Date: 2013-05-20
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Allow me to thank both of my very good friends. the gentleman from New York and the gentleman from Nevada. for really answering the call of the First Amendment. The First Amendment guarantees the freedom of speech. but I think the most important part of speech is information. Thank you for the opportunity to share with our colleagues and share with America the pending crisis. If I might just quote from an article in the Houston Chronicle by a writer in the early part of February. Mike Tolson. that said: Like a hurricane churning across the Gulf of Mexico. the looming Federal sequestration threatens everything in its path. If the deep and automatic Federal budget cuts actually take place. there will be damage somewhere perhaps a lot of somewheres. So today were standing on the floor of the House embracing some of the historic comments as relates to the African American community and other minority communities about the value of education. How many of us have been told by our parents that it was the door. the key. to opportunities? How many of us recognized it by listening to the words of Dr. Benjamin Mays. who was a leading voice at Morehouse and an educator. who always spoke of the slaves rising from the ashes. to be educated. to do good? And the debate between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. It was a question of The Talented Tenth. but it was also a question of those who could pull their buckets up where they stand. to be artisans. carpenters. painters. and others. But it was to learn something. to be educated. Today I stand sadly on this floor. Mr. JEFFRIES. and acknowledge that as I speak. one of my boards is having a meeting. They are a school district. not higher education as we talk about tonight. but it plays into this because there is a siege upon education in America. That board and that community. the North Forest Independent School District. is fighting with every breath in their body to keep from closing after theyve succeeded in reaching all of the goals that were given to them by the Texas education agency. But our Governor. Governor Rick Perry. is opposed to their survival. Our commissioner. Commissioner Michael Williams. is opposed to their survival. And as well. what a contrast. when just a few days ago he saved another school district. not African American. with the same proposal North Forest has. So I stand on the floor today to join you and acknowledge: is the siege continuing? It seems to be. because right now our friends. our Republican friends. this House. refuses to have a conference on the budget. A conference on the budget might put us in a better position than what we will be doing today. H.R. 1911. It might put us in a better position than what the Department of Education. unfortunately. has had to do with the reconfiguration on the parent PLUS loans. I ask why the budget conference has not been called? Why are we on the backs of people who are suffering and who want to get an education? Why are we on the backs of those. like in north Texas. who are suffering from tornadoes or the disaster today. where we dont know how many lives have been lost? Why are we suffering? Why dont we have a budget conference? Why are we suffering when we recognize how much education provides? I thank you.