Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of Kaye Frances Williams, formerly of Selma, Alabama--a childhood friend, outstanding lawyer, devoted wife, doting aunt, amazing sister, loving daughter and special friend to many.

Born on January 4, 1962, Kaye was the eldest daughter of the late Martha and Fred D. Williams, Jr. and the sister to my childhood best friend Kimberly Joyce Williams, whom I affectionately called ``Kimmie Jo''.

Every childhood memory I have includes the Williams family. I can still see that house in Lakewood and I will never forget that home telephone number. I am so grateful for the love and support I received from the Williams family. I spent so much time with them that I even called their parents Uncle Fred and T-Mart. I can still smell the aroma of their mother's homemade fried chicken--Colonel Sanders had nothing on T-Mart's chicken.

Kaye grew up a true ``Southern Belle'' from the most affluent African American family in the historic town of Selma, Alabama. The Williams were the epitome of black high society in Selma. The Williams family owned Black Selma--they were the premier florist, owning Fred's Flower and Gift Shop as well as JH Williams Funeral Home. They were the top educators, entrepreneurs, doctors and philanthropists. The Williams family had it ``goin on''. They even summered at Cape May--when black folks in Selma didn't even know Jersey had a shore.

Deprived of female siblings myself, Kim was my sister/BFF and Kaye was ``our big sister''. Kaye had it all--she was beautiful, smart, fun and talented--Kaye was the girl we all wanted to be.

Kaye Frances Williams was a trailblazer. She blazed the trail that so many of us in Selma aspired to follow. I set my own goals by the achievements of Kaye Williams. I wanted to be a debater because Kaye was the first black debater at Selma High School. I wanted to be in student government because Kaye was the first black President of the Selma

High Student Council. I wanted to be the valedictorian because Kaye graduated top of the Class of 1979 at Selma High and then attended Goucher College and Georgetown Law School. I wanted to be a securities lawyer because Kaye was a top lawyer at the Securities Exchange Commission. Like so many others, I spent my life trying to live up to Kaye's exceptionalism.

I will never forget the summer of 1984 when Kim and I, as college students, lived in Kaye's apartment and worked in Washington, DC while Kaye was a summer associate in a Los Angeles law firm. What a summer-- Kim and I knew we were truly grown--living in DC in our big sister's apartment with a car. Being a responsible elder, Kaye left us a list of ``Dos & Don'ts'' which we promptly ignored. What precious memories Kim and I made that summer--all because of Kaye. Those were the days.

Kaye emanated a bright light that blazed a path that will shine on in the lives of the many people she impacted. She was beloved by her family and she was the ``Best Aunt ever'' to Kim's children--McKenzie and Madison. Kaye met every challenge in life with the same fierce determination and indomitable spirit that helped her succeed in every endeavor she undertook. She graciously assumed the mantle of the matriarch of the Williams family when her parents died and she was the devoted caregiver to her loving husband Earl.

On December 7, 2016, that bright light dimmed far too soon. Kaye Williams had many more miles to go before she slept. Although Kaye will be missed by us all, let us find comfort in the fact that she will forever live in the hearts of so many people she nurtured, influenced, and affected. Kaye would not want us to mourn her but rather she would want us to celebrate the extraordinary life she led and be inspired by the example she set.

I know that I would not be Alabama's first black Congresswoman had Kaye Frances Williams not been my ``Big Sister''. My gratitude is immeasurable and I will seek to repay that debt by ensuring that the path she blazed in Selma, Alabama shall never be extinguished but will continue to light the way for the next generation of brilliant, beautiful and talented African American women.

On behalf of the 7th Congressional District, the State of Alabama and this nation, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the life and accomplishments of Kaye Frances Williams.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of Jimmie Lee Jackson.

Jimmie Lee Jackson was one of the foot soldiers who died to ensure that all Americans have the fundamental right to vote.

This 26-year-old Marion, Alabama, native was brutally killed at the hands of an Alabama State trooper on February 18, 1965, after attending a voting rights rally while trying to protect his mother and his 82- year-old grandfather.

The State trooper confronted the family at Mack's Cafe in Marion and shot Jimmie Lee Jackson at gunpoint range for simply shielding his family from the intimidation and retributions being carried out by law enforcement.

And to think that this occurred because of the audacity of this young man and his family to peacefully protest for their constitutional rights, which led to his brutal murder at the hands of law enforcement.

It was the senseless murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson that served as a catalyst for the voting rights movement in Selma, Alabama. Jimmie Lee Jackson deserves to have his proper place in American history as a true agent of change.

Likewise, the city of Marion is, rightly, the starting point of the historic road to voter equality that led marchers from Selma to Montgomery. I have sponsored efforts and look forward to the National Park Service adding the city of Marion to the historic trail from Selma to Montgomery.

