Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, wars were fought, movements were launched, constitutional amendments were passed to give every American of every race and gender full citizenship and the right to vote.

But last month, the Supreme Court released a shadow docket ruling reinstating Louisiana's GOP-drawn, unrepresentative congressional maps. This sends Louisiana back to a tarnished history of diminishing the votes and voices of African Americans.

It is shameful that the Court refused maps that fairly represent the population of Louisiana. We need maps that follow the simple math and give Black Louisianians their rightful representation per current population.

The Supreme Court is out of control in so many ways, but this and other most recent rulings make it clear that this Supreme Court will stop at nothing to silence the voices of Black and Brown Americans. This ruling shows that many of these Justices are committed not to the Constitution but to the far-right political agenda that includes further attacking of the Voting Rights Act.

Together we must fight against the age-old pattern of silencing Black voters. While the forces of injustice may have won the battle, we will win the war.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Monsignor John Cisewski, from the Archdiocese of New Orleans after 51 years of leading God's people as a priest of Jesus Christ.

Monsignor Cisewski was born in the Upper Peninsula of Iron Wood, Michigan to late Walter and Sophia Jean Cisewski. He will be joining the ranks of retirement along-side all his living siblings, Wally, Jim ``Choo'', Kay and Judy, all who have been retired in various fields for many years.

Monsignor Cisewski pronounced first vows and was ordained to the priesthood on October 16, 1971, at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church located in the Ninth Ward, Desire area in New Orleans. He studied at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans after completing graduate work with degrees in Master of Arts Theology and Master of Divinity. He then became the Associate Pastor of St. Philip the Apostle, followed by St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in Pontchartrain Park.

Forty-two years ago, Monsignor Cisewski rose to the ranks of pastor on March 17, 1980, at St. Monica Catholic Church. He later continued his ministry as pastor serving many parishes including St. Matthias Catholic Church; Our Lady of Lourdes (serving as dual pastor of two churches); St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, subsequently serving a pastor of the merged St. Raymond St. Leo the Great Catholic Church because of Hurricane Katrina; and his final assignment at St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church in 2008, also created in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, merging Holy Ghost Catholic Church and St. Francis DeSales Catholic Church.

Recognizing the great impact Monsignor Cisewski has on the many parishioners throughout Orleans Parish, he was selected to serve on Priests Council for three terms, the Priests Personnel Committee for seven years, over twenty years appointed by then tenured Archbishops as Dean in the Inner-City Deanery, City Park/Gentilly Deanery and twice for the University Deanery.

During the 1970's, Monsignor Cisewski taught Theology at St. Augustine High School and as Chaplain at Xavier University Preparatory High School, serving the youth in our community.

Monsignor Cisewski went beyond his spiritual calling to leave his footprint on this city on community growth. He completed a graduate degree with a master's degree in urban studies at the University of New Orleans. He worked closely with the parishioners of St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church to establish the Desire Social Center in the Desire Housing Development area. He later worked closely with the parishioners and residents in Pontchartrain Park and Gentilly Woods creating the Pontilly Neighborhood Association, one of the most active neighborhood groups still in existence to this day.

And if you thought his plate was full, his service furthered having served as an active member over fifty years of the Knights of Peter Claver; the Faith Friar to E.O. Moss Grand Assembly No. 4 and also to M.L. Lunnon Grand Chapter No. 4. His tenure includes serving on the National Committee facilitating the establishment of the Fourth Degree for the Gracious Ladies of the Knights of Peter Claver, Inc. (Auxiliary).

A huge Congratulations and Best Wishes to Louisiana's adopted Son as he begins a much-deserved retirement effective the first day of July, in the year two thousand twenty-two.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jerome ``Big Duck'' Smith, a New Orleans Native Civil Rights Pioneer and Icon of the Freedom Riders.

Jerome ``Big Duck'' Smith, a life-long resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, is considered a stalwart of the Civil Rights Movement locally and nationally.

It was 72 years ago that Jerome Smith, then 10 years old, removed the screen that acted as a barrier between white and black passengers on a New Orleans streetcar. ``The streetcar became very hostile,'' Smith recalls. The event took place 5 years before Rosa Parks energized the civil rights movement on December 1, 1955, when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama.

