[JPRT, 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




                         Stephanie Tubbs Jones

                       LATE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM

                                  OHIO

                                   a

                          

                           MEMORIAL ADDRESSES

                           AND OTHER TRIBUTES

                       hon. stephanie tubbs jones


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                               1949-2008

                       hon. stephanie tubbs jones


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                               1949-2008


                                           


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Stephanie Tubbs Jones


                               Memorial Addresses and

                                   Other Tributes

                        HELD IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                                     AND SENATE

                                OF THE UNITED STATES

                           TOGETHER WITH MEMORIAL SERVICES

                                     IN HONOR OF

                                STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES

                    Late a Representative from Ohio

                       One Hundred Tenth Congress

                             Second Session


    [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]



                            Compiled under the direction

                                       of the

                             Joint Committee on Printing








                                      CONTENTS
             Biography.............................................
                                                                      v
             Proceedings in the House of Representatives:
                Tributes by Representatives:
                    Baca, Joe, of California.......................
                                                                     66
                    Boehner, John A., of Ohio......................
                                                                      4
                    Bonner, Jo, of Alabama.........................
                                                                     65
                    Boustany, Charles W., Jr., of Louisiana........
                                                                     77
                    Capito, Shelley Moore, of West Virginia........
                                                                     81
                    Capps, Lois, of California.....................
                                                                     23
                    Clarke, Yvette D., of New York.................
                                                                     47
                    Cleaver, Emanuel, of Missouri..................
                                                                     29
                    Clyburn, James E., of South Carolina...........
                                                                     77
                    Cohen, Steve, of Tennessee.....................
                                                                     68
                    Costa, Jim, of California......................
                                                                     79
                    Davis, Danny K., of Illinois...................
                                                                     45
                    Davis, Susan A., of California 
                     ..............................................
                                                             24, 76, 78
                    DeGette, Diana, of Colorado....................
                                                                     79
                    Edwards, Donna F., of Maryland.................
                                                                     48
                    Gingrey, Phil, of Georgia......................
                                                                 62, 72
                    Hastings, Alcee L., of Florida.................
                                                                     64
                    Hayes, Robin, of North Carolina................
                                                                     18
                    Hirono, Mazie K., of Hawaii....................
                                                                     34
                    Hobson, David L., of Ohio......................
                                                                 15, 85
                    Jackson-Lee, Sheila, of Texas 
                     ........................................
                                                         27, 53, 80, 84
                    Jefferson, William J., of Louisiana............
                                                                     32
                    Johnson, Eddie Bernice, of Texas...............
                                                                     31
                    Kaptur, Marcy, of Ohio 
                     ................................
                                            3, 4, 5, 28, 30, 31, 52, 75
                    Kilpatrick, Carolyn C., of Michigan 
                     .....................................
                                                             37, 41, 88
                    Kucinich, Dennis J., of Ohio...................
                                                                 13, 71
                    Lee, Barbara, of California....................
                                                                 69, 73
                    Lewis, John, of Georgia........................
                                                                     31
                    Lowey, Nita M., of New York....................
                                                                     33
                    Maloney, Carolyn B., of New York...............
                                                                     70
                    Matsui, Doris O., of California................
                                                                     34
                    McCollum, Betty, of Minnesota..................
                                                                     67
                    McDermott, Jim, of Washington..................
                                                                     75
                    Meek, Kendrick B., of Florida 
                     ..............................................
                                                             45, 53, 59
                    Moore, Gwen, of Wisconsin......................
                                                                     81
                    Pallone, Frank, Jr., of New Jersey.............
                                                                 79, 80
                    Payne, Donald M., of New Jersey................
                                                                     39
                    Pomeroy, Earl, of North Dakota.................
                                                                     26
                    Pryce, Deborah, of Ohio........................
                                                                     20
                    Rangel, Charles B., of New York................
                                                                     16
                    Regula, Ralph, of Ohio.........................
                                                                 12, 30
                    Richardson, Laura, of California...............
                                                                     49
                    Ryan, Tim, of Ohio.............................
                                                                     63
                    Sanchez, Linda T., of California...............
                                                                     66
                    Schakowsky, Janice D., of Illinois.............
                                                                     25
                    Schmidt, Jean, of Ohio.........................
                                                                     22
                    Scott, David, of Georgia.......................
                                                                     19
                    Sessions, Pete, of Texas.......................
                                                                     86
                    Space, Zachary T., of Ohio.....................
                                                                     21
                    Stark, Fortney Pete, of California 
                     .................................
                                                         35, 76, 82, 87
                    Sutton, Betty, of Ohio.........................
                                                                     11
                    Udall, Tom, of New Mexico......................
                                                                     62
                    Wasserman Schultz, Debbie, of Florida..........
                                                                     72
                    Watson, Diane E., of California................
                                                                     38
                    Watt, Melvin L., of North Carolina.............
                                                                     36
                    Whitfield, Ed, of Kentucky.....................
                                                                     78
                    Wilson, Charles A., of Ohio....................
                                                                     22
                    Woolsey, Lynn C., of California................
                                                                     36
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Brown, Sherrod, of Ohio........................
                                                                     89
                    Dorgan, Byron L., of North Dakota..............
                                                                     89
             Memorial Services.....................................
                                                                     91
                                      BIOGRAPHY

               Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was the first 
             African American woman elected to the U.S. House of 
             Representatives from Ohio. Congresswoman Tubbs Jones was a 
             lifelong resident of the 11th District, which encompasses 
             most of the East Side of Cleveland and parts of the West 
             Side of Cleveland and includes parts of 22 suburbs.
               For her five terms in office, the Congresswoman was a 
             strong advocate for many issues, and championed wealth 
             building and economic development, access and delivery of 
             health care, and quality education for all. The 
             Congresswoman was the first African American woman to 
             chair the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct 
             (Ethics) and the first African American woman to serve on 
             the powerful Ways and Means Committee. She was an active 
             member of numerous congressional caucuses, including the 
             Congressional Black Caucus.
               Congresswoman Tubbs Jones introduced several pieces of 
             legislation including the Uterine Fibroids Research and 
             Education Act to increase funding for research on uterine 
             fibroids and provide enhanced public education about this 
             condition; the Predatory Mortgage Lending Practices 
             Reduction Act, which would require certification of 
             mortgage brokers and enhance penalties for predatory 
             loans; and the Campus Fire Prevention Act, which would 
             provide money to equip college dorms, fraternities, and 
             sorority houses with fire suppression devices. Most 
             recently, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones introduced the ``Count 
             Every Vote'' Act of 2005 which seeks to provide an all-
             encompassing solution to a broad range of voting 
             irregularities that occurred during the 2004 Presidential 
             election. She is an original co-sponsor of multiple 
             significant pieces of legislation, including health care 
             for low- and middle-income families and community reentry 
             for ex-felons.
               Congresswoman Tubbs Jones made a number of historic 
             achievements in her distinguished career as a public 
             servant. Prior to her election to the House, Congresswoman 
             Tubbs Jones served as the first African American and the 
             first female Cuyahoga County, OH, prosecutor. She was the 
             first African American woman to sit on the Common Pleas 
             bench in the State of Ohio and was a municipal court judge 
             in the city of Cleveland.
               Congresswoman Tubbs Jones received numerous honors 
             throughout her lifetime including the National Bible 
             Association Capitol Hill Distinguished Leadership Award, 
             Human Rights Campaign of Cleveland Equality Award, 
             Backbone Campaign's Backbone Award, and the Carib News 
             Multi-National Business Conference Marcus Garvey Award.
               Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones is a graduate of 
             Cleveland public schools. She received her undergraduate 
             degree from Case Western Reserve University, graduating 
             with a degree in social work from the Flora Stone Mather 
             College in 1971. She received her juris doctorate from 
             Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1974. 
             Additionally, she has received honorary doctorates from 
             David N. Myers University, Notre Dame College, Central 
             State University, and Cleveland State University.
               An active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority 
             Incorporated, she served on its national social action 
             committee. She was a lifelong member of Bethany Baptist 
             Church in Cleveland, OH, and was a member of its board of 
             trustees.
               The Congresswoman was married to Mervyn L. Jones, Sr., 
             deceased (2003), for 27 years and was the proud mother of 
             Mervyn Leroy Jones II.


 
                                 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES

                                         AND

                                   OTHER TRIBUTES

                                         FOR

                                STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES
                     Proceedings in the House of Representatives
                                              Monday, September 8, 2008
               Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I seek to be recognized in 
             order to place on the Record officially for the first time 
             the passing from this life of our beloved colleague, 
             Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio's 11th 
             District.
               I would like to announce to my colleagues that after 
             votes this evening, we will manage a special bereavement 
             resolution. Many Members, I know, will want to pay tribute 
             to Stephanie's beautiful life. We as Ohioans, as Buckeyes, 
             share her son Mervyn's profound sense of loss; but also I 
             know we share an equal gratitude for the manner in which 
             she lived her life and what she contributed, not just to 
             her family or her church family, or her staff, but to our 
             country and indeed to our world.
               When Stephanie hugged many of us before we left in 
             August, I can tell you I certainly didn't think I would be 
             down here this evening. Any Member who wishes to honor her 
             life can do so after the votes are cast this evening.
               Let me just mention to my colleagues that we knew 
             Stephanie here as chair of the Ethics Committee and as the 
             first African American woman to serve on the Ways and 
             Means Committee. But her path was not an easy one. Coming 
             from East Cleveland, she was a gregarious leader who 
             blazed many trails.
               She was one of the few women who have ever served in the 
             Ohio delegation, and the first African American woman ever 
             to be elected to the Congress of the United States from 
             the State of Ohio. She was the first black woman to become 
             a judge of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, as well 
             as the county's first African American prosecutor.
               She gave so much to so many. I always seemed to catch 
             Stephanie running through the airport with her suitcase, 
             traveling somewhere, with that boundless energy and that 
             constant smile; and we will pay tribute more fully to her 
             later this evening.
               To her son, Mervyn, who I would expect is listening this 
             evening, we all know that your mother's strength will hold 
             you now in a very profound way; and we extend our deepest 
             sympathy to you. We know that in the years ahead you will 
             come to appreciate even more what her life has meant to 
             our country.
               Mr. Speaker, I think my dear colleague, Mr. Boehner, the 
             minority leader, has remarks at this time.
               I will be happy to yield you time.

               Mr. BOEHNER. Let me thank my colleague from Ohio for her 
             words.
               We all loved Stephanie. Here is a lady who gave her 
             entire career to public service, and she did so in a way 
             that was gregarious, that was outspoken, loud, if you 
             will.
               All of you know Stephanie. Her office was next to mine 
             over in the Longworth Building, and we always knew when 
             Stephanie was coming back to her office because she would 
             be walking down the hall talking to somebody. But she and 
             I were friends and we were smoking buddies. Now, I know 
             that might offend some of you, but you just never know how 
             well you get to know someone over a cocktail. But here was 
             a lady who blazed a lot of trails, who dedicated her life 
             to public service, and someone that we will dearly miss in 
             this Chamber.

               Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the gentleman.
               And as I paid my respects at the wake the day before the 
             service, I was reminded I had been in that church twice 
             before to pay tribute to Stephanie's father who died 
             during her tenure here, and then her husband who also 
             died. And it was almost hard to walk into that church for 
             the third time, and my respect for her grew even more for 
             the strength that she showed to all of us despite these 
             enormous personal losses that she had borne.
               Mr. Speaker, in concluding, let me just say that from 1 
             Peter 4:10-11, this is what the prayer card said at her 
             funeral service:

               Each one should use whatever gift he has received to 
             serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its 
             various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one 
             speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he 
             should do it with the strength God provides, so that in 
             all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him 
             be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

               And at the base of the card is Stephanie's signature 
             with the words, ``I hope I made you proud.''
               Mr. Speaker, may I ask now for the membership to rise 
             and pay tribute to the life of Congresswoman Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones.

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members will now rise for a 
             moment of silence in honor of the distinguished gentlelady 
             from Ohio, the distinguished chairwoman of the Ethics 
             Committee, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones.

               Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in order to 
             consider the bereavement resolution in memory of our 
             beloved colleague.
               The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
                                    H. Res. 1415
               Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow 
             of the death of the Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a 
             Representative from the State of Ohio.
               Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions 
             to the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of 
             the deceased.
               Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn 
             as a further mark of respect to the memory of the 
             deceased.

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Ohio is 
             recognized for 1 hour.

               Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, it is with a 
             profound sense of sadness, as well as a deep sense of 
             privilege that I rise this evening to commemorate and to 
             celebrate the life of our friend, colleague, and sister, 
             Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio's 11th 
             District. This evening, we do this with the deepest 
             gratitude for her life, and on behalf of our entire Ohio 
             delegation, the people of our State, her home city of 
             Cleveland, and citizens far and wide, who were blessed to 
             know and walk, work, worship, and smile along with 
             Stephanie.
               On the day of her funeral, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, 
             or actually it was the day after, the Sunday Plain Dealer, 
             had a very large photo of the memorial service held in 
             Cleveland, Ohio. And the headline read, ``Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones, 1949-2008: Tears Flow, Laughter Rolls During 
             Memorial Service.'' And the paper goes on to recount so 
             many beautiful remarks and remembrances that people across 
             this country attributed to her life. We will be placing 
             this in the Congressional Record, and as well I would like 
             to read from my home paper, the Toledo Blade, way on the 
             other side of the State from where Stephanie represented. 
             It stated, ``a leader passes, the loss of her fighting 
             spirit will be keenly felt, deeply mourned and difficult 
             to replace.''
               I think this evening, particularly of her son, Mervyn. 
             We wish him comfort, and we wish him her strength as he 
             mourns her passing.
               We all know that when you met Stephanie, you knew you 
             had met strength. You knew you had met someone who endured 
             struggle. She had a keen intelligence, a high-minded 
             idealism, and wow, her charisma just overflowed.
               The other day I was in my district and met a man from 
             Cleveland who had gone to school with Stephanie. And I 
             asked, ``tell me, was Stephanie always that 
             enthusiastic?'' He said, ``Marcy, I went to law school 
             with her. She never changed.''
               And from the time she was in her late teens and early 
             twenties to her service here, she had the same boundless 
             energy, drive, and positive spirit.
               She was a devoted wife, a beloved mother, a sister to us 
             all, and an elected leader, in that order. And she 
             relished all of her life's roles. Her drive and energy 
             were genuine, and they were infectious. And she carved a 
             nobler path for America with her election as the first 
             African American woman from Ohio to serve in the U.S. 
             Congress. We Ohioans were very proud of her.
               I know that I, like my colleagues, have so many vivid 
             lasting memories of Stephanie. Upon her first swearing-in, 
             I still recall a little table in a reception hall here 
             where I was able to present her with a single red rose as 
             she was sitting next to her predecessor, Congressman Louis 
             Stokes, and how she poignantly responded. She knew the 
             steepness of the climb.
               I recall my efforts to comfort her on the loss of her 
             husband, and she immediately reciprocated as she shared 
             with me, over my Blackberry, a favorite poem from which 
             she drew succor.
               Imagine how many memories each of us has, how many 
             thousands of lives she touched, representing a district 
             and State that tested her talents, her spirit, and her 
             conscience daily. She served people well beyond her 
             district, logging thousands of miles in freedom's cause.
               I don't think I saw Stephanie too many times without 
             that little valise in the back room here. She was always 
             going somewhere. She held a hard job, and she put her 
             entire being into it. She literally gave herself to us. 
             And in her memory, we should dedicate ourselves to her 
             unfinished work.
               One can imagine how few women have ever served in the 
             Congress from our State. To those afforded the privilege, 
             there is a priceless bond that links our spirits and 
             provides support.
               Stephanie was such a valued sister. Though her years 
             with us were far too short, her impact endures well beyond 
             the years. She made history. She spoke her conscience, and 
             she reveled in every step of the journey.
               Thanks be to God, she did not suffer in the end. The 
             Lord spared her that, perhaps as, through her life, she 
             had endured too much personal sadness and loss that would 
             have broken lesser spirits.
               In loss, Stephanie's strength strengthens us. Her 
             enduring personal legacy of character and endurance, 
             beyond her milestone achievements, remain the portrait of 
             her life. Our delegation is especially honored to 
             fittingly commemorate her life and achievements here this 
             evening.
                   [From the Sunday Plain Dealer, August 31, 2008]
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones, 1949-2008: Tears Flow, Laughter 
                            Rolls During Memorial Service
                                   (By Tony Brown)
               It was a moment that surely would have earned one of the 
             wide, knowing smiles remembered so well by all the friends 
             of Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, the man Tubbs Jones used to call 
             her ``white son,'' and fellow Congressman Kendrick Meek of 
             Florida, whom she nicknamed her ``black son,'' had just 
             finished moving tributes to their congressional ``mom.''
               That's when Mervyn Jones II, her real son, slipped out 
             of his front-row seat to join his ``brothers'' in an 
             intimate, tearful embrace in front of thousands gathered 
             to bid farewell to the first black woman elected to 
             Congress from Ohio.
               The three remained locked in each other's arms well into 
             remarks made by former Rep. Louis Stokes, the man whose 
             seat Tubbs Jones inherited in 1989.
               After the men returned to their places, Sen. Barack 
             Obama--the son of a black father and a white mother who 
             grew up to become the first black presidential nominee of 
             a major U.S. political party--turned in his chair to 
             console a still-sobbing Meek.
               In that moment, amid the grieving and the laughter and 
             the consolation and the stories and the campaign rhetoric 
             of the celebration of a life well-lived, everyone under 
             the vaulted ceiling of Public Hall--all friends of Tubbs 
             Jones--shared in that group hug.
               It was a hug that encircled the woman whose body lay in 
             a flag-draped casket that rested on a square of red carpet 
             in front of the stage: Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who 
             died of a burst brain aneurysm on Aug. 20 at the age of 
             58.
               Friend was a word heard over and over as the nation's 
             most powerful Democratic leaders, fresh from Obama's 
             nomination in Denver, joined religious leaders and Tubbs 
             Jones' beloved constituents, family and sorority sisters 
             in testifying to the immensity of Tubbs Jones' spirit.
               Former President Bill Clinton, not scheduled to speak 
             but unable to help himself, called his relationship with 
             Tubbs Jones ``16 years of astonishing friendship.''
               So astonishing that Tubbs Jones continued to support a 
             failing presidential bid by his wife, Sen. Hillary 
             Clinton, well after many of the congresswoman's 
             constituents had voted for Obama.
               ``She was not a fair-weather friend,'' Hillary Clinton 
             told the crowd.
               ``I certainly know what that means. Now, her friendship 
             was not uncritical. When she was your friend, she felt it 
             her responsibility to inform you of all the matters that 
             needed improvement.''
               Obama, Clinton's opponent for the party's presidential 
             nomination, also counted himself among Tubbs Jones' 
             buddies.
               ``I am here today to pay tribute to an extraordinary 
             American and a devoted public servant, a mother, a 
             daughter, a sister, a wife and a dear friend to so many 
             here in Cleveland, so many in Ohio and so many across 
             America.
               ``And during the most recent contest, Stephanie and I 
             were on different sides, and we would see each other, she 
             would say to me, `This is what it means to be a friend for 
             me.' All I could say is, `I understand.' ''
               There were more words of praise and prayer from elected 
             officials, some quoting Shakespeare and Scripture, during 
             the three-hour-and-47-minute marathon of tributes.
               Speakers included Sen. Sherrod Brown, Mayor Frank 
             Jackson, Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora, Rep. 
             Carolyn Kilpatrick of Michigan and Ohio Gov. Ted 
             Strickland.
               And they told plenty of funny and poignant stories.
               Perhaps the funniest and most poignant was recounted by 
             Bill Clinton, who recalled accompanying Tubbs Jones to 
             Puerto Rico on a primary campaign visit for his wife.
               ``Now, how Stephanie became a native Puerto Rican in 15 
             minutes, I'll never know,'' Clinton said, warming to his 
             subject.
               They went into a shop, Clinton said, where Tubbs Jones 
             admired a piece of locally made jewelry. Clinton bought it 
             surreptitiously and presented it to her.
               ``She looked at me and laughed and she said, `You know, 
             I really like this,' she says. `It's not often a man'll 
             give a woman a piece of jewelry and not want anything for 
             it.' I totally lost it.''
               So did Clinton's audience. As the laughter died down, 
             the former president moved in for the kicker.
               ``I looked at her and said, `Stephanie, you have given 
             me and our family more, you have given your people and 
             this country more than you will ever know.' ''
               In addition to the eloquent politicians who were 
             gathered, there were plenty of just plain friends who 
             laughed and wept and patted each other on the back to the 
             rhythm of hymns like ``Amazing Grace'' and ``Canaan's 
             Happy Shore.''
               Some of the late arrivals almost didn't make it into the 
             funeral.
               At 11:30 a.m., about 30 minutes after the service began, 
             Secret Service officers blocked the entrance. ``The event 
             is closed,'' one told approaching visitors.
               Within minutes, the number lingering at the entrance 
             grew to more than a dozen. They spoke in shared disbelief. 
             ``Stephanie would not want this,'' one woman said angrily.
               Someone in charge agreed. Within minutes, the officers 
             stepped aside. Newcomers flowed into the cavernous 
             auditorium until well past noon.
               One of the most moving speakers the friends of Stephanie 
             heard Saturday was no politician or preacher.
               She was a 16-year-old named Tiffany Robertson, a member 
             of an all-girls health careers class at Cleveland's Martin 
             Luther King Jr. High School that Tubbs Jones took under 
             her wing two years ago.
               `` `This is the future,' '' Tiffany recalled Jones 
             telling the girls.
               The congresswoman took time from her political and 
             legislative schedule to visit the class and take them 
             places. She took them to church one Sunday, but Tiffany 
             had to work.
               So Jones dropped by the workplace with Tiffany's 
             classmates in tow.
               ``We're family,'' Tiffany told her classmates, who stood 
             in a show of unity with their peer.
               ``We got to stick together. We got to carry on her 
             legacy. She was steward, protector and advocate to us.''
               ``I will miss her as a friend.''

             ``There's a famous song a few years back . . . and the 
             refrain of the song says, `If you have a choice, to sit it 
             out or dance, I hope you dance.' And we all know that 
             Stephanie didn't sit it out, she danced.''
                --Tim Ryan, U.S. Representative from Ohio.

             ``Stephanie was the kind of political leader who needed 
             hours to go grocery shopping because everyone she saw 
             wanted a moment of her time, and she willingly gave it. 
             Because if you met Stephanie, she was your friend.''
                --Ted Strickland, Ohio Governor.

             ``Oftentimes, late at night, on the campaign trail, 
             whether the news had been good or bad, she would have a 
             look in her eye. Sometimes she would grab my hand, and she 
             would say, `Oh, I miss my husband, I wish he were here.' 
             Well, they are together now.''
                --Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator.

             ``That's not the air show. The rumbling you hear is the 
             rearrangement of chairs in heaven.''
                --Dennis Eckart, Former Representative standing outside 
                Public Hall as a jet roared by.

             ``I considered her my congresswoman as well. We talked all 
             the time about statewide issues.''
                --Michael Coleman, Columbus Mayor.

             ``Whenever Stephanie came in contact with young people, 
             she inspired them, she taught them, she mentored them, she 
             stayed in touch with them. Her legacy is in their 
             legacy.''
                --Sherrod Brown, U.S. Senator from Ohio.

             ``Whenever we talked on the phone, she would say, 
             `Congressman, I love ya.' And I'd say: `I love you, too.' 
             She was a great congresswoman. She was a good friend. 
             Thanks, Stephanie, I love ya.''
                --Louis Stokes, former U.S. Representative from Ohio.

             ``For Stephanie, it wasn't enough to rise up from modest 
             circumstances and break so many barriers herself. She had 
             to reach back and pull others through the doors she 
             opened.''
                --Barack Obama, Democratic presidential nominee.

             ``I want to let you know, Cleveland, that you were 
             represented by one of the best . . . Ladies and gentlemen, 
             she lived a life that was worth living.''
                --Kendrick Meek, U.S. Representative from South 
                Carolina.

             ``I'll always know her as Aunt Stephanie. She had a big 
             smile.''
                --Erin Norton, 24, of Cleveland, whose uncle lived next 
                to Tubbs Jones.

             ``All the good things she started, it's like she's still 
             living.''
                --Schuvar Murray, 37, of Cleveland.

                                          a

                          [From the Blade, August 24, 2008]
                                   A Leader Passes
               Society's downtrodden, disadvantaged, disillusioned, and 
             disconnected have lost an influential voice and ally in 
             Washington with the unexpected passing of Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones, the first black woman to represent Ohio in the U.S. 
             House of Representatives.
               The 11th District representative from the east side of 
             Cleveland died Wednesday after suffering a brain 
             hemorrhage.
               The loss to Ohio and the nation was described by one of 
             her colleagues as ``incalculable,'' and that was an 
             understatement. It was a setback for the cause of 
             impassioned, committed, gutsy leadership, especially for 
             the district, made up of east Cleveland and its nearby 
             suburbs, which Ms. Tubbs Jones served so tirelessly.
               A decade ago, the 58-year-old Democrat was handpicked by 
             U.S. Rep. Lou Stokes to be his successor after his 
             legendary stewardship of that congressional district for 
             30 years. Over five terms, Mr. Stokes said, ``she took it 
             to a higher level, a new level. She made me so proud.''
               A gregarious leader, she also blazed trails for others 
             with a resume of many firsts--the first black woman to 
             become a judge of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, as 
             well as the county's first black prosecutor, succeeding 
             the storied John T. Corrigan.
               In Washington, she was also the first black woman to sit 
             on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, where she 
             was a force to be reckoned with. Fiercely partisan, but 
             not necessarily predictable, she was that unusual 
             politician who said what she meant and meant what she 
             said.
               In 2001, she endorsed an unknown black lawyer for 
             Cleveland mayor over the more politically experienced Jane 
             Campbell, who eventually won. This year, she perplexed--
             and provoked--her constituents with her unflagging support 
             of Hillary Clinton for president over newcomer Barack 
             Obama.
               But her word was her bond, said the Rev. Jesse Jackson. 
             ``It didn't waver in the wind.'' Like all congressional 
             Democrats, she was scheduled to serve as a super delegate 
             at the Democratic National Convention in Denver next week 
             to witness the formal nomination of Mr. Obama as the first 
             black candidate for president of the United States.
               Ms. Tubbs Jones, who once said she considered herself a 
             voice for minorities across the country, would have 
             reveled in the moment. The loss of her fighting spirit 
             will be keenly felt, deeply mourned, and difficult to 
             replace.

               Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield at this 
             time to Congresswoman Betty Sutton from the Ohio 
             delegation, the able Representative from Akron-Lorain.

