[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 41 (Friday, March 22, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

                                 ______


                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 21, 1996

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this 
opportunity to recognize my friend, and idol, the late Congresswoman 
Barbara Jordan as Woman of the Year. She was a renaissance woman, 
eloquent, fearless, and peerless in her pursuit of justice and 
equality.
  Congresswoman Jordan began her public career as a Texas State 
senator. She served her country with great distinction as a Member of 
Congress and as a member of the House Judiciary Committee.
  She exalted us all to strive for excellence, to stand fast for 
justice and fairness, and to yield to no one in the matter of defending 
and upholding the most sacred principles of Democratic Government.
  Barbara Jordan was a lawyer, legislator, scholar, author, and 
Presidential adviser. She was immensely gifted, and used every bit of 
her talent and skill to address, improve, and dignify the conditions of 
human life.
  In the tradition of Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr., and 
Thurgood Marshall, she challenged the Federal Government and the 
American people to uphold the principles set forth in the American 
Constitution.
  She gained national prominence in the 1970's as a member of the House 
Judiciary Committee during the impeachment hearings of President 
Richard Nixon. Her eloquent statement regarding her faith in the 
Constitution helped the Nation to focus on the principle that all 
elected officials, including the President, must abide by the mandates 
of the Constitution. We know what it took for Barbara Jordan to say 
``yea'' when the House Judiciary Committee roll was called on July 30, 
1974, and we are still admiring her for it.
  During her tenure in Congress, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan was a 
leader on issues relating to voting rights, consumer protection, 
energy, and the environment. She leaves the American people, 
particularly Members of Congress, a powerful legacy of commitment to 
freedom, integrity in government, and belief in human progress.
  We realize that Barbara Jordan was a tremendous moral force and she 
was calling upon all of us to account for our conscience as a nation. 
Her untimely death leaves a great void in our national leadership, and 
she is sorely missed as we grapple with the great moral issues of the 
day.

                          ____________________