Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Mrs. Gazell Jackson of Grand Prairie, Texas. Mrs. Jackson was born on May 5, 1925, in Timpson, Texas. She was educated in New Prospect before attending Franklin Beauty College in Houston. There, she met her husband, the late Mr. Bernice Tolliver, Sr. In the 1950s, the couple settled in Grand Prairie, where they raised their six children and became pillars of the Dalworth Community.

Friends and family know Mrs. Jackson was the chief owner and operator of Crown's Barbeque for over 40 years, and she was known to friends and neighbors as ``Mrs. Crown.'' She never missed an opportunity to help those in her community who needed it. A walking act of kindness, Mrs. Jackson always had food to spare for those who couldn't afford it and prepared meals for local families in grief. She spread love throughout her life.

Mrs. Jackson's life was not without challenges. She will be joining her husband, Bernice, as well as her three late children, Danny Lee Jackson, Berdell Toliver Morales, and Jay Vance Jackson. She resiliently stood by their sides through the years.

In the time leading up to Mrs. Jackson's death, she was surrounded by the people that love her the most. Her granddaughters, Amber and Lowneka Calton, stayed by her side for weeks as she fell ill.

Mrs. Gazell Jackson leaves behind a big, beautiful family that will have their roots in Texas for generations to come. My condolences are with her 3 children, 10 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, 5 great- great grandchildren, as well as her devoted aunt, cousin, and all of her nieces, nephews, friends and extended family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Mrs. Gazelle Jackson of Grand Prairie, Texas. Mrs. Jackson was born on May 5, 1925, in Timpson, Texas. She was educated in New Prospect before attending Franklin Beauty College in Houston. There, she met her husband, the late Mr. Bernice Tolliver, Sr. In the 1950s, the couple settled in Grand Prairie, where they raised their six children and became pillars of the Dalworth Community.

Friends and family know Mrs. Jackson was the chief owner and operator of Crown's Barbeque for over 40 years, and she was known to friends and neighbors as ``Mrs. Crown.'' She never missed an opportunity to help those in her community who needed it. A walking act of kindness, Mrs. Jackson always had food to spare for those who couldn't afford it and prepared meals for local families in grief. She spread love throughout her life.

Mrs. Jackson's life was not without challenges. She will be joining her husband Bernice, as well as her 3 late children, Danny Lee Jackson, Berdell Tolliver Morales, and Jay Vance Jackson. She resiliently stood by their sides through the years.

In the time leading up to Mrs. Jackson's death, she was surrounded by the people that love her the most. Her granddaughters, Amber and Lowneka Calton, stayed by her side for weeks as she fell ill.

Mrs. Gazelle Jackson leaves behind a big, beautiful family that will have their roots in Texas for generations to come. My condolences are with her 3 children, 10 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, 5 great- great grandchildren, as well as her devoted aunt, cousin, and all of her nieces, nephews, friends and extended family.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to call attention to how Republicans' polluters energy package will do little of nothing to finally--and I have to censor my poster here, Mr. Chairman--fix the grid once and for all.

In February 2021, my own State of Texas had a catastrophic grid failure during a deadly winter storm that caused 246 deaths and left 5 million people in record cold temperatures without heat and businesses without power. Last summer, Texans again had to deal with the dangerous and unexpected generation failures that put further strain on our State's electric grid. These extreme weather events are not unique to Texas.

Despite these continued problems of grid resiliency, the Republican- led package we are voting on will do little of nothing to actually fix the grid.

It is, in fact, harmful. It is hyperpartisan. This package will make the grid less stable. We need to make investments in electric transmissions to meet our energy needs, create good-paying jobs, and have cleaner air to breathe.

This package will do little to address the lower energy costs for people across north Texas. Not only will it not help constituents pay their energy bills, but CBO estimates that this bill will actually increase the deficit over the 2023-2033 period by roughly $2.4 billion.

That is why I urge my Republican colleagues to stop putting polluters over people and meet us in the middle to pass a bipartisan, comprehensive solution that bolsters our Nation's energy independence, helps the middle class, and finally fixes the grid.