               Ms. SUTTON. I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for 
             yielding me the time.
               I, too, rise today with heaviness in my heart but also 
             with a deep sense of gratitude and respect for my 
             colleague, my friend, Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Her passing 
             is truly a tragic loss for the people of Ohio's 11th 
             District, whom she loved so very much, and for all of the 
             people who she stood up for across this country.
               Stephanie was truly a historic figure in American 
             politics. She achieved many firsts and she blazed many 
             trails in a way that only Stephanie could. She was the 
             first African American and first female prosecutor in 
             Cuyahoga County, Ohio; the first African American woman to 
             sit on the Common Pleas bench in Ohio; the first African 
             American woman to be elected to Congress from Ohio, and 
             the first African American woman to serve on the House 
             Ways and Means Committee, a job she truly loved.
               Stephanie attacked her job as a Congresswoman with 
             passion and a contagious enthusiasm on behalf of those she 
             served. She was effective and determined. Her strength 
             exceeded courage. She was fearless. She lived her life and 
             represented her constituents giving it everything she had. 
             She had no time for fear.
               Her amazing spirit touched and brightened so many lives, 
             and with every first that Stephanie achieved, with every 
             rung of the ladder she climbed, Stephanie always reached 
             back to help others following behind. From encouraging the 
             young women and men in her office who interned, to 
             inspiring the young people from her hometown of Cleveland, 
             Stephanie was a force. And she loved her staff and spoke 
             of them as family. Stephanie was not pretentious. She 
             treated all people as they should be treated, with dignity 
             and respect.
               Mr. Speaker, when I first arrived in these hallowed 
             halls in January 2007, I was very fortunate to have 
             Stephanie here to help me. She was a colleague and a 
             friend who I could turn to for advice not only on the many 
             crucial issues that we face but also simply on how to 
             navigate this body. And when I thanked her for helping me 
             along, she would always wave a hand in the air and 
             explain, ``Hey, we're sisters.'' Stephanie's friendship 
             and mentorship were vital to me, and I am grateful that 
             she touched my life.
               Stephanie was honest and loyal. You could count on her 
             word. She was the type of person who could lift up the 
             spirits of those feeling down. She was willing to work 
             with others for the good that was greater than just 
             herself, but she was also tough and willing to fight as 
             necessary to protect the rights of the people of this 
             great country. Nowhere was this more evident than in the 
             fight she led to ensure the integrity of our voting 
             process. Stephanie also worked tirelessly to promote home 
             ownership and to help keep families in their homes.
               But with all of her achievements, nothing compared to 
             that of the strong young man that Stephanie raised, her 
             son, Mervyn. Stephanie's face would beam when she talked 
             about Mervyn. There could be no question beyond everything 
             she gave in service, everything she accomplished, they all 
             paled in comparison to how proud she was of Mervyn. She 
             loved him and continues to love him beyond measure.
               Stephanie also had a beautiful and strong sister who she 
             loved and appreciated so deeply. When Stephanie spoke of 
             her sister Barbara, it was clear how special she was to 
             her.
               Mr. Speaker, I could go on and on about the life of this 
             amazing woman. I am so honored to have known her and to 
             have served alongside of her. Stephanie was more than my 
             colleague; she was my friend, and we were sisters. I will 
             miss her greatly.
               My thoughts and prayers are with her son Mervyn, and her 
             very special sister Barbara, and the rest of her family.

               Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express deep 
             sadness on the sudden passing of our colleague in this 
             House and a member of the Ohio delegation, Congresswoman 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               August was a busy month for us. We have participated in 
             events in our districts and meetings in our offices. Many 
             of us participated in our party's Presidential 
             conventions. Unfortunately, too many of these tasks and 
             goals were cut short and cut short too early for our 
             colleague. We grieve her loss here this evening.
               Throughout our time together in this House, the members 
             of the Ohio delegation have been a congenial group and not 
             a partisan one. We regularly worked together to share 
             common responsibilities and actions to improve and 
             strengthen our State. Stephanie brought energy and 
             enthusiasm to our delegation and to our work, and we will 
             miss her terribly.
               As you will hear throughout this evening's remarks by my 
             colleagues, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a 
             Member who held many firsts in our delegation. And I won't 
             repeat those because many Members will touch on it.
               To me, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was my 
             friendly, outgoing, and upbeat colleague. We often 
             traveled back and forth together in the same plane from 
             Ohio to Washington for our congressional session. I will 
             miss her wonderful personality and the energy she brought 
             to our delegation and to this House.
               This morning, when I was getting ready to leave for the 
             airport, I said to my wife, ``You know, I'm going to 
             really miss Stephanie because we would be on the plane 
             together most of the time, the same flight, and she was 
             always so upbeat and she had the common expression, `Well, 
             how are you doing today? How are you doing today?' ''
               Well, we did well together, but I will miss her energy 
             and personality that she brought to the delegation and to 
             this House. I worked with Stephanie--her district was not 
             far from mine--and we had a common interest in furthering 
             the medical facilities in Cleveland, Ohio, some of the 
             best in the United States; and it was a pleasure always to 
             work with her and to enjoy her boundless enthusiasm and 
             good nature.
               And certainly on behalf of my colleagues in the Ohio 
             delegation, we express our sincere sympathy to her son, 
             Mervyn Jones, and to her sister, Barbara Walker, as well 
             as to her thousands of constituents and to her devoted 
             staff.

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair understands the 
             gentlewoman from Ohio to have yielded half her time to the 
             gentleman from Ohio.
               And the gentleman from Ohio reserves the balance of his 
             time.

               Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call on the 
             distinguished Member from Cleveland, the colleague of 
             Congresswoman Jones, Congressman Dennis Kucinich.

               Mr. KUCINICH. I thank the gentlelady.
               When I look at this Chamber this evening, there are so 
             many Members of Congress here, each who wants to pay 
             tribute to her. I'm going to keep my remarks brief, not in 
             any way reflecting the depth of grief that I feel over 
             Stephanie's passing.
               We shared not only districts--because my district is 
             mostly on the West Side of the Cuyahoga River and hers is 
             mostly on the East Side of the Cuyahoga River--but we 
             shared political careers, having worked with each other 
             for the better part of three decades. And the Stephanie 
             that we saw here in the Congress, the one of the 100-
             megawatt smile, the boundless energy, the telling sense of 
             humor, the challenging approach when you may not agree 
             with her, that was the Stephanie that I knew for 30 years.
               But we also shared a friendship about family. And she 
             went through it in the last years of her life with the 
             loss of loved ones close to her, her father, her husband. 
             And when we would have major events in our lives, like we 
             do with close friends--and she was a close friend to many 
             of us--we would share many of these things. And there was 
             a lot of sadness to share. But there was also a moment 
             when, for me, I had one of the biggest things happen in my 
             life, and Stephanie was the first person I wanted to share 
             it with.
               More than 3 years ago, I met a woman who walked into my 
             office as part of a meeting for policy, and even though I 
             had a very brief conversation with her, I knew something 
             had happened at that moment. And I just knew at that 
             moment that this was somebody I was going to marry, and I 
             didn't even have a discussion with her about anything 
             except for policy for more than about half a minute. And I 
             ran down the floor to tell my friend Stephanie, because 
             that's the kind of friend she was. You would want to tell 
             her when you thought something big was happening in your 
             life.
               And so I said, ``Stephanie, I met her.'' And she looked 
             at me and her eyes widened, and she gave her big smile, 
             and she went, ``Shut up!'' And she had that kind of way of 
             assessing things brilliantly and quickly in a manner and a 
             tone and a language that was Stephanie.
               And she really brought the wisdom of a keen legal mind 
             and melded it with a street sense into this political 
             persona that touched people all over this country and, 
             indeed, in other countries as well. She had that magic.
               Her presence is so powerful that I know I speak for 
             other Members when I say that even at this moment, weeks 
             later after her passing, we still can't believe it. That's 
             how powerful a presence she was personally. And when she 
             engaged you, you knew you were in a conversation and it 
             was real.
               When Members of Congress arrived to pay respects at the 
             Bethany Church, we saw the sidewalks lined with her 
             constituents. We saw a line to get into Bethany Church 
             that was more than a block long. Hundreds of people 
             waiting in line.
               I had the chance to talk to some of them. You could 
             see--you have to look into people's eyes, look at their 
             faces, and you see the faces of people who are struggling 
             with life, who are dealing with the kinds of problems that 
             Stephanie came to Congress to address: trying to save 
             their homes, trying to save their jobs, trying to keep 
             their families together. And their eyes are searching 
             today because they know they have lost a champion, and it 
             puts such a great responsibility on all of us, a greater 
             responsibility on all of us to uphold those things that 
             she came to Congress for, the basic rights of people.
               This was a loss for women who have strived for 
             recognition in this body. This is a loss for African 
             Americans who saw in her a champion, the first African 
             American woman elected to Congress from the State of Ohio.
               But what Stephanie did, her genius and her magic was she 
             just broke all of the barriers. She went beyond gender and 
             beyond race and emerged to a whole different political 
             element. That's why she can't be replaced. And that's why, 
             long after many of us have left this Chamber, people will 
             still be talking about Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               Stephanie, we love you, and we will remember you.

               Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
             gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson).

               Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, it's been a tough term for the 
             Ohio delegation. First we lost Paul Gillmor, and now we've 
             lost Stephanie. Too early for both of them in their lives. 
             But I think it's these times when people in the country 
             need to know the friendships that happen in this House. We 
             may differ politically on certain issues, but we don't 
             differ when it comes to making friends and friendships 
             here in this House.
               Stephanie had that beautiful energy that you will hear 
             about and that we will all remember. She never met a 
             stranger. Wherever we traveled in the world, Stephanie 
             always had that great smile on her face. Whenever we were 
             in Cleveland together--I have a daughter who lives in 
             Cleveland, and Stephanie would give me a ride when I would 
             fly into Cleveland to my daughter's house. She would stop 
             and talk to my grandkids. Even though she was in Dennis' 
             district, she was still working that side of town, too, 
             because Stephanie worked wherever she was.
               She is a loss to all of us. She worked on issues that 
             transcend this body, these human issues, and the people in 
             her district are not going to forget that, and they truly 
             do have a loss.
               We traveled together many times to view the troops, and 
             I just came back yesterday from Korea. In Korea, I talked 
             about Stephanie to one of the general officers, and he 
             said, ``I remember her. When we were in Bosnia, you came 
             there on Thanksgiving and she related to the troops in her 
             own special way and talked to these young people about 
             what they were doing, what they're going to do in the 
             future.''
               But the most important thing about Stephanie is she 
             never forgot who she was. She was a friend to all of us, 
             but she never forgot her district.
               One time I talked Stephanie into going on a trip with me 
             to Italy, and she said, ``I can't go. It's our 25th 
             wedding anniversary. Mervyn and I want to spend our 25th 
             wedding anniversary together.'' And this was when you 
             could do this. I don't even know if I want to tell this, 
             but she's gone and I'm retiring. So maybe I can tell this 
             story now without going to the Ethics Committee. But I 
             said, ``Stephanie, we're going to give you a party in 
             Venice. You tell Mervyn it's going to be a very romantic 
             time and it isn't going to cost him a cent.'' Guess what. 
             They went on the trip.
               And even after Mervyn's tragic passing--and I was there 
             with her then--she would recall the great time we had 
             together. And I'm not going to miss her because she's 
             going to be here with all of us, but who's going to miss 
             her is Mervyn II. He's lost not only his mother and his 
             father but his grandparents in a very short period of 
             time, and this is a young man. I hope his aunt can help 
             him, and I hope all of us don't forget this young man and 
             his life. And we're not going to forget Stephanie.

               Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
             distinguished chairman of the Ways and Means Committee 
             from New York City, our beloved colleague, Charles Rangel.

               Mr. RANGEL. Thank you so much, Chairwoman Kaptur, for 
             giving me this courtesy and this opportunity.
               I was a very longtime and dear friend of Louis Stokes. I 
             loved him, I worked with him, and when he decided that he 
             was going to retire, I did everything that I could to 
             share with him how much he would be missed by his country 
             and by this Congress. But when he had me meet in Cleveland 
             with Stephanie. Some of you may have met people that you 
             know that it really wouldn't make any difference what they 
             decided to do. Their intellect, their drive, their 
             personality would make them successful, and especially for 
             a woman and an African American woman in Ohio or any other 
             part of the United States, to be a prosecutor, to be a 
             judge and then to come to the Congress, it had to be 
             extraordinary, the same way Harriet Beecher Stowe, Fannie 
             Lou Hamer, people of extreme resilience.
               And so from then, she said that she wanted to get on the 
             Ways and Means Committee, and boy, the Ways and Means 
             Committee has never been the same since she's joined with 
             us. She would come to the meetings where we would be 
             fighting and arguing and, with a smile, light it up. But 
             that didn't prevent her from getting involved in the 
             argument and many times on a different side of the Chair. 
             But at the end of the day, I knew that once she was 
             convinced that was the way the committee was going, you 
             couldn't stop Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               I say in conclusion, one of the reasons that so many of 
             you must like her, love her is because I don't remember 
             that many complaints that she had about the Chair not 
             responding to the needs of her constituents, especially 
             when the housing market fell in Cleveland.
               But so many of you that she brought to the chairman of 
             this committee, that were not on the committee, because 
             you had convinced her that it was important to your 
             community, and she, as a person on that committee, thought 
             we should look into it, and there was never, but never, a 
             frivolous request. Every time she came she had done so 
             much homework that I just know that the gap that she 
             leaves in my heart and our committee will never be filled 
             by anyone else.
               I thank you for this opportunity of sharing.
               [The revised remarks of Mr. Rangel follow:]
               Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to one 
             of our own; my friend and colleague, the Honorable 
             Chairwoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones who represented the 11th 
             Congressional District of Ohio for five terms. Sadly she 
             passed away at the young age of 59 on August 20, 2008, 
             from an aneurysm in her brain. She is survived by her son, 
             Mervyn L. Jones II, and her sister Barbara Walker.
               Congresswoman Tubbs Jones truly was a pioneer. She 
             became the first African American woman to chair the 
             Committee on Standards of Official Conduct in the 110th 
             Congress and the first African American woman to serve on 
             the Committee on Ways and Means in the 108th Congress 
             where she played an important role on the Health 
             Subcommittee. She fought tirelessly for wealth building 
             and economic development, access and delivery of health 
             care, and quality education for all. The Congresswoman had 
             the ability to remain grounded and always continued to 
             work and include the interests of her constituents when 
             dealing with issues.
               It was an honor and a privilege to have worked directly 
             with her on the Committee on Ways and Means. On the Health 
             Subcommittee she focused on end stage renal disease (ESRD) 
             disparities and she played an important role in the SCHIP 
             debate. She was a strong supporter of tax provisions 
             designed to encourage the rehabilitation of historic, and 
             other real property, and to encourage community 
             development. Despite her constituency that is mainly 
             unionized, she supported the Peru Trade Promotion 
             Agreement and other free trade agreements as long as they 
             met the International Labor Organization's Declaration on 
             Fundamental Principles and Right to Work.
               She will be missed by Members on both sides of the aisle 
             and by staff on the Hill who admired and enjoyed working 
             with her as well. We who knew and worked with her will 
             surely be among many who will miss her smile, her 
             tenacity, and her infectious love of life. She leaves us 
             an inspirational legacy, a memorable record of public 
             service and a charge to keep fighting for what is right 
             and just. She will forever be in our hearts.

               Mr. REGULA. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
             North Carolina (Mr. Hayes).

               Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio, 
             the Ohio delegation, and the gentlelady, Ms. Kaptur, for 
             allowing me to be a part of this.
               Stephanie was a special friend. I am terribly saddened 
             by the untimely passing of Stephanie Tubbs Jones. She was 
             someone who cared deeply about helping others, especially 
             those who couldn't help themselves. Tubbs Jones was a 
             wonderful philanthropist and friend. I will miss serving 
             with her as co-chair on the House Philanthropy Caucus.
               Representative Tubbs Jones and I began our work in the 
             House the same year together in 1998. I was honored last 
             year to have the opportunity to partner with her to 
             establish the Congressional Philanthropy Caucus, an 
             initiative that she was very passionate about. Her 
             tireless and tenacious advocacy for the philanthropic 
             field, commitment, and leadership was very inspiring and 
             helped to forge new relationships and partnerships between 
             and among lawmakers and grantmakers.
               The caucus was formed at the behest of the Council on 
             Foundations, a Washington, DC, area-based nonprofit 
             association of more than 2,100 grantmaking foundations and 
             corporations. The caucus aims to educate and inform 
             lawmakers about the field of philanthropy.
               As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, 
             Stephanie stressed the importance of reestablishing 
             charitable incentives that have expired, emphasizing the 
             impact such tools have on giving in the United States and 
             around the world. She was a strong believer that 
             charitable incentives help grow charitable giving to 
             populations in need across the country. Demonstrating her 
             commitment to her charitable values, Representative Tubbs 
             Jones was an original co-sponsor of the Public Good IRA 
             Rollover Act of 2007, H.R. 1419, which proposed to expand 
             the IRA charitable rollover. That act is especially 
             significant to the philanthropic field because it proposes 
             to allow distributions to donor-advised funds, supporting 
             organizations, and private foundations to qualify as 
             charitable giving tools.
               In addition, when given the opportunity on the House 
             floor, Representative Tubbs Jones continually advocated 
             for philanthropy, encouraged our colleagues to join the 
             Philanthropy Caucus, and sponsored legislation promoting 
             charitable giving. She met with her foundation 
             constituents just a few weeks ago to discuss their work 
             and contributions to her home State.
               Representative Tubbs Jones was a champion for the 
             philanthropic sector and will be greatly missed for her 
             contributions to the charitable giving field.
               On behalf of the members of the Congressional 
             Philanthropy Caucus, and the many grantmakers that 
             Stephanie supported around the country, specifically Ohio 
             foundations, we wish to offer our sincere condolences and 
             to extend to her family, son Mervyn, colleagues, and 
             staff, our deepest sympathies for their loss.

               Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the 
             distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott).

               Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is indeed an honor 
             to be able to stand in this House of Representatives and 
             say a few words for my distinguished colleague, Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones.
               You know, on everybody's tombstone there are three 
             things. There's first the date you were born and then the 
             date you die, and in between there is a dash. And the 
             question we all must answer at some point is what do you 
             do with the dash. Stephanie Tubbs Jones did an amazing 
             amount with her dash.
               Born to hard-working, loving parents--Mary, who was a 
             factory worker; her father, Andrew, was a skycap--good, 
             hard-working people, who gave love to Stephanie. She rose 
             to become a prosecutor, a judge, a trial lawyer, all the 
             way up to the Congress of the United States.
               And I tell you, in between, Mr. Speaker, she learned how 
             to play a mean game of bid whist. But I will tell you, Mr. 
             Speaker, she kept the faith, she finished her course, and 
             she fought the good fight. And therefore, there is put up 
             for Stephanie Tubbs Jones an extraordinary crown of 
             righteousness that the Lord, the righteous Judge, 
             appointed and has given to Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and we 
             thank God for sending Stephanie Tubbs Jones our way.

               Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
             gentlelady from Ohio (Ms. Pryce).

               Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman 
             for yielding and thank the Members of the delegation for 
             having this very important time to remember our colleague.
               Stephanie was a force in our delegation, and she was 
             also an inspiration to everybody here and everybody who 
             knew her. Perhaps we'll never understand or totally accept 
             the reasons that people are taken from us in such tragic 
             and untimely ways; yet there is always some comfort found 
             when we can look at a life and see the great purpose that 
             dwelled therein. And Stephanie Tubbs Jones lived with such 
             great purpose and made such a difference, and that will 
             help those of us that she left behind.
               The last time I talked to Stephanie was not unlike most 
             of us right here, but it was not in this Chamber. It was 
             in her outer office. It was the office right outside the 
             door that is her car. And Stephanie was working in her 
             outer office, and she was right by the door. And I passed 
             there, and we were waiting for votes. I knocked on her 
             window, and she said, ``Come on in, Deb,'' and I crawled 
             in her office. I was glad to see it looked sort of like my 
             car. There were papers everywhere. There were books. It 
             was just like an office.
               And we started not doing business but just chatting, 
             like so often we would do when we would find a minute 
             together. We talked of such great things in life as my 
             daughter's hair. Now, for those of you who don't know, I 
             have an adopted daughter who's African American, who was 
             born in Stephanie's district. And Stephanie took an 
             inordinate amount of interest in the lack of quality hair 
             care that I provided to my daughter, and Stephanie was 
             great about always giving me good advice for Mia, and she 
             wanted to become a greater part of Mia's life.
               We had plans to make that happen the next visit to 
             Washington, and I'm sad especially for Mia that that won't 
             happen because Stephanie was a wonderful mentor for so 
             many people, women especially. I'm sorry that relationship 
             never took hold, but I will never forget the impact that 
             she had on me.
               What a wonderful, strong personality. What a contagious 
             smile, and her laughter and her buoyancy held me up many 
             times when I needed just that extra shoulder.
               She had such purpose in her life, and that is her 
             lasting legacy. We will all miss her, especially her 
             family. There are so many that became part of her family. 
             There are so many that she loved and touched in such an 
             important, meaningful way. She will sorely be missed, Mr. 
             Speaker.
               I offer my deepest condolences to her family, to her son 
             who will miss her most of all. She was loved by so many, 
             as she so rightly should have been.

               Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to 
             Stephanie's colleague from the State of Ohio, Congressman 
             Zack Space.

               Mr. SPACE. I thank the gentlelady.
               I rise today to remember a dear friend and dedicated 
             legislator, Stephanie Tubbs Jones. She was a tireless 
             advocate for justice, a dedicated mother, and a terrific 
             legislator and a fighter for the people of Ohio.
               It will be very difficult for me to match the eloquence 
             of someone like Chairman Rangel, certainly the gentlelady 
             from Toledo, the gentleman from Canton, or my friend Mr. 
             Kucinich from Cleveland. But Dennis said something during 
             his presentation that struck me as being extraordinarily 
             accurate.
               Stephanie did represent this magical, political persona 
             that was melded between her keen legal mind and her street 
             sense. She had compassion, knowledge. She was just a great 
             person and a great legislator. She was a trailblazer, as 
             those from the Ohio delegation have pointed out, in many 
             respects.
               But something that many might not know is that Stephanie 
             actually had an effect on the people in my congressional 
             district, which is, while sharing the same State of Ohio, 
             a very long way from East Cleveland. Stephanie served as 
             an inspiration for women in politics, as well as our 
             African American community there as well. She fought for 
             justice and equality at every turn in her career, and this 
             was a tragic loss for the people of Congress and the 
             people of Ohio.
               Indeed, I still feel her presence here, and I suspect we 
             will for quite some time. This has been a tragic loss for 
             this body.

               Mr. REGULA. I yield to the gentlelady from Ohio (Mrs. 
             Schmidt).

               Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay my 
             respects to a great lady, Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               Just over 3 years ago, I first saw Stephanie in this 
             very room. As I was sworn into office, she came over and 
             greeted me with a great big smile and an enormous hug, 
             welcoming me to this wonderful body. Although we share 
             different political views, Stephanie understood that 
             friendship trumped politics. I felt fortunate to call her 
             my friend.
               When I went to Cleveland last week to pay my respects, I 
             was welcomed by her wonderful family--her sister, Barbara; 
             her nieces, her cousins, and her wonderful son, Mervyn.
               I learned something about Stephanie I didn't know. I 
             didn't realize that she was involved in a very famous 
             case, a case that spurred not only a TV show but also a 
             movie, ``The Fugitive.'' It was the Sam Sheppard case. She 
             was involved with that case, making sure justice was done.
               I want to say thank you to the Lord for letting us have 
             Stephanie as long as we did. We never know when the hour 
             comes that he will come for us. I know that Stephanie was 
             prepared for him because she was always prepared for her 
             family and for her constituents, and she had that great 
             big smile. I'm sure that it's there in heaven.
               To Mervyn, to Barbara and to the rest of the family, you 
             have my prayers. To the constituents of Cleveland, you 
             have her heart.
               May she rest in peace.

               Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield 1\1/2\ 
             minutes to Stephanie's distinguished colleague from Ohio, 
             our dear friend, Congressman Charles Wilson.

               Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I'm sad to be here this 
             evening, but I'm also proud that we can rise on this 
             occasion to join my colleagues in paying tribute to the 
             honor of Stephanie Tubbs Jones. It's right that we express 
             the condolences of the House of Representatives. I feel 
             like she was a dear friend to all of us, and I know that I 
             loved her and that so many of my colleagues did.
               It came as a terrible shock a week ago Tuesday when we 
             found out that Stephanie died, but it's appropriate that 
             we have this resolution we're doing this evening to 
             appropriately honor a devoted American, and Stephanie was 
             a devoted American.
               Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a champion for 
             the residents in the Greater Cleveland area. She was a 
             tireless voice for our State of Ohio.
               She always greeted me with a big smile and, many times, 
             with a hug. It was just the way she did and the way she 
             treated people. A colleague of hers recently said that he 
             felt that Stephanie treated people that way because it was 
             almost as if God were watching. She was taken from us way 
             too soon.
               Mr. Speaker, her work was not finished. She is counting 
             on us to carry on. My deepest sympathy goes out to her 
             son, Mervyn, to her sister, Barbara, and to her extended 
             family. She will be sorely missed by the Ohio 
             congressional delegation, by all of Congress, and I will 
             miss working with her.

               Ms. KAPTUR. I would like to yield 2 minutes to our fine 
             colleague from the State of California, who was such a 
             close associate and friend of Stephanie's, Congresswoman 
             Lois Capps.

               Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my dear colleague from Ohio.
               Mr. Speaker, I rise in sad support of this resolution to 
             pay tribute to our colleague, the Honorable Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones.
               As so many have said, Stephanie had the gift of making 
             us all her friends and, for me and for others, her 
             sisters.
               As has been said, she was a tireless advocate on behalf 
             of working families and civil rights long before she came 
             to Congress, and she continued her devotion to these 
             causes over the last decade. I was proud to work with her 
             in the last few years against a proposal that would have 
             undermined the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 
             Her leadership on this issue was exemplary of her 
             commitment to protecting people against discrimination. I 
             will cherish that opportunity of working with her.
               She was also a wonderful and active member of the 
             Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues. She co-chaired 
             the Task Force on Women in the Judiciary with her 
             colleague from Ohio and fellow former judge, Deborah 
             Pryce.
               She also led efforts to raise awareness and to fund 
             greater research into uterine fibroids. This is a disease 
             that affects as many as three of four women over the 
             course of their lifetimes. Yet it's rarely discussed in 
             public. She had the courage to bring this otherwise taboo 
             subject to the forefront in the quest to bring relief to 
             millions of women who have and who will suffer from 
             fibroids.
               The people of Ohio and of the entire Congress have lost 
             a true champion. For me, there was a personal bond with 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones. She lost her husband suddenly after 
             she came to Congress, and I had lost mine recently, and so 
             we had a bond, a sad one, but one that we both cherished. 
             We made an agreement that we didn't need to talk. We just 
             needed, when we saw each other, to give each other a hug, 
             and I will cherish those hugs, and that bond still exists.
               I send my condolences to her son and to her family 
             members, and I hope they know that the grief is shared by 
             all of us, and our dedication to upholding the causes 
             which motivated and for which she showed such great 
             leadership will inspire us to continue and, in each of our 
             own ways, to make that legacy that was Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones' live on.

               Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield 2 minutes to 
             the Representative from California who was a close 
             colleague of Stephanie's, Congresswoman Susan Davis.

               Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
             honor not only one of my colleagues but a dear friend, the 
             Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               As we all know, she served the 11th Congressional 
             District of Ohio with dignity and pride, and she 
             represented her district with compassion, always with 
             compassion, fighting for justice and equality.
               I was very fortunate because, when I arrived here in 
             2001, my office was right across the hall from 
             Stephanie's, and so you can imagine how embraced I felt by 
             her and by all of her staff, by all of the people who were 
             so close to her, such a loyal group of people.
               There have been many stories told this evening, and many 
             more will be told of her accomplishments; there have been 
             many tributes that people have paid to her, but in this 
             very brief time, I just wanted to talk for a minute about 
             how her influence goes far beyond the district that she 
             represented because, for years, Representative Tubbs Jones 
             had been a special guest speaker before a group of young 
             people from San Diego, the Aaron Price Fellows. She always 
             came to those meetings at my request, and was always so 
             enthusiastic. She would just captivate this room of high 
             schoolers, who come from very diverse backgrounds, with 
             warmth and humor. She would weave her congressional 
             experience with her personal stories to excite the whole 
             group, and she would encourage their discussion. She'd 
             love their questions and really would be so energized, 
             energized in that room of young people every year that she 
             spoke to them just as she did every time she spoke on this 
             very floor. I think it says so much about Stephanie that 
             she shared her time and a lot of that time with students 
             far from her district.
               So, today, we remember her as such an inspirational 
             leader, inspirational for so many--from high school 
             students, to her constituents, of course, and to all of us 
             here--to her colleagues. I am proud to say that I will 
             continue to be inspired by her as I serve in Congress, and 
             I can just think of her saying today, ``Hey, girlfriend.'' 
             So I want to say to her, ``Thanks, girlfriend. Thank you 
             for everything.''

               Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 1 minute 
             to the distinguished gentlelady from Chicago, 
             Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, who was a real soul sister 
             to Stephanie.

               Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, Stephanie and I were in the 
             same class. We came in in 1998, and immediately bonded as 
             friends and classmates. She and my husband became very 
             good friends. We would joke about it that my husband, Bob, 
             was her boyfriend, and at their last conversation, it 
             ended with his saying, ``Love you, Stef,'' and her saying, 
             ``Love you, Bob.'' I'm jealous of that because they had 
             that moment where they actually said the word that I feel 
             so much tonight, that I loved Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               Stephanie was a force of nature. She was a big woman and 
             she filled a room. I can just picture her now. Can't you 
             just picture her coming down and speaking from this podium 
             right now and just filling the space with her presence, 
             with her sense of justice, with her passion, and with, of 
             course, her smile? Stephanie was fiercely loyal. She was a 
             supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton's. Some of us were on 
             the other side, but that didn't challenge our friendship.
               Connie Schultz, who is a Pulitzer Prize winner for the 
             Cleveland Plain Dealer said, ``Our friendship was forged 
             by her to the bones understanding of what it means to be a 
             woman, willing to stick your neck out for your beliefs.''
               Stephanie was fearless and she was loved. I loved her. I 
             love you, Stephanie.

               Ms. KAPTUR. I would now like to yield time to the 
             distinguished Congressman from North Dakota, Congressman 
             Earl Pomeroy, a friend of Stephanie's for many years.

               Mr. POMEROY. I thank the gentlelady for yielding.
               I doubt our departed sister, Stephanie, would ever have 
             imagined the impact she had. In fact, the Cleveland Plain 
             Dealer referenced her essential humility even when 
             mentioning her personal electricity in this editorial of 
             August 22:
               ``I have no illusions about myself,'' Tubbs Jones told 
             the Plain Dealer reporter Fran Henry in 1995. ``It could 
             all go up in a puff of smoke. I'll never lose sight of 
             that.''
               Stephanie's presence on Earth has come so tragically to 
             an all too early end, but her achievements--rising from 
             the daughter of a factory worker and skycap to the 
             positions of judge, county prosecutor, five-term Member of 
             Congress--have made a lasting impact at each and every 
             step along the way, especially with the many lives she 
             touched.
               I was privileged to sit by her on the Ways and Means 
             Committee. You could probably call us the odd couple--a 
             reserved, middle-aged man from the most rural part of our 
             country, teamed with the most energetic, charismatic, 
             bombastic, thoroughly urban Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               Over the years, on our committee together, I came to 
             fully understand just how deep and how genuine her passion 
             for others was, especially for those less fortunate, for 
             those needing help. We'd joke about taking turns keeping 
             each other settled down even under considerable 
             provocation sometimes in Ways and Means debate. My counsel 
             of ``take it easy, Stephanie'' would be met in turn with 
             ``now settle down, Earl.'' In one hearing on inexcusable 
             Social Security delays, we both just lost it entirely. 
             I'll never forget that hearing; it's one of my favorites.
               One of the greatest compliments I've had in this 
             Congress, in any Congress I've served in, was when she'd 
             call me her country boyfriend. She had the most incredible 
             way of making those she met feel better. In the place 
             where smiles, laughter, and deep compassion are never in 
             sufficient supply, Stephanie Tubbs Jones will be deeply 
             missed but never forgotten.

               Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the gentleman for his remarks and 
             presence this evening.
               I would like to yield 2 minutes now to one of 
             Stephanie's sisters here from the State of Texas, 
             Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee.

               Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I thank you very much.
               These are such wonderful stories that I'm listening to 
             as we honor Stephanie Tubbs Jones, so I'm going to speak 
             on some issues that showed her in her fullness and in her 
             love of life.
               And that was as a House basketball coach. She was that 
             woman with a smile. She was a Good Samaritan. She was also 
             like Ruth; if she was your friend, she was going to stick 
             with you. She loved life, loved her family. How wonderful 
             it was to be part of her family. And she allowed this 
             Congress to be part of her family because everyone knew 
             Mervyn, her husband; her son; her sisters; her mother and 
             father, who I got a chance to know. But yet when she got 
             on that basketball court and she was the coach, I tell you 
             that was a winning smile, a winning coach, and a winning 
             team.
               And there was nothing more exciting than being at the 
             2008 House basketball team game. This was a game for 
             charity. But you couldn't tell Coach Stephanie Tubbs Jones 
             that she was out there for charity. She was out there to 
             win, and you'd think it was the NBA championship, for she 
             ran up and down that court. She gave the best coaching. 
             She told the guys, who happened to be Members of Congress 
             and others, what they could and could not do. And even 
             though she wasn't the referee and she wasn't the 
             penalizer, she'd penalize her team.
               And what an exciting time to see in this year's 2008 
             winning basketball effort, Mervyn, her son, make the 
             winning basketball shot. It was so exciting that those of 
             us that were in the stands ran out onto the court, of 
             course in violation, but we were able to get away with 
             that. And I was so excited, in my short stature of 52\1/
             2\", I asked the greatest coach that I knew if I could 
             work with her next year, and she gave me the greatest 
             honor and said ``yes.'' That was Stephanie Tubbs Jones, 
             the lover of life.
               But yet as a prosecutor, one would think she would be 
             hard nosed and she'd be running toward prosecution and 
             incarceration. But she teamed up with her dear friend 
             Danny Davis, and they shed their light all around this 
             campus, both the House and the Senate, to work on what we 
             call the Second Chance bill.
               So I rise today on behalf of the incarcerated whom 
             Stephanie loved, whom she gave an opportunity through her 
             work with Danny Davis and those who co-sponsored this 
             legislation, to say to these individuals they could have a 
             second chance.
               May God allow her to rest in peace, but may her star 
             shine continuously through us. We love her and we love her 
             family.

               Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place in the 
             Record the names of the very able staff of Congresswoman 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones. This staff has endured great 
             sadness, and they have tried to carry on with their leader 
             being in spiritual guidance but not there personally.
               I would like to thank, from her district office, Betty 
             Pinkney, her district director; Beverly Charles, her 
             senior liaison; Theresa Lang Coaxum, her health liaison; 
             Sharon Cole, business liaison; and Saulette Reed, her 
             office manager.
               And here in Washington, Kimberley Alton, her legislative 
             director; Lalla King Green, her scheduler; Eric Hammond, 
             her staff assistant; Aaron Wasserman, her legislative 
             correspondent; Darrell Doss, her tax counsel; Athena 
             Abdullah, her health counsel; Nicole Y. Williams, her 
             communications director; and Patrice Willoughby, dear 
             Patrice, her chief of staff and counsel, who has tried to 
             stand in Stephanie's place during these very difficult 
             days.
               Finally, from the Committee on Standards, Dawn Kelly 
             Mobley, the counsel to the chairwoman.
               These are wonderful staff people who have Stephanie's 
             heart, and we want to do everything we can to help them 
             through this very difficult time. And we thank them for 
             their service to Stephanie and serving the people of the 
             11th District and the people of our country.
               Also, Mr. Speaker, I would like to place in the Record 
             before I call on our final speaker this story: There were 
             many tributes paid to Stephanie at the service in 
             Cleveland. One of the most moving speakers the friends of 
             Stephanie heard Saturday from no politician or preacher 
             but from a young 16-year-old named Tiffany, a member of an 
             all girls health careers class at Cleveland Martin Luther 
             King Junior High School that Stephanie took under her wing 
             2 years ago. Tiffany recalled Jones telling the girls 
             ``This is the future. You are the future.'' And the 
             Congresswoman took time from her political and legislative 
             schedule to visit the class and take them places. She took 
             them to church one Sunday, but Tiffany had to work that 
             day. So Stephanie dropped by the work place with Tiffany's 
             classmates in tow. Stephanie kept her eye on every one of 
             them. ``We're family,'' Tiffany told her classmates, who 
             stood in a show of unity with their peer. She said, 
             ``We've got to stick together. We have got to carry on in 
             her legacy. She was steward, protector, and advocate to 
             us. I will miss her as a friend.''
               Stephanie had friends of all ages. We thank her for her 
             leadership and for the seeds that she planted in the new 
             growth forest that is growing in Cleveland and growing 
             across this country to which she devoted her life.
               Mr. Speaker, I would like to call as our final speaker 
             in this bereavement resolution Stephanie's very good 
             friend from the State of Missouri, Congressman Emanuel 
             Cleaver.

               Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, when Congresswoman Tubbs 
             discovered that I had three sons who had gone to college 
             on basketball scholarships, she asked if I would bring 
             them here for the annual fundraising basketball game with 
             the Georgetown Law School faculty. None of them could come 
             this year; so I was drafted by Stephanie Tubbs Jones in 
             language that I would normally not use during a sermon. 
             But I did show up and immediately became angry because she 
             pulled me out of the game just because I could not make it 
             down the court in a minute in the transition game. So I 
             cheered for the remainder of the evening for our team that 
             Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee mentioned did win in 
             overtime.
               But the most significant moment for me came when we all 
             saw the signs that the pages had made for us. They were 
             cheering us on. And the pages sent me a statement that 
             they asked if I would read on their behalf. And I quote:

               Ask any one of the pages from the spring 2008 class to 
             list their favorite memories from the 5 months we spent 
             working on the Hill. An anecdote about Ms. Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones will likely be included. For some of us it is the 
             unwavering charisma shown when she was the Speaker pro 
             tempore. For others it is the simple act of coming to say 
             goodbye to us at our departure ceremony. For most of us, 
             it is the night of the 2008 home court charity basketball 
             game, where our chants cheering on the Hill's Angels team 
             and the Coach Tubbs Jones rang 10 times louder than the 
             formidable Georgetown students cheering section and led 
             our team to a surprising victory.
               That night and for the rest of the time we knew Ms. 
             Tubbs Jones, we weren't just pages sitting in the back of 
             the House. We experienced that night the true strength, 
             pride, and enthusiasm of Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a strength 
             rooted in her devotion to making things better, a pride in 
             her job as a public servant evident every single day, and 
             an unmatched enthusiasm for our service as pages. She was 
             the type of woman you only dream of meeting at some point 
             in your life and the friend we never expected to find in 
             the Halls of Congress last spring.
               Just as we will never forget our time as pages, we will 
             never forget Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
                  --The spring 2008 page class.

               Mr. Speaker, Stephanie Tubbs Jones was my friend. We had 
             the opportunity to spend time together, and I don't want 
             to reminisce and say things that others have already said. 
             Let me just say that I hate death. I hate it. And if I had 
             an opportunity to erase it or kill it, I would. But death, 
             unfortunately, is a part of life and we will all 
             experience it. The issue is not death so much as it is 
             life, and we are granted an unspecified period of time, 
             and many of us deal with those moments with a kind of 
             carelessness that certainly was not planned when we were 
             given our time on this Earth.
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones was exuberant. She lived her life. 
             She lived it out to the fullest. And I can say that if you 
             understand that life is not a time to just waste and then 
             look at the time of Stephanie Tubbs Jones, you know she 
             understood that. And I would say that death is not a cul-
             de-sac for some. It's not an end. Death is a beginning. 
             And for Stephanie Tubbs Jones, it was a comma for a new 
             beginning. She lived her life and she lived it with zest 
             and zeal.
               She pulled me in Kansas City on the dance floor in front 
             of hundreds of people and made me dance. I have a 
             photograph of it that I had been hiding, and I am now 
             going to bring out with pride because I think when she did 
             that, she was also saying live your life and live it to 
             the fullest. Never ever allow cobwebs to cover you. If you 
             rest, you rust. Stephanie Tubbs Jones never rusted.

               Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, in concluding this first hour 
             this evening in honor of our dear colleague Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones, let me just say that Stephanie Tubbs Jones 
             was a true mother of this Republic. Let the Record show 
             that. Let the Record comfort her son in years hence.
               I want to say to our dear friend and colleague, 
             Congressman Regula, whose district sort of held 
             Stephanie's up on the southern side. I want to thank him 
             so very much, the dean of the Republican side of the 
             aisle, for being here throughout this evening and through 
             the wonderful participation of her colleagues of various 
             persuasions here on the floor. The friendships went beyond 
             party, and I thank the gentleman for his participation.

               Mr. REGULA. Well, I would just comment that to know 
             Stephanie was to love her. She just had that ebullient 
             personality that you couldn't resist.
               I also want to comment on one other thing, and that is 
             that thousands of people in East Cleveland, in her 
             district, have better health care today than they would 
             have without Stephanie. She focused on the health care 
             assets of East Cleveland, some of the best in the Nation, 
             and as a result, the people that she represented have a 
             better chance to take advantage of the health care 
             facilities. And that's a legacy of Stephanie's that most 
             people aren't aware of and yet touches the lives of 
             literally thousands of people.
               I congratulate the gentlewoman from Ohio for having this 
             special order tonight because Stephanie was special.

               Ms. KAPTUR. Thank you, Congressman Regula, and I want to 
             thank all of our colleagues who have participated this 
             evening. I can guarantee you that every word that is on 
             the Record will come to comfort Mervyn and the Tubbs Jones 
             family, their church family, her sisterhood, all the 
             people of Cleveland, all the people who have known 
             Stephanie across our Nation. I want to thank our 
             colleagues for their generosity and for their good hearts.
               Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that the Ohio 
             delegation stands beside those from the Congressional 
             Black Caucus, that will have the second hour this evening 
             in remembrance of Stephanie Tubbs Jones. We thank them for 
             doing this. I know how much their words will mean not just 
             today but in future years to those who love Stephanie 
             always.

               Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise 
             tonight deeply saddened by the passing of my friend and 
             colleague, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               Congresswoman Tubbs Jones was an extraordinary woman, 
             wife, mother, and leader.
               Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones made history by 
             becoming the first African American woman to be elected to 
             Congress from her State of Ohio.
               Throughout her career, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones 
             demonstrated a serious commitment to her constituents and 
             represented them well.
               She dedicated her life to uplift and inspire those 
             around her. Her dedication, strong will, and spirit gave 
             hope to so many people.
               Congresswoman Tubbs Jones and her work will never be 
             forgotten as she lives in us all. She has left her mark in 
             history, in Congress, and in our hearts.
               I will deeply miss her and my thoughts and prayers are 
             with her family.

               Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the untimely death of 
             Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones gives us pause. There 
             was a great writer who once said that the death of one of 
             us diminishes us all. As Stephanie's friends and 
             colleagues in the U.S. Congress, we all feel a little lost 
             and a little less because one of our most fearless 
             champions is gone.
               Those who are voiceless in America today, who have been 
             left out and left behind, have lost a warrior, a fighter, 
             a crusader who did what she could to defend the dignity of 
             humankind. There was not anything shy about Stephanie.
               She had the courage, the ability, and the desire to 
             speak up and speak out, to fight for what she believed was 
             right, what was fair and just.
               As a fellow member of the Ways and Means Committee, she 
             was very concerned about using the tax code to help lift 
             the burdens of the least among us. I always enjoyed it 
             when she made a statement or questioned a witness. She was 
             a brilliant judge and prosecutor, and that helped make her 
             a gifted Member of Congress.
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones will be deeply missed by the 
             Cleveland community, by the people of Ohio, by the 
             citizens of America, by her family, friends, and all of 
             her colleagues in the U.S. Congress. Peace be with you 
             Stephanie, my friend. May God Almighty grant you eternal 
             peace.

               Mr. JEFFERSON. Mr. Speaker, I first met Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones through her legendary predecessor, Representative 
             Louis Stokes, who described her simply as ``full of 
             life.'' Indeed, she was. And, to have heard her 
             impassioned speech denoting the shortcomings of a housing 
             bill the Congress recently passed, a speech made just 
             before the Congress went on its August break, it was 
             impossible to see her death foreshadowed. Her zeal for 
             public service, her love for the Members of Congress, and 
             particularly of the CBC members, and her commitment to 
             people who needed a hand up from government, defined her 
             life here.
               In a larger sense she was a devoted family person. She 
             lost both her parents during her service here, and, I 
             having also lost my mother and father over my years here, 
             gave us the opportunity for quiet reflection on what our 
             parents had meant to us, and helped to deepen our 
             friendship.
               She was devoted to the memory of her husband, Mervyn, 
             who died just a few years ago. When I chaired the 
             Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, I urged her to join 
             the board, which she did. From that point, she launched 
             the Mervyn Jones Golf Classic which has raised millions in 
             scholarship funds for worthy and needy college students. 
             She was awfully proud of her son Mervyn II, who often came 
             to the gym to play basketball with us ``old jocks'' and 
             often schooled us with his basketball skills.
               Her service on the Ways and Means Committee with me over 
             several years gave me insight into her caring heart for 
             health care and human resource issues but also into her 
             competence as an infighter in the legislative process. She 
             made her points, stood her ground, and quite often carried 
             her position. She sought me out after Hurricane Katrina 
             hit my district and my State, offering advice and real 
             help. Stephanie identified with human suffering everywhere 
             and wanted to do something about it.
               I was stunned and saddened by her sudden and unexpected 
             death as were we all. And it was the hardest thing not to 
             take the plane ride to Cleveland to attend her funeral and 
             memorial service. It was only after the sage and stern 
             advice from my Chairwoman Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick that I 
             reluctantly canceled my trip to Cleveland to attend to the 
             issues back at home with Hurricane Gustav bearing down on 
             our people. I know I was well covered by the Members who 
             did attend and part of me will always regret not being 
             there. But, looking at it from another vantage point--not 
             having fully seen her in death--my memories of her will 
             only be those of her in life--not just in life but ``full 
             of life'' as Lou Stokes described her.

               Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mourn the loss of my 
             friend and colleague Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a kind and caring friend, a 
             hard-working and diligent colleague, and a committed 
             Representative. She was also a trailblazer--she was the 
             first African American and the first female prosecutor in 
             Cuyahoga County, Ohio, the first African American woman to 
             be elected to serve Ohio in the House of Representatives, 
             and the first African American woman to serve on the 
             powerful House Ways and Means Committee.
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones was an inspiration to me and to 
             others who aspire to represent their constituents with 
             passion, dedication, and integrity. A champion of voting 
             rights, she stood up for those who lacked a voice to 
             ensure that they are not denied the most fundamental right 
             of our democracy--the right to vote.
               In her role as chair of the House Ethics Committee, she 
             led the House of Representatives in ensuring that Members 
             of Congress live up to high standards. She understood that 
             increasing Americans' confidence in their government 
             requires honest and ethical behavior by their leaders.
               All those who loved Stephanie Tubbs Jones, including her 
             son Mervyn Leroy Jones II, and her sister Barbara Walker, 
             are in my thoughts and prayers.
               As we mourn the passing of this intelligent, hard-
             working, and caring Representative, we celebrate her 
             accomplishments. We are reminded that despite the tragedy 
             of her passing, her life was a blessing for her 
             colleagues, her friends, her family, her constituents, and 
             so many who needed a champion.

               Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my 
             colleagues in expressing great sympathy on the sudden 
             passing of Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a pioneer her entire 
             professional career: She was the first African American 
             and the first female prosecutor in Cuyahoga County, Ohio; 
             the first African American woman to sit on the Common 
             Pleas bench in Ohio; the first African American woman to 
             be elected to Congress from Ohio; and the first African 
             American woman to serve on the House Ways and Means 
             Committee.
               As a first-term Member of Congress, my service with 
             Stephanie was too short, but I will fondly remember her 
             bright smile and vibrant personality. Her leadership and 
             passion will be sorely missed.
               I would like to extend my deepest condolences to 
             Stephanie's son, Mervyn Leroy Jones II, and her sister, 
             Barbara Walker.

               Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today joining my 
             colleagues in tribute, sharing kind words and memories of 
             our colleague and dear friend, Congresswoman Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones.
               I was deeply saddened when I heard the news of her 
             death. My sincerest thoughts and prayers go out to her son 
             Mervyn, to all her family, and to her friends and 
             supporters during this difficult time.
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones was an inspiration and a tireless 
             advocate for her constituents. She was a fighter--a strong 
             woman of conviction and intelligence, whose values and 
             experience guided her advocacy and fearlessness.
               Stephanie broke molds, she broke glass ceilings, and 
             then swept away the stereotypes. Stephanie was never one 
             to be absorbed into the folds of a monochrome following. 
             She was outspoken and proactive, bold in demeanor and 
             action. Her always bright and powerful attire spoke to her 
             outgoing personality, which never shied away from a 
             challenge and approached every day with enthusiasm and 
             confidence. Her skill in crafting intelligent and 
             responsible legislation shows that she viewed the world 
             through this diverse spectrum of color, dismissing the 
             notion that solutions to complex problems can come from a 
             world of simply black and white.
               Justice and inclusion were at the heart of her work. In 
             her 10 years in Congress and her lifetime of service she 
             always put justice, opportunity, and equality atop all 
             other pursuits. Stephanie did not come from a life of 
             privilege simply to serve the privileged. She came from a 
             working class community and put her heart and soul into 
             lifting up that community with every step of the ladder 
             she climbed.
               I remember how highly coveted she was by the then-
             members of the Ways and Means committee, when joining the 
             powerful committee soon after her election. My husband Bob 
             served on the then-committee and recognized in her 
             character the genuine desire to serve her Nation, her 
             constituents, and those whose voices had yet to be fully 
             heard. Her experience as a prosecutor and judge gave her 
             arguments tenacity and her decisions finality.
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones effectively represented her 
             Cleveland district for over a decade. Yet she never 
             dismissed the acknowledgment that her success as a 
             groundbreaking figure touched many outside her district's 
             boundaries. Her work looked beyond district lines and 
             party lines to affect, inspire, and speak for those in 
             need of justice and advocacy.
               My heart goes out to her loved ones. I know that she 
             will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her. Her 
             impact will continue to be felt, not only in her Cleveland 
             district and the U.S. House of Representatives, but by the 
             many individuals who benefited from her service.

               Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great sadness 
             to mourn the passing of my good friend and colleague, 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               While serving with Stephanie on the Ways and Means 
             Committee, and more closely on the Health Subcommittee, I 
             experienced first hand what a fierce and effective 
             advocate she was in Congress. She was an uncompromising 
             champion for health care as a right for everyone. Her 
             constant effort highlighting the disparities in our health 
             care system and her tireless work on behalf of end stage 
             renal disease patients made her an outstanding 
             Representative. She is, in a word, irreplaceable.
               Her spirited advocacy and commitment to justice and 
             fairness were accompanied by warmth and strong loyalty. 
             Those who worked closely with her were privileged to see 
             both her intense passion and joy for her work.
               I extend my sincerest condolences to her son Mervyn and 
             her sister Barbara, and the many women and men who counted 
             her among their family and friends. As a colleague and 
             friend, I am honored to have served beside her. She will 
             be sorely missed.

               Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life 
             and legacy of our dear friend, Congresswoman Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones. Since her arrival here nearly 10 years ago as 
             the first African American woman elected to Congress by 
             Ohio, she was a tireless advocate for the poor and our 
             Nation's working families. Despite the tremendous personal 
             losses she suffered, including the tragic loss of her 
             sister, her parents, and her husband Mervyn of 26 years, 
             she never wavered in her commitment to the people of Ohio.
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones will be remembered as a role 
             model, an ardent and bold voice for progressive causes, 
             and a champion for the rights of the disenfranchised. She 
             will be a tough act to follow. Her remarkable passion and 
             bravery continue to be an inspiration to us all, and we 
             will all truly miss her presence in this Chamber.

               Ms. KILPATRICK. I'd like to yield to the former 
             chairman, my predecessor of the Congressional Black 
             Caucus, Congressman Mel Watt.

               Mr. WATT. I thank the gentlelady for convening this 
             special order for us to pay tribute to our friend and 
             colleague, Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               In the midst of all our sadness I think the one thing 
             that keeps occurring over and over and over again are 
             wonderful, uplifting, fun stories and memories of 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones. In fact, I was privileged to share 
             a whole sequence of fun, funny, uplifting experiences with 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and I concur with my colleague, 
             Emanuel Cleaver, who made a comment earlier that this life 
             did not cheat our friend Stephanie Tubbs Jones. She lived 
             and enjoyed every single minute of it. Even when she was 
             working, she was having fun. So I suspect you're going to 
             hear from this group that is coming for this special order 
             more stories about our experiences with her because they 
             were all a series of fun experiences.
               Let me start with this experience. Probably 3 weeks 
             before Stephanie Tubbs Jones' death, 7:30 a.m. the phone 
             rings at my residence in Charlotte, North Carolina, and on 
             the other end is Stephanie Tubbs Jones saying, ``Mel, I 
             got into your city last night at about 10 o'clock. I was 
             on my way from Memphis, Tennessee, where I had been 
             campaigning for a person who was running for Congress, and 
             I was on my way to give a speech in Cincinnati, Ohio, and 
             there was bad weather in Cincinnati, Ohio, and I ended up 
             spending the night at a motel in Charlotte, North 
             Carolina, and I don't have any clothes and I am supposed 
             to be giving a speech in Cincinnati later today. What can 
             you do for me?''
               I said, ``Well, Stephanie, no problem. I will just have 
             somebody pick you up, take you to the shopping center. You 
             can do your shopping, buy a whole new wardrobe.'' So she 
             went to all this excuse to go shopping.
               So that very morning, as soon as the stores opened in 
             Charlotte, one of my staff members had Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones at the mall and she did her shopping and we got her 
             to the airport by 11:30 that morning to catch her flight 
             to Cincinnati. She went to Cincinnati and gave her speech.
               Now I missed the opportunity to see the outfits--not 
             one, but outfits--that Stephanie Tubbs Jones purchased 
             that morning. She promised me she was going to show me the 
             special outfit that she purchased, and I never got the 
             opportunity to see it.
               But as those kinds of stories that make Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones a real person to us, not just a colleague in 
             Congress, but a friend, a peer, a confidant, a person that 
             you knew that if she ever made a commitment to you, would 
             be there come heck or high water. I am cleaning it up a 
             little bit.
               She was our friend, a delightful, wonderful person, 
             always with a smile. She never got cheated in this life, 
             because she lived every moment of it.
               I thank my colleague for yielding me time. I know there 
             are so many other of my colleagues here to pay tribute. I 
             could go on and on and on, but I won't. I thank you for 
             doing this. My condolences to Barbara and Mervyn and the 
             entire Stephanie Tubbs Jones family.

