Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize New Orleans' beloved native son, a true spiritual leader, mentor, and confidant. It is with great sadness that the Archdiocese of New Orleans announced the passing of the Most Reverend Fernand Joseph Cheri, III, OFM, Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans, who died on March 21, 2023. He was 71 years of age. He was the son of Fernand J. Jr., and Gladys Marguerite Epps Cheri.

In a recent message, Archbishop Aymond shared the news with clergy, the community of New Orleans, and the religious of the archdiocese writing, ``It is with a sad heart that I inform you that Bishop Fernand Cheri died. He has been called home to the Lord. We mourn his death and thank God for his life and ministry. May he rest in the arms of the risen Christ.''

Bishop Fernand Cheri was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 28, 1952. He attended Epiphany Elementary School, New Orleans, St. John Prep, New Orleans, and St. Joseph Seminary College in St. Benedict. He received a Master of Divinity at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans and a Master of Theology from the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University, New Orleans. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 20, 1978, at St. Louis Cathedral.

After his ordination, Bishop Cheri served as Associate Pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Church in Marrero, Louisiana, and later in New Orleans serving at St. Francis de Sales, St. Theresa Child of Jesus, and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Churches.

In 1996, he made his solemn profession in the Order of Friars Minor in the Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and became a Franciscan priest to serve disadvantaged communities such as incarcerated individuals and the homeless. Bishop Cheri spent several years dedicated to campus ministry at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois.

He returned to the Archdiocese of New Orleans after his Episcopal Ordination as Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans and Titular Bishop of Membressa on March 23, 2015. He served as Auxiliary Bishop since his ordination and recently served the people of St. Peter Claver Parish as Administrator.

Bishop Cheri was also a popular guest speaker and revivalist. He traveled both within the Archdiocese of New Orleans and nationally, preaching and sharing his love of music.

In addition to his pastoral assignments, Bishop Cheri served as a member of the College of Consultors, was a teacher at St. Augustine High School, New Orleans, and campus minister at Xavier University, New Orleans. He also served as the vocation minister for the OFM St. Louis Province, served on the Archbishop James P. Lyke Foundation, Catholic Campus Ministry Association, Episcopal Liaison to the African Congress Board of Trustees, and convener of the U.S. African American Bishops. Bishop Cheri was also very influential and active with the Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver and the Institute of Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University.

The world is suffering a loss of a great Auxiliary Bishop that continuously prayed and worked to serve those often forgotten. We know that he will continue to watch over us as we live to fulfill his mission.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleagues, Congresswoman Cherfilus-

McCormick from Florida and Representative Jackson from Illinois, for their leadership, their commitment, and for allowing us to have this opportunity to speak on such an important, important measure.

I was outraged by what we all witnessed in Tennessee at the beginning of April. Following the tragic mass shooting at The Covenant School, the Republican majority in the State legislature chose to avoid passing any meaningful gun reform or even having any meaningful discussion about gun reform. Instead, they sought to thwart democracy and to silence the critics who stood with the community and who demanded action. Prayers are wonderful. I subscribe to them daily. Well-wishing is a wonderful thing, and it make us feel good. That alone without action is not enough.

We as elected officials are sworn to a task and to a duty to serve and to provide. In Tennessee that day, we failed the people of Tennessee. We failed the people of America. Instead of action, they expelled two Black American members of the Democratic Caucus who stood with parents, teachers, and students to demand action and to speak truth to power about the reality of gun violence.

This was an attack on our democracy, and all of us, Republican, Democrat, and other, should be outraged with such an attack on democracy because this issue today may have been an issue that the majority ruling party didn't like.

What happens tomorrow when we unilaterally seek to silence the voices of duly elected people in a democratic society?

Stop and think about that for a second. Stop and think about it. Stop and think about the threat to our democracy. The cornerstone and the pillar of our society is freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and the ability to disagree and to have meaningful discourse. That is what we all ran on. That is what the mighty Constitution protects.

Yet, in Tennessee that was ignored. It was ignored. It was defiled. Everyone, of every race and party, should find disdain and pain with that kind of treatment in the democratic process.

In the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, four Members of the House, James Lewis, John Willis Menard, P.B.S. Pinchback, and Josiah Thomas Walls, were wrongly denied the right to take their seats.

These egregious actions in Tennessee show us that the fight for Black representation in the United States is still an ongoing battle.

Our democracy is built on the freedom of speech and the freedom to protest. To expel elected representatives for standing with their neighbors after an horrific act of gun violence against children is appalling. I am enraged that it was two Black lawmakers who were expelled.

Black people in the United States have historically been vilified for speaking up. We have been beaten. We have been attacked by dogs. We have been hosed with powerful water hoses. We have been hanged from trees. Yet, in 2023, two duly elected members of a State legislature were unilaterally dismissed and removed from service for standing up with the people. There were no guns. There were no spears. There were no choke holds. There was no fighting. There was no profanity. There were no broken windows or broken arms. It was mere words--mere words-- that defended the Constitution of our land and that defended the people to protest against something as egregious as the death of children. And we say we don't need to do anything with gun control?

You can't find one thing, Mr. Speaker?

Can we find any one thing that we can come together on that would suggest that we hear the pain? We hear the cries? We see the eyes of Black and White mothers and fathers who will never see their children again?

Yet, we continue to find a comfortable place in the shade and hide behind rhetoric.

The time has come for us to do something, to act, to move, and to show the American people that we will not continue to sit back and watch senseless killings on our streets. Look at the statistics. We have more mass murders in a year than we have days in this year.

Doesn't that mean anything?

Doesn't that cause you to cringe and say no more?

Black, White, Republican, and Democratic, there are lots of things that we can agree to disagree on. Public safety should not be one of them, particularly when it comes to standing up for our young people.

Today, Mr. Speaker, we send a promise of action, and we ask you to join us in delivering on that promise of action.