The senseless killing of Jimmie Lee Jackson shocked the consciousness of the American public and galvanized local leaders to be even more resolved in their fight against the inequalities in voting.

Who was to blame for the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson? Dr. Martin Luther King professed, as he eulogized Jimmie Lee Jackson at his funeral, we are all to blame for his murder. Dr. King said it best:

A State trooper pointed the gun, but he did not act alone.

He was murdered by the brutality of every sheriff who

practices lawlessness in the name of law.

He was murdered by the irresponsibility of every

politician, from Governors on down, who has fed his

constituent the stale bread of hatred and the spoiled meat of

racism.

He was murdered by the timidity of a Federal Government

that would spend millions of dollars a day to keep troops in

South Vietnam and cannot protect the rights of its own

citizens seeking the right to vote.

He was murdered by the cowardice of every Negro who

passively accepts the evils of segregation and stands on the

sidelines in the struggle for justice.

Justice should be blind, Mr. Speaker, but in many cases it is not. Everyone knew who killed Jimmie Lee Jackson, but it wasn't until 40 years later, when Michael Jackson, Dallas County's first Black district attorney, reopened the investigation, that the wheels of justice slowly began to turn.

Yesterday, this august body unanimously passed H.R. 431, a bill that would award a Congressional Gold Medal to the foot soldiers who participated in Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, or the final march from Selma to Montgomery. It is past due, Mr. Speaker, that these brave men and women take their proper place as agents of change in American history.

While Jimmie Lee Jackson did not live to participate in the march from Selma to Montgomery, he was there in spirit. It was his spirit that gave strength to the weak, that gave courage to the scared, and that gave hope to the hopeless.

To his family, I say this Nation owes his family a debt of gratitude which we can never repay. My hope is that this national recognition of the significance of the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson will spur a renewed commitment in all of us to continue to fight for justice and equality for all.

We, the beneficiaries of that struggle, must continue his fight. We must continue to stand together. We must continue to be united in the fight for justice everywhere it is needed. Jimmie Lee Jackson did not stand on the sidelines waiting patiently for justice to come, nor should we.

Dr. King once said:

If you can't fly, then run. If you can't run, then walk. If

you can't walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to

keep moving forward.

We must continue to stand together because our greatest and biggest fights are yet to come. We still need Federal oversight to ensure that every eligible voter in these United States is able to cast their ballot and that every vote matters.

Jimmie Lee Jackson recognized the importance of the vote. He recognized the power of the ballot box. We owe it to ourselves and to the memory of Jimmie Lee Jackson to continue his fight.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 431 and yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan for joining me on the floor today to support H.R. 431. I have enjoyed our bipartisan working relationship on the House Financial Services Committee, and I am pleased today to share this debate time with him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 431, a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the foot soldiers who participated in Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, or the final Selma to Montgomery voting rights march in 1965.

March 7, 2015, will mark 50 years since the courageous foot soldiers of

the voting rights movement first attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery to protest the denial of their voting rights.

Led by our colleague John Lewis of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and Reverend Hosea Williams of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, these foot soldiers began the march towards the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery. They pledged to keep on walking until they secured the freedoms promised to them by the U.S. Constitution.

As they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, a wall of Alabama State troopers were waiting at the foot of the bridge. News stations from across the country televised the brutality that followed as foot soldiers like Hosea Williams; John Lewis; Amelia Boynton Robinson; Reverend F.D. Reese; Bob Nance of Lowndes County; Albert Turner, Sr., of Perry County; and so many others were attacked on Edmund Pettus Bridge on what has become known as Bloody Sunday.

The journey of the foot soldiers we honor today was not an easy one. They were discriminated by Whites and ostracized by Blacks who were afraid to join them, but still, they persevered because they could no longer bear the burdens of second-class citizenship.

The president of the Dallas County Voters League, Reverend F.D. Reese, wasn't going to let nobody turn him around, he told me. He said that given the conditions that existed in Selma and the South at that time, he wanted to make sure that things were different.

He was willing to do whatever was necessary to ensure that people--no matter their race, color, or creed--would have the right to vote.

He said:

The Lord gave us determination to keep moving forward. We

were determined to let the Lord lead us and direct us so that

all people, regardless of their color, would have access to

the political process.

He went on:

We were not at all afraid because we were determined that

whatever it took, even if it meant our lives, we were going

to move Alabama and the States and this Nation forward.

Amelia Boynton Robinson literally felt the blows of injustice as she was beaten on the bridge by Alabama State troopers and left for dead. Amelia's will and dignity suffered no damage, but it made her more resolved than ever to continue the fight for equal voting rights.

