please give him a round of applause.

(audience applauding) And last but not least, my team in Washington, D.C. and here in the district, if you are a member of my team and you know who you are, could you please stand just so folks can give you a round of applause.

Please stand, you're in the room, don't be shy.

(audience applauding) Thank you.

And I also would be remiss if I didn't point out our Executive Director Carolyn Eisenhardt, who did not stand, who is my team member on the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party.

So thank you for being here, Carolyn.

(audience applauding) As a proud woman of faith, it is not lost on me that we are gathered here today on Good Friday, a day of sorrow and reflection ahead of the celebration and renewal that comes on Easter Sunday.

Today also marks the beginning of Passover, the Jewish holiday commemorating the Israelites' liberation from slavery in Egypt.

Moreover, I would like to send wishes for a peaceful and meaningful Ramadan to all my Muslim neighbors and friends.

These important holidays have added significance this year.

As we emerge from the dark days of the pandemic, we have cause for celebration in the progress we have made.

Though we must continue to remain vigilant against COVID and its variants.

Hospitalizations and deaths have dropped significantly thanks to the Biden's administration of the vaccination campaign.

Our economy is on demand too.

We have achieved the fastest economic growth in nearly 40 years, created a record 7.9 million jobs since President Biden took office and brought unemployment down to 3.6%.

Of course, challenges remain.

We can and must address economic inequality and ensure every American has a fair shot at getting ahead.

We can and must lower costs for families struggling to keep up with rising prices.

We can and must do more to ensure our neighbors have food on their table and a roof over their head.

And we can and we must address injustice, clean up our environment, and tackle the great challenges of our time.

Addressing these issues and strengthening our Cleveland community have been front and center since I arrived in Congress.

A little more than five months ago, 164 days to be exact, but who's counting?

(audience laughing) I was overwhelmingly elected by the people of Northeast Ohio to represent their interests on behalf of Congress, after a formidable democratic primary race in August, where I garnered more than 50% of the overall vote in a 13-person race.

A 13-person race.

(audience applauding) Being a elected to Congress is a distinction I do not take for granted and I cannot thank my constituents enough for this significant honor as I know I am walking in my purpose and serving and delivering for all the people I was entrusted to represent in Washington.

But by no means did my charge to serve begin when I was sworn in on November 4th.

It was cultivated over a decade ago in the City of Warrensville Heights when I asked myself a simple question, how can I help those in my community?

This question actually led me to my very first City Council meeting, where I wanted to know where we would go in the event of an emergency.

And I found the answer, but something said, "Shontel, keep going so you can learn about what's happening in your neighborhood."

And what I learned was there was some room for improvement.

So rather than complaining, I'm a person that believes in being the change that you want to see.

So I rolled up my sleeves, pound the pavement, knocked doors, and introduced myself to my neighbors to let them know, "Hey, I'd like to be your City Council person."

And they said, "Hey, what can you do about this tree branch needs to be trimmed?

(audience laughing) These sewers that need to be cleaned?

And these potholes that need to be filled?"

And I said, "Well, let me see what I can do."

But because I continued going to the meetings, the administration took notice and they offered to help me.

And I took them up on that offer.

And next thing you know, tree branches started getting trimmed, sewers started getting cleaned, and potholes started getting filled.

So I was feeling pretty good about life.

I wasn't even elected, I was getting things done.

So fast forward to election day, the polls closed and I was down by six votes.

Down, but not out.

Disappointed, but not devastated.

As a child of faith, I said, "Okay, I trust God's infinite wisdom.

This must not be for me."

I was actually convinced I would never run for public office again.

(audience laughing) But little did I know there were 23 provisional ballots in the race.

And with three of us on the ticket, 11 days later, I learned that I had won that election by seven votes.

Yes.

(audience applauding) So as a child of faith, seven represents perfection, completion, and God.

And as I stand before you on this Good Friday, I know that I am walking in my purpose.

And I often credit this journey of public service to his divine intervention, grace, mercy, and favor.

So little did I know that humble question would set forth a chain of events that would lead me to where I stand before you today, as your Congresswoman.

A proud public servant and a vessel of God who continues to fight every day for the voiceless and deliver for us all.

When I decided to run and following the footsteps of my mentor, my friend, and predecessor, Secretary Marcia Fudge, and the vivacious Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and the esteemed Congressman Louis Stokes.

It was with full understanding of the responsibility and legacy that preceded me.

These leaders always put the people of the community first.

They fought for the needs of the community they loved and called home, and they served with integrity and decency as they sought to build a better and brighter future for all Northeast Ohioans.

My career in public service rests on their shoulders and their contributions.

And like them, I am committed to putting the people first, the great people of Northeast Ohio first.

