Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a tenacious and selfless leader, Judge Latrice A. Westbrooks. She has shown what can be done through hard work, dedication, and a desire to make a difference.

Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge Latrice A. Westbrooks of Lexington was recently honored by Austin Peay State University as one of its Outstanding Alumna. She was honored at the Distinguished Alumni Awards Lunch on Oct. 28 on the Clarksville, Tennessee campus.

Judge Westbrooks, who was born in Memphis, earned a bachelor of science degree from Austin Peay State University in 1994. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Detroit Mercy Law School. In October 1997, shortly after graduating from law school, Judge Westbrooks became the first African-American woman Assistant District Attorney in the Second Circuit Court District on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She joined the Jackson law firm of Byrd and Associates in 2000, then opened her own law practice in 2001, representing clients in both criminal and civil matters.

Judge Westbrooks then served as prosecutor for the city of Durant and as city attorney for the town of Isola. For almost 10 years, she served as a public defender in Holmes County. She hosted a radio program ``Ask Latrice The Lawyer'' on WMPR 90.1 from 2010 through 2012. She created and produced the show to inform the public about the criminal justice system and encourage civic engagement. In 2013, she became interim communications director for Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, then joined the Jackson City Attorney's Office as legal counsel for the Jackson Police Department.

Judge Westbrooks returned to private law practice in 2014. She was then appointed Municipal Judge for the city of Lexington in 2015 and served until she was elected to the Court of Appeals in November 2016. In January of 2017, Judge Westbrooks took office on the Court of Appeals. She was named as Outstanding Woman Lawyer of 2017 by the Mississippi Women Lawyers' Association. Judge Westbrooks was also inducted as a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation in 2022.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Judge Latrice A. Westbrooks for upholding justice and fighting for the constituents in the State of Mississippi.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Christina Anderson Smith's service to the U.S. House of Representatives.

For more than 22 years, Tina has been one of the House's elite court reporters providing expert stenographic support to committees and the House floor. She is among the first African-American official reporters for the House; and from her seat in the well of the House, she has had a front-row seat to history while producing the daily Congressional Record.

Tina was born in Wilmington, North Carolina. Her father was one of the Veterans Affairs Department's first African-American hospital administrators--a position that required frequent relocation--and she grew up in North Carolina, Virginia, Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Michigan.

After completing a bachelor's degree at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama, and a court reporting certificate from Southern Business College in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Tina began her court reporting career in 1986, often working with public defenders at the Broward County jail.

Over the next decade, Tina expanded the scope of her work to include criminal and civil court divisions, and she became proficient in deposition work with a heavy focus on personal injury and medical malpractice cases.

In 1999, she moved from Florida to Maryland to work as an official reporter with the Prince George's County Courts in Upper Marlboro, a position she held until she came to the House in June 2001.

While her career has taken her from the jailhouse to the People's House, Tina's service to the Nation extends beyond the U.S. Capitol.

She served in the U.S. Navy Reserve from 1996 until she was honorably discharged in 2004. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, she was mobilized in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, working for the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon and Washington Navy Yard.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the whole House, I wish to express my thanks for Tina's trailblazing and dedicated service to her country. While I will miss our chats during votes, I know Tina and her family look forward to this next chapter, and I wish her all the best.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Evangelist Barbara Green, a devoted Crossing Guard in Clinton, Mississippi.

Barbara Green is a native of Bolton, Mississippi, and now resides in the city of Raymond. She is a mother of 2 children, a grandmother of 3 and a great grandmother of 2. Barbara Green started her first job right out of high school at Blackstone restaurant on Historic Farish Street in Jackson, Mississippi. She then went on to work at Hunter Engineering for 17 years.

After her retirement, a friend of Barbara Green's informed her of an open position at Sumner Hill for a crossing guard. She then went to try it out and fell in love with the job.

She has been a crossing guard for 14 years in the Clinton community. Some of Barbara Green's most genuine moments are seeing the kids and parents every day as she directs them safely through traffic with a smile on her face.

Outside of her inspirational job as a crossing guard, she is a devoted community servant. Mrs. Green is a choir member and Evangelist at Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church and Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church.

When asked what words she lives by, Evangelist Green expressed her favorite Bible Scripture which is ``I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'' Philippians 4:13

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Evangelist Barbara Green for her hard work and dedication to her community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Evangelist Barbara Green, a devoted Crossing Guard in Clinton, MS.

