[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 6624-6625]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING OUR NATION'S MOTHERS

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon to pay 
tribute to the Nation's mothers and to be able to wish them a wonderful 
and happy Mother's Day.

[[Page 6625]]

  This morning I had the privilege of going to the women's war memorial 
at Arlington Cemetery to lay a wreath for our fallen women who fell in 
battle and in service to their Nation; many of them were mothers. I 
stand today to say to them, even in the loss of life, we thank you. We 
honor you.
  I honor my mother, who lost her life in 2010, Ivaleta Jackson, along 
with my aunt, Valerie Bennett, along with my living aunt, Vickie 
Bennett, and as well Audrey Bennett and some of the mothers of my 
community: Ruby Mosley, Dany Simmons, Sylvia Gonzalez, Ester Campos. So 
many mothers who have served their communities. The late Beulah 
Shepard. So many of them.
  But I want to say to the Nation's mothers that we have an obligation 
to ensure that your children are protected and that the lives of women 
are protected and that we recognize and respect all of the service, all 
of you that are stay-at-home mothers who take care of the children at 
home; those who work; those who work and have children. To those who do 
so many things, I am so honored to be able to say, you are, in fact, 
America's sheroes. We honor you this weekend. But, actually, as we're 
taught, we honor you every day of the year.
  God bless you. God bless the United States of America.

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