Bill Lee: “I first thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for those very kind and humbling remarks. I want to thank her for her tremendous…”

“I first thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for those very kind and humbling remarks. I want to thank her for her tremendous leadership and for continuing to come down here each and every week to ensure that her voice, the Congressional Black Caucus' voice, and Congressman Jeffries' voice are really put forth so that the people of our country will understand the critical issues before us and the fact that the Congressional Black Caucus is really leading on each and every issue. Congresswoman Beatty and Congressman Jeffries really have done a phenomenal job. They both have gone way beyond the call of duty, and so we thank them so much for their efforts. Make no mistake--and I think we are hearing this over and over again tonight--mass incarceration is a crisis in our country. The United States of America imprisons far more people than any other nation in the world. When African Americans are incarcerated at six times the rate of Whites, it is no surprise to me. It is no surprise that African Americans constitute nearly half of the total 2.3 million incarcerated Americans in 2008. Together, African Americans and Latinos comprise 58 percent of all prisoners in 2008, even though African Americans and Latinos make up approximately one-quarter of the United States population. While our prison population grows unchecked and is growing unchecked, we continue to criminalize our students rather than invest in their education.…”