Under Barack Obama we have made tremendous progress from where we were.

Thank you very much for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to join my colleagues and people throughout the United States to celebrate Black History Month. It may come as a surprise to some that Black History Month is also…

Far too many States across this country have enacted troubling voter suppression laws since the Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder.

We must repair the damage done to the Voting Rights Act with legislation, and that must be a top priority.

To preserve the integrity of our ballot box, we must also protect citizens' access to it.

In just three days, the National Museum of African American History & Culture will officially open its doors to the public. One hundred years in the making, the museum explores the richness and diversity of the African American experience…

I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I thank him so much for doing this Special Order. I want to begin, first of all, by thanking my colleague on the other side of the Capitol, Senator Tim Scott, for a tremendous speech he gave on…

I want to thank Speaker Ryan for his comments this morning and thank him so much for asking the people of our great country to take stock. I want us to take stock in more ways than one. I often talk about having been born and raised in a…

I come today to draw attention to the fact that tomorrow evening we are going to be hosting a SpeakOut on the west front of the Capitol, the west lawn, and we are going to be highlighting four pieces of legislation: H.R. 1217, H.R. 1076…

This report says that the General Accountability Office has found that between the years 2006 and 2015, 89,000 people have been blocked from purchasing weapons who were not eligible to purchase weapons because of their records. But the…

I am pleased that the House will finally consider legislation to make reforms to our background check system for firearm purchases. Now, Mr. Speaker, the word ``reform'' can either be a noun or a verb. As a noun, reform means a change for…

Isn't it true that the majority can schedule a vote on the no-fly, no buy bill right now? The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will not entertain any inquiry that does not relate in a practical sense to the pending proceedings.

I believe that that bill has been filed and it is languishing in the committee. My inquiry is, isn't it true that we can have a vote on that bill right now? The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has not stated an inquiry that is relevant…

I respectfully request that the Chair answer the question posed. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is no longer recognized. The Chair has advised that the gentleman has not stated an inquiry that is relevant to the proceedings before…

I have a parliamentary inquiry. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Womack). The gentleman will state his parliamentary inquiry.

On tomorrow, we are going to commemorate the first anniversary of the events that occurred at Emanuel AME Church. {time} 0930 On Sunday, AME churches all over the country will be commemorating this great loss. I will be in Lakeland…

This morning, as I watched some news reports of my good friend Chris Murphy's closing comments on the Senate floor, I thought about another period of time in this country that focused on some real troubling circumstances that existed. A…

I often quote Martin Luther King, Jr.'s iconic letter from the Birmingham City Jail when he wrote: We are going to be made to repent not just for the hateful words and deeds of bad people, but for the appalling silence of good people. Mr…

I appreciate that. I do have something I would like to say on that. Dr. King was sitting in jail in Birmingham, Alabama, because he found some injustices there. In fact, in the letter, he said--in responding to those ministers--that a…

I thank Mr. Green for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, June 17, we will commemorate the first anniversary of what I like to refer to as the Charleston 12. Nine people lost their lives that night at the Emanuel AME Church, but three…

I agree. Of course, having served as the majority whip in this body, all it takes is 218. I do believe that there are 218 good people in this body who will vote for these--especially these three pieces of legislation dealing with what I…

Well, I think the gentleman has summarized this adequately and, I think, appropriately.

I am really concerned that we have just today had a moment of silence, and later this week, the 17th---- The SPEAKER. Does the gentleman have a parliamentary inquiry?

Yes. Mr. Speaker, I am particularly interested about three pieces of legislation that have been filed in this body. The SPEAKER. The gentleman is not stating a parliamentary inquiry. ____________________

I have a parliamentary inquiry. The SPEAKER. The gentleman will state his parliamentary inquiry.