Erica Lee Carter

Mrs. LEE CARTER

Mrs. LEE CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I had the honor, in Houston, before I came back here, of opening a medical gas training lab in the heart of the 18th Congressional District, paid for by ARPA dollars supported strongly by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and this House. These funds will provide training for apprentices with our local plumbers union, Local 68, our hardworking men and women, and they will help our large medical center that is an economic engine for Houston, Texas, and ensure that patients, nurses, and doctors are safe when these vital gases are put into their facilities. I was grateful to be there, and I thank the Harris County Commissioners Court: Judge Hidalgo, Commissioner Ellis, Commissioner Garcia, Commissioner Briones, and Commissioner Ramsey for their partnership with our Federal dollars. When we work together, there is nothing better we can do for America.

Mrs. LEE CARTER

Mrs. LEE CARTER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 8932, the FAFSA Deadline Act. I thank Chairwoman Foxx and Ranking Member Scott for their collaboration and efforts on this bill. I thank President Biden and Vice President Harris for working with the Department of Education and the great workers there to address the issues that occurred earlier. This crucial legislation would set a firm October 1 deadline for the Department of Education to roll out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form to ensure students' access to Federal student aid in a timely manner. For many students, FAFSA is a gateway to realizing their dreams of higher education. In 2022, financial aid through grants or loans provided vital support to over 700,000 undergraduates in Texas in my district. At Lone Star College, 100 percent of students receive financial aid, while 97 percent receive it at Texas Southern University, 66 percent at the University of Houston, and 39 percent at Houston Community College benefited from these essential resources. As the cost of college continues to rise, it is crucial that we provide students with every opportunity to apply for financial aid in a timely manner, ensuring their applications are processed without delay. As a mother, and like many parents here today, I look forward to the implementation of this legislation, which represents more than a deadline. It is a commitment to ensuring that students and parents have access to the resources they need to pursue higher education. Access to affordable education should not be hindered by delays, and setting this October 1 deadline is a crucial step to make the FAFSA process more predictable and accessible for millions of students and families across our country. Let us help all students focus on their studies and pursue their academic goals leading to the American Dream today. I urge and encourage all my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 8932, the FAFSA Deadline Act.

Mrs. LEE CARTER

Mrs. LEE CARTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Doggett, my fellow colleagues in the Texas delegation, and Mr. Jeffries for welcoming me to the House. I, Congresswoman Erica Lee Carter, rise on behalf of the 18th Congressional District of Texas to return their voice and their vote to this esteemed body, the United States House of Representatives, to finish the 118th Congress with dignity, honor, and service. I thank God, the author and finisher of my faith, for this awesome privilege, which I do not take lightly. Mr. Speaker, I thank my husband, Dr. Roy L. Carter, Jr., for his unwavering support and sense of humor that keeps me going. To my twin children, Roy Lee Carter, III, and Ellison Bennett Carter, I love you with all of my heart. To my father, Dr. Elwyn C. Lee, your unconditional love and guidance has continued to lift me. To my brother, Jason Lee, and cousin Whitney, thank you for being my biggest supporters. To the Jacksons, Lees, Carters, Cannons, and other extended family, thank you for being with me throughout this enormously challenging time and serving as a source of strength and support. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be the fifth person to serve the 18th Congressional District of Texas, a line of service which began with the Honorable Barbara Jordan, who was the first Black woman from the South to be elected to Congress. She was followed by the Honorable Mickey Leland, a global humanitarian who brought attention to the suffering of many around the world, particularly on the continent of Africa. After Mickey came the Honorable Craig Washington, who was an astute jurist. Then came my mother, the Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, a prolific legislator who served as a bridge from the civil rights era till now, and a dedicated public servant who was committed to making America better for her children. I rise in the memory of my mother, the late, great Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who served this Chamber for nearly three decades. Her legacy of fierce advocacy, a voice for the voiceless, her unwavering commitment to speak truth to power shaped the lives of countless Americans. Her eloquence and mastery in the art of legislation brought forth reforms that echoed from Houston to the entire Nation. She was a social justice leader who advocated tirelessly for women, survivors of violence, and the wrongfully accused. As a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, she always fought to ensure that the United States Constitution was a living, breathing document that lived up to its promise for all people. She held it close and knew it could create a more perfect Union that we all desire. This is why she was proud to be the lead sponsor of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act to recognize when freedom reached all America's shores. As an early member of the Homeland Security Committee, she worked to keep Americans safe at home and abroad and supported creating the Transportation Security Administration. She was known to work across the aisle through all Presidential administrations and congressional terms, doing what was necessary to make progress, bring resources back to Houston, and bend the moral arc of the universe toward justice. On behalf of my family, friends, and the 18th Congressional District, I offer my heartfelt thanks to her colleagues, now mine, who offered their support during her illness and beyond. Your kindness was a great comfort to her, and it reassured her that her work would endure. As for this moment tonight, while joyful, it is bittersweet because I wish she were standing at this podium to finish the 118th Congress on her own terms. Nevertheless, there is much work to do, and it is my honor to finish what she started alongside each of you. Mr. Speaker, I will stand for justice, freedom, economic opportunity, and the dignity for all Americans. I am so proud to serve all the people of the 18th Congressional District of Texas that starts near the bottoms of Third Ward, travels through Freedmen's Town where the newly emancipated slaves settled and began to celebrate Juneteenth, steps into the Fifth Ward, the birthplace of Barbara and Mickey, travels toward the resilient Independence Heights, moves to North Forest then Humble, and then west toward Acres Homes. Mr. Speaker, I pledge every day to work hard for my constituents because every day they work hard to reach their American Dream. I am grateful for this moment in time to do this work and be a small part of my mother's tremendous legacy in this body. May God bless our work and may God bless the United States of America.