Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mr. Drago Cvitanovich, co-founder of Drago's Seafood Restaurant, who passed away on February 4, 2017 at the age of 94.

Mr. Cvitanovich was born in 1922 in Yugoslavia, now Croatia, and fled the communist rule of his homeland after World War II. He fled to Germany and worked as a civilian employee of the United States Army. Later, Mr. Cvitanovich moved to Canada and worked for a lumber company. In the spring of 1958, he took a trip to New Orleans to visit family and experience his first Mardi Gras. It was there that he met Ms. Klara Buconic, a fellow Croatian, who was also visiting her family. Three weeks later, they were married in Buras, Louisiana.

The first Drago's restaurant in New Orleans was in Lakeview, but it was not named for Mr. Cvitanovich. It was owned by his sister, Gloria, who named it after her husband, Drago Batinich. Mr. Cvitanovich would work for nine years at his sister's restaurant and two years with Acme Oyster House in the French Quarter. In 1969, Drago and Klara Cvitanovich opened their restaurant in Metairie's Fat City neighborhood. Since that time, Drago's Seafood Restaurant has grown to three locations and more than 450 employees.

Mr. Cvitanovich cultivated relationships with hundreds of other Yugoslav immigrants who had settled in south Louisiana and made their living in the fishing, shrimping and oyster industry. Mr. Cvitanovich's restaurant became popular for the quality of its seafood.

In 1995, Mr. Cvitanovich served as the king of Metairie's Argus parade on Mardi Gras. In 2013, Drago and Klara Cvitanovich were inducted into the Louisiana Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. In 2014, Drago and Klara Cvitanovich received the Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience. The Louisiana Hospitality Foundation also created an award honoring his legacy, the Drago Cvitanovich Award for Outstanding Philanthropy by an Entrepreneur.

Mr. Cvitanovich's wife preceded him in death. His survivors include his two sons Tommy and Dr. Gerry Cvitanovich and eight grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I celebrate the life and legacy of Mr. Drago Cvitanovich, a beloved husband, father, and grandfather.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Stacey Plaskett from the Virgin Islands, for taking this assignment and making sure that the Congressional Black Caucus continues its conversation with America, and to inform people on issues that are important to us, and also reflecting on how important African-American history is, not just to us, but to this country.

It is African-American history that made this country great in the first place. How our civil rights groups and people of the same kind, not necessarily the same color, came together to make this a more perfect union.

So today what I wanted to do was actually talk about some of the civil rights organizations that changed this country, made it better, made it possible for me to be here, and compare and talk about some of the movements that we see today that are making some of the same differences for the next generation. It is just a shame that in 2017 we are still fighting the same fights we fought 50 years ago for voting rights, for equality, and all of those things.

So when I say I want to talk about some of those organizations, I want to talk about organizations like SCLC, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; or CORE, the Congress of Racial Equality; or SNCC, the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. They all played an important role in launching grassroots movements that succeeded in ensuring more equality for African Americans.

Sit-ins, bus boycotts, marches, voter registration drives, and other protests--these grassroots movements spread across the South, including my home State of Louisiana.

Let's just talk about one specific incident. September 9, 1960, the Woolworth store lunch counter in New Orleans closed early.

What was the reason?

Seven members of the Congress of Racial Equality, five Black students and two White students, decided to hold a sit-in demonstration to protest Jim Crow. This was the first-ever sit-in in the city.

The seven students were like so many other students across the South at the time who were using nonviolent action to change the country. In fact, let me read their names because many of them I knew.

In fact, one, Jerome Smith, who was a Southern University student the year before, is actually still on the battlefield in Louisiana not only coaching Little League, but fighting for criminal justice reform and financial and economic equality.

You also had Rudy Lombard from Xavier University, a freedom fighter; Archie Allen from Dillard University; Bill Harrell from Tulane; William Harper, who was at LSU; Hugh Murray, who was also at Tulane; and Joyce Taylor, who intended to enroll at Southern University.

Fortunately, unlike others who held sit-ins, these seven Southern students didn't have milkshakes thrown on them. They were not beaten or bloodied. The seven students sat down at 10:30. Six police officers were on hand to keep the peace and did not try to remove the students. The students sat there determined for 2 hours.

Because of the demonstration, Woolworth blinked first. They decided to close early that day and they closed at 12:30, after the students had sat there for 2 hours.

