[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 54 (Monday, March 28, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H3883-H3887]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COVID-19 AMERICAN HISTORY PROJECT ACT
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4738) to direct the American Folklife Center at the Library
of Congress to establish a history project to collect video and audio
recordings of personal histories and testimonials, written materials,
and photographs of those who were affected by COVID-19, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4738
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``COVID-19 American History
Project Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds as follows:
(1) COVID-19 is a highly infectious respiratory illness
caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2. This disease has caused
a worldwide pandemic affecting millions of people and has
fundamentally altered the operations of the world's cities,
businesses, and schools.
(2) The outbreak of COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan,
China, and on January 21, 2020, the first confirmed case of
COVID-19 was diagnosed in the United States.
(3) The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a
global pandemic on March 11, 2020, and the President of the
United States issued a national emergency declaration
concerning the pandemic on March 13, 2020.
[[Page H3884]]
(4) To date, 194 million individuals have tested positive
for COVID-19. Of those, 35 million are Americans; that is,
more than one of every 10 Americans. Almost 4.2 million
people have died from COVID-19 globally, and over 610,000
deaths have occurred in the United States.
(5) The first American received the COVID-19 vaccine on
December 14, 2020. Since then, 163 million Americans have
been vaccinated and 188.5 million have received at least one
dose. The vaccine became available to every American adult 18
and older on April 19, 2021.
(6) While there are still remaining cases, and healthcare
professionals and researchers are tirelessly working to
eradicate the disease, it is important we begin work to fully
capture the firsthand personal stories of those impacted by
COVID-19, a major national event in the history of this
country.
(7) Oral histories are of immeasurable value to historians,
researchers, authors, journalists, film makers, scholars,
students, and citizens of all walks of life. Survivors of the
pandemic, survivors of loved ones who lost their lives to
COVID-19, and frontline healthcare workers should be
remembered and can provide valuable firsthand knowledge on
how this pandemic impacted their everyday lives.
(8) It is in the Nation's best interest to collect and
catalog oral histories of Americans who were affected by the
pandemic so that future generations will have original
sources of information regarding the lives and times of those
who lived through or died from the COVID-19 pandemic and
conditions under which they endured. These accounts will
allow an opportunity for Americans to remember those who lost
their lives and may learn firsthand of the heroics,
loneliness, horrors, and triumphs of the healthcare workers
who combated this pandemic.
(9) The Library of Congress, as the Nation's oldest Federal
cultural institution and largest and most inclusive library
in human history, is an appropriate repository to collect,
preserve, and make available to the public an archive of
these oral histories. The Library's American Folklife Center
has expertise in the management of documentation projects and
experience in the development of cultural and educational
projects for the public.
(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to create a new
federally sponsored, authorized, and funded project that will
coordinate at a national level the collection of video and
audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials,
written materials, and photographs of Americans who
contracted COVID-19, individuals who lost family members and
friends to COVID-19, and healthcare workers who fought to
treat the illness. These stories will inform, assist, and
encourage local efforts to preserve the stories of this
pandemic and the ones who lost their battle to the pandemic.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROJECT AT AMERICAN FOLKLIFE CENTER
TO COLLECT VIDEO AND AUDIO RECORDINGS, WRITTEN
MATERIALS, AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF INDIVIDUALS
AFFECTED BY COVID-19.
(a) In General.--The Director of the American Folklife
Center at the Library of Congress shall establish a history
project to be known as the ``COVID-19 American History
Project'' (hereafter referred to as the ``Project'') to--
(1) collect video and audio recordings of personal
histories and testimonials of individuals who contracted
COVID-19, individuals who lost family members to COVID-19,
and frontline healthcare workers who fought to treat the
illness;
(2) create a collection of the recordings obtained
(including a catalog and index) which will be available for
public use through the National Digital Library of the
Library of Congress and such other methods as the Director
considers appropriate, to the extent feasible and subject to
available resources; and
(3) solicit, reproduce, and collect written materials (such
as letters and diaries) and photographs relevant to the
personal histories of individuals who contracted COVID-19,
individuals who lost family members and friends to COVID-19,
and frontline healthcare workers who fought to treat the
illness, and catalog such materials in a manner the Director
considers appropriate, consistent with and complimentary to
the efforts described in paragraphs (1) and (2).