Today I stand for justice. Today I stand with the Justins. Today I stand with the Tennessee Three. Today and every day I invite you, Mr. Speaker, to join me and others in supporting the bare principle of democracy and protecting its people.

Madam Speaker, the history of farming and agriculture in the United States is unquestionably one-sided. Black farmers have lost over $300 million worth of farmland in the last century due to a history of widespread discrimination, which has further exacerbated the wealth gap in America.

According to the most recent Census of Agriculture, there are 3,222 Black farmers in my home State of Louisiana. Nationally, Black farmers only represent 1.4 percent of more than 3 million farmers. Since the 1920s, the number of Black farmers has dropped from nearly a million to roughly around 50,000. Today, they own just around half of a percent of our farmland.

The Justice for Black Farmers Act confronts our history and will establish a brighter future for the underserved by reforming the USDA, providing debt relief, and creating a land grant program to encourage new generations of Black farmers. This bill seeks to correct persistent injustices and restore the land base that Black farmers have lost unjustly.

Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Adams and Senator Booker for their leadership on this issue.

Mass Shootings in America

Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart, a heavy heart because our country consistently turns a cheek, turns and looks away at the violence, the mass shootings that seem to be reported every day in the news.

It is simply not enough for my colleagues to come to the floor and offer condolences and well-wishing and prayer. While all those things are wonderful, in 2023 the people deserve action.

Our young people that are visiting with us deserve to be in a classroom that is safe. Our friends who worship in churches and synagogues deserve to be able to worship in peace. People who walk their dogs or jog along the park should be able to do so without fear of a mass shooting. People should be able to go to a concert or a party and enjoy relative safety.

In this month alone: March 27, Tennessee, mass shooting; March 27, Wisconsin, mass shooting; March 26, Pennsylvania, mass shooting; March 26, Minnesota, mass shooting; March 26, Arkansas, mass shooting; March 26, Louisiana, mass shooting; March 25, Louisiana, mass shooting; March 25, New York, mass shooting; March 25, North Carolina, mass shooting; March 25, Illinois, mass shooting; March 24, Louisiana, mass shooting; March 23, Maryland, mass shooting; March 21, New Jersey, mass shooting; March 21, South Carolina, mass shooting; March 20, Wisconsin, mass shooting; March 18, Ohio, mass shooting; March 18, Illinois, mass shooting; March 18, Texas, mass shooting; March 15, Oregon, mass shooting; March 14, Alabama, mass shooting; March 13, Texas, mass shooting; March 12, Texas, mass shooting; March 11, New York, mass shooting; March 11, Washington, mass shooting; and March 10, Florida, mass shooting.

That is just this month alone. Let that sink in. At what point do we put people over profit? At what point do we challenge the gun makers to say: Listen, we are not talking about taking away your constitutional right to bear arms. We are talking about sensible gun control that will save these young people that are visiting us today, that will save these visitors that come to see their government at work.

This is not Republican or Democrat. This is about the survival of our communities. This is about the survival of our young people. This is about providing resources to make sure our communities are safe. Stop it. Stop protecting NRA and their profits and start protecting our children and their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize New Orleans' beloved native daughter, wife, mother, true friend and confidant to many. Mrs. Patricia Joyce Saul Rochon departed this earth in the loving arms of her devoted family after a courageous and determined fight against metastatic cancer. She died on March 13, 2023, her 77th birthday, at Yale's Smilow Cancer Center in New Haven, Connecticut.

On March 21, 2023, Mrs. Rochon would have celebrated her 53rd wedding anniversary with her loving husband, Dr. Gilbert Rochon III, the 6th President of Tuskegee University; where Mrs. Rochon proudly served as Tuskegee University's First Lady.

Mrs. Rochon completed her early education in 1963 at St. Mary's Academy in New Orleans, LA. Four years later she graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana. Upon graduation she was accepted into and later graduated from Yale University's School of Drama,

where she received her MFA in 1975. She also studied Communications at the Pennsylvania State University's College of Communications.

During her 16 years at Dillard University, Mrs. Rochon chaired the Department of Mass Communications. She later held a faculty appointment at the College of Communications at Purdue University. Mrs. Rochon was also an Emmy Award winning television news producer. She produced an array of television shows, which included, Fast Track, Fast Track Te Informa, Primetime and the New England Regional Emmy Award winning ``Best Target Audience Series'' Urban Update and Black News.

Mrs. Rochon is survived by her husband, Gilbert Rochon III, PhD, MPH; their daughter, Hildred Sarah Rochon, MD, MPH, MBA; their son, Emile Saul Rochon, MD; daughter-in-law, Jalelah Sophia Ahmed, MIA; son-in- law, Lillard Royal Lewis, Jr., MBA; grandson's Jayden Royal Lewis and Jameson Ramon Lewis; sisters, Anna Lois Saul Harrison and Margaret Ethel Saul Bordenave; brother, Herman James Saul, Jr.; brothers-in-law, Richard David Harrison; RADM Stephen Wayne Rochon, (RET.), Gregory Paul Rochon, Brandon Pierre Rochon; sisters-in-law, Sheryl Saul, Shirley Rochon and Janet Oliver Rochon; cousins Dr. Claudia Phillips Joplin, Dr. Michele Louise Phillips Pointer, Myra E. Phillips, JD and a host of beloved nephews, nieces and cousins!

She was preceded in death by her parents, Herman James Saul, Sr. and Louise Phillips Saul; Aunts, Magnettie Saul Perrault, Beulah Saul, Malcolm Saul, Florence Saul, Edith Saul; Uncles, Wallace Saul, Godfrey Saul, Dr. George Martin Phillips, Aunt Wimberly Ruth Phillips; Cousins George Martin Phillips Jr., Dr. Deborah Phillips Theado; sisters-in- law, Alexis Rochon, Dr. Melanie Rochon Bush; brothers-in-law Christopher Joseph Bordenave, III, Evan Ashley Rochon; grandmothers; Sarah Anna Merritt, Claudia Ethel Gates Phillips Tunnage and Marguerite Toye Saul; grandfathers, Joseph Saul and Thomas Phillips.

