[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 107 (Friday, July 25, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H5810-H5811]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     ON ENERGY AND WATER APPROPRIATIONS BILL AND WHAT IT MEANS TO 
  COMMUNITIES; TRIBUTE TO BISHOP N.H. HENDERSON, SR.; AND SYMPATHY TO 
                      FAMILY OF JUDGE NORMAN BLACK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee] is recognized for 5 minutes.

[[Page H5811]]

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am very delighted today that 
in an act of positive and effective bipartisanship the energy and water 
appropriations bill was passed by this body.
  Now, many would ask what a technical bill like that has to do with 
the real nuts and bolts of the quality of life in this Nation. Well, 
first of all, it has to do with our highways and byways that are water 
directed. It has to do with protection of our communities against the 
tragedies of flooding. It has to do with the edification and 
beautification of our river banks and our bayous and, yes, it has to do 
with protecting us from the tragedies of the wrong type of disposal of 
nuclear waste, which in many instances is sometimes used for our 
medical care.
  At the same time, this legislation was particularly special to a 
group of people in my community in the 18th Congressional District, and 
I would like to thank some community activists, ministers in and around 
the Sims Bayou area, particularly around Martin Luther King and Cullen 
Boulevards, James Brooks a community activist, and Reverend Kyles, 
along with many other ministers and community leaders who for a long 
time, and continue to at this time, fought to get some response to the 
terrible flooding that was going on in their community.
  I remember distinctly in 1994, as a city council member, traveling 
streets by boat that heretofore had not seen any more water than a 
slight puddle in a yard because it had been watered too much. But 
unfortunately, in a very heavy rainstorm, many of their homes were 
flooded out. Now, what I should most compliment is how that community 
came together, with churches opening their doors and with people 
gathering clothes and food. They rose up in the time of tragedy and 
adversity.
  Another problem that they faced, however, was, unlike areas that 
flood regularly, many of those homes did not have flood insurance so 
many of the people were left devastated. That was 1994. And since that 
time, we have seen three or more times that that same area has flooded.
  With their energy, we took the bull by the horns, and just this past 
winter, in a terrible flood, we were out there walking those bayous 
with the Army Corps of Engineers, the Harris County engineering group 
for flood control, and other local citizens and officials, and we said 
that this is something that we need to do a lot about.
  Those community leaders were undaunted by the task of trying to get 
Federal funding, more of course, working with local government 
cooperatively and giving comfort to their citizens who one more time 
this past winter had been flooded again. Even as I walked the bayou, I 
could see fences that had been knocked down not by wind but by storm 
waters.
  Now, after working with them and the Army Corps of Engineers, rather 
than go backward, we are very glad to have gone forward with the $3.5 
million added as the completion of what the Army Corps of Engineers 
asked for to reach the particular area of concern around Cullen and 
Airport and Martin Luther King Boulevards, in particular in the 18th 
Congressional District. This $3.5 million will have us going forward 
and not backward.
  But the tribute goes to those citizens who worked very hard. Many 
times we hear our constituency base ask, ``I send money to Washington 
and it seems like it takes wings and goes off somewhere.'' Many times 
they complain about the spending that goes on in this body and 
elsewhere. The only spending that should go on, we hope, will be to 
enhance their quality of life.
  I am delighted that these citizens maintained the course, and I will 
continue to work with them so that we can jump-start this project, so 
that it completes itself way before 2006. We will work with Harris 
County, we will work with the city of Houston, and we will work with 
these activists who have not sold their homes in desperation but they 
have continued to live there. And we will work with FEMA, who still has 
not been able to consider their claims. But most of all we will 
congratulate them on their hard work.
  I would also at this time, Mr. Speaker, like to acknowledge another 
activist, but an activist in Christianity, in the Christian experience. 
Bishop N.H. Henderson, Sr. has served in the ministry for some 50 
years, pastoring six churches. He now pastors Law Memorial in Houston.
  He has shared his life with his wife, he has shared his life with his 
family, but most of all he has shared his life with his community. The 
community of Houston, particularly in the 18th Congressional District, 
owes Bishop N.H. Henderson, Sr. a great deal of gratitude for the 50 
years that he has given to us, for the 77 years that he has lived, for 
the 60 years of his Christian experience, and for the 50 years of his 
gospel ministry.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to very quickly pay a special note 
of sympathy to the family of Judge Norman Black. We lost him this past 
week, a cheerful and thoughtful jurist, someone who gave of his life, 
but most of all treated all mankind and womankind with human dignity. 
My sympathy to his family and the community who mourn his death.

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