Barbara Lee: “I thank the gentleman very much for yielding. First of all, I want to thank Congressman Horsford for those generous…”

“I thank the gentleman very much for yielding. First of all, I want to thank Congressman Horsford for those generous comments, but also for his leadership on so many fronts and for constantly really looking out for the most vulnerable and for those who oftentimes don't have a voice here. I am really delighted that under the leadership of our fearless chair, Congresswoman Karen Bass, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, she asked Mr. Horsford to chair this Special Order tonight, because it is so important that we talk about the budget cuts, and also in the context of commemorating this anniversary, the 150th anniversary of the ratification of the 15th Amendment. We continue to be the conscience of the Congress, and it is so important that we not only remember our history and educate those who may have forgotten about it, but also talk about how we got to where we are today. With these budget cuts that are going to severely, disproportionately impact the African American community, how can we not make the connection between our history and what is taking place here with this administration. Let me just lay out a few more of the budget cuts very quickly. I do serve on the Budget Committee with Mr. Horsford, and so we are going to be dealing with this for the next few weeks and really lay out how horrendous these cuts are. I also serve on the Appropriations Committee as an appropriator.…”