Smith says that as he sat in the white section of the streetcar in Louisiana, an older black woman from the rear of the car descended on him, hitting him so hard that ``It felt like there was a bell ringing in my head.'' The woman loudly said she would teach the boy a lesson, telling him, ``You should never do that, disrespect white people. You have no business trying to sit with them.''

She forced Smith off the streetcar, and around the back of an auto store. But once they were behind the building, the woman's tone changed. ``Never, ever stop,'' the woman told Smith as she began to cry. ``I'm proud of you,'' she said. ``Don't you ever quit.''

Smith's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement dates back to the late 1950s when he joined the New Orleans chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (``CORE'') as a 19-year-old student at Southern University of New Orleans. From boycotting stores that refused to hire or serve Blacks to sit-ins along Canal Street, CORE's substantial contributions were integral to the Civil Rights Movement from 1960 onward. Speaking of CORE, the late Rudy Lombard stated, ``They had `a certain confidence,' . . . because they came out of a culture that was so rich. They knew that everything that was unique about the city could be traced to the Black presence.''

Thereafter, Smith challenged Federal desegregation laws across the South as a member of the Freedom Riders. Throughout his travels, Smith participated in numerous protests that resulted in battle wounds. In fact, Smith had been beaten at least 12 times by mobs or police during the struggle. On May 24, 1963, Smith met with Attorney General Robert Kennedy and a host of celebrities and civil rights leaders in New York City to discuss the state of civil rights in the United States. During this meeting, it is said Smith emotionally told the United States' Attorney General, ``I've seen you guys [from the Justice Department] stand around and take notes while we're being beaten.'' Despite grave injustice and adversity of the times, Smith made a profound impact on civil rights history.

Beyond the Civil Rights Movement, Smith continued to impact our city, particularly in the Treme Community in New Orleans, Louisiana.

In 1968, Smith founded Tambourine and Fan to instill important culture, history, and tradition in New Orleans youth. He continues to teach classes modeled on those of the Freedom Schools during the 1964 Freedom Summer. ``Children in the Center recite lyrics of `Strange Fruit,' the names of the four young girls killed in the Birmingham, Alabama Church- fire of 1963, the Neville Brothers' `Sister Rosa,' and chants of Mardi Gras Indians who will `not bow down.' ''

Jerome Smith has mentored multitudes of individuals across the city for decades and continues to do so. Smith is the definition of a true warrior, and his legacy continues to inspire people everywhere.

If it was not for the courage of this stellar man, I have to wonder if I would be allowed to stand before you today. For that, I am beyond humble to stand on his shoulders leading the constituents of Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District. The world could never thank him enough for all he has done in his lifetime. A huge thank you to Louisiana's adopted son as he continues his fight to stand for the rights of equal justice.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Leon E. Valdry, on his 90th birthday.

Mr. Leon E. Valdry, a native of Bueche, Louisiana (a country community in Baton Rouge Louisiana), born June 7, 1932, celebrated his 90th birthday on Saturday June 4, 2022. The function was held in Louisiana at the Valdry Center for Philanthropy located on the beautiful campus of Southern University.

Mr. Valdry came from humble beginnings but has established himself as a real estate icon currently living in Beverly Hills, California. He is a philanthropist and the largest donor to his beloved alma mater Southern University in which he graduated 1957 in engineering. In 2019, Southern University opened the doors to the Valdry Center School of Philanthropy an academically based research center focused on Philanthropies named after him and his brother. It is the only HBCU Philanthropy Center in the country.

Leon Valdry believes that consistent financial support from alumni is critical to Southern University's growth and longevity. ``As alumni, it is imperative that we give back to the University. Every graduate regardless of the amount they are able to give, should make a financial contribution annually,'' said Valdry. On March 21, 2015, Leon Valdry made a unrestricted gift of $100,000 to the Southern University System Foundation's 1880 Society. Valdry is a long-time supporter of the Southern University College of Business and a member of the 1880 Society, P.B.S. Pinchback Circle. The P.B.S. Pinchback Circle requires an annual cash contribution of no less than $25,000 to the Society. He is still a member.

Philanthropy for Valdry has been a way of life for more than 50 years. The training he received while he was a student at Southern University, provided Valdry with an opportunity to secure his first job with the Litho Art Company in Los Angeles, California. Since that time, he has made a name for himself in real estate development throughout Louisiana and California. His real estate ventures consist of residential, commercial, and industrial properties. Valdry is a resident of Beverly Hills, California and is President/CEO of Holly Park Plaza in Inglewood, California, which is one of the largest shopping centers in the city of Los Angeles.

