House Proceeding 10-26-09 on Oct 26th, 2009 :: 1:18:25 to 1:24:05
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1:18:22 to 1:18:44( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: colleague, the honorable sheila jackson lee from texas. i will now yield to my friend, ms. jackson lee. ms. jackson lee: thank you so much, congresswoman fudge. your opening remarks are framed excellently. the reason for our presence here tonight. there are many issues that the congressional black caucus, led

1:18:25 to 1:24:05( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Sheila Jackson-Lee

1:18:45 to 1:19:05( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: by chairwoman barbara lee, focus on. the disciplines of the members are varied. th are vare idea including full chairmanship on a number of committees which really enhance the opportunity for a very full agenda. as i listen to you speak about

1:19:06 to 1:19:30( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: specific participation, i would venture to say and probably would not be incorrect that all of the members of the congressional black caucus and our colleagues here, republicans and democrats, engage in civic participation beforeeing elected to the united states congress. they may have start -- started in their early educational days, if will you, primary and secondary school, some may have

1:19:31 to 1:19:55( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: started in college, but they understood under this democracy as you have indicated the importance of a participatory process. i had the honor of serving on the house judiciary committee and our committee embraced this whole question of fair election laws, the right to vote and the protection of that prilege and that right to vote.

1:19:56 to 1:20:17( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: you may be well aw in the early days of my tenure, there were a number of occasions during the presidential election years that members of the congressionalal black caucus came to the floor of the house to challengehe counting of the electoral college. you may be reminded that in the particular year of 2000, ohio was in the crosshairs.

1:20:18 to 1:20:39( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: i kn having gone to ohio, having worked with you and of course your predecessor, walking the streets with you, remembering discussions that you had about ensuring that you have a fair election as your call. ohio was quite upset and therefore it was the congressional black caucus that

1:20:40 to 1:21:01( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: went to the floor of the house, we joined your predecessor in challenging the counting of the electoral votes of ohio. many people would wonder, is that civic participation? and it is. it is making sure th process is fair. . i come to emphasize where we are

1:21:02 to 1:21:22( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: today in pivotal elections that will be coming up in 2009, as i reflect on those elections, i remind people that the best of elections is the times to remove the barriers between slaves and nonslaves and land owner and

1:21:23 to 1:21:44( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: nonland owner were some of the first efforts to create the opportunity for all to vote. in 1920, there was the amendment to create the opportunity fo women to vote. african americans had longer periods of time and the voting rights act came around and the language minority provision in

1:21:45 to 1:22:05( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: the voting rights act was placed in that act by the honorable barbara jordan, my predecessor. the idea was to increase participation. as i listen to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle the dismay they have in some of the major changes that are being made by this white house and congress, might i say it is

1:22:06 to 1:22:27( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: direct evidence of the vitality of the vote in 2008. it was not something that just developed. it was the message of the voters who went in huge numbers to the polls in november of 2008, ultimately president barack obama was a message of green emergency, the opportunity for

1:22:28 to 1:22:49( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: expanding the horizon on producing of energy. and i come from oil and gas room for many of those energy types, but i recognize that green energy will be part of our future. likewise, the message came from the voters because of their civic participation on a vigorous public option in health care reform.

1:22:50 to 1:23:10( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: our colleagues are speaking to the american people whose numbers public option. this vote that is coming up, one of the most highlighted ones or two of the most are virginia and new jersey. i'm not here to speak particularly about the ultimate

1:23:11 to 1:23:32( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: outcome, but there are mess en engineers, the governor of -- mess en this in public option, care and the idea of full employment. likewise those opportunities or discussions are being heard in virginia as well. it is important in every election that is come ink up in

1:23:33 to 1:23:53( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: november of 2009 for the same momentum and the same participation to surge as it did in 2008. than and i think this special order, few will, is enormously crucial for the fact that people don't think of elections when you don't focus them on a presidential election.

1:23:54 to 1:24:05( Edit History Discussion )

Sheila Jackson-Lee: they really think of elections as -- that high lights, but you bringing to our attention the vitality and importance of elections every single year,