Barbara Green is a native of Bolton, MS, and now resides in the City of Raymond. She is a mother of 2 children, a grandmother of 3 and a great grandmother of 2. Barbara Green started her first job right out of high school at Blackstone restaurant on Farris Street in Jackson, MS. She then went on to work at Hunter Engineering for 17 years.

After retirement a friend of Barbara Green's informed her of an open position at Sumner Hill for a Crossing Guard, she then went to try it out and fell in love with the job.

She has been a Crossing Guard for 14 years in the Clinton Community. Some of Barbara Green's most genuine moments are seeing the kids and parents every day as she directs them safely through traffic with a smile on her face.

Outside of her inspirational job as a crossing guard, she is a devoted community servant. Mrs. Green is a choir member and Evangelist at Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church and Corner Stone Missionary Baptist Church.

When asked what words she lives by, Evangelist Green expressed her favorite Bible Scripture which is ``I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'' Philippians 4:13

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Evangelist Barbara Green for her hard work and dedication to her community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable unsung hero, James Ed Harris.

James Ed Harris is a native Mississippian, born on the Harris family homestead in Grenada, where he lived with his mother, Mary Magdalene Harris and his father, Jimmy Lee Harris, along with his six siblings.

James grew up working in the cotton fields on a local plantation with his mother; who was well known in the community as a seamstress taking the lead during a highly volatile racial south; to give relief while his WW2 Veteran father, Jimmy Lee Harris, also worked outside of the home.

In 1966, James was among many teenager kids who risked their lives for the cause of getting Black Americans registered to vote and integrated into white schools without them all being killed in the process. They were beaten and arrested for trying to register Black Children. These teens were all taken to prison in Parchman, MS. There was a military draft that happened during that time. Although there was not a massive number of Black soldiers, they were the first to get drafted to fight in a foreign land.

The day James was released from that prison was the day he made the conscious decision to protect his family's future. He chose to go and fight for his country in the perilous Vietnam War.

James Ed Harris was awarded with the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal citation for extraordinary acts of valor while under direct enemy fire during ground operations against a superior hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing James Ed Harris for his dedication and tenacity to serving his country and the desire to be an example for all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a tenacious and self-motivated leader, Donna Brown-Wynn. Donna Brown-Wynn has shown what can be done through hard work, dedication, and a desire to achieve.

Donna Brown-Wynn was a three-sport athlete--basketball, track and field and softball--at Vicksburg High. She was the softball team's MVP in 1989 and won state championships in track in several events but excelled the most in basketball.

Brown-Wynn played at Mississippi State and was a four-year starter at point guard. She set an MSU record for 3-pointers in a game that stood for nearly 20 years.

After her playing career, Brown-Wynn went into coaching. She spent two years as an assistant at Mississippi State, then 13 more on the staff at Belmont University in Nashville.

Since 2003, Brown-Wynn has returned to her hometown each summer to host the week-long ``Play 2 Wynn'' basketball camp.

Brown-Wynn was inducted into the 2022 Vicksburg Warren School District Athletic Hall of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Donna Brown-Wynn for her passion and dedication to the Vicksburg Warren School District and Warren County Community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a tenacious and self-motivated leader, the late Chief Michael D. Liddell. Chief Liddell has shown what can be done through hard work, dedication, and a desire to achieve.

Michael attended Humphreys County High School and obtained his GED in November of 1989. He then attended Coahoma Community College in 1990. After deciding that he wanted to work, he obtained a job at SuperValu Distribution Company in1991 in Indianola, MS, where he worked until 2003. Michael then attended Mississippi Delta Community College and graduated from the Law Enforcement Training Academy in March of 2005. After graduating, he became employed at the Pelzoni Police Department and served as a police officer until he assumed the position of Chief of Police in 2017.

Michael was a great officer. He took pride in his work and loved what he did. He dedicated many personal hours to protecting and serving his community. He was very passionate about his work. He had a huge heart and would help anyone he could. He served faithfully until he became ill in June 2022.

