Marc Veasey

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Chief Warrant Officer 2 David Charles Knadle, a father, son, husband and soldier from Fort Worth, Texas. Born on May 2, 1986, David Knadle fought bravely for our country. David grew up attending North Texas schools and graduated from Richland High School in 2003. He later went on to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Wesleyan University in Fort Worth. In November of 2012, David left his career in accounting to serve his country by joining the U.S. Army. Following his dreams of being an aviator, Knadle attended Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and later graduated from the Warrant Officer Career College at Fort Rucker, Alabama. CW2 Knadle was deployed to Afghanistan in October 2019 as part of Task Force Knight Hawk. On November 20, 2019, CW2 Knadle passed away in an aircraft accident along with his forward pilot and friend, CW2 Takeshi Fuchigami of Hawaii. Throughout his Army career, CW2 Knadle was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terrorist Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Combat Action Badge, and Army Aviator Badge. I want to take this opportunity to extend my thoughts and prayers to David Knadle's family and friends. David was a man who fought bravely for his country and I am grateful for his service and sacrifice.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate a high school in the district that I represent, North Side High School. They are also known as the Steers, and for the past couple of decades, this school has excelled in sports like cross country, soccer, baseball, and volleyball, but not under the Friday night lights of Texas in football. However, for the first time in 40 years, the football team has made it to the State high school playoffs, and if you are from Texas, you know that that is a really, really big deal. The school has a population of around 1,800 students, and 95 percent are Latino. North Side High School is hoping to dispel the myth that the community can't succeed on the gridiron. I want to congratulate Principal Antonio Martinez and Coach Joseph Turner--who was given the job 5 years ago despite having zero head coaching experience--and all of the football players on the Steers team for their historic accomplishment. They are really a prime example of hard work and dedication and how far it can take you. I hope that this will not be the last time the Steers make the playoffs. This has been just a great story for the entire Fort Worth Independent School District. Tomorrow night, on Friday, go Steers.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is National Women in Apprenticeship Day, and today I celebrate the accomplishments of all women who are working in the nontraditional technical and manufacturing fields. During World War II, we saw women across the Nation flock to factories to fill technical and manufacturing jobs that were vacated by men leaving to fight for our country. We saw it in Fort Worth at what is now the Lockheed Martin plant--just some great pictures that capture that time period that still exist today. But, nearly 70 years later, we are struggling to give women equal representation in these fields. That is why my fellow co-chair of the Blue Collar Caucus, Representative Brendan Boyle, and I are proud to introduce the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations Amendment Act that will break employment barriers that face women of all races and backgrounds entering into technical and manufacturing occupations. Because the best way we can celebrate National Women in Apprenticeship Day is by taking action to ensure that all Americans have a fair shot at entering our workforce and achieving the American Dream. I also want to thank my colleague, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, for her work on the legislation that we will vote on later this week, the Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019, which will honor any female individual who held employment or volunteered in support of the war efforts during the World War II time period back in the 1940s.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, one of my favorite pastimes is playing video games with my 13-year-old son, just as Atatiana Jefferson was doing with her 8-year-old nephew when she was murdered by a police officer in front of him in Fort Worth, Texas, this past weekend. I rise today to commemorate the legacy of Atatiana, also known as ``Aunt Tay'' by her 8-year-old nephew, and call on our law enforcement to stop these killings now. It only took 3 seconds before a police officer fatally shot this woman in front of her 8-year-old nephew while they were playing video games. She didn't even have a chance to show her hands. The reality for many Black and Brown people in this country is that this is our America, this is the America that we live in every day. It doesn't matter what neighborhood we live in or how much money we make. This is what we face. Until law enforcement reforms their culture of rogue policing that has led to the slaughtering of so many people in this country, justice cannot fully be served. Nothing is going to bring Atatiana or all of those who have been unjustly killed back, but we have to do better. We have to hold our law enforcement accountable and fix the systematic failures that have brought us here today. Until then, our communities cannot have full confidence in those who are tasked in protecting all of us.