Patricia will forever be remembered as a devoted and loving wife and mother; a strong champion for the societal benefits of higher education; an advocate who served to advance the opportunities of students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities; and a fighter who believed in equitable health care access and equal opportunities for ethnic minorities and women. May she rest in peace and may God's perpetual light shine upon her.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to an outstanding, cherished public servant from my home State of Louisiana. Mrs. Rose Mary Loving, born Rose Mary Billips, was the first African-American woman elected to the Orleans Parish School Board and served from 1977 to 1989. Mrs. Loving was elected board president in 1982, 1983 and 1985. She was also a former director of the Algiers- Fischer Community Center.

Even before her election to the board, Mrs. Loving was involved with the public schools for two decades as a committed parent and was also active in Chapter 1, a federal program providing remedial education to schools in low-income areas.

At her last board meeting, she was honored by school officials, employees and other well-wishers. Mrs. Loving pointed out her 15-year- old granddaughter in the audience to show that she had a special reason to stay involved with the schools. ``I'm not going very far,'' she said. This weekend, we continue to recognize Mrs. Rose Mary's unwavering commitment and numerous contributions to the school system, naming a local elementary school in her honor.

Nearly a year ago, New Orleans Public School System responded to public requests to rename school facilities. This renaming is in accordance with policy approved by the Orleans Parish School Board to ensure school facilities do not have names honoring figures from our painful past. The board believed all schools should be welcoming, inclusive, and inspiring places for all students. The goal was to ensure the names of these physical school facilities and the people that we honor reflect the values of the school district, like Mrs. Loving did throughout her life and her time serving on the board.

As their policy states, the OPSB is fundamentally opposed to retaining names of school facilities named after persons who were slave owners, confederate officials, or segregation supporters.

After months of public input, hundreds of name considerations and historical research, the Orleans Parish School Board unanimously voted and approved NOLA Public Schools list of recommendations for the renaming of several public-school buildings.

The District received more than 250 name recommendations that were vetted and considered. Mrs. Rose Mary Loving's name is replacing Martin Behrman, a former slave

owner, and she is one of 24 selected honorees that are now listed as the historic names of school properties.

Mrs. Lovings dedication to her community is evident through the many accolades she was awarded in her lifetime. A longtime volunteer and community activist, Mrs. Loving was known for her work with the elderly and low-income families. She was the first president of the Metropolitan School Boards Association. She was a two-term member of the city's Human Relations Committee and served on former Mayor Ernest N. ``Dutch'' Morial's commission to chart a course for the city's future. She was a co-founder of the Emergency Fund for United Churches of Algiers, and in 1982 she received the Torch of Liberty Award from the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith.

Mrs. Loving was a former member of the deaconess board at St. Stephen Missionary Baptist Church in Algiers. Rose Mary was even awarded an honorary Doctor of Education by Xavier University of Louisiana.

Rose Mary Loving was born in Kenner and lived in Algiers at the time of her passing. Her impact in this community throughout her 82 years of life continues to be felt still to this day.

I am honored to have personally known Mrs. Rose Mary Loving. I am especially humbled knowing that her name will be honored on a school within Louisiana's Second Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Investiture of the Honorable Dana M. Douglas, who was confirmed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on December 13, 2022 by the Senate, with bipartisan support, following her nomination by President Joseph R. Biden on June 15, 2022. Judge Douglas received her commission on December 16, 2022.

Judge Douglas' confirmation to the Fifth Circuit is undoubtedly historic, but she additionally has the experience, temperament, and integrity to also be a historic judge on the Fifth Circuit. She will be the first Black woman to ever serve on this circuit.

Judge Douglas is a graduate of Miami University (Ohio) and attended Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans. Upon graduation, she served as a law clerk in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana to the Honorable Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Douglas practiced in the areas of energy, products liability, and intellectual property litigation in the state and federal courts of Louisiana and across a wide variety of industry sectors as shareholder (partner) in a regional law firm based here in New Orleans.

Judge Douglas has been committed to her community for her entire career. She currently sits on the boards of the Thomas More American Inns of Court and Federal Bar Association. She also serves as the Louisiana Bar Foundation Community Partnership Chairperson for Greater New Orleans. Judge Douglas is a Past President of both the New Orleans Bar Association and the Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Society. She also served as Chair of the 2017 Annual Justice For All Ball, a fundraiser that benefits The Pro Bono Project which provides pro bono civil legal aid services to the underserved in New Orleans. Judge Douglas served as a Vice-Chair and Commissioner of the New Orleans Civil Service Commission. The Commission is the quasi-judicial and policy-making body that exercises oversight of activities of the city's Civil Service Department. She is also a Charter and Founding Member of the Louisiana Chapter of the Women's Energy Network.

Judge Douglas' service to the community has been formally recognized by many. In 2008, she was presented with the prestigious Louisiana State Bar Association (``LSBA'') President's Award. She was also twice selected as a ``Women of the Year'' honoree by New Orleans CityBusiness and a recipient of the 2018 National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division Outstanding Minority Partner in Majority Firm Award. Judge Douglas is also a past recipient of the LSBA Crystal Gavel Award, the Federal Bar Association Camille Gavel Award, and the Loyola University School of Law Gillis Long Public Service Award.

I was proud to recommend her appointment to President Biden and applaud the Senate on her successful confirmation. Congratulations to Judge Douglas on this momentous achievement. This is a wonderful day for Louisiana and our entire Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize New Orleans' beloved native son, a true friend, mentor, and confidant. Robert Houston Tucker, Jr. was a master architect in building the city I love. His service to the public over multiple administrations, including work in the offices of Mayors Moon Landrieu and Dutch Morial, was transformational.