These seven students and so many other civil rights activists are the shoulders on which we all stand. Unfortunately, the fight for equality is not over. We see this most clearly when we look at our criminal justice system. To date, the organization Black Lives Matter has launched a grassroots movement that has succeeded in exposing police brutality and making it front-page news.

The movement began in 2012, after the death of Trayvon Martin, who was killed by a neighborhood watchman on February 26, 2012. I would be remiss if I did not mention that yesterday was the fifth anniversary of Trayvon Martin's death.

Black Lives Matter is focused on all of the ways Black people are disempowered by the State, including police brutality. In addition to exposing police brutality and making it front-page news, Black Lives Matter, like the organizations during the civil rights movement, has attracted a diverse coalition of supporters.

The reality is not lost on African Americans. As I mentioned before, two of the protesters who sat in at the Woolworth store in Louisiana were White. If you go back to Philadelphia, Mississippi, where they found the three bodies of the civil rights workers who were registering people to vote, you saw Goodman, Chaney and Schwerner--one African American and two White Americans--who stuck together fighting in justice.

Dr. King said so eloquently: ``Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.''

So as we talk about our organizations like SNCC, CORE, and SCLC, and we talk about Black Lives Matter, it reminds me of the time when Dr. King was sitting in the Birmingham jail, and seven--eight White religious leaders in the South criticized Dr. King, asking: Why he couldn't wait. Why did he have to force the issue? And why, as an outsider, he was down in Birmingham?

Dr. King responded and initially said: ``I don't usually answer criticism because I would be doing it all day, but because I believe you to be eight men of goodwill, I will take the time to answer.''

I just want to read you an excerpt of his answer because I think it is so appropriate when we think of our groups that are coming up now.

He said: ``I think I should give the reason for my being in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the argument of `outsiders coming in.' I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every Southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.''

It then goes on to say: ``So I am here, along with several members of my staff, because we were invited here. I am here because I have basic organizational ties here.''

Then he goes on to say: ``Beyond this, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the eighth-century prophets left their little villages and carried their `thus saith the Lord' far beyond the boundaries of their hometowns; and just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Greco-Roman world, I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular hometown. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.''

So when you think of Black Lives Matter and other protests, the first comment is: We are outside agitators; why are they here?

They are here because injustice is here. So all marginalized groups must stand together in the fight against injustice. This was important during the civil rights movement and it is important now.

In that spirit, African Americans fully recognize the importance of not only joining movements in support of their rights, but also joining movements in support of the rights of others.

Standing Rock: Most recently, African Americans and others have stood with Native Americans at Standing Rock to protest the Dakota Access pipeline.

The Muslim ban: We have stood with the Muslim community to protest the Trump administration's controversial Muslim ban.

Then there was the Women's March, which was led by a diverse coalition of organizers and attracted millions of protesters across the Nation and the world to protest sexism and other gender issues. African Americans participated in the march, including several members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Then we can talk about indivisible. African Americans and others have stood with their fellow constituents at recent townhalls to make sure that their Congressman or Congresswoman hears their voices on the Affordable Care Act and other issues. Some of

these exercises in civic participation have been inspired by the guidebook ``Indivisible,'' which, as the authors state, provides best practices on getting elected officials to listen.

Then there is Moral Mondays with Reverend William Barber. It began in 2013 after the Republicans took over the Governor's mansion and State legislature in the Tar Heel State for the first time in more than a century. On what was supposed to be the first and only Monday protest, Barber led a small group of clergy and activists to the State legislature to protest the State Republicans' efforts to block Medicaid expansion, cut unemployment benefits, and roll back voting rights. The next Monday, hundreds of protesters showed up, and hundreds soon became thousands. These protests became known as Moral Mondays, and they eventually spread across the South.

So let me just say that from SCLC to SNCC, to CORE, to ``Indivisible,'' to Moral Mondays and Reverend Barber, to Black Lives Matter, people of like mind that fight for justice come together. And that, we learned from the civil rights movement, and that is our contribution to date to Black History Month and celebrating that civil protests and civil disobedience can change and make this a more perfect union.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of Ms. Donna Marie Glapion, a native of my hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. I especially wish to congratulate her on becoming the Queen of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club for 2017. It is my distinct privilege to recognize her for this accomplishment.

