[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 196 (Wednesday, November 18, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7065]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO ASYA BRANCH

  Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, it gives me great pleasure to rise this 
afternoon, as I do, to commend an outstanding young American. In this 
case, a young Mississippian; namely, Miss Asya Branch, from Booneville, 
MS, who was recently crowned as Miss USA 2020.
  For those of you from Michigan, take some pride. She was born in 
Michigan but moved to Mississippi at an early age and spent her 
childhood in Booneville, as I said. She graduated this year from my 
alma mater, the University of Mississippi, having studied broadcast 
journalism.
  Miss Asya Branch has experienced dizzying success during the past 2 
years. In 2018, Asya Branch won the title of Miss Mississippi under the 
Miss America Organization. The following year, she became the first 
African-American woman to win the other State title, Miss Mississippi 
USA. She is only the seventh person in history to hold both State 
titles: Miss Mississippi and Miss Mississippi USA. And now she is the 
first-ever Miss Mississippi USA to win the Miss USA crown.
  Asya Branch has been competing in pageants since 2016, when she won 
her first preliminary title in the Miss Mississippi competition. She 
went on to win Ole Miss's Parade of Beauties competition and numerous 
local titles. She has gained wide recognition because she is beautiful, 
well-spoken, and she is a gifted vocalist. But, also, there is a 
serious part of her platform and serious personal story of Asya's in 
overcoming adversity, and I admire that so much in Asya Branch. She 
speaks openly about her father's 10 years in the State prison, 
resulting in his absence for much of her upbringing. That difficult 
period shaped who Asya Branch is and gave her strength and a unique 
perspective on incarceration.
  During the Mississippi pageant, Asya's platform was empowering 
children of incarcerated parents. Can you imagine the courage of a 
young woman taking that on as her platform? It enabled her to reach out 
to other children, encourage them that their lives do not have to be 
defined by their circumstances.
  During her year as Miss Mississippi, she was part of a White House 
roundtable, where she discussed criminal justice and prison reform, 
much as we did here on the floor of the U.S. Senate. And the First Step 
Act--she discussed this act with President Trump and Vice President 
Pence, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, and lawmakers, including 
Senator Hyde-Smith and me.
  She also started the Love Letters Program in which she donated 
stationery and stamps to inmates, allowing them to write to their loved 
ones. In her new role as Miss USA, she plans to expand Love Letters to 
a national level and continue advocating for criminal justice and 
prison reform.
  You can see why I am so proud of Asya Branch and so impressed with 
her accomplishments. She has the honor of holding two State titles and 
now a national title. This speaks to her unique gifts, accomplishments, 
courage, and passion for bringing about constructive change to the 
world.
  I commend Asya for her example of perseverance. She has made 
Mississippi proud, and I think she is going to make the United States 
proud as she moves forward next year to the Miss Universe pageant, 
where I am sure she will do well. I encourage all Americans to root for 
her next year, as we will certainly be doing at my house.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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