Fix the grid, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida and the gentleman from Illinois for putting together this Special Order hour to talk about something that is very important, and that is voting rights in this country.

On the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, that happened in Selma, Alabama, 58 years ago, a group of courageous civil rights activists were brutally attacked on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in that city as they marched against legalized segregation, legalized apartheid in America, and voter suppression. One of these activists who was beaten within an inch of his life was our friend and late colleague John Lewis.

Now, nearly six decades later, I am very sad to report to you that a lot of these attacks are starting to take place again, but in a different type of a way, because people are clever. You heard Lee Atwater, on his deathbed, say that if you say it that way, people will stop listening to you, so you have got to say it this way. So people have become very clever about how they unveil these attacks on people's voting rights.

I want to start in my home State of Texas. You know, something interesting, after the Voting Rights Act was passed, for decades, we were probably the leaders when it came to expanding voting rights for citizens in the State of Texas. We had a very generous early vote period; a very generous vote-by-mail period; easy to be able to register to vote; felons could vote after they were no longer, as they say, on paper; and it was a place that enfranchised lots of people.

But now, the right to vote in Texas is under attack. There are six bills in the State of Texas that are moving through the legislature. One is trying to make it illegal for people to vote on college campuses, where election officials can't hold elections on college campuses. That is how crazy and desperate this has gotten. I will talk about that cleverness and how people try to say things a little bit differently because they know if they just blurt it outright that they will just get completely taken to task on that.

So in my home county of Tarrant County, where Fort Worth is located, our county judge and district attorney had a press conference a few weeks ago and said that they were going to use taxpayer dollars to create a voter integrity employee, to presumably try to find someone Black or Hispanic that they could hold up and showcase as committing voter fraud. That is how crazy it has gotten, that people would actually be so desperate that they want to try to find somebody that they can hold up as a political ploy to try and further advance their careers. It is crazy, it is unjust, and we can't let this happen.

Sadly, Republican-led States across our Nation are following Texas' dangerous lead.

That is the reason why I founded the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus. As a Member of the Congressional Black Caucus, I urge us to do everything we can to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and get it signed into law. Because I have got to tell you, this cleverness that is happening right now, it is just going to continue to increase and increase and increase. People are going to say: No, no, no, that doesn't mean that; you can't compare it to then. But like Lee Atwater said, you have to change the wording, because if you don't, people will stop listening to you. That is what is happening now.

We have got to do everything we can to make sure that all Americans, not just people that are going to support us, because that is what we are fighting right now in Europe is that sort of crazy thought. We need everybody, people that are going to be for us and against us, to have the right to vote in this country, because that is what our Constitution is all about.

If you really believe in that, then you will uphold the right of all Americans to be able to exercise their suffrage in this country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Roosevelt Burrell, Jr. of Fort Worth. Roosevelt was born on April 18, 1927, and used his life to become a pillar of his family and our community. He was the patriarch of a family of six brothers and one sister, and in 1948 he and his beloved wife, Pearlie, moved to Fort Worth's ``Northside'' and then shortly thereafter grounded their family in the Lake Como Community.

Roosevelt was passionate about his family, church, and our community. He was a self-made business legend and leader in the Lake Como community. As a businessman, he ran successful ventures from Roosevelt Burrell Jr. and Son Construction Company Inc., building homes for HUD to statewide highway construction projects and Metroplexwide mechanized power washing contracts through Cowtown Traffic Control, Inc. Roosevelt's entrepreneurial spirit helped contribute to the growth and development of the state of Texas and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. His business ventures evoked a sense of pride in the Black community when everyone would admire the success he had achieved when they saw his company employees operate their vehicles in downtown and other key areas in Fort Worth. Even with his massive successes, Roosevelt stayed grounded and respected on Helmick Ave in the venerable Lake Como neighborhood. His business ventures evoked a sense of pride in the Black community when everyone would admire the success he had achieved when they saw his company employees operate their vehicles in downtown and other key areas in Fort Worth. Even with his massive successes, Roosevelt stayed grounded and respected on Helmick Ave in the venerable Lake Como neighborhood.