It is a principle and promise that has always guided my work.

Over the last 15 months, I have stepped into many rooms as both a candidate for Congress and now, US representative, seeking pathways to build coalitions for a bold recovery from the pandemic in Northeast Ohio.

Still, I have no idea that my most significant opportunity to date would occur mere days after the general election.

On just my second day in office, I was still getting my bearings, I don't think I even knew where the restaurant was.

buT I was proud to cast my vote to help pass the historic bipartisan Infrastructure Law on, thank you.

(audience applauding) On that day, I stood with my colleagues to deliver on my promise to you.

I worked with President Biden and his administration to create jobs, expand opportunities, and rebuild the infrastructure critical to our local economy.

As a long time, lifetime Cleveland resident and a former local elected official, I know how badly our roads, our bridges, our airports, and public transit systems need upgrades and repair.

Who among us hasn't hit a pothole?

Worried about the safety of their drinking water?

Waited anxiously on public transportation because of a delay?

Or wish Hopkins had the funding to make desperately needed upgrades?

And these personal experiences reflect reality.

In 2021, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Ohio a C- grade on its infrastructure report card.

But thanks to the bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this is going to change.

From repairing crumbling bridges and modernizing public transportation systems to expanding high speed internet and rooting out lead pipes, the Infrastructure Law will deliver for communities across our region in a big way.

Funding has already started to flow to our state, to the tune of $1.8 billion to upgrade roads alone.

Nearly $100 million for our bridges, $71 million to replace lead pipes, and $11 million for Cleveland Hopkins airport.

And these funding levels are for just this year alone.

The Infrastructure Law will send investments to our district for the next five years.

I repeat, the next five years.

(audience applauding) But here's what the funding will actually do.

Cleveland and Akron will receive millions to repair nearly 50% of the roads with pavement in poor condition.

RTA and Akron Metro will be able to buy new buses and rail cars, expand their services, address repair backlogs, and transition to new technologies that can reduce carbon admissions.

The law will also help replace more than 650,000 lead pipes in service lines scattered across Ohio.

And it will improve access to high speed internet, which is critically important considering that 30%, that's nearly one in three of all the households in Cleveland lack broadband access.

I have long champion diversity and equity and inclusion.

That is why I'm glad after the Infrastructure Law, also addressed the fact that past infrastructure booms have left behind and torn apart Black communities.

The law permanently authorizes the federal agency tasked with supporting minority-owned businesses.

It will fund projects to clean up former industrial and energy sites that are sources of blight and pollution and are disproportionately located in Black neighborhoods.

And it includes long overdue funding to reconnect communities like Cleveland's inner ring suburbs that were harmed by highway construction generations ago.

In Congress, I remain committed to ensuring our region gets its fair share of funding for key projects and good paying jobs to follow.

The laws investment in our community will support hundreds of jobs in our region and draw new people into skill building apprenticeship programs.

These are some of the many reasons that I believe the Infrastructure Law will make Northeast Ohio a better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Infrastructure and world repair is a plight that we all know are too familiar with here in Cleveland and a feat that I jokingly remind my colleagues in DC that took them decades and several administrations to accomplish.

Anybody here remember infrastructure week?

(audience chuckles) Well, thanks to President Biden's leadership, we are about to experience an infrastructure decade.

I was proud to help pass this bill less than 48 hours after becoming a member of Congress.

But my work was only getting started.

The people of the 11th congressional district understood the challenges facing the House and the Senate when they voted to elect me last year.

We watched in 2020 as Democrats reclaimed slim majorities in both the House and the Senate.

We witnessed the unified opposition that President Biden faced from Republicans in Congress to pass more of his agenda in 2021.

Still, congressional Democrats working with President Biden have made important strides towards building a better America.

The COMPETES Act, which will make bold investments in America's research, innovation, and manufacturing capabilities has paths both chambers in Congress, and differences are currently being resolved by the House-Senate Conference Committee.

The bill would capitalize on the Infrastructure Law by accelerating the production of semiconductors, strengthening our supply chains, and supporting cutting edge innovation and research.

Intel's recent $20 billion investment in a computer chip plant in Ohio shows that our state and our workers stand ready to lead the American manufacturing comeback.

In March, Congress passed the president's, Congress passed and the president signed a government funding bill that will help to lower families' drug costs and invest in our region.

The bill unlocked more funding from the Infrastructure Law and sent 13 billion in the humanitarian, economic, and security assistance to our brothers and sisters fighting for freedom and democracy in Ukraine.

The bill included other key wins from the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act to funding to launch the president's Cancer Moonshot initiative.

And it provided the largest Pell Grant increase in more than a decade, and directed record funding to schools and children's and childcare programs.