The Valdry Center for Philanthropy at Southern Universiy acknowledges the sizable contributions that Leon, Warren, and Virginia Valdry have made to their alma mater, and the need to support excellence in education at HBCUs by endeavoring to create a culture of philanthropy, promote racial equity, and provide a trained workforce to help direct volunteer action and charitable resources toward communities in need.

He is a member of the Democratic Party and has made contributions throughout the years. Mr. Valdry looks forward to attending any upcoming Democratic functions in Beverly Hills. He has blessed both communities in Louisiana and Beverly Hills by assisting young adults/ students with their academic journey. He is a devout Catholic and is a member of the Usher Team at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Beverly Hills California. He is also an Army Veteran. President Biden joined in the celebration, celebrating Mr. Valdry for his love, kindness, generosity, and time to humanity.

A huge Congratulations and Birthday Wishes to Louisiana's native Son.

Mr. Speaker, in Louisiana, we know the awesome power of the water. We also know that it is the lifeblood of our Nation's economy and environment.

The Army Corps of Engineers is the Federal department that most supports water management, ecosystem restoration, and flood control, critical issues in my region.

The Water Resources Development Act is the mechanism Congress uses for these authorizations, and it is a critical policy for my district. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am proud to have worked to include important updates for my district in WRDA, such as instructing the Corps of Engineers to continue paused ecosystem restoration on the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet; authorizing $136 million for St. John, St. Bernard, St. James, St. Charles, and Plaquemines Parishes for comprehensive treatment facilities and water infrastructure.

And on a personal note, the final version included my amendment to improve safety features along the banks of the Mississippi River, an important move after the recent tragic drowning of three children in Algiers in my district.

As we work to untangle supply chains and navigate climate change, we can't delay critical water management projects. I urge the favorable passage of the WRDA act, H.R. 7776.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate my constituent Mr. Arnold Fielkow on the occasion of his recognition as a 2022 Avodah Award recipient, one of the highest awards granted to a social justice leader in the Jewish Community of New Orleans.

Arnold Fielkow with his wife, Dr. Susan Fielkow, and their three boys, Justin, Michael and Steven, moved to New Orleans in 2000 from Wisconsin when Fielkow took the position of executive vice president with the New Orleans Saints organization. Fifteen years ago, after years of working their way through the international adoption process, and after Hurricane Katrina washed away their original documents, the family adopted half-sisters Yana Shira, 9, and Svetlana, 6, from the Ukraine. To this very day, Arnie and his family are watching the turmoil as it unfolds in Ukraine, hoping to find a safe passage for the sisters and their children of his adopted daughters.

A leader with a knack for business and an expert coalition-builder, Mr. Fielkow worked with the NFL's New Orleans Saints from 2000 to 2005, In this role, he served as the top senior management official presiding over all administrative and business departments for the organization, including community relations and youth programs. Fielkow was instrumental in enhancing the team's influence--internationally, nationally, and locally--throughout Louisiana. He was the key negotiator achieving a landmark 10-year agreement for Saints facilities here in the state, putting his entire career at risk on such a deal.

Fielkow also oversaw tremendous growth in the Saints' youth programming, highlighted by the organization's involvement in the NFL's Junior Player Development program, and the administration of summer youth clinics throughout greater New Orleans. Teaming with the NFL and the Orleans Parish School Board, the Saints were instrumental in returning tackle football to the city's public middle schools.

Arnie left the Saints Organization for public service, elected to the position of Councilmember At Large for the City of New Orleans. As a City Councilman, he helped rebuild New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, introducing legislation to improve education, economic development, public safety and youth recreation across the storm- ravaged city. Fielkow played a major role in ensuring that recreation and athletics remained a significant focus for the youth of the city.

Upon stepping down from the City Council in a second term, he served as the President and CEO of the National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), the official association for all former NBA, ABA, WNBA and Harlem Globetrotter players. Under his tenure, the association achieved an all-time high in membership, built strong partnerships with other organizations, and developed a full menu of member programs and new youth-based national community service initiatives.

