Gwen Moore

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Wayman Louis Parker who recently passed away after a very well lived life. He was taken too soon but will not soon be forgotten. Nor will his impact in Milwaukee and everywhere else where his feet touched the ground and where he touched the hearts of so many.

From the age of nine, Dr. Parker dreamed of becoming a doctor. He more than dreamed. And while there would be many valleys and obstacles on that road, he did not waiver nor did he dither.

In 1966, while going to Wayne State University, he was drafted and found himself a combat soldier in Vietnam. Days after returning home, he was introduced to the woman, Emily, who would become his wife.

After graduating from Wayne State, he was admitted to Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine. He graduated in 1974 and completed his residency in ob-gyn in 1978. Dr. Parker then moved to Milwaukee with his family, where he worked with Dr. William Finlayson, another groundbreaking ob-gyn doctor who served Milwaukee.

He would remain in our great city for over 50 years, serving and impacting so many in my community, including my own family.

In a state and country where high black maternal and infant death rates are alarmingly high, he provided the types of compassionate and high-quality care that can mean the difference between life and death. That too many black women often fail to receive.

He delivered all three of my granddaughters. One of my grandbabies was born one pound and two ounces. That was such a difficult and trying time for our family, but Dr. Parker was such a rock. Now, she is thirty-three years old, wife, mother of two, with a Bachelor of Science degree and a career. She is one of his legacies. He has so many legacies that represent how much he meant to the broader community.

He helped cofound the Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin--a group of local organizations and individuals working to address the health problems of African Americans--in 1988 with Dr. Patricia McManus and Claude Gilmore. He helped operate a free clinic, The C.H. Mason Clinic, on the campus of Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ.

Medicine was his profession but Dr. Parker's passion was caring for his patients. And during his time in Milwaukee and on this planet that the Good Lord blessed us with his presence, he did just about everything he could, worked with as many partners as he could, to advance that goal.

My heartfelt condolences go out to his family.

I sent my prayers to his wife, Emma, daughter, Cortney Washington, Son-in-law, Eric Washington, grandchildren Kyle, Jeffrey, Gabrielle, and Gabriele, great-grandchildren and a host of nephews, nieces, great- nephews, great-nieces, extended family, and cherished friends who continue to honor his memory. He was preceded in death by his son, Jeffrey.

Thank you to the family for sharing this gem with the rest of us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Al Labelle, a distinguished advocate, trusted leader, and unwavering voice for veterans. I am grateful for his many years of service, his friendship, and his steadfast work for veterans, including through his work with the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). His passing leaves a profound void, felt deeply throughout the veteran community. I extend my deepest condolences to his family and friend as we honor a man whose service, spirit, and legacy will continue to guide our commitment to serving our Nation's veterans for years to come.

When it comes to making change on a national level, you need advocacy--and you need people like Al Labelle. For decades, Al stood as one of Wisconsin's most dedicated and effective champions for veterans, a man whose voice carried from the halls of Congress to the State Capitol in Madison, always in service of those who served.

Al's commitment to veterans was rooted in his own service. He enlisted in the United States Naval Reserves on December 3, 1965, immediately entering active duty aboard the USS Okinawa LPH-3, a helicopter carrier. After a year in the Atlantic Fleet, the Okinawa transferred to the Pacific Fleet, eventually arriving off the coast of Vietnam on April 25, 1967, as part of Amphibious Ready Group Alpha. Over the next seven months, the ship conducted nine amphibious landing operations near the DMZ, flying Marines inland and returning them when operations concluded. During these missions, the Okinawa served as a combat medical hospital--wounded Marines on one side of the hangar deck, the fallen on the other. Al returned to San Diego in December 1967 and was discharged shortly thereafter, carrying with him the memories and sacrifices of those he served beside.

Those experiences shaped the rest of his life. In 1990, Al was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), later recognized as an Agent Orange presumptive condition. The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) helped him file his claim, and out of gratitude--and a deepening sense of purpose--he joined the organization. From that moment forward, Al devoted himself to ensuring that every veteran received the care, benefits, and respect they earned.

Within DAV, Al wore many hats. He served as the Benefits Protection Team Leader (BPTL) for DAV Wisconsin and as Chairman of DAV's National Interim Legislation and Veterans Rights Committee, roles he held for more than nine years. At the time of his passing, he continued to serve as chair of this committee, guiding DAV's national legislative strategy with clarity, conviction, and an unwavering commitment to justice.

Al brought a deep passion to every aspect of his service, from legislative advocacy to outreach and his commitment to finding new, innovative ways to connect DAV with a new generation of veterans. He believed wholeheartedly in the strength of the organization and in the importance of ensuring its mission remained relevant to those who would carry it forward.

His advocacy produced tangible, lasting change. One of his most significant accomplishments was helping reform how the VA receives its funding. Before his efforts, government shutdowns halted VA operations, leaving veterans without access to critical medical care. Al provided valuable insight which led to legislation which ensured that VA health benefits would be funded one year in advance, protecting veterans from political gridlock and safeguarding their access to essential health services.

His influence extended far beyond policy. Al met with congressmen, senators, governors, and community leaders, always with the same message: ``It's not enough to send them there. It's not enough to say thank you for your service. Veterans who are returning or have served need more than that.'' His advocacy was driven by the sacrifices he witnessed in Vietnam and by his unwavering belief that the Nation must honor those sacrifices through action, not symbolism. For nearly twenty years without missing a beat, Al was a welcomed face in my Washington DC office, always bringing a great spirit and devotion to his work on behalf of our veterans. I have no doubt that our community was a better place because of his presence. Beyond his achievements, Al was known for his kindness, humor, and love for the Boston Red Sox. He inspired others to serve, to speak up, and to lead with heart. Even as he approached his eighth decade, he remained driven by a simple mission: ``Let's make sure that veterans who have served get the health care and benefits they earned and are needed.''

Al Labelle dedicated his life to a purpose greater than himself-- ensuring that veterans were heard, respected, and cared for. His legacy is one of courage, compassion, and relentless advocacy, a legacy that will endure in every life he touched, every heavy heart he helped make a little lighter, and every victory he helped secure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise on the last day of Pride Month as more than an LGBTQI ally. I am an accomplice. I am an enabler, because I want to enable people to be cradled by the e pluribus unum, to be embraced by our American values of freedom, liberty, and equality. I want to advocate for people to bring their authentic selves to our roundtable of a more perfect Union. I want people to stand in the glow of our enlightenment after 250 years of this Nation being a democracy.

Despite the sadistic efforts that have been made in this Congress to diminish and limit LGBTQI people, every single appropriation bill riddled with insults and humiliation, none of them have come to fruition. None of them have become law.

Why is that? That is because this is America, y'all. It is because we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. It is a standard that we have lived by throughout this constitutional democracy. Let me tell you, after everything we have been through, the flag still stands.