The list goes on and on.

President has signed into law bills to promote the hiring of veterans as healthcare workers to reform the postal service and ensure Ohioans receive their mail on time.

And finally, designating lynching, a hate crime, for more than 200 failed attempts over the last century.

(audience applauding) And one week ago today, I was proud to be at the White House as President Biden, Vice President Harris, and many others celebrated the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown, Brown Jackson.

(audience applauding) The first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

To continue this critical work, the Biden-Harris administration continues, needs allies in Congress willing to build bridges to strengthen our nation and address decades of funding disparities that have harmed communities like East Cleveland across our country.

As a strong ally of the administration in Congress, I am not done building coalitions.

And more importantly, fighting to help pass President Biden's agenda to create good paying union jobs, permanent jobs in Cuyahoga County, and rebuild our economy from the middle out.

In Congress, I fight every day for workers, not only in our proud district, but beyond.

I have co-sponsored legislation to enact livable wages and protect our public employees' right to organize and collectively bargain.

Yes, thank you.

(audience applauding) Shout out to the teachers union.

I have championed the Raise the Wage Act, which would raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 by 2025, and called for an extension of the critical child tax credit.

See, I know the path to truly build back better is by sustaining opportunities to eliminate poverty and support American workers who continue to serve on the front line.

Additionally, I have continued to push and expand opportunity for all children.

I have introduced legislation to establish a new program to help schools reduce K-3, third grade classes, sizes, and expand access to healthy foods after the school day by helping schools provide students with afterschool meals.

Too many children's only meal is at lunchtime.

Providing quality education and eliminating hunger and poverty were priorities in my first campaign for Congress, and I got to work right away on these issues.

With a bipartisan Infrastructure Law passage completed, I understood time was of the essence.

I had to pivot to deliver on other significant promises I made that affect our district and nation like affordable and accessible healthcare for all.

Immediately, I took up the mantle held by my predecessors to address healthcare costs in high quality healthcare.

Tackling health disparities in Cuyahoga County has always been a matter of great importance.

While serving as a member of Cuyahoga County Council, I fought to declare racism as a public health crisis to spotlight the health disparities further exasperated by the pandemic and expressively, issues on Black maternal health and Black infant mortality in our community.

My same tenacity and fight to address racial health disparities persisted in Congress.

As we mark the end of Black Maternal Health Week, I am proud to support the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act.

Comprehensive legislation that addresses every dimension of the maternal health crisis here in America.

I have added my name in support of other monuments' health legislation, including a bill to provide workers with up to 12 weeks of paid family or medical leave from work and Medicare Negotiation and Competitive Licensing Act authorizing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower drug prices.

And this is just the beginning.

We have so much more to do.

And I often share with those I speak with that there are major differences between the House and my previous elected position, notably the number of representatives needed to achieve our long-term objectives.

Where I once collaborated with a body of seven to 11 members, I now have to work collaboratively to garner the support of at least 217 other folks to move a bill to the Senate.

218 is the number that you need to get things out of the House and into the Senate.

I don't know if you're paying attention, but that's a lot of people.

(audience laughing) One lesson that continues to resonate in every arena I have served in is that one, one cannot achieve progress in a political stalemate.

Progress requires working together and working collaboratively to create opportunities for Americans while you still hold your core values.

And that is why I have worked across the aisle and across the party to achieve progress on key issues.

As I like to say, it takes both wings to fly.

The right wing and the left wing.

One of the first bills I introduced garnered bipartisan support was the MOVE Act, which would expand veteran access to preventive fitness programs.

It was supported by two of my Ohio Republican colleagues, Congressman Anthony Gonzalez and Dave Joyce.

More recently, I've introduced the FIND Food Act to support additional donations to our food banks alongside another Democrat and to Republicans.

While these feats may seem small, I am proud to have worked across party lines, especially with my fellow Ohioans.

This is what it takes to turn ideas into law.

Case in point, thank you.

Thank you, mommy.

Thank you, mommy.

(Shontel chuckles) (audience applauding) Case in point, the House recently passed the CROWN Act, which would ban hair discrimination at the federal level.

I would like to give credit where credit is due to two of my Republican colleagues from Ohio.

Congressman Gonzalez and Mike Carey for crossing the aisle to support this critical legislation.

With small margins in the House, collaboration is critical, but it doesn't mean sacrificing your values.

I would be remiss if I did not note that I have been ranked as one of the most progressive members of the House of Representatives.

(audience cheering) And as a proud member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, I support numerous of their flagship bills, including Medicare for All Act, the Assaults Weapon Ban, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans Act, the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act, and the Raise the Wage Act.