(b) Use of and Consultation With Other Entities.--The
Director may carry out the activities described in paragraphs
(1) and (3) of subsection (a) through agreements and
partnerships entered into with other government and private
entities, and may otherwise consult with interested persons
(within the limits of available resources) and develop
appropriate guidelines and arrangements for soliciting,
acquiring, and making available recordings, written
materials, and photographs under the Project. The recordings,
written materials, and photographs shall be available on the
Library of Congress website and may be used to educate the
public on the impacts COVID-19 has on everyday Americans.
(c) Timing.--As soon as practicable after the enactment of
this Act, the Director shall begin collecting video and audio
recordings under subsection (a)(1).
SEC. 4. PRIVATE SUPPORT.
(a) Acceptance of Donations.--The Librarian of Congress may
solicit and accept donations of funds and in-kind
contributions to carry out the Project, subject to subsection
(c).
(b) Establishment of Separate Gift Account.--There is
established in the Treasury (among the accounts of the
Library of Congress) a gift account for the Project.
(c) Dedication of Funds.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law--
(1) any funds donated to the Librarian of Congress to carry
out the Project shall be deposited entirely into the gift
account established under subsection (b);
(2) the funds contained in such account shall be available
only to the extent and in the amounts provided in advance in
appropriations Acts;
(3) the funds contained in such account shall be used
solely to carry out the Project; and
(4) the Librarian of Congress may not deposit into such
account any funds donated to the Librarian which are not
donated for the exclusive purpose of carrying out the
Project.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
Act--
(1) $250,000 for fiscal year 2023; and
(2) such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding
fiscal year, except that no funds are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this Act for any fiscal year which
begins after the expiration of the 3-year period beginning on
the date of the termination of the declaration of the public
health emergency declared by the Secretary of Health and
Human Services pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health
Service Act on January 31, 2020, entitled ``Determination
that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the
Result of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus''.
SEC. 6. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall
be determined by reference to the latest statement titled
``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act,
submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the
Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such
statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney
Davis) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania.
General Leave
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4738 establishes a COVID-19 history program within
the Library of Congress' American Folklife Center.
March 11 of this year marked the second anniversary of the World
Health Organization's official designation of COVID-19 as a pandemic.
Since then, more than 6 million people worldwide have succumbed to the
disease, almost a million in the United States alone, and hundreds of
millions more have suffered from its debilitating effects.
Experts agree that current statistics are likely undercounting the
disease's actual toll. Indeed, the true scale of social and economic
devastation caused by the virus may never be known.
Although the virus continues to disrupt daily life in ways both seen
and unseen, through American ingenuity and sheer force of will, several
effective vaccines were developed in record time. These vaccines
continue to be an important tool as the fight to eradicate the
coronavirus goes on.
As the country and world enter this next phase of the pandemic, it is
important that we preserve the stories of those who lived through it.
COVID-19 is not the first pandemic, and it will not be the last.
Humanity has endured Black Death, cholera, influenza, HIV, AIDS, and
the list goes on. As devastating as these diseases can be, there are
lessons to be found in each: lessons of love and loss, of peace and
strife, of failure and triumph.
Tragically, few know this firsthand better than my colleague, the
gentlewoman from Louisiana and sponsor of this bill, who lost her
husband, Luke, to the disease.
We applaud her for bravely answering the call of public service at
such a difficult time, and we hope she and her family continue to heal
and his memory serves as an inspiration to them in all that they do.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
[[Page H3885]]
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4738, the COVID-19
American History Project Act. I thank my colleague, Congresswoman Julia
Letlow of Louisiana, for championing this important legislation.
