Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding, and for your very hard work on this Department of Defense Appropriations bill.

Mr. Chairman, as the daughter of a veteran, I know how important it is to fully fund and support our troops. I strongly support these provisions of this legislation.

With that said, though, there are many provisions in this bill which I cannot support. These include nearly $500 billion in discretionary funding, with an increase of $4 billion above the fiscal year 2014 enacted level, which we have not seen for any other appropriations bill this year.

This inflated level of spending fails to account, mind you, for the waste, fraud, and abuse that continue at the Pentagon. We must audit the Pentagon and reduce unnecessary Pentagon spending.

This bill also includes nearly $80 billion for the overseas contingency operations slush fund, which is what it is, at a time when the President has not even made a specific request about how much is needed. This is outrageous, and this slush fund should be eliminated.

Now I will be offering several amendments to this bill, one to limit operations in Afghanistan after 2014, as well as to repeal the 2001 blank check authorization.

The farm bill, transportation bill, other bills, other authorizations have end dates. We need to end this. Come back to Congress, debate what we are going to do in Iraq, if anything, in terms of military strikes and, in fact, repeal the authorization on Afghanistan passed in 2001.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for working with me on this very important amendment. This is a very simple amendment that would provide a $5 million increase to available funds for research, development, testing, and evaluation related to multiple sclerosis under the Defense Health Program.

These funds would increase funding for multiple sclerosis research under DOD to $10 million. This amendment fulfills the request of $10 million for MS research that was included in a bipartisan letter signed by 78 Members of Congress earlier this year, including cochairs of the Congressional MS Caucus, Representative Michael Burgess and Representative Van Hollen, and I will include the Dear Colleague letter for the Record.

Congress of the United States,

Washington, DC, March 28, 2014.

Hon. Rodney Frelinghuysen,

Chairman, Subcommittee on Defense Committee on

Appropriations, Washington, DC.

Hon. Pete Visclosky,

Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Defense Committee on

Appropriations, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Frelinghuysen and Ranking Member Visclosky:

On behalf of all people living with multiple sclerosis (MS),

we would like to thank you for your past support for funding

MS research through the Congressionally Directed Medical

Research Programs (CDMRP). As you know, MS is a chronic,

unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous

system. MS is generally diagnosed between the ages of 20 and

50, during the prime of an individual's life. Sadly, the

cause of MS is still unknown and there is no cure. While we

recognize the fiscal constraints the country faces, it is

critical that we continue to fund this important research,

which holds great promise for our military service members

and all those who are affected by MS. We respectfully ask

that you direct $10 million to fund the MS research program

for Fiscal Year 2015.

MS interrupts the flow of information within the brain, and

between the brain and body. Every hour in the United States,

someone is newly diagnosed with the disease. Symptoms range

from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The

progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one

person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research are

improving the possibility of a world free of MS.

Currently, the FDA-approved treatments that are available

to treat MS only slow the progression of the disease for a

subset of the MS population. Of these available medical

treatments, many are not effective for patients and cannot be

tolerated by many others. Additionally, the cost of treating

and living with MS is costly--approximately $69,000 annually.

Many U.S. veterans have stories and symptoms of multiple

sclerosis. Preliminary evidence suggests that some combat

veterans could have an increased risk of developing MS.

Over 23,000 veterans are being treated for MS through the

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

A study in the Annals of Neurology identified 5,345 cases

of ``service-connected'' MS among U.S. veterans.

An epidemiologic study found a two-fold increase in MS

between 1993 and 2000 in Kuwait, which suggests a potential

environmental trigger for MS.

The VA is currently funding two MS Centers of Excellence to

provide clinical care and education for these veterans, but

now physicians at these institutions are seeking funding to

explore a potential link between MS and combat service.

MS research has the potential to help all those living with

MS, including our veterans. We ask that you support MS

research by including $10 million in funding for the MS

program within the, CDMRP in the Fiscal Year 2015 Defense

Appropriations. Thank you for your consideration of this

request.