Two days after Bloody Sunday, over 2,500 foot soldiers, heeding the call from Dr. Martin Luther King, came to Selma to join the marchers. On March 9, 1965, led by Dr. King and Reverend Ralph Abernathy and many clergy from across this Nation, the foot soldiers once again left from the historic Brown Chapel AME Church and walked to the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Dr. King stopped at the top of the bridge while a sea of State troopers stepped aside. On bended knees, Dr. King began to pray as the thousands of marchers joined him. As if moved by the spirit, Dr. King turned around and walked back to the church. Tuesday was not to be the day to complete the 54-mile journey. The second march attempt was known as Turnaround Tuesday.

The fight for voting rights was fought both in the streets and in the courtrooms. Attorney Fred Gray helped pave the way for the final Selma to Montgomery march. He was a member of the legal team that represented Hosea Williams, John Lewis, and Amelia Boynton Robinson in Williams v. Wallace.

Because of his work and the courage of an Alabama Federal judge, Federal Judge Frank Johnson ruled that the foot soldiers had a First Amendment right to petition the government through peaceful protest and ordered Federal agents to provide full protection to the foot soldiers during the Selma to Montgomery March.

Under court order, the U.S. Army, the federalized Alabama National Guard, and countless Federal agencies and marshals escorted more than 8,000 foot soldiers on March 21, 1965, as these brave men and women began their historic 54-mile journey from Selma to the steps of the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama.

The extraordinary bravery and sacrifices these foot soldiers displayed in pursuit of a peaceful march from Selma to Montgomery brought national attention to the struggle for equal voting rights and served as a catalyst for Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which President Lyndon Johnson signed into law on August 6, 1965.

Mr. Speaker, as Alabama's first Black Congresswoman, I know that the journey that I now take was only made possible because of the courage and bravery of the foot soldiers of the voting rights movement.

As a proud native of Selma and the U.S. Representative who now represents Selma and parts of Montgomery, I am the direct beneficiary of their sacrifice.

During this 50th commemoration of the voting rights movement and the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it is befitting that this august body would bestow upon the foot soldiers of the voting rights movement our highest civilian honor, a Congressional Gold Medal, for their valor and determination in relentlessly pursuing the promise of our great Constitution, that all men and women were indeed created equal.

I am proud to be joined by my colleague Martha Roby and the entire Alabama congressional delegation--Representatives Aderholt, Rogers, Brooks, Byrne, and Palmer--as original cosponsors of this Congressional Gold Medal bill.

I want to thank the more than 300 colleagues who also signed on to the bill and a special thanks to the leadership of both parties-- Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader McCarthy, Minority Leader Pelosi, and Whip Hoyer--for their support in getting this legislation on the floor today.

This would not have been possible without the help and support of Chairman Hensarling and Ranking Member Waters of the House Committee on Financial Services.

To the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Huizenga), thank you. It is an honor to stand with you today to pay tribute to the foot soldiers of the voting rights movement.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 431, a bill that honors the foot soldiers who participated in Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, and the final march from Selma to Montgomery with a Congressional Gold Medal, which is Congress' highest civilian honor. I hope this medal serves as a powerful reminder of the many sacrifices that were made.

They say that the price of freedom is never free. Well, the foot soldiers of the voting rights movement paid the ultimate price so that this Nation could live up to the ideals of equality and justice for all. This Nation should never forget those who marched, prayed, and died in the pursuit of civil rights, voting rights, and social change.

I urge my colleagues to join us in voting in favor of H.R. 431.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from North Carolina (Ms. Adams).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from California, Nancy Pelosi, the honorable minority leader.

Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding us the time. I want to thank him for the opportunity to allow the members of the Congressional Black Caucus to speak out on this important bill.

Right now, I have the honor to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland, Steny Hoyer, the honorable minority whip.

I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, how many more minutes do I have remaining?

At this time, I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlelady from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

I yield the gentlewoman an additional 15 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah).

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

Mr. Speaker, voting is the most fundamental right that we share as Americans. The foot soldiers who dared to march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the face of extreme racial hostility did so in the spirit of equality. We should never forget the sacrifices they made so that this Nation could live up to the ideals of equality and justice for all.

While we can never repay these foot soldiers for the sacrifices that they made, we can offer a down payment by continuing to fight against injustice wherever it exists. For as Dr. King so eloquently noted, ``Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.''

May we be moved by the valor and determination of these foot soldiers to stomp out modern-day inequities in the name of justice. The foot soldiers of the voting rights movement set forth a powerful precedent for all of us to follow.

Whenever the rights of any one man have been denied, the rights of all are in danger. The price of freedom, as has been said before, is not free. The foot soldiers paid the ultimate price to ensure equal voting rights for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud that over 300 of my colleagues in Congress-- both Democrats and Republicans--have agreed to cosponsor this bill. I am proud that my colleague from Alabama Senator Sessions and Senator Booker will introduce this bill on the Senate side today.

