Sheila Jackson Lee: “Allow me to again express my appreciation to the growth and bounty of the Women's Democratic Caucus. It is amazing, the…”

“Allow me to again express my appreciation to the growth and bounty of the Women's Democratic Caucus. It is amazing, the coming together of now generational women, freshmen classes, sophomore classes, and some of us who have had the privilege of serving for a period of time. What an amazing power base that you and we have created. Madam Speaker, I thank Lois Frankel for her leadership. I thank Brenda Lawrence and Jackie Speier for the way they have guarded and guided this privilege with this power. I do think it is important to put in the Record her singular work. She will not say singular work, but we were all glad to join her. Obviously, this particular young soldier came out of the breadth and depth of Houston and out of Texas--but to be able to honor the life of a young woman that simply wanted all her life to join the United States Army. Jackie Speier had been working on the issue of sexual assault in the military, along with our good friend, Senator Gillibrand, and the lack of justice that we were seeing all the time. This had been going on for a very long time. It is important in this Women's History Month to say that we together made history with your legislation that responded to the heinous crime of the killing of Officer Guillen, a precious young women, who, growing up as a little girl wanted to be in the United States military. I think this is the point that should be made.…”