Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Veasey), the coleader of this hour, along with Delegate Plaskett…”

“I thank the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Veasey), the coleader of this hour, along with Delegate Plaskett, for not only their astute leadership of the hour, but certainly of their astute leadership of the issue. I am delighted to join my colleagues. I thank the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Mr. Cedric Richmond, for continuing to make sure that the conscience of the Congress, the Congressional Black Caucus, is heard on these crucial issues. Mr. Veasey, I am going to focus my issues--because this is not a Republican or Democratic issue. It is an American issue. I do want to personally thank you for your leadership as the named plaintiff of the Texas voter ID litigation, which has been--how should I say? I wanted to say Earth-shattering--but it has been groundbreaking in its recognition of the diminishing of the rights of people to vote by a draconian voter ID law. We know that it has been somewhat modified, but your astuteness recognizes that, even in its modification, in the coming elections, we should be very wary of the effort that the State will utilize the voter ID law for voter suppression. So today I want to rise in the backdrop of the Shelby case, which many of us are well aware of.…”