[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H4198-H4199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSWOMAN JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) is recognized for 5 minutes.

[[Page H4199]]

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, on Monday we will lay to rest a truly 
gifted friend, colleague, and public servant, Representative from the 
California's 37th Congressional District, Juanita Millender-McDonald. 
So today I would like to pay tribute to her legacy.
  In 1997 Glamour Magazine wisely named Congresswoman Millender-
McDonald as ``one of 11 women who will change the world.'' And even 
though she has left us before her time, her very significant and 
meaningful impact on the world is known.
  Although Congresswoman Millender-McDonald has crossed over, her 
actions will continue to reverberate for us and for generations yet 
unborn.
  We both came to the Congress as a result of special elections in 
1996. She came on March 25 and I was sworn in on April 26. As a close 
colleague, I was proud to see her take the helm of the House 
Administration Committee, which deemed her the ``Mayor of the House of 
Representatives.'' And, indeed, she was. In fact, she was the first 
African American woman to chair a House Committee.
  Further, within this committee, she was a leader in addressing issues 
of voting irregularities and voter disenfranchisement.
  I also worked closely with her on the House Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee for 11 years. And most recently, as Congress 
worked with the passage of the SAFETEA-LU bill, a major piece of 
legislation addressing highways, transit, and other public legislation, 
she was indeed a strong advocate for her district and for her State.
  When I served as chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, I asked 
her to serve as the chairperson of the Annual Legislative Weekend, and 
she did with class.
  2003, the year that she served as head of the Annual Legislative 
Weekend, was a very difficult year for all of us. The caucus had 
several issues to confront: Widespread unemployment, the war in Iraq, 
and coping with the negative effects of the Bush administration 
policies. Still, amidst these tough times, she led a 4-day conference 
entitled, ``Collective Leadership--Challenging a Bold New World.''
  That conference reenergized our constituencies to fight for that 
better world that she fought for every day.
  Congresswoman Millender-McDonald changed the world by being a 
pioneer, and she paved a path for many to follow. She was the first 
African American woman to serve on the Carson City Council. She was the 
first to hold the position of chairperson of two very powerful 
California State Assembly committees, Insurance and Revenue Taxation, 
in her first term.
  Here in Washington she gave a voice to the voiceless by speaking out 
against genocide in Cambodia, Darfur, and other regions of the world. 
She also addressed global HIV/AIDS, which was a major issue for her, 
and she conducted an annual march in her district.
  During the 108th Congress, she drafted language that was incorporated 
into the U.S. Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria 
Act, which authorized funding to reduce mother-to-child transmissions 
of HIV/AIDS and gave priority in awarding of funds to organizations 
focused on family survival.
  In the 109th Congress, she introduced legislation to amend the 
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 that would establish a network of 
pediatric centers in certain developing countries to provide treatment 
and care for children with HIV/AIDS. She fought tirelessly for women's 
rights and empowering women to be all that they can be.
  As the first Democratic chair of the Congressional Democratic Caucus 
for Women's Issues, she led the caucus on two groundbreaking meetings, 
the first with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan to talk about the 
plight of women globally, and another with the chairman of the New York 
Stock Exchange to develop strategies for increasing women's investments 
and net worth.
  She also worked to give women who served our country in uniform 
during wartime the recognition which they richly deserved. In this 
regard, she initiated the first annual Memorial Day tribute to women in 
the military at the Women's Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, 
and led the fight to secure $15 million for the maintenance of that 
memorial.
  Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald did indeed change the world, 
and she will not be forgotten. My prayers go out to her husband and her 
family.

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