Sheila Jackson Lee: “Let me thank the gentleman for his distinguished leadership as the manager on this floor and, certainly, the proponent…”

“Let me thank the gentleman for his distinguished leadership as the manager on this floor and, certainly, the proponent of this resolution. I know it came with good intentions. Let me indicate the wisdom of a young college student some many years ago when I offered to my college for my winning traveling fellowship that I would go to the continent of Africa. Everyone else would go to places well defined and well recognized. I told them that I wanted to take the fellowship that I had received to travel to West Africa, and I did, from then-Togo-and-Dahomey--obviously, changed names to Cote d'Ivoire--to Ghana and Nigeria, and I studied, seeing the potential even then. I am gratified to be in this Congress to be able to have the leadership of our chairman and our ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee to recognize the cruciality of our purpose on the continent. It was members of the Congressional Black Caucus who organized to say how important it was under the George W. Bush administration that the Africa Command be set up. It was crucial in the bloody fight in Liberia for that command to be set up, and only without shooting one gun were they able to begin to bring peace. So, I rise with great concern and opposition to H. Con. Res. 30 because I have realized the importance of the Africa Command because it has elements of diplomacy.…”