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Mr. Henry Rodriguez Martinez, Sr. of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Martinez was a father, veteran and a local civil rights leader that was committed to bettering our community through his public service. Born on June 15, 1928 in Eagle Ford. Texas. Martinez was a pillar of strength and perseverance for our community. He was raised in the Ledbetter Eagle Ford area of Dallas and attended Crozier Technical High School prior to serving in the Army where he earned the rank of Private First Class. He was also a proud father and husband. Martinez married Eufemia Paredes Martinez in 1955 and the couple had eight children. For over fifteen years, Martinez served the Dallas Fort Worth-area through his work for the Martinez Courier Service and Dallas Power and Light. Martinez was also an active member of the West Dallas community. Throughout his life and through his service as the president of Ledbetter Neighborhood Association, Martinez improved local transit across the community and the quality of life for those that lived there. Martinez spent his life making sure that communities of color had a seat at the table and a voice in the room--his most notable accomplishment being that he was a staunch advocate in the fight to guarantee better representation for people of color in the Dallas City council. I want to take this opportunity to extend my thoughts and prayers to Mr. Martinez's family and community. West Dallas is losing a fighter and advocate for their community. His spirit and accomplishments will never be able to be replaced.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Avis Michelle Fisher, a local gospel singer and community leader. Born on May 31, 1964 to Rev. Albert Van Fisher and Verdell Fisher, Fisher's musical talent shone in the Fort Worth community from the time she was five years old. Known as the musician who ``could sing anything,'' she led the choirs at Salem Baptist Church and Mount Olive Baptist church for over 30 years. Fisher began music lessons near her home in Highland Hills when she was five years old and went on to perform in her first musical when she was just thirteen years old. Fisher attended elementary, middle, and high school while growing up in Fort Worth and was part of an award-winning choir program at O.D. Wyatt High School where she graduated in 1982. Fisher's lifelong commitment to gospel music was a beacon of light in the Fort Worth community. An accomplished singer, pianist and organist, Fisher was well known as a musician and leader across Dallas and Fort Worth. Alongside her leadership in several church choirs throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth community, Fisher contributed to a deep history of gospel performance in African American churches. Our community lost a talented musician, leader, and teacher in Avis Michelle Fisher which is why I would like to take this opportunity to honor her life and legacy in Fort Worth and extend my thoughts and prayers to all that have been impacted by her.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Reverend L.S. Wilson of the East Saint Paul Baptist Church, an important member of our community in Fort Worth, Texas. Born on March 2, 1936, Pastor Wilson impacted our community in unique and profound ways. Pastor Wilson grew up attending Fort Worth public schools where he graduated from I.M. Terrell High School in 1955. He later went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Dallas Baptist University and a Master of Education Degree in Administration from Texas A&M University at Commerce. Pastor Wilson began his ministry in 1971 and led several congregations in North Texas for over forty years. From Elam Grove Baptist Church in Mabank, Texas to Bethlehem Baptist Church in Bonham, Texas, Reverend Wilson was eventually called to become the Pastor of East St. Paul Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas in 2001 where he served until his death in 2019. Pastor Wilson took on many leadership roles in churches across the North Texas community where his legacy will never be forgotten. I want to take this opportunity to extend my thoughts and prayers to the Pastor Wilson's family and community. He was a man who always put, God, family, and community first. He did so much for our Fort Worth community, and I want to give a special thanks to him for making our community a better place.