[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 9922-9923]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO DESHAUNA BARBER

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 24, 2016

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in congratulating Deshauna Barber of 
Northeast Washington, D.C., a graduate of Virginia State University and 
the University of Maryland University College, who was crowned

[[Page 9923]]

Miss USA 2016 this month. Ms. Barber demonstrates the best qualities of 
District residents, and we believe she will bring out their best 
qualities as well during her reign. We are particularly proud that Ms. 
Barber is a lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve, serving as a 
Logistics Commander for the 988th Quartermaster Detachment Unit at Fort 
Meade, Maryland. She also works as an IT consultant at the United 
States Department of Commerce. During her downtime, Ms. Barber enjoys 
hometown D.C., and has a particular fondness for Gallery Place in 
Chinatown and our hometown staple Ben's Chili Bowl. Deshauna is a 
strong advocate for gender equality, particularly for our nation's 
military women. The nation, especially the District of Columbia, takes 
great pride in the constellation of characteristics and talents Miss 
District of Columbia brings to her work as Miss USA 2016.
  A District resident has won Miss USA only three times. Lt. Barber's 
victory comes at a watershed moment when District residents will be 
asked to approve a new D.C. statehood constitution in November. This 
effort has already significantly increased the visibility of D.C. 
statehood throughout the country. Our D.C. Miss USA almost surely 
brings new interest in her hometown and everything about D.C., 
including its quest for statehood. Today, Miss USA 2016, Deshauna 
Barber, has earned not only her title, but, like the almost 700,000 
other residents of the District, the right to full and equal 
citizenship.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in 
congratulating Miss District of Columbia, Deshauna Barber, the 2016 
Miss USA, and to thank her for her service to the country as a 
lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve and as a representative of 
the best of the citizens of the District of Columbia as Miss USA 2016.

                          ____________________