[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 176 (Wednesday, December 7, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1617]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF REPRESENTATIVES CHARLES B. RANGEL AND CORRINE BROWN

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                      HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 7, 2016

  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 
the legacies of two of my esteemed colleagues, Charles B. Rangel and 
Corrine Brown. At the close of this Congress, Representative Rangel and 
Representative Brown will be concluding a combined sixty-nine years of 
service in the U.S. House of Representatives.
  I am truly appreciative and honored to have worked with these two 
dedicated and respected individuals. Today, I want to especially 
recognize their work for the Veterans Braintrust Forum, founded by 
Congressman Rangel in 1988. The Veterans Braintrust Forum serves as a 
virtual advisory group for the Congressional Black Caucus on veteran's 
issues. This year's forum focused on the VA's Commission on Care 
report. I am so thankful for the unwavering commitment that these two 
Members of Congress have for our nation's military, veterans, and 
African Americans, and I am proud to call them my friends.
  Representative Rangel began his work in Congress forty-six years ago, 
and I am proud to have been able to work beside him. A Korean War 
veteran, he entered public service fighting for civil rights and 
military veterans. In 1965, he participated in the historic march from 
Selma to Montgomery and in 1971 he was elected to the United States 
House of Representatives for the first time.
  During his tenure in Congress, Representative Rangel provided decades 
of leadership on veteran's issues by increasing educational and health 
benefits for the Vietnam Era and Desert Storm veterans, securing the 
creation of the Harlem Veterans Outreach Center, and implementing tax 
protection for members of our Armed Forces and veterans. He also was a 
founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, an organization 
dedicated to advancing the global African American community.
  Representative Rangel is not the only one transitioning from the 
House at the end of this term. Over two decades ago Representative 
Corrine Brown and I began serving together in Congress. She has been an 
effective advocate for our nations' veterans. Her leadership on the 
House Veterans Affairs Committee has helped to ensure that veterans 
have the resources they need to live healthy and productive lives. She 
also spent her time supporting the concerns of women veterans and 
fighting to end homelessness among veterans. Through her efforts, the 
first African American Marines, the Montford Point Marines, also were 
awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2012.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our 
sincerest appreciation and best wishes to Representatives Charles 
Rangel and Corrine Brown, as they enter this next chapter in both of 
their lives. The U.S. House of Representatives will surely not be the 
same without their leadership.

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