Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, few can be heralded as being the impetus for one of this country's national holidays. Fort Worth's own Opal Lee is one such person. It is not an overstatement to say that without Opal Lee, June 19 would not have been made a national holiday. Juneteenth, as it is known, now is. Invited by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Opal Lee stood next to him in the White House on June 17 as the President signed into law the legislation making June 19 a Federal holiday; and she's been jetting, literally, around the country ever since to be recognized for this monumental achievement.

Opal Lee has committed much of her life to celebrating June 19, the day in 1865, when Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and that enslaved Africans were now free. Quoting from General Orders Number 3, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger announced that ``[t]he people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. . . .''

Opal Lee has been the face of Juneteenth in Fort Worth for decades. By the early 2000s, she began advocating for making Juneteenth a national holiday. And in 2016, at age 90, she started a walking campaign across the Nation to bring attention to and awareness of the need for a National Day of Observance for Juneteenth. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States.

Opal Lee is a graduate of the Historic I.M. Terrell High School, class of 1943. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1953, from Wiley College, now Wiley University. She returned to Fort Worth to teach at Amanda McCoy Elementary School for 15 years, where she was regarded as one of the best educators in her field. She later obtained her master's degree in Counseling and Guidance from North Texas State University, now University of North Texas, and served as Home/School Counselor for Fort Worth Independent School District until her retirement in 1977.

With Lenora Rolla, another of Fort Worth's legendary icons and treasures, as its inspiration, Opal Lee, along with 19 other charter members, founded the Tarrant County Black Historical & Genealogical Society in the 1970s. The Tarrant County Black Historical & Genealogical Society is dedicated to archiving and preserving the historical contributions of Fort Worth and Tarrant County's Black citizens to be able to educate and empower future generations through art, history, and culture.

Opal Lee's long and varied service to Fort Worth also includes serving on the Historic & Cultural Landmarks Commission, AIDS Outreach committee, Evans Avenue Business Association, and Riverside Neighborhood Advisory Council, among many others. For more than 30 years, Lee has served as Precinct Chair for District 8. She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, lncorporated; the Grandmother's Club; the Ethel Ransom Humanitarian & Cultural Club and remains an active member of Baker Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, where she serves as a Missionary, church school teacher, assistant teacher and Deaconess. That is why I am honored to have her as my constituent in Texas' 33rd District, and proud to honor her as a Civil Rights leader for North Texas.

Madam Speaker, as a Texan, this is obviously a very important day for me, and I am going to tell you what Juneteenth symbolizes for me.

Juneteenth symbolizes 100 years of oppression that we faced after June 19, 1865, after General Granger made his announcement in Galveston, Texas.

It symbolizes Barbara Jordan coming to the United States House of Representatives, the first Black woman from the south, 100 years after June 19, 1865.

It symbolizes three teenagers who died, handcuffed by law enforcement, in a boat in Mexia, Texas, at a Juneteenth gathering after they were arrested for celebrating this day with their family in 1981; over 100 years after June 19, 1865.

It symbolizes Opal Lee, from Fort Worth, Texas, long known as the mother of Juneteenth in Fort Worth, and now known nationally for her endeavors to help make today possible.

Someone mentioned the George Floyd Policing Bill earlier. And I want to tell you, Madam Speaker, things aren't perfect. That police officer who handcuffed those teenagers and put them in that boat, he just retired a couple of years ago from law enforcement. George Floyd fixes that.

So while we celebrate what is about to become, with the Juneteenth holiday today, we know that we have a long way to go. But hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, June 19, 1865, finally being enshrined in our national heritage.

Madam Speaker, today, I urge my colleagues to pass the Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act, which will close a loophole that blocks pharmaceutical competition and prevents innovative treatments for opioid abuse disorders from coming to the market.

The opioid crisis in this country, as you know, is very serious, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the problem. Because the pandemic and all of its underlying issues--fear of the virus, increased economic hardship, and the challenges of staying at home and maintaining a safe distance--opioid abuse disorders are skyrocketing, and the epidemic has taken a toll on communities in every corner of the country.

