Cleo Fields
Representative for Louisiana · Democratic · United States
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and including me in this very Special Order. In fact, I remember the first day we were here. The late Sylvester Turner and I were sitting right on this floor, and the gentleman from Illinois invited us to be a part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Caucus.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“There are people in this country who have been facing all types of inequities from the day they were born. We used to debate affirmative action, for example. Folk used to say affirmative action is two parallel lines where you take somebody who is unqualified and elevate them to the level of somebody who is qualified.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“There was a time that our military wasn't diverse, and then the American people said there is nothing wrong with African Americans serving in the military. There is really nothing wrong with women serving in the military. There were some folk all across the country who said, oh, you are going to weaken the military.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and legacy of a great man. Louisiana recently lost one of its brightest lights with the unexpected passing of Louisiana State Senator Larry C. Selders at just 44 years of age. Larry leaves behind his wife, Kendra, and his two sons, L.J. and Luke.”
House of Representatives13 July 2026Source ↗
“Let me be clear: Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not about guarantees and preferences; they are about removing barriers. They are not about lowering standards; they are about ensuring that the standards we apply don't inadvertently favor some groups while disadvantaging others who are equally qualified.”
House of Representatives29 April 2025Source ↗
“The world is always watching us to see what we will accomplish, but now more than ever before, they are watching us to see who we will become. I still believe in an America where a child's potential isn't limited to his ZIP Code, the color of his skin, their gender, or other factors beyond their control.”
House of Representatives29 April 2025Source ↗
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“There are people in this country who have been facing all types of inequities from the day they were born. We used to debate affirmative action, for example. Folk used to say affirmative action is two parallel lines where you take somebody who is unqualified and elevate them to the level of somebody who is qualified. That wasn't affirmative action. Affirmative action should be viewed as a circle instead of two parallel lines. When you take a certain person out of the circle, they are all equally qualified. We have been fighting those battles all along. There has been some talk that there is no need for equity. Businesses across America have decided to end their diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as a result of the Executive Order No. 14151 signed by the President on January 20, 2025. Finally, Mr. Speaker, inclusion.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“There was a time that our military wasn't diverse, and then the American people said there is nothing wrong with African Americans serving in the military. There is really nothing wrong with women serving in the military. There were some folk all across the country who said, oh, you are going to weaken the military. Did it make the military weaker? No, you bet it didn't. It made the military stronger. When we became diverse, it became the most fierce fighting machine in the world. We need to talk about what is good about diversity, equity, and inclusion and not talk about all of these scare tactics that we have heard from people all across the country. Second is equity. What is equity? The quality of being fair, just, especially in a way that takes account and seeks to address existing inequities. Let's be honest about it.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and including me in this very Special Order. In fact, I remember the first day we were here. The late Sylvester Turner and I were sitting right on this floor, and the gentleman from Illinois invited us to be a part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Caucus. Let me just tell the gentleman that I am so proud to be a part of this caucus. When the President signed an executive order to do away with diversity, equity, and inclusion, it was, in my view, totally wrong, and I think people need to stand up for what they really believe in. I was going through the dictionary today, Mr. Speaker, and I was looking at all three of these terms. First, diversity. Diversity simply means the quality or condition of having or being composed of different elements, such as forms, types, and ideas.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and legacy of a great man. Louisiana recently lost one of its brightest lights with the unexpected passing of Louisiana State Senator Larry C. Selders at just 44 years of age. Larry leaves behind his wife, Kendra, and his two sons, L.J. and Luke. The boys were, by every account, inseparable from his side, and he loved them dearly.”
House of Representatives13 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn. The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 7 o'clock and 57 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate. ____________________”
House of Representatives29 April 2025Source ↗
“People need to view it as: Everybody in the circle is qualified, but DEI comes in and grabs people who are not chosen only because of the color of their skin or because of their sex. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson) for the purpose of a colloquy.”