I am humbled by the strong bipartisan support of this bill, and I would like to thank Representative Martha Roby and all of the members of the Alabama delegation for standing with me in support of this bill.

Today, I am especially proud to be from Alabama. I invite my colleagues, Republican and Democrat, and all Americans, to come to Selma during the first week of March to witness living history. You, too, can witness living history.

The city of Selma and the jubilee group will be doing a host of activities all week long. Of course, the commemorative march itself will be on Sunday, March 8, as well as our President will be speaking to us in Selma on March 7.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 431. I believe that bestowing the Congressional Gold Medal to the foot soldiers of the voting rights movement is a strong reminder of the power of ordinary Americans to collectively achieve extraordinary, extraordinary social change.

I want to again thank the gentleman from Michigan for sharing with me this wonderful 40 minutes of debate. I want you to know that it is one of the highlights of my life to have the opportunity to bestow this Congressional Gold Medal to the foot soldiers of the voting rights movement.

As a proud daughter of Selma and the Representative of Selma, Montgomery, Birmingham, and Tuscaloosa, I want you to know that those of us who are the direct beneficiaries of the movement, Black and White, we owe a debt of gratitude that we can never repay.

Today goes a long way in acknowledging those unsung and noted heroes like John Lewis, but there are so many, so many, that are in our midst, in our communities, that gave that sacrifice. Today, we honor them, the foot soldiers of the voting rights movement.

I want to say again to all of my colleagues: I hope that you will take seriously this bill and what its significance is to America.

I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan for sharing this time with me, and I want to thank the leadership of both parties for putting this bill on the floor in such a timely manner, so that we can get it on the President's desk before the March 7 and 8 wonderful, wonderful celebration.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank all of you for being here, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 431, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud the CBC for this Special Order hour, and I commend my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) and my colleague from Illinois (Ms. Kelly) for choosing such a great topic for tonight's Special Order hour.

Selma, Lord, Selma. I have the great pleasure of standing before you not only as a Representative who represents the great city of Selma but as a native of Selma, Alabama, and a lifelong member of the historic Brown Chapel AME Church.

I know that the journey I now take, the journey that many others who are here today take, was only made possible because of the courage, fortitude, and determination of those brave men and women on that bridge, Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965.

We who have the privilege and honor of taking this journey must ask ourselves: What will we do to extend the legacy? What will we do to protect the legacy?

Selma is the soul of America. It is the place where the struggle for civil rights and voting rights began, the epicenter, if you will, of the voting rights movement.

It deserves to be more than just a footnote in the history books. It deserves to take up chapters in the history books, the tactical and strategic voices of Martin Luther King and those brave men and women of SCLC and SNCC that had the fortitude and had the intellect to see this as a strategy, to know that they were speaking not only for themselves and their children, but for future generations.

Only a true visionary could defeat such opposition with little more than a dream, and Dr. King held so tightly to his that it forced our country to become a more equal and just nation.

Some want to forget the painful past. I know many in my district and many in my city would like to forget our painful past, but we cannot turn the pages as if certain chapters were never written; nor can we celebrate how far we have come without first acknowledging where we have been. Bloody Sunday forced America to confront its own inhumanity. Our painful past has ushered in a new day.

As I tell my constituents, out of our painful past came the birth of a movement that changed a nation, and from that movement came a human rights movement that changed a world. If we don't write our own history, others will tell it for us, and they may not be so kind, they may not tell our history the way we would tell our history.

My father grew up in Selma, as did I, and the Selma of my childhood was very, very different than the Selma of my father's childhood. There has been progress. My father went to segregated schools in Selma. My father drank from ``colored only'' fountains in Selma. My father's mother never got the chance to vote, though she tried to register several times.

The Selma that I grew up in had an integrated public high school, a public high school that was 55 percent African American and 45 percent White. Yes, across town, there was an all-White private school.

I want you to know that the Selma I grew up in, in the seventies and eighties, it produced me as its first Black valedictorian of Selma High School. I know that Selma and the journey that we all take now because of Selma was only made possible because of the bravery of others.

As I stood to give my speech as a valedictorian in 1982 at Selma High School, I remember standing up and saying:

Maybe one day I could join the likes of a Charlie Rangel,

of a John Lewis, in the House of Congress.

I said it as a pious, overly confident teenager probably, but I said it with every vigor because I believed in my heart that I could be and do anything. Why? Because the people of that community nurtured me, Black and White, my teachers, my Girl Scout troop leaders, my Sunday school teachers.

Yes, I had proud parents who were educators, educated at Alabama State University, and because of their education at this wonderful quality institution of higher learning, I had a chance to go to Princeton--but I had more than that. I had an obligation to give back, to make sure that others had an opportunity to walk through those same doors. It wasn't enough to be the first.

