Expressing My Gratitude

Floor Speech

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Mr. GREEN of Texas. Still I rise, Mr. Speaker, always proud to have this preeminent privilege of standing here in the House of Representatives, honored to have the opportunity to serve the people of the Ninth Congressional District who elected me, but also the people of this country, this entire country, because when they elected me, they elected me to become a United States Representative. As such, when I vote, I am voting for them, but I am also voting for the country.

Today I rise to be grateful and to express my gratitude and my appreciation to the people of the Ninth Congressional District for allowing me this opportunity, this singular opportunity of serving in the Congress of the United States of America. I have been blessed.

I thank the people who happen to live in Brazoria County for allowing me to serve them. It has been an honor, and it continues to be my honor. I, in no way, am indicating that I am about to leave the Congress. I think that this is an opportunity to express my gratitude. I plan to be here next year and until the people of the Ninth Congressional District decide otherwise.

I thank the people who live in Brazoria County. I thank the people who live in Fort Bend County--these counties adjoin each other--and Harris County.

I didn't get here because I was so smart. I am here because there were people who thought that I might make a difference in their lives, and I have tried my best to do so, so I thank them for affording me this opportunity.

I thank my staff. Members of Congress get things done only when they have a good staff. I have an excellent staff, and I thank them for what they do to make it possible for me to do things that I ordinarily would not be able to do.

I had a friend, Mickey Leland, who served in this Congress, and he reminded me on many occasions that a great person will always rise to the occasion, but the greater people make the occasion, so I thank these occasion makers, the people who make it possible for me to come here and stand and speak in the House of Representatives in this Capitol Building.

I thank my chief of staff here in Washington, D.C., who does an outstanding job. I won't go through his credentials in the entirety, but he is a lawyer, Scott Bell. I thank Scott for the fine job he has done to lead the D.C. team.

That team consists of Aaron, who is my legislative director; Raphael, who is a senior in the office; Jalaina, who is a legislative assistant in the office; Madison, who is my office administrator; and then there are other persons who are coming on board. I believe that Izzah will be on board with me. I have extended an offer to her. We will see if she accepts.

My D.C. team has done an outstanding job. I am very proud of the job that all of the members of this team have afforded the people of the Ninth Congressional District of Texas.

However, I do want to mention one standout, and that is Claudia. Claudia and I happened to bump into each other when she was working in another capacity here on the Hill. I take great pride in selecting people who don't apply for the job, people that I just happen to bump into along life's way. Such was the case with Claudia. I just bumped into her. We had some casual conversation, and something said to me, this is the person who can represent you when people first enter your office. I thank Claudia very much for the job that she does.

Jalaina and I met when I was at a speaking engagement. She didn't apply for the job. I spoke to her for some small length of time, found out that she was looking for a job on the Hill. She applied, and Jalaina now works in the office. I mentioned her earlier. She is a legislative assistant in the office.

I am proud of this D.C. team, but in Houston I have a team that has been with me for a very long time, and I am proud of them, as well. I am proud of Rachael Rodriguez, who came to me from labor. She is a labor-oriented person, as am I. I am a dues-checkoff member of a local labor union, 1550 AFSCME. As such, I am proud to say that Rachael Rodriguez has done an outstanding job leading the Houston team. She is more than capable, competent, and qualified. She has a great personality. She is the kind of person who respects others with her smiles. Rachael Rodriguez.

Then, of course, there is Crystal Webster. Crystal is the deputy district director, and she does a little bit of everything. In that office we all take pride in getting the job done. Everybody will pitch in to do whatever has to be done. Crystal Webster has done an outstanding job. I am grateful that she has been with me for many years.

The persons that I have just spoken of, Crystal and Rachael, have both been with me for more than a decade.

Of course, I am honored to have in that office Clarence Holliday. We call him Doc. He has done outstanding work in the outreach area, also as a caseworker. He is just a fine man, former NAACP president out in Fort Bend County. He does outstanding work. I am proud to have him.

I am also proud to have Catherine. Catherine is polyglot. She speaks four different languages; quite well, I might add. She connects me to communities that but for her I wouldn't connect with. These people are making a difference in the lives of the people in the Ninth Congressional District.

I also am honored to have with me Sam, Sam Merchant. Sam Merchant is a person of Indian heritage; not Native American, Indian heritage. He has been with me for a number of years as an outreach person. I regret to say to you that Sam will be leaving the office. He has served us well. He is moving on to a sunset of retirement. I greatly appreciate the work that Sam has done for the people of the Ninth Congressional District.