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Pastor R. L. Rogers--a man of God, a community leader, father, and husband. Pastor Rogers was born on March 6, 1939 in Calvert, Texas to the late Ernest and Margaret Rogers and transitioned from labor to eternal reward on July 20, 2019, after many years of giving back to our Dallas- Fort Worth community. Pastor Rogers attended high school in south Texas, before graduating from the Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Pastor Rogers' time at seminary started his journey in faith and helping our community that expanded over five decades. Pastor Rogers was the founder, and the one and only Pastor for 53 years of the Harvey Avenue Baptist Church--a place of worship that is a cornerstone of the Fort Worth community. That was only the beginning of his accomplishments. Pastor Rogers was also an avid volunteer for important causes, like mentoring youth in our community, and serving as a Chaplain at the Tarrant County Jail. He was also a nationally known Evangelist, Pastor and Gospel Preacher. Pastor Rogers was a pillar of our community--spending 53 of his years teaching and encouraging our community and his accomplishments and service will be greatly missed.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Mr. Henry Rodriguez Martinez, Sr. of Dallas. Mr. Martinez was a father, veteran and a local civil rights leader that was committed to bettering our DFW communities throughout his life of public service. Mr. Martinez was son of West Dallas, and spent his life making sure that communities of color had a seat at the table. He was an early pioneer in building Latino political power in our community and was one of the loudest advocates in the fight to guarantee better representation for all people of color on the Dallas City council. I know he would be proud to see the diversity we have on our city council today. Mr. Martinez also worked to ensure the safety of West Dallas and the greater DFW-area. Martinez was an active member of the Eagle Ford/ Ledbetter Community of West Dallas throughout his life and as the president of the Ledbetter Neighborhood Association helped improve local transit across the community and improve the quality of life for those that lived there. My thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Martinez's family and friends. West Dallas is losing a fighter and advocate for their community. His spirit and accomplishments are irreplaceable, but we will always strive to emulate them.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Pastor R. L. Rogers, a good friend, a man of God, a community leader, father, and husband. Pastor Rogers transitioned from labor to eternal reward this past weekend. Pastor Rogers attended high school in south Texas before graduating from the Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. Pastor Roger's time in seminary started his journey in faith and helping our community that expanded over five decades. Pastor Rogers was the founder and the only pastor for 53 years of the Harvey Avenue Baptist Church, a place of worship that is a cornerstone in the Fort Worth community. That was only the beginning of his accomplishments. Pastor Rogers was also an avid volunteer for important causes like mentoring the youth in our community and serving as a chaplain at the Tarrant County Jail. He was also a nationally known evangelist, a pastor, and Gospel preacher. Pastor Rogers was a pillar in the community spending his 53 years teaching and encouraging the word of God. It was an honor to know Pastor Rogers and just to know the legacy that he has left behind in our community. My heartfelt condolences to his family. We thank you for sharing Pastor Rogers with us in the Fort Worth community for so long.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, this is Gun Violence Awareness Month. I rise to commemorate the life of Ms. Briuna Harps, a young woman with a bright future in Fort Worth, who lost her life in a senseless act of gun violence last month. Nineteen-year-old Briuna had just finished her first year of pre-med classes when she was visiting her sister at an apartment complex in Fort Worth and was struck by a bullet in the crossfire between two gangs, two idiotic gangs, in an idiotic gang war. Sadly, Briuna's death and deaths like it are too commonplace in America. Each day, nearly 100 people in our Nation are killed by someone using a gun. Recently, the city of Fort Worth launched a local initiative to protect our neighborhoods and curb gun violence. The Senate can help us in this area by taking action to pass commonsense gun safety legislation that the House passed over 100 days ago. Taking action is the best way that we can honor the life of Briuna and the other lives just like hers who were lost to gun violence. Mr. Speaker, I thank the community and give special thanks to Pastor Milton Pace, Tiffany Pace Whitaker, and Montreal Dukes for hosting a recent dialogue on curbing violence in our Fort Worth community. But we need the Senate to do their part. We need them to act. Pass the legislation that we passed in the House now.