[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 155 (Saturday, September 27, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H10142-H10145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD HIGHWAY

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4131) to designate a portion of California State Route 91 
located in Los Angeles County, California, as the ``Juanita Millender-
McDonald Highway''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4131

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) Juanita Millender-McDonald was born on September 7, 
     1938, in Birmingham, Alabama, to the Reverend Shelly and 
     Everlina Dortch Millender.
       (2) Juanita Millender-McDonald earned her bachelor's degree 
     from the University of Redlands in 1981, and her master's 
     degree from California State University, Los Angeles, in 
     1987.
       (3) Juanita Millender-McDonald was a true trailblazer, 
     entering public service in 1990 as a member of the Carson 
     City Council and becoming the first African-American woman to 
     serve on the Carson City Council.
       (4) Continuing as a pioneer, Juanita Millender-McDonald 
     served in the California State Assembly from 1992 to 1996, 
     and in her first term, she became the first assembly member 
     to hold the position of chairwoman of two powerful California 
     State Assembly committees (Insurance and Revenue and 
     Taxation).
       (5) Continuing to make history, Juanita Millender-McDonald 
     served in the United States House of Representatives from 
     1996-2007, becoming the first African-American woman to chair 
     any full House Committee when on December 19, 2006, she was 
     named Chairwoman of the House Committee on House 
     Administration.
       (6) A leader among leaders, a University of California 
     study named Juanita Millender-McDonald one of the most 
     effective Members of Congress.
       (7) As a Member of Congress, Juanita Millender-McDonald was 
     the first African-American woman to give the national 
     Democratic response to President Bush's weekly radio address.
       (8) Juanita Millender-McDonald initiated the first annual 
     Memorial Day tribute to women in the military at the Women in 
     Military Service For America Memorial at Arlington National 
     Cemetery.
       (9) As the founder of the Congressional Goods Movement 
     Caucus, Juanita Millender-McDonald was a leader in the 
     promotion of interstate commerce and a tireless advocate for 
     the Port of Long Beach, and the Port of Los Angeles.
       (10) Juanita Millender-McDonald was instrumental in the 
     $2,500,000,000 project that created the Alameda Corridor, a 
     20-mile rail expressway that opened in April 2002 and is a 
     vital connection between the ports and America's rail system.
       (11) As the founder and executive director of the League of 
     African-American Women, an organization responsible for the 
     annual ``AIDS Walk for Minority Women and Children'', the 
     legacy of Juanita Millender-McDonald as a humble, selfless 
     champion for women will endure for generations to come.

     SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.

       The portion of California State Route 91 located in Los 
     Angeles County, California, from post mile 10.4 to post mile 
     11.1 shall be known and designated as the ``Juanita 
     Millender-McDonald Highway''.

     SEC. 3. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the portion of 
     California State Route 91 referred to in section 2 shall be 
     deemed to be a reference to the ``Juanita Millender-McDonald 
     Highway''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Richardson) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. 
Duncan) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 4131.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  First and foremost, I would like to thank Chairman Oberstar and 
Ranking Member Mica for their help in bringing this legislation to the 
floor. H.R. 4131 honors the legacy of a woman who many of my colleagues 
on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee already know--former 
Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald, a real trailblazer, my 
predecessor here in Congress and, for many years, my mentor and my 
boss. Words cannot describe the impact Congresswoman Juanita Millender-
McDonald had on so many lives, but today, I will do my best to reflect 
on her work and on her accomplishments.