Roosevelt also bravely served our country as a WWII Navy Veteran and was a man of faith, serving as a deacon and finance manager at his church for over 50 years. My condolences are with the 1 sibling, his 3 children, 5 grandkids, and 14 greatgrandchildren that he is survived by.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of James Thomas Wilbun of Fort Worth, Texas.

Born November 7, 1918, in Hope, Arkansas. Mr. Wilbun grew up there where he obtained his education, including agriculture school. A dedicated veteran, Mr. Wilbun served in the United States military during World War II. For his service, he was given a number of honors, including recognition at the World War II museums in Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Los Angeles, and a ceremony that I was able to attend for him several years ago in Fort Worth.

Following his career in the military, he built a career as a landscaper and also served with the Fort Worth Independent School District until he retired.

A great listener and a happy man, Mr. Wilbun loved gardening, listening to gospel music, going to church, laughing, and he was an avid fan of the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys.

But most of all, he loved spending time with his friends, family, children, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, along with a host of other relatives.

I want to end by commemorating Mr. Wilbun for 104 years on this Earth, and to his service to the city of Fort Worth and our independent school district.

Madam Speaker, our prayers go out to all of his loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, in October of 2019, on the south side of Fort Worth, Texas, on East Allen Avenue, Atatiana Jefferson, a young Black woman, who was inside of her home playing video games with her nephew, was killed by a police officer--again, inside of her home.

This week, we are witnessing the trial of that police officer, and the Black community in Fort Worth is obviously watching this trial very closely.

Mr. Speaker, for far too long, when these killings have taken place, people have not been held accountable by our court system, and rightfully so. People in Fort Worth, again, particularly in the Black community, want to see justice in this case; because let's be clear, these killings are too much of a reality in Black and Brown communities all across our country. We want justice, we demand justice, and we want justice now.

Mr. Speaker, we are going to be watching this case very closely. I pray for this family and pray for the right outcome for Atatiana Jefferson. She deserves justice.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Officer Brandon Tsai. He was a brave member of the Grand Prairie Police Department, and he died in the line of duty this past week.

Officer Tsai bravely protected the people of north Texas and the city of Grand Prairie since January of this year, after serving 5 years with the Los Angeles Police Department.

The Grand Prairie Police Department described Officer Tsai as a loving friend, a trusted colleague, and outstanding officer whose passion provided service to the public.

I join the entire north Texas community and all of his brothers and sisters in blue in all of the metroplex departments in keeping Officer Brandon Tsai's family, friends, and all of his colleagues at the city of Grand Prairie in our thoughts and prayers during this time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Elizabeth Sawin-Burky. Liz was born on October 24, 1942, in Mineral Wells, Texas, to the union of Reverend Dr. and Mrs. R.M. English. She was the second of nine children.

Liz moved to Fort Worth after her father accepted a preaching appointment. She attended Como High School and bravely served her country in the U.S. Air Force after graduation.

Liz then went on to work as a senior secretary in the Humanities division at Tarrant County College for over 25 years. She also served as the Sunday School superintendent and Youth Department leader in the Women's Ministry and Vacation Bible School at West Mount Moriah, where she was a faithful member and sat in the same row and seat at services for many years. Liz had an incredible sense of humor that was always used well through her storytelling abilities and gatherings with family and friends. Liz is best remembered as a pillar in her family, where she was a loving mother, sister, grandmother, aunt, and so much more.

Liz is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Terrence Michael Butler and Juli Lynn Butler, and her siblings, Doris Theresa ``San Dei'' English, Eva Carolyn English-Clay, Constance Grace English Cash, Rubye DeiGratia ``Charlie'' English-Carter and John Moses English; four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Liz was preceded in death by her daughter, Michelle Butler Thomas; her parents, Rev. R.M. and Ressie English; and three siblings, Robert James English, Joseph Hart Davis English, and Mary LlaBetta English Sowels. May she Rest in Peace.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and legacy of my good friend and community organizer, Mary Criss, of Fort Worth. Mary Criss was a mother, a wife, very organized in the community, and was blessed to have lived a wonderful life.

