Doug Ose: “Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 303 introduced by my colleague from the State of Georgia (Mr. Lewis) honors Maynard Holbrook…”

“Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 303 introduced by my colleague from the State of Georgia (Mr. Lewis) honors Maynard Holbrook Jackson, Jr., former mayor of the city of Atlanta and extends the condolences of the House of Representatives on his death. Mr. Speaker, today we do honor a great American leader. Maynard Jackson courageously guided the city of Atlanta for three terms as mayor. He was inspired to enter public service, catch this date, on April 4, 1968, when he was a 30-year-old hard-working lawyer in Atlanta. Why does that date register with us? On that terribly bittersweet day, Maynard Jackson welcomed his first child into the world and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was tragically assassinated. The combination of these two events moved Mr. Jackson to enter politics. Only 2 months later, he unhesitatingly launched a grassroots campaign that challenged, albeit unsuccessfully, a powerful incumbent senator. His campaign earned him 200,000 votes, but in 1973, he again challenged a well-known incumbent as he ran for mayor of Atlanta, and this time he won. He was elected the first black mayor in Atlanta's history. Maynard Jackson went on to become one of the most influential civic officials in the history of Georgia, the South and our entire Nation. Mr. Speaker, last month, on June 23, Maynard Jackson sadly collapsed and died from a heart attack right here in Washington at the age of 65.”