[[Page H10143]]

  Congresswoman McDonald was a real trailblazer in every sense of the 
word. She came to Congress in 1996 and became the first African 
American woman to chair any full House committee when, on December 19, 
2006, she was named chairwoman of the House Committee on House 
Administration, one spot our Madam Speaker often calls, really, the 
House's mayor.
  Likewise, Congresswoman Millender-McDonald initiated the first annual 
Memorial Day tribute to women in the military at the Women's Memorial 
at Arlington National Cemetery. Some other firsts: Congresswoman 
McDonald was the first African American woman to give the national 
Democratic response to President Bush's weekly radio address. Also, 
Congresswoman McDonald was the first assemblywoman to hold the position 
of chairwoman on the Committee of Revenue and Taxation.
  These accomplishments represent just a few of the many firsts that 
Congresswoman Millender-McDonald achieved, a long list that dates back 
to her days on the Carson City Council where she was the first African 
American woman to serve on that body.
  You know, it kind of makes me think back to a story that people in 
the community talked about. Congresswoman McDonald didn't start off as 
a person who was going to be an elected official. She was a parent; she 
was a teacher; she was someone who worked for the second largest school 
district in this Nation. I think back to one incident that a lot of her 
constituents would smile about.
  She lived not far from the Carson Mall, this mall that is in my 
district. Traditionally, when we have Christmas, we have Santa, but 
most people have a certain way of how we picture Santa looking. Ms. 
McDonald, having her five children, thought that Santa should maybe 
reflect our entire country, so she led this charge to have Santa be 
reflective of our entire community, and so it was always kind of cute. 
We used to refer to her as Mrs. Claus, and that's really how she got 
her start at being active and in understanding that her community 
needed to be represented and that her community needed to shine and 
that it needed to be able to grow and to be successful.
  Therefore, the naming of this portion of the 91 freeway is fitting 
because the 91 freeway was a part of Congresswoman Millender-McDonald's 
district during her entire legislative career in the California 
Assembly and here in Congress. The 91 freeway also runs adjacent to the 
Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy, a facility in my and her 
former district that she cherished dearly.
  However, anyone who knew Congresswoman McDonald also knows that her 
family came first. Her husband, James, was her backbone, the love of 
her life. Together, they raised five beautiful children, and they 
adored their five grandchildren. However, Congresswoman Millender-
McDonald's family includes more than her children, grandchildren, 
nieces, and nephews. Congresswoman Millender-McDonald's family also 
includes a list of elected officials at the Federal, State and local 
levels that she mentored in addition to me: Councilman Steve Bradford, 
Carson Mayor Pro Tem Mike Gibson and soon to be Assemblyman Isadore 
Hall.
  Congresswoman McDonald was an effective Member of Congress who was 
known for her bipartisan spirit and for her fiscal conservative 
principles. I think you're going to hear from my colleagues today that 
one of the things that Congresswoman McDonald valued was her 
relationship on both sides of the aisle. Although she was concerned 
about social programs, she knew that you couldn't do them unless you 
could pay for them. That was really a strength and, I think, something 
that her colleagues loved.
  These are the lessons that Congresswoman Millender-McDonald taught me 
when I was on her staff, and they have served as a guide throughout my 
own legislative career. I can honestly say, but for Congresswoman 
Millender-McDonald's willingness to take me under her wing and to hire 
me, I would not have had the opportunity to master the Federal system. 
She was my mentor, my political godmother and an inspiration to all 
Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  First of all, I want to commend the gentlelady from California (Ms. 
Richardson) for bringing this bill to the floor today. Certainly, it's 
a very appropriate bill because of all of the firsts that the 
gentlewoman from California has already mentioned and for many other 
reasons.
  I'm honored to support H.R. 4131. As has been stated, this bill would 
designate a portion of California's State Route 91 in Los Angeles 
County as the Juanita Millender-McDonald Highway. This is a very 
fitting tribute to our former colleague Congresswoman Millender-
McDonald.
  Congresswoman Millender-McDonald was a member of the Transportation 
and Infrastructure Committee for over 10 years. Beginning when she was 
first elected to Congress in April of 1996, she was a tireless advocate 
for transportation issues impacting her district, including projects 
related to the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and the Alameda 
Corridor freight railroad project.
  She was also a leader on national transportation issues. She took her 
experience in dealing with freight mobility challenges in southern 
California and founded the Congressional Goods Movement Caucus. Through 
her position on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and in 
her role with the Congressional Goods Movement Caucus, Congresswoman 
Millender-McDonald promoted transportation projects necessary to 
facilitate interstate commerce while protecting communities from the 
adverse effects associated with freight movement.
  She rose to the level of being a full committee chairwoman in this 
Congress, and she was respected and admired on both sides of the aisle. 
More importantly than all of this, than all of her work in Congress, 
Juanita Millender-McDonald was just a good human being.