But my alliances do not end there.

Last year, I became a member of the New Democratic Coalition, the largest democratic caucus in the House of Representatives committed to delivering on local priorities that move our country forward.

Together, we are United and supporting policies that expand economic opportunities and finding pathways to deliver more of President Biden's agendas.

These efforts ensure that we work collectively in Congress for America's best interests, but I am not done.

We are still working to overcome the pandemic.

Jobs were created at a record pace last year, but too many in our community are still struggling to make ends meet.

Families are having trouble keeping pace with rising prices in our supermarkets and at the gas pump, work remains to end the violence and crime that afflicts our neighborhoods, our region suffers from disproportionately high rates of poverty and hunger, and we must address persistent injustices, such as barriers to the ballot box.

Yet I remain hopeful, hopeful because we are a resilient people and because I have seen what it takes to work with my colleagues to pass bold legislation like the Infrastructure Law.

But don't confuse hope for ignorance.

I am clear-eyed about the obstacles that lie ahead, especially as we continue to navigate razor-thin margins in Washington.

Progress is possible, but it will take alliances and problem solving to make it a reality.

That is why I have worked in lockstep with President Biden and put in the work to build productive relationships, productive relationships with my colleagues.

And I will continue to fight for what is best in the best interest of our Cleveland community.

I will continue to fight to deliver results for the people of Northeast Ohio, and I will continue to fight for what I believe is right and fair and just.

Know that I am working with my colleagues each and every day to do just that.

And then the last month alone, the House has passed legislation to cap insulin prices at $35 a month, providing much needed relief for millions of Americans with diabetes.

We have passed long overdue legislation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and advance justice in our communities.

And we have passed a bill to provide additional relief to restaurants and other small businesses hit hard by the pandemic.

Northeast Ohioans can expect more of this from me in the months and years to come.

In the next term, which would be my first full term in office, I continue to put, I'll fight to continue to put an end to gun violence, lower healthcare and prescription drug costs for Ohioans to ensure no child in America goes hungry and to weave equity into everything the federal government does.

As a native Clevelander, I know we are a strong and resilient community.

I know the challenges we have overcome and the promises that lie before us.

And as a member of Congress, I know and understand the work that must be done to deliver on the promises I make.

To deliver a brighter future, we need results, not rhetoric.

We need solutions, not sound bites.

And we need, more importantly, a person who is focused on headway, not headlines.

As we waited to hear back from our legislators about Ohio's redistricting maps, we learned almost overnight that our race on May 3rd was scheduled to take place.

And my race became a full sprint.

This is not the time to delay.

In addition to this, the promises that I've made last year, I know I have the privilege of meeting new residents in the district, and I have heard their requests.

While I am wearing multiple hats this season, I know that I am prepared for this leg of my journey and I will continue to deliver on the promises I made to the people of the 685,000 constituents in November last year.

So thank you for indulging my remarks.

I'll be open for questions now.

Thank you so much.

(audience applauding) - We're about to begin the audience Q and A for those in our live stream and radio audience on Ideastream Public Media, 89.7 WKSU.

I'm Dan Moulthrop of the City Club.

We're joined today by the honorable Shontel Brown, congresswoman to Ohio's 11th district.

We welcome questions from everyone, City Club members, guests, students, and those of you joining us via the radio broadcast or the live stream.

If you are joining us either here or by the live stream and you'd like to tweet a question, you can tweet it @TheCityClub, and we'll work it in.

You can also text your questions to 330-541-5794.

Again, that number is 330-541-5794.

We'll work those questions into the program.

May we have our first question, please.

- I think you know what's coming.

I was wondering as member of Congress, have you been involved in any efforts to establish bipartisan immigration reform?

- I sit on, I should've expressed this, but I sit on the Agriculture and Oversight Committee.

And so on the Oversight Committee, we have interesting conversations, but not having served on foreign affairs.

I have not had the privilege of those discussions, but we are briefed on a lot of those foreign affair policies, specifically as it relates to Ukraine and opening up our doors to make sure that those who are seeking refuge are able to come to America and find a safer place to restart their lives.

So thank you for the question.

- Good afternoon.

- Good afternoon.

- I wanna thank you for setting such a fine example for our young people.

- Oh, thank you.

- Do you have any plans or have you been visiting our schools, especially having audiences with young girls so they can see what it means to grow up and be a good example.

- Oh, thank you.

Like what I said, that if you don't know, that is school board member Meryl Johnson, Ohio State School board members.

So if we could give it up for her.

(audience applauding) Yes.

And because of some of the efforts, just to make sure that we are updating our students on their civic responsibilities, I do get the privilege of going to visit a number of schools when I am here.

That is one of the highest priorities.