I am proud to co-lead this piece of legislation and that our Democratic majority pushed ahead with bringing it to the floor again for a vote amid last week's partisan attempts to hold this legislation hostage, because fighting the opioid epidemic cannot wait any longer.

In the past 20 years, we have seen a drastic increase in opioid addiction, with nearly every State in the Nation seeing a spike in overdose deaths. Passing our Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act will help curb the senseless loss of life by expanding treatment options and driving down costs of new medicines.

Mr. Speaker, the sacred right to vote is under attack for Black and Hispanic people in the State of Texas.

Dangerous Jim Crow 2.0 voter suppression laws are rapidly advancing across the country and in the Lone Star State right now.

During the 2020 elections, we saw 17 million Texans go out there and risk their lives, especially during the primary when there was still a lot of uncertainty about COVID to go out there so they could cast their ballot. Now only mere months later, Texas leaders in the State legislature are silencing the voices of these very voters by pushing some of the most restrictive voting measures in the entire country. This legislation will do everything from prohibiting local officials from sending out mail-in ballot applications to empowering poll watchers to actually be able to harass people with cell phones and video.

It is crazy, Mr. Speaker, what is going on. It is completely backwards, it is embarrassing, and for me as a Black American, it is embarrassing, because the big lie is being perpetuated by historic racist tropes that Black people are cheating and stealing at the polls.

It is uncalled for, it is unnecessary, it is racist, and it must end. I implore Texas leaders to stop this nonsense and get back to the business of helping

families deal with the pandemic and help our State to keep growing.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to retiring UAW member Karen Rohrssen. Karen is the Administrative Assistant for the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agriculture Implement Works of America Local 276 in Grand Prairie, TX.

With 36 years of faithful service to UAW Local 276, Karen Rohrssen is the conscience and heartbeat of the organization. Her dedication to supporting its members goes above and beyond expectations. She is an essential member of Local 276 who has given her time and talents to helping others.

Madam Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating Karen Rohrssen and extending our best wishes to her for continued success. Her leadership will be greatly missed, but I know she will continue to be an active member of our community and continue to support local union members.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a friend and the retiring Mayor of Arlington, Texas. Warren Jeff Williams is a dedicated public servant and an advocate for Arlington. His leadership will be missed but I know he will continue to be an active member of our community.

Jeff grew up in Sherman, Texas but often visited relatives in Arlington and attended Texas Rangers games as a child.

His father and grandfather worked in the construction business but Jeff had a plan to go to law school until he got to Texas Tech University where he became interested in engineering and ultimately received his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 1981. Texas Tech is also where Jeff met his wife, Karen, a photography student.

Jeff and Karen, now have 3 adult children, Natalie, Suzanne, and Ryan, and 7 grandchildren, all under the age of 6. They moved to Arlington in 1984, and their children grew up attending Arlington public schools.

Jeff is the President and CEO of Graham Associates, a civil engineering and surveying firm based in Arlington. He has been the Civil Engineer on many landmark projects including AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Park, Parks Mall, IH-30 Three Bridges, and River Legacy Living Science Center. Jeff has been recognized as a Distinguished Engineer by his alma mater and is a member of the Civil Engineering Honor Fraternity at both Texas Tech and the University of Texas at Arlington.

In addition to his success as an engineer, Jeff is also dedicated to serving his community. He has served on the boards of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the Cotton Bowl Association, the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Arlington YMCA, River Legacy Foundation, and Project Restore Hope Foundation; as a co-chair of the Salvation Army annual luncheon; as a committee chairman and Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Church Arlington; and as chairman of the 2014 Arlington school district bond committee.

Jeff is completing his final term as Mayor of Arlington in June 2021, drawing to a close a remarkable tenure of civic service that has spanned six years, between 2015 and 2021; and Mayor Williams came into office with a message that it was time for change and, during his tenure, played a vital role, championing municipal projects such as the Abram Street rebuild, a new Downtown Library and City Center, and two new recreation centers (the East Arlington Branch Library and The Beacon); downtown development including Urban Union, East Main, and the Levitt Pavilion expansion; and innovation including on-demand transit, high speed solutions, and an Envision Center.