Sincerely,

Michael C. Burgess, M.D., Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr.,

Andree Carson, Daniel W. Lipinski, James R. Langevin, Charles

B. Rangel, Chris Van Hollen, Eliot L. Engel, Sander Levin,

Yvette D. Clarke, John Yarmuth, Frederica S. Wilson.

Peter DeFazio, Sheila Jackson Lee, Tony Cardenas,

Christopher H. Smith, Mike Michaud, Ron Kind, Brad Schneider,

Lloyd Doggett, Joe Courtney, Peter King, Jon Runyan, Alcee L.

Hastings, Rick Larsen, Barbara Lee, Donald M. Payne, Jr.,

Danny K. Davis, Ann MacLane Kuster, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger.

Jan Schakowsky, Steve Israel, Michael Grimm, Carolyn

McCarthy, Steve Cohen, Luis V. Gutieerrez, Tim Bishop, Gerald

E. Connolly, Tim Murphy, Carol Shea-Porter, Stephen F. Lynch,

Rush Holt, Chellie Pingree, David N. Cicilline, Bill Foster,

Gloria Negrete McLeod, Jim McDermott, Elijah E. Cummings.

John F. Tierney, Chaka Fattah, Dave Loebsack, Matt

Cartwright, Juan Vargas, John Delaney, David Price, Jim

Himes, Julia Brownley, Lois Frankel, Collin C. Peterson, Alan

Grayson, Gregory W. Meeks, Spencer Bachus, John Garamendi,

Robert A. Brady, Marc Veasey, Cheri Bustos.

Mark Pocan, Elizabeth H. Esty, Ann Kirkpatrick, Susan A.

Davis, Dan Kildee, Dan Benishek, M.D., Ben Ray Lujaan, Ron

Barber, Grace Meng, Tim Walz, John Conyers, Jr., Mike

Thompson.

There are 2 million people worldwide living with MS. This complicated and unpredictable neurological disease interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the body.

MS is a chronic disease that can often be debilitating for those living with it, and the symptoms of MS are as diverse as the people it impacts.

I am pleased to introduce this amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill, since MS has a significant impact on our armed services. Some 23,000 veterans are currently being treated for MS, with more than 5,000 cases having been identified as service connected.

Because of increased research funding in MS, the first disease- modifying drugs became available for people living with MS 20 years ago. However, these drugs only work for a subset of the population, and many people living with MS still have no viable treatment options.

Increased research funding could give scientists a better understanding of the disease, which could potentially unveil new therapies.

I will close by adding that I understand, on a very personal level, the impact of this disease. My sister, Mildred, shows me every day what life is like to live with the disease, and I am consistently amazed by her strength and her bravery. She and the millions of people around the world living with MS are really a testament to the importance of making stronger investments to find a cure.

Mr. Chairman, on behalf of my sister Mildred and on behalf of all of those living with MS, on behalf of the families and caregivers, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman, and I urge a ``yes'' vote.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Offered By: Ms. Lee of California

Amendment No. 30: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

Offered By: Ms. Lee of California

Amendment No. 31: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

Offered By: Ms. Lee of California

Amendment No. 32: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

Offered By: Ms. Lee of California

Amendment No. 33: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

Offered By: Ms. Lee of California

Amendment No. 34: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, first, let me thank our chair and our ranking member for working with me on this amendment. I appreciate the bipartisan cooperation. Also, I want to thank our staff for helping us with this.

This amendment would provide a badly needed increase to the school breakfast grant program of approximately $8.1 million. The offset for this amendment is the Secretary's administrative account and the administrative and expenses account.

These competitive grants allow States, schools, and local educational agencies to purchase important equipment for their school breakfast program. The school breakfast program is a critical tool in the fight to keep our students fed with a nutritious meal at the start of the day.

Oftentimes, this is the meal that children rely on to help them get through the day, especially toward the end of the day, when they are about ready to go home and they have not been fully fed at the beginning of the day.

The bottom line is breakfast is very, very important to the growth, health, welfare, and development of our children.

