Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the chairman for yielding me the time. I rise in strong commitment and recognition of this healing garden…”

“I thank the chairman for yielding me the time. I rise in strong commitment and recognition of this healing garden legislation, H.R. 4380, and I thank my colleagues, Congresswoman Escobar, whose legislation it is, Congressmen Castro and Grijalva, and the gentleman from Arkansas for recognizing, first of all, that we stand united in the acknowledgment of the pain and violence that these families experienced and the tragedy of someone coming to target innocent families and children and bestowing upon innocent persons that they were invading this country, this country who has the Statute of Liberty that says bring us your tired and your weary. I want to congratulate Congresswoman Escobar for the leadership that she gave and the strength that she showed. I saw her as I traveled to El Paso. She truly exhibited ``El Paso strong'' as so many of us came to mourn with her. We were broken, but we were resolved that we would never stand for this again. It was a terrorist act, and it was against people simply because of their race and their ethnic background. I visited those in the hospital who were wounded, some of whom died later. I attended funerals where families lost mothers and fathers. I will never forget this enormous and devastating tragedy and the viciousness of this act. So I rise to support this legislation, to say never again, and to thank Congresswoman Escobar for reminding us that we are Americans and this violence and this hatefulness will not stand.…”