Commemorating the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and encouraging people of the United States to pause and remember the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1061,``Observing the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and encouraging the people of the United States to pause and remember the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and for other purposes,'' introduced by my distinguished colleague from Georgia, Representative John Lewis. This praiseworthy legislation will commemorate the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination by expanding his legacy and honoring his paradigm of nonviolence, courage, compassion, dignity, and public service.

On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated while on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. In remembering the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination, we should take a moment to reflect upon the purpose for which Dr. King and other civil rights pioneers so resiliently fought. Through his philosophical words and fortified stance against racial injustice, Dr. King provided a road map for all to unite and share in the prosperity of this great democracy. While we acknowledge that our Nation has come a long way, Dr. King's dream has yet to be realized in its entirety. Martin Luther King's contributions to our history place him in this unparalleled position. It is Dr. King who represents the best in all of us and it is in his memory that we continue to devote ourselves to his vision.

In his short life, Martin Luther King was instrumental in helping us realize and rectify those unspeakable wrongs which tarnished the name of America. African Americans needed a Martin Luther King, but above all, America needed him. The significant qualities of this special man cannot be underestimated nor taken for granted. Within a span of 13 years, from 1955 to his death in 1968, he was able to expound, expose, and extricate America from many wrongs. Dr. King's inspiring words filled a great void in our nation, and answered our collective longing to become a country that truly lived by its dignified principles. And so we memorialize this man of action, who put his life on the line for freedom and justice every day.

Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's ``I Have a Dream'' Speech, delivered on August 28, 1963, was a clarion call to each citizen of this great Nation that we still hear today. His request was simply and eloquently conveyed--he challenged America to live up to the true meaning of its creed, to make real the words written in its Declaration of Independence and to have a place in this Nation's Bill of Rights. It is with this goal in mind that we strive to provide equal opportunity to all.

Dr. King spoke about his contentment with the end of his mortal life in his last speech, ``I've Been to the Mountaintop,'' on April 3, 1968 at Mason Temple. Even then he lifted up the value of service as the hallmark of a full life and reiterated the importance of continuing the struggle for human rights. ``We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now because I've been to the mountaintop.'' We must continue to pay homage to the valor of a man who endured harassment, embarrassment, beatings, and bombings. We commemorate the man who went to jail 29 times to achieve freedom for others, and who knew he would pay the ultimate price for his leadership, but kept on marching and protesting and organizing anyway. Dr. King's vision of equality under the law should never lose its vigor despite times of unevenness in our equality. For without that vision--without that dream--we can never continue to improve on the human condition.

During these difficult days when the United States is bogged down in a misguided and mismanaged war in Iraq, which has claimed the lives of over 4,000 men and women, we should also remember that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was, above all, a person who was always willing to speak truth to power. There is perhaps no better example of Dr. King's moral integrity and consistency than his criticism of the Vietnam War being waged by the Johnson Administration, an administration that was otherwise a friend and champion of civil and human rights. He stated, ``We are adding cynicism to the process of death, for they must know after a short period there that none of the things we claim to be fighting for are really involved.''

Dr. King was taken from us too soon at the tender age of 39 years old. Many people remember that Dr. King died in Memphis, but few remember why he was there. On that fateful day, the 4th day of April in 1968, Dr. King came to Memphis to lead a strike by the city's sanitation workers.

The death of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will never overshadow his life. He was both a dreamer and a man of action. Forty years after his death, Dr. King continues to teach us all. He leaves a legacy of hope, tempered with peace; although, it is a vision not yet fulfilled.

Mr. Speaker, words cannot convey or adequately repay the debt that is owed. We cannot sufficiently articulate the feelings of sorrow that are still universally felt; however, we can pay Dr. King and other civil rights pioneers no greater tribute than to carry on the work they believed in and paid the ultimate sacrifice for. The contributions that Dr. King provided are priceless and will never be forgotten. As we recognize the 40th Anniversary of the slaying of a martyr, let us remember to commemorate his vision, remember his message, and rededicate ourselves to his goal of a free and just United States. I hope every person here rededicates his or her life to fulfilling his legacy--that all of us here highly resolve that Dr. King's dream never dies but becomes a living reality for all the children of this great nation and the world.

I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation, and, in-so-doing, giving Dr. King the respect that he so greatly deserves.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1061) commemorating the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and encouraging people of the United States to pause and remember the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and for other purposes.

I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 1061.

I thank the Speaker, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, Members of the House, this Friday, April 4, will mark the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination in 1968.

I note that, once again, our distinguished colleague from Georgia, John Lewis, has introduced a bipartisan House Resolution calling upon all Americans, on this anniversary, to pause and remember the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and I'd like to acknowledge the many members of the Judiciary Committee supporting this resolution, Lamar Smith, Gerald Nadler, Zoe Lofgren, Bobby Scott, Keith Ellison, Steve Cohen and others.

