[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 109 (Thursday, July 7, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1057-E1058]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING WADE HENDERSON OF THE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE ON CIVIL AND 
                              HUMAN RIGHTS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES P. McGOVERN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 7, 2016

  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize Wade Henderson for his 
leadership and decades-long commitment to civil and human rights. I 
have been privileged to know Wade for over 30 years, having worked 
together on immigration and refugee issues when I was a congressional 
aide with Congressman Joe Moakley (MA). He has always been an advocate 
for and champion of the most vulnerable among us, and he was a generous 
mentor to me on the importance of protecting and advancing human 
rights.
  On July 19th, the Coalition on Human Needs will honor Wade for his 
years of extraordinary leadership, advocacy and organizing. He is a 
giant of the civil rights movement, mentioned--rightfully so--alongside

[[Page E1058]]

Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and my friend and colleague, 
Congressman John Lewis. Since 1996, Wade has led the Leadership 
Conference on Civil Rights (later named The Leadership Conference on 
Civil and Human Rights), and he has made it one of the most effective 
advocacy organizations for civil rights and human rights in America.
  During my years in office, I have been proud to work with The 
Leadership Conference under Wade's leadership on many issues of mutual 
interest and concern. Under his tenure, The Leadership Conference has 
worked to secure the rights of women, communities of color, ex-
offenders, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ community. He has 
fought tirelessly to meet the needs of low-income people, recognizing 
that freedom from want is a human right. He believes and fights to make 
sure that everyone is included in the rights and benefits of our 
democracy, that all have a place at the table. So much of this is now 
possible today because of Wade, his commitment and dedication.
  As the President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and 
Human Rights, Wade has been a constant source of trusted leadership, an 
unending recipient of our admiration, and an enduring guide on our path 
toward making this a more just and equal nation for all. It is my honor 
today to recognize Wade Henderson for his dedication and skill and to 
thank him for all he has done on behalf of justice and on behalf of our 
nation. I thank him for his service, and I wish him nothing but the 
best in his well-deserved retirement.

                          ____________________