This new community mission directly led to the creation of the NBRPA's touring youth basketball program and life skills program, which served thousands of at-risk youth in partnership with the National Police Athletic/Activities League and the National Urban League.

I am convinced Arnie never sleeps as he develops new ways to assist those in need. His latest innovative program was jointly created by the Arnie D. Fielkow Family and the Edgar ``Dooky'' Jr. & Leah Chase Family Foundation. Both names are well-known among New Orleanians, and their collaboration combines the primary passions of each family as seen through their years of philanthropic service. This program is a definitive nod to Arnie Fielkow's nearly 30-year professional career of sports, Judaism, and relationship-building among the diverse subsets of our city's diverse communities. The Fielkow-Chase Youth Education Initiative is designed to build impactful relationships between multicultural and multifaith communities in Greater New Orleans. Through practical learning and career skills building, this program services high school students interested in pursuing professions within the sports industry, while at the same time allowing the participating teens to learn about one another's history, traditions, and culture. This exciting initiative launched in October 2021.

Rooted in community and public service, Mr. Fielkow's current work as CEO of the Jewish Federation of New Orleans is his latest step in a lifelong pattern of bringing people together and doing what is best for the people.

Throughout his stellar career, Mr. Fielkow has succeeded in combining his commitment to public service with his love of sports, and always sought to improve access, facilities and programming for our children and young people.

I could go on about the experience, honors, and exemplary leadership that this honoree has displayed, but I want to share something that Mr. Fielkow and I are working on together currently.

Through the congressional Appropriations Community Project Funding Projects, I was able to secure $3 million dollars for the 9th Ward Stadium Project, whose sole mission is to build a high-quality, multi- use sports recreation stadium for students, schools, and families in New Orleans' 9th Ward. Of course, who other than Mr. Arnie Fielkow is Chair of this organization and is leading the on-the-ground effort to build this facility in a community that has far too long had to travel to other neighborhoods and other schools to use their sports facilities. This stadium will change many lives for the better in New Orleans' 9th Ward.

The 9th Ward Stadium effort is just the latest example of Mr. Fielkow's love for New Orleans--and sports--in action, and I am so grateful to have secured this funding for this fantastic project.

Congratulations to Mr. Arnie Fielkow on this award. His wife, children, as well as the entire Greater New Orleans Community, are so proud and grateful to have him in our lives.

Madam Speaker, today, I want to recognize the extraordinary life of Dr. Johnnie Anderson Jones, Sr., Esq. of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a Civil Rights Lawyer, and World War II Veteran, at the tender age of 102 on April 23, 2022.

Dr. Jones was born November 30, 1919, in Laurel Hill, Louisiana and raised on Rosemound Plantation by his parents, who farmed 73 acres of land but insisted that their son get an education. He attended a two- room schoolhouse and became interested in the law, he said, when a teacher gave him a book by Charles Evans Hughes, then the Chief Justice of the United States.

``While we were out in the fields picking cotton, I would be thinking about what I read in that book,'' Mr. Jones told the Advocate of Baton Rouge. ``I couldn't stand the sight of people picking cotton . . . . Everything it represented.''

Mr. Jones enrolled at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, planning to major in industrial education. He was 24 years old, a future civil rights lawyer not yet graduated from college, when he landed on the beaches of Normandy in the D-Day invasion of 1944. He was tasked with unloading equipment during the Normandy invasion.

He became the Army's first African-American warrant officer. He was assigned to a unit responsible for unloading equipment and supplies onto Normandy.

He nearly died before his ship reached the shore, when the explosion of a mine sent him flying ``sky high into the air,'' he recalled, and onto an upper deck. He again almost died when he came under German sniper fire on Omaha Beach.

When Mr. Jones returned home to Louisiana, he was greeted not with a hero's welcome, but rather with all the indignities of segregation in the Jim Crow South.

Riding a bus with fellow U.S. servicemembers, Mr. Jones, who was African American, was forced to sit in the back of the coach. He was driving to New Orleans to have shrapnel removed from his neck when a White police officer, entirely unprovoked, pulled him over and began assaulting him.

``He knocked me down and started kicking me,'' he said. ``Things weren't right. `Separate but equal' was unconstitutional, and I wanted to fight it and make it better.''

Mr. Jones did so by enrolling in law school and becoming a lawyer in the early years of the civil rights movement. Mr. Jones was credited with fighting legal battles on multiple fronts of the movement for racial equality.