He supported important economic projects including redeveloping the old Six Flags Mall into the Arlington Logistics Center; opening Summit Racing, Rent the Runway, a UPS regional hub, and Nanoscope Technologies in Arlington; and relocating the national headquarters of DR Horton, Texas Health Resources, and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor to Arlington.

And, over the past six years, the entertainment district exploded. Texas Live, Live by Loews, and the new Globe Life Field opened to the public. Globe Life Park was repurposed. The National Medal of Honor Museum chose Arlington to be its future home. Mayor Williams helped to safely bring the World Series, Professional Bull Riders World Finals, and National Finals Rodeo to town during the pandemic.

He worked to establish a Unity Council to study equity and equality in our community and Unite Arlington Weekends to serve those in need.

Mayor Williams's efforts have not gone unnoticed across our nation. He was selected by the U.S. Conference of Mayors to serve as the Chairman of the prestigious U.S. Metro Economies committee for his incredible results and experience in economic development. He was also selected as 1 of 20 Mayors to participate in the Harvard Bloomberg Leadership program as well as the Yale School of Management for CEO's and Mayors. Mayor Williams worked tirelessly to seek pandemic relief funding on a national scale.

Mayor Williams's adept and forward-looking leadership has helped guide Arlington through a transformative period in its history, and his many valuable contributions will continue to resonate in the years to come.

Jeff has a gift of empowering citizens, fostering partnerships, and encouraging us to all Dream Big.

Madam Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mayor Jeff Williams and extending our best wishes to him for continued success in his future endeavors. He has given his time and talents to Arlington, which is a better place because of his service.

Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago, almost to this very day, is the day when COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic. One year ago, we didn't know that this pandemic would infect millions of Americans or kill thousands of Texans in my home State and hurt so many disadvantaged communities.

But after a year of darkness, we are finally seeing the light because the

House will pass, tomorrow, the American Rescue Plan, a comprehensive plan that the Biden-Harris administration and our Democrat-led House and Senate has crafted which will give constituents in the district that I represent, and all Americans, the chance for some relief.

Our plan will help crush the COVID-19 virus and get the economy moving again by getting vaccines into arms across the country. Because in places like my home State of Texas, where Greg Abbott, who is the Governor, is prematurely lifting COVID-19 restrictions, the best thing we can do to combat a potential surge against the virus is to make sure that everybody has a vaccine.

Mr. Speaker, that is why I am a proud supporter and will vote for the American Rescue Plan tomorrow, because we need a bold solution like this one for our country and economy to get back on the right track and to get back to normal.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the legacy of a pillar of our Fort Worth community--Father Jasso. Father Stephen Jasso was a Man of God who used his position to advocate for the city's poor and powerless even during his last years when he fought a debilitating disease.

Father Jasso served the North Side Catholic parish of All Saints in Fort Worth faithfully and tirelessly for 23 years before his retirement in 2018. Born in Waco, Texas, Father Jasso was one of several children born to the late Domingo and Leonor Jasso, who came to Texas from Mexico. Before entering the Franciscan order in 1957, he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, earning the rank of sergeant first class.

After completing his seminary studies in Mallorca, Spain, and Rome, Italy, he was ordained a Catholic priest in 1965. During his early years in the priesthood, he traveled to Peru where he spent four years as a missionary. His next assignment took Father Jasso to Mexico where he spent 24 years serving parishes.

In 1994, at 62 years old, he was named pastor of All Saints Catholic Church in Fort Worth in 1994, where he also served on many local boards and commissions, including the United Way board and the Task Force on Racism. During this lifetime, Father Jasso also served as a vigilant advocate for immigrants and the disenfranchised in our North Texas community.

Let us live up to Father Jasso's legacy and ensure we spend every day living a selfless life devoted to those less fortunate.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Louis Ayala, a beloved member of our north Fort Worth community, who died of COVID-19 and pneumonia last week. Mr. Ayala was known for his dedication to the barber shop industry and was honored by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation last year as the oldest active barber in Texas.

At the age of 14, while still in middle school, Louis learned how to cut hair. Years later, he opened Ayala's Barber Shop on North Main Street in the same neighborhood where he grew up and where our community went for decades to get a good haircut. Since 1945, Louis Ayala has kept our community happy and looking sharp. Louis Ayala's hard work and spirit is an outstanding example of American ingenuity and perseverance. His commitment to his small business and community must be commended and remembered.

