[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 149 (Thursday, September 14, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H4306]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF GERALD ``GERRY'' HEBERT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Veasey) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and 
legacy of a good friend and brilliant attorney and someone who is a 
staunch advocate for voting rights all across our great land in the 
State of Texas, Gerry Hebert.
  Originally from Worcester, Massachusetts, Gerry earned his law degree 
from Suffolk University. Upon graduating, he began his career as an 
attorney practicing voting rights.
  From 1973 to 1994, Gerry served in the Department of Justice, where 
he worked as lead attorney in numerous voting rights and redistricting 
lawsuits. He also served as a chief trial counsel in over 100 voting 
rights cases. In his 20-year tenure at the DOJ, he received numerous 
commendations, including an award for his work in connection with the 
Boston school desegregation case in 1975, which received much national 
attention.
  I had the privilege of knowing Gerry very well through his times as 
cocounsel with the Legal Defense Fund, the Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale 
and Dorr LLP firm, where he partnered to successfully challenge 
racially discriminatory voting ID laws in Texas.
  I will always remember Gerry's hard work, his dedication. Gerry was 
someone that just understood the Constitution and the laws of our land 
so well and could have chosen a different career in law that would have 
earned him millions and millions of dollars, but Gerry truly wanted to 
help the people, especially people that were disenfranchised and had 
been wronged, particularly people that had been historically wronged.
  Gerry will always be remembered as a great guy. Gerry leaves behind a 
wonderful family, some of whom I have gotten to know. I express 
condolences from the bottom of my heart. We will all miss Gerry, in 
particular, the people and the communities that Gerry defended to make 
sure that they had equal rights in this country.

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