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Memorial Day and the upcoming 75th anniversary of D-day to recognize and raise awareness about the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion. It was an all-Black battalion that made considerable contributions during D-day. Until recently, the 320th battalion's sacrifices and bravery have been virtually unrecognized. Until the recent book ``Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day's Black Heroes, at Home and at War'' by Linda Hervieux, the story had really gone untold. People didn't really know about it. It is notable that one of the soldiers who is featured in the book-- his name is Wilson Monk--his quote to the author when she called him was, ``I've been waiting for this call for over 50 years.'' When we look back at the social injustices of the 1940s during Jim Crow, it is clear that the social discrimination created momentum for the civil rights protests in the 1950s and 1960s. The lunch counter sit-ins in Montgomery and the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, the social injustices that were in the news--sadly, always in the news--are documented very well in our textbooks, but much of the military discrimination against African Americans was not documented very well. I want to take a minute today to thank those African American soldiers who fought during World War II for their valor and sacrifice for our country. You may not have heard of the 320th battalion, but on the morning of June 6, 1944, the unit of African American soldiers landed on the beaches of France. Their orders were to man a curtain of armed balloons meant to deter enemy aircraft. They flew at an altitude of about 200 feet to defend soldiers landing on the beaches against strafing attacks by German aircraft. The battalion served 140 days in France. One member of the 320th battalion wounded in battle, Waverly B. Woodson, Jr., would later be nominated for the Medal of Honor, an award he would never receive. The Nation's highest decorations were not given to African American soldiers in World War II. Members of the 320th battalion, the first African American battalion, which included hundreds of soldiers, were sent abroad to fight for liberties denied to them at home. The story of the 320th battalion is a narrative of perseverance in the face of injustice. Earlier this week, I had the pleasure to be invited by Representative Katherine Clark from Massachusetts to go hear the story of ``D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II'' by women who played a very crucial role in the military and spycraft that helped us during World War II. Of course, throughout time, much of their role was relegated to being said that they were secretaries and answered phones, but they played very critical roles. I know one of my former constituents who passed away not too long ago, Robert Starr, was part of an ambulatory crew that helped pick up the wounded and remains of people who were dead on the beaches of Normandy. Again, the story told was that African American soldiers worked in that role but that they were not part of the initial invasion. Sadly, that has been memorialized in Hollywood, as well. I think one of the best movies about D-day of all time is ``The Longest Day,'' a great, great movie. But, of course, there were no African American soldiers depicted in that movie. ``Saving Private Ryan,'' another great movie, but, again, no African American soldiers were depicted in that movie, sadly. It is my hope that we can raise more awareness about the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, these men who fought so bravely during World War II, so that they, too, will not just be memorialized in the textbooks but that their story will be brought to Hollywood. I am certain that there is a Rob Reiner or a Steven Spielberg or a Spike Lee or someone out there who will help tell the story of these women who fought during World War II and helped the resistance and also these African American soldiers whose stories have not been told. It is absolutely amazing to me that there are many African Americans in this country even who, if you ask them, they think that there were no Black soldiers who fought during D-day. It is a story that has been allowed to be falsely perpetuated for far too long. It is time that we raise awareness about the 320th battalion and the great sacrifices that they made for this country.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, I am here today to talk about the Annual Clay Competition held by the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus. I would like to take the time now to congratulate my good friend, Austin Scott, who was the captain of the Republican team. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott).

Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, I really appreciate Representative Scott, Representative Hudson, and just everybody that makes this competition very special. I would like to announce the Democratic nominees: from Northern California, the top gun on the Democratic side, with 53 shots, was Mike Thompson; and also on the Democratic side, top skeet, from Minnesota, was Collin Peterson. Madam Speaker, I would like to maybe step it up a little bit for next year's competition and use this time to maybe encourage my Republican colleagues, because we didn't have any women at all participate on the Republican or the Democratic side this year. So I am going to encourage Mr. Scott, and I am going to encourage them to recruit some women shooters. I am going to do the same thing; and I think that that is going to be the key to us winning next year; so good luck.

Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, 2020 is right around the corner.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Muhlaysia Booker, a courageous 23-year-old Black transgender woman in Dallas who was found fatally shot this weekend. Muhlaysia's name has been in the news a lot. Recently, she suffered a brutal beating by a group of men who screamed transphobic slurs at her as they assaulted her. The attack was captured on video, and it made you sick to your stomach to see the level of transgender hate that is so strong and prevalent in this country. Muhlaysia's death is devastating for the Black transgender community in Dallas, but it is also part of a much larger trend that shows the violence, discrimination, and fear that the transgender and LGBTQ communities face on a daily basis. Deaths in the trans community are underreported, and the adversity they face is on clear display. The unemployment rate for the Black transgender community is 20 percent, close to four times the national average; 38 percent have lived in poverty, and 42 percent have experienced homelessness. Even with all the odds stacked against them, Black transgender women like Muhlaysia choose to live their life in truth. They show courage, strength, and great personal sacrifice in the fight for equality. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the Senate to join the House by passing the Equality Act. We must do everything in our power to stop the discrimination and violence in our neighborhoods. Our brothers and sisters are dying out there. We need the inaction to stop.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Robert Martinez, 14th President of the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers. Robert Martinez is a fighter for the working man. His current role as President of the IAM is just one of many titles he has carried over 36 years of fighting for union workers and working families. After serving his country in the Navy, he began his IAM career as a member of Local 776A in Fort Worth, TX and was hired as an Aircraft Assembler at Lockheed Martin. At the IAM, Robert has actively recruited and made a point to reach new generations of workers, all the while protecting its nearly 600,000 active and retired members. Throughout his career, Bob has held positions at the local level and worked his way up to become the General Vice President of the office of Southern Territory, where he oversaw training and education for 14 southern states. He also served as General Vice President of IAM Headquarters where he was responsible for the William H. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center, and IAM's Government Employees and Aerospace sectors. Robert has been a vocal activist for labor rights in the Latino community. In 2018, he received the Cesar Chavez Award for his distinguished work on behalf of the Latino working women and men. He currently services as the Vice President on the Executive Board of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement. I honor and recognize Robert Martinez's 36 years of service to union workers.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Christene Moss for 29 years of dedicated service to our community as a trustee on the Fort Worth Independent School District Board of Education. Christene has dedicated her time on the board to improving children's literacy by working with parents and teachers to close the achievement gap and pushing to create a facility for homeless students. Christene, who is from Lake Como, Texas, now living in Carver Heights in the Stop Six community, spearheaded projects for the board of education, including creating the Fort Worth ISD's first community forum and working to reinstate music and art programs into the school curriculum. In 2013, she also made history becoming the board's first Black president. For years, Christene has been an active member of the Texas Caucus of Black School Board Members where she served as president and helped to mentor the next generation of Black leaders. Her passion for the community will be enshrined in our neighborhood through the children's library, and elementary school named in her honor. We will miss Christene's service on the board, but we are very grateful for her decades of service and the legacy that she has left behind for students in Fort Worth. We wish her the very best as she moves on to the next chapter in her life.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my greatest congratulations to Michael Ortiz Ayala and Esperanza Padilla Ayala for their 70th wedding anniversary. On this special anniversary, I'm delighted to know Michael and Esperanza are surrounded by their loving family including their three children: Carlos, Dolores and Teresa; and their nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. They join this lovely couple in celebrating the love and partnership they have shared for nearly three quarters of a century. The love shared between these two continues to inspire their friends and all their loved ones in Fort Worth. I'm delighted to wish them many more years together.