I yield to the gentleman from Alabama.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is especially critical for low-income children, many of whom who have not had a nutritious meal since the previous day of school, so I really appreciate your support.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of Dr. Edward W. Wright. Known throughout the Bay Area as a physician, mentor, active community member, and devoted husband and father, Mr. Wright has left an indelible mark on our community. With his passing on May 29, 2014, we look to the outstanding quality of his life's work.

Born on June 2, 1922 in Fayette, Howard County, Missouri, Dr. Edward Wright was the fourth child born to William Marion Wright and Lunie K. Cameron. When Dr. Wright was five years old, he caught scarlet fever and was hospitalized for a long period of time. At this young age, Dr. Wright was inspired to become a doctor. He later moved to El Paso, Texas to live with his aunt and uncle after losing both of his parents in an unfortunate tragedy. In El Paso, he graduated Douglas High School with honors, and he then went on to attend Sam Houston College in Austin, Texas. In 1943, Dr. Wright graduated Magna Cum Laude as a Pre- Medical student with a Bachelor of Science Degree.

In 1945, Dr. Edward Wright attended Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, where he partook in an accelerated program in Internal Medicine. At the age of 25, he graduated with honors and went on to complete his residency at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Tuskegee, Alabama. He became Chief Resident and served as a full-time staff physician until 1955.

Dr. Edward Wright and his family relocated to California in 1955, where Dr. Wright served as a Medical Officer for the Armed Forces at Fort Ord. After he completed his service, they relocated to Oakland, where Dr. Wright began a private practice in December 1958. Seven years later, he established and built a medical facility to serve families throughout Oakland.

In addition to his prolific career, Dr. Wright was an active member in the community. He volunteered at the East Oakland Boys Club, providing physical exams, counseling and financial assistance for camperships and uniforms. For the next 40 years, Dr. Wright served as a physician, mentor and father-figure to more than 1,200 boys at the North and East Oakland Boys Clubs. Dr. Wright was also active with the Oakland Chapter of the Lions Club, providing countless hours of Loyal Lions Service.

In 1969, he joined the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club and then served as President of the Board from 1980 to 1982. He was presented with the Man and Boy Trophy Award for his work with the Boys and Girls Clubs in 1964. Later, he received the Boys and Girls Clubs Service Award Medallion and then was honored during a formal tribute in 2000 at the First Annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner.

On a personal note, I have known Dr. Wright, or ``Piggy'' as my mother, Mildred Massey, called him, since I was a child. He and my mother attended school together and were very close. We loved ``Piggy'' and will miss him tremendously. He was one of my

earliest supporters when I first ran for public office in 1989 and, for that, I am deeply grateful.

Today, California's 13th Congressional District salutes and honors an outstanding individual, Dr. Edward W. Wright. As an Oakland resident, Dr. Wright's contributions have truly impacted so many lives throughout the Bay Area. I join all of Edward's loved ones in celebrating his incredible life. He will be deeply missed.

I move to strike the last word, Mr. Chairman.

First, Mr. Chair, let me just say that I join my other colleagues in opposition to the drastic cuts that this bill sets forth for the TIGER program, as well as language that would prohibit important environmentally sustainable projects from competing for these grants.

We know that smart and targeted investments in infrastructure projects grow local economies, and they create good-paying jobs.

I know firsthand the effectiveness of this program in my own district, at the Port of Oakland, for example, and the East Bay Greenway, where local agencies have leveraged flexible TIGER grant funds to bring projects toward completion. These cuts now will reduce private sector investments, which are

essential to public-private partnerships.

These urban projects around the country need to be able to compete for this important source of funding, and these funding levels and policy provisions simply won't allow that to happen.

We spend billions, mind you, billions on infrastructure projects in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why not in our own country? TIGER grants allow us to nation-build here at home, and we need this desperately.

I look forward to working with our ranking member and our chair, so that we can fix the funding level as this bill goes to conference. I think we know on both sides of the aisle that these grants have created jobs and economic opportunities and have helped create and fix our infrastructure. It is very important that we fully fund these TIGER grants.