Robert H. Tucker, Jr. was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was the second of three children born to the union of Robert H. Tucker, Sr. and his wife, Mattie Amacker. Both his parents grew up on large self- sufficient farms (in Franklinton and Greensburg, Louisiana) before finding their way to New Orleans where Tucker's father became a mortician and successful owner of three funeral homes. In later years, Robert H. Tucker, Sr. would become an African Methodist Episcopal minister serving congregations throughout the states of Louisiana and Mississippi.

This aspect of family life was developmentally significant in young Robert's growth as he acquired an understanding of business, strong spiritual values, and a deepened understanding of life as an African American male growing up in the segregated South.

Excellent performances as a student, athlete, and leader, resulted in Tucker receiving upon graduation--in the top 5 percent of his Walter L. Cohen high school class--an academic scholarship to Clark Atlanta University (formerly Clark College). In the process of earning a degree, Tucker built a record as an academic leader, a mature decision maker in campus affairs, and a strong civil and student rights' activist. It was during this period, on March 15, 1960, that he along with scores of similarly inclined young men and women, made history by participating in the first ever lunch counter sit-in at Atlanta's commercial business district. Tucker's group of approximately 11 students was transported (by local funeral directors) to Sprayberry's Federal Cafeteria where they attempted to eat, were refused service, then arrested by Atlanta police officers. The coordinated Atlanta sit- ins resulted in the arrest of a total of 83 students charged with, ``Breaching the Peace'', ``Refusing to Leave Premises'', ``Intimidating'' the restaurant owners, and ``Conspiracy''. All charges were subsequently dismissed as the City of Atlanta achieved peaceful integration.

For many years Tucker's father carried in his wallet, the yellowing onion skin letter that his son had typed out and mailed to his parents the night before this tightly orchestrated event would take place.

In follow-up to the sit-in and furtherance of the cause, Tucker and his fellow student activists braved the taunts and threats of old-line Southerners to perform weekend picketing duties in front of Atlanta's many segregated public facilities.

While demonstrating excellent academic skills, Tucker also captained Clark College's first debate team which won tournaments over Harvard, Columbia, and Boston College. He was a consistent `Best Speaker' and was a major factor in popularizing collegiate debating at Clark College. Tucker added to his undergraduate achievements by winning election to national officer status as the Second Vice Grand Basilus of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. In May of 1963, Tucker graduated from Clark College with a B.A. (Honors) in Political Science and Economics, with a minor in Psychology. He later gained his master's in business administration (MBA) from Tulane University,

Two months prior to the May graduation, Tucker was interviewed and selected to be one of a small group of African Americans to undergo Ranger training and integrate the National Park Service. Tucker was assigned to Yosemite National Park in California and, following graduation, began work there. (This initiative was brought about by then Pres. John Kennedy's effort to advance opportunities for African Americans in non-traditional sectors of the government.) Subsequent to the conclusion of this historic short-term position in the early autumn of 1963, Tucker took up residence in Los Angeles.

Shortly after the devastatingly tragic. assassination of Pres. Kennedy in November of that year, Tucker decided to join the military as he pondered the link between why he was in California and what he could do for his country. After receiving six months basic U.S. Army combat training at Fort Ord, CA (U.S. Army) followed by six months of advanced training at Fort Sumter, SC, Tucker was assigned first to Orleans, France and, a year later, to Korat, Thailand in Southeast Asia.

Returning to his hometown of New Orleans, LA in 1967, Tucker found nothing much had changed insofar as race relations were concerned. The local situation became even more exasperated with the brutal assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968 in Memphis, TN.

In concert with other concerned African Americans in the community, Tucker led an organized effort to launch an ecumenical march to commemorate Dr. King's death, culminating in the delivery of a set of empowerment demands to City Hall, the seat of a totally segregated governmental structure led by all white, male elected officials. While none of the elected officials responded to the marcher's request(s), one city councilman by the name of Moon Landrieu quietly observed the protesters visit to City Hall.

A few months later, Moon began speaking with various members of the Black community expressing his intent to seek the office of Mayor in the upcoming municipal elections. Not only did then Councilman Landrieu enter the very crowded field of candidates seeking the mayor's chair, he won the primary and, ultimately the run-off after committing to hire African Americans to meaningful positions, if elected. Tucker was the first African American assistant hired by Mayor Landrieu in 1970, when he became one of 3 Executive Assistants to the Mayor. Over the ensuing 8 years (1970 through 1978) of the Landrieu administration, Tucker played a pivotal role in assisting the Mayor to manage and resolve a variety of municipal challenges.

Never one to shrink from confrontation, Tucker was the critical force in achieving a peaceful solution to an 8-hour standoff between heavily armed members of the New Orleans Police Department and the local Black Panther Party. Tucker's role in the historic 1970 event was captured in great depth in a book by Orissa Arend entitled, ``Showdown in Desire-- The Black Panthers Take a Stand in New Orleans (2009).'' The Landrieu administration blazed an exciting trail of innovation and creative initiatives for an old American city badly in need of diversity, capital improvements, new ideas, vision, and imaginative thinking. Thanks to Mayor Landrieu and the able support provided by stalwarts like Bob Tucker, New Orleans successfully negotiated a major course correction at a critical point in its then 250-year-old history. In 1978 after completing another record of high achievement, Tucker left government and entered the world of business, first as a consultant and, 2 years later, as the CEO of his own firm. Over the next 14 years, Tucker would build a small business that specialized in providing support services primarily to Department of Defense agencies, into a major employer of over 300 individuals.