I actually had the distinct honor and privilege of going back to my alma mater earlier this year.

And so I continue to do that.

I think it's important that, as you are alluding to that, especially in our community, young people see examples of folks that look like them doing things different than they may even expect or imagine.

So yes, I do that as often as my schedule allows.

So they thank you for the question.

Mm-hmm.

- Congresswoman Brown, I'm Bill Lavezzi, I'm one of the co-chairs of the City Club Debate Committee.

You started off your talk by speaking about the importance of the City Club as a citadel of free speech.

And so my question is simply, after May 3rd, when you are a candidate and the Republican party has a candidate, will you debate your Republican opponent?

- I wouldn't be opposed to that, I guess.

The thing about that, I appreciate the question.

I guess it's just a matter of schedules aligning and timing, but I think as you've pointed out, this is a great platform and a great opportunity to exchange ideas.

So thank you for the question.

- Thank you.

- Mm-hmm.

- Congresswoman, thank you for your remarks today.

I'm Colleen Cotter from the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, and my question is I would like you to address housing, instability, and in particular, how the City of Cleveland's path forming right to counsel, ensuring that people who are faced with eviction have a lawyer by their side, how that can be a model for the country and what you would do in Congress to put that forward.

- Well, thank you.

Great question.

So one of the things that I think we can all be proud of are a number of the changes in leadership we have.

Secretary Fudge, who is now the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, which gives us a little bit of leverage in that very same category.

We have a new mayor.

And mayor Bibb, who, if you missed the last City Club forum, he gave an amazing State of the City Address, where he talked a little bit about that.

And I wanna be their partner in that space.

One of the things that we attempted to do in Build Back Better, anyone here Build Back Better?

(audience laughing) A lot of people sometimes think Build Back Better and the bipartisan Infrastructure Law the same thing, but the Build Back Better was actually the human infrastructure component if you will, that made investments, was designed to make investments for things of that nature.

So affordable housing was a key part of Build Back Better.

And since then, it's been stalled at the Senate, but what we've been doing is pulling out pieces that we can make sure we get across the finish line.

So sometimes it's tough to eat the elephant than one bite, but what we can do is what we did with like the insulin, capping insulin at $35.

That was a part, originally a part of Build Back Better.

Well, now we're having conversations with the Senate to get that into law.

So as it relates to affordable housing, I see tremendous opportunities on the horizon to address that.

I continue to work closely with Secretary Fudge and also have a great relationship with Mayor Justin Bibb.

So between the half a million dollars that they've received already in art funds and the resources that are soon to come with the passage of pieces of legislation, specifically focused on that issue, I am more than confident that we will start to see investments in communities, especially those that have been long overlooked to recover from the housing crisis that we still suffer from from 2008.

I anticipate decades of this investment being, reversing course with this change in dynamic leadership that we have in place.

- Thank you, Congressman Brown.

It was terrific hearing you, and very inspirational.

- [Shontel] Thank you.

What's one thing you learned over your time in Congress that you found very difficult and challenging?

- Oh, thank you.

Every day.

(crowd laughing) Expect the unexpected is really what I've learned to make my motto in Congress.

In all seriousness, no two days have been alike.

It is literally been like drinking water from a fire hose.

It's trying to soak up as much as you can as quickly as you can.

I have the unique privilege of serving on three caucuses again.

The Progressive Caucus, the New Dems Caucus, and the Black Caucus, and many of them sometimes overlap in time.

So I find myself in meetings with multiple devices open so I can participate in two meetings at once.

So there are crazy days, sometimes it starts at 8:30.

The passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the day started at 8:30 in the morning and ended at 1:30 at night or the morning, whatever your preference is, but it was a long day.

And immediately after that, many of my colleagues said, "Are you sure this is what you wanna do?"

(Shontel chuckles) (audience laughing) But I had the blessing of being mentored by Secretary Fudge, who let me know that there were going to be some long days, and sometimes you'll miss holidays with families just because the law, the democracy is resting on our shoulders.

And I'll give one quick story.

We fly out sometimes.

Our flyout day is Thursday and some of the more seasoned senior members were kind of grappling because they heard we might just have to stay over until Friday.

And I'm giving you like inside information, but, so Speaker Pelosi says, "Listen, people.

(audience laughing) It's Friday, it's only Friday.

Whatever your plans are, put them off because democracy is riding on our shoulders.

Do you remember Paul Revere?

(audience laughing) He gave the speech at midnight."

(audience laughing) So after that I was convinced.

I'm like, "Hey, we gotta do what we gotta do."

(crowd laughing) - Congresswoman Brown, thanks so much for your remarks and your wonderful humor.

