[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 10, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H2101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                      HONORING ELANA MEYERS TAYLOR

  (Mrs. McBath of Georgia was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, as we continue our celebration of Black 
History Month, I rise to recognize a Georgia trailblazer, Elana Meyers 
Taylor, a member of Team USA Bobsled. Elana is a mother of two and the 
only athlete from Georgia competing at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in 
Milan.
  Born and raised in Douglasville, Georgia, Elana attended George 
Washington University on a softball scholarship. She began bobsledding 
in 2007 and is competing in her fifth Olympic Games for Team USA. She 
has won five medals, making her the most decorated Black Winter 
Olympian in history.
  Elana has won nine World Championship medals and four USA Bobsled and 
Skeleton Women's Athlete of the Year awards. She has also served as the 
president of the Women's Sports Foundation, giving a voice to women 
around the globe.
  Elana's community is so proud of how she represents us on the world 
stage. On behalf of Georgia's Sixth Congressional District and the 
United States House of Representatives, we wish Elana all the best at 
the Olympics in Milan.


                   Many Changes Since Founding of CBC

  Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, during Black History Month, a time of 
celebration and honoring of our ancestors, we cannot ignore the 
challenges we face as a nation.
  As the daughter of civil rights trailblazers, I take pride in serving 
as a leader within the Congressional Black Caucus. I know we must move 
forward with faith that our Nation's best days remain in front of us, 
if we continue to lead by example.
  I may have been just a child when the Congressional Black Caucus was 
formed, but its very founding embodied the spirit of what our dear 
friend, John Lewis, called ``good trouble.''
  Following President Nixon's refusal to meet with the 13 founding 
members of the Congressional Black Caucus, our founders made national 
headlines when they decided to boycott his 1971 State of the Union 
Address. Their efforts secured an audience with the President, where 
they went on to present 61 policy recommendations. They sought this 
meeting ``out of a deep conviction that large numbers of citizens are 
being subjected to intense hardship, are denied their basic rights, and 
are suffering irreparable harm as a result of current policies.''
  It is striking to me to read these words because, out of context, one 
might believe that these are words to describe the way so many of the 
American people feel about this moment, about this Congress, about this 
President.
  It is true that America has made remarkable progress since the 
enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 
1965, but I wonder who among the original 13 members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus would have dared to imagine that less than 
40 years after their founding that one of the CBC's members would be 
elected to the highest office in the land.
  Yes, the world has changed for Black people in America. Despite our 
gains, we are still grappling with a backlash to that progress. We see 
it in obvious ways, like the hate and racism that spreads through 
social media posts. However, even more concerning is the way in which 
Federal policies exacerbate years of discriminatory practices against 
communities of color.
  We see it in housing discrimination, healthcare disparities, and wage 
gaps. We see it when the extraordinary service of the Tuskegee Airmen 
is scrubbed from the Department of Defense websites in an effort to 
erase their service to our Nation. We also see it when the very 
teachings of Black history in our Smithsonian Institution are 
threatened by executive order.
  Just as the Congressional Black Caucus of 1971 did, the Congressional 
Black Caucus of 2026 refuses to stand by in the face of these efforts 
to undermine the impact and the importance of Black men and women, and 
we stand against extremists that would rather erase our history than 
address our needs.
  President Barack Obama said it best: ``On the challenges of our times 
. . . on the threats of our time . . . members of the CBC have been 
leaders moving America forward.''
  Yes, we have. Yes, we will continue to do so.

                          ____________________