So, again, I thank the ranking member, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment is cosponsored by my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green) who has been such a tremendous leader on fair housing and equal opportunity issues and civil rights issues since way before he came to Congress, but he has kept his passion and his focus on issues of fairness and justice even now to this day. So I just want to thank him for cosponsoring this amendment.

Our amendment would increase funding for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program by 10 million, offset from Information Services. I want to thank the chairman, Mr. Latham, and Mr. Pastor for your assistance in helping us work through this and for your commitment to fair housing.

Fair housing initiatives are a central component of our Nation's civil rights protections under the Fair Housing Act. Unfortunately, we know that despite gains, discrimination remains.

This program funds competitive grants to provide nonprofit entities for critical education and enforcement services to prevent housing discrimination based on race, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, familial status, and other factors.

In my home district, for example, in California, the Bay Area Legal Aid and Fair Housing of Marin have utilized these funds to provide critical education programs, including workshops on fair housing for domestic violence victims and investigations of discriminatory housing practices.

In 2013, private fair housing organizations investigated more than twice as many housing complaints as government agencies. At the same time, however, many fair housing organizations have had to close or reduce their staffing capacity due to continuous cuts to this program.

This program has a history of bipartisan support. And I know that my colleagues across the aisle acknowledge its vital role in ensuring that our constituents are not the subject of unfair and discriminatory practices in an increasingly competitive and uncertain housing market.

While I am very pleased that we are able to provide this supplemental funding, I must also acknowledge that the funding levels across the bill are still far too low to truly provide the affordable housing resources that our Nation sorely needs.

I want to thank again Congressman Al Green from Texas, Chairman Latham, and our ranking member, Mr. Pastor, for your support for this amendment and, more importantly, for this important program.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Offered By: Ms. Lee of California

Amendment No. 30: Page 112, line 8, after the dollar

amount, insert ``(increased by $10,000,000)''.

Page 114, line 7, after the dollar amount, insert

``(reduced by $10,000,000)''.

Page 114, line 8, after the dollar amount, insert

``(reduced by $10,000,000)''.

Mr. Speaker, it is with a sense of sadness, yet gratitude, that I rise to honor the life and the memory of a great, phenomenal warrior woman, Dr. Maya Angelou. I offer my condolences to Dr. Angelou's friends and family, including her son Guy Johnson, who is both a friend and constituent, as they celebrate and mourn her spirit- filled life.

I will forever cherish the private moments I had the privilege to share with Maya. One I recall was when, years ago, she invited me to her beautiful home, where we talked in her living room as sisters about our lives, our struggles, our passions for improving the human condition. I confided in her about the many challenges I faced after voting against the authorization to use military force. She encouraged me, and the affirmation she gave to me during those trying times will always be with me.

I tell you, Dr. Angelou lived life to its fullest, and she shared with the world the essence of a purposeful life. I will hold her words, ``be certain that you do not die without having done something wonderful for humanity,'' close to my heart, knowing that she was one of humanity's greatest gifts.

While the world grieves in Dr. Maya Angelou's passing, we can take comfort in the fact that her words and her legacy live on in generations of people who have been touched, challenged, and inspired by her work. We will miss her tremendously, but Dr. Maya Angelou's legacy and her spirit will live on forever.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the exceptional life of Ms. Anne Louise Taylor, a devoted mother, sister, friend and colleague. With her passing on March 31, 2014, we look to the outstanding quality of her life's work as a public servant.

Born on August 15, 1957 and raised in Alameda, California, Ms. Anne Taylor graduated from Alameda High School. She went on to graduate from the University of Maryland Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

After completing her studies, Ms. Taylor began her career in the political arena working for California State Assemblymember and California Board of Equalization Member Johan Klehs. She later served as the District Director for former California State Assemblymember Ellen Corbett and as the head of Government Relations for California State University, East Bay.

