Date: 2014-09-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of H.R. 78. which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4110 Almeda Road in Houston Texas as the "George Thomas Mickey Leland Post Office Building." I thank the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform for taking up consideration of H.R. 78. which I introduced to honor our beloved former colleague George Thomas Mickey Leland. by having a post office in the 18th Congressional District designated in his name. My thanks to Congressman DOUG COLLINS and Congressman DANNY DAVIS for management of the floor debate on this bill. In 1983. Mickey Leland married Alison Clark Walton. and fathered three wonderful children. Jarrett David. and twins. Austin Mickey and Cameron George Leland. who were born on January 14. 1990. following his tragic death. On November 27. 1944. George Thomas Leland. III was born to George Thomas Leland. II and Alice Raines. in Lubbock. Texas. Mickey Lelands mother moved the family. which included his brother William Gaston Leland. to Houston where she worked in a drugstore and later became a teacher. Mickey Leland thrived in the city of Houston where as a youth he enjoyed a successful career as a high school sports star at the Phyllis Wheatley High School in Houston. In 1965. Mickey graduated in the top 10% of his class from Wheatley High School and enrolled in Texas Southern University (TSU). where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy in 1970. Mickey Leland had heart. passion and brains and he used all three to the benefit of the poor and working poor living in the city of Houston. Following his graduation from TSU he was hired as an Instructor of Clinical Pharmacy at TSU from 19701971. This was not enough for Mickey who saw so much work that needed to be done for those in need. While working as a TSU instructor he established a "doortodoor" outreach campaign in lowincome neighborhoods to educate people about their medical care options and to perform preliminary health screenings. Benjamin Mayes once said. "The tragedy of life is often not in our failure. but rather in our complacency. not in our doing too much. but rather in our doing too little. not in our living above our ability. but rather in our living below our capacities." Mickey Leland was not complacentone of his first efforts in public service was to work with city of Houston health officials to set up community health clinics. Mickey Leland. as an active member of the Black Community Action Team. ("Black Cats") worked towards other reform measures. which led to the establishment of the health system for Casa del Amigos. In Fifth Ward. Houston. Mickey Leland helped initiate a free community health clinic called the Jensen Medical Referral Service. Long before the passage of the Affordable Care Act. he was creating an opportunity for universal health care for poorest of the poor living in the 18th Congressional District. In 1972. he made the full transition to public servant when he ran for and won election to the Texas House of Representatives to represent the 88th District of Houston Texas. He was reelected to successive twoyear terms. serving in the Texas House until 1978. Mickey Leland was the first AfricanAmerican legislator in the Texas State legislature to serve on the SenateHouse conference Committee as a member of the House Appropriations Committee. During his time as a member of the Texas House of Representatives Mickey Leland is remembered for promoting legislation that provided Texas residents access to generic prescription medication. and for his support of employment opportunities for minorities. He also supported the creation of universal access to health care for Texas residents through establishment of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs). In 1978. Mickey Leland expanded his public service to include the entire 18th Congressional District when he was elected to Congress. succeeding the legendary Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. Congressman Leland served in the United States House of Representatives for nearly 10 years. He was chosen Freshman Majority Whip in his first term. and later served twice as AtLarge Majority Whip. Martin Luther King. said. "Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable . . . Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice. suffering. and struggle. the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals." During his time in Congress Mickey Leland engaged in tireless and passionate concern for others. As a member of Congress. he Chaired the Congressional Black Caucus. Advocated for ethnic diversity through affirmative action in broadcast employment both on and off camera to promote responsible and realistic television and cable programming. served as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. chaired the Subcommittee on Postal Operations and Services. served on the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service and the Subcommittee on Compensation and Employment. established the Select Committee on Hunger. Mickey Leland was an effective spokesman for those suffering from hunger in the United States and he joined with Republican Congressman William "Bill" Emerson. who represented Missouris 8th Congressional District. to create the House Select Committee on Hunger. Through the power of bipartisanship Mickey Leland and Bill Emerson began a mission that still resonates todaythat food is a basic human rightand should never be used as a weapon. The Select Committee on Hunger led by Mickey Leland and Bill Emerson is credited gaining Congressional approval of an $8 million annually appropriation for a developing the nations Vitamin A program that is believed to have reduced child mortality. The antihunger committee also worked to improve hunger conditions for impoverished neighborhoods in the United States. Bill Emerson died while in office and was succeed by his wife Jo Ann. who served the people of Missouris 8th District for many years. In 1983. in the midst of civil war. the nation of Ethiopia experienced the worse famine in nearly 100 years. which led to more than 400.000 deaths. A significant drought contributed to the famine. but it had more to do with the war that impeded aid and the violence that was visited upon people who were displaced as they searched for food. He led the effort for the Africa Famine Relief and Recovery Act of 1985. The legislation provided $800 million in food and humanitarian relief supplies. He was asked by then Speaker Tip ONeill to lead a bipartisan Congressional delegation to assess conditions and relief requirements in Ethiopia. Mickey Lelands trip to the Sudan in the spring of 1989. made a tremendous impression on him. which made his mission against hunger a personal commitment to help the Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia. Throughout his time in the House of Representatives his commitment to end hunger and homelessness became his mission and now it is his legacy. Nelson Mandela observed that. "If you talk to a man in a language he understands. that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language. that goes to his heart." Mickey Leland knew how to speak to the hearts of people to move them to action with the goal of relieving suffering where he found it. The international attention Congressman Leland brought to the plight of famine victims in Ethiopia by his personal commitment to bring nongovernmental assistance to support government efforts saved thousands of lives. Mickey Leland met personally with Pope John Paul II about food aid in Africa. Pope John Paul II once said. "Have no fear of moving into the unknown. Simply step out fearlessly knowing that I am with you. therefore no harm can befall you. all is very. very well. Do this in complete faith and confidence." While Chairing the Congressional Black Caucus he proudly presented the first awards the Caucus had ever given to nonblack recipients: Rock musician Bob Geldorf and news person Ted Koppel. Bob Geldorf was honored for his Band Aid concert and fundraising efforts for Africa Famine victims. and Ted Koppel was honored for his news stories on the African famine. On Lelands sixth visit to Africa on August 7. 