Honoring the 50th anniversary of the publication of "To Kill a Mockingbird", a classic American novel authored by Nelle Harper Lee of Monroeville, Alabama.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from the District of Columbia for her assistance today as well, as we bring this American classic to the floor of the House of Representatives.

On behalf of my colleagues in the Alabama delegation, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Bachus, Mr. Bright, Mr. Davis, Dr. Griffith, and Mr. Rogers--as well as our two United States Senators from Alabama, Senator Shelby and Senator Sessions--I am extremely proud to rise today in support of House Resolution 1525, honoring the 50th anniversary of the publication of a truly great American novel, ``To Kill a Mockingbird.''

It was 50 years ago this month when Nelle Harper Lee of Monroeville penned what is today considered one of the most beloved American stories of all time.

Before I speak further about Ms. Lee and her masterpiece, however, I'd like to take just a minute to thank Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee and their staffs for working with my staff and me to get this resolution brought to the House floor before Congress breaks for the August district work period. If approved, I hope to present a copy of this resolution to the people of Monroe County when I return home later this week.

I would also like to thank the Speaker of the House, the majority leader, and the majority whip, Mr. Hoyer and Mr. Clyburn, as well as the minority leader, Mr. Boehner, and minority whip, Mr. Cantor, not to mention all of the other Members of Congress who have cosponsored this resolution, for their encouragement and support in finding an appropriate way to honor Ms. Lee, her family, as well as the wonderful people of Monroeville, Alabama, a town of approximately 7,000 people, which I am proud to say I represent in Alabama's First Congressional District.

Without a doubt, the people of Monroeville and Monroe County all join with me and this body as we will celebrate this proud moment. For as people all across America know, Monroeville provided the real-life setting for the fictional town of Maycomb, where the story of ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' comes to life.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to offer this resolution, which also honors the remarkable achievements of a Pulitzer Prize-winning south Alabama author, whose words have not only inspired generations, but in a very real way have helped to change our Nation and the world for the better.

Born on April 28, 1926, to A.C. and Frances Finch Lee, Nelle Harper completed her first and only novel in 1960. In fact, it appeared for the very first time on July 11 of that year. Upon its publication, Nelle, as she is affectionately known to her family and close friends, reportedly remarked that she hoped that her book would win some encouragement for what was a budding writing career. Fifty years later, it is safe to say that her hopes have been more than realized.

In many ways, Harper Lee could not have foreseen that her brilliantly worded prose would one day become a literary beacon for equality and justice, not to mention an inspiration for the advancement of civil rights all across our land. Not only would ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' become one of the great books of the 20th century, but the 1962 movie version, starring Gregory Peck, has been immortalized in celluloid. In

fact, the courtroom interior shown in the movie is the exact replica of the interior of the Old Monroe County Courthouse, which people can visit today, and is part of the Monroe County Heritage Museum.

For her efforts, Ms. Lee's book won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961. Today, as the gentlelady from the District of Columbia pointed out, ``Mockingbird'' has sold more than 30 million copies and has been published in more than 40 different languages.

In survey after survey asking which one book civilized people should read, ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' routinely finishes second only to the Holy Bible. And the movie, which premiered in 1962, won three Oscars, including best actor for Mr. Peck, who brought the character of Atticus Finch to life.

We know the characters as though they lived just down the street from us. There is Scout, Ms. Lee's 6-year-old narrator, as well as her father, Atticus, who held every one of us with each word as he paced the courtroom floor while delivering his impassioned argument in defense of Tom Robinson. How many young lawyers today credit Atticus Finch with inspiring them to go into law? There is Scout's older brother, Jem; their housekeeper, Calpurnia; their neighbor Dill; and, of course, Tom Robinson, the black man who was wrongly accused of rape.

Madam Speaker, this month as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of ``To Kill a Mockingbird,'' we also use this fitting occasion to honor the remarkable life of its author, Harper Lee.

The people of Monroeville have warmly embraced Miss Lee's legacy by staging annual public performances of her famous book to the delight of audiences in Monroeville and throughout the south, as well as at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.--not to mention standing-room only crowds in England and Israel.

In fact, just a few weeks ago, Monroeville hosted a special 50th anniversary tribute to Ms. Lee and her famous novel, attracting admiring fans from all across the country. A half century after the ink has dried on this first edition of ``To Kill a Mockingbird,'' its pages still call to our better instincts of decency and fairness to our fellow man, while reminding us that prejudice, though too common, must continue to be confronted.

On a personal note, I was honored to attend the 2007 White House ceremony during which Nelle Harper Lee was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom--America's highest civilian honor--by President George W. Bush. In presenting this award to Ms. Lee, the President noted ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' has influenced the character of our country for the better. It's been a gift to the entire world. As a model of good writing and humane sensibility, this book will be read and studied forever. After the medal ceremony in the East Room and after a brief reception in the State Dining Room, I was truly touched as people stood literally the length of the White House--including some of the other recipients of the award ceremony that day--just for the opportunity to thank Ms. Lee for her gift to mankind.

