Date: 2015-07-22
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I am delighted to be here with my colleagues from all over the Nation. Leader PELOSI. Whip HOYER. and my colleague as well. Congressman JOHNSON from Dallas. We all gathered at the funeral of Speaker Wright. and it was almost like a reunion of family members from the many political persons. public servants who not only through the years have known Speaker Wright. but really. those who came to honor him because of the iconic role that he played in the history of Texas and the history of America. We are excited that he was a Speaker that cared about people and cared about Members. He. as was indicated. was born in Fort Worth. loved Fort Worth. and never wanted to leave Fort Worth. I think it is interesting that he was the son of a professional boxer who turned tailor. After the attack in Pearl Harbor in December 1941. he left college to enlist in the United States Army and flew combat missions in the South Pacific. earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and Legion of Merit. He was of the Greatest Generation. He served in the Texas House. From his hometown of Weatherford. he became the mayor for his boyhood home. He served in that post for 4 years. from 1950 to 1954. before his first congressional victory. Speaker Wright had a way with words. He was an eloquent speaker. He was a disciple of House Speaker Sam Rayburn. a fellow Texan. He was also a disciple of another Texan. Lyndon B. Johnson. who served in the Senate during Wrights initial years in Congress before becoming Vice President in 1961. He was in the Presidential motorcade on November 22. 1963. when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. To describe the depth of sadness that engulfed us that day defies vocabulary. he once said. recalling how the friendly mood of the Dallas crowds turned to sheer terror and horror. It was that day that his friend. Lyndon B. Johnson. became the President of the United States. He worked hard for the people of Fort Worth. He was a person of deep courage. brilliance. eloquence. and complete mastery of the legislative process. He was decisive and strong. and he handled his Texas Members. He championed the causes of Texas. He believed in the goodness of America. and he was a great achiever. He loved the Boy Scouts. As I indicated. his father was a boxer. and he started out doing that as well. I come today to honor him as a great American and to add to this tribute that he served with President Lyndon Baines Johnson when the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were passed. He was a friend of one of my predecessors. the Honorable Barbara Jordan. They served together. They knew each other. They were strong Texans. but they loved America. I know that. as we look to promoting his legacy. besides caring about this institution and loving America and honoring our men and women in the United States military. I know that it is also time. in his name. to bring forward the Voting Rights Act reauthorization that will. again. restore and invest in the rights of people to vote and will capture what he understood to be the right way to handle Americas business. and as well. it captures his friends vision. the Honorable Barbara Jordan. who. in fact. wrote the language to add Texas to the Voting Rights Act. I thank you. Congressman. for having this very special Special Order for us to thank a dear friend who. again. I salute tonight as a great American. To his family. thank you so very much for sharing Jim WrightSpeaker Wrighta great Texan and a great American. with all of us. Mr. Speaker. today. we mourn the loss of one of Americas most distinguished and dedicated public servants: Speaker Jim Wright. From the service that earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross in World War I to the leadership that defined his 34 years in the House. Jim Wright exemplified commitment to the future of Americas families. Jim Wright represented Fort Worth in Congress for 34 years. Jim Wright was a peacemaker. local politician and international leader and a consummate Democrat who offered his hand for bipartisanship. Jim Wright worked for the people of Fort Worth. whether it was winning a bomber contract for a Fort Worth defense contractor or helping an individual with their Social Security. Speaker Wright was a person of deep courage. brilliant eloquence. and complete mastery of the legislative process. Speaker Wrights strong. decisive leadership built an indelible legacy of progress. not only in his beloved state of Texas. but around the world. Speaker Wright championed prosperity for every working family. and helped lead the way to peace to Central America. After he left the House. Wright continued to share his wisdom with new generations of leaders as a professor at Texas Christian University. Jim Wright was an achiever. When he was 10 years old. he tried to join the Boy Scouts. two years ahead of the minimum age. As a 13yearold boxer. he told officials he was 16 in order to enter an AAU tournament. where he won two bouts and lost the third in a close decision. Jim Wright became hooked on history and decided to become a congressman while he was sidelined from high school football by a knee injury. Jim Wright was 23 when he started his political career when he was elected to the Texas Legislature. He never stopped serving our country. and his achievements will stand forever as a living monument to his determined vision and legendary ability. We hope it is a comfort to Speaker Wrights family. friends. students and colleagues that so many join them in grieving and honoring such a wonderful man. Today we bury a favorite son of Texas. Speaker Wright was a man who loved his country and today we mourn his loss. He was the Speaker of the House in Congress and a humble man. During the funeral many spoke to his ability to forgive and the words of his greatgranddaughter will always stay with me which was that when we leave the funeral today she wanted us to think of hope over despair and prosperity over scarcity. If the Congress can begin to turn its attention to these philosophies America will be a better nation. We should always pay tribute to those who helped make Texas great. Speaker Wright has left us with a remarkable story.