Bill Lee: “First, let me thank Congresswoman Kelly for those very generous remarks, but also for your tremendous leadership and for…”

“First, let me thank Congresswoman Kelly for those very generous remarks, but also for your tremendous leadership and for staying the course and making sure that we are here really speaking truth to power each and every week on behalf of the Black Caucus. Also, to you, Congressman Don Payne, thank you very much for your leadership and for really rising to the occasion on so many issues. In the very short time that you have been here, you have hit the ground running and really have made a tremendous difference. I want to just speak for a few minutes as it relates to the review of the Congressional Black Caucus for the last year or 2 years. I have to just say that our leader, Mr. Butterfield, has been a very bold and tremendous leader. We have accomplished quite a bit, and we have a lot more to do. While 2015 has been very challenging, I believe that the Congressional Black Caucus has really stepped up and made a huge difference not only for the African American community and communities of color, but for the entire country. It has also been an inspiring year. We have seen the birth and growth of the vital Black Lives Matter movement. We have also witnessed powerful and moving protests across the country in places like Missouri, New York, and even in my district in Oakland and in Berkeley, California, with people of all backgrounds and ages coming together to demand justice, to petition their government, to exercise their democratic rights.…”