Marc Veasey

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of Pastor McKinley Jackson Senior, a man dedicated to his family, church and friends. Pastor McKinley was a kind man who committed his life to serving others. Pastor Jackson was a long-time resident of Fort Worth, Texas. Rev. Jackson was the Pastor of Samaria Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas for the last 33 years. Prior to that, he was Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Terrell, Texas and also led two other churches. He was a former Fort Worth City Councilman for District #5; lifetime NAACP member, and served in leadership within many local, state and national civic and religious organizations. Mr. Speaker and colleagues please join me in honor and remembrance of Pastor McKinley Jackson, Senior whose kind spirit and dedicated service touched many lives. I offer my condolences and deepest sympathy to his wife, Eddie Ruth Jackson; sons, Ronnie Jackson, Michael Jackson, Jesse Jackson and Reverend William McKinley Jackson; daughters, Sharon Jackson and Alicia Jackson; adopted daughter, Angie Johnson; uncles; aunts; and a host of cousins, nephews, nieces, grandchildren, great grandchildren and the Samaria Church Family. May his soul rest in peace.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today about the recent sequestration cuts to important Federal programs, cuts that are harmful to our national security, education system, transportation and infrastructure, and economy. Congressional Democrats have worked for months in this very Chamber in order to avoid the harmful cuts, but the House majority has so politicized the budget process that it has prevented any resolution or compromise. The Republican majority has three times blocked the consideration of a Democratic bill to end sequestration, has refused to bring any bill of its own to the House floor to end the sequester and, instead, with partisan attacks, has tried to blame President Obama. The sequester has already taken effect with an immediate $85 billion across-the-board spending cut; and while the worst of these impacts is yet to come, Americans will see more teachers laid off, indiscriminate cuts to special education, a loss of 4 million meals for seniors, and debilitating health care cuts for our military families. In my home State of Texas, the sequester puts close to 1,000 teaching jobs at risk. Over 80,000 workers will lose access to job training, over 50,000 civilian defense employees will be furloughed, and 9,700 fewer children will get vaccines for diseases like measles and the whooping cough.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the impending cuts to the Federal programs that are harmful to our national security, education system, transportation infrastructure, and economy. If we allow the sequester to take effect, Americans will see more teachers laid off in their neighborhood schools, indiscriminate cuts to special education, a loss of 4 million meals for seniors, and debilitating cuts to health care for military families. The severe and arbitrary cuts caused by sequestration will go into effect tomorrow. Unless we vote on a resolution today, these cuts will deeply hurt the constituents that I represent in the north Texas Congressional District 33 and also citizens across the Nation. I was not in Congress when sequestration was passed 2 years ago as part of the Republican cut, cap and balance bill. There's still time to prevent these harmful, across-the-board spending cuts. I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 699, a balanced bill to replace the sequester that includes both spending cuts and revenues.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge a pillar in the Tarrant County African American community, Dr. Marion Brooks. Dr. Brooks opened his doors during a time when racial tensions were high in America and in the state of Texas. His clinic located on Evans Avenue in Fort Worth was the first and only option for residents of the black community during the 1960s. His goal was not financial gain, but to care for those who could not otherwise obtain medical treatment any other way. There were many times that Dr. Brooks performed medical care for free, knowing his patients did not have the means. In November 1971, Dr. Brooks went on to form the Sickle Cell Anemia Association of Texas. Sickle Cell Disease, an inherited blood disorder that affects red blood cells, is estimated to occur in 1 in 12 African Americans. This was a cause that was paramount to him, and as a testament to his determination, the organization is still going strong today. Not only was Dr. Brooks a leader in the field of medicine in the state of Texas, he was also a formidable leader in the civil rights movement. As a member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, or SNCC, he fought for the political and economic equality of African Americans. In 1963, while Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. marched on Washington and delivered his ``I Have a Dream Speech,'' Dr. Brooks was leading a march of his own on the Texas governor's mansion in Austin to fight for desegregation, freedom, and equality. In addition Dr. Brooks was a leader in the community, working to provide protection for people in the African-American community from police brutality. Although Dr. Brooks passed in 2003 at the age of 83, we continue to recognize his deeds to the community. As an acknowledgement to those accomplishments, the Lenora Rolla Heritage Center Museum has put on the display the many awards, plaques, and cherished mementos of Dr. Brooks. Mr. Speaker, once again I would like to honor a great doctor, a great leader, a great man, and a great American, Dr. Marion Brooks.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise during this month of February, also known as Black History Month, to celebrate a piece of African American history in my own hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. I want to acknowledge a legacy that began over 130 years ago, when the Fort Worth School System opened its first public school for Black students, now known as I.M. Terrell High School. Officially, I.M. Terrell High School was established for the education of African American students in the City of Fort Worth, but the school was much more than that. In a time of formal segregation, the school became a safe haven, a place where the teachers knew all of their students and their parents. It was a community where people cared about and respected each other. In 1882, a great man named Isaiah Milligan Terrell moved to Fort Worth to serve as Principal and superintendent of Black schools. In 1910, he was appointed principal of the North Side Colored High School and served in this