[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16263]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSMAN JACK BROOKS

  (Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as announced earlier by 
Congressman Ralph Hall, we lost a memorable Texas legislator, 
Congressman Jack Brooks, who proudly served his southeast Texas 
district for 42 years after he was first elected in 1952, ultimately 
serving as dean of this House of Representatives and dean of our 
congressional delegation.
  I knew Jack Brooks from my days in the State legislature, and he was 
one of my mentors when I first came to the House of Representatives. 
Representative Brooks was known for his tough persona and for chewing 
on his cigar while commanding a room. But he had a heart of gold. I 
remember sitting down with him when I first came to the House of 
Representatives. When he asked me what committee I wanted to serve on, 
I thought, well, I'll get what I need. I told him I wanted Energy and 
Commerce. He chewed on his cigar and said, You'll get Ed and Labor and 
like it.
  But Jack was a great leader and a role model. He supported civil 
rights bills, refused to sign the segregationist Southern Manifesto in 
1956, and helped write the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964 that 
banned racial segregation.
  May we always remember Congressman Jack Brooks. He was a great man, 
political figure, U.S. Marines veteran, and a friend that I'll never 
forget.

                          ____________________