Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the gentleman from New York for both his leadership and his inspiration. He obviously cares. That is why he is…”

“I thank the gentleman from New York for both his leadership and his inspiration. He obviously cares. That is why he is on the floor tonight. I think that is the point that I want to make. It looks as if we are lonely on this floor tonight. It looks as if we are in the eve of the day's work. It looks as if we could be somewhere else. I can tell you, being from a district in Houston that is surrounded by universities, and I know that I will get someone in trouble for trying to call the roll of the universities around the 18th Congressional District, like the historic Texas Southern University, University of Houston, University of St. Thomas, Houston Baptist University, Lone Star College, Houston Community College, and San Jacinto College. I know someone is texting me right now. But I am full of college students, all of them working very hard. I thought I would bring to the floor today the Constitution. I love the words of the Declaration of Independence, the opening words, that we are all created equal with certain inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Does that mean the students that are right now struggling to make ends meet--I think of that famous noodle meal that they eat because they just don't have the money to survive--does that mean that one person, that is still the first person to go to college, in 2021, the single mother that has made it to 20-something hours, has to drop out?…”