She was so into I.M. Terrell; loved the I.M. Terrell Association and being an alumnus and someone that was revered within that high school alumni association.

In addition to that, she also worked to organize her community and helped them get streetlights and stop signs put up in her Eastwood community and Stop Six; and was a longtime precinct chair and supporter of so many.

But more importantly than that, Mary Criss loved God and was a devout member of Beth Eden Baptist Church. Mary was married for over five decades to her husband, Carl, and raised her son, granddaughters, and loved watching her grandson after school.

She was a family woman and just loved her family intensely. She will be missed, not only by her family, but everyone in the community, the I.M. Terrell Alumni Association community, and everyone that knew Mary Criss.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Reverend Dr. B. R. Daniels, Sr. Daniels was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, pastor, and teacher best known for his service to the Beth-Eden Missionary Baptist Church community. After spending almost four years at the Saint John Baptist Church in Avalon, Texas, Reverend Daniels started his pastorate at Beth-Eden in December of 1972, there were 37 members on the roll and only 18 active members. Within a year, the church had grown to 196 congregants. After serving the church for a record-breaking 50 years, Beth-Eden Missionary Baptist Church included well over 400 members. The success of Beth-Eden Missionary Baptist Church testifies to the love Reverend Daniels poured into the community and the devotion with which they reciprocated. While he led the Church through years of prosperity, a 3.2 million dollar building program was completed. This exemplifies the long-lasting legacies he will leave for decades to come.

Not only was Reverend Daniels a man of love, but also a man of action. During his life, he held many positions on the local, state, and national levels. He served as Assistant Secretary of the Evangelistic Department of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. for four years, and for 15 years, he served as Moderator of the Northwestern District Baptist Association where he recently served as Vice Moderator. He also proudly served as President of the BM&E State Convention of Texas and retired from it in March 2022. Additionally, Reverend Daniels was Vice President-at-Large of the BM&E State Convention of Texas, a member of the Board of Directors of Southern Bible Institute and served on the Zoning Commission of the City of Fort Worth.

No one can truly know how many people's lives he touched with his daily doses of wisdom. This week, my district not only lost an extraordinarily talented pastor but, more importantly, we lost a truly good man who contributed so much to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the accomplishments of Angel Sanchez of Fort Worth, who recently represented Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School and made history by winning the State's first track and field medal with a gold in the 1600. Additionally, his accomplishments got him recognized as DFW's boys' track athlete of the week.

I am very proud of Angel for representing the city of Fort Worth at the State level, and I am proud of the entire Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School for all of their recent athletic accomplishments.

Last year, Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School's boys' soccer team headed to the State finals, making them the first-ever team in school history to make it to the State UIL championship in any sport.

Once again, Angel, and everyone at Diamond Hill, you should be proud of all of your accomplishments. Keep up the good work. Angel, I look forward to seeing you race in Portland.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Mike Smith, who was truly a pillar in the Fort Worth community. At 78 years old, Mike was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and was known as the unofficial mayor of Magnolia Avenue in Fort Worth.

Throughout his 55-year tenure, Mike baked over half a million pies, which put his restaurant, the Paris Coffee Shop, on the map. His pies were listed in USA Today, Bon Appetit magazine, and really known all around the world, but what really made Mike so special was the warmth and love that he showed everyone that walked into his coffee shop.

It didn't matter if you were from Rivercrest or Riverside. It didn't matter if you were from Whitehall Street in Eastwood in Fort Worth or if you were from Westover Hills, Mike made everyone feel welcome any time you came into the Paris Coffee Shop. His firm handshake, his hugs, his conversations were just absolutely unforgettable, and he will be deeply missed.

