Date: 2014-06-19
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. today is June 19. an ordinary day in the lives of many. many Americans. That is why it is important to come to the floor and wish so many in our Nation Happy Juneteenth. For some. that may be a foreign terminology. But we are now in the 149th year of the 1865 Emancipation Proclamation for several States in the Deep South. Those who know their history would say the Emancipation Proclamation was in 1863. They are absolutely right. But it took 2 years for States like Texas. Louisiana. and many others to. unfortunately. receive notice that the slaves were free. Two more years my fellow Texans. African American slaves. had to languish in the abomination of slavery because someone failed to think it was important enough to reach those boundaries and say we were free. So it speaks very loudly to the reason I am an advocate and a fighter that justice must be maintained no matter who you are in this country. Those in Texas that. as I speak. are commemorating and celebrating Juneteenth Freedom Day. are proudly acknowledging. not their fault that they did not know. not a joke. not humorous. but a sad statement which we in Texas and Southern States have turned into a joyful jubilee. We celebrate freedom wherever and however we can. This Congress needs to be a promoter of freedom and justice. I join my colleagues in being appalled at the fact that we have not yet extended unemployment insurance for hardworking Americans. Let me say that again: unemployment insurance. It means that it is not a handout. it means that these are individuals who worked for weeks. months. years. decades. They have given back to America. Now they have fallen on difficult times. Because of this leadership in this House of Representatives. we have not been able to put the extension of the unemployment insurance passed in the other body on the floor of the House. That means in my district that individuals who were rehabilitating themselves and were working and fell upon hard times because of the economy have no jobs and cannot get unemployment insurance. When I met with some of them. A trained welder said. I want to work. I am between jobs. and he was literally driven to homelessness and walking the streets because we could not give him unemployment insurance based upon the fact that he has workedor those who are now losing homes or not able to pay their rent. Where is the mercy and justice? Are we following in the pathway of Juneteenth when we did not tell thousands upon thousands of slaves you were free? I thought America would not return to the devastation and dastardliness of injustice to anyone. Let us put unemployment insurance on the floor of the House and address the questions of Americans who have worked and contributed to society. Then. Mr. Speaker. I would argue that there is an injustice going on in Iraq. I traveled to Iraq many times during the raging war. I saw the valiant soldiers. many of whom maybe after I left were part of those who were casualties. I had in my office the list of casualties in the 18th Congressional District. I would be very mindful of going back into that quagmire. What I would say is that America does stand for justice and democracy. We should have the position to treat Sunnis and Shiites and Kurds freely and justly. and that they have to come together and treat each other with respect. We should call upon Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Jordan. and Yemen. we should give them supportthe Arab Leagueto stand Iraq up and to tell this leader. who is a selfish leader. who is not in any way reflected on bringing people together. that he must bring people together. And we must say to the ISIS that the world will not stand for its violence and its horribleness. And yes. we must say to those who are in the yesteryear. who were part of last times term. those who are former Vice Presidents and their extended relatives. that this is no time to cast dirt on President Obama. who has done an excellent job. Americans come together when there is difficulty and tragedy. I am very disappointed in The Wall Street Journal article that wants to cast blame when people are dying in Iraq. Lets stand up and be united. Just a few days ago. I came back from Nigeria. where the horrific Boko Haram is killing people and kidnapping girls. I ask my colleagues to please stand with us to not let the kidnapping of the Nigerian girls be a side story. Mr. Speaker. As I close. I intend to introduce human trafficking legislation as a senior member of Homeland Security to address the question of the human trafficking of these girls. and girls and women of color. the highest population of those who are trafficked. We can do things together in America. and I ask us to stand together.