Of all his accomplishments, nothing meant as much as when Michael dedicated his life to Christ and became a faithful member of Shiloh MB Church Deovelente under the leadership of Pastor Charles Edwards on February 27, 2022.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life, legacy, and service of the late Chief Michael D. Liddell.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a determined and self-motivated leader, Roosevelt Harris. Roosevelt Harris has shown what can be done through hard work, dedication, and a desire to achieve.

Vicksburg Native Roosevelt Harris opened his third business; his trucking company, R&R Transportation, LLC in 2021. Harris has achieved his goal of becoming an owner/operator just one year after facing a near-death experience with COVID-19. His week-long stay in ICU renewed his resolve and inspired Harris to take action, not only for his own benefit, but to serve as an example for others to realize their potential.

Harris came up with the idea of having his own trucking service in July 2021. He purchased a 24-foot box truck which allows him to travel state-to-state hauling general freight, including furniture and equipment, to different companies.

Before jumping into the trucking industry, Harris also consulted with some of his close friends, Cambridge Williams, Stefon Demby, Jarvis McDaniel and Bobby Clark, who are already in the business.

Harris' box truck doesn't require a CDL, but the resourceful entrepreneur expanded his service capabilities with a built-in cooling system for transporting frozen goods. Harris has plans to grow the company to new heights as time moves on.

Harris has been a business owner in Vicksburg for 13 years, successfully operating Roe's Rims Detailing and YBN clothing. He founded the Boss Talk 21 Podcast and is now owner of R&R Transportation, LLC.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Roosevelt Harris for his passion and dedication to provide economic development to Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an enthusiastic and self-motivated community organization, The Ladies of Elegance. This powerful team is comprised of both veterans of education and community involvement and leadership. They tirelessly served their community; with this year marking their 23-year anniversary.

The Ladies of Elegance organization was founded by Mrs. Helen Coleman, which she still holds as CEO and President. This group was chartered in 2000. It is an organization of a small group of women who are local citizens, some who have moved away but have kept their membership current. Presently, their membership is 20. Their mission since origination was to work with elderly citizens, spend quality time with them and provide mentorship to the youth in the community. Each year, they give scholarships to graduating seniors who are headed to college or trade school. To date, they still firmly believe the elders have shaped them and the children are the seeds of hope for our tomorrow. The Ladies of Elegance remain dedicated to providing them with the support they need to shape them into productive leaders of the future. They are committed to engaging them in activities that build communication and volunteering.

Additionally, this organization supports St. Jude's Hospital, Relay for Life and most of all, they provide assistance to families in the community that are in need. Its signature event is an annual black-tie gala held to honor various community leaders as well as state and national leaders who have worked hard to support the community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing The Ladies of Elegance for their dedication to support and advocate in their local communities, and their selfless service to Bolivar County, MS.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the great Chief of Police of Jackson, Mississippi, Chief Joseph Wade.

Chief Joseph Wade is a native of Terry, MS, and now resides in the City of Jackson. He is a highly motivated and energetic professional with a strong background and experience in law enforcement. In 1995, Joseph Wade graduated from the 23rd recruit class. Since then, he has obtained extensive leadership skills as a Sergeant, Lieutenant, Commander, Deputy Chief, Assistant Chief, Interim Chief, and now Chief of Police.

Chief Wade's resourceful and dedicated law enforcement profession extends to the Patrol Operations Division, Investigations Division, Standards and Training, Administration, and Chief's office. Highly decorated and accomplished, he is a two-time recipient of the Meritorious Service Award, a two-time recipient of the MS Department of Public Safety's D.U.I. 100 Club, and many other commendations. Being goal-oriented and driven, he has attained over 80 advanced Law Enforcement Training Certifications.

His prized career accomplishment is the implementation of the Youth Citizens' Police Academy, Police Athletic League (PAL), and Explorers' Program. These youth programs service over 200 youth annually in the City of Jackson and have successfully impacted hundreds by using sports and mentoring as tools.

He graduated from Hinds Community College's Criminal Justice Program, FBI Command Collage, and the DEA Commander's Academy. His civic and communitiy affiliations include Prince Hall Freemason / Lynch Lodge No. 2 / Jackson, MS, and the CBTU/CARAT (Coalition of Black Trade Unionist/ Community Action & Response against Toxins). Chief Wade is pursuing his bachelor's degree in criminal justice administration, where he has spent the last two quarters on the President's list.