position until 1915. After his tenure at North Side, Mr. Terrell continued his role as an exceptional administrator. He went on to make significant contributions to Prairie View Normal College, now known as Prairie View A&M University. Mr. Terrell also helped to raise funds for the establishment of Houston Negro Hospital, later known as the Riverside General Hospital in Houston, Texas. In 1921, North Side High school was renamed a final time, in the namesake of its great principal, I.M. Terrell High School. I.M. Terrell High School was truly a second home for the students and faculty who met there from cities like Arlington, Bedford, Benbrook, Burleson, Roanoke and Weatherford. In all, the high school took in students from 16 cities where African Americans were not allowed to attend school. Although its students, teachers, and faculty came from diverse backgrounds and environments they entered the halls of I.M. Terrell with one common goal: to achieve excellence. I.M. Terrell High School has become a symbol of pride and a beacon of hope for Fort Worth. When African Americans were struggling for human dignity and civil rights, the teachers and administrators at I.M. Terrell used education as a way to lead our youth on a path to righteousness. They knew that education was the great equalizer and when applied correctly, it would always lead to success. What I.M. Terrell High School has done for the North Texas community will never be forgotten. The mark left on all of our lives is too great to measure. Mr. Speaker, it has been said that the most important subject we can study to preserve the progress of any culture, and any nation, is history. So today, during the month of February when we celebrate Black History Month in our country, I stand to honor a rich history that has instilled important values into the Fort Worth community, including education, knowledge, and perseverance. I.M. Terrell's legacy is profound: as a school that was founded less than 20 years after the civil war, in a community that knew the next great battlefield would be the classroom; a community that proudly fought for equal education, a right that for centuries had been withheld from African Americans; and an institution whose doors have been closed for almost 40 years, but whose legacy is still alive. Today, I proclaim that education is the path we must take to achieve social, economic and cultural progress necessary for success in the 21st century and beyond. Let us use the lessons learned from this great institution as a guiding light for success, and follow the path pioneered by visionaries who began at I.M. Terrell High School.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. As oral arguments are being prepared for the February 27 U.S. Supreme Court hearing in the case of Shelby County v. Holder, which challenges the constitutionality of section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, I stand here today in strong support of upholding section 5 as evidence of its current critical necessity. In my home State of Texas, the need for section 5 of the Voting Rights Act is playing out in a very dramatic fashion. I'm a plaintiff in the ongoing litigation involving the 2011 Texas redistricting case, Quesada v. The State of Texas. I can personally attest and flatly state that overt and deliberate racial discrimination is still used by leaders in Texas today. I wish that statement were untrue or out of date. It would be wonderful to say that we have progressed past the need for protection under section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Sadly, this is not the case. Section 5 protects minorities from racial discriminatory voter ID laws, voter suppression tactics, and discriminatory redistricting plans. These protections are needed now as much as ever. In 2011, just 2 years ago, a map was drawn by the Texas Legislature that didn't merely affect the politics of our State. Overt racial discriminatory tactics were used to isolate and suppress hundreds of thousands of minorities for the purpose of political gain by current partisan leaders of my State. Latino and African American citizens in the State of Texas suffered the most aggressive and deliberate discriminatory blows to our constitutional rights to fairly participate in elections. Cold and heartless tactics were used that should be simply relics of the past--relics like ``packing'' millions of minority voters together into as few districts as people to dilute the impact of their vote by ``cracking'' the remaining voters to ensure that their vote has no impact at all. Minorities were packed precinct by precinct and block by block in order to contain the impact of their growing population. And yet here we are today, fighting to uphold section 5. The right to vote and the right for one's voice to be heard through elected representation is a legally enacted and constitutional right that many have bled and died for. Yet we are still fighting for this very right. Some say its time to move on. But, my dear friends, we must never move on while these rights are not just at risk but under attack. And when I detail the discrimination contained within the redistricting process, no one should think I'm acting as a partisan Democrat. The three-judge panel in Federal court that heard the evidence, questioned the witnesses, and delivered the opinion of the Texas redistricting case consisted of two judges appointed by Republican Presidents and one judge appointed by a Democratic President. Their finding of intentional discrimination was unanimous. They could not have made their views any clearer, stating: The parties have provided more evidence of discriminatory intent than we have space or need to address here. This was not a case heard 30 years ago, or even 10 or 5 years ago. The decision was released just last August, barely 6 months ago. Lastly, those who tell you that there is no recourse for States that no longer discriminate are, at best, dangerously mistaken. The Voting Rights Act contains provisions for States that have over the years exhibited that they are no longer in need of pre-clearance. States can submit evidence to the Department of Justice or the D.C. District Court that they are no longer using racial discriminatory redistricting tactics and apply for a way out of section 5. As a matter of fact, since 2009, more States than ever before in the history of the Voting Rights Act have been granted the right out. So why are we challenging the constitutionality of a law that is protecting its citizens from racial discrimination when there is, in fact, recourse? I will tell you the sad truth is because, unfortunately, in States like Texas, where the minority population is growing very rapidly and their voting strength is increasing, rather than work to earn the vote of minority citizens, State leaders would rather suppress voters through racially discriminatory tactics. My friends, our country is better than this. We are better than this. That's why we are here today in support of upholding section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. I want to thank my colleague Hakeem Jeffries, who is from the great State of New York, and Mr. Horsford for their leadership on this issue. They, too, understand how important it is that we speak out on this issue. It is not only important to our constituents and our States but to the entire country. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to address the Chamber on the very important topic of comprehensive immigration reform. I would also like to express my gratitude to the Congressional Black Caucus for not only their leadership on this issue but also for allowing me, as a member of the caucus, to continue this meaningful and urgent discussion. As Members of Congress, it is our duty to be the voices of our constituents by creating and passing legislation that addresses their concerns. For much too long, 11 million voices have waited for Congress to work together on comprehensive immigration reform. They're in neighborhoods like the ones I represent in Dallas and Fort Worth and Oak Cliff, which is in Dallas on the north side of Fort Worth. This is an issue that is very important, not only to those neighborhoods, but to the neighborhoods in the entirety of the district that I represent. The consensus on this issue has never been stronger, and I am proud to see Members on both sides of the aisle working together and finding a practical solution to this problem while President Obama leads the way. I applaud the comprehensive immigration reform efforts, including the proposals put forth by the President and bipartisan groups of Senators, which call for protecting our borders while respecting the unity and sanctity of our families. Our undocumented immigrant community includes DREAMer schoolchildren, who are excelling in math and science, wanting to attend college in the only country they've ever known. It also includes hardworking men and women who are only trying to make an honest living and provide for their families. Comprehensive immigration reform is about accountability and responsible public policy. It is not feasible, economical, or moral to propose the deportation of 11 million people who are living and working hard in our country. What reform calls for is responsible public policy that provides certainty to employers that the people wanting to work are legally eligible to do so, thereby bringing a significant population of our country out of the shadows. Mr. Speaker, our borders are more secure than ever before. Border security is a serious issue, and we must continue to enforce our laws, but we can also enact a fair immigration system by working together. Providing appropriate protections to undocumented workers, including fair wages and safe working conditions, is the right thing to do to ensure the development of our economy and our Nation's security. As the Congressman from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, I understand the necessity of bipartisanship on this issue. My first days in office have been devoted to relationships and coalition-building on both sides of the aisle. I look forward to continuing those efforts, and I will not stop until we achieve a fair and comprehensive immigration reform plan. I will work closely with my friends in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and in the Congressional Black Caucus and with all of my colleagues who would like to join this effort. The voices of those in my district and across the country are being heard. It's time to make comprehensive immigration reform a reality.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. B.R. Daniels, Sr. on his 40th anniversary as pastor of Beth-Eden Missionary Baptist Church. The Church is in my hometown of Fort Worth, Texas and I am proud to represent this community in Congress. While this year marks Dr. Daniels' 40th year as pastor of Beth-Eden Missionary Baptist Church, he also previously served as pastor for nearly 4 years at Saint John Baptist Church in Avalon, Texas. Combined, Dr. B.R. Daniels has been ministering to congregations for a total of 44 years. Pastor Daniels is a native Texan, born in DeKalb, and received his diploma from Marvin Pynes High School. He received a sociology degree from Arlington State College, which is now the University of Texas at Arlington. He also received a degree from the Southern Bible Institute, as well as a masters and Ph.D. from Aspen Theological Seminary in Denver, Colorado. His career in education and service began under the ministry of Dr. N.L. Robinson of the Mount Olive Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas. Under Dr. Daniels' leadership, the membership of Beth-Eden Missionary Baptist Church has grown from 18 members in 1972, to over 1,500 members today. This growth has been so tremendous that the Church has undertaken and completed a three million dollar building expansion project to house the larger congregation. As a regional and civic leader, Dr. B.R. Daniels, Sr. has served for 15 years as Moderator of the Northwestern District Baptist Association, various civic leader positions in the City of Fort Worth, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Southern Bible Institute where he received his undergraduate degree. In addition, Dr. Daniels serves as President at-Large of the Baptist Missionary and Educational State Convention of Texas. Dr. Daniels has been married to his wife Pamela for 29 years and is the father of 5 children, Tamela Daniels Jones, Carla Daniels Hill, Reverend B.R. Daniels, Jr., Rhonda Daniels, and Lynicia Daniels, who have given Dr. Daniels 8 grandchildren. I first met Pastor Daniels during my work for former Congressman Martin Frost of Texas and I am proud to call him my friend and represent him in Congress. Pastor Daniels has lived a life of service to people of faith and his community. I ask my colleagues of the 113th Congress to join me in honoring Pastor Daniels on his 40th anniversary as pastor of Beth-Eden Missionary Baptist Church as well as an exemplary life of service.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. ``Each State shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress. But no Senator or Representative or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States shall be appointed an elector. ``The Congress may determine the time of choosing the electors and the day on which they shall give their votes; which day shall be the same throughout the United States.''