In addition to Ms. Taylor's work in public office, she worked closely with many non-profits and community groups. At the East Bay Community Foundation, Ms. Taylor helped simplify the process for submitting grants by developing a ``one-stop'' shop website for non-profit organizations. This website has garnered recognition and won awards, and it remains a shining example of government and non-profit collaboration. Ms. Taylor also had an extensive nonprofit fundraising background, having worked for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Moreover, Ms. Taylor was an advocate in the community and nation on women's health issues. She worked with the National American Red Cross, raising more than $6 million for the ``Help Can't Wait'' program. She was also named the American Red Cross Community Service Hero for her efforts to educate women about the risks of heart disease. Ms. Taylor actively volunteered for the American Heart Association and the Mended Hearts Organization.

Ms. Anne Taylor served as District Director in my Oakland office for over five years, coordinating district outreach, including town hall meetings, forums, community events and workshops. Ms. Taylor was the lead staff member on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and worked tirelessly to secure more than $1.9 billion in Stimulus funds for the district.

Ms. Taylor's contributions to the residents of the East Bay were enormous. With true compassion and commitment, she touched the lives of thousands of people. Not only was she a true public servant and phenomenal woman, she was deeply passionate about her community, Alameda, where she loved the 4th of July parade and the Alameda Point Antique fair.

Today, California's 13th Congressional District salutes and honors an outstanding individual and dedicated public servant, Ms. Anne Taylor. Her invaluable service to improving the lives of the underrepresented and underserved will live on in the endless legacy of her life's work. I offer my sincerest condolences to her many loved ones, friends and colleagues she touched over the course of her incredible life. May her soul rest in peace.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this bipartisan amendment, which I am proud to cosponsor along with my colleagues. This amendment will provide much-needed clarity to patients and businesses in my home State of California and 31 other jurisdictions that provide safe and legal access to medicine. We should allow for the implementation of the will of the voters to comply with State laws rather than undermining our democracy.

In States with medical marijuana laws, patients face uncertainty regarding their treatment, and small business owners who have invested millions creating jobs and revenue have no assurances for the future. It is past time for the Justice Department to stop its unwarranted persecution of medical marijuana and put its resources where they are needed.

In States with medical marijuana laws, people with multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, cancer, HIV, and AIDS and other medical issues continue to face uncertainty when it comes to accessing the medicine that they need to provide some relief. So it is time to pass this. It is time to give these patients the relief that they need.

This is the humanitarian thing to do, it is the democratic thing to do, and I hope this body will vote for it and pass it on a bipartisan basis. It is long overdue. Enough is enough.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, let me thank our ranking member, Mr. Fattah, for his tremendous leadership on the subcommittee. Also, I want to thank Chairman Wolf, first of all, for your years of service and for so much of your hard work on this bill and so many other issues. We have worked together for so many years. Your legacy

in this body will continue for many, many years. You have made such a positive impact on the lives of so many people, not only in our own country, but throughout the world. So thank you again for your service.

Let me thank also our staff on both sides of the aisle for their assistance, for their support, their very astute understanding of this bill, and for helping us put together this amendment, which is really very simple, and hopefully Members on both sides of the aisle can support.

It would increase funding for Second Chance Act programs by $3 million, offset from the justice information sharing technology and the Bureau of Prison salaries account.

I have to once again thank the chair and Ranking Member Fattah for funding the Second Chance Act to the President's request in this bill.

Now, more than ever, we need strong investments in bipartisan and proven effective programs like the Second Chance Act. Congressman Danny Davis from Illinois has been such a leader on this issue and has fought for many, many years to make sure that Second Chance Act not only is authorized, but it is funded.

At a time when our Nation incarcerates its citizens at the highest rate in the world, the fact of the matter is this program needs very strong support.

In 2009, there were over 1.6 million inmates incarcerated in the United States. That is one in every 199 United States residents. If you include those housed in local jails, that number increases to 2.2 million.

We also need to acknowledge the disparate impact that mass incarceration has on communities of color. In 2011, 1 in 13 Black males ages 30 to 34 were in prison, along with 1 in 36 Hispanic males. That number is 1 in 90 for White males.