When the COVID-19 pandemic reached our shores, our lives were all
impacted. Some of these changes were temporary, and some of them were
permanent.
Congresswoman Letlow continues to live every day with the impact this
pandemic has had on her family, and I am inspired by her courage and
willingness to share her story. Unfortunately, her story is not
entirely unique, and many families across this Nation have been forced
to say good-bye to a loved one far too soon.
Their lives and memories deserve to be recorded, collected, and
preserved so that this unprecedented pandemic is accurately understood
by historians, students, and Americans from all walks of life.
Over the last 2 years, we have all felt fear of the unknown. In a lot
of ways, when the pandemic hit, our Nation was caught off guard. This
project will help ensure future generations can learn from the trials
we have overcome and the triumphs we have been able to achieve.
The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress is the
largest and most extensive library in human history, and I can think of
no better place to house the personal histories, testimonies, written
materials, and photographs of Americans whose lives were lost, those
who bravely stood on the front lines, and also all those who
demonstrated the American spirit through innovation, resilience, and
compassion.
As Congresswoman Letlow has expressed, this project is about
providing healing and hope for the future.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important
legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1745
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 15 seconds to my
colleague from Louisiana (Mr. Graves).
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, over the last 2 years,
everybody has a COVID memory. It might be the masks that were mandated
on folks across the United States. It might be that cup of coffee that
you tried to drink, forgetting that your mask was on. It might be how
we have seen incredible evolution--
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, against my better
judgment, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr.
Graves).
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Illinois for his evolution in thought there and for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, over the last 2 years, we have seen just an absolutely
incredible experience going through COVID. It might be the mask
mandates that were thrust upon people, and as I mentioned, it might
even be a funny memory of people trying to eat or drink coffee through
their mask, as I know I have.
We have seen this evolution in the workforce where people are working
remotely all over the United States, and we have seen millions and
millions of people choose to leave the workforce.
This is something that has affected so many people. We have seen
multi-generational businesses close, and we have seen fledgling
businesses surge as a result of COVID-19, as a result of this pandemic.
We have seen the record speed at which vaccines, plural, have been
developed under Operation Warp Speed. We have seen treatment protocols
that have evolved. And, by some measure, we have seen up to a million
Americans that have lost their lives.
Mr. Speaker, there is so much history behind COVID-19, behind this
pandemic. There have been things that have been just absolutely
remarkable, like the innovation in our pharmaceuticals, in developing
vaccines, innovation in technology with the evolution of incredibly
convenient technology like Zoom or Webex or GoTo Meeting or other
technologies allowing people to videoconference, sometimes wearing
shorts or pajama pants with their suit up top. This has been absolutely
amazing, watching what has happened.
But perhaps, Mr. Speaker, the most powerful impact of COVID-19 is not
necessarily the successes and failures, the misfires, the things that
have worked well, but it has been our personal losses.
Mr. Speaker, the sponsor of this bill, Congresswoman Julia Letlow
from my home State of Louisiana, lost just an incredible man, a man who
had a servant's heart, a man who cared so much for those that couldn't
necessarily fight for themselves.
Congressman-elect Luke Letlow was elected to represent the small
communities around Louisiana and around this Nation, I will say it
again, to fight for those that were, in many cases, incapable of having
a voice by themselves that was needed to change policy. But,
collectively, Congressman-elect Letlow was going to change that.
I want to thank Congresswoman Letlow, Luke's wife, and the
Representative from that area, for having the leadership, for bringing
this bill up, for making sure that we don't ever forget about all of
the powerful lessons learned from COVID-19, that we don't forget about
all of these powerful people, the heroes that lost their lives caring
for others, in some cases; those people that were on the front lines
trying to allow this country to continue, our economy to continue, our
society to continue.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Letlow for her leadership on this
legislation, and I want to thank her for recognizing all the lives that
were lost in the history here. I urge adoption of the bill.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Garbarino), my good friend.
Mr. GARBARINO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4738, the
COVID-19 American History Project Act.