In fact, I was most proud 5 years after I graduated from Princeton that April Williams from Selma High School got to go to Princeton. I must have done something right.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 would have never been possible had it not been for the intellect, the mind of these wonderful leaders, some known. All of us know about the contributions of our colleague, John Lewis; all of us know about the contributions of the SCLC, Andy Young, and Martin Luther King.

Some unknown, like my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Richie Jean Jackson, she was featured in the movie ``Selma'' because it was her home, the home that she shared with Dr. Jackson, the first Black dentist in Selma, that housed Martin Luther King and Andrew Young and all those leaders every time they came to Selma because they couldn't stay at the all-White hotel.

Mrs. Jackson was my sixth grade teacher. Mrs. Jackson did not live to see the movie ``Selma,'' but I am proud that this body is seeking to provide a Congressional Gold Medal to the foot soldiers of the movement, so that the Richie Jacksons, Mrs. Jacksons of the world, who had the bravery to go and be on that bridge Bloody Sunday or Turnaround Tuesday or the ultimate final march from Selma to Montgomery, that they are acknowledged by this Nation for the sacrifices that they made.

In closing, I want to remind my colleagues of my guest at the State of the Union, January 20, 2015. My special guest was the 103-year-old Amelia Boynton.

Amelia Boynton was characterized in the movie ``Selma'' as the proud African American woman who told Coretta Scott King:

You are prepared. You are the descendants of kings and

queens. Your heritage is one and your bloodline is one that

survived slave ships. You are prepared.

Amelia Boynton is known for her bravery that Bloody Sunday when she was bludgeoned, but she came back 2 days later on Turnaround Tuesday and continued to fight in Selma long after this march from Selma to Montgomery.

She honored us with her presence, and as person after person came up to her and kissed her on the cheek and said, ``Miss Boynton, I stand on your shoulders today, thank you,'' Miss Boynton said something very poignant. She said, ``Everybody keeps talking about being on my shoulders. I tell them, Get off my shoulders, do your own work, there is plenty of work to be done.'' I want to remind my colleagues that there is plenty of work for us still to do.

I want to honor the legacy of Amelia Boynton, F.D. Reese, John Lewis, and so many; but we cannot honor their legacy without acknowledging that the Voting Rights Act of 1965, major sections of it, have been invalidated.

We owe it to that legacy, the legacy and memory of those who fought so valiantly, that this body should once again work together to make sure that Federal protections are there because, as we know, progress is always elusive, all battles become new again, and there is a renewed assault on voting.

It may not be counting how many jelly beans are in a jar or how many county judges there are in the State of Alabama; but, nevertheless, we still have modern-day barriers to voting that we must overcome.

I hope that we have the courage of our own convictions to see the movie ``Selma'' as a beginning of a national conversation about how we can continue to recommit ourselves to the ideals that were fought on that Bloody Sunday. I know that if we combined our hearts and our minds, both sides of the aisle will see that it is in everyone's best interest that all Americans have the right to vote.

I thank my colleagues of the CBC for having this Special Order hour. I invite all of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to come to Selma, to experience the living history, and I hope that we will all come away from the 50th commemoration of the march from Selma to Montgomery with a renewed vigor to once again provide Federal protection for all Americans to exercise that sacred right to vote.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement in the Record that the House should vote for bigger paychecks and better infrastructure instead of constantly attacking women's access to health care.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of our Nation's continued safety and national security. Recent world events vividly remind us of the importance of supporting and maintaining a strong and robust homeland security policy.

Today, we are going to vote on H.R. 240, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, and it provides for critical, important funding to the Department, including vital support for essential law enforcement activities and programs.

I had hoped that my Republican colleagues would bring this bill, a clean bill, to the floor; instead, we have more politics as usual. A bill that would actually be signed into law by the President is what this country needs; however, what we have is not that case today.

It is unfortunate and extremely upsetting that the Republicans are now threatening to shut down the Department of Homeland Security, endangering the security of our entire country and appeasing the most extreme anti-immigration reform fringes of their party.

This is simply politics over country and should not be a part of the debate surrounding our critically important appropriations bills for Homeland Security.

The five amendments that the Republicans plan to attach to the bipartisan Homeland Security bill represent some of the most extreme anti-immigration legislation.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reject these amendments, reject this partisan gamesmanship that threatens our national security, and call on the majority to vote on and pass the original version of H.R. 240.

Amendment XX:

Section 1:

``The terms of the President and the Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin.''

Mr. Speaker, today I rise with my colleagues to pay tribute to the indelible mark my colleague and friend Representative Marcia Fudge has had on the Congressional Black Caucus during her time as our chairwoman in the 113th Congress.