He worked with voter leagues and with civil rights organizations; including the NAACP and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). He assisted demonstrators who participated in lunch-counter sit-ins. During that time, his car was bombed on two separate occasions.

After the 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, which outlawed segregation in public schools, he helped accompany about 30 Black children to a White elementary school in Baton Rouge, historian Adam Fairclough wrote in the volume ``Race and Democracy: The Civil Rights Struggle in Louisiana, 1915-1972.''

But Mr. Jones played perhaps his most significant role in the 1953 Baton Rouge bus boycott, a long-overlooked event that helped inspire the landmark boycott two years later in Montgomery, Ala., prompted by the arrest of Rosa Parks. Mr. Jones was only two weeks out of law school in June 1953 when the Rev. T.J. Jemison, a founding member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, invited him to represent the organizers of the effort in Baton Rouge.

``I told him, `That's an awfully big suit to fill,' '' Mr. Jones recalled to a reporter in 2015. ``But he said, `Nonsense, Brother Jones, you can do it.' ''

The Baton Rouge demonstration was touched off when Martha White, an African-American housekeeper, ignited a controversy by taking a seat in a section of a public bus reserved for White riders. During the eight- day boycott that followed, activists organized carpools that allowed participants to travel to and from work without riding city buses. Eighty percent of the city's bus ridership at the time was African American. The boycott ended with the partial desegregation of city buses, with the front two rows of seats reserved for White people and the last two rows for Black people. While some protesters had hoped for a more dramatic outcome, historians today describe the Baton Rouge boycott as a prototype of others to come.

``Almost unnoticed at the time,'' the Baton Rouge protest ``was a direct precursor of the Montgomery bus boycott,'' Fairclough wrote, ``and an event of major significance in the evolution of the civil rights movement.''

Upon his return to the United States, he resumed his studies and changed his major to psychology, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1949. He received a law degree, also from Southern University, in 1953.

Mr. Jones served briefly in the Louisiana House of Representatives in the 1970s. He continued practicing law into his 90s.

Mr. Jones was predeceased by his four children, Johnnie A. Jones Jr., Adal Jones, Adair Jones and Ann Jones. Survivors include many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

During his service in World War II, Mr. Jones sustained shrapnel wounds that he would bear for the rest of his life.

``The doctor told me it would really hurt in 75 years, but I wouldn't have to worry about that,'' he bravely discussed. ``I fooled him. It hurts, and I'm still picking it out of my head and arm. A piece came out just above my left eye yesterday.''

He waited nearly eight decades for his service to be recognized with a Purple Heart, receiving the award only last year. The long delay was symbolic of what he saw as the slow move toward justice in the civil rights movement.

His heroism will be forever marked in our lives. I am proud to say the life he lived paved the way for me to enjoy the accomplishments I have endured following his footsteps. I will continue to work for the citizens of Louisiana, as Dr. Jones did, always striving to make life better in our community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and career of Olga Armour Jackson. Since 1956, Ms. Jackson has performed one of our most important jobs as a professional educator. She has served at every level, as a Kindergarten Teacher, a Head Start Teacher, a Head Start Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, a Teacher of Gifted Children via Project First, an Adult/GED Instructor, an Adjunct Instructor in Early Childhood Education at the Vocational and Community College level, a Program Manager/Trainer and an Early Childhood Education Consultant.

Olga Armour Jackson was born on November 20, 1933, and is the eldest of ten children of the late Reverend Lloyd J. Armour, Sr., and the late Frances Ernestine Henry Armour. Married to the late Lawrence Jackson, Sr., she is mother to Lawrence Jackson, Jr., and Grandmother to Janae' and Jarrell Jackson. Ms. Jackson was educated in the public

schools of New Orleans where she attended Johnson C. Lockett Elementary and McDonogh 35 Senior High School. She went on to receive her Bachelor of Arts degree in Kindergarten-Primary Education from Dillard University in 1956 and later earned her Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education from Tulane University. In the seventies, she furthered her education even more at Tulane University.

Ms. Jackson has retired three times in her illustrious career. First, from the New Orleans Public School System in 1977. In 2001, she retired from St. Mark's Community Center where she directed the Child Care Training Program. Finally, in 2015, she retired from Delgado Community College, where she instructed CDA Prep Training for Head Start and childcare teachers in the Greater New Orleans area.

