Sheila Jackson Lee

It is long past time that Congress passed a comprehensive law banning such atrocities.

This level of passivity on the part of leadership in response to this terrible crime has left this Nation without the critical leadership it needs...

It was difficult to imagine how in this day and age that two white supremacists beat Byrd senseless...

I express my grief and shame that after 2 years from the date of James Byrd Junior's vicious murder...

Mr. Clark leaves his impressive imprint upon the city of Houston, and I congratulate him on his well-deserved retirement.

It is a record that will stand for many years and will remain a testament to Payton's excellence.

Any American, regardless of race or gender, can identify with Walter Payton.

His commitment to excellence and immense endurance makes his death seem all the more unbelievable.

Walter Payton represented sheer perseverance.

It is his way of life that fills our memories and our hearts.

I rise to strongly support this measure that recognizes a true sports hero and legend, Walter Payton.

I have seen firsthand the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa.

I rise to offer this amendment to H.R. 2606, to increase funding by $25 million and direct this funding to address the issue of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa.

I urge my colleagues to support funding for both the NEA and the NEH.

For every dollar the endowment awards, other sources contribute $12 to make art happen in thousands of communities.

The NEA is an independent agency of the Federal government charged with supporting the arts in America for All Americans.

NEH also provides many educational tools for children.

The NEH is vital to our educational systems and provides numerous services in the area of the humanities.

Today I rise to support Representative Slaughter's amendment which will add money to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

As we proceed with the development of the national missile defense we should not lose sight of the successes which the first two prongs of our strategy have had in the defense against weapons of mass destruction.

I will be monitoring the progress of the development of the national missile defense system to ensure that it does not become a reckless waste of the American taxpayer's money.

We cannot push a national missile defense system so as to undermine the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II) or the potential to further reduce weapons of mass destruction in future treaties.

It would be imprudent for Congress to rush the technological development of a system, which remains unproven.

While the growing threat is sobering, we should be realistic in our pursuit of a national missile defense.

The threat presented by these technologies, particularly from rogue states such as North Korea, Iraq, Libya and Iran, is growing more serious by the day.