Yvette Clarke: “I thank Mr. Veasey for his leadership this evening. I thank our chairman, Cedric Richmond, for his vision and his…”

“I thank Mr. Veasey for his leadership this evening. I thank our chairman, Cedric Richmond, for his vision and his timeliness in bringing this to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the people of the Ninth Congressional District of New York in opposition to Donald Trump's nominee for the position of Attorney General of the United States, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama. I stand with my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus as we raise our voices on behalf of the millions of Americans who depend on this caucus to speak as the conscience of the Congress--speaking truth to power. Mr. Speaker, I struggle to understand how Senator Sessions can even be considered to lead the Department of Justice when time and time again throughout his political career he has actively opposed the mission and purpose for which the Department of Justice was created. For the better part of my life--at least a half a century--the Department of Justice has assumed a position of leadership in the fight for the civil rights of African Americans who seek the uninhibited right to vote, for young women who seek protection against sexual assault on college campuses, for disabled individuals who fight for equitable access to basic services, and for immigrants who aspire to pursue their visions of the American Dream. The nomination of Senator Sessions does not support the legacy of progress that has been made under the auspices of the modern-day Department of Justice.…”