- [Shontel] Thank you.

- I know that there were some recent funds dedicated to Cuyahoga County.

What is being done to earmark some funds directly for the City of Cleveland and some of the aggressive projects that mayor Bibb wants to accomplish?

- Thank you for that question.

So right now, we are in the midst of accepting proposals for earmarks.

We get to submit 15 from each congressional district.

That does not mean all 15 will get approved, but we get the opportunity to submit 15.

And so I'm still looking at receiving the projects.

And so many of them have come in and I think the deadline is the end of the month.

I'm gonna say the 20th just so in case, I don't want anyone to get cut off too quickly, but what we'll do is evaluate the programs, the proposals rather, to see which ones will have the greatest impact on the community.

And really, what the lens I'll be looking through is diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Again, really hyper-focused on those communities that have not been invested in the last decade.

So just a little tip there if anybody's listening.

So... And the sweet spot I've been told is about a quarter of a million to a million dollars.

And again, it just depends on the project and how large of an impact it will have.

So there's a number of different variables and we have, on the Appropriations Committee website, they have a link where you can look at which projects were awarded in 2022.

And that is actually a searchable document.

So if you're looking for language, I'm just saying, there's a tip.

- So good morning, honorable Brown.

Great to have you here.

- Good morning.

- Thank you for the gifts of inspiration, the gifts of leadership by example.

- Thank you.

- We're learning by word, but mostly by example.

And I wanted to ask for those listening today who are not here present, those who don't have a political background, those who are not particularly engaged at this time, maybe those who aren't old enough to vote, or those who don't have mobility, maybe are unable to get to the poll, that type of thing, what is the one thing that you would ask of people who like what they're hearing, who need more of you, who need more of your actions and representation, more of your results?

What is the one thing that you would ask of them and us today that we can do to advance our agenda through you?

- Oh, thank you very much, that's very kind of you.

For me, it is really being ambassadors.

Just continuing to carry the message.

I am one person and, but people trust you.

So your network of friends, your network of colleagues, your network of your families, sharing with them what you experience today will go much further than any commercial, anything that they'll read on my website, just being a champion and an advocate and just sharing your personal experience is something that I would greatly appreciate now.

In the spirit of church, as we are here on Good Friday, we welcome your time, talent, and treasures.

(audience laughing) So volunteering for the campaign is always a great thing.

Your talent can be anything from posting a picture on social media to helping us with phone banks and treasures.

We always look for donations.

If you go to shontelbrown.com, there's a contribute button now on there.

(audience laughing) Welcome all contributions, shameless plug.

Thank you so much.

(crowd laughing) - It sounds like you have a pretty full schedule, but let me see if I can give you something else to do.

- Okay.

(crowd laughs) - Assuming you are successful and you will be the candidate, which I think you will.

- Thank you.

- If the Democrats cannot maintain at least a slim majority, I hate to think where we're going.

What will or can you, and what can the Democratic Party do to assist those very few districts that we have in Ohio where democratic candidates have a chance of winning?

Right now, I see the Democrats electing two representatives to Congress, you and your fellow representative from Columbus.

I'm not even sure about Toledo.

- I know.

- What can you do?

- Thank you.

So that is a great question because you touched on something that I kind of talk about every now and again.

The Democrats have a slim majority, and I already highlight the fact that it takes 217 other people to agree with me to get things done.

30 members of the, more than 30 members of the Democratic Party have sought to either not seek reelection or seek another office.

And so that's gonna make things increasingly challenging for us to get things done.

So I am eager to help all of my folks that are seeking to win elections in the general.

The general, typically here in Cuyahoga County isn't the heaviest lift.

It is the primary.

So I am committed to going and helping champion for my fellow Democrats to be elected.

The reality is Democrats have been delivering.

That is the fact of the matter.

When we talk about what we're dealing with, it is voter suppression at its worst.

It is voter suppression by the Republican Party that has got us in this position that we're in now where we're sprinting through a May 3rd primary.

And when we think about what happens in Washington, because of that slim majority, we see the Republicans at the Senate blocking legislation to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act, which they have supported historically with no issue.

So why now?

Why is it that 16 of the 50 Republicans who reauthorized the Voting Rights Act under the Bush administration are refusing to do so now?

It's because Democrats have been winning.

We won the White House, we won the House, and while I don't like to tout the majority in the Senate because there are two Democrats that, you know.

(audience chattering) But we can't just focus on them because there's, again, 50 Republicans standing in the way of progress.

So you can rest assured, I'm going to go crisscross the country with my fellow Democrats to try to do everything I can to help us maintain this majority.

And we have had a strategy that has allowed us to, outside of Ohio, eliminate or at least reduce some of the gerrymandering that we were expecting.