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, last week the city of Fort Worth said good- bye to its last surviving member of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen, Robert T. McDaniel. Born in Fort Worth, Mr. McDaniel was a proud graduate of Fort Worth ISD, where he excelled as a student. In 1940, he finished as class president and valedictorian at the venerable I.M. Terrell High School. At a time when the military was still segregated and Black men were not welcomed in the service, Mr. McDaniel became a member of the first class of African American bombardiers in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was part of a group of skilled Black airmen who flew combat aircraft in World War II. After serving his country, Mr. McDaniel returned to Fort Worth to teach at I.M. Terrell and later became a principal and a counselor. In this role, he worked to inspire a generation of leaders in Fort Worth's Black community that is countless. As many of his friends will tell you, Mr. McDaniel never boasted about his military service, and only a few people knew about his service to the Nation as a Tuskegee Airman. I know that we are going to miss Mr. McDaniel. I also wanted to touch on the fact that I will never forget when his wife, Hester, died. They were married for 55 years, and they were an institution in the Black community in Fort Worth. Everybody knew them. They were just a lovely couple. He was so sad when she passed away. They were always at each other's side. While we will miss Mr. McDaniel, we know that he is happy to be reunited with his wife, Hester McDaniel. My deepest condolences go out to his family and his friends as we reflect on the trails that he blazed and his deep commitment to our country.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today proud of the passage of H.R. 1--the 'For the People Act.' H.R. 1 not only restores faith back into our elections; it's a promise that House Democrats will deliver to the American public. Despite what Mitch McConnell says, H.R. 1 is not a ``power grab.'' It's a plan to restore public confidence back into our electoral system. It says, in our democracy, everyone's voice and vote must count. So again--let's recap all the good H.R. 1 will do: it will increase access to the ballot box, end gerrymandering, create automatic voter registration; limit the power of restrictive voter ID laws, and make critical investments in election infrastructure and technology. We all know Republicans have intentionally rigged our system of free and fair elections in their favor. Republican governors and state legislatures across the country have suppressed voting among: communities of color; poor people; seniors; and people with disabilities, using targeted, racist voting laws. The right to vote, our most basic democratic right, is under siege. But today, with the passage of H.R. 1, we say enough is enough. We're putting an end to the Republican culture of voter intimidation. We are giving power back to the people.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my dear friend, Dionne Phillips Bagsby. Dionne was a very strong leader in the Fort Worth community. She served as a role model to so many people, including myself, and she really was driven by her work to desegregate the Fort Worth schools when she first came to Fort Worth. That really spurred her to run for the county commissioner's seat in precinct one in 1988. When she ran, she became the first woman and the first African American to become a Tarrant County commissioner. She did a tremendous job for Tarrant County and the city of Fort Worth. Throughout her 16-year tenure, Dionne fought to improve public education and increase access to health resources for women and children. Her former precinct administrator, who is now the county commissioner, Roy Charles Brooks, said it best when he said that Dionne was not a politician, she was a public servant. In 2005, I was proud to be a part of the Texas Legislature and honor her for a lifetime of service. Again, she was a mentor and mentored so many young women throughout Fort Worth who sought to replicate her success. She helped them aspire to careers that would challenge the norm. She always encouraged those young women to never give up. Dionne broke barriers for the African American community, for women, for the disadvantaged, for the disabled, and for so many others, including myself. Mr. Speaker, I will tell you and will be honest with you, if you ever met Dionne, you will know that she was very much into straight talk. She did not mince words, and she always cut right to the chase. But I will also tell you, as I mentioned before, that Dionne was a tremendous mentor. When I was elected to the State Legislature in 2004, Dionne was the first person to call me up, and we went and had lunch. When I got married later, she called my wife and me up, and we went and had lunch with her. When I came to Congress and was elected in 2012, she was one of the first people to call me up, and she; Lorraine Miller, who was a former Clerk of the House here; my wife; and I all went and had dinner. She was more than happy to dispense good advice that was very, very helpful to me. Mr. Speaker, Dionne was also very instrumental in bringing a lot of firsts to Fort Worth. I mentioned her work with the schools, her being the first Black and first woman on the county commissioners court. But her legacy still lives today through The Links. She was one of the legacy members of The Links in Fort Worth. The Greater Fort Worth Area Negro Business and Professional Women's Club, she got a national charter for that venerable organization and had the first meeting in her living room in southeast Fort Worth. Mr. Speaker, if you ever went to any of Dionne's receptions while she was still in office between that 1988 and 2005 time period, you will know that one of the things that she liked to do was give shout-outs. She gave shout-outs to everybody from people in her family to the person who was her trainer. I am going to give a shout-out to some of her family members and special friends today--and everybody back home, please forgive me if I have left out anyone--her daughter, Dionne Anne Jones; her son, Jimmy Bagsby; her husband who preceded her in death who was also on the Fort Worth City Council, Jim Bagsby; her grandchildren, Kirbe, Josiah, Kelli, and Elijah; and her brother, Paul Phillips. She had so many friends whom she would like to give shout-outs to, including one who preceded her in death, Dr. Erma Johnson Hadley, her dear friend; Norma Roby; Bob Sanders; Jesse Gaines; again, Lorraine Miller; Gwendolyn Morrison; Viney Chandler; and, again, County Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks, who was also someone Dionne mentored and who was her precinct administrator before he became county commissioner. He also was a very, very dear friend. We lost a giant in Fort Worth by losing Dionne. She will be missed because she was a friend to so many and always had so many colorful, wonderful, and humorous things to say. But I can tell you that our city is better off and our county is better off because Dionne Bagsby moved to Fort Worth with her husband and helped make it a better place for everybody.