Dr. King was not only our greatest civil rights leader, but he was also the person that personally has given me the political, philosophical undergirding to attempt to transfer his belief system into some of the objectives of the United States through the Congress. What a leader he was.

I shall be in Memphis this Friday celebrating, with the distinguished gentleman from New York, Harry Bellefonte, and many others, the work that he has done in trying to bring justice, understanding, full employment, an economic system, and end the war in this country and in this world.

He addressed, on the night before his assassination, the sanitation workers in Memphis at the Mason Temple. And I don't know about you, but it seemed to me that he had a premonition that he was spending the last days of his life on earth in this cause. He seemed to have projected his understanding of how fleeting his life may have been.

Of course, I'm also connected to Dr. King by his family, Coretta Scott King and their children, and of course, the unbelievably courageous Mrs. Rosa Parks, who later came to Detroit and honored my office by working there for many, many years.

And so I'm very pleased to join in with this re-examination and remembrance of our great leader, to me, one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century. And so I'm proud to stand before you as the chairman of the Judiciary to bring this resolution forward.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to yield as much time as he may consume to the one person in the House of Representatives and the United States Senate that knew Martin King, Jr., better than any of us here. He's a distinguished civil rights leader in his own right, but he worked closely with Dr. King and the SCLC and SNCC and other civil rights organizations. I am pleased to recognize the gentleman from Georgia, John Lewis, for as much time as he may consume.

I thank the gentleman from Texas, the ranking member, Mr. Smith.

I would like now to recognize Steve Cohen, our distinguished colleague from Memphis, Tennessee, for 2 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased now to recognize the distinguished gentleman from Georgia, Mr. David Scott, and I recognize him for 3 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased now to recognize the gentleman from Maryland, the Honorable Elijah Cummings, who is not only an attorney but a person of deep religious persuasions, a leader in the church. He has worked continually in the area of civil rights, voter activity, and I yield him as much time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, it's now my high privilege to recognize the majority leader, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) who many years ago had me bring to one of his meetings Rosa Parks, and that was the beginning of a very important relationship between Mrs. Parks and Steny Hoyer and myself.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time and yield back the balance of my time.

I thank my friend for yielding.

John Conyers is a distinguished leader of the civil rights movement, whose leadership and commitment and tenacity and steadfastness led to declaration of a holiday, a holy day in many respects, a day of recommitment when we remember the life, legacy, and teaching of Martin Luther King, Jr. I did not know Dr. King. I met him but didn't know him.

But I have known John Conyers and I have known John Lewis, and I know them both and they are giants themselves. John Lewis, of course, is the sponsor of this resolution, who represents Atlanta, who came from Alabama, who marched across the Edmund Pettis Bridge, confronted by troops who wanted to stop him from doing what is basic to the United States of America, the right of every citizen to express their view on how their government ought to be peopled and run, the right to vote.

As a result of his courage, the leadership of Dr. King and John Conyers and so many others, we passed a Voting Rights Act. I am honored to stand with these two giants.

I understand that Mr. Smith, the ranking member of the committee, helped bring this bill to the floor.

I am of that generation that remembers the dark day in April of 1968, followed too closely by another dark day on June 6, just two-and-some- odd months later.

Mr. Speaker, 40 years ago this Friday, Martin Luther King, Jr., was murdered. He was an American prophet. He called us to love justice, to love our brothers and sisters of every color, of every race, of every nationality, of every religion, of every gender. He spoke the truth, but on April 4, 1968, he was taken from us. But his lesson was not taken from us nor his example.

In this flawed and fallen world, hate and rage and violence will have their day, but if we can find even a sliver of good in that crime, it must be this: Dr. King died on a balcony, an open place, a public place. Dr. King showed us, he proved with his own body, that a just cause is worth dying for, as our Founding Fathers had done, as frankly, in my religion, Jesus did.

It is worth living for, too, he showed us. This resolution, even though I will vote for it wholeheartedly, even though I trust it will pass unanimously, even though it's offered by my good friend John Lewis, who ``toiled, and wrought, and thought'' with Dr. King, is just words on paper, unless we match it with the resolve of our lives. That is what Dr. King wanted us to do.

Our conduct, our actions, are the only honors we have worth giving. These words on paper take on value when, and only when, they spur us toward what Dr. King called ``a committed life.''

After the autopsy, which showed that his 39-year-old body held the strained and tired heart of an elderly man; after two brown mules pulled his casket in a

wooden cart through the streets of Atlanta; after tens of thousands assembled to put him to rest, Dr. King spoke at his own funeral.

The loudspeakers played a tape of one of his old sermons, and these were the words that echoed through the Ebenezer Baptist Church. ``I don't want a long funeral. I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to give his life serving others. I'd like for somebody to say that day that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question. I want you to be able to say that day that I did try to feed the hungry. And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.''

We can say all of it, with truth, about Martin Luther King, Jr., a great American, a great leader, a great man and, yes, a citizen revered, respected, and honored by the world, for he saw himself not just as an American, proud though he was of this Nation's promise, but also he saw himself as a part of all mankind.

