[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15493-15496]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1900
     COMMEMORATING AND CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF MS. JACQUELINE ELLIS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Carter of Georgia). Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of January 6, 2015, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al 
Green) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority 
leader.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to stand before the 
House tonight to commemorate and celebrate the life of my former Chief 
of Staff, Ms. Jacqueline Ellis.
  Mr. Speaker, Ms. Ellis served well. In the sense of many, she was the 
436th Member of Congress. She helped to educate not only new persons 
who were here in administrative capacities, but also Congresspersons. 
She helped us to understand what Congress was all about.
  I am honored tonight to say some kind words about her and to 
acknowledge a colleague who is here and will be saying a word as well.
  To my right is a photograph of my very dear friend and former 
coworker, Jacqueline Ellis. She was born in Mobile, Alabama. She was 
born at a time when persons of African ancestry could buy a hat, but 
they couldn't try it on; at a time when persons of African ancestry 
would have to step aside so that others could step forward; and at a 
time when persons of African ancestry were relegated to certain places 
in life, certain schools, and certain places of business. They had to 
go to the back door for their food. They would drink from colored water 
fountains. She was born at a time when this country did not respect all 
of her rights.
  Who could have known that when she was born in Mobile, Alabama, that 
she

[[Page 15494]]

would make her way from Mobile to Capitol Hill?
  There was no way to predict at the time of her birth that she would 
come to this Nation's Capitol and that she would serve three Members of 
Congress--one United States Senator and two U.S. Representatives: the 
Honorable Major Owens from New York's 11th Congressional District, the 
Honorable Senator Heflin. And, of course, she served in my office. No 
one could have known.
  I think, quite frankly, that this speaks to the greatness of the 
country, that we have moved light years away from some of the 
circumstances that we had to endure earlier in the history of this 
country.
  Notwithstanding all that has been done, there is still great work to 
be done. Tonight I want to say to you that this person born in Mobile 
during very difficult times has received an indication from the 
President of the United States of America that he was saddened to learn 
of her demise. I include in the Record a letter from the President.

                                              The White House,

                                   Washington, September 28, 2016.
     Mr. Chris Ellis,
     Bowie, Maryland.
       Dear Chris: I was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of 
     your sister, Jacqueline. My heartfelt condolences are with 
     you as you reflect upon her life.
       May cherished memories help temper your grief, and may you 
     find comfort in the support of loved ones. Please know you 
     will remain in my thoughts.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Barack Obama.  