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of Federal workers across the country. Right now, in Dallas, Texas, the American Federation of Government Employees local chapter, or AFGE, is organizing a rally to hold the President accountable for this shutdown. Today, the President is finally making his first official visit to the Texas-Mexico border. He will be visiting McAllen, a town that I have visited on numerous occasions and have many friends, and I adore and love the town. In 2018, McAllen saw their lowest crime rate in 30 years. And let's be clear: Democrats care about border security. We care about stopping crime. But we won't roll over because the President is getting frustrated that the majority of Americans don't want his wall, plain and simple. The President and Senate Republicans are choosing political self- interest over our families. The members of the Dallas chapter of AFGE are real people who are facing two real burdens as a direct result of this shutdown. They are struggling to pay for rent and groceries. The gut punch is that the President is far more concerned with his base in 2020 than securing the well-being of over 800,000 families.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a Black icon in the Fort Worth community, Reby Cary. Reby lived a monumental life, and as the former Fort Worth Star- Telegram columnist Bobby Ray Sanders expressed: ``He was an activist from the heart, and he was not afraid.'' He was among the first African Americans to graduate from the U.S. Coast Guard radioman school in New Jersey and the first African American to be elected to the Fort Worth Independent School District. He shared many of the successes of Black pioneers in the community, many of whom didn't receive the accolades they deserved in what was then a segregated society. After serving multiple tours in World War II, Mr. Cary came back to Tarrant County, where he started teaching history at Dunbar High School when it was a new high school. He later became the first Black instructor at Tarrant County Junior College. He went on to serve three terms in the Texas House of Representatives, continuing to serve his Carver Heights community and all of Fort Worth. Mr. Cary was a proud member of The New Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth. He credited God for the many blessings that came his way and his mother for keeping him on what he called ``the straight and narrow.'' He wanted to tell Black Fort Worth's story, and he wanted to ensure that the history of the African American community was documented and remembered for generations to come. He became a Black historian and authored 20 books about the history of African Americans in north Texas. My condolences go out to his family and friends. His presence will be missed but never forgotten. I also want to let all of his friends know in Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, his church, and all of the organizations that he volunteered for in Fort Worth just how important that legacy was for him.

Mr. VEASEY

Mr. VEASEY. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4254, the Women in Aerospace Education Act. I want to thank Mr. Knight and Ms. Esty for introducing this very important piece of legislation. Women continue to be underrepresented in the aerospace sector. For example, a 2016 analysis revealed that over the past 15 years, women have made up, on average, just 15 percent of NASA's planetary mission science teams. While there has been increasing interest in supporting women's advancement in all STEM fields, particularly on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, the low representation of women on NASA's planetary science mission teams has remained largely unchanged. I am heartened by recent efforts at NASA to tackle the issue of diversity on its planetary science mission teams. The 2016 New Frontiers 4 call for proposals included new language highlighting the benefits of diverse and inclusive mission teams. I was pleased to see that one of the finalists for this competition, the Dragonfly mission to Saturn's moon Titan, is led by a woman. Additionally, one of the two missions selected in 2017 for NASA's Discovery Program, the Psyche mission to a metallic asteroid, is also led by a woman. The principal investigator of the Psyche mission, Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, is now the second woman to lead a competitive planetary science mission for NASA. Yesterday's successful landing of NASA's InSight spacecraft on the surface of Mars offers another reason to feel optimistic. The team of scientists and engineers that made the groundbreaking landing possible included 135 women, or about 25 percent of the team. To build on this progress, H.R. 4254 addresses the challenges in recruiting and retaining talented women in aerospace by directing NASA to promote internship and fellowship opportunities to women. The bill also directs NSF to include research experiences at National Laboratories and NASA centers in the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. Research has shown that the best teams are those in which good ideas are heard. Gender diversity on NASA's planetary science missions and in the aerospace sector more broadly will lead to more diverse questions and approaches to solutions. To get the best science, we need more women in aerospace, and H.R. 4254 will help to get us there. Mr. Speaker, I urge my fellow Members to support H.R. 4254, and I yield back the balance of my time.