Sheila Jackson Lee: “Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I am saddened by the occasion on which I come to the floor of the House, but it is a…”

“Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I am saddened by the occasion on which I come to the floor of the House, but it is a privilege to be able to speak about a great American, for we do not capture the life and the legacy of great Americans. We find ourselves forgetting. Some would say, if we don't remember the past, we are doomed to repeat some of those hills and valleys in the future. Tonight, I want to remember Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, whom this Nation lost on Monday evening. It is important that his story be told for I would like to know him and for this Nation to know him as America's peacemaker, but many will say that peacemaker had a tough edge. Before I start, I want to mention his family and express my sympathy to them for their loss--to his wife, his two sons, and his stepchildren--all who loved him so very, very much. What I would say to you is that this was an action man. He was someone who threw himself into the world of diplomacy. Frankly, there was no challenge of peace too difficult for Ambassador Richard Holbrooke.”