Sheila Jackson Lee: “My words still count for the presentation that the gentleman from California made, and count me as one of those that…”

“My words still count for the presentation that the gentleman from California made, and count me as one of those that will continue to join him in that. Mr. Speaker, might I take a moment to do a number of things as I engage in a conversation on the floor with my colleagues and acknowledge the importance of the work of this body. And also, I want to speak to the last week's occurrences. We, as Members of Congress, may have disagreements on the actions of last week, one of the most important acts that the American people engage in, so I certainly want to applaud the American people for the peaceful transfer of power. That power is not completely transferred. Everyone knows that it is the inauguration on January 20, 2017, in which we will have the opportunity to, in actuality, transfer power from President Obama to the next President of the United States that has been voted on by the people of this country. In the course of my discussion, I will raise a number of concerns that I think are important for us to listen to. Again, these may be issues that draw a little bit of provocativeness, if you will, but I hope to be thoughtful in my words. I do want to acknowledge the works or the words of my colleagues previously honoring the recognition of the Bible and say that so many of us not only find comfort in that wonderful book but we also use it for counsel.…”