And so some of the races are turning out, shaping up to be better than we expected.

So I, in case you couldn't tell, I'm an optimist.

So I'm going to be spreading my optimism across the country, as well as championing and touting the great work that the Democrats have been able to do because the fact of the matter is we have been delivering for people here in America.

So thank you for the question.

(audience applauding) - Hey, Sher.

- Good afternoon.

- Good afternoon.

- Thank you for being here today, and it's always a pleasure to hear from you and to be in your presence.

- Thank you.

- One of the things I'm sure, as you know, that we are facing in not only K12 education, but higher education, and quite frankly, some of our public service agencies are attacks on what we like to call honesty in education.

Whether it's anti-CRT or Don't Say Gay or any of the other pretty egregious horrible things that are coming down in state legislatures to stifle us from being able to form these relationships with our students and their families, make sure that our students have an honest education.

Is there any exploration of what federal levers can be pulled to help those of us who have state legislatures who don't seem to care whether or not civil rights are still part of our curriculum?

- Thank you.

Thank you for that question.

So yes, we, as a proud member of the Congressional Black Caucus, we talk about these issues often.

But I think you touched on some of the things that we see, again, from the other side of the aisle that really, I believe, Sher, is an attack on defunding our public school system.

That's really what it comes down to.

And so as a proud student, a proud product of the Cleveland Public School System, I am offended.

And I think that we, as a collective, as parents, we have to recognize that that is the effort.

This is not about words.

While they're burning books, we're unbanning books.

We're building bridges and trying to help people understand even some of the darkest and most painful parts of our history, but that is only the way we move forward.

So we cannot allow this to happen.

So I am, Lucy McBath and I have already started working on legislation to make sure that class sizes are appropriate for our students, but I am confident, as you bring this up, I can take this back to my members and let them know we need to start addressing this issue much more aggressively because much like voting rights, it is a very rapidly eroding situation when it comes to our public school education.

And again, as a proud product, I won't stand for it.

So thank you.

(audience applauding) - [Questioner] Good afternoon, Congresswoman Brown.

- Good afternoon.

- We've got a text question.

- Okay.

- So women in the workforce have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic in large part due to challenges with childcare.

While Build Back Better offered a comprehensive plan for early care in education, hope for that bill passing seems to be waning.

What plans do you have to fix the growing childcare in early education crisis outside of Build Back Better?

- Oh, thank you.

Thank you for that.

So while it is stalled at the Senate, we, again, we are very committed to finding places where we can find common ground with by our parties and our chambers.

And so what we recognize is childcare is also the pathway to getting our people back into the workforce.

So I believe in our leadership, Speaker Pelosi, Whip Clyburn, Steny Hoyer.

As they continue to have conversations with the Senate, we can definitely get something pulled out of Build Back Better so that we can start to help get our workforce back in place.

While that's one component, and this part is strictly from the book of Shontel.

I have no statistical data to back this up, but what I believe is that the COVID-19 pandemic also had a devastating effect on our workforce.

As we approach a million lives loss, imagine the number of families that has impacted about getting them back into the workforce.

So not only have women been grossly impacted, it's also been touted as a she-cession.

We are working every day to make sure that we are making the investments.

The COMPETES Acts invest into scaling up our workforce so that we can capitalize on the investment of the bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

And I believe that some of those resources will be focused on those that are in the greatest need.

That is the beauty of this administration.

The Biden-Harris administration recognizes that they've made parameters and standards for investments to go to the community that are in the greatest needs.

So women at the top of that pyramid is that concern.

And so I believe we will be making some investments in that area as well.

Thank you.

- We have another text question.

You mentioned your successful effort to declare racism as a public health crisis at the county level.

Thank you for that.

Some of these growth disparities have grown due to the pandemic, and some may have built up over decades.

As an elected official, what is the timeline you use to measure progress in closing these disparities in the event that enough progress is not being made or not soon enough?

- Thank you.

So I appreciate that question.

So we were very thoughtful in the declaration of, declaring racism as a public health crisis because we were very mindful that we wanted to have measurable goals.

So we have the Council Advisory Committee on Equity who reports to us quarterly.

So we are measuring the results every quarter to see how our progress, how we're moving along.

And that's critically important because I wanted the legislation to have some teeth.

So we didn't get here overnight.

So we didn't set a deadline per se.

We are looking to make progress every single step, every single day.

So if we see that we're not making progress and we have to course correct, right?

And that's why we have the aggressive measurements to make sure that these things just don't fall by the wayside.

One of the things I learned when I first came to County Council is that too often, elected officials would pass resolutions or declarations, and then they would just fall by the wayside.

