On the recordFebruary 11, 2015
I want to thank the gentlewoman from Alabama for bringing us together around this important issue. It is my honor to be a cosponsor of this endeavor, to take this opportunity to demonstrate our appreciation and our respect for the sacrifices that were made by the foot soldiers who marched in the three marches. It is my honor always to be a part of this wonderful body that serves along with John Lewis, who happens to be one of my personal heroes. This Congressional Gold Medal is not just simply an award. It is emblematic of a selflessness that was demonstrated by people who stood up and did the right thing and put their lives in jeopardy to ensure that we, as a democracy, had an opportunity to participate at the very highest level, and that is the level of voting. As I stand here and thank each and every one of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle for supporting this initiative, I rise also to remind us that we have work still to be done, that the battle that was before us that we thought we won is still there to be won, and that we need to correct the actions of the Supreme Court and follow through on the actions of giving people the right to vote.