She is a passionate Head Start supporter. Ms. Jackson most recently served as a member of the Jefferson Parish Head Start Policy Council as a Community Representative from 2015 to 2021. Her past service has included CDA Advisor and Trainer to Head Start teaching staff, member of the Head Start Policy Council Education committee giving input to policies impacting parental programs in Head Start Centers, and as a presenter at Jefferson Parish Head Start Annual Teacher Workshops. Ms. Jackson has certainly left a lasting impact in the Head Start community across several communities and in various capacities since its inception in 1965.

Her dedication to the advocacy and protection of the rights of children is unmatched. She has been active in numerous causes for children and families. Ms. Jackson is Past President of the Louisiana Association for the Education of Young Children; Founder and Advisor of the New Orleans Association of Family Child Care Providers, Inc.; former Advisory Board member of the Louisiana Children's Trust Fund; former Trainer of the WYES Ready to Learn Program; Life Member of the Dillard University Alumni Association and Louisiana Retired Teachers Association

Ms. Jackson has had a lasting impact on countless individuals across the Greater New Orleans region and State of Louisiana that can never be measured. I am honored to be able to share her story with the rest of the nation for generations to come so that others may be inspired by her service to others.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent southeast Louisiana in Congress, a region that is rightfully famous for its community, its culture, and its incredible food.

Around 9,000 restaurants in Louisiana applied for the Restaurant Revitalization Act in the American Rescue Plan. Less than 3,000 received funding. It is clear, the need to replenish this legislation is great and must happen.

Today, we will continue to fight for the help of small businesses and families during the pandemic as we pass the Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act, providing an additional $60 million for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

Louisiana thrives on tourism and hospitality, and the restaurant sector is critical in the State's economy. I am so grateful that this bill now includes provisions that I proposed in the bipartisan MUSIC Act, which would include members of the entertainment industry, like live event companies who have yet to have access to industry-specific economic relief funding.

I am proud to vote ``yes'' today and stand with small businesses that strengthen and enrich our local economies.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the committed service of Command Sergeant Major Michael Gedeon.

CMS Gedeon has been a fearless leader and public servant since he joined the Army on November 24, 1982. Serving 39 years of Active and Reserve Army service, he has shown tremendous courage and dedication to this country.

Following Basic Training and Advanced Initial Training, he was allocated to the 1st Signal Battalion in Kaiserslautem West Germany from 1983 to 1985, and afterward served in the 501st Signal Battalion, 101st Airborne Division.

CSM Gedeon was deployed from 2004 to 2005 and 2009 to 2010 to Haiti for Operation Uphold Democracy, Operation Joint Endeavor in Bosnia, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Returning to American soil, he entered the US Army Reserve in the HHC second Psychological Operations Group and settled in Parma Ohio.

As a life-long learner, CSM Gedeon started his military education with the Combat Lifesaver Course and ultimately ending with the Battalion Pre-Command Course in 2015.

Since 1987, he has served in various second POG--non combat--units and rose through the ranks to ultimately become a Command Sergeant Major in February of 2013. The rank of CMS is the most senior enlisted member of a color-bearing Army unit, and serves as a spokesman to address all the issues of soldiers to the unit commander. He also began working as the Director of Instruction in the twelfth/100th CA/MISO Training Battalion.

In the latter half of his military career, CSM Gedeon accepted his first Command Sergeant Major assignment for the 16th Psychological Operations Battalion in Fort Sheridan, Illinois in January of 2014. His second assignment was the 11th Psychological Operations Battalion in White Plains, Maryland in April of 2016 to July of 2019 and his final assignment was in February of 2019, as the 2nd Psychological Operations Group Command Sergeant Major.

With over 3 decades of experience, the Army has honored CSM Gedeon with multiple awards signifying his dedication and service to this country. His many decorations include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal and many others.

After a lifetime of service at home and abroad, CSM Gedeon is now retired from duty and currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio where he works at a law firm and parents two young daughters, Paige and Molly.

A huge congratulations to Hon. CSM Michael P. Gedeon. We thank him for his service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and honor Mrs. Irene Burrus on the joyous and momentous occasion of her 99th birthday on March 31, 2022.

Irene has been a supporter, trusted advisor and personal friend of mine since I was a mere kid. I thank God for her and her incredible love, passion, and sincere care for our community at large.