And in a moment that I will truly never forget, I remember as the ceremony was winding down standing next to Ms. Lee in the foyer of the White House while the conductor of the President's own, the United States Marine Band, led the orchestra in the musical score from the opening credits of the movie, ``To Kill a Mockingbird,'' by Elmer Bernstein.

There were few dry eyes in the White House that afternoon, and it was a fitting close to a spectacular day.

Madam Speaker, here on the 50th anniversary of ``To Kill a Mockingbird,'' the people of Monroeville, Monroe County, and all the people across Alabama could not be more proud of our favorite daughter and her lasting legacy.

To Miss Nelle, her sister Miss Alice, and the many others who helped inspire this story, America offers our warmest congratulations and love on this special occasion. And no doubt for the generation to come that will also be touched and inspired by this timeless story, we have a special word of thanks for the gift that has never stopped giving.

Madam Speaker, I urge all of the Members to support H. Res. 1525.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to

the resolution (H. Res. 1525) honoring the 50th anniversary of the publication of ``To Kill a Mockingbird'', a classic American novel authored by Nelle Harper Lee of Monroeville, Alabama.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to present H. Res. 1525 for consideration. This measure honors the 50th anniversary of the publication of ``To Kill a Mockingbird.''

H. Res. 1525 was introduced by our colleague, Representative Jo Bonner of Alabama, on July 15, 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which waived consideration of the measure in order to expedite its consideration on the floor today. It enjoys the bipartisan support of over 80 cosponsors.

Madam Speaker, ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' is one of the greatest works of 20th century American literature. The novel has sold over 30 million copies in its 50-year history and remains a staple in classrooms all over the country. For years, students have studied this coming-of-age tale, giving teachers the opportunity to facilitate frank discussions of its dark and challenging scenes.

The story deals with difficult issues of injustice and racial prejudice, but also provides an uplifting portrayal of courage, morality, and human decency. In particular, Atticus Finch continues to serve as a moral hero for many readers, as well as a model of integrity for the legal profession. Notably, in 1997, the Alabama State Bar erected a monument to the character in Harper Lee's hometown of Monroeville outside their historic Old Courthouse.

The novel is set in the 1930s, but it is closely associated with the civil rights movement, and some scholars believe some of the events and characters of the novel are based on events and figures from that very movement. The novel is a product of that period in our Nation's history in which we began to make serious progress addressing racial inequality and injustice. The hope, courage, and morality that the novel inspired during the civil rights movement helped motivate leaders to support it, bringing national attention to these difficult issues through the eyes of the narrator, a young child.

Harper Lee has won many awards for ``To Kill a Mockingbird,'' including the Pulitzer Prize in 1961, after 41 weeks on the bestseller list. Lee was named to the National Council on the Arts by President Johnson in 1966, inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor in 2001, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Notre Dame in 2006, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bush in 2007.

Her novel's impact on the world will be felt for generations to come as people around the country and around the world continue to read, study, and learn from the work.

Madam Speaker, let us now take the time to honor Harper Lee and her classic American novel through the passage of H. Res. 1525.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1525, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, one further word on this resolution.

I commend the gentleman from Alabama for coming forward with this resolution honoring Harper Lee, who is perhaps one of the most-esteemed constituents he or any before him have had in his home State. Harper Lee's novel teaches us something about the American novel and indeed about fiction throughout human time: that fiction often tells us what history books cannot convey. This is what Harper Lee managed to do at a time when writing about her subject was anything but popular literature until she had put it on paper, in which case, it rose out of her skill to be embraced by the American people and many across the world.

This book is very interesting because it is a product of a very distinct era in American history and life, and yet the novel continues to reverberate and inspire our very different era, an era revising itself from that era. Unadulterated racial prejudice of a kind described in this novel has abated. It certainly is no longer openly celebrated as it once was.

Yet, what Harper Lee writes about has left a mark so deep in American history that it will never be entirely erased. That's why the novel continues to speak to us. It's not that we believe anything like what she writes about is what we find in American courtrooms, even in the old South today. It is that it reminds us of the distance we have come and for many the distance we have to go.

Harper Lee, it is said over and over again, wrote this one great novel. My response is if you write this novel, you never need to write another single novel. You have said it perhaps all for yourself, and in many ways she said it all for that era in our country.

Madam Speaker, I would again like to urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Harper Lee and her novel through the passage of H. Res. 1525.

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

Madam Speaker, July 2010 marks the 50th Anniversary of Nelle Harper Lee's novel ``To Kill a Mockingbird.''

