Political Quotes

“I thank Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence for inviting us to come to the floor this evening to share our sorrow with the Conyers family and the people of Greater Detroit that Congressman Conyers represented here so forcefully throughout his entire career. I would like to extend sympathy to his wife, Monica, and to his sons, John and Carl, that he used to come walk through Congress, even when they were small. He would take them on the train from one side of the Capitol to the other. I can still see him doing that. As others have mentioned, he served from 1965 to 2017. So, from the civil rights movement at its apex, that fervor came into this Chamber, and John served over half a century in furtherance of America's betterment. He was the 44th dean of the House. He became its most senior member and, certainly, the longest serving African American in the history of the United States of America. I think most Members would agree, he truly was a drum major for justice and also a drum major for jobs and fair wages for all workers. His service was anchored by those parallel visions, and I can still remember coming as a new Member to Congress. There were three men who were serving at that time: John; another John, John Dingell; and a man named William Ford. The three of them together, in my mind, actually formed the northern apex of the civil rights and labor rights movement in this country, and America was bettered by all of their services. They worked in tandem.…”