| 00:00:00 | TIME. |
| 00:00:01 | MR. |
| 00:00:02 | SPEAKER, TONIGHT THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS WILL USE THE HOUR TO SPEAK TO SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS AT THE CORE OF WHAT WE FIGHT FOR AND WHAT WE LEGISLATE FOR. |
| 00:00:11 | WHAT WE LEGISLATE TO END. |
| 00:00:13 | AND WHICH IS ALWAYS AT THE ROOT OF MUCH OF WHAT WE COME TO THE FLOOR EVERY MONDAY NIGHT TO TALK ABOUT. |
| 00:00:20 | THE PERSISTENCE OF INEQUALITY AND INJUSTICE IN OUR COUNTRY. |
| 00:00:24 | AND IT IS FITTING THEN THAT AS WE DO SO THIS EVENING, WE CALL TO MIND AND HONOR A STAUNCH CHAMPION FOR JUSTICE, ATTORNEY JOHN PAYTON WHO AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH ON MARCH 22, WAS THE SIXTH PRESIDENT OF THE NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND AND TONIGHT I'M JOINED BY SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES AND I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY YIELDING SUCH TIME AS SHE MIGHT CONSUME TO THE CONGRESSWOMAN FROM OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, THE FORMER CHAIR OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS, A LEADER AND A STRONG -- ONE OF OUR STRONGEST FIGHTERS FOR JUSTICE AND EQUALITY IN THIS COUNTRY, CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE. |
| 00:01:06 | MS. LEE: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. FIRST, LET ME THANK CONGRESSWOMAN, DR. |
| 00:01:09 | CHRISTENSEN, FOR THOSE VERY KIND REMARKS. |
| 00:01:11 | BUT ALSO FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS |
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. I would like to again thank the Democratic leader for giving us this time.
Mr. Speaker, tonight the Congressional Black Caucus will use the hour to speak on something that's always at the core of what we fight for and what we legislate for and what we legislate to end, and which is always at the root of much of what we come to the floor every Monday night to talk about, the persistence of inequality and injustice in our country.
It is fitting then that as we do so this evening we call to mind and honor a staunch champion for justice, attorney John Payton, who at the time of his death on March 22 was the sixth president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Tonight I'm joined by several of my colleagues, and I begin by yielding such time as she might consume to the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, a leader and one of our strongest fighters for justice and equality in this country, the gentlewoman from Oakland, California, Congresswoman Barbara Lee.