House of Representatives29 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, one of the problems I think that many people have with DEI programs--which is one of the same problems they had with affirmative action, if you recall--they viewed it as two parallel lines, where you took a person who was less qualified and you elevated him to the level of somebody who was more qualified. That is not DEI. That was not affirmative action. Instead, people should look at it as a circle and every single person within the circle are all qualified to do the job, but there is just one single problem: There are folks in the circle, although they are qualified, they never get chosen. There are women in the circle who never get chosen simply because they are female. Hispanics, Blacks in the circle don't get chosen simply because of the color of their skin.”
House of Representatives29 April 2025Source ↗
“We were created as and have thrived for over 250 years as the United States. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson), the chairman of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
House of Representatives29 April 2025Source ↗
“The world is always watching us to see what we will accomplish, but now more than ever before, they are watching us to see who we will become. I still believe in an America where a child's potential isn't limited to his ZIP Code, the color of his skin, their gender, or other factors beyond their control. I believe in an America where we can acknowledge our imperfect past while working together toward a more perfect future. Most of all, I believe in the fundamental goodness and fairness of the American people. When we move beyond slogans, when we truly see each other as fellow citizens on one shared journey, we find that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. While the temptation is great, we cannot let this moment divide us. We were never meant to be the divided States.”
House of Representatives29 April 2025Source ↗
“Let me be clear: Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not about guarantees and preferences; they are about removing barriers. They are not about lowering standards; they are about ensuring that the standards we apply don't inadvertently favor some groups while disadvantaging others who are equally qualified. When our military, for example, embraced diversity and inclusion, it didn't become weaker. It became the most formidable fighting force in human history. When our businesses embraced diverse talents and perspectives, they didn't become less competitive. They gained access to broader markets and built the strongest economy in the world. When our universities created more inclusive learning environments, they didn't sacrifice excellence. Instead, they became global leaders in research and education.”
House of Representatives29 April 2025Source ↗
“The ratification of the 14th Amendment in 1868 codified equal protection as a constitutional principle. Yet, Americans soon discovered that simply declaring equal protection didn't automatically create it. The real challenge was in translating these legal guarantees into everyday justice through their implementations. When the landmark Supreme Court decisions in 2023 and 2024 further restricted race- conscious university admissions and workplace policies, they accelerated a retreat from this understanding. {time} 1930 The history of DEI efforts in America is not some partisan agenda. It is part of our Nation's ongoing work to ensure that America's promise extends to every American. In 2025, as we face renewed attacks on these principles, we must renew our commitment to this work.”
House of Representatives29 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to talk about something that happened on January 20. On January 20, the President of the United States took the oath of office at this Capitol. Shortly thereafter, he signed several executive orders. One executive order was Executive Order No. 14151. That executive order ended all DEI programs. The argument that DEI initiatives constitute reverse discrimination fundamentally misunderstands both the history and the purpose of these programs. DEI initiatives emerged as thoughtful, evidence-based responses to documented inequities suffered by rural communities, minorities, women, the poor, and the disabled. These programs represent America at its best, acknowledging our Nation's shortcomings and tireless work to overcome them.”
House of Representatives29 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for the additional time. They are using them to pad their already substantial bottom lines at the expense of working families in Louisiana and across America.”
House of Representatives9 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California, the ranking member, for fighting predatory lending over the years. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose S.J. Res. 18 which would dismantle important protections against predatory overdraft practices. Let me be absolutely clear: Overdraft protection is a profit center for big banks disguised as a service fee. These institutions made over $9 billion from overdraft fees last year alone. When a constituent in my district gets a $35 charge for a $5 purchase, that is not covering bank costs, that is a 700 percent markup designed purely to boost profits. The CFPB's rule only affects banks with assets over $10 billion, institutions that would remain highly profitable without these predatory practices. These megabanks aren't using overdraft fees to stay afloat.”
House of Representatives9 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the profound legacy of Mr. John Willis Menard, who in 1868 became the first African American elected to Congress. Even after winning 64 percent of the vote, Members of this body denied him the rightful opportunity to take his seat by a vote of 57- 130. Nevertheless, Mr.”
House of Representatives14 January 2025Source ↗