May we do our best to live by his example as we remember the sad day when his body was taken from us, but they could not take his lessons.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1061, a measure that observes the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and encourages the people of the United States to

pause and remember the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This Friday, April 4, 2008, marks the tragic 40th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination. Dr. King's work for civil rights has remained an inspiration to all those committed to liberty and freedom throughout the world.

While April 4 marks a sad day in American history, it is my hope that, as a nation, we will continue to reflect on the actions and accomplishments of Dr. King. Let April 4th be a day on which we celebrate Dr. King's life, study his teachings, and honor his legacy.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was born on January 15, 1929, and grew up in Georgia, attending segregated schools throughout his early education. Overcoming these unjust beginnings, King went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College in 1948, a Bachelor of Divinity from Pennsylvania's Crozer Theological Seminary in 1951, and a Ph.D. from Boston University in 1955 before becoming pastor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

Dr. King was actively involved in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and championed efforts for racial equality. In 1955, after Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery bus, Dr. King led the historic Montgomery Bus Boycott, the first nonviolent demonstration of the Civil Rights Movement. There, his steadfast adherence to nonviolence and unwavering devotion to the struggle for equality in the face of threats to his life propelled him to the leadership of the Civil Rights Movement.

In 1957, Dr. King was elected President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), where he drew inspiration from Christianity and the teachings of Ghandi to be a major leader in the Civil Rights Movement. In the ensuing decade, Dr. King was feverishly active in the struggle for racial equality, constantly traveling the country to orchestrate and participate in demonstrations and delivering the inspirational addresses for which he is renowned. In that time he also penned five books and many essays, consulted to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Unfortunately, Dr. King was assassinated on the evening of April 4, 1968, on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he planned to lead a protest march to show solidarity with striking garbage workers the next day.

The nonviolent manner in which Dr. King fought for fundamental freedoms, such as desegregation and the right to vote, has had a lasting impact on the psyche of this country. Perhaps the greatest example of Dr. King's leadership and legacy is his ``I Have a Dream'' speech, which he gave in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington in 1963. In that speech, Dr. King spoke about his dream for a nation where his four children would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by their character.

Mr. Speaker, Friday may be the anniversary of the death of one of our nation's greatest citizens, but I also hope it is a day on which we can reflect on the positive changes that were set in motion due to Dr. King's work. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. raised the conscience of America. He made our nation reexamine our commitment to freedom and liberty, and he did so with a message of peace and non-violence. To this day, Dr. King's work, message, and legacy remain imprinted on the minds of those who carry on his noble cause across America, from Montgomery, Alabama, to Northwest Indiana.

Thank you, Chairman Conyers. It's so good to be here with my good friend Mr. Lewis from Georgia and Mr. Cohen from Tennessee.

Mr. Speaker, today, we gather to pay tribute and to recognize an extraordinary life on the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mr. Speaker, in the book of Genesis in the 37th chapter, in the 19th verse, it says these words: Lo, here cometh the dreamer. Let us slay him and then we shall see what will become of his dream.

I think that is a most fitting way to enter my remarks this afternoon about Dr. King, for his was truly a dream, but that dream was built on three strong pillars. One was public accommodations. The other was voting rights. But the other, and perhaps the tougher, was economic rights, how do we get the lever to make the dream a reality. Dr.

King knew full well it didn't matter if we could sit anywhere on the bus if we don't have money to get on the bus. It doesn't matter if we could live anywhere we wanted if we didn't have money to buy the house and to keep the house.

So, as we reflect today on that economic right, it is so fitting that so much is still to be done. For as we look at the front page of the New York Times yesterday, we find that there are more people who are on food stamps percentage-wise in this country than 40 years ago when Dr. King died. What has happened to his dream after he was slain?

It's so fitting that if we start to think for a moment what Dr. King was doing in those moments and hours before his death. He was grappling with the economic question, moving back and forward from Washington, D.C., to Atlanta, Georgia, to Memphis, dealing with the poor people's campaign, the war on poverty, and, most significantly, dealing with the most basic of economic rights, a livable wage for jobs for the sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee.

And so he knew that the work had not been done. His prophetic words, as Chairman Conyers referred, it's almost as if he was preaching his own funeral when he said he had reached the mountaintop and had looked over and seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And all the threats that were on his life, it was as if he knew that the bullet in 24 hours was out there waiting for him.

And he said in his immortal words: I fear no man, for mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

So, as we gather here, let us understand that that dream is still not the reality; although the pillars that he planted, part of them are. It is the tough bucket of the economic issues that we are grappling with on the floor of this House of Representatives as we speak, keeping people in their homes, getting people so they can work and have employment and jobs, opening up the economic system so that people will have businesses and participate in a livable way.

So, as we reflect, let us remember those words from Genesis: Lo, here cometh the dreamer. Let us slay him and then we shall see what will become of his dream.

We in this House of Representatives can make that dream a reality by finishing that final plank, the economic plank.