                              {time}  1100

  She was a friend of mine, and I knew from discussions I had with her 
how much she loved her family and her friends. She was beautiful in 
appearance and was so dignified and professional in every way and set 
such a good example for all of us. She served the people of her 
district and this Nation well and with great honor and distinction.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill honoring a good 
friend, Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he might consume 
to our chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime, also a 
member of Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and more 
importantly, a dear friend of Congresswoman Millender-McDonald, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings).
  Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I 
want to thank her for sponsoring this important bill, and I take a 
moment to honor my friend, Congressman Millender-McDonald.
  She and I had a special relationship because we sat beside each other 
on the committee, and she had come to Washington in a special election 
about a month before I came in a special election. So we had a certain 
kinship.
  But as I sat here and I was listening to Ms. Richardson and listening 
to the minority, it's clear that all of us had a tremendous respect for 
her. And I thought about all of the kind things that Ms. Richardson 
said about her. But one of the things that she said that stood out for 
me most was that she was a mentor.
  Around here, we come here, we do our work, we work hard, we give it 
everything we've got; and I know Mr. Duncan knows what I'm talking 
about. We give it everything we've got, and then we leave. And 
sometimes I guess we wonder how much impact we have had. But I think 
the greatest impact we can have is on other people.
  The fact that Congresswoman Millender-McDonald took Congresswoman 
Richardson under her wing as a young staff assistant and then worked 
with her and considered her a friend, and then the next thing you know 
we see this young lady that is Congresswoman Richardson now

[[Page H10144]]