  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. She has also been honored by a good many of my 
colleagues here on the Hill, including the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, who 
sent a letter to my office and expressed verbally her condolences and 
her sympathies. She has also been honored by the Honorable Steny Hoyer, 
by the Honorable Jim Clyburn, and by the Honorable Xavier Becerra. She 
has been honored by Members of Congress in many capacities. We have a 
resolution that has been filed. This resolution is one that pays 
tribute to her. It has been signed on to by a good many Members of 
Congress as well.
  So tonight I am pleased to say that Jacqueline Ellis, born in Mobile, 
Alabama, and matriculated her way to and through the Halls of Congress 
is now resting in peace.
  She was a person that lived every day of her life in the sense that 
she was busy doing something for someone every day of her adult life. 
She worked up until the moment she was hospitalized. Literally, I was 
the last person to speak to her. She and I were going to an event, the 
ALC dinner, the Congressional Black Caucus dinner as it is called, and 
she was there to pick me up and take me to the dinner. She called me 
and said to me: I will be waiting for you. I am downstairs.
  I said that I will be down in about 10 minutes.
  Within that period of time, she called me back and informed me that 
she needed to go to the hospital. I rushed down to her, and when I got 
there, the emergency assistance was already there. She called them 
prior to calling me apparently. I immediately assisted them, and we 
went to the hospital together. She stayed in the hospital for some days 
and made her transition.
  The important point to make is that she was working. Her work was her 
life. She lived to perform her duties. She was on her job in the sense 
that she was assisting that evening, and she was there all day long. 
She was ill, but she would not stop working. There were times when we 
would ask that she take some time off, but she always wanted to come to 
work.
  Her work was her inspiration in a sense. Her work was the thing that 
gave her a reason to continue to go on, and she never, ever complained. 
There is a song that speaks to the kind of person that she was because 
there are many of us right here in Congress who can relate to this. 
When you see the great eagle flying, you assume that it is the wings. 
But there is a song that addresses how it is that the eagle can soar to 
these high heights. That song says that it is not the wings, but rather 
it is the wind beneath the wings. She was the wind beneath the wings of 
a lot of people who were able to soar to high heights, a lot of people 
who did not understand all of what was before them when they accepted 
the responsibility to become a part of a congressional staff or a 
Member of Congress. She became the wind beneath their wings and helped 
to guide them through Congress.
  I am pleased to tell you that we have had several celebrations of her 
life. We had one in this area immediately after her untimely demise--
untimely to me because I had hoped that she would be with us a lot 
longer than she was. We also had a celebration of her life in her 
hometown of Mobile, Alabama, attended by a good many dignitaries and 
staffers from the Hill; a celebration of her life in Houston, Texas, 
similarly attended. She has been recognized and honored by people that 
she came in contact with.
  She made a difference. I will relate one brief vignette before I ask 
my colleague to come to the podium. When I was looking for my first 
chief of staff--and she was my first and only chief of staff, I might 
add. When I was looking for my chief of staff, I was a neophyte in 
Congress, and I brought her on board. You are always unsure about a new 
hire, especially a person who is going to be key to the office, a 
person that everything sort of evolves around. So I was unsure as to 
whether or not I had made the right decision.
  She and I were together, and I saw her pull over rather abruptly. She 
was driving. My recollection is that this happened more than once, but 
on this occasion, she was driving. When she pulled over, she ran over 
to a person, and I saw her hand the person something, and then she came 
back to the car. I immediately wanted to know who this was. Was it 
somebody that she knew? Because she did it so abruptly.
  She said: No, I didn't know that person.
  The person was not dressed in a suit and tie. The person did not have 
the appearance of what we would call status, although I think everybody 
has status. The person did not appear to be a captain of industry, if 
you will. She went over and she gave that person money. I found out 
later on that she would go to the credit union, and she would extract 
dollar bills--some stack; I don't know how many in the stack--and she 
would use that money to just give to people that she would encounter 
that she was of the opinion needed some help.
  When she did it on that day, I knew that I had made the right 
decision because I then knew that I saw the sermon that many people 
preach. It is truly better to see a sermon than to say one, or to be 
one than to say one. I saw that day ``love your neighbor as you love 
yourself.'' I saw on that occasion ``help somebody.''
  I saw her live up to the true meaning of the spirit of the story of 
the Good Samaritan who saw the person in the streets of life and went 
over and took that person to the inn and said: Here is money. Use this 
to help this person. And if this is not enough, when I come back, I 
will give you more.
  I saw the good neighbor in Jacqui Ellis. I knew then that I made a 
good hire because I had a person who would not only speak a sermon, but 
would be a sermon.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), 
who is my colleague from Houston, Texas. The Honorable Sheila Jackson 
Lee hails from the 18th Congressional District. She serves on the 
Judiciary Committee, she serves on the Committee on Homeland Security, 
and she has served us in Congress for a good many years.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the Honorable Al 
Green of Texas.
  Mr. Speaker, we are like family in this House, Republicans and 
Democrats, as we work together and work with our staff. I am very clear 
in the fact that Ms. Ellis was the only chief of staff that Congressman 
Al Green of Texas had, and that he made an A-plus choice, and she, 
likewise, in accepting his offer to be his chief of staff.
  She was a 30-year veteran, and she brought to his office and brought 
to this House a sense of affection and love for the institution, for 
democracy, and for America. Not only did she have the

[[Page 15495]]

privilege of working for Congressman Al Green of Texas and he the 
privilege of having her as his chief of staff, she worked previously 
for Congressman Major Owens of New York, and the late former Alabama 
Senator Howard Heflin.