Wanted to make sure when we're on a steady path to make sure that we are actually making some improvement.

So it's being measured regularly.

And shout out to my County Council colleagues for keeping their eye on the ball and making sure that continues, that progress continues to happen.

So thank you for the question.

- Okay.

We've got a Twitter question.

So Lake Erie is by far, Northeast Ohio's most important natural resource.

What sort of federal policies do you support or oppose as it relates to the health of Lake Erie?

- Oh my goodness.

So I'm proud to say, thank you for that too.

In case you didn't know, last month, I believe, President Biden came in to Ohio with our amazing Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, who one of the gentlemen touched on, is going to have a tough fight on her hand.

She is the longest serving member of the House of Representatives, longest serving woman of the House of Representatives.

And now, her race is at risk.

But one of the things that she is known for is her hard work around the preservation conservation and restoration of Lake Erie.

We just got 1 billion, with a B, dollars from the administration to deal with our great lakes.

And so, yes.

(audience applauding) And so the work has already begun and I can't take credit for that.

That is the great work again of Congresswoman Kaptur.

So if anyone is listening or watching and has any doubts about why you should retain her, that $1 billion investment should do it all alone.

So thank you for that question.

- The child tax credit was a powerful tool to reduce poverty.

What is the strategy to make it permanent, especially if the Republicans do take control of the House?

- Whoo.

So that's another thing that the leadership, Steny Hoyer, Speaker Pelosi, Whip Clyburn are in regular communications with on the Senate.

I know just by attending the meeting and what I heard on the street, Mayor Justin Bibb and my cousin, Senator Sherrod Brown, (audience laughing) they were campaigning door to door in Kinsman just promoting the fact.

Because the child tax credit, for people who are unfamiliar with what the child tax credit did, particularly in this district, the child tax credit took 50% of children out of poverty and it expired in December.

It was a part of the Build Back Better.

And so those are one of those things that, again, we're looking to pull out so we can provide an extension of that because what it did was provide on average, $435 a month to families to help put food on their table and help pay utilities and pay their rents.

And so once it expired, those children fell back into poverty.

And so it is incumbent upon us because, again, the House has done its part.

So now, it's incumbent, it's all in the Senate.

So I cannot overstate, and this is not blame shifting.

This is just really the reality of the situation, how important it is for you to make sure no matter how egregious and suppressive tactics are implemented to make it harder for us to vote, that we vote and we show up in every single election.

We know who's getting things done and people don't try to take things away from you that don't have value.

And the fact that they work so hard to make it hard for people to vote is indicative of how valuable your vote is.

And so, as we are in the midst of a midterm election with our majorities at risk, these are the things that distinguish one party from another.

We've got one party that's really trying to help make progress, and we've got another party standing in the way.

So I just want you to be mindful of that.

I am one that proudly works together to find things where we can work together on, but this is the reality of the situation.

The writing is on the wall, it's abundantly clear who's doing what.

So make sure you make wise choices when you cast your ballot this midterm election.

And hopefully, hopefully, if you're smart or if I'm lucky, either way, you'll vote for me (audience laughing) on May 3rd.

So thank you.

(audience applauding) - Today, at the City Club of Cleveland, we've been talking with the honorable Shontel Brown, Congresswoman for Ohio's 11th district.

We would like to welcome guests at tables hosted by Case Western Reserve University, the Cleveland Teachers Union, the Cuyahoga County Democratic Women's Caucus, the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cleveland.

Cleveland?

Greater, just Cleveland, okay.

Legal Aid Society, Cleveland.

Thank you, Colleen.

And the Museum of Contemporary Art, Cleveland, as well as Shontel Brown for Congress campaign.

Thank you all for being with us today.

We have a very busy week ahead at the City Club.

On Monday, we will hear from Michael Regan, he's the administrator to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

On Thursday, we'll be joined by Senator Rob Portman.

And on Friday, we'll be talking about clearing the path for a successful Black business ownership.

Warren Anderson of the Anderson-DuBose Company and Ariane Kirkpatrick with the AKA team will be in conversation with Michael Jeans of Growth Opportunity Partners.

You can learn more about these forums and how to get tickets at cityclub.org.

That brings us to the end of our forum.

Congresswoman, thank you so much.

And thank you, members and friends of the City Club.

I'm Dan Moulthrop.

Happy Easter, Happy Passover.

Go Cavs, go Guardians.

(audience laughing) Let's get it done, thank you.

(audience applauding) (upbeat music) - [Announcer] For information on upcoming speakers or for podcasts of the City Club, go to cityclub.org.

(ambient music) - [Announcer] Production and distribution of City Club forums on Ideastream Public Media are made possible by PNC and the United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland Incorporated.