emerge as just an outstanding Member of Congress says a lot about the 
effectiveness not only about Ms. Millender-McDonald with regard to her 
legislative life, that is what she did here on the Hill, but it also 
says a lot about what she did in her district and how she affected 
people.
  The reason I mention that, Mr. Speaker, is because I think a lot of 
people get very confused about what we do here. Some people think that 
it's just the buildings that you have built and all of the things that 
you may bring back to your district. But the thing that is truly 
lasting is not all the buildings and all of the highways, but it's 
about building people because that's what truly lasts.
  I'm often reminded of a part of ``The Lion King,'' which I love so 
much. My kids tease me about it, but I love it. There's one portion of 
``The Lion King'' where the young lion cub says to his father, ``You 
died, and I need you, and I need you to be here with me so that I can 
talk to you and ask for advice and so that you can help my through my 
difficult times.'' And he's saying, ``Where are you?'' And then a few 
songs later, it says, ``He lives in you.''
  I think what we're doing here right now today is a perfect example of 
that.
  Congresswoman Millender-McDonald, just like all of us, had to move on 
and make a transition. But she was able to leave someone behind to 
carry on her work. And she has left an impact not only on the 
Democratic side, but our Republican brothers and sisters, so that we 
can carry on that work.
  I can never remember ever sitting down at a markup where Ms. 
Millender-McDonald did not have something to say about her district. 
Ever. I used to tease her. I used to say, ``You're getting all the 
money, girl.'' She'd say, ``That's my job.''
  So I just wanted to take a moment to honor her, and I just hope that 
when we folks drive down Highway 91, somebody will ask the question, 
``Who was she,'' some child who never got to know her, somebody who may 
have not been informed about who their Congresswoman was, but hopefully 
somebody would be there in their car to be able to tell them the story 
of a great lady, a great lady who not only built bridges, but one who 
also tore down walls, consistently tore down walls of separation, built 
bridges of unity bringing people together as head of our House 
Administration Committee, constantly reaching out.
  One of the last letters I got before she passed away was a letter 
about an issue that was very controversial, but she had resolved it, 
and it was just before she died.
  So to the very end--and that's what they told us at her funeral, by 
the way, they said she was working until the day she died.
  But then she did something very important. She passed on the baton to 
a young lady now who turns around and says, ``You know what? I am not 
going to let you be forgotten.''
  And this Congress is not going to let her be forgotten because her 
life is a shining example of what all our lives should be. I want to 
thank again all sides for making this happen.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I didn't realize that we had any other 
speakers, so I would like to either reclaim my time or request that the 
gentlelady from California yield some time to the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from 
Tennessee reclaims his time.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I then yield to the ranking member of the 
House Administration Committee, my good friend, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Ehlers), such time as he may consume.
  Mr. EHLERS. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank you for 
the accommodation.
  As soon as I discovered this issue was before us, I rushed to the 
floor so that I could participate in this discussion.
  I worked closely with Ms. Millender-McDonald for several years. When 
I was Chair, she was ranking member, and when she was Chair, I was 
ranking member.
  The word that comes to mind the second I think about her is 
``elegance.'' She was a very elegant person. I mean that in a very 
positive sense. I'm not talking just about elegance in dress, elegance 
in bearing, but to the core of her being she was an elegant, wonderful 
human being.
  I enjoyed working with her. We accomplished a lot together on the 
committee. We obviously had our differences now and then, but we always 
worked through them. And what always struck me as something really 
wonderful about her and about our Nation, and to show how far we've 
come, that a sharecropper's daughter could become the Chair of a major 
committee in the Congress of the United States. That's amazing, but it 
speaks very well of her in the way she comported herself, the way she 
had taught herself, the accomplishments that she had made during her 
life. Just a very remarkable person in every way.
  The only regret I had was that she never shared with me anything 
about her illness or the seriousness of her illness. I believe she felt 
she had to carry that burden alone. And I would have been delighted and 
honored had she shared with me more of the details so that I could help 
her on this journey towards death, and that I could have been at her 
side praying with her and comforting her.
  But it's just a great delight to see this honor bestowed upon her. I 
certainly hope this is an elegant highway that we're dedicating to her, 
because it would be befitting of her and her accomplishments, and above 
all, her presence as a human being, that this highway reflect her 
greatness, her elegance, her ability, and her dedication to her people 
and to this Nation.
  I thank you.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, we have no other speakers.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this very fitting tribute to a 
great lady, our friend, Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he might consume 
to our chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Mr. 
Highways himself, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar).
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, there are many tributes one could 
establish for former colleagues: statues and plaques and naming of 
various facilities; but for Juanita Millender-McDonald, a 
transportation artery is truly appropriate, fitting, and necessary.
  From the time she set foot in this Chamber and won a seat on the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, she was ceaseless in 
her devotion to transportation initiatives. If I heard the term 
``Alameda Corridor'' once, I heard it a hundred times; if I heard the 
Desmond Bridge once, I heard it 50 times; if I heard ``freight 
transportation corridors'' once, I heard it a thousand times. It was 
endless. And that was her passion, her devotion, her commitment.
  There were many other causes that Juanita Millender-McDonald 
championed. The gentlewoman from California, her successor, Ms. 
Richardson, has already enumerated those. I will submit those in a 
longer statement for the Record.
  But I just want to take this moment, as we did in committee and here 
on the floor, to pay tribute to a dear friend, a champion of 
transportation causes, a person with soul, with spirit, with grace, 
with elegance who served her constituents and State and this Nation 
extraordinarily well. And it is appropriate that we memorialize that 
service by this naming we are undertaking today.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald 
was known consistently for pulling off unexpected victories. As a 
staffer and now as a Member, there are two things I cherish most: one, 
Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald, as our chairman just said, 
was committed to working and serving her constituents; number two, 
something she used to say to me often, ``You can't throw the baby out 
with the bath water.'' She had the unique ability to build, nurture, 
and develop others, particularly young adults . . . and the least of 
these.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Richardson) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4131.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.

[[Page H10145]]

  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________