                              {time}  1915

  It means that she understood the institutions that helped to lay down 
the pillars of democracy.
  She was a spiritual mother to the tens upon thousands of young people 
who came to this place with starry eyes to make a difference--spiritual 
mother, sister, mentor, and friend to many people, including elected 
and people of high ranking status.
  She was a graduate of a historically Black college, and, as well, she 
had a background in government affairs.
  But, more importantly, she had a big heart. And she was eager, as I 
am told by the staff, to be able to help all the new and young staff. 
They knew they could go to Jacqui Ellis.
  She was a Christian woman as well, and she served on many important 
organizations. In particular, I worked for the Southern Christian 
Leadership Conference. She was a national board member, the 
organization founded by Dr. Martin Luther King, and Ralph David 
Abernathy, and where Andrew Young worked, and Josea Williams, and so 
many others. James Orange, and those of us young people who believed 
that we could overcome.
  She was a recipient of the Ella Baker Award from the SCLC and Martin 
Luther King, III.
  But where I got to see Jacqui really making it and doing it was in 
her leadership with C. Delores Tucker, and her work with the National 
Congress of Black Women. As a board member, I remember coming as a 
young Member of Congress, and we would go to that very famous 
breakfast, Congressman Green, the Sunday after the Congressional Black 
Caucus, and there was Jacqui. She was the orchestrator, the guider. She 
respected C. Delores Tucker. She honored the women who came. She was at 
their beck and call--we need this.
  She was the person that the likes of Malcolm X's wife, Rosa Parks, 
and Coretta Scott King, because they used to come during their lifetime 
every year, and those of us who were young Members of Congress, she 
welcomed us with open arms and allowed us to sit in the royal place at 
the feet of these great women who she had come to know, and they had 
come to know and love her, as we held this wonderful program about the 
empowerment of women and, in particular, African American women.
  She was, as well, the co-chair of the Bethune DuBois Institute, Inc. 
Leadership Forum and, as well, she has received awards from the 
Congressional Black Caucus.
  So I close by simply saying, yes, she has a litany of accolades and 
honors. We wish that she could have lived on and on and on. Some say 
that the young die young. We certainly believe that Jacqui Ellis, our 
friend, our lover of this institution, this great staff person, was 
taken way too young.
  As I told my friend and colleague, earlier this year, I experienced 
an enormous tragedy in losing a dear staff person, who, though a short 
time, had become so much a part of our extended family. And so, 
Congressman Green, I know it hurts. It hurts many of her fellow 
staffers and friends. Certainly we know her family suffered great pain.
  But I can say, as we salute great Americans, and each have done 
something in their way to move this country forward, I want to say that 
Jacqui Ellis lived in the greatest country in the world. It was already 
a great country. But she was so much a part of making this country a 
country that welcomed all of the young talent and those new faces that 
desired to be part of the greatness of this country. She did it with 
open arms and a big heart. We will miss her greatly, but she has left a 
legacy of service. As you have noted, she stopped along the highway of 
life and gave what she had to someone who looked like they needed it 
more.
  So to Jacqui I say: farewell our dear friend, farewell, for you are 
certainly one who is a good and faithful servant. May you rest in 
peace.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Jackson Lee for her 
very, very kind words. She did know Jacqui well. She had a lot of 
respect for her. I appreciate her taking the time to come by this 
evening.
  I want to also acknowledge that the Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson 
was here but had to step away.
  I want to also acknowledge that some 150 individuals have given us 
expressions concerning Jacqui, a number of organizations, at least 20, 
and we have 41 cosponsors of the resolution that I spoke of earlier, H. 
Res. 905, which expresses condolences to her family, and it 
commemorates her life.
  Finally, we have elected officials, at least 64, including the 
President and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who have 
expressed their sympathies and condolences. She was truly a person who 
touched a lot of people in a very positive way. I am honored to say 
that I was associated with her and that she truly made a difference in 
my life.
  Mr. Speaker, as we travel the road of life, we meet many people. We 
remember some and a good many we do not. Jacqueline Ellis is someone 
that I will remember, and my belief is that a good many other persons 
who came into contact with her, whether it was for a very short period 
of time or for some duration, will remember her as well. These would 
include the members of the sorority that she was affiliated with, Delta 
Sigma Theta. She was very active in this sorority. She was loved, and 
is still loved, by the members of Delta Sigma Theta. They would come to 
the Hill on an annual basis and they always took time to come by and 
visit her. She would always welcome them and provide services.
  This is but one of the many organizations that will continue to honor 
her, I am sure. The others that will remember her that she came in 
contact with would be SCLC, as was mentioned by my colleague, the 
Southern Christian Leadership Conference. This was the organization 
that Dr. King led. This was the organization that fought for human 
rights, civil rights, and human dignity across the length and breadth 
of this country. She was part of that organization. In fact, she was on 
the board.
  She and Martin King, not Martin King the father but Martin King, III, 
the son of Dr. King, were the very best of friends--the very best of 
friends. He has traveled great distances to pay tribute to her. He was 
there in Mobile, Alabama. He came here for the services that we had. 
And he always, when he was in Washington, DC, would take the time to 
come by our office to say hello to Jacqui.
  People who met her along life's way would also include the Links. The 
Links was an organization that she was affiliated with and that she 
took great pride in assisting as they were having their various events. 
She was always helpful to other people to make sure that they were able 
to be successful in their endeavors. When you travel the road of life, 
the highway of life, you meet many people. You don't remember them all, 
but there are some who are special, and these are the persons who will 
stand out in your mind and will be remembered in the very years to come 
of your life.
  So tonight, I am grateful that the leadership has allowed us this 
time to pay tribute to Jacqueline Ellis, who was born in Mobile, 
Alabama, on October 22, 1957, a very difficult time in the life of the 
country, and who made a transition on September 21 of 2016. She is 
gone, but she is not forgotten. She will be remembered. We are grateful 
that we have had an opportunity to commemorate her life and celebrate 
the wonderful person that she was.