Chief Joseph Wade's objective is to use his police skills, education, and experience to forge working relationships with the community, reduce violent crimes and rebuild the ranks of the Jackson Police Department to improve the quality of life for citizens of Jackson.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Chief Joseph Wade for his dedication to the City of Jackson.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of James C. ``Sam/Sammy'' Bradford.

Sammy was born on July 11, 1942, in Memphis TN. Mr. Bradford started trying to make a difference early in the NAACP youth chapter. In March of 1961, he became the youngest of the ``Tougaloo Nine'' to desegregate the Jackson Municipal Library System. It was during that selfless act of service he created the concept ``You can recognize what's the right thing to do . . . because the right thing is rarely comfortable, convenient or popular''.

Sammy graduated from Douglass High School and began his freshman year in 1960 at the esteemed Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, MS where he studied music. His love for music and beautiful tenor voice is what joined him with the love of his life, his wife, Shirley Ann Faulkens.

In December of 1969, Sammy married Shirley Ann Faulkens. They were married for 53 years and 10 months and had two children together, Ako and Pili.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the late James C. ``Sam/Sammy'' Bradford for his dedication, advocacy, and sacrifices to the Civil Rights Movement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a trailblazer, the Honorable Robert George Clark, Jr. He has shown what can be done through hard work, dedication, and a strong desire for change.

Robert George Clark, Jr. was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1967. He was the first African American elected to the Mississippi State Legislature since the Reconstruction era and remained in office until 2003.

Clark was born on October 3, 1928 to the Late Mr. Robert and Mrs. Julia Anne Clark of Ebenezer, Mississippi, the youngest of three children. He attended Holmes County Training School in Durant, Mississippi, and later received his B.A. from Jackson State University

in 1952. In 1959, he earned a Master's Degree in Administration and Educational Services from Michigan State University. In 1979, while in the Mississippi State Legislature, Clark served as a teaching fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

After earning his B.A. degree, Clark worked as a teacher in Holmes County. His first experience in politics was running for and winning an elected board position Holmes County Community Action Program (CAP) in 1966. In 1967, he agreed to run for state legislator on Holmes County's Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) ticket. He won the election and became the first black person elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives since Reconstruction.

Clark's election signaled the emergence of black electoral politics in Mississippi. As late as 1964, only ten black people were registered to vote in Holmes County, though the county was roughly 75 percent African American. By 1967, the black community of Holmes County built one of the strongest and most sophisticated political organizations in the state.

Ten years after he was first elected, Clark became the first black committee chairman in the Mississippi House of Representatives when he was named to head the Education Committee. During his term as chair, the legislature passed the 1982 Education Reform Act and the 1984 Vocational Education Reform Act. The 1982 act significantly reformed Mississippi's educational system, helping to modernize school classrooms and other physical facilities, replace worn-out textbooks and purchased replacement school buses.

In January 1992, Clark was elected as Speaker Pro Tempore, serving in that post until 2000. When he retired from the Mississippi House of Representatives in December 2003, he was the longest-serving member in continuous House service. I stand on the shoulders of men like him as I am encouraged to continue fighting to make Mississippi a better place for all of its citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Honorable Robert George Clark, Jr. for his dedication and years of service to the state of Mississippi.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a breast cancer hero, Mrs. Rhonda Givens Boles.

Rhonda Boles was born on March 1, 1972, in Clarksdale to Roger Givens and Jamie Sharkey Givens. She has two amazing sons, Preston II--a freshman pre-veterinary medicine major at Mississippi State University, and Matthew Jamison--a junior at Pillow Academy.

Rhonda was a 1990 graduate of Greenwood High School and completed a Bachelor of Science degree at Jackson State University in 1994. She completed her master's degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Obtaining both a Bachelor and Master of Science in nursing before becoming a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated.

Rhonda married Dr. Preston Boles of Greenwood after moving back to Mississippi from Nashville, and they have enjoyed 21 years of marital bliss.

Rhonda has a love for her New Zion Missionary Baptist Church Family and has served in many capacities: as speaker, advocate, and facilitator for health-care discussions during the months of October and February, where she educated the congregants on breast cancer awareness and other health-related topics.