Madam Speaker, Hazel F. Wilson taught school in Houston Independent School District from 1954 until 1968 and in Fort Worth from 1969 until 1990. She earned two degrees from Texas Southern and remained an active alumnus of both TSU and Jack Yates High School. She was a board member of the South East Areas Churches (S.E.A.R.C.H) and volunteered for Sickle Cell Anemia Association, Cook Children's Medical Center and the Susan G. Kamen Cancer Center. Most of her time was divided between St. Mark Cumberland Presbyterian Church, NAACP, Greater Fort Worth Area Negro Business and Professional Women's Club and Zeta Phi Sorority, Psi Zeta Chapter.

She was an ordained Elder of her church since 1984, a Southern Region Director for Zeta Phi Beta from 1965 to 1972, President of the Greater Fort Worth Area Negro Business and Professional Women's Club and has won countless honors and awards which include 1000 Volunteer Hours Pin from Cook Children's Medical Center. She was recognized as Outstanding Women of Zeta in 1980 and African American Legislative Summit Public Service Award in 2017.

Hazel F. Wilson was founder of the Zeta Amicae Auxiliary of Fort Worth, Texas (Friends of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority) and Sponsor of the Amicae Auxiliary since its' inception in 1975. She was also the Co- Founder of the Greater Fort Worth Area Negro BPW Club which started in August 1975. She worked within her community through several organizations, held many offices and received numerous awards and recognitions for her volunteerism, community involvement and activism.

Her favorite quote was ``Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.''-- John Wesley

Madam Speaker, let's be clear about one thing. If we were on the eve of a Republican President being sworn in and his Democratic predecessor had said the same thing that this President said and incited his followers, his mob, to descend upon the Capitol, we would be joining them, not making comparisons. Because guess what? I don't care about no base.

I care about this democracy and this country, and what happened the other day should never happen again. We need to stand up and do the right thing.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Anthony Sampson, a local business owner and influential financial advisor, for his exemplary service and commitment to the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. Anthony is an active figure in the North Texas community. His achievements span decades, and his ongoing involvement in the community is visible in many aspects. Beginning his professional career with Allstate in 1983, Anthony quickly rose through the ranks and held several management positions. While growing with Allstate, he achieved over two dozen prestigious awards. In 1993, Anthony opened Sampson Financial Services, Inc./Allstate Insurance Agency in Arlington, TX and continues to lead his team to bring reassurance and stability to our community. Anthony is an active leader in the African American community and is committed to empowering youth through volunteerism and community service. He helped found ``100 Black Men of Greater Dallas- Fort Worth'' to show young people how great their future can be. The hard work and spirit shown by him is an outstanding example of American success and ingenuity.

Anthony is a dedicated leader and mentor in our community; his commitment to the development of North Texans should be commended and remembered. By honoring Anthony Sampson, our Dallas Fort Worth, Texas residents will recognize his leadership and commitment to the betterment of our North Texas community and country.

Mr. Speaker, this is Gun Violence Awareness Month. I rise to commemorate the life of Ms. Briuna Harps, a young woman with a bright future in Fort Worth, who lost her life in a senseless act of gun violence last month.

Nineteen-year-old Briuna had just finished her first year of pre-med classes when she was visiting her sister at an apartment complex in Fort Worth and was struck by a bullet in the crossfire between two gangs, two idiotic gangs, in an idiotic gang war. Sadly, Briuna's death and deaths like it are too commonplace in America. Each day, nearly 100 people in our Nation are killed by someone using a gun.

Recently, the city of Fort Worth launched a local initiative to protect our neighborhoods and curb gun violence. The Senate can help us in this area by taking action to pass commonsense gun safety legislation that the House passed over 100 days ago. Taking action is the best way that we can honor the life of Briuna and the other lives just like hers who were lost to gun violence.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the community and give special thanks to Pastor Milton Pace, Tiffany Pace Whitaker, and Montreal Dukes for hosting a recent dialogue on curbing violence in our Fort Worth community.