                             General Leave

  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special 
Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.

[[Page 15496]]


  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today, I join my 
colleagues to recognize a true pillar in the congressional community, 
Ms. Jacqueline Ellis. Jacqui began working on Capitol Hill when it was 
not common for a woman, let alone a woman of color to work here, but 
she never let that stop her. Her path in life is admirable and truly 
shows her resilience and dedication to public service.
  During her tenure, she changed the lives of countless men and women, 
particularly those of color that she came in contact with. It was not 
uncommon for her to give her all to anyone that came through her door 
without asking for recognition. She stayed humbled and committed to her 
purpose to fulfill her life's mission of service.
  Her love and dedication to Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was felt 
with all her sorors, especially those who work on Capitol Hill. She 
assisted with hosting Delta Days at the Nation's Capitol and ensured 
that all who attended felt welcomed and loved. She also was the 
matriarchic for Deltas on the Hill, which gave members of her sorority 
at space to laugh, love and support each other on Capitol Hill. To my 
colleagues who are members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., I mourn 
with you all today for the loss of your sister.
  She was a true humanitarian and her presence is missed throughout the 
halls of the Capitol. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family, 
Congressman Al Green's staff, her sorors, and all those who she 
impacted in her lifetime.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and Congressional 
Black Caucus colleague, Congressman Al Green of Texas, for leading 
tonight's Special Order Hour to honor and in memorial to beloved 
Congressional staffer, Jacqueline A. Ellis, known to most of us as 
Jacqui.
  On September 21, 2016, the world lost Jacqueline Ellis, a beloved 
mentor, friend, colleague, and sister, and we, here in the halls of 
Congress, lost a legend.
  Through her nearly 30 years of service in the people's House, Jacqui 
helped to expand diversity on the Hill and inspired countless young 
people to dedicate their lives to public service.
  She served as a mentor for many young African-American staffers who 
came to Capitol Hill looking to make a difference in our nation.
  When Jacqui became a House staffer in 1988, there were few people of 
color in the corridors of the Congress, but that did not dissuade 
Jacqui. Instead, it inspired her to assist and help numerous Black 
staffers thrive.
  Upon her passing, hundreds of former and current Congressional 
staffers took to social media to share their stories and memories of 
Jacqui. Words like ``good listener''--``wonderful woman''--``especially 
there to help young people''--and ``enormously respected'' were used.
  As one of the first Black women to serve as a Chief of Staff on 
Capitol Hill, she was a trailblazer who opened the door so other that 
women of color could follow in her footsteps.
  She founded the Organization of African-American Administrative 
Assistants for Chiefs of Staff in the House. And, she worked quietly 
behind the scenes to expand equality of opportunity and to strengthen 
our democracy.
  Jacqui was also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., 
and one of my sorors. She was instrumental in planning and executing 
the annual ``Delta Days'' on the Hill.
  She was also a proud member of The LINKS Incorporated and coordinated 
its Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Issues Forum.
  Her charitable nature, her unbridled spirit, her selfless dedication 
to public service, and her strong faith will certainly be missed.

                          ____________________