I am proud to co-sponsor this bill and stand with my friend,
Congresswoman Letlow, who knows better than most the devastation of
this pandemic.
Two years ago this month, an unknown virus swept across the world,
taking lives and changing others forever. Our way of life was brought
to an abrupt halt, and even now, we are still trying to claw our way
back to normal.
Our State was hit hard and early. Nearly 70,000 New Yorkers lost
their lives to COVID-19. Too many families are now missing fathers,
mothers, brothers, and sisters. Too many friends are lost.
Hardly anyone has made it through the last 2 years unscathed. It is
unlikely that those of us living through this pandemic will ever forget
these years of strife.
What about those after us? Only by preserving and remembering times
of difficulty can we ensure that future generations are prepared for
what may come their way.
Mr. Speaker, the memories of our friends and loved ones lost to COVID
deserve to live on. The memory of Luke Letlow and that of hundreds of
thousands of Americans like him deserve to live on.
This bill would ensure that they do and that their loss will serve as
a reminder for future generations.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she
may consume to the gentlewoman from Louisiana (Ms. Letlow), the sponsor
of this piece of legislation and my good friend.
Ms. LETLOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the House considers H.R.
4738, the COVID-19 American History Project Act.
The last 2 years have been unimaginable for every single American. As
COVID-19 ravaged our Nation, we lost nearly 1 million citizens to this
devastating virus.
For countless families, those deaths were not just a number on the
news but the visceral loss of a loved one: a grandparent, a husband, a
wife, a mom, a dad, a sister, a brother, a daughter, or a son.
My own family faced the pain of this pandemic as we lost my husband,
Luke, just days before he would take a seat in this very Chamber.
Studies tell us that when a person dies, approximately nine people
from
[[Page H3886]]
their inner circle, their family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors
suffer profound grief.
This bill is dedicated to them, the now nearly 9 million Americans
who live every day with newfound emptiness and suffering.
For families like mine, that loss means an empty chair at the dinner
table, a son who won't be able to go fishing with his dad anymore, and
a daughter who won't be able to dance with her father on her wedding
day.
But this bill also values our people's personal experiences during
the pandemic which will help inform the collective narrative. Their
accounts will facilitate healing and give hope to the generations of
Americans to follow.
The COVID-19 American History Project Act will task the Library of
Congress to record, collect, and keep the stories of Americans impacted
by the pandemic, personal accounts from those who survived this virus,
from those who lost loved ones, and from our healthcare heroes, the
doctors, nurses, technicians, ambulance drivers, and custodians who
served on the front lines of this pandemic, and to whom we owe an
enormous amount of gratitude.
This bill will allow us to use our voices as citizens to write the
history of this time. Personal stories are powerful and can promote
healing while also helping others who are hurting.
Medical research tells us that sharing a story through verbal or
written means has a cathartic effect on a grieving individual. I know
from my own life experiences that when we tell our stories of tragedy
and loss, that is when true healing begins.
It is time for the American people to heal. It is time for us to
finally put the fear and divisiveness of this pandemic behind us. It is
time to let the values of hope and peace guide our Nation once again.
Mr. Speaker, I believe it is fitting for this bill to come up for a
vote on the first day this House begins to reopen.
As we welcome the American people back inside their House, let us
also welcome the countless stories of those we lost throughout these
last 2 years.
Every day when I look into my toddlers' faces, I see their dad's
amazing spirit, and I find comfort in knowing that his greatest legacy
will live on through them.
But it is my children's generation and those not yet born who will
need to know the personal history and indelible impact of this
pandemic, and it should be written by the very people who lived it and
were impacted directly.
My husband, Luke, loved history and had a tremendous passion for
preserving our shared American heritage. His knowledge of the past
profoundly shaped his public service.
I think of the hours he spent poring over historical documents,
writing and publishing the stories of the people who came before us.
Let us preserve today's stories, not just to write a record, but to
inform the decisions of those who will stand in this Chamber decades
from now and chart the course for our Republic.
