[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 14 (Thursday, February 1, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H1205-H1206]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO KWEISI MFUME

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, earlier this evening I heard it announced 
that our colleague, Representative Kweisi Mfume, was submitting his 
resignation to the Congress of the United States. Tonight he cast his 
last vote, a vote which followed hundreds of votes in support of people 
across this country. I was pleased to serve in the Congress with him 
but especially on the Banking Committee a number of years ago when we 
both came to the House of Representatives. On that committee 
Congressman Mfume was a champion for affordable housing, for low-income 
housing, for consumer credit for all Americans and for access to loans 
for people who wanted to gain equity in business but who had been 
banned from doing so, also for those who wanted to buy homes but who 
had been red-lined in the past.
  Congressman Mfume served very well in the Chair that you occupy now, 
Mr. Speaker. He knew how to keep order in the House. He did so with 
great dignity. But he also knew how to raise a ruckus in the name of 
social justice. We will all miss him greatly here. I feel as a 
Californian, I rise to speak about Congressman Mfume, and he is a 
representative, as you know, from Baltimore, MD, because I, too, am a 
native of Baltimore. My father Thomas D'Alesandro served as a Member of 
Congress for parts of Mr. Mfume's district that he now represents. So I 
was sorry not to be part of the Maryland delegation's tribute yesterday 
to Congressman Mfume but my committee assignments prevented me from 
doing that. Nonetheless, I am proud to have been a colleague of Mr. 
Mfume's.
  I wish him and the NAACP much success under this new, fresh 
leadership and know that every Member of this 

[[Page H1206]]
Congress who has ever served with him will be proud to make that boast.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to once again commend Mr. Mfume for his great 
service to this House of Representatives.

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