Along the way, Tucker reciprocated in service back to the community through his charitable participation on a plethora of boards and commissions that included, CAU Board of Trustees, Tulane University President's Council, Distinguished Lecturer Loyola University College of Business, College of Business Visiting Committee, Loyola University, Board of Commissioners, Accrediting Commission of Education for Health Services Administration, Health Education Authority of Louisiana, Executive Education Center, Tulane University School of Business, University of New Orleans Metropolitan Learning Center, New Orleans Superdome Commission, USF&G Sugar Bowl Association, Boy Scouts of America, Junior League, Ochsner Medical Foundation, Metropolitan Young Men's Christian Association, Children's Hospital, Commission on the Future of the City of New Orleans, to name a few.

Tucker served as Chairman of the New Orleans Port Authority, the Regional Transit Authority, the United Negro College Fund, Inc. Telethon, and the Louisiana Special Olympics.

At the time of his passing, he served as Co-Chairman of The National Conference of Christians and Jews (NOCCJ) and as a Commissioner to the New Orleans Redevelopment

Authority (NORA). His professional affiliations include: International Business Fellow, London Business School, Member Black/Jewish ADL Delegation to Israel, Life Member NAACP Member, Blue Key Honor Society, Advisory Board Unity Temple, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (Former National Officer).

Honors and awards to Tucker include: Heroism in Race Relations 2003-- Presented by the Mayor's Office to Commemorate the Peaceful Resolution of the 1970 Confrontation between the Black Panther Party and the New Orleans Police Department; Citizen Hero Award 1994--Presented by Victims & Citizens Against Crime for Actions in Confronting an Armed Convicted Felon; First Citizen of the Learning Society for 1993-- University of New Orleans Metropolitan College Dean's Award; Who's Who Among Black Americans; Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities; U.S. Small Business Administration Minority Small Businessperson of the Year--State of Louisiana; Entrepreneur Role Model of the Year, Young Leadership Council; Governor's 1990 Pacesetter Award; Louisiana 1990 Minority Businessperson of the Year; Outstanding Community Service-- Kiwanis International, 1983; and Outstanding Man of the Year--New Orleans Jaycees, 1971.

I am so blessed and grateful to have known this phenomenal man, a real Trailblazer and Leader, my true friend.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of my ADD SOY Act. This bill makes soy milk available to children who need alternatives to cow's milk. This is especially important for the large number

of minority children who are lactose intolerant and experience adverse health effects simply because, in practice, dairy is the only type of milk offered in schools.

The rates of lactose intolerance in these communities is surprisingly high with 65 percent of Latino students, 75 percent of Black students, and 90 percent of Asian students unable to digest dairy milk without detrimental effects.

Many children don't make the connection between consumption of this product and their feelings of discomfort and even illness. Right now, children who suffer adverse reactions from cow's milk must get a doctor's note if they choose not to accept traditional milk in their lunch. This is partly due to Congress' ``milk note'' requirement which places an unfair burden squarely on minority children.

Lactose intolerance causes a range of health effects, from stomach pains and digestive problems to exacerbated asthma symptoms. This makes learning more difficult for children.

America needs to embrace a diverse lunch counter solution.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from Illinois and the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida for the opportunity to speak.

The late Congressman John Lewis once said: ``Your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union.'' Few truer words have been spoken.

Over the weekend, I had the privilege of joining President Biden and my colleagues in Alabama to commemorate the 58th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. We traced the steps of incredible brave soldiers. What a blessing to feel their heartbeats in the wind.

I will make my thoughts on this trip concise. We must protect the right to vote. Fair representation is a cornerstone of our democracy. A war was fought to give every American of every race one vote. For voters today, voters tomorrow, and all of those who sacrificed for the sacred right to vote, we must pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore the vote for all.

In every fashion, in every avenue, we will continue to battle to protect this sacred right and strengthen the very foundation of our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of a true New Orleans spiritual leader, educator, culture bearer and mentor, Sister Jennie Louise Jones, S.S.F. who passed away at the age of 70 years old. Sister Jennie Louise Jones, S.S.F., the daughter of the late Leonard Earl Jones, Jr, in union with Mrs. Jennie Gourrier Jones, entered eternal life on Sunday, February 26, 2023. She was born on June 15, 1952, Sister Jennie entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family on September 8, 1970, and made First Vows on August 15, 1973. Sister had celebrated 52 years as a Sister of the Holy Family.

Raised and deeply rooted in New Orleans culture, Sister Jennie attended Corpus Christi Elementary School and was a 1970 graduate of St. Mary's Academy. In preparation for her ministry in education, Sister Jennie received a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Xavier University of Louisiana and a Master's degree in Educational Administration from the University of New Orleans. Sister Jennie served as teacher, principal and assistant principal in her ministries. She taught and was assistant principal at St. Raymond Elementary School, assistant principal at St. Paul the Apostle, principal at Corpus Christi Elementary and Marian Central Middle School, all in New Orleans. Sister Jennie also taught at Ecumenical High School in Dangriga, Belize, Central America. After Hurricane Katrina, Sister Jennie taught at Pineville Middle School in Pineville, Louisiana. Sister's longest tenure was as principal of St. Mary's Academy, serving over twenty years, from which she retired in 2022. Sister Jennie kept the school open after Hurricane Katrina, when the City of New Orleans planned to turn the school's campus into a green space. Sister also served as a member of the Sisters of the Holy Family Leadership Team.

In 2012, ``Sister Jennie Jones, Principal of St. Mary's Academy, was among an elite group of nine Catholics honored as `Champions of Change in Catholic Education' at a special White House ceremony,'' honored by then President Barack Obama, as the school was rebuilt and even expanded. During her tenure, their curriculum and program grew to include classes from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade to accommodate students and families displaced by the Hurricane. Now, middle and high school students are able to enjoy a new state of the art building because of her leadership and commitment.