She has been an outstanding chairwoman to the Congressional Black Caucus and I have been honored to serve under her fine leadership. As the true embodiment of the ``conscience of the Congress,'' Chairwoman Fudge has been a tireless champion for blue-collar workers, food stamp recipients, students, and communities of color. She has also been a staunch advocate for voter protection, job creation, and fair housing. As a dedicated public servant, she has continuously represented the needs of both her constituents and underrepresented Americans across this country.

Under Chairwoman Fudge's leadership, 14 members of the Congressional Black Caucus traveled to my district in September 2013 to honor the lives of the four little girls killed in the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. She has also traveled to my hometown of Selma on multiple occasions to commemorate the Selma-to-Montgomery March and Bloody Sunday.

On a personal note, Chairwoman Fudge has and continues to serve as a great friend and mentor to me. I am inspired by her work ethic, problem solving spirit, and remarkable insight and knowledge. With these qualities and more, she has proven to be invaluable to not only the Congressional Black Caucus, but to the Congress as a whole.

Mr. Speaker, Chairwoman Fudge has led the Congressional Black Caucus with great character and an unwavering commitment to ensuring that all Americans are given equal opportunities to reach their full potential. Thank you, Chairwoman Fudge for your service and astute leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit an explanation for my absence during legislative business on the evening of Monday, September 8 and Tuesday, September 9. On these two days, I was in my district hosting the United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julian Castro during their visit to the 7th Congressional District of Alabama. I hosted Secretary Duncan for a stop in Birmingham on his 5th Annual Back-to-School Bus Tour. We met with community leaders, educators, parents, and other education advocates in Alabama to showcase reforms and investments the Department has made in Birmingham and across the State of Alabama. Secretary Castro joined me on his first visit to the 7th District since being sworn in as the HUD Secretary. During their visit, the cabinet secretaries and I participated in a ``My Brother's Keeper'' panel discussion at Phillips Academy which was attended by community leaders, educators, and many bright young students from throughout Birmingham.

Considered and passed by the House during my absence was H. Res. 644, a resolution condemning President Obama for the exchange of five Guantanamo Bay prisoners for the release of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl. I would like to state for the record that I supported President Obama's decision to act swiftly and exercise his constitutional responsibility as Commander-in-Chief to protect the lives of U.S. service members. Furthermore, I agree with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who unanimously supported the exchange, along with Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. The United States has a sacred obligation when sending our service men and women onto the field of battle with the assurance that we will honor their sacrifice by leaving no one behind. Army General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, said the swap was ``likely our last, best opportunity'' to free Sergeant Bergdahl.

The timing of this condemnation was also particularly poor. The debate and vote coincided with a meeting in which the President discussed his strategy to confront ISIS with House and Senate leaders at the White House and a day before his address to the nation. At a time when the President needs Congressional support in rallying international support to combat the rising threat of Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, I believe the timing of this vote was counter to our national interests. I am disappointed that House Republicans chose such inappropriate timing to conduct their political gamesmanship.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the urgent need for 24 States to expand Medicaid for the 5.7 million Americans who fall into the Medicaid gap.

Among those excluded are 435,000 cashiers, 341,000 cooks, and 253,000 nurses' aides. These hardworking Americans should not have to choose between groceries and medicine or between rent and a doctor's visit.

On behalf of all Alabamians, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to my colleagues, Representatives Butterfield and Johnson, for heading up the State Medicaid Expansion Caucus, of which I am a proud member.

It is painfully unsettling that the 24 States not expanding Medicaid are the very States where the concentration of those living in poverty and without health care is the most acute. The 24 States that have rejected Medicaid expansion are home to over half of the Nation's population, but 68 percent of the poor, uninsured, Blacks, and single mothers. These constituents have the highest burden of illness and costs to our entire health care system.

The 235,000 Alabamians and 5.7 million Americans who fall in the coverage gap are our most vulnerable citizens. About 60 percent of the Nation's uninsured working poor live in these 24 States.

These individuals pay their taxes, they work hard, and they contribute to our community. Our government should support them in return. To not expand Medicaid for these hardworking Americans is reckless disregard for their dramatic needs and their important work that they do in our community.

Expanding Medicaid is not only a moral imperative, but an economic imperative as well. There is not a State in the country that will benefit from its refusal to accept Federal dollars provided to them to expand their Medicaid program.

Alabamians need jobs, and they need health care. Without raising a cent in taxes, my Governor and State leaders can achieve both job creation and health care coverage by expanding Medicaid.

The facts are clear. There is not an economic development investment in Alabama's history that would provide the State with 35,000 new jobs like Medicaid expansion would. Our State leaders cannot be honest with their constituents in arguing that they are interested in economic development while turning down $375 million a quarter.

In the State of Alabama, the income ceiling for Medicaid in its current form for a family of three is $3,560 annually. That is less than $10 a day for a family of three. This is the lowest Medicaid income ceiling in the country. So families that earn a mere $15 a day are left behind when it comes to being able to afford access to affordable health care.

