MY SHERO, CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE

On 2024-12-19, Representative Robin L. Kelly (D-IL-2) delivered a floor speech titled "MY SHERO, CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE" in the House. The speech addressed civil rights.

MY SHERO, CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE

Congressional Record, Volume 170 Issue 189 (Thursday, December 19, 2024) [Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 189 (Thursday, December 19, 2024)] [House] [Page H7364] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] MY SHERO, CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE (Ms. KELLY of Illinois asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.) Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to send a message to my colleague, my dearest Sigma Gamma Rho sorority sister, and my shero, Barbara Lee. She will always be an inspiration to me and many others. When Barbara Lee started her political career, she couldn't have known that she would become such a role model for so many people, especially Black women. She is an inspiration, and it has been my deepest honor to call her a friend and mentor. I continue to look up to Barbara Lee as a strong voice for civil rights, health equity, poverty elimination, and actually so much more. She was the driving force in establishing PEPFAR in 2003, a critical program that has saved over 25 million lives from HIV and AIDS all over the world. I am honored to carry her legacy into the next Congress to reauthorize PEPFAR, one of the world's most successful health programs. We must continue to fund this critical program until we end the HIV and AIDS pandemic. I thank Barbara Lee for all the work she has done and all the work she continues to accomplish in the future. I love you, Barbara Lee. ____________________