This is an issue that tears at our communities and our families each and every day.

Unfortunately, we know that more than half of the inmates who are released from prison who have served their time are re-incarcerated within 3 years.

So we need to lower these unacceptable recidivism rates by addressing the overwhelming obstacles faced by the reentry population. That is exactly what the Second Chance Act does, by providing grants to State and local governments as well as nonprofit organizations who are working to improve outcomes for people returning to communities from incarceration.

This also increases public safety and actually reduces the burden on taxpayers.

The Second Chance Act grants funds for comprehensive and coordinated services in employment, housing, education, substance abuse, mental health, and family counseling.

Since becoming the law, the Second Chance Act has authorized nearly 600 grants that have been awarded to local governments and nonprofit organizations in 49 States. For example, in my own district in the city of Oakland, a program known as Comprehensive Community Cross System Reentry Support brings together government and nonprofit partners to reengage youth in school after leaving a juvenile detention center.

Also, in my home district, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office has implemented Operation My Home Town, which provides pre- and post- release services to inmates at the Santa Rita Jail, the fifth-largest county jail in the Nation.

These are just a couple of examples of the hundreds of successful programs that have helped previously incarcerated individuals get back on their feet during a very difficult time. These programs work in our district.

This is a bipartisan bill, a bipartisan program. I know that there is support for this program and reforming our prison system on both sides of the aisle.

This is also a fiscal issue. It is one that has economic implications. It is also a humanitarian issue.

So I urge ``yes'' on this amendment.

Once again, I want to thank the chair, ranking member, and our staffs for your assistance and leadership.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of Reverend Claude E. Wilson. Known as a prominent leader in our community and as a devoted husband, father and friend, Reverend Wilson has left an indelible mark on our community. With his passing on May 9, 2014, we look to Reverend Wilson's personal legacy of spiritual service, the joy he inspired and the outstanding quality of his life's work.

Born on June 11, 1932 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Reverend Wilson moved to Seattle, Washington with his family at the age of eight. After graduating from Simpson College in San Francisco in 1956, Reverend Wilson went to pursue his Master's degree at the Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley. He obtained a Masters of Religious Education and a Masters of Divinity. In 1980, Reverend Wilson completed his Doctor of Ministry at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley.

Throughout the 1960s, Reverend Claude Wilson served as a minister of Christian education and assistant to the pastor at McGee Avenue Baptist Church. In 1969, he became the pastor at Havenscourt Community Church, where he served his community for over 44 years. In addition, Reverend Wilson instructed at different institutes and universities, including the Bible Fellowship Institute, Fuller Seminary, and he was a Professor of Pastoral Care for Patten University.

Among Reverend Wilson's many accomplishments, he was also an active community leader and organizer. He served as the President of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of the East Bay, one of the oldest Black ministerial alliances in Northern California. Reverend Wilson also served as the President of the Northern California Council of Churches. In addition, he was a member of Pastors of Oakland and Love Fellowship of Churches, and was the Intern Chaplain at San Quentin Prison.

Reverend Claude Wilson has left a lasting imprint on our society and communities of faith. Reverend Wilson dedicated more than half of his life to ministry and will be remembered for his wisdom and compassion. In recognition for all of his achievements, a groundbreaking ceremony was held in Monrovia, Liberia naming a building after him: The Doctor Claude E. Wilson Academy.

On a personal note, I will always remember the confidence Reverend Wilson had in me when he endorsed me during my first campaign in 1989 for the California Assembly. He encouraged me and helped me win election after election. I was so proud to list him on my literature as a supporter. More importantly, however, I was proud to call him my friend. Reverend Wilson's smile, his kind words and his prayers reassured me to keep fighting the good fight. He was always there for me and for that, I am forever grateful.

Today, California's 13th Congressional District salutes and honors an outstanding community leader and individual, Reverend Claude

E. Wilson. His dedication and efforts have impacted so many lives throughout the Bay Area. I join all of Claude's loved ones in celebrating his incredible life. He will be deeply missed.