While I understand the political realities in which we operate and in which my Governor operates, I do not understand the shameful neglect of our most vulnerable constituents, our rural hospitals, and our fragile economy that is presented in our State's refusal to accept Medicaid expansion.

Our most sacred responsibility to serve our constituents shall not be examined and instituted through such a dangerous partisan lens. With each day that my State of Alabama delays expansion, more of our constituents are unable to work due to unrelated health conditions.

Americans who are both impoverished and sick should not have to wait one more day while our State leaders play political football with this urgent issue.

This is why I am so proud to stand with my colleagues in the State Medicaid Expansion Caucus today in sending a clear message to our State leaders that enough is enough. We need to expand Medicaid now for every State in the Union.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to denounce the baseless, misguided, and partisan lawsuit that our Republican colleagues have brought to the floor for a vote today. This lawsuit is just a continuance of the outright disrespect and disdain that the House Republicans have given President Barack Obama since he was elected.

While millions of Americans are waiting for Congress to renew emergency unemployment insurance and raise the minimum wage, we are here debating a senseless lawsuit. I am disappointed by the shameful partisan politics that is being played.

In contrast, I am proud of the work that we are doing as House Democrats trying to put the American people first with our Make It In America agenda and working to jump-start the middle class. With a long laundry list of things we need to get done, it is time to promote the people's business, not our political parties' business.

Enough is enough. With only 2 days left before our 5-week recess, we need

to be doing the business of the American people, not the business of our political parties.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to stand with my colleagues in sending a clear message that we will not tolerate the hateful terrorism and deplorable actions of Boko Haram. The denial of respect for human life with which this group operates is deplorable.

I am honored to stand with my dear friend and colleague from Florida, Frederica Wilson, and I admire her and honor her for her tenacious pursuit of justice for the 300 Nigerian girls that were captured by Boko Haram 3 months ago. We stand in solidarity with these girls, their families, and every other victim of this hateful group's wrath.

As the days turn into weeks, the weeks into months, and the months have now turned into 3 long months, the international outcry has faded. But make no mistake about it, these girls are still captive, and they are still lost, and they are still suffering.

Dr. King taught us that ``injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'' These girls are our daughters. We must continue to galvanize pressure to obtain freedom of the kidnapped girls and remain ever-vigilant. We must bring back our girls.

I want to thank the gentleman from my home State of Alabama for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my colleague's amendment to prohibit funding in the underlying bill from being used to reinstall the Red Mountain sculpture on the plaza of the Hugo Black Federal courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama.

Despite the security concerns shared by both the United States marshal and the chief justice, Karen Bowdre, the GSA has planned to reinstall the sculpture. Both Chief Justice Bowdre and Marshal Keely believe that the sculpture is nonessential and will pose a serious security risk if reinstalled.

Chief Justice Bowdre noted, in correspondence to GSA, that the location of the statue will be roughly 10 to 12 feet from the only public entrance door, which is completely made of glass and, further, that the monument would create a fatal funnel where someone could hide behind the statue and possibly not be seen and cause a security risk.

Federal law clearly states that the United States marshals have the final authority regarding the security requirements for the judicial branch of the Federal Government. The Administrative Office of the United States Court has also agreed with the chief justice and the U.S. marshal that the final authority over these matters should lie with the U.S. marshal.

If the marshal and the chief justice believe that putting the sculpture back could threaten the safety of our court, then GSA should follow the law and not put the monument back up. Unfortunately, GSA is ignoring the concerns of the court and has plans to reinstall the statue.

Now, while I am a steadfast supporter of the arts, I also believe that the safety of our courts and the citizens must come first. This amendment simply reinforces that GSA must follow the law by prohibiting the reinstallation of the sculpture at the Birmingham, Alabama, Federal courthouse.

I want to thank my friend, Congressman Spencer Bachus from Alabama, for introducing this bipartisan amendment and urge my colleagues to join me in support of it.

Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of the Fiscal Year 2014 Intelligence Authorization Act. The annual authorization act is the most substantial oversight mechanism Congress has over the intelligence community.

Most of the work within the intelligence community and our work on the Intelligence Committee happen behind closed doors and, therefore, far from the television cameras. Let me assure you, though, just because C-SPAN is not in the room when we have our regular meetings and hearings does not mean there is a lack of opinion, discussion, and debate.

There is rigorous back and forth about the necessity and the necessary number of core contractors within the intelligence community, how to best exploit and preserve the documents from the Osama bin Laden raid, and the appropriate ways to respond to unauthorized public disclosure of covert actions.

We ask hard questions in this committee of our witnesses. We read and study legal authorities for U.S. engagement around the world and ensure that the intelligence professionals tasked with protecting America not only have the tools they need to do their jobs, but are held accountable for their actions.