Ms. Glapion has been a member of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club for 15 years. Over the years she has shared her creative talents, having decorated numerous events for Zulu Members, Characters and the organization. She has served as the First Lady of the Mighty Mayor's Krewe, participated for many years with Zulu's Toys for Tots program, and has served as Co-Modiste to the Zulu Maids from 2012-2014.

In addition to her work with Zulu, Ms. Glapion is dedicated to her family and has been active in her community. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and for the past seven years she has positively impacted the lives of children in the community through her work as a character school operations manager. From 2009 to 2015, she has worked tirelessly on behalf of the students at James M. Singleton Charter School and since July 2015, hmerved as the Operations Manager at William J. Fischer School. Ms. Glapion is a graduate of McDonogh No. 35 Senior High School and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, earning a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication. She completed post graduate work in language studies at the Universidad Iberoamericana, in Mexico City, Mexico. Ms. Glapion began her professional career as an Administrative Assistant in the office of the late City Councilwoman Dorothy Mae DeLavallade Taylor and as Operations and Finance Manager for the Mary L. Landrieu for Governor Campaign.

Ms. Glapion has served as an Operations Manager in the Corporate Real Estate/Facilities Management Department at Whitney National Bank, and from 2001 to 2005, she was part of a research team at Tulane University School of Medicine as the Administrator of the Hematology/Oncology Section.

In closing Mr. Speaker, the hard work and dedication of Ms. Donna Marie Glapion gives us hope and promise for the future of our city and I wish to congratulate Ms. Glapion on her coronation as Queen Zulu and wish her a successful reign in 2017.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of Mr. Adonis Charles Expose, a native of my hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. I especially wish to congratulate him on becoming the King of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club for 2017. It is my distinct privilege to recognize him for this accomplishment.

Mr. Expose has been a member of the Zulu organization since 2002 and has actively participated on every level in various leadership capacities. In 2008, he represented the Zulu organization as Mayor of Zululand. He has also had the honor of serving as Parliamentarian of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, Inc. for six years.

In addition to his work with Zulu, Mr. Expose is a dedicated family man and has been active in his community. He is a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and former board member of Young Audiences, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana and Heart N Hands, Inc. He has been a member of the Pines Village Neighborhood Association, Mayor's Office Task Force Committee for Blighted Housing and an alumnus of the Committee for a Better New Orleans/Metropolitan Area Committee along with being involved with Forever Our Children, Inc. and the Young Leadership Council.

Mr. Expose is a graduate of McDonogh No. 35 Senior High School and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications with a minor in English. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration from Southern University A&M College. He began his professional career at the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) where he served as a Strategic Planning Analyst and was later promoted to Director of Communications for the agency. Currently, he is employed by the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) in the Office of Procurement and Contracts. The commitment that Mr. Expose shows to his family and community is an example to all of us.

In closing Mr. Speaker, the hard work and dedication of Mr. Adonis Charles Expose to improving the community gives us hope and promise for the future of our city and I congratulate him on his coronation as King Zulu and wish him a successful reign in 2017.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 690. I would like to thank the gentleman from New York, Congressman Donovan, for his help and support and his bipartisanship.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 690 is based on a bipartisan bill I introduced last year, H.R. 5391, which passed the House in September.

For decades, security experts have warned of the danger that radioactive materials could be smuggled within and across our borders and used in an act of nuclear terrorism. The DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, or DNDO, brings together expertise from across the Federal Government to detect and prevent the illicit transport, storage, and assembly of nuclear and radiological weapons. These interagency partners coordinate their efforts using a multilayered framework--the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture, or GNDA. GNDA describes Federal programs, guidelines, and detection technologies and identifies research challenges and security gaps.

In 2015, GAO looked at how DNDO manages its $350 million research and development program. The report found that DNDO needs to do a better job of documenting how it chooses which projects to fund and how these investments align with security gaps and research challenges-- especially for vulnerabilities identified in the GNDA.

H.R. 690 would resolve these issues by requiring DNDO to document the rationale it uses to prioritize research topics, explain how selected investments align with gaps and research challenges, and develop a systematic approach to evaluate the outcomes for individual projects. Such documentation is essential to ensure that DNDO is making the right research investments to keep the Nation secure.