Mrs. Irene Burrus has been a tireless volunteer in the New Orleans community for more than 50 years. She is a leader and possesses the skills to involve her friends and neighbors in the causes and organizations she believes in. Her kindness and empathy for others makes her a respected member of her community and has inspired many to follow in her service to others.

Irene was married to the deceased John Burrus, who served our country and was awarded the Navy Cross by President Harry S. Truman. She became involved in many causes for our military and veterans throughout the State of Louisiana.

Irene worked at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center for over thirty years. She has shared an unwavering love and dedication for the city of New Orleans with everyone she encountered. In 2013, at the age of 89, she volunteered three days of her time to welcoming people from over the world to the activities surrounding Super Bowl XLVII. She is well-known to serve breakfast to law enforcement every Mardi Gras.

A stalwart figure in Louisiana's volunteer circles, Irene was awarded the Heroism of the Year award by the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations and was one of the first five inductees into the Algiers Wall of Fame for her community service to Algiers and New Orleans.

Irene's service to causes and organizations is unmatched. She is a member of the Algiers Police Advisory Group, the Welcome Neighbors Organization, the Morning Kiwanis Club, the Algiers Economic Development Foundation, the Tall Timbers Garden Club, the Algiers Development District, the Algiers Charter School Association for Fundraising, the Military Wives Organization, the Old Aurora Neighborhood Association, the Historic French Quarter Easter Parade, the Algiers Republican Women, the Louisiana Republican Women, and the Algiers Courthouse Board of Directors.

Throughout her life, Irene has been ``Shero'' to the countless families she has helped along

the way. She has showered blessings upon everyone she has loved so deeply, and we are eternally grateful. I wish her the happiest of birthdays surrounded by family and friends and pray we celebrate many more years to come.

Mr. Speaker, the COVID pandemic has produced a rise in drug abuse, violent crime, and other indicators of collective trauma. These are pressing issues that urgently need resources devoted to them. We must stop wasting precious resources on marijuana offenses.

Law enforcement simply cannot afford to chase small-time pot offenders while violent and random crime continues to be on the rise nationwide. The ACLU reports States are wasting billions annually enforcing cannabis laws. This is money, time, and effort better spent on investing in true community safety.

Further, Americans overwhelmingly want marijuana reform and 91 percent report that they believe that it should

be legalized. Congress is long overdue in marijuana reform and decriminalizing this substance, but we have a long journey ahead to achieve social justice and criminal justice reform.

The war on marijuana is a costly relic of the past. Let's vote ``yes'' today so we can build a safer and more equitable tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, March is Women's History Month, and I can't let this month pass without highlighting two barrier- breaking public servants.

So many women have contributed greatly to Louisiana, but today, I want to take a few moments to celebrate two: Councilwoman Dorothy Mae Taylor and Congresswoman Lindy Claiborne Boggs.

A New Orleans teacher and activist, Dorothy led a fight for equality within the segregated school systems while serving as a PTA president. Under her leadership, the city's Black and White schools finally achieved equal funding.

While I didn't know it at the time, my educational experience as a boy growing up in New Orleans in the sixties and seventies would improve thanks to the work of Mrs. Taylor. During the civil rights movement, she successfully fought to desegregate New Orleans recreational facilities and register African-American voters.

She was a woman of many firsts: the first woman of color to be elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives; the first African- American woman to hold the head of a State department; and the first Black woman and one of the first two women to serve on the New Orleans City Council, in 1986.

Councilwoman Taylor worked issues like criminal justice reform before they were popular. After a century of segregation, she was the first councilmember to move on a proposal to ban discrimination in Mardi Gras krewe membership, a move that paved the way for their eventual desegregation.

I was elected to the New Orleans City Council in 1994, the year that Councilwoman Taylor retired, but I am so grateful to have known her and to have had an opportunity to learn from her many pearls of wisdom.

Though she passed in the year 2000, she left a lasting mark on New Orleans, Louisiana, and our country.

Congresswoman Lindy Boggs lived a life of service and warmth, unafraid to break the glass ceiling while overcoming great personal loss.

Her husband, the Honorable Hale Boggs, served in Congress for decades until his tragic death in a plane crash. Following his passing, Lindy Boggs replaced him as Congresswoman Boggs and became the first woman ever elected to Congress from the State of Louisiana.