It is the dawn of a new day in America, one where we can finally
begin to move forward from COVID-19. And while we vow never to forget
the great suffering and loss so many of us endured, we stand emboldened
by the collective healing of the American spirit.
The Library of Congress' mission is to engage, inspire, and inform
Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source
of knowledge and creativity.
Let us amplify the voices of the American people. Let us use their
stories and experiences to write this history, and never let us forget
those we lost.
In closing, I am reminded of a quote from Rick Warren who said,
``Other people are going to find healing in your wounds. Your greatest
life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your
deepest hurts.''
Mr. Speaker, it is time for to us let our country heal. It is time
for us to share our stories.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have been in this
institution now and had the privilege to serve here for over 9\1/2\
years. And that was, by far, one of the most inspiring personal stories
that I have had a chance to witness.
I can tell you, based upon what I learned about Luke Letlow from my
colleagues like Garret Graves and Steve Scalise and Clay Higgins and
others, was that Luke Letlow was so excited to be a part of what we
sometimes take for granted here in the House.
I was a former staff member just like Mr. Letlow was, but his runoff
election was right at the time between orientation, where I would have
had a chance to meet him, and a chance for him to be sworn in. And that
is when the tragedy that Congresswoman Letlow talked about her family
facing took place.
Luke Letlow didn't get a chance to raise his right hand and be a part
of this House, but his legacy will live on forever as part of this oral
history project.
I cannot think of a better way for a mother to be able to give her
children, in honor of their dad and her husband, the legacy that he
deserves than by passing this bill tonight.
Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone in this institution to vote ``yes'' to
preserve the legacy of not only Luke Letlow but of those whose families
have been impacted the exact same way as the Letlow family by this
pandemic.
Let's move beyond this pandemic but let us never forget. Let us
remember our heroes, and let us remember those families, and let us
remember how great our country is to be able to move beyond.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congresswoman for bringing
forward this very poignant and important legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues as well to support this
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R.
4738, the ``COVID-19 American History Project Act.''
This bill directs the American Folklife Center at the Library of
Congress to establish the COVID-19 American History Project which will
collect and make publicly available individual stories and records of
experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
The bill includes a requirement to collect video and audio histories
and testimonials of those who were affected by the pandemic.
Mr. Speaker, the United States will soon reach a grave milestone. As
of 9 o'clock this morning, there have been 974,277 American deaths from
COVID-19. In the coming weeks, we will reach 1,000,000 deaths.
However, I believe that only focusing on that horrific number, though
nonetheless important, makes us forget about who we lost.
Therefore, with this time I would like to tell the stories of my
fellow Houstonians who sadly passed because of this unprecedented
public health crisis.
The stories I will be recounting are all courtesy of Houston Public
Media, of whose journalists I have been a strong supporter.
Knowing that his daughter would be unable to walk at her college
graduation commencement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Carlos
Araujo-Preza threw his daughter, Andrea Araujo, a belated graduation
celebration with her close friends and family in late October. She said
he really put in the effort to give her the best ceremony he could.
Dr. Araujo-Preza always went out of his way to make sure his daughter
and her brother were taken care of, despite a busy work schedule at
Tomball Regional Hospital. The siblings and their father spent their
weekends together binge-watching movies and TV shows together.
But in 2020, Andrea Araujo was forced to spend her 23rd birthday
without her father.
Araujo-Preza was two weeks away from receiving his first round of the
COVID-19 vaccine before he passed away. He died Nov 30, 2020, at the
age of 51.
He knew at a young age he was meant to pursue a career in the medical
field. Coming from a family of doctors himself, Araujo-Preza was viewed
as a loving caregiver and someone his patients could always rely on.
Araujo-Preza was the leading doctor at his hospital who specialized
in plasma research, while also distributing COVID-19 vaccines to
nurses.
``His colleagues were fans of him,'' she said. ``They loved when he
came into work.''
