On the recordJuly 8, 2013
I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for leading this Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour to honor a man that was a friend to so many of us, former Congressman William H. Gray, III. On behalf of the CBC, I send condolences to the Gray family. As you celebrate Congressman and Reverend Gray's life, know that we, too, will miss a great man. We mourn the loss of Congressman Gray and celebrate the legislator, the advocate, and the statesman, a man whose accomplishments you will hear a great deal about this evening. But if one word defined Bill Gray's life, it is ``service.'' He served God, his Philadelphia community, our Nation, and the world with dedicated hard work, strong leadership, and a commitment to equity and justice. He broke new ground as the first African American to chair the House Budget Committee and again as the first African American majority whip in the House of Representatives. Although I did not have the personal privilege and pleasure to serve with him, our history supports the fact that he was a brilliant negotiator, bipartisan consensus builder, and courageous policymaker.