Sister Jennie is preceded in death by her beloved father, Leonard Earl Jones, Jr., and brother, Benjamin ``Bennie'' Jones, and her paternal and maternal grandparents.

Sister Jennie leaves to cherish her memory: her mother, Mrs. Jennie G. Jones, two brothers, Carl A. Jones and Leonard E. Jones, III (Gwendolyn); niece Mikeall Caesar (Rickey); two nephews, Jeffery Lewis and Jude Lewis, great nephew Stanley Tate, great niece, Jennie Louise Hawkins; and a host of uncles, cousins, faculty, staff, and students of St. Mary's Academy, as well as religious sisters, and friends.

I am humbled to have personally known such a great spiritual leader and fighter for all, who has done so much to improve the lives of countless residents across my district. So many people's lives are enriched because of the love and passion she expressed in touching them along the way. New Orleans has lost another one of its greatest champions of culture. Sister Jennie Jones touched tens of thousands of lives in our community, dedicating her entire life to educating young black children, impacting generations of families over five decades of religious life. May we continue to receive her blessings as she continues to watch over us and our entire country in prayer.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an Orleans Parish Public School named in honor of an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States including Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African American community and of the contemporary black elite,

In 1881, the New Orleans School Board barred the city's black students from attending public school beyond the sixth grade. However, in 1917, due to pressure from the black community, the school board relented and converted the McDonogh No. 13 campus, then located at 655 South Rampart Street, from a white boy's elementary school to a public high school for black students and renamed the facility McDonogh No. 35. Through decades of sustained activism from Black leaders and a bailout from the federal government. Lacking political power, Black leaders worked through civic, religious and educational organizations to press their concerns before the school board, beginning first with the total lack of public education beyond the fifth grade, as mandated by school board policy in 1900. The sixth was restored in 1909, the seventh in 1913, and the eighth in 1914. With these milestones under their belts, Black leaders began the campaign for a high school. The much sought after school opened in 1917 as McDonogh 35 in a recycled former school for whites. The next item on the activist agenda was a sorely needed vocational school. But where to find the money? The Rosenwald Fund had expressed an interest but only if the school board shared the cost.

During much of the 1920s and early 1930s, the Orleans Public School Board was further pressed into initiating discussions to consider the construction of a new high school for New Orleans' black children as McDonogh 35's campus had proved woefully inadequate to accommodate the city's growing black community.

Census records indicated that 8,709 high school age black children resided in Orleans Parish in 1930. Of these children, 2,580 were enrolled in McDonogh No. 35, the city's black high school age population, it significantly taxed the McDonogh No. 35's physical plant and led to overcrowded conditions.

In 1930 the school board sold bonds for school construction and allocated $275,000 toward construction of a Black trade school. The Rosenwald Fund pledged $125,000. In response to concerns that a Black trade school might threaten white jobs, a public statement was issued, assuring everyone ``that the trades to be taught at the school would be exclusively those which are largely occupied by colored labor at this time.'' But it would still be another dozen years before Booker T. Washington High School became a reality.

After purchasing a parcel of land for the purpose, the school board announced that it did

not have the money to match the Rosenwald offer. Instead, in 1934 they built on the site a wood frame elementary school for Blacks for $21,000. Although disheartened by this broken promise, black leaders continued to champion their goal throughout the 1930s. But it was federal, not local funds, that made Booker T. possible. In the twilight of its existence, the New Deal's Works Progress Administration funded the project to the tune of some quarter of a million dollars. Like other similar schools across the South, it was named for Booker T. Washington, the famous black educator.

(In regard to making it a vocational school) Many felt that such an education would prepare the city's Black students for employment in relatively high-paying emergent technical/trade careers, thus providing them with better opportunities in life.

At the same time, many within the city's Black community objected to this type of curriculum, as they felt that a college-preparatory education strongly based in classical academics of the same caliber offered to white students should be made available for their children.

In 1942, the Booker T. Washington campus was the first new high school built specifically for Black students in New Orleans. According to census records, the number of black high school age children in the city had increased from 8,709 to 11,238. Only 2,580 of those children had a place to attend school prior to the opening of Booker T. Washington.

It was named ``Booker T Washington Senior High School'' as a tribute to a celebrated Black educator and activist during the late 19th and early 20th centuries who passionately argued the benefits of a vocational education. He saw it as a benefit not only to the Black community but to uplift the Southern economy. New Orleans saw notable industrial developments in the 30s and 40s.

The school's curriculum was comprehensive. It offered both an impressive range of traditional academic courses in addition to vocational classes and training in the trades. Classes offered included shoe repair, biology, social science, physical education, graphic arts, home economics, vocal/music, masonry, woodworking, math, English, and instrumental music (OSPB, 1942-43: 110). The school boasted an enrollment of 1,600 children in its 1942-1943 school year. Students came from all corners of the city because of the promise to invest in the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and doers. The teachers were all Black, educated, and inspired by the pivotal role the high school played in the sojourn to racial equality. It was a unique snapshot of the richness of New Orleans.

During WWII, New Orleans was home to Higgins Industries which is credited for building a special boat that helped the U.S. win the war. The Higgins workforce was the first in New Orleans to be racially integrated. Employees included whites and Black people, men, women, seniors, and people with disabilities. All were paid equal wages according to their job functions. The significant industrial developments were the main reason educators and business owners were pushing for a vocational school that would prepare students to immediately join the workforce and provide for their families. These environmental influences aided in the popularity of Booker T. Washington High School, cementing it as a destination for New Orleans youth.

In 1945, following the close of World War II, BTW High School opened its doors to the community's returning Black war veterans with the establishment of the BTW Afternoon Center, which provided vocational training to veterans on a 12-month basis. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) held its local chapter's annual meeting at the BTW auditorium in March 1945.

In 1946, the BTW Summer School for Vets was established to teach automotive, shoe repair, woodworking, painting and decorating, and masonry to the community's former servicemen (OPSB, 1946: 538, 539).

