[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 83 (Friday, May 28, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H4204]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             AMERICAN JOBS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this has been a whirlwind of a 
week, and I believe it is more than appropriate to summarize for the 
American people the real work that has been done, the triumphs, the 
challenges, but also the admitted courage of those who recognize that 
without heavy lifting, this country may not have been explored and 
stretched to the far reaches of the west coast, where many who traveled 
beyond the original settlements went West, young man, courage of 
Americans. This country would not have been great had Abraham Lincoln 
not stood up to a divided Nation, spoke against the evils of slavery, 
and unified this Nation.
  Although we have traveled a rocky road in the 20th century, moving to 
ensure the equality of all persons through the civil rights movement 
and women's movement, there have been many women of courage who made 
America different and better. I am grateful today that we left this 
place having voted on the American jobs bill that will provide for 
small businesses, that will create summer jobs, that will stop the 
moving of jobs overseas, that provide for the closing of tax loopholes, 
that provide for the physicians who nurture us, provide for our 
families, and it will create jobs.
  A position I have taken is on an amendment that I have written that 
would allow those unemployed to receive training and stipends without 
losing their unemployment insurance. Oh, yes, Mr. Speaker, we have work 
to do. I ask the governors of our States to stand up and be heard and 
provide for the FMAC, the Medicaid that is so much needed. I will fight 
with you. Of course, we need to work on the COBRA.
  But what we have done is to provide for jobs. Then we have said to 
the men and women of the United States military, we believe in you, 
providing for more benefits, more quality of life support for their 
family, more posttraumatic stress disorder counseling, providing for 
counseling of civilians that might have suffered a violent act on a 
military base such as those in Fort Hood--and an amendment that I 
offered will support it--provided opportunities for small businesses to 
do business with the Defense Department.
  To stand up for justice, to stand up for a young man by the name of 
Ensign Provo who lost his life because of his sexual orientation and 
the ugliness of hate, I believe we did the right thing in eliminating 
Don't Ask, Don't Tell, because the men and women in the United States 
military are well aware of what justice is all about. They are well 
aware of what political grandstanding is all about. They are well aware 
that this amendment will only move forward after we have scrutinized 
your opinion.
  Thank you to the men and women who are courageous enough to send us 
home, along with my own vote, to say to those who are an American in 
need that we believe in you and have fought for you.
  I close by thanking my beloved mom and acknowledging that her 
teaching gave me the grounding to be able to say that all men and women 
are created equal. She is no longer here, but I truly believe teachings 
of our mothers and fathers have always brought us to the higher calling 
of being able to help all people.
  On behalf of myself, my brother and our extended family, we are 
grateful to all who expressed their concerns. I just believe, with all 
seriousness, that what we must do is continue to help people to make 
their lives better and to change America for the best.
  I think we have got the best constitutional institution of democracy 
the world has ever seen, and that is the United States Congress. As we 
disagree, we still uphold this flag and the Constitution of the United 
States of America. We have now been sent home with a great amount of 
bounty for the American people and those who are in need, and we have 
gone home to say thank you to the men and women in the United States 
military and to acknowledge and to appreciate and to honor those who 
have fallen in battle.
  May God bless you as God blesses America.

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