Speeches

“Few have done more to create a sustainable society and a just world than B. Rapoport. B’s causes are diverse; he loves his alma mater, the University of Texas, he’s a dedicated supporter of Israel, and he’s an unabashed liberal. But wherever there is a difficult challenge and an innovative solution, B. Rapoport is there.”

“Lim Poon Lee came to these shores from Hong Kong as an infant. Like many immigrants, his family so loved this country and he spent his entire life in public service. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army as a counterintelligence specialist. He worked in the Public Welfare and Juvenile Court Systems in San Francisco. And Mr. Lee served as one of my predecessors in Congress and a friend to many of us here, Congressman Phillip Burton, as a field representative.”

“Because of the efforts of the NAWJ, there are more young women in law school, more women lawyers, and more women judges than at any time in American history. You are truly changing the face of justice in America.”

“The NAACP is invigorated by its youthful leaders. Chief among them is your new President and CEO, Ben Jealous. And I don’t just say that because Ben is a former constituent in San Francisco. Congratulations, Ben, on leading your first convention – one of great importance not only to NAACP, but to our entire country.”

On the floor, the Speaker said: “No matter how long this Congress wants to talk about it, we cannot hold back the future. And so, in order to move on with the future, I want to yield back my time, submit my statement for the record, and urge my colleagues to vote for this important legislation. And when you do, just remember these four words for what this legislation means: jobs, jobs, jobs, and jobs. Let’s vote for jobs.”

“The ambitions of all of you are clearly broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others. In these times of great challenge, America needs more people like all of you – rolling up your sleeves and pitching in to turn challenges in your communities into opportunities to serve.”

“Today, we have an opportunity to protect public health and prevent disease. And today, we have an opportunity to honor our responsibility to our children to protect them from the harm that can come to them from the use of tobacco.”

“Jack Henning will be long remembered for his distinguished career on the front lines of the labor movement, fighting passionately for justice, equality, human rights and jobs in California, and across America, and throughout the world.”

“And so, while the Holocaust Memorial Museum is about something that happened in the past, it is a memorial and a reminder to us about ridding our societies of these kinds of attitudes. So how ironic that this person, this individual, would go into that museum with hate in his heart, a gun in his hand, and kill this beautiful man, Stephen Johns, who really gave his life — he guarded others with his life.”

“As many of you know, Ralph Regula served in the House with great distinction for 38 years of service, 38 years of service and not only service, great leadership. Last year, we sadly said good-bye to him, but now tonight we will honor him by creating a longstanding testament to his leadership, designating the courthouse and federal building in his hometown of Canton as the Ralph Regula Federal Building and United States Courthouse.”