               Ms. KILPATRICK. Thank you very much.
               Sister Sister, that is who she was to me. And to Mervyn 
             too, and Barbara and the rest of the family, it has been 
             said, this night is for you. She lives in this Chamber, 
             and she always will.
               I yield now to a former U.S. Ambassador to Micronesia, 
             the Congresswoman from California, Congresswoman Diane 
             Watson.

               Ms. WATSON. Thank you so much, Madam Chairman, and thank 
             you, Mr. Speaker. I had some prepared remarks, but I think 
             the intimate stories really speak to who she was and how 
             we felt about who she was.
               After the untimely passing of our colleague Juanita 
             Millender-McDonald, Stephanie called and she said, ``Hey 
             girl, I am coming out there to spend some time. I just 
             want to be in Juanita's space.''
               So she came out, and I picked her up. And representing 
             Hollywood, I took her with me that weekend, and she met 
             Ben Vereen and she met other celebrities, and she was so 
             thrilled. She said to me, ``I'm coming out again, girl. 
             I'm coming out again.''
               After we had our AKA Boule several weeks ago here and we 
             had our pink and green, she came in the last I saw her in 
             her red. And she came strutting down this aisle, and she 
             said, ``See, I got my red on. We are getting ready to have 
             our Boule too.'' I said, ``Well, your red is just a deeper 
             pink.'' We laughed. And that was the last time I saw her.
               Stephanie was that kind of person, who, as everyone has 
             described her as being, lived life to the fullest. She was 
             a fighter with a tremendous presence. She stood up for 
             tens of thousands who could not stand up for themselves, 
             and she fought for justice, equality, and opportunity for 
             every American. In her home State of Ohio and in her 
             beloved city of Cleveland, she led the fight for election 
             reform to assure that every American's vote was counted 
             and was valued.
               Stephanie was also loved and respected by her colleagues 
             here on Capitol Hill, where in relatively short order she 
             was appointed the first, among her many firsts, African 
             American woman to the prestigious Ways and Means 
             Committee. She also served as chairwoman of the Committee 
             on Ethics and made great strides to work across the aisle 
             in a nonpartisan manner.
               I admired her enthusiasm for public service, her 
             integrity, her warmth, and her keen intellect. I extend to 
             the family my condolences, to her friends and to all of 
             her colleagues. Her presence will be missed. But I know 
             she is in this assemblage at this moment. Her shoes will 
             be hard to fill, but, Stephanie, we feel the surge of 
             energy as we speak of you this evening.
               Thank you, Madam Chairman.

               Ms. KILPATRICK. I thank the gentlewoman from California.
               I yield now to a young man from Newark, New Jersey, 
             chairperson of our African Globalism Committee, the 
             gentleman from Newark, Congressman Donald Payne.

               Mr. PAYNE. Madam Chairman, the chair of our 
             Congressional Black Caucus who has done such an 
             outstanding job--it is really a great loss. We have this 
             untimely loss of our wonderful friend and colleague, 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones. A void has been left in the lives 
             of all of those who had the privilege of knowing this 
             remarkable, vibrant, and accomplished woman. It is a loss 
             shared by her family, her many friends, her Ohio 
             constituents, and all of those around our great Nation who 
             looked to her as a champion of justice, a person who was 
             an advocate for the everyday people.
               A former county prosecutor, a judge on the municipal 
             court, she went to break glass ceiling after glass 
             ceiling, with her election as the first African American 
             woman to be elected to Congress from Ohio. She tore down 
             barriers here in the House of Representatives when she 
             successfully sought a seat on the Ways and Means 
             Committee, and those walls came down. She was like at 
             Jericho. When she blew that trumpet, the walls just came 
             tumbling down. She was just so full of energy.
               In the little time that she was on the Ways and Means 
             Committee, her reputation for fairness was so great that 
             she was selected as chair of the Ethics Committee. To 
             chair the House Ethics Committee, you have to be the 
             fairest person among that body. It is a tough position. 
             So, once again she was called to duty. It is really not an 
             office you seek, it is just something that is bestowed 
             upon you, and when you are asked, you have to take it.
               She was a pioneer who forged ahead, not just for 
             herself, because she knew that she was opening doors for 
             others. As co-chair of the Caribbean Caucus, I had the 
             pleasure of traveling with Stephanie. We would go to the 
             Caribbean, and she was a great traveling companion. She 
             had a lot of interest in global issues. She was interested 
             in understanding other cultures. She was interested in 
             those people in nations less fortunate than ours.
               She was enthusiastic about promoting international 
             trade. She wanted to have economic development to address 
             the problems of poverty and hunger around the world. She 
             wanted to bring more educational opportunities to regions 
             in the Caribbean and other places that we traveled.
               Even though she was a diligent public servant, Stephanie 
             always found time to laugh and enjoy life. A terrific 
             sports fan, she was unrivaled in her enthusiasm for her 
             hometown teams, the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland 
             Cavaliers, and she even cheered the Cleveland Indians, 
             even though they had not won a World Series since 1948 and 
             she would complain about that.
               She was just so proud of Mervyn II. She loved to sail. 
             My brother is a sailor, and they would talk about just 
             getting out. The only water I like is when I take my 
             shower every day, and that is about it. But she loved to 
             sail, and she just knew all about it, and her sister 
             Barbara right there paid attention.
               I remember her proud father. He was elderly and he was 
             so dignified. One time we were staying on the same floor 
             at the CBC's hotel where we were, and his tie came loose. 
             He was walking so proud, and I said, ``Could I just fix it 
             for you?'' I felt good just trying to do something. And he 
             was just so proud. I know how my grandfather was, the 
             dignified black man who had to endure so much. But when 
             they walked, they walked proud and they walked straight as 
             an arrow, and that is how he was.
               She was just great. She was my pal. She was my traveling 
             companion. It's just hard to find words for Stephanie, 
             full of life, full of energy. I didn't smoke, but I used 
             to tell her she needed to slow down on that smoking. But 
             we did have some times together. I won't get into that. We 
             don't want to get into too many details.
               She was good at everything. She did a great job with 
             that tennis and golf tournament every Wednesday at the 
             Congressional Black Caucus lunch. She would say, ``You 
             have got to come. You have got to support it, scholarships 
             for children.''
               It is hard to be in Congress without Stephanie there, 
             but we are going to have to remember her. She was my pal.
               [The revised remarks of Mr. Payne follow:]
               With the untimely loss of our wonderful friend and 
             colleague, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a void has been left in 
             the lives of all those who had the privilege of knowing 
             this remarkable, vibrant, and accomplished woman. It is a 
             loss shared by her family, her many friends, her Ohio 
             constituents, and all those around our great Nation who 
             looked to her as a champion of justice and also an 
             advocate for their everyday concerns.
               A former county prosecutor and judge of the Cleveland 
             Municipal Court, she went on to break another glass 
             ceiling with her election as the first African American 
             woman elected to Congress from Ohio. She tore down a 
             barrier here in the House of Representatives when she 
             successfully sought a seat on the Ways and Means 
             Committee, which had no African American woman member at 
             the time. It was a measure of her reputation for fairness 
             that she was selected to serve as chair of the House 
             Ethics Committee.
               She was a pioneer who forged ahead not just for herself, 
             but because she knew that she was opening doors for others 
             who would benefit from her groundbreaking steps.
               As co-chair of the Caribbean Caucus, I had the pleasure 
             of traveling with StephanieTubbs Jones, and what a great 
             traveling companion she was. She had a strong interest in 
             global issues, in understanding other cultures, and in 
             improving the lives of those in nations less fortunate 
             than ours. She was enthusiastic about promoting 
             international trade and economic development; in 
             addressing the problems of poverty and hunger; and she 
             wanted to bring more educational opportunities to regions 
             where such opportunities were severely lacking.
               Even though she was a diligent public servant, Stephanie 
             always found time to laugh and to enjoy life. A terrific 
             sports fan, she was unrivaled in her enthusiasm for her 
             teams, the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and 
             she even cheered on the Cleveland Indians, even though 
             they had not won the World Series since 1948--a year 
             before she was born.
               She was also very proud of her son, Mervyn II, and she 
             loved spending time with her sister, Barbara Walker. I 
             recall the care and attention she paid to her elderly 
             father; it was touching to see the bond between them when 
             they were together.
               Stephanie lived life out loud. Her dazzling smile, her 
             passion for causes, and her devotion to her family made 
             her a remarkable person to know.
               Her hometown newspaper, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, 
             summed it up well when they wrote that she was ``tough, 
             exuberant, passionate . . . a woman from modest means who 
             rose to national prominence.''
               Our thoughts and prayers remain with her family as we 
             mourn the loss of Stephanie Tubbs Jones and celebrate her 
             amazing life and legacy.

               Ms. KILPATRICK. Thank you, Congressman.
               You know, you have heard it said tonight that she was a 
             friend and a leader and intelligent, and you could count 
             on her when she gave you her word. We all felt that. And I 
             think as Congressman Payne said, she is in this Chamber, 
             and she will be in this Chamber, and it is our 
             responsibility to carry her spirit and her dedication to 
             building a new America for all of God's people.
               The caucus has received many letters and 
             congratulations, condolences, and expressions of love for 
             Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. At this time I would 
             like to put some of them in the Record, from the South 
             African Embassy, from the Embassy of Turkey, from the 
             Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago, and 
             from the Embassy of Colombia. The list goes on and on, and 
             we will be putting them in the Record all week long. To 
             you, Sister Sister, you live, and you always will.

                             Embassy of Turkey, Washington, DC,
                                                    August 21, 2008.

             Hon. Carolyn Kilpatrick,
             Chairwoman, Congressional Black Caucus,
             House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

               Dear Chairwoman Kilpatrick, I learned with profound 
             sadness and regret the passing of Congresswoman Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones, chairwoman of the House Committee on 
             Standards of Official Conduct and a valuable member of the 
             Congressional Black Caucus.
               Chairwoman Jones took great personal interest in Turkey 
             and was dedicated to upholding the strong relations, 
             friendship, strategic partnership and alliance between our 
             two great nations. We will always feel her great loss in 
             our hearts.
               On this note, I would like to extend our deepest 
             condolences and sympathies to the members of the 
             Congressional Black Caucus.
                  Sincerely yours,
                                                   Nabi Sensoy,
                                                         Ambassador.

                                          a

                         South African Embassy, Washington, DC,
                                                    August 22, 2008.

             Hon. Carolyn C. Kilpatrick,
             Chairwoman, Congressional Black Caucus,
             Rayburn Building, Washington, DC.

               Dear Madam Chairwoman, it was with sadness that I 
             learned of the sudden and untimely passing of 
             Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. A spirited 
             Representative from the great state of Ohio, Ms. Tubbs 
             Jones stood up proudly for what she believed in, and her 
             infectious zest for life, her optimism and her service to 
             others, are all the qualities that she brought to the U.S. 
             House of Representatives, and to all that had the pleasure 
             of knowing her, and she will be sorely missed. On behalf 
             of the Republic of South Africa, I hereby wish to convey 
             our sincere condolences to the family, friends, 
             constituents, colleagues and especially to you our friends 
             in the Congressional Black Caucus, and you remain in our 
             thoughts throughout this very difficult time.
                  Yours sincerely,
                                                 Welile Nhlapo,
                                                         Ambassador.

                                          a

                        Black Women Lawyer's Association of    
                      Greater Chicago, Inc., Chicago, Illinois,
                                                    August 21, 2008.

             Re   death of the Honorable Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones.
             Hon. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick,
             Chairman, Congressional Black Caucus,
             Rayburn Building, Washington, DC.

               Dear Congresswoman Kilpatrick: The Black Women Lawyers' 
             Association of Greater Chicago wishes to honor the late 
             Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones for  her  numerous  
             accomplishments  and  achievements  in her role as a 
             member of the Ohio Congressional Delegation, an African-
             American lawyer, and an activist.
               As the chairman of the esteemed Congressional Black 
             Caucus, we respectfully ask that you place the enclosed 
             resolution into the Congressional Record.
               Should you have any questions about our bar association, 
             please do not hesitate to contact me.
                  Respectfully,
                                           Mary A. Melchor,    
                                President, Black Women Lawyers'
                                     Association of Greater Chicago.
             Enclosure.
                                  A Resolution for
                  U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH-11)
               ``For I am already being poured out like a drink 
             offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have 
             fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have 
             kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of 
             righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will 
             award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to 
             all who have longed for his appearing.'' II Timothy 4:6-8
               In commemoration of the life of U.S. Congresswoman 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH-11) from the members of the 
             Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago, Inc.:
               Whereas, it is with deepest regret that we are compelled 
             to mourn the passing of U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones on August 20, 2008, the first African-American woman 
             elected to the United States House of Representatives from 
             Ohio; and
               Whereas, Congresswoman Jones was a lifelong resident of 
             the 11th District of Ohio, which encompasses most of the 
             East Side of Cleveland and parts of the West Side of 
             Cleveland and includes parts of 22 suburbs; and
               Whereas, Congresswoman Jones was in her fifth term in 
             office and a strong advocate for many issues, including 
             championing wealth building and economic development, 
             access and delivery of health care, and quality education 
             for all; and
               Whereas, Congresswoman Jones chaired the Committee on 
             Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics), served on the 
             powerful Ways and Means Committee, and was an active 
             member of numerous Congressional Caucuses, including the 
             Congressional Black Caucus; and
               Whereas, Congresswoman Jones introduced several pieces 
             of legislation including, the Uterine Fibroids Research 
             and Education Act to increase funding for research on 
             uterine fibroids and provide enhanced public education 
             about this condition; the Predatory Mortgage Lending 
             Practices Reduction Act, which would require certification 
             of mortgage brokers and enhance penalties for predatory 
             loans, and the Campus Fire Prevention Act, which would 
             provide money to equip college dorms, fraternities, and 
             sorority houses with fire suppression devices; and
               Whereas, Congresswoman Jones introduced the ``Count 
             Every Vote'' Act of 2005, which seeks to provide an all-
             encompassing solution to a broad range of voting 
             irregularities that occurred during the 2004 presidential 
             election, and was an original co-sponsor of multiple 
             significant pieces of legislation, including healthcare 
             for low and middle-income families and community re-entry 
             for exfelons; and
               Whereas, Congresswoman Jones made a number of historic 
             achievements in her distinguished career as a public 
             servant, including serving as the first African-American 
             and the first female Cuyahoga County, Ohio Prosecutor, the 
             first African-American woman to sit on the Common Pleas 
             bench in the State of Ohio, and a Municipal Court Judge in 
             the City of Cleveland; and
               Whereas, Congresswoman Jones received numerous honors 
             throughout her lifetime, including the National Bible 
             Association Capitol Hill Distinguished Leadership Award, 
             the Human Rights Campaign of Cleveland Equality Award, the 
             Backbone Campaign's Backbone Award, and the Carib News 
             Multi-National Business Conference Marcus Garvey Award; 
             and
               Whereas, Congresswoman Jones was a graduate of Cleveland 
             Public Schools; received her undergraduate degree in 
             Social Work from Case Western Reserve University in 1971; 
             received her Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve 
             University School of Law in 1974; and received honorary 
             doctorates from David N. Myers University, Notre Dame 
             College and Central State University; and
               Whereas, Congresswoman Jones was an active member of 
             Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated and served on its 
             national Social Action Committee; and was a lifelong 
             member and member of the Board of Trustees of Bethany 
             Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio; and
               Whereas, Congresswoman Jones was married to Mervyn L. 
             Jones, Sr., deceased (2003), for 27 years and is the proud 
             mother of Mervyn Leroy Jones, II.
               Be it therefore resolved, that we, the members of the 
             Black Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago, Inc., 
             pause on this day with abiding sympathy to support the 
             family of Congresswoman Jones;
               Be it further resolved, that we offer our admiration, 
             respect, and support of the legacy of Congresswoman Jones 
             and give recognition for the many ``firsts'' that she 
             achieved as an African-American woman, lawyer, and 
             legislator and an outspoken champion of justice for her 
             Congressional District, the State of Ohio, and the nation;
               Be it finally resolved that a copy of this resolution 
             shall be given to the family of Congresswoman Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones; and a copy shall be presented to the Speaker 
             of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and 
             the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus at the Democratic 
             National Convention which will take place in Denver, 
             Colorado from August 25, 2008 through August 28, 2008; and 
             a copy shall also be placed in the archives of the Black 
             Women Lawyers' Association of Greater Chicago, Inc.
               Respectfully submitted, this 21st day of August, 2008 by 
             the membership of Black Women Lawyers' Association of 
             Greater Chicago, Inc., by Mary A. Melchor, President.

                                          a

                           Embassy of Colombia, Washington, DC,
                                                    August 21, 2008.

             Hon. Carolyn C. Kilpatrick,
             Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, House of 
             Representatives, Washington, DC.

               Dear Chairwoman Kilpatrick, I would like to extend my 
             most heart-felt condolences for the passing of 
             Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones to you and the members 
             of the CBC.
               During my time in Washington, I had several 
             opportunities to meet with Congresswoman Tubbs Jones, and 
             was fortunate to have had the chance to be with her during 
             her visit to Colombia. Her high spirit, sharp mind and 
             positive outlook left a lasting impression, and she will 
             be missed.
               Her son, Mervyn Jones, her family, her staff and her 
             colleagues remain in our prayers.
                  Sincerely,
                                                Carolina Barco,
                                                         Ambassador.

               Ms. KILPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield the 
             balance of my time to a young man who has taken this House 
             by storm. He chairs our Congressional Black Caucus 
             Foundation, one of Congresswoman Tubbs Jones' sons, also a 
             member of the Ways and Means Committee. I yield the 
             balance of my time to Congressman Kendrick Meek.

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Florida will 
             control the remainder of the time.

               Mr. MEEK of Florida. Thank you so very much, Madam 
             Chairman.
               I would like to thank my leader and colleague from the 
             great city of Detroit, Ms. Kilpatrick, for yielding the 
             balance of the time. We will continue to go down the list 
             I have been given here, Mr. Speaker, as we continue to 
             honor our fallen colleague.
               Next on this list I have Congressman Danny Davis from 
             the great State of Illinois, a very good friend of the 
             Congresswoman, Stephanie Tubbs Jones.

               Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join 
             with my colleagues as we come this evening to pay tribute 
             to our colleague, Stephanie Tubbs Jones. I am pleased to 
             follow so many of my distinguished colleagues, because 
             they have said so much until there isn't much to say. But 
             the interesting thing is that with Stephanie Tubbs Jones, 
             you never run out of things to say, because she was so 
             much and meant so much to so many.
               It is interesting that when you knew Stephanie, you knew 
             her whole family. You just didn't know her, you knew her 
             sister; you knew her father; you knew her mother; you knew 
             Mervyn; you knew her husband, Mervyn the first; you knew 
             Mervyn the second; you knew nieces and nephews; you knew 
             friends; and you almost got to know the whole of Cleveland 
             if you knew Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               Stephanie, as many people have already indicated, had a 
             great legal mind. Prior to coming to Congress, she served 
             as both a prosecutor and a judge. And the interesting 
             thing about prosecution is that you are generally trying 
             to make sure that the law is upheld, and that once people 
             commit infractions, that they pay a price. Of course, that 
             is what prosecutors often do.
               Well, Stephanie had another interest in the law, and she 
             wanted to make sure that the law also had a sense of 
             justice. And even though she was a prosecutor, brother 
             Kendrick, even though she was a prosecutor, she was a 
             champion for those who had committed crimes, who had been 
             convicted of crimes, and was one of the staunchest 
             supporters of something called the Second Chance Act.
               That is a bill which simply says that once individuals 
             have fallen, that they also need to be lifted up; that 
             once they have had problems, they need to be reclaimed; 
             and, once they had committed crimes for which they may 
             have been punished, they also needed to be redeemed. And 
             so it was very pleasant for me to work with Stephanie on 
             the Second Chance legislation.
               She befriended people from all walks of life. It didn't 
             matter if they were Democrats or Republicans, or if they 
             had been prosecuted.
               As a matter of fact, when I think of her, I often think 
             of the poet Homer, who talked about the kind of house that 
             he wanted to live in, and I think Stephanie was an 
             embodiment of that kind of house. He said,

               Let me live in my house by the side of the road, where 
             the race of men go by. Men who are good, men who are bad, 
             wise, foolish. But then, so am I. So why would I sit in 
             the scorner's seat or hurl the cynic's ban? But let me 
             live in my house by the side of the road and be a friend 
             to man.

               Stephanie was indeed a friend to mankind, to humankind.
               I thank you, Mr. Chairman.

               Mr. MEEK of Florida. I thank you so much, Congressman 
             Davis. And she was very proud of the fact that she was 
             able to work with you on the Second Chance Act, and was 
             there when the bill was signed.
               I want to call on my very good friend and Stephanie's 
             good friend, I call her my Brooklyn Congresswoman, 
             Congresswoman Yvette Clarke from the great State of New 
             York.

               Ms. CLARKE. To my colleague and very good friend, 
             Kendrick Meek, I want to thank you for picking up the 
             mantle. I know that Stephanie is watching us and is a part 
             of all that is taking place.
               Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of the distinguished woman 
             from Ohio, and I still can't believe that she has 
             transitioned. I have taken the Congresswoman's passing 
             somewhat personally. You have heard many of the Members 
             speak about their relationship with her and the pet names 
             or nicknames that she had for them. Well, mine was Baby 
             Girl.
               My sister, friend, mentor, Representative Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones, to the Representative of the 11th 
             Congressional District of Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio, from the 
             11th Congressional District of New York, Brooklyn, New 
             York, I love you.
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones was the consummate public servant. 
             As a new Member-elect to the 110th session of Congress, 
             one of the very first persons to embrace me on the Hill 
             was Stephanie Tubbs Jones. She opened her office, her 
             office staff to helping me to adjust to Washington, to 
             select my staff, and to share with me what her transition 
             had been as she reflected back on becoming a Member here 
             in Congress 10 years previously.
               I had the privilege to have been mentored by her, and 
             the one thing I can say is that she was one determined 
             diva. We danced together, we shopped together, we drove 
             together. Three things that I know that she loved to do; 
             dance, shop, and drive. As a matter of fact, she shared 
             with me the fact that if I loved to drive, then I have got 
             to put my staff under reins and get me a car and do my 
             thing, because that is what she had to do.
               She worked hard, she played hard, she loved hard. She 
             was proud to represent the people of Cleveland, and she 
             loved her family. She simply adored her son and wanted the 
             very best for him in this life, Mervyn II. She was an 
             inspiration in my life. She loved her country, and she 
             fought for our people every day with an abiding commitment 
             to their struggles.
               When Stephanie entered any venue, the chemistry changed, 
             and the atmosphere immediately acknowledged her presence. 
             Her history, a trailblazer, a fighter for women's rights, 
             women's health, civil rights, civil liberties, 
             Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was always on the move 
             for justice and equality. And I learned so much from this 
             woman, and I just feel privileged to have had her as my 
             mentor.
               She dedicated much of her life in service to others. She 
             has bequeathed to us a legacy and an imperative for me to 
             do the same. To Mervyn II, to Barbara, to the Tubbs Jones 
             family, to her constituents in Ohio, to her staff in Ohio, 
             to her staff here in Washington, may the love of God be a 
             comfort to you in this time of our bereavement.
               Bon voyage, my sweet sister. See you in that great 
             getting-up morning. Fare thee well.

               Mr. MEEK of Florida. Thank you so very much, 
             Congresswoman. And I know that Ms. Tubbs Jones meant so 
             much to you.
               I would like to call on another good friend and new 
             friend, but a colleague of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones, Ms. Donna Edwards from the Fourth District of 
             Maryland, who posted her condolences statement on the 21st 
             of this month, Mr. Speaker, the passing of Ms. Tubbs 
             Jones.

               Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, and Mr. Chairman, 
             I am really grateful to be here this evening to speak of 
             my new colleague, Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               When I was first elected to Congress just a few weeks 
             ago, one of the first calls that I received was from 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones. And when I came here to this floor 
             to be sworn in to the U.S. Congress as the first African 
             American woman to represent our great State of Maryland, 
             it was Stephanie Tubbs Jones who greeted me and said, 
             ``Hello, girlfriend. I am a first, too.'' And I won't 
             forget that. And she knew, not asking me about my office 
             or how I was planning to settle in, but she said to me, 
             ``You have a man-child.'' And I said, ``Yes, I do.'' And 
             to me, that was a mark not just of a colleague and of a 
             politician, but it was a mark of a woman. And I understood 
             from her as a mother what it meant to be a mother to a 
             man-child.
               The next question she asked me was whether I planned to 
             play basketball, because she knew that I had coached my 
             son in basketball. I am not really quite sure how she knew 
             that, but she did. And so she immediately said to me that 
             not only did I have to play basketball, but I also had to 
             learn how to play golf. And so I am going to take that as 
             her marching orders as I serve in the U.S. Congress, and 
             try to serve in her memory, not just as a great woman, as 
             a great politician, and as a great sportswoman.
               And I had the privilege of admiring Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones not in the U.S. Congress but outside and from afar, 
             and the great privilege just prior to coming to serve in 
             this body of speaking at an event with her in the spring. 
             And she lit up the room. And very recently someone in my 
             congressional district asked me, ``Did you know Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones?'' And however one knows a person, what I 
             could say is one of my favorite words in the English 
             language is ebullient. And Stephanie Tubbs Jones was 
             ebullient.
               Thank you.

               Mr. MEEK of Florida. Thank you so very much for that 
             very kind and moving dedication to Congresswoman Tubbs 
             Jones.
               One of my good friends from California, Laura 
             Richardson, who has taken this Congress by storm and has 
             worked very well in the 37th Congressional District of 
             California, Mr. Speaker, it is very unique having women 
             that have come to Congress because, as you know, the 
             Congressional Black Caucus has been hit hard this 
             particular Congress with losing three women of our caucus 
             in this 110th Congress alone. And all of them played a 
             very substantial role.
               This next speaker is, I wouldn't call a replacement, but 
             an addition to that greatness as we continue to march on 
             to allow good representation from all over the country 
             here, Congresswoman Laura Richardson.

               Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Meek, thank you for 
             yielding at this time.
               It is interesting, from Florida, you brought up that we 
             as members of the Congressional Black Caucus have lost 
             three great women in this session. And as I came in as a 
             new Member really learning from Congresswoman Juanita 
             Millender-McDonald who I had worked for, when I came into 
             this body, I came into a family. And that was something 
             that Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones taught us; that 
             coming to Congress wasn't about a group, it wasn't just 
             about legislation, it was about people who were committed 
             to working together to make our communities better. That 
             is why we came here.
               I'll never forget when I stood in this very spot to 
             share my comments of what it was that I hoped to do on 
             behalf of my community, and I knew that Ms. Tubbs Jones 
             was really hurting because she missed her colleague, Ms. 
             Juanita Millender-McDonald. But in that same hand, she 
             knew that, as I stood there, she was willing to embrace 
             me. She was willing to help me. And she wanted to make 
             sure that I had everything that Ms. McDonald had and then 
             some. So I will never forget as I spoke and I turned, and, 
             yes, she was one of those first big smiles that I saw, and 
             she said, ``Hey, girl. How are you?'' As she would always 
             tell us.
               Ms. Tubbs Jones, what I wanted to share with her family 
             and with all of us today are just a couple things. First, 
             what I know of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones is that 
             she was always ready. And I think that is a good lesson, 
             not only for us as colleagues, but as young people coming 
             forward, being ready to seize the opportunity, being ready 
             to speak up and to stand up, and not to hesitate at all.
               Another thing that always stood out for me with her was 
             just her knowledge. You heard a lot of people tonight talk 
             about the fact of her law background and all of that. But 
             it was so much that was in her head, so much of what she 
             wanted to take of what she had learned to really change 
             America as we see it today.
               And that brings me to my third point about sports, and 
             people have talked about that. Yes, I think we are going 
             to have a big basketball team next year, and I am sure we 
             will work hard to win in her honor. But I want to talk 
             about two other sports that were so special to her.
               One, taking her son to the Super Bowl. That was 
             something that she valued and she treasured. And I would 
             challenge all of us CBC members that we need to make sure 
             that he goes next year and the years forward with us and 
             our families.
               Two, her love for golf. In honor of her husband, who had 
             also served our caucus so well, we had named the spouse's 
             program after him, and I am sure next year we are going to 
             have to add her name to it.
               But also, I want to talk about another sport, and that 
             is just being in the gym. You know, Congresswoman Barbara 
             Lee and Stephanie were gym partners, and I just happened 
             to be the beneficiary of being the third person there. And 
             when you hear people talk about the fervor and how 
             vigorously she approached everything, it wasn't just here 
             at work. It was her on the treadmill, it was her on the 
             Stairmaster. It was her getting ready to come in here and 
             do work. She was always about working hard and really 
             benefiting in any way that she could to help somebody 
             else.
               The last two things I want to talk about are, one, her 
             commitment to youth. If you would come on this floor, it 
             was not uncommon that Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones 
             would pull you aside and say, ``Girl, I've got somebody I 
             want to you to meet.'' And if it wasn't a page from her 
             local area, if it wasn't a young intern who she was in the 
             process of hiring, her commitment to young people was 
             second to none. And I have got to tell you, as being a 
             relatively young Member of Congress, it is critical that 
             we take on that mantle. It was something that she knew and 
             she understood more than most, and that was that the 
             development that we do for our future young people is 
             really showing wisdom for the future.
               And, last, I want to mention our travels that we had on 
             behalf of Senator Clinton. I had an opportunity to go; 
             Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was the co-chair for 
             her national campaign, and we had an opportunity to travel 
             to South Carolina, to Ohio, to Nevada. I didn't go to 
             Puerto Rico as some did, but she went all over the place. 
             In honor of the sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits, I 
             want to say that Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, when 
             I had an opportunity to go to Ohio, because she was also 
             working in so many other States, her folks loved her.
               Her folks still love her. And it was out of that respect 
             that they had for her that anyone who came as her guest, 
             they were so well treated. And my time that I had a chance 
             to spend in Ohio, and to all the young elected officials 
             that she mentored and she helped, being a part of those 8-
             12 months that we had an opportunity to work, there was no 
             one who ever wearied in her drive. There was no one who 
             ever hesitated. There was no one who worked harder to make 
             sure that Americans really understood the value of what we 
             have in our elected officials.
               And so, as I close, I just want to say, my time that I 
             had with Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was to know 
             her love, was to know how sincere she was, and last, she 
             was unwavering when she committed herself to you.
               We love you and we love the family. Thank you very much.

               Mr. MEEK of Florida. Thank you so very much, 
             Congresswoman.
               Mr. Speaker, I am just going to yield time for my good 
             friend and a good friend of my mother's, Congresswoman 
             Carrie Meek, Marcy Kaptur, who is the dean of women here 
             in the House, longest serving woman on the Appropriations 
             Committee, and also dean of the Ohio delegation that held 
             an hour prior to this one as we dedicated a resolution and 
             condolences of the House to Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               And as she sat here listening to the stories and 
             testimonials of members of the Congressional Black Caucus 
             of how we remember Stephanie Tubbs Jones, I turned around 
             and I said, ``Marcy, do you have anything else that you 
             would like to share with the House?'' And she said, ``I 
             want to talk about the red dress.'' So I want to hear this 
             too. I yield to Ms. Kaptur.

               Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
             Meek). And your mother certainly had a man-child too. And 
             we love Carrie Meek, Congresswoman Meek. I miss her very 
             much, and she must be very, very proud of you. I am 
             certain of that.
               We have shared so many memories this evening, and there 
             are very serious ones that I will end with. But I have to 
             say that I can still see Stephanie sitting in the 
             Speaker's chair in the reddest of red suits, and she just 
             beamed. And she loved that chair, and she loved that 
             gavel, and she used it. You could hear it ring against the 
             walls when she would hit that gavel down.
               I did not know that she was not the only member of a 
             sisterhood that wore those red dresses. It wasn't until 
             her service in Cleveland that I saw an entire street from 
             side to side covered with women in red dresses. Stephanie 
             had many acquaintances and many friends. And I know that 
             those red outfits gave her strength, and it certainly 
             brightened this Chamber.
               I remember her scarves with the fringes. I don't know 
             where Stephanie got all those, but they certainly added a 
             flourish here, and they helped to cheer us up and to add 
             to the full smile, ear to ear, that greeted every person 
             that she ever met.
               Now, some of us knew about her cheers. There were many 
             cheers, sports cheers, political cheers, Democratic 
             cheers. She had a chant and a rhyme and a rhythm about 
             her, and she had a presence, and she took those cheers 
             forward. I know one of those cheers, one of the more 
             recent ones with a rhyme was H-I-L-L-A-R-Y. I know that 
             was one of the latest cheers.
               She had a great devotion to youth, to the younger women 
             who are serving in this Chamber, three of whom we just 
             heard from, Congresswoman Richardson, Congresswoman 
             Edwards, and Congresswoman Clarke. And it almost seems 
             somewhat providential that as we lost three women from the 
             Congressional Black Caucus, we have three younger women on 
             the floor tonight. That says something right there. And I 
             have no doubt Stephanie is watching over us making sure 
             that the numbers get even better.
               I think that her pathbreaking efforts in so many ways 
             put her in the footsteps of Sojourner Truth; particularly, 
             I am woman, I can do anything. I know Stephanie believed 
             that to her very core. Her zest for life and her 
             indomitable spirit surround us, surround her son, surround 
             her sister, surround all of her friends, her church 
             friends in Ohio, all of those who came to know her, 
             appreciate her.
               I know that Congressman Louis Stokes, her predecessor, 
             feels this loss particularly deeply. I recall with great 
             affection his service here. As the years go on, it is 
             amazing the events that we witness and that we endure.
               In Stephanie's memory, I want to thank Congressman Meek 
             for holding this special hour on behalf of the 
             Congressional Black Caucus and allowing me to add a few 
             words to the eloquence that has been spoken this evening 
             in memory of our beloved friend. And I yield back the time 
             you have kindly given me.

               Mr. MEEK of Florida. Thank you so very much. And Marcy, 
             I just want to thank you for being a good friend of 
             Stephanie's, and continuing to carry the flag here in the 
             House.
               I would like to bring on another Member, a great Member 
             of Congress, and she is a good, good sister of 
             Stephanie's, was a good friend and traveled to Cleveland 
             in between Stephanie's departure and her homegoing service 
             to be with Stephanie's family. We know her as 
             Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee. She was another fighter 
             here in Congress that sleeps with her fists balled up. 
             Stephanie and she were sisters as it relates to that. So 
             my good friend from the great State of Texas, Sheila 
             Jackson-Lee.

               Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. I feel like family has 
             gathered here on the floor, and I thank my good and 
             distinguished friend. We are like family. And his mother, 
             and as he has come here, and the extended family 
             relationship.
               So, even as I spoke on the bereavement resolution, I 
             wanted to come and be part of the Congressional Black 
             Caucus special order because I could feel the warmth and 
             spirit just continue to flow through. I hope the 
             Congressional Record doesn't mind us talking about spirit 
             flowing through.
               I want to acknowledge her staff that is staying here 
             till the end that are in the gallery there, and they are 
             like family as well. We know that Stephanie would say she 
             loved her staff, both in Washington and in Cleveland.
               Certainly, I think the most poignant moment of the 
             homegoing service was my friend and brother, the Honorable 
             Kendrick Meek, and Congressman Ryan, having stood 
             together, stoically, strongly, and specially to talk about 
             Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones and, as well, as they 
             did so, you could feel in that huge Cleveland Convention 
             Center, everyone just pouring love toward them. I think it 
             drew Mervyn, her son, out of his seat to go up on the 
             stage and to see the most powerful embrace that one could 
             ever see. It will be lasting. I think it will go down in 
             the annals of her record, when you pull her up and you 
             look at this celebration, this homegoing service, you will 
             note that there was this kind of experience, this moving 
             experience. I want to thank my distinguished Member of 
             Congress from Florida, Congressman Meek, for just pouring 
             his heart out during that service. I think all of us just 
             paused for a moment to see the largeness of our 
             relationship with Stephanie.
               So I wanted to come because I didn't get a chance to 
             just mention more extensively, someone who allowed you to 
             know most of her family members during her time here in 
             Congress. The goodness is I think we should celebrate that 
             her family members lived, her mom and dad lived to see her 
             become a Member of Congress. Her husband, of which, 
             someone mentioned they had celebrated 25 years together or 
             more, lived to see her in the U.S. Congress and enjoyed 
             being part of her commitment to the Congressional Black 
             Caucus, with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. 
             They were a couple. They were a pair.
               In fact, I am envious and dream of the fact that I used 
             to hear the stories about the yachting that they did 
             together as a couple, and always said one day I would have 
             the time to go. But just think about how she used her life 
             experiences of joy and large living to touch everyone's 
             life.
               When we talked about airlines, when we talked about the 
             troubles airlines were having, I remember her talking 
             after 9/11. She would always get in there that her dad was 
             a skycap. When they were talking about salaries or talking 
             about working conditions at the airlines, she had an 
             affinity because she would get in there that her dad was a 
             skycap, and she was proud of that.
               And I want everybody to know, since we live in this kind 
             of multicultural society, that being a skycap was a big 
             deal for an African American and an African American man. 
             It was middle class, it was a working job that had 
             benefits, but it was an important responsibility. I know 
             that because my uncle was a skycap. So that was an 
             important, if you will, connection for her dad who 
             supported this family.
               And of course, her mom and her sisters, and as 
             Congressman Meek mentioned, I had a chance to visit 
             Barbara and Mervyn when I went to visit them at home.
               There were friends, and I know that I will get in 
             trouble, but I know that the mayor of Warrensville I 
             believe is the name, Mayor Fudge, a dear friend and a part 
             of the Delta family. But I know the guy that she calls Joe 
             Hewitt; never a single name, just calling him Joe Hewitt, 
             larger than life, someone whom she cared about; he cared 
             about her. We had a chance to enter into fellowship with 
             their family.
               So I wanted to come and say that, as we talk about 
             sisterhood, it is really real. And as we talk about 
             traveling with her, it is really real. As we talk about 
             being larger than life, it is really real as well.
               I want to close simply by adding to what my good friend, 
             Marcy Kaptur from Cleveland said, as I looked at the three 
             Congresspersons, one each from Maryland, California, and 
             New York, three beautiful young women. And we lost 
             Congresswomen Julia Carson, Juanita Millender-McDonald, 
             and now Stephanie Tubbs Jones, all mentors. Look at the 
             legacy that they have left.
               Look at the legacy of Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who I call 
             a great patriot, a great American, because she could fight 
             you for her love for America. She would not take a back 
             seat. Whether or not she was talking about predatory 
             lending or about health care that did not serve the people 
             well in her community or around the Nation, or those 
             incarcerated persons who were treated unfairly and didn't 
             get a second chance, she still loved America.
               So I want to leave us with the words of Sojourner Truth. 
             It was when she was sitting in the back of the room, and 
             it was during the abolitionist movement, suffragette 
             movement. It was crowded, and she saw they saw her hand 
             raise up, and the person called her sir, or indicated that 
             she was a man. And Sojourner Truth stood up and said, 
             ``Ain't I a woman? I borne 13 children into slavery. Ain't 
             I a woman?''
               To Stephanie Tubbs Jones, there will be no doubt that 
             she was a woman's woman and a leader's leader.
               And finally, in closing, I read from Philippians 4:8:

               Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, 
             whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, 
             whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, 
             whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any 
             virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.

               Let us think on the life of Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and 
             let us, in all of our imperfections, and we have them, 
             embellish those things in ourselves. As the Congressional 
             Black Caucus, let us live on, and the Congressional Black 
             Caucus Foundation, of which my distinguished colleague is 
             the chair, let her spirit live on as we do her work and do 
             the work of the Lord.
               [The revised remarks of Ms. Jackson-Lee follow:]
               I rise today with a conflict of emotions to recognize 
             Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. I stand with a heavy 
             heart enriched and gladdened that I had the opportunity of 
             knowing and working with such a beacon of light here in 
             Congress.
               Before heading to the funeral I was reminded of the 
             words of Mother Teresa,

               There is a light in this world, a healing spirit--more 
             powerful than any darkness we may encounter. We sometimes 
             lose sight of this force, when there is suffering, and too 
             much pain. Then suddenly, the spirit will emerge through 
             the lives of ordinary people who hear a call and answer in 
             extraordinary ways.

               That is why although I rise with a heavy heart at the 
             loss of a colleague and friend, I stand with a realization 
             and gratefulness for all that Congresswoman Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones was able to do for her family, for her 
             constituents, and for her country in her brief time here 
             on this Earth. I also believe that Congresswoman Tubbs 
             Jones is in a better place and is looking down on us with 
             that contagious smile and generous nature that made us all 
             love working with her.
               As Women's Caucus and Congressional Black Caucus 
             members, the Congresswoman and I spent a lot of time 
             working together and talking about our lives, our unique 
             work, and the issues facing our Nation.
               I had the opportunity to get to know this great woman 
             and learn that she was born in Cleveland, Ohio, where she 
             graduated from the city's public schools, later earning 
             degrees from Case Western Reserve University, the Flora 
             Stone Mather College, and Case Western Reserve University 
             School of Law.
               I knew that she was a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta; 
             and even more proud to have been married to the love of 
             her life, Mervyn L. Jones, Sr., for over 27 years until 
             his passing in 2003. Together she and Mervyn had one son; 
             Mervyn Leroy Jones II, who was the light of her life.
               Like me, Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a lawyer who had been 
             a local judge. She served on the Cleveland Municipal Court 
             in 1981, and later on the Court of Common Pleas of 
             Cuyahoga County before becoming the Representative for the 
             11th District of Ohio.
               She was selected to be the chairwoman of the House 
             Ethics Committee to watch over the standards of ethical 
             conduct for Members of the House. She also served on the 
             powerful House Ways and Means Committee where she fought 
             for economic development and financial opportunities for 
             all. She was loved by her district, and was routinely 
             reelected against nominal opposition.
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones spent 58 years on this Earth. She 
             was a blessing, and her memory will always be a treasure. 
             She was loved beyond words and will be missed beyond 
             measure by all that knew her.
               Over the last few months, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones and 
             I traveled across the country together. She was always 
             focused on doing the right thing. She understood that in 
             this unique work of ours we serve the people, but we must 
             also answer to our conscience. Doing the right thing in 
             this job is not always an easy task--but she did it day in 
             and day out as she worked to help the people of Ohio, 
             Americans across this great Nation, and our men and women 
             overseas.
               She was an outstanding example of what it means to be a 
             leader. She epitomized service before self. Indeed, as a 
             society, we must do all we can do to build upon the 
             strength of service to help strengthen the fabric of the 
             Nation. I offer the Tubbs Jones family encouragement in 
             their time of bereavement by saying, ``Blessed are those 
             who mourn, for they will be comforted.'' Her work on Earth 
             is complete. We join the Lord in saying, ``Well done, thou 
             good and faithful servant.'' She was a fighter for issues 
             that affect the least fortunate among us and in all the 
             years she was in Congress--she never forgot that. Now let 
             us not forget her.
               The Bible states in Philippians 4:8:

               Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, 
             whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, 
             whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, 
             whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any 
             virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.

               Let us remember Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a 
             public servant, a colleague--a friend.
                     [From the New York Times, August 21, 2008]
                     Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Lawmaker, Dies at 58
                                 (By Dennis Hevesi)
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the first African-American woman 
             elected to the House of Representatives from Ohio and a 
             leader in the fight against predatory lending practices, 
             died Wednesday. She was 58.
               The cause was a ruptured brain aneurysm that Ms. Tubbs 
             Jones suffered Tuesday, Eileen Sheil, a spokeswoman for 
             the Cleveland Clinic, which owns the Huron Hospital in 
             East Cleveland where the congresswoman died, told The 
             Associated Press.
               Ms. Tubbs Jones, a Democrat, was in her fifth term as 
             representative of the 11th Congressional District, which 
             includes most of the east side of Cleveland. Two years 
             ago, she was re-elected with 83 percent of the vote. 
             Before her first election to Congress, in 1998, she had 
             been the chief prosecutor for Cuyahoga County in Ohio.
               Considered a liberal, Ms. Tubbs Jones was a co-sponsor 
             of legislative efforts to broaden health care coverage for 
             low- and middle-income people and of programs supporting 
             the re-entry of convicts into their communities. She was 
             also the author of legislation requiring certification for 
             mortgage brokers and stiffer penalties for predatory 
             loans.
               In June, Ms. Tubbs Jones voted against emergency 
             supplemental financing for the wars in Iraq and 
             Afghanistan.
               ``I feel it important that we have a plan for a timely 
             redeployment of our troops from Iraq and Afghanistan 
             before we continue funding what has become a seemingly 
             endless war,'' she said at the time.
               When Congress officially ratified President Bush's re-
             election in January 2005, Ms. Tubbs Jones joined Senator 
             Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, in initiating a 
             rare challenge to what has historically been a polite 
             formal ceremony. They were objecting to accepting Ohio's 
             20 electoral votes for Mr. Bush, citing voting 
             irregularities in the state.
               Instead of holding a courteous joint session to certify 
             the election, lawmakers were forced to retreat to their 
             separate chambers for two hours of debate. In the end, the 
             House voted 267 to 31 against the challenge; in the 
             Senate, the vote was 74 to 1.
               Stephanie Tubbs was born in Cleveland on Sept. 10, 1949. 
             She graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 1971 
             and received her law degree there three years later.
               From 1976 to 1979, she was an assistant Cuyahoga County 
             prosecutor. In 1981, she won election as a Cleveland 
             Municipal Court judge, and 10 years later she was 
             appointed chief prosecutor.
               As chief prosecutor, Ms. Tubbs Jones was at the center 
             of a controversy in 1998 when she refused to reopen an 
             investigation into the 1954 murder of the wife of Dr. Sam 
             Sheppard, dismissing new DNA evidence that Dr. Sheppard's 
             supporters said would have exonerated him.
               The case had received nationwide coverage in the 1950s. 
             Dr. Sheppard spent 10 years in prison before the Supreme 
             Court ruled that his trial had been prejudiced by 
             publicity. He was acquitted at a second trial, in 1966, 
             and died in 1970. With the new evidence, Dr. Sheppard's 
             son was seeking to collect damages on behalf of his 
             father. Ms. Tubbs Jones argued that the new DNA results 
             would be inadmissible because the samples were too old.
               Ms. Tubbs Jones's husband of 27 years, Mervyn L. Jones 
             Sr., died in 2003. She is survived by her son, Mervyn II.

               Mr. MEEK of Florida. Thank you so very much, 
             Congresswoman. It is a very kind tribute and kind words 
             given to our colleague.
               Mr. Speaker, I just want to take the remainder of our 
             time to speak a few minutes on reflection of my friend and 
             colleague, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. I can say 
             that there has been several days of reflection and 
             testimony to her life and her presence here in this 
             Chamber.
               I can also share with the House, Mr. Speaker, that this 
             tribute will continue on Wednesday. The Speaker has called 
             a memorial service of the House and of the Congress in 
             Statuary Hall at 11 a.m., so those Members of the House or 
             staff and friends can come and reflect and hear further 
             stories of Stephanie and her contributions to this great 
             country.
               The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation will host a 
             reception for all in the Rayburn Room afterward, where we 
             will post pictures of Stephanie and the contributions that 
             she's not only made to this country but also to young 
             people who are walking the Halls of Congress. She 
             spearheaded efforts within the Congressional Black Caucus 
             Foundation to provide internships and fellowships for so 
             many students who ordinarily wouldn't have the opportunity 
             to do it working along with our Congressional Black Caucus 
             spouses.
               I came to the Chamber today with mixed feelings. It was 
             a special kind of warmness that hit me when I walked into 
             the Chamber because so many times we would have the chance 
             to laugh and talk about things that took place either over 
             the weekend or over the break. And ``Stephanie Hall,'' 
             like leader Boehner talked about a little earlier today, 
             her office is right down the hall from my office, and we 
             served on the Ways and Means Committee together. So it's 
             almost like not only Congresswoman Tubbs Jones, but her 
             staff and my staff, it was almost like having a good 
             neighbor, someone you can go get a cup of sugar from. 
             Someone you can go sit down and hold common goals with.
               And we all know--and you heard a lot of folks saying 
             you're going to miss her because she was one of those 
             individuals who you assumed was just going to pop up at 
             any moment. I was talking with my wife when we attended 
             her homegoing service in Ohio, and she said, ``It just 
             seems like Stephanie's going to walk up behind us and say, 
             `Hey, what's going on,' '' because that was the kind of 
             unique person that she was.
               I think during this whole time as I continue to reflect 
             and really live deep in the spirit of how good God is, 
             here in the present to have served with someone like 
             Stephanie, to have folks on both sides of the aisle, to 
             have people who know what it means to punch in and punch 
             out every day when they go to work, those that wake up 
             early to catch the bus to go to work, those that are 
             cleaning hotel rooms, those that are driving the carts at 
             Cleveland Airport. There are so many times that Stephanie 
             would talk to them and make them feel like real people. 
             All of them, including what we may call the ``blue 
             shirts'' here in the Capitol Building, those that work 
             here, those that clean, those uniforms, the police 
             officers, everyone knew Stephanie for being the person 
             that will treat them the same way they would treat a 
             Member of Congress or a President or a leader of a country 
             or what have you.
               I say all of that to emphasize that the best 
             conversation that I keep going back to, and I spoke of 
             this at her memorial service, was a conversation that I 
             had with my mother about Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               Stephanie was a member of our family. Period. Dot. She 
             would travel to south Florida and would do things together 
             with my mother, and they had a relationship prior to my 
             arrival because they were both Delta sisters. It took me, 
             Mr. Speaker, a while, because my mother and I really work 
             hard to talk every day. I was holding off from calling her 
             because I said I know if I call her, we're going to get in 
             the middle of this conversation about Stephanie. And sure 
             enough, we did.
               My mother, who I consider the person in my family that's 
             closest to the cross--that's not in the way of saying that 
             she's about to pass on, but she's very spiritual--and a 
             woman who has traveled a similar route as Stephanie has 
             traveled in her time. We were talking, and all of a sudden 
             she just rained down on the phone and said, ``Kendrick, 
             she had an appointment with the Maker.'' That has provided 
             more comfort to me, and I believe to others, of saying 
             that why would she have to have such an untimely death. 
             Well, it's not up to us to say what is timely and what is 
             untimely. That's something that's already planned from 
             birth.
               Just looking at her trail and her track as we continue 
             to reflect on her light, that God would allow her to play 
             a national role in the primary election and to be judged 
             by others and cherished by certain individuals and to be 
             known nationally and internationally for her presence in 
             the primary election, this Presidential election. Then 
             after the primary was over, she was the person who served 
             as the instrument to bring the two that were running for 
             office against one another together in a special way. To 
             be able to work on behalf of Senator Obama, to have that 
             opportunity before her death to bring them together at her 
             homegoing service is beyond coincidental.
               So we have to really look at every day, cherish every 
             day as though it's our last day to serve.
               Stephanie spent a number of days, a number of hours 
             hugging those who may have had some doubt about her 
             judgment and her actions, but that's the kind of person 
             she was because she had this uniqueness that very few may 
             have.
               So I close with this, Mr. Speaker, because I almost feel 
             like a visiting Baptist preacher. If I had time, I would 
             really be able to get into the deepness of Stephanie's 
             presence, and it will always be here in this Chamber. I'm 
             glad she lived life in the way she did because so many 
             times people say about those who pass and move on, 
             ``Goodness. I wish they would have had the opportunity to 
             do this, this, and this,'' and I can't say that about 
             Stephanie because she did it all.
               She held all of us up. She will continue to hold all of 
             us up, and as long as I'm a Member in this Congress and a 
             Member of the Ways and Means Committee and serving in the 
             leadership position, she will be someone I will never ever 
             forget because she called Tim Ryan and I--you know, we 
             know about Mervyn--but we were her congressional sons. She 
             would put it this way, ``Tim is my white son and Kendrick 
             is my black congressional son.'' And Tim could not be here 
             tonight, but I know he will be here in the future.
               And I want the Members to know that she loved this body. 
             We will forever remember her, and we will continue to have 
             this great celebration of life for the next coming days.
               Mr. Speaker, with that, I want to not only thank our 
             chair, Congresswoman Kilpatrick, who serves as the chair 
             of the Congressional Black Caucus, but all Members of 
             Congress who have come forth this evening to share words 
             of comfort with the family and the country for such a loss 
             of a great leader, a great hero, and someone who has been 
             an icebreaker for so many people.
               My love and all of our love and our condolences go out 
             to the family and her staff, which was her extended 
             family, here in Congress and back in Cleveland, and to the 
             hundreds of constituents who wrapped the streets to pay 
             their appreciation to Stephanie.
               May her spirit live long in the Halls of Congress.
               I yield back the balance of my time.

               Mr. GINGREY. . . . But before I get started, I want to 
             join with my colleagues, my Democratic colleagues, and pay 
             tribute, Mr. Speaker, to Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the 
             gentlewoman from Ohio. I guess you can say that 
             everything's been said that needs to be said, but not 
             everybody has had an opportunity to say it. I can't 
             improve upon the kind words that we've heard here over the 
             last hour in regard to her life and what a great person 
             she was.
               Mr. Speaker, I would like to mention one thing that I 
             thought about a lot after hearing of her untimely and sad 
             passing. She is the second member, Mr. Speaker, of the 
             Ohio delegation to die in office during this 110th 
             Congress. The first was a member on our side of the 
             aisle--again, very loved and respected--Paul Gillmor. Just 
             like Ms. Tubbs Jones, like Representative Tubbs Jones, as 
             bipartisan whenever he could be, as she was.
               I went to his funeral in Columbus, Ohio, the great 
             capital of Ohio. Of the eulogies that were offered on 
             behalf of Representative Gillmor, the very first one, Mr. 
             Speaker, was offered by Representative Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones. And it was very touching, very loving. You know, 
             it's a sad thing, of course, her passing. But God has His 
             plan, and we have our plans, but His plan takes precedence 
             over everything we do.
               She was a great Member of this body, and I join my 
             colleagues in expressing my sincere sympathy to the 
             family. . . .

               Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, history will 
             remember Stephanie Tubbs Jones as a trailblazer. News 
             reports about her death are littered with firsts: first 
             black woman to represent Ohio in the House, first black 
             woman on Ways and Means, first woman and first African 
             American prosecutor in Cuyahoga County.
               Those who worked with her will remember her electric 
             smile, the kind of smile that made you feel like 
             everything would be all right. We will remember her 
             warmth, how she could hug somebody and give them a piece 
             of her high spirits. She had that uncanny ability to make 
             everybody she encountered--from presidents to homeless 
             constituents--feel like they had known her for years. Her 
             gift was to connect with people on a purely human level. 
             No pretense. When confronted with immensely powerful men 
             and women, she would treat them with the same casual 
             kindness that won her the love of her constituents back in 
             Cleveland.
               Most important, we will remember her courage. Stephanie 
             was never intimidated by anybody or anything. When she saw 
             injustice, she did something about it, even when the 
             battle would be difficult and victory uncertain. She spoke 
             for those in need of a champion. In her career, she 
             transcended the barriers of race, class, and gender that 
             continue to undermine the great American creed of equal 
             opportunity. In her work, she helped ensure that those 
             barriers will not stop future generations of Americans 
             from achieving their potential.
               Stephanie loved warm words, but she preferred strong 
             actions. Let her by example help us to speak truth to 
             power and stand up for justice. The best tribute we could 
             offer to so passionate and committed a public servant is 
             to continue her work.

               Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my 
             friend, mentor, and a true pioneer. Congresswoman 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones was taken from us at far too young 
             an age when she passed away on August 20. On August 30, 
             during a memorial ceremony held at the Cleveland Public 
             Hall, I addressed the hundreds of friends and family in 
             attendance to pay tribute to Stephanie and I would like to 
             share those remarks here as well:

               There was a famous song a few years back called, ``I 
             Hope You Dance.'' And it's a song that passes along some 
             advice to all of us, and the refrain of the song says, 
             ``If you have the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope 
             you dance.'' And we all know that Stephanie didn't sit it 
             out; she danced. She danced through this life with a style 
             all her own, and she now gets to dance once again with her 
             favorite partner, Mervyn. Whether literally dancing on the 
             dance floor or dancing through life, she possessed the key 
             quality of any great dancer--she was fearless. She wasn't 
             real concerned with criticism because she got her 
             instructions from the inside. And as Connie Shultz pointed 
             out last week in her wonderful column, ``When the rough 
             and tumble side of Cleveland politics reared its head and 
             threatened Stephanie, she simply said, `I don't have time 
             for fear.' ''
               Gandhi said, ``My life is my message.'' And so it is 
             with Stephanie. Her life instructs us that if we live a 
             life without fear, we allow God's light to pour through 
             us, like His light poured through Stephanie. We saw this 
             light in her bright smile and her catchy laugh; her high-
             fives she always liked to give when she made a witty 
             comment; and the nicknames she gave us. As Congressman 
             Meek said, I was the ``white son.'' We felt this light in 
             her passion for justice and her warmth for humanity. Her 
             life teaches us that if we live with courage and allow 
             God's light to shine, we can travel further and higher 
             than we ever dreamed; that we can achieve the seemingly 
             unachievable; and that we can break glass ceilings and 
             overcome barriers with grace and joy. Whether it's Mervyn, 
             or Barbara, or her staff, or Members of Congress, or 
             Senators, or Presidential candidates, Stephanie's death 
             gives us what she gave us so many times in life--our 
             marching orders: To live a fearless life. To let our light 
             shine. To bring joy and hope. To lift people. To dance. 
             The daughter of Cleveland's life mission. And the credo 
             she asks us to live by is reflected in the short poem 
             called, ``I Am One.''

             I am only one,
             But I am one.
             I cannot do everything,
             But I can do something.
             And that which I can do,
             I ought to do.
             And that which I ought to do,
             By the grace of God, I shall do.

               We love you, Stephanie.

               Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor 
             the life and contributions of Congresswoman Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones. Stephanie was a good friend of mine, and I am 
             still in shock by her sudden passing. She brought energy 
             and enthusiasm, brilliance and dedication to this 
             Congress, and her presence is already sorely missed.
               In the weeks since her passing, I have been reflecting 
             on her many contributions to her constituents, her State, 
             and her country, not only most recently in the House of 
             Representatives but also in a lifetime of service. She 
             broke barriers, and in the process elevated the lives of 
             those she touched, both professionally and personally. The 
             first African American woman elected to Congress from the 
             state of Ohio, Stephanie has set the bar incredibly high 
             with her dedication and devotion, and paved the way for 
             future generations to follow. As an attorney, judge, and 
             Member of Congress, she worked tirelessly on behalf of 
             reducing poverty, ensuring access to education and 
             affordable health care, and advocating for the rights of 
             minorities nationwide. Stephanie and I saw eye to eye on 
             many important issues, whether it was fighting to ensure 
             affordable housing, or for greater protection for Haitian 
             and other refugees, or for the simple notion that every 
             vote should be counted. In the 110th Congress alone 
             Stephanie introduced legislation to revitalize low-income 
             communities, protect and ensure voting rights, curtail 
             predatory lending, and provide greater resources for 
             uterine fibroids research, a personal commitment of hers 
             that I know she has carried for many years.
               Stephanie and I have similar backgrounds as lawyers, 
             judges, and of course Members of Congress, and thus I have 
             always thought that she and I shared a kinship that went 
             beyond just our professional responsibilities. I hold her 
             in the highest degree of respect and admiration. Since her 
             untimely passing, I find myself recalling her personal 
             inspiration as she and I and so many others in this body 
             continue to fight for a better, more equal, and more 
             prosperous society. She is the very definition of a role 
             model.
               Mr. Speaker, Stephanie's presence will not be easily 
             replaced, if it ever can. The country should value her 
             service; and I, for one, also value her friendship.

               Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I 
             rise today to honor the memory of former Ohio 
             Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones and her lifetime of 
             dedication to the people of Ohio and the United States. I 
             was deeply saddened to learn our colleague passed away so 
             suddenly. We have not only lost a wonderful friend but an 
             individual who made a number of historic achievements 
             during her lifetime.
               After graduating from law school at Case Western Reserve 
             University, Stephanie began her career with Cleveland's 
             sewer district before serving as an attorney with the 
             city's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 1976, 
             she served as an assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutor 
             before her election as Cleveland Municipal Court judge in 
             1981. Two years later, the Governor of Ohio appointed her 
             to a judgeship with the Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga 
             County, and in 1991, Stephanie was appointed Cuyahoga 
             County prosecutor.
               Stephanie was elected to represent the 11th District of 
             Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998. 
             Throughout her 5 terms of office, she strove for advances 
             in health care, economic development, and education. 
             Recently, she had become a leader in the fight against 
             predatory lending practices.
               Most notably, Stephanie's legacy will be her career 
             filled with firsts. She was the first African American and 
             the first female to serve as prosecutor in her native 
             Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Stephanie was the first African 
             American to be chief prosecutor in the State of Ohio's 
             history. She also became the first African American woman 
             to represent Ohio in Congress and the first to serve on 
             the House Ways and Means Committee.
               At the beginning of the 110th Congress, Stephanie was 
             named chairwoman of the House Committee on Standards of 
             Official Conduct, of which I am a member.
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones will be deeply missed by her 
             family--her son, Mervyn Jones II and her sister Barbara 
             Walker--as well as the countless friends she leaves 
             behind. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all at this 
             difficult time.

               Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincere 
             condolences for the passing of the Honorable Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones.
               Not only was she a true hero and noble leader in the 
             U.S. Congress, a trailblazer for all minorities, but she 
             was also a friend who will be dearly missed.
               Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones' passing is a 
             tragic loss for this Congress and our Nation. Her 
             leadership on the Ethics Committee and on voting rights 
             will never be forgotten. On behalf of the Congressional 
             Hispanic Caucus, we send our prayers and condolences to 
             her family, friends, and staff.
               As chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I 
             worked with Representative Tubbs Jones on a variety of 
             projects, including our fundraising efforts for Gallaudet 
             University here in Washington, as well as other endeavors 
             which promoted advocacy for low-income and minority 
             communities.
               Having been blessed with the opportunity to get to know 
             her outside the walls of Congress as a team member of the 
             Democratic Congressional Basketball Team, I was impressed 
             by her continually cheerful disposition and lively energy. 
             Due to this vigor, she was always able to spread joy to 
             others and add a positive light no matter the situation.
               Stephanie's death will be felt by all, not just within 
             the Cleveland community, but also throughout the Nation 
             because of the ideals she stood for. I offer the thoughts 
             and prayers of my wife Barbara and myself to Congresswoman 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones' son Mervyn and to her family for 
             their loss.

               Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise 
             to express my most sincere condolences on the death of the 
             Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               I was extremely saddened to hear the news of 
             Congresswoman Tubbs Jones' passing. Since 1999, she has 
             proudly and honorably served Ohio's 11th District.
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones was the daughter of an airport 
             skycap. She grew up in Cleveland and graduated from 
             college and law school at Case Western. She began her life 
             of public service when she went to work as a local 
             government lawyer and went on to serve 8 years as a judge 
             on the Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga County. As the 
             first African American woman elected from Ohio to serve in 
             Congress, she brought a fresh energy and new perspective 
             to the House. No one was surprised when she quickly rose 
             to a position on the powerful Ways and Means Committee.
               I got to know Stephanie in my first term in Congress 
             because my office was next door to hers. She was never too 
             busy to help a freshman Member in whatever way she could. 
             Her energy was boundless, and I will sorely miss her 
             smile--it could light up a crowded room. Those who had the 
             good fortune to know this incredible woman know what I am 
             talking about.
               During her four terms in Congress, she was a champion 
             for the people of the 11th District. She worked tirelessly 
             to create equal opportunities for all people in this 
             country as she fought to increase the minimum wage, to 
             increase funding to public schools, and to create 
             affordable and accessible health care.
               The people of Ohio have lost a great political leader, 
             and we have lost a beloved and respected colleague. We 
             will all miss her friendly smile and her passion for her 
             fellow man.

               Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, it is with 
             tremendous sadness that I rise to mourn the passing of our 
             dear colleague, the Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones of 
             Ohio. Stephanie's death is an unbelievable tragedy for her 
             family and all of us who loved her. It is a tremendous 
             loss for her Cleveland constituents and our Nation. Her 
             passing reminds us how precious life is and how we must 
             treasure the time we spend with our loved ones.
               Stephanie's absence is profoundly personal for me 
             because she was a very special person and a friend. Many 
             memories and personal stories come to mind when I think of 
             her. She was a caring person who showed her kindness and 
             friendship freely. Her deep, strong, loving voice is 
             memorable. Stephanie's energy and strength--almost 
             fearlessness--to fight for what she believed in, and at 
             the same time, be open to opposing points of view was 
             admirable.
               I can't count the number of times I watched Stephanie on 
             the floor of this House boldly speaking out on behalf of 
             Americans and her Ohio constituents. She was passionate 
             and never shied away from fighting for justice, equality, 
             and the belief that this great country can do so much 
             better for so many of the citizens who have been left 
             behind. A powerful voice for justice in Congress and an 
             extraordinary public servant is the best way I can 
             describe Stephanie and her legacy.
               As the chair of the House Ethics Committee, 
             Congresswoman Tubbs Jones had one of the most difficult 
             duties in Congress. Her experience as a judge and a 
             prosecutor made her perfectly suited for the 
             responsibility of maintaining the integrity of the U.S. 
             House of Representatives.
               Today is Stephanie's 59th birthday. It is heartbreaking 
             that she is not here with us, but I am proud to celebrate 
             her life of service and her commitment to both her family 
             and the families she represented. Congresswoman Tubbs 
             Jones was the epitome of a citizen servant and 
             demonstrated to all who knew her a spirit of joy, hope, 
             and compassion. I feel honored to have known her and 
             privileged to have served with her in this House. 
             Stephanie will be missed by me and many others, but she 
             will not be forgotten.

               Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our 
             departed colleague the Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               Many have attested to Stephanie's contagious smile and 
             fierce loyalty to her friends. I always respected and 
             admired her. I can honestly say that she was a nice and 
             professional colleague. We spoke for the last time a 
             couple of weeks ago at the Congressional Black Caucus' 
             Annual Retreat in Tunica, Mississippi. I feel a sense of 
             gratitude for our meeting. We talked. We embraced. 
             Stephanie expressed her congratulations for my success as 
             a freshman legislator. She spoke fondly of her time in 
             Memphis as she visited her family there.
               Over the past decade, Stephanie was an undeniable force 
             in Congress. She broke barriers in 1998 by being elected 
             the first African American woman in Congress from Ohio. 
             She persisted over the years and was appointed to the 
             powerful Ways and Means Committee. She served with a sense 
             of pride as the chairwoman of the House Ethics Committee.
               Stephanie and I co-sponsored a great deal of legislation 
             together. On July 29, 2008, we unified as Members of 
             Congress and passed H. Res. 194: the formal apology for 
             government's involvement in slavery and Jim Crow. 
             Stephanie was one of my earliest co-sponsors. She was a 
             community conscious legislator. She fought for the people 
             and sponsored legislation on issue areas ranging from 
             community economic development to enfranchisement and 
             retirement security.
               I am forever grateful that my last interaction with 
             Stephanie concluded with a deep and meaningful hug. My 
             only regret is that Stephanie and I will not have the 
             opportunity to work together in the future.

               Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
             life and legacy of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               First, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to 
             her entire family, especially her son Mervyn and her 
             sister Barbara. I want to also offer my condolences to the 
             constituents of Ohio's 11th Congressional District, to all 
             of her many friends, her colleagues--especially in the 
             Congressional Black Caucus--and of course to her staff 
             here in Washington and in Ohio.
               On August 20, 2008, the people of Cleveland, this 
             Nation, and the world lost a giant in the fight for 
             equality and justice when we lost my beloved friend and 
             colleague Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               So many know Congresswoman Tubbs Jones for her 
             exceptional work on behalf of her constituents and for the 
             many barriers she broke and trails she blazed as the first 
             African American woman elected to Congress from Ohio, as 
             the first African American woman to serve on the powerful 
             Ways and Means Committee, and as the first to chair the 
             House Ethics Committee.
               Congresswoman Tubbs Jones and I came to Congress about 
             the same time. We worked closely together for a decade and 
             she was one of the most remarkable persons I have ever 
             known. Whether it was standing up for Ohio voters and 
             fighting for election reform or fighting to end the unjust 
             war and occupation in Iraq, she always stood on the right 
             side of justice.
               She was a political giant, a skilled legislator, an 
             incredible orator, but she was much more than that to me. 
             She was also my sister in arms, my confidant, and my 
             friend. We spent many an evening in Washington together 
             throughout our decade-long friendship.
               From attending events together, to just grabbing dinner 
             or an occasional down moment, we've spent a great deal of 
             time throughout the years. We also spent many mornings 
             together. You see Stephanie was also my gym partner along 
             with Congresswoman Laura Richardson.
               Stephanie and I also had the chance to travel together 
             on several occasions to places like Cuba and Israel. I 
             will always treasure those times and memories. It was 
             during some of our travel together, and our work together 
             for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, that I got 
             the chance to know her husband, Mervyn Jones, whom she 
             loved dearly and tragically lost in October 2003.
               In the wake of his death, Stephanie created a 
             scholarship golf tournament in his memory, which has 
             become a successful annual event. I know she would be 
             pleased that a scholarship has been now arranged in her 
             honor.
               Unquestionably, her passing has left a tremendous hole 
             in the Congress, in the Congressional Black Caucus, and in 
             my heart. I will miss my beautiful friend and sister, 
             Congresswoman Tubbs Jones so very much.
               My thoughts and prayers remain with the Congresswoman's 
             entire family, her son Mervyn, her sister Barbara, her 
             staff, her friends, and her many supporters.
               May her soul rest in peace.

               Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today I join my 
             colleagues to remember and celebrate the life of a dear 
             friend and colleague, Stephanie Tubbs Jones. It is during 
             times like these that we are both able to smile, thinking 
             about those who we admired and who have distinctly touched 
             our lives--and in the case of Stephanie Tubbs Jones--
             touched the lives of thousands of Clevelanders who were so 
             devoted to her and she to them. And of course, we sadly 
             mourn the death of a woman who was dedicated to making the 
             lives of Ohioans and Americans better. From increasing the 
             minimum wage to making health care available to all, 
             Stephanie was at the forefront, fighting for all of our 
             families.
               Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones is the real-life 
             American success story. Born to a factory worker and 
             skycap, Stephanie went to public schools in Ohio, then 
             became a prosecutor and municipal judge and finally, the 
             first African American woman from Ohio elected to the U.S. 
             Congress. Nearly 10 years ago, she was a little-known 
             Democrat from Ohio who rose to prominence becoming chair 
             of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct 
             and a member of the powerful House Ways and Means 
             Committee.
               Like so many, Stephanie was taken from us too soon and 
             too abruptly. I extend my sincerest condolences to 
             Stephanie's family and especially to her beloved son, 
             Mervyn. Your mom was a great lady and a wonderful friend. 
             We will all miss her dearly.

               Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and 
             remembrance of my colleague and dear friend, U.S. 
             Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who left us far too 
             soon.
               Stephanie's fearless passion for social justice, 
             unyielding commitment to improving the lives of her most 
             vulnerable constituents, and limitless love for her family 
             and friends, will forever resound throughout our Cleveland 
             community and across our Nation. Her professional 
             achievements were many--her success as a county 
             prosecutor, municipal judge, trial court judge and 
             Congresswoman are well known, but it was her strength of 
             character in the face of personal hardship, her dedication 
             to and ability in helping others and her luminous zest for 
             life that ran through everything she did. It is these 
             attributes, framed by her hearty laugh and generous 
             heart--that will forever be remembered.
               Stephanie's life touched and inspired countless lives, 
             young and old, and her energy and positivity knew no 
             bounds--reaching from the block clubs of Cleveland, to the 
             Halls of Congress, across the country and around the 
             world. Wherever she went, people were drawn to her quick 
             smile, sharp intellect, easygoing nature, and passion for 
             making the world a better place. The child of devoted, 
             working class parents, Stephanie blazed a trail of 
             possibility and hope for women everywhere, especially for 
             African American women, when she made history upon being 
             elected as the first African American woman from Ohio 
             elected to Congress. Stephanie was not afraid to stand up 
             against the tide--she was one of the Representatives to 
             vote ``no'' to authorizing the use of force in Iraq--an 
             action she believed to be a grave affront to the honor of 
             U.S. veterans and the honorable service of our U.S. 
             military women and men.
               Stephanie's sage advice and ability to get to the heart 
             of the matter was coveted by her family and wide circle of 
             friends. Her warmth, friendship, and loyalty inspired and 
             strengthened the lives of many, including my own. People 
             from all walks of life--from U.S. Senators to the cashier 
             around the corner--called Stephanie ``friend'' and 
             ``sister.''
               Stephanie's most cherished roles were as wife and 
             mother. Her unwavering devotion to her family was 
             evidenced her entire life. Together, Stephanie and her 
             late husband, Mervyn Jones, Sr., raised their son, Mervyn 
             II, who was heart, soul, and center of Stephanie's life.
               Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and 
             remembrance of my dear friend and confidant, Congresswoman 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Our shared experiences--from our 
             Cleveland childhood to standing together in the House of 
             Representatives--was the foundation for a friendship that 
             grew and strengthened over the past 30 years.
               Her passing is a profound loss for all of us, and 
             especially for her beloved son, Mervyn, yet her fiery 
             spirit, love for her family and friends, and commitment to 
             serving the most fragile of our society will be forever 
             reflected in those who loved and knew her well--in 
             Cleveland, Washington, and far beyond. The indomitable 
             spirit, love for life, and passion for social justice that 
             defined my friend, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, will live on 
             forever, through every friendship she ever forged and 
             within everyone whose life was improved, inspired, and 
             lifted because of her, and she will be remembered always.
                                     ADJOURNMENT
               Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now 
             adjourn.
               The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 10 o'clock and 
             32 minutes p.m.), under its previous order and pursuant to 
             House Resolution 1415, the House adjourned until tomorrow, 
             Tuesday, September 9, 2008, at 10:30 a.m., for morning-
             hour debate, as a further mark of respect to the memory of 
             the late Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
                                             Tuesday, September 9, 2008
               Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, how can words 
             adequately describe someone who is larger than life? 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a change-maker and a risk taker. 
             As a woman, she helped blaze a trail for generations to  
             follow,  first  in  her  role  as  a  prosecutor,  then  a 
              judge, then as Ohio's first African American female 
             Member of Congress.
               To me personally, Stephanie was a mentor and a role 
             model. She was someone who didn't hesitate to pull me 
             aside when I first came to Washington and give me advice, 
             from my wardrobe to my hair, Stephanie kept it real, 
             because that is exactly what she was in every sense of the 
             word.
               Above all else, though, Stephanie was my friend, and one 
             of my first friends here in Washington. Her room-filling 
             energy, her passion, her dedication, her voice for the 
             downtrodden, all of these will be missed by the people of 
             Ohio. Her intelligence, her expertise, her counsel, will 
             be missed by all of us here in this Chamber.
               And me? Well, Mr. Speaker, I will miss my friend.
                                             Monday, September 15, 2008
               Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I 
             rise to pay tribute to the life and legacy of a great 
             woman, my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones.
               First, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to 
             Stephanie's entire family, her son Merv and her sister 
             Barbara. I also want to offer my condolences to the 
             constituents of Ohio's 11th Congressional District, to all 
             of Stephanie's many friends and colleagues, and, of 
             course, to her staff here in Washington, DC, and in Ohio.
               On August 20, the people of Cleveland, this Nation, and 
             the world lost a giant in the fight for equality and 
             justice when we lost our beloved Congresswoman Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones. When I walked on to the floor tonight, I 
             looked for Stephanie. She wasn't in the Speaker's chair 
             presiding. She wasn't on the floor moving around, 
             energizing and inspiring our deliberations. It is hard to 
             accept the fact and to believe that her physical presence 
             won't be with us anymore.
               So many knew Stephanie Tubbs Jones for her exceptional 
             work on behalf of her constituents and for the many 
             barriers she broke and trails she blazed as the first 
             African American woman elected to Congress from Ohio, as 
             the first African American woman to serve on the Ways and 
             Means Committee, and the first to chair the House Ethics 
             Committee.
               Congresswoman Tubbs Jones and I came to Congress about 
             the same time. We worked closely together for a decade, 
             and she was one of the most remarkable persons I have ever 
             known. Whether it was standing up for Ohio voters and 
             fighting for election reform, or fighting to end the 
             unjust war and occupation of Iraq, she was always on the 
             right side of history. And, like for many, Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones was a very good friend.
               Friendship means different things to different people. 
             Stephanie's friendship for me meant trust. She was my 
             confidant. Stephanie's friendship for me meant support. 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones' friendship meant spending girl 
             time, shopping, eating, traveling, talking about matters 
             of the heart, like her man-child son Merv, who was her 
             heart and her soul. Stephanie's friendship to me meant 
             being for real in discussions about political and 
             legislative issues. And Stephanie's friendship for me 
             meant a lot of love.
               I always remember last year when my father passed away, 
             the love and concern for me and my family that she 
             displayed. With the loss of her husband, her mother, her 
             father and her sister, she assured me that I needed to 
             grieve, and she called me day and night to make sure I 
             wasn't planning on coming right back to work after the 
             funeral. And, oh, how right she was.
               From attending events together, to just grabbing dinner 
             or an occasional down moment, we spent a great deal of 
             time together throughout the years. Stephanie was my 
             traveling partner. We shared magnificent experiences in 
             Israel and in Cuba. I will always cherish those times and 
             memories.
               It was during some of our travel together and our work 
             together for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation 
             that I got the chance to know her husband, Mervyn Jones, 
             whom she loved dearly and tragically lost in October 2003. 
             In the wake of his death, Stephanie created two very 
             successful golf and bid whist tournaments in his memory 
             through the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. And she 
             insisted that her friends and her colleagues participate 
             with her.
               She loved young people, and made sure that these annual 
             events helped raise money for countless scholarships. I 
             know she would be pleased that a scholarship now has been 
             established in her memory.
               Some have spoken of Stephanie's culinary experiences and 
             skills. She would bring some of her fabulous chili here to 
             share with us, and always loved to share her recipes, 
             especially her mustard-based fried catfish and her 
             mother's fried corn recipe.
               I can remember calling her on her cell phone one day. 
             She was in a meeting in Cleveland while I was preparing 
             her fried corn recipe. Of course, I didn't quite get it 
             right, so she stepped out of this meeting and she walked 
             me through this recipe, step by step.
               We all have so many Stephanie stories. She was a woman 
             for all seasons, a devoted mother, a devoted sister, a 
             brilliant legislator, a dedicated Representative of Ohio's 
             11th Congressional District, and she was a history maker, 
             as the first African American woman to break many glass 
             ceilings. And, yes, she was my trusted friend, a true 
             friend, and a fabulous woman whose smile lifted us all up 
             and forced us to be positive, even on days when we were 
             down. Stephanie was my gym partner, as we both tried to 
             get our physical fitness regimen back on track.
               Yes, the Honorable, and that she was, Mr. Speaker, the 
             Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones, was a great 
             Congressperson, and she never lost the common touch. She 
             would help people find their seats on the airplane, she 
             mentored young people, and she would constantly remind us 
             to be strong advocates for working men and women. 
             Recalling her father's work as a skycap, she never forgot 
             who she was, and she used her positions to help those shut 
             out and those underrepresented.
               So, yes, we owe Stephanie Tubbs Jones a debt of 
             gratitude. I thank her son Mervyn and her sister Barbara 
             and her entire family for sharing this brilliant and 
             beautiful woman with us. Her spirit is smiling tonight on 
             us. It continues to move around this floor, nudging us to 
             do the right thing.
               May God's grace and His love undergird her family during 
             these difficult days, and may we redouble our efforts in 
             Stephanie's memory, our efforts for justice and peace and 
             equality and to make this a better world for all.

               Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I wish to associate myself with 
             the remarks of the gentlelady from California, our dear 
             colleague, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and thank her very 
             much for her remarks on Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones. We share your feelings and your warmth and 
             affection toward her, and I know that your remarks are of 
             comfort to her son, to her sister, to her family, to all 
             those who are associated with her and, of course, her 
             staff, who must carry on. We thank you so much for that. . 
             . .
                                          Wednesday, September 17, 2008
               Mr. McDERMOTT. . . . The passing of Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones was a great shock to all of us who worked with her. 
             We were always impressed by her tireless energy and her 
             infectious smile.
               Stephanie was a true champion for vulnerable families 
             and children. In fact, her first legislative achievement 
             in Congress was a bill designed to improve training 
             opportunities for caseworkers in the child welfare system.
               In recognition of Representative Tubbs Jones' efforts to 
             help vulnerable kids, this bill [H.R. 6893, the Fostering 
             Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 
             2008] names the primary source of Federal funding for the 
             Social Security Act for Child Protective Services after 
             her, as well as making several improvements to the 
             program.
               The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program 
             will help at-risk children for many years and decades to 
             come, just as she did during her life. . . .
                                           Thursday, September 18, 2008
               Mr. STARK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the 
             ``Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life Medal Act of 2008'' 
             with my colleague Mr. Camp of Michigan. Representative 
             Tubbs Jones' life ended as she lived it; by exemplifying 
             concern for the welfare of others. She donated her organs 
             in the waning hours of her life so that the lives of 
             others could continue. In that spirit, this legislation 
             creates a commemorative medal for organ donors and their 
             families, recognizing the brave and selfless act of organ 
             donation.
               As I well know from my time on the Ways and Means Health 
             Subcommittee, Representative Tubbs Jones worked tirelessly 
             to remedy health disparities in our Nation. Organ donation 
             is one area where dramatic health disparities exist, which 
             makes this all the more of a fitting tribute. . . .
               This is non-controversial, non-partisan legislation to 
             increase the rate of organ donation while honoring the 
             life and service of our colleague, Representative Tubbs 
             Jones. I ask my colleagues to help bring an end to 
             transplant waiting lists and recognize the enormous 
             courage displayed by organ donors and their families. This 
             bill honors these brave acts, while publicizing the 
             critical need for increased organ donation. I urge swift 
             passage of the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life Medal 
             Act.
                                             Monday, September 22, 2008
               Mrs. DAVIS of California. I yield myself as much time as 
             I may consume.
               Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 642, the College 
             Fire Prevention Act. This legislation is the result of the 
             life work of the late Representative Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones.
               Many of us know the commitment of Representative Tubbs 
             Jones to the cause of campus fire safety. Every September, 
             she would come to the floor to advocate for the 
             recognition of September as Campus Fire Safety Month. 
             Because of her efforts, States around the country also 
             recognized September as Campus Fire Safety Month and 
             helped to make students aware of the dangers they face and 
             to ensure that colleges and universities do all they can 
             to assist students.
               H.R. 642 builds on Representative Tubbs Jones' work to 
             protect students on campus by creating a demonstration 
             program within the Department of Education to encourage 
             colleges and universities to install fire sprinkler 
             systems and other fire suppression and prevention 
             technologies in student housing and dormitories. . . .
               In passing this legislation here today, we not only 
             honor the work of Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones, 
             but we also ensure the safety of students on campus.
               I urge the passage of this timely and important 
             legislation.
               I reserve the balance of my time.

               Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
             may consume.
               I rise in support of H.R. 642, the Honorable Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones College Fire Prevention Act, and I join my 
             colleagues in honoring our colleague.
               So often in this Chamber we consider legislation to 
             expand access to college and strengthen our Federal higher 
             education programs. Today, we have an opportunity to 
             discuss the need to bolster safety on college campuses, 
             specifically fire safety.
               The timing and the name of this bill are appropriate 
             because this month is often designated as Campus Fire 
             Safety Month, and there was no Member more concerned about 
             protecting our college students from the dangers of fire 
             than the late Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones. This 
             bill would honor Representative Tubbs Jones by naming a 
             demonstration program in her honor. . . .
               Today, we have the opportunity to honor Representative 
             Tubbs Jones' commitment to the safety of college students 
             and pass a measure that will help colleges keep our young 
             people safe from devastating fires. . . .

               Mr. CLYBURN. Let me begin by thanking Representative 
             Susan Davis for allowing me to participate in this session 
             here this afternoon.
               I would like to take a moment to say a personal word 
             about my dear friend Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who was a 
             powerful voice for justice, equality, and opportunity, who 
             served the people of Ohio's 11th Congressional District 
             and this Nation with passion and dedication. 
             Unfortunately, Stephanie passed away unexpectedly last 
             month, and it is a great loss to this cause and to our 
             country.
               Throughout her five terms in Congress, Representative 
             Tubbs Jones tirelessly advocated for campus fire safety 
             and was the author of numerous pieces of legislation on 
             the issue. She introduced, and saw pass, a resolution 
             supporting the goals and ideals of Campus Fire Safety 
             Month. She was also the primary sponsor of the College 
             Fire Prevention Act, which she introduced in the 107th 
             Congress and then reintroduced in the 108th, the 109th and 
             the 110th.
               I am here today to pay tribute to her efforts as a 
             champion for campus fire safety and am proud to take her 
             place as the lead sponsor of the College Fire Prevention 
             Act so that we can continue her legacy by passing this 
             important measure and renaming it the Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones College Fire Prevention Act. . . .
               I add my voice to those here today to pay tribute to 
             Representative Tubbs Jones' courageous efforts and say 
             that I am committed to the issue of campus fire safety.

               Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, we're pleased to join our 
             colleagues on the other side of the aisle in paying this 
             tribute to our colleague.

               Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, we come on the 
             floor once again to honor the life and work of the late 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and we do that with this bill, very 
             important bill, H.R. 642, the College Fire Prevention Act. 
             I'm delighted that Mr. Clyburn was able to be here and to 
             continue her legacy in this way.

               Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, as a co-sponsor of this 
             legislation, I would like to thank my colleagues and the 
             Education and Labor Committee for allowing this 
             legislation to be considered today. Additionally, I would 
             like to recognize Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who 
             during her five terms in Congress, worked to advance fire 
             safety, particularly on college campuses. . . .
                                            Tuesday, September 23, 2008
               Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
             may consume.
               I rise in support of H.R. 6469, the Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones Organ Transplant Authorization Act of 2008. This 
             legislation would provide important new funding for the 
             Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. . . .
               The bill is aptly named in honor of Representative 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones, our Democrat of Ohio who died on 
             August 20, 2008, from a brain aneurysm. Representative 
             Tubbs Jones was a strong and vocal advocate for organ 
             donation during her life and donated her organs upon her 
             passing. It is estimated that as many as 58 people will 
             benefit from her donation. When enacted, Mr. Speaker, this 
             legislation will provide critical funding to ensure the 
             OPTN has resources it needs to continue to perform its 
             valuable services to our Nation. . . .

               Ms. DeGETTE. . . . I stand here in strong support of 
             H.R. 6469, which has been named the Stephanie Tubbs Jones 
             Organ Transplant Act of 2008. We named this bill in honor 
             of our dear departed colleague because Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones was a committed advocate of organ transplantation 
             and was an organ and tissue donor herself. Upon her 
             passing she was able to continue serving her constituents 
             and the Nation by donating her tissue and organs. . . .
               This bill is supported by numerous groups, Mr. Speaker. 
             It is a vitally important bill. I look forward to passing 
             it tonight and further continuing Stephanie Tubbs Jones' 
             legacy of public service.

               Mr. COSTA. . . . As a founder and the co-chair of the 
             Congressional Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Caucus, 
             I am very pleased to support this measure before us, H.R. 
             6469, otherwise known thereafter as the Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones Organ Transplant Authorization Act. . . .
               This bill reaffirms our Nation's commitment to providing 
             lifesaving care through transplantation, and at the same 
             time it honors our late colleague, Congresswoman Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones, who gave the gift of life by becoming an 
             organ donor after her passing. . . .
               I encourage all of my colleagues to join in honoring 
             Congresswoman Tubbs Jones by supporting this bill and by 
             also following her example in becoming organ donors. After 
             all, it's perhaps the most precious gift we can give. I 
             know because I am one of those who intends to do just 
             that.
               I urge an ``aye'' vote on this important measure.

               Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. . . . We know that we lost our 
             very dear friend in August, a friend who championed health 
             care, who championed her own health system in the State of 
             Ohio. More important, she valued life because she lived it 
             to the fullest. Yet she understood that, in death, you can 
             also give life. This is a great tribute to Congresswoman 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones. It reminds us again of the need of 
             organ transplants and of donors in the African American 
             population, which makes up about 12 percent of the 
             Nation's population, about 12 percent of the patients who 
             donate but 23 percent of the need.
               So this is an important step forward, this legislation 
             that is now being renewed. It is an important tribute to 
             Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones and to her family. Out 
             of the joyful life that she had, she then gave life in 
             death and reminded us of the importance of organ 
             transplants and of the life they give to others.
               I ask my colleagues to support this legislation.
               Finally, this bill will honor an ardent supporter of 
             transplantation, the Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones. 
             Before her death, she ordered that when she passed away, 
             her organs be donated to any in need. Her death, while a 
             great loss for myself, her state, and anyone who knew her 
             and loved her, will hopefully serve as an example for her 
             fellow Ohioans and beyond. Congresswoman Tubbs Jones knew, 
             like all of us will, that there is a growing need among 
             the African American community for transplantation. 
             Currently, African Americans make up about 12 percent of 
             the Nation's population and about 12 percent of the 
             patients who donate. However, of all the patients 
             requiring a transplant, 23 percent of them are African 
             American. This disparity is a growing epidemic and must be 
             resolved.
               Mr. Speaker, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones served as a model 
             for how we should live our lives and beyond. I hope that 
             her memory will inspire millions around the Nation to take 
             up the noble cause of saving those who have no other 
             choice. I urge passage of this bill.

               Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for 
             time, and I would urge the support for and the passage of 
             this bill, not only because of its significance but also 
             in honor of our colleague Ms. Stephanie Tubbs Jones.

               Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
             time as I may consume.
               It is with great humility and respect that I present for 
             favorable consideration H.R. 6950, the Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones Gift of Life Medal Act of 2008.
               Our friend, our respected colleague, Congresswoman 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones, worked tirelessly for her district, 
             for her community and for people who are underrepresented. 
             As a constant advocate for justice and peace, as a very 
             proud member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, 
             she was a fervent supporter and leader of efforts to 
             reduce health disparities in our Nation.
               This legislation directs the Treasury Department to 
             design and produce a commemorative medal that the 
             Department of Health and Human Services will award to 
             organ donors or to a surviving family member, which is 
             especially fitting to be named in honor of Congresswoman 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones for a couple of reasons:
               Organ donation is an area where dramatic health 
             disparities still exist. She, herself, was an organ donor, 
             and over 50 beneficiaries have benefited from her gift of 
             life.
               The number of Americans affected by shortages of 
             suitable organs for donation is considerable. Nearly 
             100,000 people are currently waiting for organ 
             transplants, and nearly 2,000 of these are children under 
             18. The national waiting list grows substantially every 
             year. Since the waiting list began, over 80,000 donation-
             eligible Americans have died while waiting for an organ to 
             become available. In 2007 alone, over 6,500 people died 
             for lack of a suitable organ.
               The men and women who elect to become organ donors are 
             heroes just like our friend and colleague. They have the 
             opportunity to give the gift of life to thousands of 
             Americans who are suffering from debilitating and lethal 
             diseases.
               While the gift of a donor is priceless, the enactment of 
             this bill would have no cost to the Federal Government as 
             funding for the medals would come from charitable 
             donations.
               I reserve the balance of my time.

               Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
             H.R. 6950, the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life Medal 
             Act of 2008.
               As everyone in this Chamber knows, the late 
             Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a wonderful woman 
             and a tireless public servant. She sought to use her time 
             each day to serve the people of her district and of this 
             Nation, and the extraordinary generosity she exhibited in 
             so many of her actions proves to be one of her lasting 
             legacies. She was also a very joyful woman, and she 
             brought much joy to all of those who were fortunate enough 
             to know her. I include myself in that group.
               However, nowhere have her selfless nature and leadership 
             qualities been more apparent than in her decision to be an 
             organ donor. Her untimely death was a tragedy, but because 
             of her decision, others will be fortunate to enjoy the 
             gift of life.
               Currently, there are close to 100,000 individuals on the 
             national transplant waiting list. Each hour, this number 
             increases, adding a new name approximately every 16 
             minutes. Yet, despite how sobering this statistic is and 
             the even harsher statistic that my colleague mentioned, 
             more sobering is the number of people who die while 
             waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. This number is 
             16 people per day. Understanding that reality, 
             Representative Tubbs Jones did what she always did. She 
             volunteered to give to those in need.
               This legislation honors her actions. The bill before us 
             today would establish a Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life 
             Medal, and it would make any organ donor or family of the 
             organ donor eligible to receive the honor. The legislation 
             empowers the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 
             direct the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network 
             to establish an application and assessment process for 
             donors in order to receive the award.
               By agreeing to this legislation, this Congress honors 
             the actions of Representative Tubbs Jones and the actions 
             of so many others who sought to give what they could to 
             those in need. This is an important action, and I urge my 
             colleagues to support the bill.
               Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

               Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of 
             the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life Medal Act of 2008, 
             and to thank the many colleagues and friends of 
             Stephanie's who joined together to bring this bill to the 
             floor.
               Stephanie's life ended as she lived it; by exemplifying 
             concern for the welfare of others. She donated her organs 
             in the waning hours of her life so that the lives of 
             others could continue. In that spirit, this bill creates a 
             commemorative medal for organ donors and their families, 
             recognizing the brave and selfless act of organ donation. 
             . . .
               As an active member of the Ways and Means Health 
             Subcommittee, Stephanie worked tirelessly to remedy health 
             disparities in our Nation. Organ donation is one area 
             where dramatic health disparities exist, which makes this 
             all the more of a fitting tribute. . . .
               While minorities donate organs in proportion to their 
             population, the rate of organ donations fails to keep pace 
             with the need for transplants in the population. Minority 
             populations account for close to 50 percent of the people 
             who are currently waiting for organ transplants.
               I'd like to take a moment to recognize the help of 
             former Senate Majority Leader and transplant surgeon Dr. 
             Bill Frist, for whom this bill was named for when it was 
             introduced earlier this year. Dr. Frist is a tireless 
             advocate of organ donors and their families, and worked on 
             behalf of the Gift of Life Medal Act. I appreciate his 
             graciousness in expressing his strong support for renaming 
             the bill, and I would ask the Chair to have Dr. Frist's 
             letter of support inserted into the Record.
               I ask my colleagues to help bring an end to transplant 
             waiting lists and recognize the enormous courage displayed 
             by organ donors and their families. This bill honors these 
             brave acts, while publicizing the critical need for 
             increased organ donation, and pays tribute to the 
             selflessness and memory of our colleague. Stephanie's 
             dedication to improving health care should be permanently 
             recognized. I urge passage of the Stephanie Tubbs Jones 
             Gift of Life Medal Act.

                                                 Nashville, TN,
                                                 September 15, 2008.

             Hon. Pete Stark,
             Chairman, Ways and Means Health Subcommittee,
             Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC.

             Hon. Dave Camp,
             Ranking Member, Ways and Means Health Subcommittee,
             Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC.

               Dear Chairman Stark and Ranking Member Camp: Thank you 
             for your leadership on the Gift of Life Congressional 
             Medal.
               Like you, I am truly inspired by those that donate their 
             organs. I can think of no act that is more honorable or 
             selfless, and it is befitting of Congress to pass this act 
             to recognize these outstanding individuals and their 
             families. I was pleased to sponsor this legislation in the 
             Senate.
               It is also extremely fitting to name this legislation in 
             honor of the late Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. A 
             tireless advocate for those in need, she cemented her 
             legacy by donating her organs and tissue, which will help 
             over 50 individuals. Her act, and the thousands that have 
             come before it, must be recognized.
               Each year, there are nearly 14,000 organs that are 
             donated. As a transplant surgeon, I have seen first hand 
             how lives are transformed through these miraculous gifts. 
             For me, it is a privilege to be part of the 
             transplantation process. I am continually amazed at the 
             advances in technology that make transplants more 
             successful every year.
               While advances are being made, there are still too few 
             donors--nearly 100,000 people are waiting on national 
             transplant lists. To encourage more donors, we should make 
             every effort to recognize those that make this life-saving 
             decision. I believe creating a Gift of Life Congressional 
             medal is critically important to increasing awareness on 
             this issue.
               Again, please accept my sincere appreciation for your 
             work and strong support for naming the Gift of Life 
             Congressional Medal Act in honor of Congresswoman 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones. It is a fitting tribute for such an 
             outstanding and committed woman.
                  Sincerely,
                                               Dr. William H. Frist.

               Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I speak today on 
             a very close subject to my heart, House Resolution 6950, a 
             bill to establish the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life 
             Medal for organ donors and the families of organ donors. 
             Congresswoman Tubbs Jones was a rare breed of person who 
             not only talked the talk, but walked the walk.
               Tragedy struck Congress a few weeks ago when 
             Congresswoman Tubbs Jones was taken from us. This brought 
             attention to an issue of vital importance to her and the 
             Nation. Organ transplantation is the greatest gift a 
             person can give. While a majority of them happen while 
             both the donor and the recipient are alive, a large number 
             happen after death. Unfortunately these organs, such as 
             the heart, lung, liver, and kidney, among others, are very 
             hard to come by. In the Congresswoman's home State, only 
             53 percent of the population are registered organ donors. 
             This is a good start but we must go further.
               When a loved one dies, it is never a happy moment; 
             experiences like this always bring sadness and sorrow. 
             When that loved one's death can serve as a beacon of hope 
             for another, it does not lessen the sadness; it allows the 
             family to have a good, if small, memory of the loss of 
             their loved one. When Congresswoman Tubbs Jones passed 
             away, we were all deeply saddened but I think I can speak 
             for more than a few of my fellow Members of Congress when 
             I express the joy and pride I felt when I learned that 
             after years of advocating for organ transplantation, 
             Congresswoman Tubbs Jones left all of her vital organs to 
             those in need. . . .
               This bill will do three wonderful things and help the 
             cause that the Congresswoman fought for in all her years 
             serving Ohio. First, it will honor the life of an 
             unwavering advocate of transplant. Naming the medal after 
             her will show all those who come later, that this was a 
             woman deep with passion about this important issue. It 
             will shine a light on a life that helped shine a light on 
             others.
               Second, this bill will honor those, who like the 
             Congresswoman, have shown their true patriotism to their 
             fellow man or woman and shared with them the greatest 
             gift. These medals are a way that the Federal Government, 
             on behalf of its people, can begin to thank Americans who 
             commit themselves to being organ donors.
               Last, this bill will help raise awareness for minority 
             health issues. It was found that African Americans make up 
             a disproportional number of patients requiring transplants 
             and that they wait, on average, longer to receive an 
             organ. When they do finally receive this opportunity, they 
             are sicker and the success rate is not what it could be. 
             We can, and must, do more.
               Mr. Speaker, we can do something to help the millions of 
             men and women around the world waiting for organ 
             transplants. We should also move quickly to honor those 
             who have already given the greatest gift there is. As 
             Albert Einstein once said, ``Only a life lived for others 
             is a life worthwhile,'' and no one exemplified this better 
             than Stephanie Tubbs Jones. I urge my colleagues to pass 
             this bill to honor her.
                                           Thursday, September 25, 2008

               Mr. HOBSON. . . . There are two people who are not here 
             that were dear friends of mine. Paul Gillmor is one. I 
             wouldn't be here if Paul Gillmor hadn't gotten me 
             appointed to the State senate. And Stephanie Tubbs Jones 
             became one of my best friends. We traveled all over the 
             world looking at military bases together. She would, if I 
             flew to Cleveland to see my daughter and we were on the 
             same plane (I didn't have a car there) drive me to my 
             daughter's house and we became true friends. I took her 
             and her husband on their 25th wedding anniversary. She 
             wanted to go on a codel, and I said, ``I'll give you the 
             best party that you can ever have if you'll go on this 
             trip and get Mervyn to go with us.'' And those were the 
             days when you could do that. We had a great party for 
             them. And she was a wonderful Member of this Congress. . . 
             .
                                             Friday, September 26, 2008
               Mr. SESSIONS. Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize 
             the life of my good friend and co-chair of the Capital 
             Fraternal Caucus, Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Stephanie and I 
             shared a passion to help ensure a secure future for 
             fraternities and sororities on campuses all across the 
             country. Together, we worked to form and mature the 
             Capital Fraternal Caucus to be an organization to 
             celebrate Greek life both as an undergraduate and 
             throughout post-collegiate years.
               Stephanie dedicated her life to ensuring that every 
             young person had the opportunity for a college education. 
             As a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Stephanie 
             understood first hand the lifelong friendships that 
             fraternities and sororities foster in young people during 
             their undergraduate years. It was these friendships which 
             fostered mutual respect and collaboration of ideas. I am 
             so honored to have shared this friendship with Stephanie 
             and to have enjoyed our bonds of Greek life as co-chairs 
             of the Capital Fraternal Caucus.
               As the first African American chairman of the Capital 
             Fraternal Caucus, Stephanie used her position to champion 
             the Greek cause and quickly became a favorite member of 
             interns working on Capitol Hill who are affiliated with 
             Greek organizations. While always lending a helping hand 
             to students in Washington, Stephanie never forgot about 
             the hundreds of thousands of students on every college 
             campus. Through her dedicated work, she helped to pass the 
             College Housing and Infrastructure Act. This leadership 
             was recognized by the North-American Interfraternity 
             Conference who presented her with the NIC's Silver Medal. 
             This is one of the Conference's highest honors which 
             recognizes significant leadership for causes that advance 
             the highest ideals of fraternalism.
               In honor of her dedication and enthusiastic work, the 
             North-American Interfraternity Conference is naming a 
             summer program for young people in Washington, DC, after 
             her. The Stephanie Tubbs Jones Memorial Legislative 
             Fellowship will enable outstanding student leaders from 
             fraternity and sorority chapters throughout the country to 
             work with legislative leaders on Capitol Hill to help 
             preserve the rich undergraduate traditions represented by 
             the communities on campuses across the Nation. I look 
             forward to meeting the next generation of leaders which 
             Stephanie's legacy will bring to Washington.
               A wonderful example of the type of person our public 
             school system produces, Stephanie went on to attend Case 
             Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Following 
             her graduation from college she began her career in public 
             service by earning a degree in social work. This passion 
             for helping others led her to pursue a law degree from 
             Case Western Reserve School of Law in 1974. Ultimately, 
             Stephanie was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 
             in 1998 and served the 11th Congressional District of Ohio 
             until her untimely and unfortunate death in August of this 
             year.
               During her time as a Congresswoman, Stephanie never lost 
             her zeal for public service nor her passion to help young 
             people. She constantly sought to improve public schools 
             and ensure that every American student had the best 
             possible education. Stephanie was a well-respected Member 
             of this Congress, and her presence will surely be missed.
                                             Monday, September 29, 2008
               Mr. STARK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to applaud House 
             and Senate passage by unanimous consent of H.R. 7198, the 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones Gift of Life Medal Act of 2008. 
             Representative Tubbs Jones' life ended as she lived it; by 
             exemplifying concern for the welfare of others. She 
             donated her organs in the waning hours of her life so that 
             the lives of others could continue. In that spirit, this 
             legislation creates a commemorative medal for organ donors 
             and their families, recognizing the brave and selfless act 
             of organ donation. It is a fitting tribute to her, and I 
             look forward to seeing this program get up and running.
               This bill is a modified version of H.R. 6950, which 
             passed the House on September 25, 2008. We modified the 
             bill in order to address concerns from the other body and 
             ensure its passage.
               Unfortunately, in modifying the bill, we had to delete 
             findings included in H.R. 6950. I ask to insert these 
             findings into the Record.
               (1) Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was dedicated to 
             eliminating health disparities and protecting vulnerable 
             populations.
               (2) Through her service on the Committee on Ways and 
             Means, Subcommittee on Health, she was a strong voice for 
             those who were poor, elderly, racial and ethnic 
             minorities, and disenfranchised.
               (3) Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones' concern for 
             others was demonstrated by the decision to donate her 
             organs, so that as her life ended, the lives of others 
             continued. . . .
                                                Friday, October 3, 2008
               Ms. KILPATRICK. Madam Speaker, I would like to submit 
             the following poem, written by Mr. Albert Carey Caswell, 
             in memory of our late great colleague, Congresswoman 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
                               The Things Which Matter
             The things which matter . . .
             The moments which count, the ones all the end which so 
               amount . . .
             All in our lives, are all of those things in our hearts of 
               which are so tantamount . . .
             The very ones . . .
             Which all in the end, are what our souls are really so all 
               about . . .
             As to this our world, what we so give no doubt . . . all 
               in these our lives to tout . . .
             Are all those things which really matter . . .
             Are but the ones, which so make The Angels hearts so 
               shout!
             All in the end, are but really what our lives are all 
               about!

             The Ways and Means . . .
             By which we overcome all the odds, all in our life's 
               themes . . .
             Are but the ones, our songs which so make our Lord's heart 
               so shine and gleam . . .
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones . . .
             A Heroine . . . A Pioneer . . . A Champion for Civil 
               Rights so seen!
             A great strong great woman of firsts, who but lived The 
               American Dream!
             The only thing bigger than her bright big smile . . .
             Was but her fine kind and warm heart, that which so 
               caressed all . . . all the while . . .
             For in these our short lifetimes, these are but the things 
               you'll find!
             For it's how we live . . .
             And it's how we lead, all in this world which so helps her 
               to succeed . . .
             And who we care for, and for whom we bleed . . . giving to 
               her what she so needs!
             Are but All Those Things Which Really Matter . . .
             All in  these  our  times,  all  in  these  our  short  
               lives  which  we  so  bring about . . .
             All in the end, what really up in Heaven . . . what so 
               matters no doubt!
                              Proceedings in the Senate
                                          Wednesday, September 10, 2008
               Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mr. Voinovich, and Mr. Hatch) 
             submitted the following resolution, which was considered 
             and agreed to:
                                     S. Res. 654
               Whereas Stephanie Tubbs Jones was born on September 10, 
             1949, in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Case Western 
             Reserve University and the Franklin Thomas Backus School 
             of Law;
               Whereas, in 1982, at the age of 33, Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones was elected to serve on the Cleveland Municipal 
             Court;
               Whereas, in 1983, Stephanie Tubbs Jones became the first 
             African-American woman to serve on the Court of Common 
             Pleas in the State of Ohio;
               Whereas Stephanie Tubbs Jones served as the Cuyahoga 
             County Prosecutor from 1991 through 1999, becoming the 
             first woman and the first African-American to hold the 
             position;
               Whereas, in 1998, Stephanie Tubbs Jones was elected to 
             the first of 5 terms in the House of Representatives, 
             where she was a tireless advocate for the citizens of 
             Ohio's 11th Congressional District and championed 
             increased access to health care, improved voting rights, 
             and quality education for all;
               Whereas Stephanie Tubbs Jones was the first African-
             American woman to represent the State of Ohio in Congress;
               Whereas Ohio has lost a beloved daughter and the House 
             of Representatives one of its strongest voices with the 
             passing of Stephanie Tubbs Jones on August 20, 2008: Now, 
             therefore, be it
               Resolved, That the Senate--
               (1) mourns the loss of the Honorable Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones and expresses its condolences to her family and 
             friends and to the people of the 11th Congressional 
             District of Ohio; and
               (2) honors the life of Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a highly 
             esteemed and accomplished Member of Congress, dedicated 
             community leader, and tireless advocate for those in need.
                                              Thursday, October 2, 2008
               Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, tragically, a month and a 
             half ago, we lost a wonderful colleague of all of ours, 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a Member 
             of the U.S. House of Representatives, a wonderful 
             Congresswoman who, whenever you met her, had a big, broad 
             smile on her face. She obviously loved her work on behalf 
             of her country. All of us miss her. . . .
             [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TONGRESS.#07
             
                                  IN LOVING MEMORY
                                         OF

             HONORABLE STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES
                         Ohio's 11th Congressional District
             [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T4100.007
             

             SEPTEMBER 10, 1949-AUGUST 20, 2008

                        SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2008--11:00 A.M.
                             CLEVELAND PUBLIC AUDITORIUM
                                 601 LAKESIDE AVENUE
                                CLEVELAND, OHIO 44114
                        REVEREND DR. STEPHEN ROWAN, OFFICIANT
             [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T4100.002
             
             Order of Service

             Processional

                  Family of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones

             Prayer of Comfort

                  Bishop F.E. Perry

             Scripture

                  ``Old Testament'' Psalm 46:1-4, 10-11 Dr. E.T. 
                    Caviness

             Scripture

                  ``New Testament'' Romans 8:35-39, Bishop Lincoln 
                    Haughton

             Musical Selection

                  ``If I Can Help Somebody'' Hattie Johnson

             Remarks from Clergy

                  Pastor Edward Small, Starlight Baptist Church

             Musical Selection

                  Central State University Choir

             Special Tributes

             Governor Ted Strickland, State of Ohio

             Mayor Frank G. Jackson, City of Cleveland

             Representative Nancy Pelosi, California,
               Speaker of the House

             Senator Hillary Clinton, New York

             Senator Sherrod Brown, Ohio

             Senator Barack Obama, Illinois

             Representative Carolyn Kilpatrick, Michigan,
               Chair Congressional Black Caucus

             Representative Kendrick Meek, Florida,
               Chair Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

             Representative Tim Ryan, Ohio Delegation

             Honorable Louis Stokes, former Congressman 11th District,
               Ohio

             Commissioner Jimmy Dimora, Cuyahoga County
             [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T4100.003
             

             Order of Service
                                     (continued)

             Musical Selection

                  Cleveland Metropolitan School District Choir

             Patrice Willoughby, 11th Congressional District,
               Chief of Staff

             Cynthia Butler McIntyre, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.,
               National President

             Barbara Snyder, Case Western Reserve University,
               President

             Dr. Edgar Jackson, University Hospitals

             Joe Hewitt, Media Consultant

             Tiffany Robertson, Cleveland Metropolitan School District,
               Student

             Dorian Jones, Family

             Dr. Brad Bayless, Family

             Musical Selection

                  Mrs. Lucretia Bolden

             Resolutions/Acknowledgements

                  Dr. Lanelle Perry

             Reading of Obituary

             Selection

                  Bethany Baptist Church Praise Team Choir

             Eulogy

                  John 14:1-3, Reverend Dr. Stephen Rowan

             Closing Prayer

                  Reverend Dr. Stephen Rowan

             Recessional

                  Bethany Baptist Church Praise Team Choir
                  [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T4100.004
                  

             Obituary

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a native Clevelander, was born to 
Andrew and Mary Tubbs on September 10, 1949. Her siblings Mattie and 
Barbara cherished growing up with their younger sister. Stephanie was 
joined in holy matrimony to Mervyn L. Jones, Sr. in November 1976 and to 
this union was born Mervyn L. Jones, II.

Stephanie attended Miles Standish Elementary School and was a graduate of 
the Major Work Program from Collinwood High School. Congresswoman Tubbs 
Jones received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work and her Juris 
Doctorate Degree from Case Western Reserve University. She received 
honorary doctorates from David N. Myers University, Notre Dame College, 
Central State University and Cleveland State University. She was a lifelong 
member of Bethany Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio and a member of its 
Board of Trustees. Congresswoman Tubbs Jones was a lifetime member of Delta 
Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and served on its national Social Action 
Commission.

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones' entire career was spent in public 
service. She was the Assistant County Prosecutor, serving under John T. 
Corrigan, and a Trial Attorney at the Equal Employment Opportunity 
Commission. In 1982 she was elected to the Cleveland Municipal Court, her 
first elected office. Congresswoman Tubbs Jones made a number of historic 
achievements throughout her distinguished career. She was the first 
African-American woman to sit on the Common Pleas Court of the State of 
Ohio. She became the first African-American and first female to become the 
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor in 1991. Upon the retirement of the Honorable 
Louis Stokes, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones made history again when she became 
the first African-American woman to represent Ohio in the United States 
Congress.

In Congress, she continued breaking new ground: President of the Freshman 
Congressional Class, Member of the Congressional Black Caucus Housing Task 
Force, Whip for Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi's Leadership Campaign, Co-Chair 
of the Platform Committee Democratic National Convention, Co-Chair of the 
Democratic National Committee (DNC), Co-Chair Congressional Black Caucus 
Annual Legislative Conference, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus 
Retirement Security Brain Trust, Member of the Ways and Means Committee and 
Chairwoman of the Committee of Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics).

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones leaves to mourn: her loving son, Mervyn 
L. Jones, II; devoted sister, Barbara L. Walker; aunts, Lula Robinson 
(Pratt) of Memphis, Tennessee and Nevora Parker; uncle, Charles Tubbs; 
sister-in-laws, Garlindine Jones-Grant (Robert), Collette Jones, Leonette 
Jones-Singletary (Theodore), Dottie Jones; brother-in-laws, Robert Still, 
Cornelius Jones (Betty); nieces, Lori Rhoane (Rollon), Robin Still, Latesha 
Jonnes, Crystal Singletary, Deirdra Singletary and Bernadette Jones; 
nephews, Khari Walker (Barissa), Dorian Jones and Theo Singletary; great 
nieces, great nephews and a host of extended loving family and many 
treasured friends. Her parents Mary and Andrew Tubbs, husband Mervyn L. 
Jones, Sr. and sister Mattie Still preceded her in death.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T4100.005


             Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones

             Public Servant

Educational Honors and Awards: Notre Dame College, South Euclid, Ohio, 
``Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters,'' Myers University, Cleveland, Ohio, 
``Honorary Doctorate,'' Central State University, ``Honorary Doctorate of 
Laws,'' and an ``Honorary Doctorate'' from Cleveland State University.

Congressional Caucus Memberships: Democratic Caucus, Black Caucus, Women's 
Caucus, Children's Caucus, Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, Human 
Rights Caucus, Congressional Mental Health Caucus, Steel Caucus, 
Alzheimer's Disease Congressional Task Force, Bi-Partisan Pro-Choice 
Caucus, Caribbean Caucus, Congressional Biotechnology Caucus, Congressional 
Fraternal Caucus, Progressive Caucus, Diabetes Caucus, Congressional Arts 
Caucus, Congressional Manufacturing Task Force, Hungarian American Caucus, 
Congressional Submarine Caucus, and the Northeastern-Midwest Congressional 
Coalition.

Civic: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated-National Social Action 
Commission, Trustee of Bethany Baptist Church, Board of Trustees of the 
Community Re-Entry Program, Visiting Committee of the Board of Overseers of 
the Franklin Thomas Backus School of Law of Case Western Reserve University 
and Leadership Cleveland Alumnae (Board of Trustee, Class of 1984).

Honors and Awards: National Black American Law Student Association, 
``Midwest Regional Award,'' Flora Stone Mather College, Case Western 
Reserve University ``Centennial Citation Award,'' YWCA, ``Career Women of 
Achievement Award,'' Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, ``Althea 
Simmons Awards,'' Collinwood High School, ``Inductee into the Hall of 
Fame,'' and Ohio State Bar Association, ``Nettie Crouise Lutes Award,'' 
Cleveland Life Newspaper, ``Best of Cleveland Award,'' Gradsnet Foundation 
of Cleveland, ``Inductee into the Cleveland Educators and Alumni Achievers 
Hall of Fame,'' International Black Women's Congress, ``Alma Nomsa John 
Inspirational Award,'' Urban League of Cleveland, ``Whitney Young Award,'' 
``Inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame,'' NARAL Pro-Choice of Ohio, 
Champion of Choice Award,'' Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, 
``Patricia Roberts Harris Award for Public Service,'' Thurgood Marshall 
Scholarship Fund, Leadership Award,'' National Bar Association, ``Gertrude 
E. Rush Award,'' Human Rights Campaign of Cleveland, Equality Award, 
Essence Magazine ``35 Most Remarkable Women,'' Cook County Bar Association, 
``J. Ernest Wilkins Award,'' NAACP National Voter Fund, In recognition of 
Her Heroic Actions to Protect the Vote of All Ohioans,'' Outstanding 
Politician Award, NAACP Freedom Fighter Award, Dominion Strong Men & Women 
Series Excellence in Leadership, Rotary Club, ``International Award,'' Rape 
Crisis and Essence.



             Let the Work I've Done Speak for Me

             ``Author Unknown''

                                         May
                                    the work I've
                              done, speak for me. When
                          I'm resting in my grave, there is
                       nothing that can be said. May the work
                     I've done, speak for me. May the life I've
                     lived speak for me. May the service I gave
                    speak for me. When I've done the best I can,
                      and my friends don't understand, may the
                     service I gave speak for me. The works I've
                        done seemed so small. Sometimes, they
                       seemed like nothing at all. But when I
                         stand before my God, I want to hear
                           Him say ``Well Done.'' May the
                                work I've done, speak
                                       for me.

                                     Pallbearers
                               United States Military

                                Honorary Pallbearers
                     Mervyn Jones, II  Robert Still  Randy Jones
                      Robert Norton  Robert Grant  James Berry
                Joseph Hewitt  Brad Bayless  Khari Walker  Al Maples

                                  Acknowledgements
             The family of the Late Stephanie Tubbs Jones acknowledges 
             with deepest appreciation your many expressions of 
             sympathy and love. We are grateful for all acts of 
             kindness shown during our hour of bereavement. We thank 
             you most sincerely and pray God's richest blessings upon 
             each of you.
             Governor Ted Strickland. With the passing of Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones, Ohio and the Nation have lost a remarkable 
             human being and a devoted servant of the people.
               Today we face a moment of profound sadness, but we 
             remember a lifetime worthy of great celebration.
               Stephanie was a woman whose contagious smile, honed 
             intellect and boundless vitality truly made her larger 
             than life.
               What some consider the work of politics was, for 
             Stephanie, a source of joy. A handshake turned into a hug, 
             a smile into a conversation.
               Stephanie was the kind of political leader who needed 
             hours to go grocery shopping because everyone she saw 
             wanted a moment of her time, and she willingly gave it. 
             Because if you met Stephanie, she was your friend.
               To Stephanie's son Mervyn and to all her loved ones, I 
             want to extend my deepest sympathies. The tributes you 
             hear today are heartfelt, because the life and work of 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones touched the people of the 11th 
             District and far beyond.
               In her service as a judge, prosecutor, and Member of 
             Congress, Stephanie was time and again a first. First 
             woman. First African American. First African American 
             woman.
               One of the many lessons we can learn from Stephanie's 
             life and all her firsts is that we need not ever wait for 
             permission to do what's never been done before.
               But having had the privilege of serving in the House 
             with Stephanie, I know that her purpose was not being a 
             symbol of progress but a source of progress.
               On health care, on education, on economic empowerment, 
             the House of Representatives had no more tireless advocate 
             nor stronger voice than Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
               Everything I know about Stephanie tells me that even in 
             our grief she would want us to rejoice for a life well 
             lived in dedication to family, to community, and to her 
             church.
               The Scripture reminds us: ``Blessed are the dead which 
             die in the Lord, from henceforth. they may rest from their 
             labors; and their works do follow them.''
               As we say goodbye today, we take comfort because 
             Stephanie's works will follow her, and they will follow 
             us. Because the doors she opened will never close.

             Senator Barack Obama. I'm here today with Michelle to pay 
             tribute to an extraordinary American, a devoted public 
             servant, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a 
             dear friend to so many here in Cleveland and all across 
             America.
               Today, we honor not just Stephanie's intelligence, 
             grace, spirit, passion, and compassion--but how she used 
             those gifts to help others.
               For Stephanie, it wasn't enough to rise up from modest 
             circumstances and break so many barriers herself--she 
             spent her life reaching back and pulling others through 
             the doors she opened and along the trails she blazed.
               For Stephanie, it wasn't enough just to study law and 
             practice law--she spent her life working to shape our laws 
             to honor our best instincts and reflect all our voices.
               If this work was hard or overwhelming--if she ever felt 
             any loneliness in so often being first--you never would've 
             known. Stephanie wasn't a complainer. And self-pity was 
             never an option as far as Stephanie was concerned.
               She just set her sights and steeled her will to the task 
             at hand. And when it came to her life's work--the work of 
             fighting for justice and opportunity, the work of tending 
             to overlooked places and being a friend to those who walk 
             alone--she was relentless.
               And what struck me most about Stephanie was how, even 
             after a decade in Congress, she was so utterly unaffected 
             by the ways of Washington. Stephanie couldn't put on airs 
             if she tried. Whether you were an intern or an ambassador, 
             you were treated to that same radiant warmth, that same 
             good-natured ribbing, that same call-it-like-she-saw-it 
             honesty. No one ever felt like a stranger around 
             Stephanie.
               And even as she endured so many losses in her own life, 
             she never lost her focus on helping others--her heart big 
             enough, and strong enough, and resilient enough to hold 
             her own pain and that of so many who needed someone to 
             ease their load. She was the embodiment of the generosity 
             that comes with grace--and the fearlessness that comes 
             from knowing what really matters in life.
               And now that she's left us, we've all got some slack to 
             pick up. We've got some unfinished business to attend to. 
             The business of shaking things up, and asking the hard 
             questions, and insisting on the hard truths behind the 
             official explanations. The business of embracing those who 
             struggle and making their struggles our own. The business 
             of refusing to settle for anything less than what's right 
             and fair and just.
               Those were the gifts that Stephanie gave us. That was 
             the love with which she graced us--love for her son Mervyn 
             and all her family and friends, love for her native 
             Cleveland, and love for this great country she served. And 
             for that, we are all so grateful.
               Thank you and God bless you.
                 
               [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TONGRESS.#15
               

                                    The Honorable

                                Stephanie Tubbs Jones

                         September 10, 1949-August 20, 2008


                    A reception will be held in the Rayburn Room
                   immediately following today's memorial service.
             [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TONGRESS.#15
             


             [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T4100.006
             



                            A Celebration of the Life of

                                    The Honorable

Stephanie Tubbs Jones

                                Ohio's 11th District



             Chairwoman, Committee on Standards of

             Official Conduct

             September 10, 1949-August 20, 2008

                                    Statuary Hall
                                United States Capitol
                            Wednesday, September 10, 2008
                                     11:00 a.m.

             LET THE WORK I'VE DONE SPEAK FOR ME

May the work I've done, speak for me.

When I'm resting in my grave,

there is nothing that can be said.

May the work I've done, speak for me.

May the life I've lived speak for me.

May the service I gave speak for me.

When I've done the best I can,

and my friends don't understand,

may the service I gave speak for me.

The works I've done seemed so small.

Sometimes, they seemed like nothing at all.

But when I stand before my God,

I want to hear Him say ``Well Done.''

May the work I've done, speak for me.


                                                       --Author Unknown
             P R O G R A M

                                    P r e l u d e

                  United States Air Force Ceremonial Brass Quintet

                                    W e l c o m e

                             The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

              The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

                     M i s t r e s s   o f   C e r e m o n i e s

                         The Honorable Carolyn C. Kilpatrick

                       United States House of Representatives

                                 I n v o c a t i o n

                           The Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin

               Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives

                                    R e a d i n g

                                   Proverbs 31:8-9
                             The Honorable Marcy Kaptur

                       United States House of Representatives

                                   T r i b u t e s

                             The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

              The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

                              The Honorable Steny Hoyer

                   Majority Leader of the United States House of 
                                   Representatives

                             The Honorable John Boehner

                  Republican Leader of the United States House of 
                                   Representatives

                           The Honorable James E. Clyburn

                    Majority Whip of the United States House of 
                                   Representatives

                             The Honorable Rahm Emanuel

                       Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus

                          M u s i c a l   S e l e c t i o n

                                  ``Precious Lord''

                                 R e f l e c t i o n

                                 Mr. Mervyn Jones II

                                   T r i b u t e s

                         The Honorable Donna M. Christensen

                       United States House of Representatives

                           The Honorable Kendrick B. Meek

                       United States House of Representatives

                               The Honorable Tim Ryan

                       United States House of Representatives

                                B e n e d i c t i o n

                           The Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin

               Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives
             Speaker Nancy Pelosi. My, my, my, wouldn't Stephanie have 
             liked to see this turnout for her birthday party?
               When we were in Ohio, I was pleased to take two 
             planeloads of Members of Congress to Cleveland for her 
             memorial service. In that auditorium was a former 
             President of the United States, a former First Lady who is 
             a Senator and was a candidate for President, a nominee of 
             the Democratic Party for President of the United States, 
             her colleagues, her friends, and her family--all gathered 
             together to celebrate the life and leadership of Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones.
               I would like to welcome the family and loved ones of 
             Chairwoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones to Statuary Hall in the 
             United States Capitol to join her colleagues in 
             celebrating her life.
               All of us in this room loved Stephanie Tubbs Jones--
             though this room or even this building could not hold all 
             those who counted themselves among her friends.
               I would like to offer a particularly warm welcome to two 
             members of Stephanie Tubbs Jones' family: her son, Mervyn 
             Jones II, and her sister, Barbara Walker.
               Mervyn is named for his father, Stephanie's beloved 
             husband of almost 30 years whom we lost a few years ago. 
             With Mervyn here today, we also feel the presence of his 
             loving father. We proudly welcome you to the Capitol, 
             Mervyn. We are your family. Barbara, we welcome you too.
               It was once written that the simple act of going to the 
             grocery store could take Stephanie Tubbs Jones 2\1/2\ 
             hours--because as she crossed items off her list, she 
             added the names and numbers of her constituents in need.
               Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a beloved figure in her 
             hometown of Cleveland, and she loved and served her 
             constituents in return. Their problems were her problems.
               Their story was her story--an American story--she was 
             the daughter of a factory worker and a skycap at the 
             Cleveland Airport who went on to chair one of the most 
             powerful committees in Congress.
               Her work in Congress was informed by all the greatest 
             things about our Nation: Stephanie Tubbs Jones was a 
             tireless force for justice, equality, and opportunity. She 
             fought to ensure that every American voter can vote. She 
             passed bills to invest in the health of the American 
             people, and to protect children from abuse and neglect.
               And in January of last year, she became chair of the 
             House Ethics Committee. There, Stephanie Tubbs Jones ably 
             and conscientiously enforced the rules of the House in an 
             evenhanded and nonpartisan fashion.
               Though her accomplishments were many, Stephanie Tubbs 
             Jones had a simple wish. As she said: ``I hope I made you 
             proud.''
               I was proud to be able to appoint Stephanie Tubbs Jones, 
             the first African American woman in history, to the 
             powerful House Ways and Means Committee.
               I was proud to appoint Stephanie Tubbs Jones as 
             chairwoman of the Ethics Committee.
               I know that every person in this room, especially 
             Stephanie's family and certainly her colleagues in the 
             Congress, can say to Stephanie on her birthday: as a 
             chairwoman, as a Congresswoman, as a Representative of 
             Cleveland who loved her district and constituents, and 
             most of all, who loved her family--you made everyone who 
             cared about you or knew about you, very, very proud. We'll 
             miss you, darling.

             Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin. God of blessings, Source of 
             all goodness,
               Today, feeling already the absence of Congresswoman 
             Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the House of Representatives 
             gathers to remember, pay tribute, and thank You, Lord, for 
             the gift of her life and presence in our midst.
               May the grace of her radiant smile, strong yet gracious 
             advocacy, and ready expressions of faith and love live on 
             in all who knew her and honor her memory.
               Grant her just reward and eternal joy for she seized 
             every opportunity to make a difference to bring about Your 
             kingdom of uplifting light and prevailing justice.
               We ask this, calling upon You as our Lord and Savior, 
             now and forever.
               Amen.

             Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. Stephanie Tubbs Jones once 
             told a reporter: ``I have no illusions about myself. It 
             could all go up in a puff of smoke. I'll never lose sight 
             of that.''
               Few of us can claim to have sight as clear as that. We 
             hear word of a death like Stephanie's--a death too sudden 
             to leave time for settling up, for saying goodbye--and our 
             first thought says: ``It wasn't her time yet.''
               But if we are blessed with some of the wisdom Stephanie 
             had, maybe that first thought gives way to a second. Maybe 
             the second thought asks: ``Who are we to name the right 
             time, for her, or for any of us?''
               We are legislators, and by nature we are good at 
             waiting. We wait for a favorite bill to come to the floor; 
             we wait for a consensus to form; we can wait for years for 
             our chance in the majority. In so many ways, this place 
             runs on patience. But when we lose a friend like 
             Stephanie, when we lose her like this, we are reminded 
             that none of us gets to wait forever. There is a time for 
             patience, and there is a time for urgency.
               Stephanie lived a life of urgency. It was behind her 
             passion for Southern cooking and for sailing the 
             Chesapeake. It was behind her unshakeable friendships and 
             her unbeatable smile. It was behind her unstoppable work 
             for voters shut out, for children abused, for families 
             denied a doctor's care.
               Behind all of it were the simple questions: ``If not 
             now, when? If not me, who?''
               Here in this room, where Presidents and Statesmen sat, 
             where these statues stand in for so many of our heroes, we 
             honor the daughter of a skycap and a factory worker, who 
             rose to be a judge, a leader, a breaker of so many 
             barriers--all on the strength of her conviction that she 
             had no time to lose.
               We mourn our friend--and we give thanks for the 58 years 
             that Stephanie Tubbs Jones lived so well.

             Representative Donna M. Christensen. ``Sorry we didn't get 
             a chance to hang out. Safe flight,'' was the last I 
             heard--via Blackberry--from our dear friend, sister, and 
             colleague as I boarded my second plane on the way home 
             from Tunica.
               And if any of us had not ever known true friendship 
             before--we found it in Stephanie. I know no one who was 
             more giving than she--and it was that giving to others, 
             being that special girlfriend, that gave her the most joy.
               Whether it was the annual basketball game for the 
             homeless, something for her Deltas, or reaching back and 
             helping a young person or a newcomer, giving was what she 
             thrived on.
               She came to Congress after me but we shared a very 
             special bond because we both began the 106th Congress 
             honored to be political heirs of Congressman Louis 
             Stokes--she of the district and I of the braintrust.
               She took the Congress by storm, same way she did 
             everything else--freshman class president, member of 
             Steering Committee; and on the Small Business Committee--
             something else we shared. There was no shutting up or 
             shutting down members if she or anyone else had something 
             to say or an issue to fight for.
               Her bucking the system could turn into a full scale 
             revolution on our side of the committee, because when she 
             got her dander up it was always for the right reasons.
               That extended to the Subcommittee on Health, a seat she 
             sought and won after developing a fire-hot passion for the 
             elimination of health disparities--a natural because her 
             whole life was about breaking down barriers and 
             eliminating disparities. There were no special interests 
             for Stephanie except that of people of color, the poor, 
             disabled, and elderly, and those in any way 
             disenfranchised. No one in this country was going to be 
             shortchanged if she could do anything about it--and she 
             was determined that she could and would!
               The committee and subcommittee got a real shakeup when 
             she came on board, and if there is anyone thinking that we 
             are going to let things slide back to normal. Think again.
               D.A., judge, Congresswoman, chair, mother, sister, 
             girlfriend didn't come this way for nothing, and she left 
             no void behind. So if you see us a little more bubbly, if 
             our smile is a little bigger, if you see a bit more 
             passion in our work, less tolerance for anything unfair or 
             unjust and a firmer faith in God's omnipotence and love; 
             if you see us grow more strident in our advocacy for those 
             who are always left behind, and if we somehow seem to have 
             more gusto for work and life and love--it's just because 
             we were a part of Stephanie's circle of friends and she 
             didn't just up and leave us--she left some of her special 
             gifts with each of us. And if you know Stephanie, and I 
             know you did, we better not be messing around. We had 
             better be getting busy!
               Man-child Mervyn, and big sis Barbara, she also left you 
             a big family who will always be here for you. We love you 
             as we continue to love her.
               She did more than anyone could ask in her too short 
             life. We, her sisters and brothers in the CBC will finish 
             the rest!

             Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin. Trusting in God's eternal 
             wisdom and mercy, we have prayed together for Stephanie 
             Tubbs Jones. There is sadness in taking leave from one 
             another. Yet, we take comfort in the Word of God and what 
             we have shared. We walk in the sure and certain hope that 
             we will all meet again on the last day when God is all in 
             all.
               We give thanks to You, Lord, God Almighty, for all the 
             blessings which You graciously bestowed upon Stephanie, 
             Your servant and public witness to faith and justice in 
             this life.
               We now commend Stephanie into Your loving hands, Eternal 
             and living Shepherd of souls. Delivered now from all human 
             weakness, bring her to eternal joy and the lasting peace 
             for which she tirelessly worked and longed for all her 
             days. In You and through You she moved, acted, and had her 
             very being, so to You now be all glory and praise forever 
             and ever.
               Amen.
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