In 1948, construction of an ``Auto Mechanics Shop and Greenhouse'' was complete.

Responding to a clear job training need during the 1948-49 school year, Cosmetology classes were first offered at BTW High School.

In 1949, OPSB authorized the expansion of the school's curriculum with the addition of ``short unit courses'' for the training of practical nurses (these classes would not actually be offered until 1959).

BTW emerged as a local sports powerhouse as its football team, the Lions, won both the city championship and the state title in 1949 and 1950.

In 1957, Martin Luther King, Jr. speaks at the National Beauty Culturalist League, Inc., 38th Annual Convention. The Convention was held at Booker T. Washington Senior High School auditorium. The school graduated cosmetologists, carpenters, auto repair experts, and other vo-tech specialists.

Dr. King spoke on ``The Role of Beauticians in the Struggle for Freedom.'' King said: ``I am not too optimistic to believe that integration is `just around the corner.' We have come a long, long way and we still have a long way to go, but we must keep moving despite the delay tactics used by segregationists.'' King received the organization's Civil Rights Award at the event.

War bond rallies held at the auditorium between 1942 and 1945 raised thousands of dollars and enabled the city's black residents to contribute to the war effort.

In 1962, Orleans Parish School Board announced the launch of a building program to include the construction of the ``Booker T. Washington Addition and Gymnasium Annex.'' The annex was a freestanding, three-story edifice that was sited to the west of the campus's main school building. The annex housed a gymnasium, 16 classrooms, and laboratories. Dubbed ``The Lion's Den''. The City of New Orleans was still dealing with the desegregation of public schools that was initiated in 1960. In September 1962, the Catholic schools of Orleans Parish were also integrated, without much protest or disruption.

In the early 1970s this ``dual track'' curriculum was shelved for one that was primarily academic due largely to ``education reformers and civil rights activists who lobbied against vocational education for black students and for integrated college preparatory high schools.'' This sentiment was rooted in the belief that a vocational education would guarantee that Black people were trapped in low-wage jobs (Thevenot, 2004:1). Many firsts were happening at the same time throughout the city. In 1970, city organizers expanded on an idea that started at Dillard University and started the first Jazz & Heritage Festival. The Superdome opened on August 3, 1975. The city elected its first Black Mayor, Ernest N. Morial, who was a product of New Orleans Public Schools.

During the 1980s, it is noted that the high-quality curriculum that formerly distinguished the school also began to erode by the 1980s. The larger area of Central City continues to see a steady decline as the crack epidemic took over in New Orleans as well as other major cities and the homicide rates continued to increase. The city even took to imposing a curfew for those 16 and under in an attempt to reduce crime. Oil production was cut nearly in half in the late 1980s, creating a ripple effect in New Orleans that changed the landscape and economy of the city forever. It caused the state to reduce its support of local schools. The deteriorating environment began to negatively impact Booker T. Washington along with many New Orleans Public Schools that once were sources of tremendous pride.

By 1981, BTW reached back into its past and initiated an award- winning vocational program that endeavored to train students for agricultural-based employment opportunities. The course was classified as a ``Cooperative Agriculture and Education Program,'' with students receiving both course credit and a salary whilst receiving practical experience in an agribusiness occupation.

The course was classified as a ``Cooperative Agriculture and Education Program,'' with students receiving both course credit and a salary whilst receiving practical experience in an agribusiness occupation.

Booker T. Washington High School is added to the National Register of Historical Places in 2002 because of its architectural and historical significance.

By 2004, BTW is forced to suspend its curriculum due to extremely low enrollment and switches to a vocational/technical school for the 05/06 school year.

BTW building suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

BTW High School is officially demolished in 2012, sparing only the auditorium and entrance due to their historical significance.

In 2019, fifteen years after the historic Booker T. Washington High School building in Central City closed its doors, hundreds gathered in the school's gymnasium to celebrate its $52.5 million renovation.

I am humbled to have personally known so many great New Orleans legends, leaders and alumni of this great Institution. Each of them has done so much to improve the lives of countless residents across Louisiana's Second Congressional District, the State of Louisiana and the entire Country. So many people's lives are enriched because of the passion expressed in touching people along the way. New Orleans is rich in culture because of many Booker T. Washington Alumni that makes a difference. I look forward to what will develop out of the walls of this great institution into our future. Congratulations on its reopening and the future it holds.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to an outstanding, cherished public servant from my home State of Louisiana who is celebrating her 90th birthday. Mrs. Yolanda Kelly Henry was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on February 4, 1933. She was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and later moved to Los Angeles, California. Mrs. Henry eventually returned to New Orleans to make this her home where she and her husband, Clarence ``Chink'' Henry, Jr. raised their 4 children: Rodney E. Henry, Clarence ``Chink'' Henry, III, Sherlyn Henry Lambert, and Marvin A. Henry.

Mrs. Henry has been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated for more than 40 years. She was initiated into the Zeta Theta Chapter in the mid-1970s, at Southern University New Orleans, where she was a full-time student and mother of 4. She was active in the chapter until graduation. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from SUNO. She immediately enrolled into a master's program at Xavier University of Louisiana, where she received a Master Degree in Counseling.

She counseled many families throughout the Greater New Orleans area during her career at the Office of Community Services, an office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families. At her precious age, Mrs. Henry has remained an active member of the Pontchartrain Park Neighborhood Association for the past 65 years. Her love of serving her City, the community and others does not stop there. She is a member of the National Black Social Workers Association, the SUNO Alumni Association, and Bethany United Methodist Church Women's Association.

I am humbled to pay tribute to such a great culture community leader and fighter for all, who has done so much to improve the lives of countless residents across my district. So many people's lives are enriched because of the love and passion she expresses daily in touching them along the way. I pray that she remains in good health and continue to spread joy and love to her family, friends and our beloved District. Happy 90th birthday to Mrs. Yolanda Kelly Henry, and may she live to see many more.

