[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15576]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             GIVING THANKS

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Let me say good morning and wish America a 
wonderful season, but more importantly I hope everyone had a blessed 
Thanksgiving. That is what I'd like to speak about, this whole idea of 
giving thanks and recognizing where we are today. Before I start that, 
very briefly let me encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting 
the Congressional Gold Medal for Malala.
  We often speak of children, but we often as well fail to recognize 
children. Malala is a little girl in Pakistan who was willing to stand 
up to the Taliban to say that we too deserve an education. She is being 
promoted as the person of the year. I hope Congress will celebrate her, 
as well.
  I mentioned Thanksgiving, and I believe it is important to focus on 
that because I call upon my colleagues to gather their wits about them 
as we reflect on what will approach us in January of 2013. It will not 
be the decline that everyone is being frightened about, because in 
essence they do not start those cuts right at the beginning. Why don't 
we be deliberative? Why don't we lay down on the table that we will 
protect Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid, what people have 
earned? Why don't we explain to people that everyone at $250,00 and 
below will get a tax cut, everyone will, no matter what your wealth 
level?
  Why don't we stop throwing at each other various stones and other 
things and be deliberative on behalf of the American people. We should 
be thankful to live in the great country that we live in.

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