First published on July 11, 1960, ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' has since sold over 30 million copies and has been published in over 40 languages.

During the past 50 years the world has seen many changes but one thing still remains constant--``To Kill a Mockingbird'', the novel that inspired children and adults in 1961 is still inspiring a new generation of children and adults today. Few novels have such timeless and universal appeal.

``To Kill a Mockingbird'' has received numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize in 1960 and the film adaptation received three Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards in 1962.

The Mockingbird Players, an amateur theater group, perform the dramatization of ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' every April and May in Monroeville, Alabama, Lee's hometown. The players have performed at both home and abroad including performances in Chicago, Washington, D.C., the United Kingdom and Israel.

One of the novels best known quotes is, ``Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.'' This quote and her character, Atticus Finch, have inspired lawyers for the past 50 years, including myself.

For those who have read ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' you may remember Scout's first grade teacher was Miss Caroline Fisher. On Scout's first day at school, Miss Caroline Fisher introduced herself proudly saying, ``I am Caroline Fisher. I am from North Alabama, from Winston County.'' Being born and raised in Winston County, which is a small rural county in North Alabama. I remember being surprised to see my home county mentioned as I first read the book as a law student at Samford University's Cumberland School of Law. From that day forward ``To Kill a Mockingbird'' has been a favorite of mine, not only because my home county was mentioned but most importantly because the message the book articulates.

Nelle, as she is affectionately known by her friends, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 5, 2007 by President George W. Bush.

Besides ``To Kill a Mockingbird,'' Lee also penned ``Christmas to Me'' and ``When Children Discover America'' for McCall's Magazine in the 1960s.

Miss Lee is a national treasure and I am proud to cosponsor and vote for Mr. Bonner's resolution, H. Res. 1525, honoring the 50th anniversary of ``To Kill a Mockingbird.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my support for House Resolution 1525, honoring the 50th anniversary of the publication of To Kill A Mockingbird, a classic American novel authored by Nelle Harper Lee of Monroeville, Alabama. I would also like to commend my colleague, Representative Jo Bonner and all of the cosponsors of this legislation. Your support for H. Res. 1525 ensures that our nation continues to recognize the importance of this landmark novel which examines both race relations and the human condition in the United States.

In 1960 Nelle Harper Lee published To Kill A Mockingbird, a novel that would soon transform the character of our nation and play a major influence in the discussion of race relations. Her novel focused on a small, rural Alabama town riveted by prejudice. Her novel served as a commentary on the tense and unequal relations between blacks and whites in the South. As a Representative for the state of Georgia I am constantly aware of the history of the state that I represent. I recognize that prior to the Civil Rights Movement the conditions in my district were similar to those described in Harper Lee's novel. I also recognize that her novel served as a catalyst for the national conversation on racial injustice during the Civil Rights Movement.

Harper Lee produced a controversial novel during the height of racial tension in the 1960s, and for that she deserves to be commended and her work should be forever praised, studied, and read by all. In 2007, President George W. Bush awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Nelle Harper Lee for her great contributions to literature and observed the positive influence her work has had on the character of our country. The novel was also proclaimed as a model of good writing and human sensibility.

Madam Speaker, on the 50th anniversary of To Kill A Mockingbird I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution. The story is an American story and it deserves to be recognized. Today we honor the remarkable achievement of Nelle Harper Lee and her novel To Kill A Mockingbird.

I ask the gentleman if he has any other speakers.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1525, which recognizes the 50th anniversary of the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which was written by Nelle Harper Lee of Monroeville, Alabama. This novel has become an American classic and every year thousands of students across the country read it and grapple with the significant moral issues that it raises.

I thank Chairman Towns for his leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. I would also like to thank Congressman Bonner for introducing this important measure.

Growing up in Monroeville, Alabama, Harper Lee was no stranger to the racial injustice of the American South in the first half of the 20th Century. In 1960, she decided to publish a novel channeling the racial climate she experienced during her youth. This novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is considered one of the greatest American novels of our time. Its depiction of racial inequality as seen through the eyes of a child offers a unique and insightful view of American race relations in the segregated South.

Madam Speaker, when I was growing up, students across the country read To Kill a Mockingbird in high school. While discussing the novel with one of my interns, Brittni Hamilton, I learned that she read the novel as early as middle school. I guess such a classic novel that raises such important issues about the social and moral character of our nation cannot wait until high school any longer. In any case, I am pleased that all the young people in our nation are exposed to the timeless moral lessons of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Madam Speaker, Harper Lee's novel is classic. In addition to winning a Pulitzer Prize, To Kill a Mockingbird has also earned Harper Lee induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Since first being published in 1960, it has sold over 30 million copies. I am proud that our nation continues to cherish and appreciate this landmark literary achievement.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.