Sheila Jackson Lee: “Before I start, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the family of Elizabeth Edwards, who passed today, a…”

“Before I start, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to the family of Elizabeth Edwards, who passed today, a woman who I got to know and who I admire greatly. I wish for her family loving memories, and I offer publicly my deepest sympathies. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind Members of what opportunity means in this country. Opportunity is focused in many ways: equality and justice, First Amendment rights, that you can find in the Constitution in some way. But education is also an opportunity and a right in this country. I rise today to support the DREAM Act so that millions of children who've lived in this country, speak the language, many of them served in the United States military, who are seeking a simple education can do so and then, in turn, invest some $1 trillion in contributions to America. I speak today in tribute to Ms. Martinez, who is on a 28-day hunger strike, from San Antonio, Texas. Ms. Martinez, I hope, in your name, that we will pass the DREAM Act, because you have been willing to sacrifice. We should pass the DREAM Act.”