Rhonda was named The Greenwood Commonwealth's 2023 Mother of the Year in May. The title she proudly claimed was being her two sons' biggest cheerleader who did not carry pom-poms and was often heard giving the quick retort when asked why something had to be done.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing a breast cancer hero, Mrs. Rhonda Givens Boles.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a valued member of my staff, Rosaline Cohen, who is retiring after more than two decades of exceptional service to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Many of you know Rosaline as the chief counsel for the Committee on Homeland Security, a position she has held since 2007. In that capacity, she has earned a reputation as a trusted and dedicated civil servant and an enviable track record for reaching bipartisan agreements. At the same time, she understands, on a deep level, what it takes to be effective as ``the loyal opposition''--as some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would occasionally lament.

Rosaline has been at my side since I was first named ranking member in 2005 and has been a steadfast and strategic partner during some of the most tumultuous days for this institution and the country.

Rosaline will tell you that her congressional career actually began in the fall of 1990, as an intern in the office of the late Representative Gerry Studds of Massachusetts. She secured the internship--only days into her freshman year at George Washington University--after walking the halls of the House buildings with her first resume in hand, hoping to get an on-the-spot interview with an intern coordinator for a Member from her home State, Massachusetts.

Her next chapter with the House started in February 2000, when--as a newly-minted attorney--Rosaline began working for former Congressman Ken Bentsen, whose district included her law school alma mater, the University of Houston Law Center. About a year and a half later, Rosaline was evacuated from the Capitol during the September 11th terrorist attacks, sheltering most of her office in her basement apartment.

Her next employer, the late Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter, provided her with an opportunity to get to know the newly created Department of Homeland Security, as a personal office staffer to the then-Select Committee on Homeland Security. In 2005, when the committee was made permanent and I took on the job of serving as the Democratic ranking member, Rosaline was one of my first hires. She started by handling transportation security, appropriations, and management matters.

In 2007, in her first year as chief counsel on the committee, Rosaline spearheaded complex House-Senate conference negotiations over H.R. 1, legislation I introduced on behalf of the new Democratic majority to fully implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. In the years that followed, she has led our legislative efforts on everything from information sharing and emergency management to cyber and border security.

As chief counsel, Rosaline has shepherded 438 bills through the House and 165 measures into law, leaving her mark on nearly every section of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and other historic legislation. This is an extraordinary record, but more, it is a testament to Rosaline's dedication to our great Nation. Her contributions have undoubtedly made America a better and safer country for us all.

And while serving as my principal legislative advisor--supervising and developing a staff of more than 30 subcommittee directors, professional staff, and executive branch detailees and fellows-- Rosaline always made time to mentor the next generation of public servants. You could often find her explaining to interns current proceedings on the House floor and calling staff into her office to stand over her shoulder to draft bills and develop legislative strategies together.

Members of Congress over the years and across the aisle, and staff, both senior and new, have depended on Rosaline's wisdom and capabilities.

Rosaline's contributions to the House of Representatives and our Nation are a source of pride for her husband, Yaneev, son, Zachary, and mother, Cindy. Her work for Congress was also a point of pride for her late father, Ohaliav, a naturalized citizen.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Members of the Committee on Homeland Security--past and present--and the entire CHS staff, I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in celebrating and congratulating Rosaline on her retirement. I wish her all the best as she explores new ways of sharing her talents.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a valued member of my staff, Rosaline Cohen, who is retiring after more than two decades of exceptional service to the United States House of Representatives.

Since 2007, Rosaline has been the chief Democratic counsel for the Committee on Homeland Security, where she has had an enviable track record of legislative accomplishments and a reputation for reaching bipartisan agreement.

Rosaline has been a steadfast and strategic partner of mine since I was named ranking member of the committee in 2005, and her service has spanned some two decades. We are so privileged to have had her.

Rosaline was working for former Congressman Ken Bentsen of Texas on September 11, 2001. When her office was evacuated, Rosaline sheltered most of her colleagues in her basement apartment on Capitol Hill.

Little did she know that 6 years later, in her first year as chief counsel of the Homeland Security Committee, Rosaline would spearhead House-Senate conference negotiations over legislation I introduced on behalf of the Democratic majority to fully implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. It was called H.R. 1, and we thank her for that.

I know Rosaline's many accomplishments are a source of pride for her family. On behalf of the Homeland Security Committee members, past and present, the entire committee staff, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Rosaline on her retirement and wishing her all the best in the future.