He would go out of his way to give his personal phone number to
patients and would accommodate their needs at any time of day. Araujo
said her father would wake up as early as 3 a.m. to go into work.
Araujo-Preza would sleep in the hospital for days and sometimes weeks
at a time to always be on call for his patients.
Now, Araujo said she tries to live by a saying her father used to
share in Spanish: ``The sun always rises the next day.'' Araujo-Preza
would tell his children to not let daily challenges in life hold them
back. Because, he said, as life goes on, you should too.
[[Page H3887]]
``I feel like people always say, `with time, things get better', but
I've noticed it's quite the opposite,'' she said. ``Every day gets
harder.''
That story was courtesy of Emily Jaroszewski at Houston Public Media.
The next story is one that is especially close to my heart: Dick
Cigler from the University of Houston.
Those who were mentored by Dick Cigler would tell you he left a
lasting impression as one of the most influential staff members at the
Daily Cougar--a highly regarded champion of free speech at the
University of Houston's newspaper.
``He taught us about the importance of journalism,'' said Tanya
Eiserer, an Emmy-award winning reporter for WFAA in Dallas and former
Daily Cougar student editor. ``He really taught us the importance of
doing the right thing, doing it for the right reasons; and standing up
for the underdog.''
Nowhere was that more evident than when, in the 1990s, a group of UH
journalists wrote a series of articles challenging the decreased
university budget for UH downtown students and the increased budget for
subsidiary campuses.
Dick allowed the students to voice their concerns brazenly.
``He didn't try to, you know, tell us to back down,'' Eiserer said.
``He ran interference, and they knew that we were an independent news
operation.''
Eiserer remembers Cigler as being a listening ear and a guiding
mentor when she transferred from Baylor University to UH. She regarded
him as one of the people who helped her become the reporter she is
today.
``I learned how to be a journalist at the Daily Cougar,'' said
Eiserer. ``I would not give that time back for all the money in the
world.''
Cigler worked as Director of UH's Student Publications department,
now known as the Center for Student Media, for 23 years until his
retirement in 2010.
His impact on the Daily Cougar can be felt to this day.
Cigler died on Jan. 24, 2021, at the age of 79. He leaves behind his
two daughters Kerri Runge and Michelle Cigler.
That story was courtesy of Myrakel Baker at Houston Public Media.
The last individual I want to mention is someone who is a local hero
but should be a national one. That person was John Bland.
More than 60 years ago, a group of Texas Southern University students
took seats at the lunch counter at Weingarten's Supermarket at 4110
Almeda Road, knowing they wouldn't be served.
It was Houston's first sit-in, and that spring, Black college
students in cities across the country forced the beginning of an end to
racial segregation--at lunch counters, department stores, and city
halls.
One of the TSU students at the sit-in was John Bland, a 20-year-old
who spent the rest of his life working to advance civil rights and
equal opportunity.
Bland worked as a bus operator at HouTran, now called Metro, and he
spent more than 50 years organizing with the Transport Workers Union.
He served as a vice president of the Texas State AFL-CIO, a president
of the Houston chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, a
precinct judge, and a member of the Houston Police Department Citizen
Review Committee.
``When workers would doubt their ability to beat the odds and make
change, Mr. Bland would say, `When we fought for integration in the
1960s, they arrested me 27 times, jailed me, and fined me, but that
didn't stop us,' '' Hany Khalil, Executive Director of the Texas Gulf
Coast Area Labor Federation, said.
Bland died on July 9, 2020, at the age of 80. He leaves behind his
wife, Betty Davis Bland, and their two daughters and grandson.
That story was courtesy of Jen Rice at Houston Public Media.
I wish I could mention every Houstonian and honor their lives because
they all deserve it. They were mothers, wives, fathers, husbands, sons,
daughters, and so much more. They will all be missed and are not just
another number.
It is for that reason, Mr. Speaker, that I strongly support H.R. 4738
and urge my colleagues to support it as well.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4738, as amended .
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. MOORE of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
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