Mr. Speaker, my bill, H.R. 690, would help DNDO use its limited resources toward projects that actually close the vulnerability gaps. Preventing and detecting nuclear smuggling is a complex endeavor. It requires seamless coordination between law enforcement and intelligence officials across the Federal Government.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 690, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 655.

For over a decade, the Securing the Cities program has provided a growing number of first responders from New York City and Newark, New Jersey to Los Angeles and Long Beach to Washington, D.C., Houston, and Chicago with the tools they need to detect radiological and nuclear threats.

Securing the Cities is administered by the Department of Homeland Security's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, DNDO, which houses the Department's experts on preparing for and responding to rad/nuc events.

The program makes funding available to participating jurisdictions for planning and analysis related to radiological and nuclear threats, as well as equipment purchases, training, and exercises.

Through this program, DNDO supports grantees by providing subject matter expertise, training, coordination, and technological support. H.R. 655 would formally authorize the existing Securing the Cities program and improve it by directing the Government Accountability Office to assess the program and offer recommendations for how it could become more effective.

Mr. Speaker, this bill passed the House last Congress by a vote of 441-4.

Mr. Speaker, the Securing the Cities program plays a critical role in protecting communities across America from the threat posed by radiological and nuclear weapons.

H.R. 655 will ensure that this important program continues and becomes more robust in future years. I urge my colleagues to support

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 437. Whether the result of a naturally occurring outbreak, like Zika or Ebola, or an intentional release of bio-pathogens, like anthrax attacks that shook Washington immediately after 9/11, we must ensure that our public health and medical response communities are prepared to respond to events that may stretch their capabilities.

In recent years, the Metropolitan Medical Response System Program has been eliminated, and grants supported by the Department of Health and Human Services, such as the Hospital Preparedness Program, have been cut. As a result, many jurisdictions have been forced to make tough choices and, in many cases, divert other limited funding to support medical preparedness.

Under current law, the Urban Area Security Initiative and the State Homeland Security Grant Program funding can be used to bolster medical preparedness capabilities, but the ability to use funds for that purpose is contingent on the grant guidance issued

every year. H.R. 437 would make enhancing medical preparedness and medical surge capacity and capabilities eligible uses of Homeland Security Grant funds under the law.

This measure passed in the House last Congress, and I urge my colleagues to again support this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 437. Developing and maintaining medical preparedness is an important part of national preparedness. State and local governments should not have to wonder whether they will be able to use DHS grant funds for this purpose from year to year.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 437.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank Congressman Veasey for the work that he does in representing Fort Worth, Texas.

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege and an honor to be the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus in that we represent almost 80 million Americans, 17 million of whom are African American; but the real reason is that it is a talented group of 49 people, and we are going to need each and every one of them to keep track of this rapid, schizophrenic style of governing that we are dealing with. I will just talk about the two most egregious things from this past week, which are the allegations of voter fraud and his nomination of a person to run the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and his unconstitutional ban on Muslims.

Since 2010, 20 States have restricted voting rights by enacting discriminatory voter ID and proof of citizenship laws, illegally purging thousands of proper voters from the rolls, cutting back early voting, limiting voter registration, and engaging in other suppressive tactics. These laws were put in place to combat the notion of voter fraud despite the fact that there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the United States.

More than a dozen recent investigations and studies all show voter fraud to be virtually nonexistent. A 2014 Washington Post investigation found 31 incidents of voter fraud in the more than 1 billion ballots that were cast in elections at all levels of government from 2000 to 2014. Of the more than 137 million ballots cast in the 2016 election, election and law enforcement officials in all 50 States have yet to report any indications of widespread voter fraud.

But, if there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, what reason could anyone have, including the President, for this claim? The truth is that Republicans have used the voter fraud lie to restrict voting rights for years. Voter ID laws have been sponsored by Republicans and have been passed overwhelmingly by Republican legislatures.

Richard Posner, a conservative U.S. circuit court judge appointed by President Reagan, has called the concerns about voter fraud a mere fig leaf that is intended to justify laws that appear to be aimed at limiting voting by minorities, especially Blacks. In July 2016, a U.S. circuit court struck down North Carolina's law, calling it the most restrictive voting law North Carolina has seen since the era of Jim Crow. The judges charged that Republican lawmakers had targeted African Americans with almost surgical precision.

