[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 28, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H1004]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO MARYLYN SCHMIDT

  (Mr. CONYERS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Marylyn Schmidt, 
a resident of the State of Michigan, who dedicated her life to the goal 
of achieving true universal health care for all Americans.
  She spent countless hours, day in and day out, organizing, 
mobilizing, and educating the citizens of Michigan in order to build 
grass-roots support for passage of a single-payer bill in Congress, 
H.R. 676. She passionately believed that every person in America should 
have access to quality, affordable, and accessible health care as a 
fundamental civil and human right.
  I knew Mrs. Schmidt for almost two decades. I had a profound respect 
for her unique leadership in advocating for human rights, universal 
health care, and protecting Social Security and Medicare. She belonged 
to numerous community and social-justice organizations, including the 
Michigan Improved Medicare for All, the Michigan Alliance to Strengthen 
Social Security and Medicare, the Michigan Universal Healthcare Access 
Network, and the Oakland County Welfare Rights Organization. For over 
20 years, she fought for the human, economic, and civil rights of the 
voiceless and the vulnerable citizens of Michigan who wanted nothing 
more than a better life for themselves and their children.
  Thank you, Marylyn Schmidt, for remaining steadfast in your belief 
that health care should be a fundamental human right in this country. 
The people of Michigan and all of those you helped and fought for will 
always remember your kindness, your courage, and dedication to this 
just cause.

                          ____________________