It takes a lot of inner strength to do that, strength we also see today from our current colleague serving as a Member of Congress from Louisiana, Congresswoman Julia Letlow.

In this very Chamber, Congresswoman Boggs fought tirelessly for equal rights for women and minorities. She also fought to make the House of Representatives more welcoming to women, successfully advocating for a women's-only space in a governing body that was more than 96 percent male. That room still exists today and is appropriately named the Lindy Claiborne Boggs Congressional Women's Reading Room.

Throughout her life, Congresswoman Boggs famously opened her home, her kitchen, and her heart to the people of Louisiana and the community she loved so much.

She passed in 2013, but we all uplift the memory of Congresswoman Boggs and Councilwoman Dorothy Mae Taylor for advancing issues that they had committed their entire lives to protecting and advancing voting rights, fighting against discrimination, providing healthcare to underserved members of our community, and fighting for humanity for people everywhere.

In the spirit of the Honorable Lindy Boggs and the Honorable Dorothy Mae Taylor, we say thank you for your incredible service, and we will continue the drumbeat of these issues here in Congress.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Louisiana has the second highest diabetes mortality rate but only the 11th highest number of cases. The rate of diabetes among Blacks, Hispanics, and Native American adults in the State is disproportionately high as compared to other populations.

Insulin is a lifesaving medicine, allowing people to live healthy lives, raise families, and do their jobs. However, many can't afford this life-regulating medicine.

Many Louisianans have to pay over $100 a vial in out-of-pocket costs every single month. And some are forced to ration prescriptions, risking complications or death. The people must always come before Big Pharma.

Today, we are finally taking action to cut the price of insulin. The Affordable Insulin Now Act would cap out-of-

pocket insulin costs for insulin for a month-long supply at $35 and require plans to cover different types of insulin.

The bill is a strong move in the right direction to ease the burden, and we must do this now.

Madam Speaker, Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. has served as the Superintendent of NOLA Public Schools since March 18, 2015, becoming one of the youngest and longest tenured leaders in the 180-year history of public education in New Orleans. With over 25 years of educational experience as a teacher, mentor, assistant principal, instructional coach, curriculum expert, principal, and school district leader, Superintendent Lewis brings a unique, classroom focused perspective to the table.

Dr. Lewis first worked for the Algiers Charter Schools Association for six years, serving as the founding principal at Algiers Technology Academy. He taught for seven years at neighboring St. Bernard Parish Public Schools and represented District 9 on the St. Bernard Parish Public School Board for 11 years. Dr. Lewis then went on to become a celebrated superintendent for East Feliciana Parish, which is just north of Baton Rouge. Under his leadership, the district was recognized by the Louisiana Department of Education as second in the state for elementary student academic growth. Throughout his tenure at New Orleans Public Schools, he has not wavered from his mission as a citywide regulator of schools, a protector of family and student rights, and a thoughtful steward of public resources.

Superintendent Lewis has been at the helm of NOLA-PS during a pivotal time in the school system's history. He oversaw the 2018 unification of public schools in New Orleans with those schools run by the state of Louisiana. NOLA-PS now has 76 schools under the oversight of the Orleans Parish School Board.

Thanks to his team and his leadership, New Orleans community of schools is better structured today than ever before. NOLA-PS established an accountability framework that holds charter schools to high standards. During his tenure, Dr. Lewis has worked to add strong school options to the portfolio, including new and innovative school models, transformations, and replication of successful school models to provide the best possible options for students.

During his time as Superintendent, he faced the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. He helped NOLA-PS lead the way nationally by building partnerships, using data to drive decisions, and leading NOLA Public Schools through the COVID-19 pandemic. That work has helped NOLA-PS lead the way nationally when it came to reopening schools with adequate technology, gaining access to COVID testing, and securing access to vaccines. Dr. Lewis also coordinated the district-wide commitment to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for students five years and up.

His dedication to promoting equality and equity led to the renaming of 21 school buildings in 2021 to separate the school system of today from the dubious honors bestowed in the past to slaveholders and segregation sympathizers. He also implemented an equity initiative within the school district to continue to advance public education as a right for all children, no matter their race, gender, or economic position.

At the heart of Dr. Lewis' work remains his unwavering commitment to the well-being and high-quality education of every child, every day.