[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17746]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   A TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR EMANUEL CLEAVER, II

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Richardson) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great 
man, one of the most respected Members of this House, a leader of 
unparalleled ability, a trusted friend, and one of the best chairs in 
the 41-year history of the Congressional Black Caucus. I'm talking 
about the distinguished gentleman from Missouri, the honorable Emanuel 
Cleaver, II.
  The Congressional Black Caucus has long and rightly been known as the 
``Conscience of the Congress,'' and it's no exaggeration to say that 
Emanuel Cleaver is the conscience of the CBC.
  Prior to being elected to the House of Representatives, he served on 
the local level. But since coming here to the House in 2004, Emanuel 
Cleaver has been a champion for the poor, the aged, the infirm, and for 
those struggling to join the middle class or working to stay there. He 
has worked tirelessly to expand educational and employment 
opportunities for those looking to build a better life for themselves 
and their families and to represent God. He has done so with dignity, 
grace, civility, and unfailing good cheer.
  As CBC chair during the 112th Congress, Emanuel Cleaver understood 
the importance of drawing attention to the economic crisis in the 
African American community, where the unemployment rates were more than 
double that of whites. And under his leadership, the CBC launched the 
``For the People'' Jobs Initiative, hosting town hall discussions and 
job fairs, one of which was in Los Angeles, in my hometown, and four 
other urban areas hit hardest by the recession.
  The CBC took the feedback that was received from those communities 
and its recommendations for creating jobs to the President, who 
included them in the American Jobs Act.
  Following the assault and the murder of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 
African American teenager in Florida, the CBC stood up for his parents 
and made sure their plea for justice did not go unheeded. Chairman 
Cleaver understood that justice delayed is justice denied. And when the 
precious right to vote was under attack this election season, the CBC, 
led by Chairman Cleaver and the incoming chair, Marcia Fudge, exposed 
those voter suppression efforts and worked overtime to overcome those 
obstacles and to ensure that our constituents were ready and able to 
vote with the CBC's ``For the People'' voter participation initiative. 
As a result, African American turnout in the 2012 election far exceeded 
expectations and was successful in reelecting President Barack Obama.
  Mr. Speaker, Chairman Cleaver has led the Congressional Black Caucus 
with skill, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to justice and 
equal opportunity during some of the most critical times of this 
Nation's history. I thank Chairman Cleaver for his service, for his 
leadership, for his friendship, and, most of all, for his example of 
being led by God here in the House of Representatives.

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