Mr. Chair, during rollcall no. 76 on H.R. 21, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``yea'' when I should have voted ``nay.''

Amendment No. 60 Offered by Ms. Scholten

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of New Orleans culture bearer and activist, Barbara Lacen Keller who passed away following a brief illness at the age of 76. New Orleans has lost one of its greatest champions of culture. Barbara was always leading the fight for the rights of our musicians and culture bearers. She left a legacy worthy to be celebrated and remembered for generations to come. She was also involved in politics, to improve the lives of people in New Orleans and across the country. For many years she worked for the City of New Orleans, as the Director of Constituent Services for Council District B Councilwoman Stacey Head, and later in Mayor LaToya Cantrell's Office of Cultural Economy, where she retired in 2020. She was fondly nicknamed ``the Mayor of Central City'', for all her work in that neighborhood. In 2012 she proudly served as a Barack Obama delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, NC. She was a Mellon Community Fellow at Tulane University, mentoring graduate students in community relations.

Barbara was a very active figure in New Orleans' cultural community, including serving on the boards for the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans and the Dryades YMCA, where she was currently serving as President of the Board of Dryades YMCA, New Orleans, Louisiana, leading the transition and operational restructuring of 115-year-old community anchor organization. She was an original member of the Lady Buckjumpers, and a founding member of the New Orleans Social Aid & Pleasure Club Task Force. Barbara was a charter member of the Femme Fatale Mardi Gras krewe, serving as one of the first float captains, and was currently serving as chaplain.

She had been a valued member of the Board of Directors of WWOZ since 2021 where she will be remembered as a Guardian Angel overlooking the Guardians of the Groove, advocating for culture bearers and musicians in our city; and of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, where she was elected to the Advisory Council in 2016, and onto the Board of the Foundation in 2019, serving as Chair of the Advocacy and Equity Committee and its Gala Committee.

Barbara's mother was Augustine ``Miss Teen'' Germaine Lewis, who in the 1940s was the only Spy Girl Mardi Gras Indian in New Orleans. In the 1950s, Barbara herself masked as the Little Queen of the Cheyenne tribe.

Barbara was raised on Villere Street in Treme, and attended Joseph A. Craig Elementary School, Andrew J. Bell Junior High School, and Joseph S. Clark Sr. High School, followed by Southern University at New Orleans. She was also a proud honorary member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Barbara's Honors, Awards and Appointments are beyond numerous to mention them all.

Other civic involvement included:

Israelite Baptist Church, Pastor Support & Youth

Ministries, Governmental Liaison, Mass Choir

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People,

Member

Black Organization for Leadership Development, Member

Great Expectations Inc., Past Board Member and Treasurer

City of New Orleans Enterprise Congress, Member

National Council of Negro Women, Member

New Orleans Social Aid and Pleasure Club Task Force,

Founder

Central City Partnership, Co-Founder and Chairperson

Cafe Reconcile, New Orleans Board of Directors, Past Chair

New Orleans Council on Aging, Board of Directors

Gathering of the Sisters, Founder

City of New Orleans, Master Plan Advisory Committee,

Districts 25 & 26, Subcommittee Chairperson

Armstrong Family Services, Board of Directors, Past Chair

Urban League, Member

Independent Women's Organization, Membership & Endorsement

Committees

Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee, Member

Democratic State Central Committee, District 103, Member

National Slave Ship Museum, Vice Chair

Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., Member

Original New Orleans Lady Buck Jumpers, Member

American Heart Association, Go Red Women Luncheon, 2011 Co-

Chair

Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Commission, Co-Chair

Treme/7th Ward Cultural District, Sponsorship Coordinator,

Festival Co-Producer

Preservation Resource Committee, Board of Directors, Chair

of Multicultural Heritage Committee, Chair

The ``Lacen'' part of her name came from her marriage to Anthony ``Tuba Fats'' Lacen, one of New Orleans' most famous musicians, who was also Wild Man of the Wild Magnolias Mardi Gras Indian Tribe. Their August 1980 wedding in Armstrong Park was the first wedding to take place in the park. Tuba Fats passed in 2004.

Barbara's 1 son, Gene Bentley predeceased her in November of 2022. She is survived by the gems of her eyes, 3 daughters--Dawn Bentley- Johnson, Kelly Bentley Dixon and Cantina Rankins; 4 beautiful grandchildren--Zihara Rankins, Michael Brooks, Jr., Jelani Robinson, and Alicia Green; and 1 adorable great-grandchild.

I am humbled to have personally known such a great culture bearer and fighter for all, who has done so much to improve the lives of countless residents across my district. So many people's lives are enriched because of the love and passion she expressed in touching them along the way. While the grieving process never truly ends, I pray that the day will come when her memory brings a smile to her family and friends' faces before it brings a tear to their eyes.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the Small Business Advocacy Improvements Act.

Small businesses help make up the foundation of our country's economy, with over half of Americans owning or working for small businesses. As the driving force behind our economy, it is crucial that the government uplift them at every possible point.

This bill clarifies the function and duties of the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration to allow the Office of Advocacy to represent the views and interests of small businesses before foreign governments and international entities. This will allow American small businesses to be better represented in international markets and in negotiations with foreign entities.

Whether domestic or abroad, our small businesses deserve a seat at the table if discussions are going to affect the bottom line.

My district is an international hub. We have some of the most important and highest traffic ports in the United States. Louisiana businesses connect with diverse companies and international markets across the globe every day. This bill will ensure that small business owners have someone at the table fighting for them.

I will continue to do everything in my power to support American small businesses so they can better compete in the international market.

I thank our chair and Congressman Luetkemeyer for working with me on this important bipartisan bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure.