[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 199 (Thursday, December 14, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H14901]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                JACKSON USHERS IN NEW ERA OF LEADERSHIP

  (Ms. WATERS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I proudly stand and join with my colleagues 
in welcoming the newest Member to this House, Jesse Jackson, Jr. I feel 
as if he, too, is my child. I feel as if he is my son. I feel that way 
because I guess I have known him, I have watched him grow up. I have 
worked very closely with his father and his mother. They are my 
friends.
  When he first indicated that he would be running for this seat, I did 
everything that I could to encourage him, and I would like to thank all 
of my colleagues in this House who joined with us in a tremendous 
effort to raise money and to work in the district to ensure that Jesse 
Jackson, Jr., could be with us being sworn in today.
  I am so proud of him, because he represents everything that we want 
our children to be. I am so proud of him, because oftentime there are 
these negative images of young African-American men portrayed in the 
media. However, there are many young Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s out there. A 
lot of people do not know about them. They do not understand that there 
are children who have come from nurturing families, with the kind of 
support that could lead them here to this House and to other things if 
but given the opportunity and the chance to do that.
  And so Jesse Jackson, Jr., stands here today as a symbol to all of 
those young people out there who believe that they can do it, that 
there can be support for them realizing their dreams.
  I am proud that he is here. I look forward to the leadership that he 
is going to provide, not only in this House but throughout this Nation.
  Let me just say this to my colleagues. Jesse Jackson, Jr., will usher 
in a new generation of leadership in this country to deal with the 
problems that confront us all. So I want you to look at him today and 
look at him in a new and different way. I want you to understand what 
he symbolizes and what he is going to mean, not only to this House but 
to all of America.
  I welcome you, Jesse Jackson, Jr. I look forward to working with you, 
and let the message go forward to the young people out there, that they 
have got someone now who is going to reach out to them, bring them into 
these new possibilities and show America the way in which it should be 
going.

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