Let me just turn very briefly to the President's ill-advised, unconstitutional executive order that purportedly promotes national security. Keeping America safe is a top priority for all of us, but this order is wrong. It is wrong because it makes us less safe, and it is wrong because it goes against our American values. This is the latest in President Trump's series of actions that shows that his number one priority is short-term shows of intolerance instead of the long-term security of the American people.

Actions by the Oval Office directly affect people's lives. When the President is making policy up on the fly, it has real harmful consequences in the lives of everyday Americans. The fact that the Secretary of Homeland Security--a committee in Congress on which I serve--was not included in discussions about implementing the executive order, even though this Department is in charge of its implementation, is clear evidence of a broken system. Shutting out the mothers, children, fathers, and families who are fleeing the same violence that we fight against is exactly what ISIS and similar groups want us to do, and it only strengthens their hands. This haphazard order does nothing to keep Americans safe. In fact, it hurts our efforts to fight against terrorism.

Let me just say, Mr. Speaker, to my colleague from Texas that the President of the United States, when addressing Liberty University, cited ``2 Corinthians,'' while most church-going people in the country would say ``Second Corinthians.'' He cited 2 Corinthians 2:17, which reads, wherever the Lord is, there is liberty and freedom, but there can't be liberty and freedom without meaningful access to the voting polls. He didn't need to get to chapter 3. He really could have just stopped at the first few paragraphs of the Second Corinthians, which read: ``Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . who comforts us in our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble.''

The question becomes: Why go to Liberty University and offer your Christian values?

It always talks about the least of these in the Bible and what we are doing to help others and to do unto others as you would have them do unto you so that, as soon as mothers and children and families are fleeing persecution and certain death, we put a wall up around our country, shut down our airports, and say: We don't care what trouble you are in. You just can't come here.

That goes against everything that this country was founded on. It goes against my Christian values, and it

goes against any purported Christian values of anyone's in these United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Plaskett.

Mr. Speaker, the CBC has led the charge in proposing solutions for the underserved and disadvantaged communities throughout this country.

In his first remarks as President, Donald Trump claimed to champion this cause in his remarks, which proved to be petty and beneath the Office of President of the United States. On day one, in his first official acts in the office, one of his first official acts was to remove from the whitehouse.gov Web site a page detailing a broad set of civil rights commitments and accomplishments under President Obama.

It is fitting that President Trump, as one of his very first actions in office, would take down the public pledge to defend the civil rights of all Americans. This is a continuation of the divisiveness that defined his campaign where he proposed a Muslim ban, mass deportation, and a nationwide stop-and-frisk program. This is consistent with a President who would nominate Jeff Sessions, a man unanimously opposed by the civil rights community, as Attorney General.

President Trump didn't stop with changing the Web site. It has been reported that the Department of Justice is seeking to delay a hearing meant to focus on the relief required for Texas' discriminatory voter identification law. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled last year that the law had a discriminatory effect and that provisions must be made to allow those who lack the specific ID that the law requires be able to cast a vote. Every judge who has considered the Texas law found it discriminatory, but it still has been used in elections there.

Unfortunately, President Trump has given no indication that he is willing to stand up to protect the voting rights of all Americans. Since being elected, he has ignored proven instances of intentional voter suppression and chosen instead to spread alternative facts about voter fraud.

As one of its first substantive acts, the Trump administration suspended a mortgage insurance rate cut put in place by the Obama administration to give relief to homeowners. According to the Federal Housing Administration, the cut would have saved the average homeowner $500 this year. This reversal will make it more difficult for middle class Americans trying to purchase a home and eliminate relief for homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments.

According to the National Association of Realtors, this will prevent 30,000 to 40,000 new home buyers from purchasing homes in 2017. This move will disproportionately affect African American homeowners who are more likely than White homeowners to rely on FHA mortgage insurance.

Mr. Speaker, we know exactly who Donald Trump is and have an inkling about what he intends to do, but what we plan on doing is educating the President about the needs of underserved communities. So I will just take a moment to address a few of his points in his new deal for the African American community, which is truly a bad deal in terms of economic equality. It is a raw deal in terms of public education, and it is a hollow deal in terms of voting and civil rights.

On behalf of the caucus, the CBC, the Congressional Black Caucus, I would like to inform him that 39 percent of African Americans actually live in suburbs compared to 36 percent who live in inner cities. The remaining 25 percent live in small metropolitan areas or rural communities.

For more than 45 years, the Congressional Black Caucus has worked to improve conditions for African Americans from all walks of life. Collectively, our members represent 78 million Americans, 17 million of whom are African American. Our districts are rural as well as urban. Some of our members represent majority minority districts, while others do not.

Mr. Speaker, tonight you will hear from several members of the Congressional Black Caucus who will point to specific pieces of legislation that we have championed and that we have authored that would address many of the issues facing inner-city communities, facing poor communities, and facing communities all across this country no matter the race or makeup of those communities.

What I would like to reiterate and stress is the fact that we don't just talk about a problem, but we offer solutions. We have sent to you, Mr.

President, a letter outlining all of the 10 points in your new deal with concrete solutions and legislation that we have authored that we think will go further and is a more comprehensive way of approaching the problems in those communities.

We also sent you another document that details more than your 10 issues, but highlights issues that are faced by American families all across this country and our policy proposals that will solve them. We would just encourage you to step out of the White House and to listen to people who have done this for a long time and who live in those communities and who have offered viable solutions.

So I would just say that we don't need more talk or more rhetoric. What we need is action, and we need action from 1600 Pennsylvania. We need action from the White House, and we would urge you to look at the proposals that we have that offer a better solution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to defend an 18-year-old school student who expressed his life experiences, and he did it in the form of art protected by the First Amendment to our Constitution.

But what I also want to do is make sure that we, as Members of Congress, don't use our bully pulpit in this very prestigious and most elite body in the United States to condemn the actions of an 18-year- old who is only expressing what he sees on a daily basis.

What real leadership is is to talk to that young man and ask him why, in his community, this is his perception; ask him why he fears the police; and ask him why, in his neighborhood, they fear the police. We, as Members of Congress, understand the sacrifice of law enforcement and the fact that they put their lives on the line every day, and we honor them.

But when there is a question on any segment of our society that they don't get equal justice, equal protection of the laws, and that the Pledge of Allegiance rings hollow when you say ``and justice for all,'' what real leadership does is tackle that issue as opposed to jumping on an 18-year-old high school student.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor and a privilege to have this opportunity to stand on the House floor and to anchor the Congressional Black Caucus' Special Order hour, where today we want to discuss some of the issues and challenges confronting this country that we hope this newly constituted Congress will be prepared to take up as we move into the 115th Congress.

The first and most glaring issue confronting the Congressional Black Caucus is the nomination and confirmation of Jeff Sessions to be the Attorney General of the United States. The members of this caucus, since its inception, have fought for equality and justice, and we do it because it is the right thing to do, and that is how we were raised.

Jeff Sessions' record is atrocious when it comes to equal rights, equal protection, justice for all, and voting rights. At worst, he was a coconspirator in the promotion of segregation and discrimination. At best, he lacked the courage and motivation to fight for equality, equal protection, and justice.

In the words of Maya Angelou: ``When someone shows you who they are believe them. . . .'' President-elect Trump has shown us time and time again exactly who he is through his words and his actions. His Cabinet nominations offer further evidence of who he is and what he values. Each of these individuals have shown us who they are as well.

Mr. Speaker, tonight you will hear from many passionate, educated, experienced freedom fighters from our communities, and they will each address their concerns with the nominations coming from the President- elect. We do it out of an obligation to continue to fight for the least of those, those who cannot hire a lobbyist, those who are struggling to make ends meet, those who wake up every day trying to figure out how to put clothes on their kids' back, food on the table, a house, a roof over their head, and to continue to fight for the American Dream, opportunity for their children.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of Lolis Edward Elie, one of the Nation's preeminent civil rights attorneys.

Elie, a native of New Orleans, attended Howard University, Dillard University, and later earned his J.D. from Loyola Law School. Following graduation, Elie started the law firm of Collins, Douglas, and Elie, which became the most noteworthy firm in Louisiana for racial equality.

In 1960, the New Orleans chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality, or CORE, asked Elie and his firm to represent them following a sit-in. Elie and his firm defended CORE chapter president Rudy Lombard and three others who were arrested for staging a sit-in protest at the lunch counter of the McCrory five-and-ten-cent store. They appealed the case to the United States Supreme Court, which, in its decision, declared the city's ban on sit-ins unconstitutional. Later in his career, Elie was one of seven supporters of the Freedom Riders who met with Attorney General Robert Kennedy in 1961 when Kennedy encouraged them to shift their efforts to registering Black Southerners to vote.

His son, Lolis Eric Elie, is a prominent writer and filmmaker.

Lolis, Sr., still calls New Orleans home and mentors the younger generation through his training program for new Black attorneys. Through Lolis Elie's example, many young Black men and women are able to achieve much more than they ever thought possible, myself included.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in my continuing recognition of Black History Month to honor Freedom Rider and civil rights legend Jerome ``Big Duck'' Smith. An active mentor of youth in New Orleans, he earned his nickname because there is usually a line of children waddling behind him.

From a young age, Big Duck was not intimidated by what he viewed as the racial norms in New Orleans. When he was 10 years old, he removed a screen that acted as a barrier between Black and White passengers on a New Orleans streetcar, causing some uneasiness. An older Black woman riding the streetcar took him off the car and told him ``never, ever stop'' and that she was proud of him for what he had done. This show of support would light a fire within him to fight for racial justice.

Jerome Smith would go on to become part of the Freedom Riders, a group that looked to desegregate bus terminals across the Deep South. Also, he helped found the New Orleans chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality, one of the big four civil rights organizations.

Today, Big Duck is the director of Tambourine and Fan, a youth organization in New Orleans that engages young people on the civil rights movement, leadership, and the importance of political engagement. His work for the civil rights movement and with youth throughout the city is an inspiration not only to me, but to the entire region. Big Duck embodies the never-ending struggle for justice and equality of opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of Andrew ``Pete'' Sanchez, Jr., a native of my hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana. I especially wish to congratulate him on becoming the 100th King of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club. It is my distinct privilege to recognize him here today for this accomplishment.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Andrew Sanchez, Sr., Mr. Sanchez joined the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club in 1994. Since then, he has occupied numerous leadership positions within Zulu. He has served on the Zulu Board of Directors for the past nine years, and is Zulu's representative to Mayor Mitch Landrieu's Mardi Gras Advisory Council.

In addition to his work with Zulu, Mr. Sanchez is a dedicated family man and has been active in his community. He has received awards for his work with Toys for Tots, serves as a Commissioner on New Orleans Board of Zoning, and in November, was appointed by Mayor Landrieu to the New Orleans Cultural and Historical Committee. He is a proud graduate of McDonough #35 Senior High School and Southern University A&M College. He is married to Dr. Janice Sanchez, and the proud father of Ashley Nichelle Sanchez. This year, he will get a chance to share the honor and joy of being Zulu royalty with his wife, as Dr. Sanchez will reign alongside him as the 79th Queen of Zulu. This will be a special time for the family, and we are very proud of him. The commitment that Mr. Sanchez shows to his family and his community is an example to all of us. The hard work and dedication of Mr. and Dr. Sanchez to improving the community and raising a strong family gives us hope and promise for the future of our city.

In closing Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate Mr. Andrew Peter Sanchez, Jr. on his coronation as the 100th King of Zulu and wish him a successful reign as King Zulu, 2015.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in the spirit of Black History Month to honor Leah Chase, also known as the ``Queen of Creole Cuisine,'' a renowned chef, author, and a civil rights icon in New Orleans.

As executive chef at her historic restaurant, Dooky Chase's, she has served luminaries such as Duke Ellington, Thurgood Marshall, President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, among countless others.

In 1946, she married local musician Edgar ``Dooky'' Chase, Jr., whose family owned a small street corner stand.

At a time when New Orleans was starkly divided by segregation, Dooky Chase's Restaurant was one of the few places where groups of mixed races could gather publicly. As a result, the restaurant became a central hub for leaders of the civil rights movement to meet and discuss strategy.

Of course these types of gatherings were highly illegal, but due to the immense popularity of Dooky Chase's, there would have been a public uproar had law enforcement interrupted business. Leah took full advantage of this and hosted Black voter registration campaigns, NAACP meetings, and countless other gatherings, and fed them well.

To this day, people from across the world are blessed by Mrs. Chase's warmth, hospitality, and, of course, her cooking. She has received countless awards, has been immortalized in song by Ray Charles, and inspired Disney's first African American princess, but she remains rooted in her ministry and committed to service.

This month, Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor some of the people who have paved the way for my generation and some of the people whose shoulders I stand on. So today, I congratulate and commemorate Leah Chase.