1989. his plane crashed near Gambela. Ethiopia on a mountainside on his way to visit the Fugnido refugee camp on the SudanEthiopian border. The camp held more than 300.000 Sundanese escaping famine and war in their adjacent country. The plane. carrying sixteen people. was found after a six day search in southwestern Ethiopia. Congressman Leland was joined on that fateful flight by: Hugh Anderson Johnson Jr.. Patrice Yvonne Johnson. both his Congressional aides. Joyce Francine Williams. an aide to fellow Congressman Ronald V. Dellums. who served as an expert on child nutrition. Y. Ivan Tillen. a New York businessman and friend of Congressman Lelands. Robert Woods. a political and economic officer at the American Embassy in Addis Ababa. Gladys Gilbert. a special projects officer for the mission of the U.S. Agency for International Development attached to the embassy. Thomas Worrick. the acting AID representative in Ethiopia. and Worricks wife. Roberta. Also seven Ethiopians were killed including Debebe Agonofer. an Ethiopian agricultural economist with the AID mission. and six other Ethiopians. including the planes crew of three. Mickey Lelands dedication and service were honored at services throughout the State of Texas and in Washington. DC. The U.S. Congress named the Mickey Leland Harris County Courthouse Annex located in the city of Houston in his name. TSU honored Mickey Leland and Barbara Jordon by dedicating the School of Public Affairs as the "Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs." Mickey Leland was laid to rest in accordance to his wishes in a plain pine coffin. under an oak tree in Houstons Golden Gate Cemetery located in his former neighborhood. Mickey Leland we stand on this floor among the shadows of yesterday and the dreams of tomorrow to honor you for what you have done in far too short a lifetime There is much more to the life of Mickey Leland that I want to share with my colleagues who will be voting on this bill to name a Post Office in his name. His lifes work to end famine. hunger. and provide access to health care to the poor are tremendous in and of themselves. but he contributed much more to the lives of people he touched. Mickey Leland was a person who loved people and found great joy in gatherings where he could meet new people or share moments with family and friends. He had a great sense of humor and would soon have others laughing at one of his stories or an account of a personal experience. He accomplished a great deal and still had time to encourage young people to pursue careers in public service. In 1980. Mickey Leland and his close friends J. Kent Friedman and Vic Samuels founded the Mickey Leland Kibbutzim Internship. Mickey Leland was so deeply moved by his visit to Israel in 1979 that he wanted other young people to share that experience. His admiration for the Kibbutzim Movement. and his own childhood experiences of growing up in poverty inspired him to create a program to fund urban youths travel to the Holy Land. The Mickey Leland Kibbutzim Internship has benefited outstanding high school students from the fifth Congressional District who demonstrated leadership skills allowing them to have travel to Israel. To honor his legacy and commitment to youth. the Leland Fellowship Program at the University of Houston was initiated and launched. The Leland Fellowship Program supports historically. economically disadvantaged students who may want to pursue employment opportunities as congressional staff members. Leland Fellows are provided with a monthly stipend and roundtrip airfare. as well as paid housing. Upon successful completion of the program. interns earn 312 upper level hours in political science. Mickey Leland as Chair of the House Post Office and Civil Service Subcommittee on Postal Operations and Services championed the United States Postal Servicewhich remains one of the worlds most efficient low cost national postal systems. In 1987. when the Postal service considered closing a 52yearold post office in Philadelphia he raised questions about the buildings future after the announcement to abolish 87 jobs. Mickey Leland championed the cause of our men and women of the Postal Service by acknowledging that they were then and remain the most productive and efficient in the entire world. He chaired the committee at a time when the Postal Service was undergoing change and renovations that spoke to its age and the demand for its services by the American public. It is the one agency that touches every home and business in the United States 6 days a week. The Post Office for roughly a hundred million Americans is the face of the Federal government. Mickey Leland reminded us that life is made by those who take the hard road and tough challenges. Your mission to change how America viewed famine and hunger was monumental because it saved the lives of millions through domestic and international food programs that you created or inspired. First Corinthians Chapter 12 verse 11 through 13 reads "When I was a child. I spoke as a child. I understood as a child. I thought as a child. but when I became a man. I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass. darkly. but then face to face: now I know in part. but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith. hope. charity. these three. but the greatest of these is charity." George Thomas "Mickey" Leland once was a child. but he grew into a man and knew in part the wages of hunger and famine and it was enough to set his course in life to relieve the suffering of people no matter where they were or who they were. He demonstrated charity in the truest sense of the word. I was proud to call you a friend and mentorand I am honored to stand before our colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to affirm your impact on the city of Houston. this nation and the world. I thank my colleagues who join me in honoring former Congressman Mickey Leland by naming the Post Office located at 4110 Almeda Road in Houston. Texas. as the "George Thomas Mickey Leland Post Office Building." This post office will be a living memorial to a dedicated public servant. It has been over 25 years since we lost the Honorable George Thomas "Mickey" Leland. I ask that my colleagues in the House of Representatives honor the life and legacy of Honorable George Thomas "Mickey" Leland by passing H.R. 78.