Director Clapper said recently that ``at the heart of our work is our people.'' This bill makes some important changes in the workforce of the intelligence community. It requires the Director of National Intelligence to ensure that contractors have in place security measures consistent with the DNI standards for intelligence community networks.

It requires the DNI to ensure insider threat capabilities of the IC apply to contractors. The bill also requires the DNI to submit a strategic plan for improving the process of reinvestigation, so those individuals who have security clearance are interviewed on a routine basis, to ensure they continue to uphold the standards and requirements necessary to access classified information.

On a final note about the workforce of the intelligence community, Director Clapper continued, ``A diverse workforce is critical to the mission success.''

He is right. The threats America faces are complex, ranging from proliferation of nuclear weapons to terrorism, to Russian plans and intentions. We need people who understand all cultures and backgrounds and who can use their unique experience for creative solutions.

The IC has made some progress on diversity. Minority representation in the largest intelligence agencies increased to 24 percent in 2013; yet there is still work to be done.

Recently, the CIA released an unclassified report on women in leadership and found that women in the CIA who sought greater responsibility were hindered by organizational and societal challenges.

Indeed, throughout the major intelligence agencies, female hiring has remained below 40 percent for the fourth consecutive year. Women made up 51 percent of the general population in 2013, but only 39 percent of the workforce in the IC community.

In addition, the percentage of female managers was only 35.5 percent. CIA is reviewing the situation of its minority and women officers, and I commend that initiative, and I strongly urge other agencies within the IC to do the same.

This bill and the IC's efforts are good steps in the right direction. However, we have to stay in stride and look for efforts to create a more inclusive, equitable, and diverse workforce.

Going forward, I hope to look at the status of women and minority workers throughout the IC and how to increase their management ranks. Our workforce is our greatest asset and our greatest strength.

There are many parts of this bill which cannot be discussed on the floor. The United States keeps secrets for a reason. However, let me say that the intelligence professionals at each of the 16 IC agencies go to work every day to do their jobs, keep America number one, and to protect the homeland.

I want to commend Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Ruppersberger for their leadership on the Intel Committee. It was a committee assignment that I was not sure I wanted to accept at first, but I know how important our national security is.

I want to thank your staff, Mr. Chairman, and the ranking member's staff for helping new members come up to speed. Indeed, what we do here is so critically important. The Fiscal Year 2014 Intelligence Authorization is a good bill. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life and legacy of Birmingham Fire and Rescue Chief Ivor J. Brooks who passed away on Wednesday May 28. As we mourn his untimely passing, I am comforted in knowing that his legacy of exemplary public service will bring peace to those affected by this tremendous loss to the State of Alabama.

Chief Brooks was sworn into the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service Department on May 3, 1982. His illustrious career as a first responder would span more than 30 years. Throughout his tenure, he distinguished himself as a servant leader who worked his way up the ranks of the department. He was appointed the 20th fire chief of the city of Birmingham on November 14, 2007 after 26 years on the job.

This nationally recognized first responder was trained at the National Fire Academy in Maryland and the U.S. Department of Justice Weapons of Mass Destruction Training Facility of Incident Commanders. He also attended the Alabama Fire College, completed the Personnel Standards Commission, and the Fire Chief's Executive Development Program. Prior to being named fire chief, he served as Incident Commander for the State of Alabama.

During his time at the helm of Alabama's largest fire department, city leaders often commended Chief Brooks for his dedication to building and maintaining a fire department that Birmingham residents could be proud of. His responsible and practical leadership resulted in the revitalization and construction of various new firehouses throughout the city. I have fond memories of working closely with Chief Brooks to secure funding opportunities for improvement projects. He understood that the success of the 700 men and women he ably led was dependent upon securing resources and opportunities to support them in performing their duties.

Throughout his impactful lifetime, Chief Brooks also received numerous awards for his leadership and innovation in the field. But despite his celebrated career, his greatest achievement was his family and his dedication to his faith. Before his death, Chief Brooks served as a trustee on the board of the historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. He was married to Joyce E. Brooks and was the father of four children; Ivon, Nyyah, Ivor, Jr. and Matthew and one grandchild, August Rayne Howell.

On behalf of a grateful nation and state, we salute this American treasure who was committed to protecting and serving the community that he loved. As we seek comfort in the aftermath of his untimely passing, we will forever remember Chief Brooks as an energetic and personable leader that was committed to obtaining the best results for his department. We salute Chief Brooks and pray for his family and his colleagues as we mourn the loss of this American hero. We honor his life and we thank him for his noble contributions to mankind. I ask my colleagues to join me in mourning the passing of Birmingham Fire and Rescue Chief Ivor J. Brooks.