But we need the Senate to do their part. We need them to act. Pass the legislation that we passed in the House now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Memorial Day and the upcoming 75th anniversary of D-day to recognize and raise awareness about the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion. It was an all-Black battalion that made considerable contributions during D-day.

Until recently, the 320th battalion's sacrifices and bravery have been virtually unrecognized. Until the recent book ``Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day's Black Heroes, at Home and at War'' by Linda Hervieux, the story had really gone untold. People didn't really know about it.

It is notable that one of the soldiers who is featured in the book-- his name is Wilson Monk--his quote to the author when she called him was, ``I've been waiting for this call for over 50 years.''

When we look back at the social injustices of the 1940s during Jim Crow, it is clear that the social discrimination created momentum for the civil rights protests in the 1950s and 1960s. The lunch counter sit-ins in Montgomery and the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, the social injustices that

were in the news--sadly, always in the news--are documented very well in our textbooks, but much of the military discrimination against African Americans was not documented very well.

I want to take a minute today to thank those African American soldiers who fought during World War II for their valor and sacrifice for our country.

You may not have heard of the 320th battalion, but on the morning of June 6, 1944, the unit of African American soldiers landed on the beaches of France. Their orders were to man a curtain of armed balloons meant to deter enemy aircraft. They flew at an altitude of about 200 feet to defend soldiers landing on the beaches against strafing attacks by German aircraft. The battalion served 140 days in France.

One member of the 320th battalion wounded in battle, Waverly B. Woodson, Jr., would later be nominated for the Medal of Honor, an award he would never receive.

The Nation's highest decorations were not given to African American soldiers in World War II. Members of the 320th battalion, the first African American battalion, which included hundreds of soldiers, were sent abroad to fight for liberties denied to them at home.

The story of the 320th battalion is a narrative of perseverance in the face of injustice.

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure to be invited by Representative Katherine Clark from Massachusetts to go hear the story of ``D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II'' by women who played a very crucial role in the military and spycraft that helped us during World War II. Of course, throughout time, much of their role was relegated to being said that they were secretaries and answered phones, but they played very critical roles.

I know one of my former constituents who passed away not too long ago, Robert Starr, was part of an ambulatory crew that helped pick up the wounded and remains of people who were dead on the beaches of Normandy. Again, the story told was that African American soldiers worked in that role but that they were not part of the initial invasion.

Sadly, that has been memorialized in Hollywood, as well. I think one of the best movies about D-day of all time is ``The Longest Day,'' a great, great movie. But, of course, there were no African American soldiers depicted in that movie. ``Saving Private Ryan,'' another great movie, but, again, no African American soldiers were depicted in that movie, sadly.

It is my hope that we can raise more awareness about the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, these men who fought so bravely during World War II, so that they, too, will not just be memorialized in the textbooks but that their story will be brought to Hollywood.

I am certain that there is a Rob Reiner or a Steven Spielberg or a Spike Lee or someone out there who will help tell the story of these women who fought during World War II and helped the resistance and also these African American soldiers whose stories have not been told.

It is absolutely amazing to me that there are many African Americans in this country even who, if you ask them, they think that there were no Black soldiers who fought during D-day. It is a story that has been allowed to be falsely perpetuated for far too long. It is time that we raise awareness about the 320th battalion and the great sacrifices that they made for this country.

Madam Speaker, I am here today to talk about the Annual Clay Competition held by the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus. I would like to take the time now to congratulate my good friend, Austin Scott,

who was the captain of the Republican team.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott).

Madam Speaker, I really appreciate Representative Scott, Representative Hudson, and just everybody that makes this competition very special.

I would like to announce the Democratic nominees: from Northern California, the top gun on the Democratic side, with 53 shots, was Mike Thompson; and also on the Democratic side, top skeet, from Minnesota, was Collin Peterson.

Madam Speaker, I would like to maybe step it up a little bit for next year's competition and use this time to maybe encourage my Republican colleagues, because we didn't have any women at all participate on the Republican or the Democratic side this year. So I am going to encourage Mr. Scott, and I am going to encourage them to recruit some women shooters. I am going to do the same thing; and I think that that is going to be the key to us winning next year; so good luck.

Madam Speaker, 2020 is right around the corner.