Just in addition to everything that he has done for the food community, the restaurant community in Fort Worth, we send prayers out to his entire network of friends and family.

Madam Speaker, I pose a few questions to my friends and colleagues on the other side of the aisle.

You certainly cannot be okay with criminals continuously being able to access guns.

You can't be okay with terrorists being able to buy guns.

You can't be okay with sociopaths continuing to buy guns.

You certainly can't be okay with what has happened in Uvalde; before that, Buffalo; what just happened in Tulsa, Sandy Hook, Parkland.

So if you are not okay with that, why the inaction? Why do you continue to prevent commonsense gun safety legislation that would stop sociopaths, terrorists, and criminals from obtaining weapons? Why don't you work with us to pass commonsense legislation that, in many cases, over 90 percent of the public supports?

So many gun owners that I have talked to all across north Texas, people that are on the opposite end of the political spectrum to me, tell me that they support this commonsense gun safety legislation.

You continue to show inaction to the American public. It is unacceptable. We have got to do better. We have an opportunity to get something done this time around, and it is about time. The American public is sick of seeing nothing occur every time one of these massacres takes place in our country.

Madam Speaker, I urge our Republican colleagues to work with us on passing legislation that is long overdue and that the public is asking for. We can't continue to watch this happen and do nothing. We need to take action.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Houston (Mrs. Fletcher) for putting this together because this is hugely important as we wind down Women's History Month.

I think about my first term here in Congress, and previous to serving in Congress I was in the State legislature. The Republicans in the Texas State legislature were always trying to tear down women's reproductive rights. It seemed like there was just an endless supply of bills that they had aimed at stripping away freedom from women across our State.

I was giving a speech out on the triangle and momentarily thought that I was back in Austin and accidentally referred to myself as State Representative Marc Veasey, just because when you think about D.C. and the various States that are here, you think about people being able to celebrate those sorts of freedoms.

We are fighting that battle not just in Austin but in D.C. and other States around the country. But today we are here to focus on Texas. Again, I just want to thank Lizzie Fletcher and the other women that are a part of the Texas delegation.

Madam Speaker, I also want to thank the female State representatives in the State of Texas that really have just fought fearlessly on this issue for so long now. This past regular legislative session so many of the women in the north Texas delegation, where I am from, were very poignant in making so many points about how S.B. 8, a sweeping anti- abortion law, was going to disproportionately impact low-income and women of color and minority communities.

Imagine just barely being able to get by; you may be on SNAP; you may be a single mother; you may find yourself trapped in a low-income job and trying to accumulate enough money to be

able to travel across State lines. You could have these services and get them done safely. It is sad to see us go back in time to where women were not able to have these services done safely. That is something that we have to continue to fight against, and that is why-- whatever it takes--we need to make sure that this bill one day is reversed.

Passing the Women's Health Protection Act would codify Roe v. Wade and ensure that people can have the freedom to make personal decisions. I think that is something that everybody--regardless if you are Democrat, Republican or Independent, whatever you may happen to be--you ought to have the choice to make personal decisions. It used to be something that Republicans used to value, and it is sad to see them backslide so much in this area.

We need to make sure that we protect equal access to abortion care everywhere because it is essential to social and economic participation, reproductive autonomy, and the right for people to determine their own lives.

One of the things that really doesn't get talked a lot about on this issue is just really the number of Republicans that are against any sort of birth control. I see them, they come to my town hall meetings. They don't like to talk about it because they know that most people overwhelmingly, Democrats and Republicans, are for birth control. You hear them, they come and they say, no, no, no, birth control is wrong.

We had a lawsuit filed in Fort Worth in Federal Court to try to stop people from being able to get birth control. People need to understand that this is a larger battle. Right now it is abortion access, but believe me, Republicans have their sights set on people not being able to have basic birth control, just basic contraceptions, and they are trying to make that harder and harder for people to get a hold of. It is a slippery slope.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Houston, Lizzie Fletcher, for leading this hour because it is hugely important.