Of course, we have Robertine, Robertine Jefferson. Her father was my pastor. He passed away some time ago. I never intended to hire Robertine. I just happened to be at an event and found out that she was interested in work, and she came on board with me. She helps us with our events. She is an event coordinator; par excellence, I might add. She does an outstanding job. I could not but for her do the many different things that we do in the district.

Of course, there is Teque'lia. Teque'lia is the coms director in the office. She came on board not so very long ago and has been very talented. She picks up on things very quickly, and she produces a great work product, so I am proud to claim Teque'lia as a member of the team in Houston, Texas.

There are other persons who are not on the team by virtue of working in the office. I want to make sure that I acknowledge them as well because they are in and out of the office, so thank you. Of course, there is Colbe who works in the office, Colbe is a receptionist out front. She drives when necessary, does a little bit of everything, as well. I am proud to have this team of workers in the Houston office, all of whom serve us well.

Today, I will do two additional things, and I will depart. The first thing I would like to do is to thank the people that I work with here, people that I disagree with, people that I agree with. I think this is a time to put aside differences, as I heard Mr. Hoyer so eloquently express earlier in a presentation; put aside differences and just be grateful, just be grateful that you have the opportunity to serve and be grateful for the people that you serve with regardless of their political persuasions. Just be grateful. So I am grateful to all of the people that I serve with here, and I thank them for the work that we do together.

In closing with this work, I am going to say a prayer for all of us, if I may, after which I will present someone else who will take the microphone and continue for the rest of the time that remains.

Today, this is my prayer that I have written. I say this prayer before I consume any food. It is accidental if I consume food and I don't say this prayer because I am grateful to have the gift of life.

I tell people that I am better than I deserve because I have been blessed to have the most unique gift in all of the universe, the gift of life. I don't know why I have it. I didn't earn it, so I have to be grateful for it. I try to use it in the most efficacious and the most beneficial way possible. I make mistakes. I am not a perfect person. I am a sinner, but I do try my best to treat people right. I ask for forgiveness; and I do ask for forgiveness more often than I probably should, but I do ask.

This is my prayer, and I don't ask anybody to join me in my prayer, you do whatever you would ordinarily do. This is my prayer for my country and for the people that I serve with:

Most gracious Creator, we know You by many names, but we also know that by any name, You are the Creator of all that was, is, and ever shall be; and I, as one of Your creations, want to take the time to now thank You, and I do so on behalf of the many others who may believe as I do.

I thank You for Your love, Your grace, and the gift of life. I thank You for Your mercy and Your forgiveness throughout life. I thank You for Your angels to protect life. I thank You for Your creation to sustain life: Your air, the breath of life; Your water, the elixir of life; Your star that we know as Sun, the light and warmth of life; Your terra firma that we call Earth, the foundation and home of life.

I today ask that You would recognize our weaknesses, our strengths, and give us the opportunity to serve You and Your creation so that it may continue as You would will it.

I ask all of these things in the name of the Creator of all of creation, and I thank You.

At this time, I am honored to introduce someone I have the utmost respect for. Elected from Maryland's Fifth Congressional District, he is one of Maryland's finest and a Georgetown University lawyer. He served as majority leader twice, from 2007 to 2011 and then again from 2019 to 2023. He is a person who has made a difference in my life and, in so doing, has made a difference in the lives of the people of the Ninth Congressional District, which I represent.

I am so honored to have this opportunity to yield to the honorable gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), a lawyer, a former State senator, and still a Member of Congress. I respect and love my dear brother.

God bless you. Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

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Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the former majority leader for the outstanding presentation. I think it is an appropriate way to bring this to closure today. May God continue to bless him and keep him.

Mr. Speaker, as I shake Mr. Hoyer's hand as he passes me by, I am blessed to know that sometimes fortuitous circumstances can benefit you.

Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss not to mention the newest staff member on my team, Eric Goodwine.

Eric does an outstanding job for us in Houston. He not only assists me in the office, but he also is the principal person that gets me from point A to point B. Eric does an outstanding job of ensuring that things are arranged when I arrive at various venues, and I am proud to have him on the team.

Eric, thank you again. Please forgive me for not mentioning you initially. All of this was from memory so charge it to being 25 three times and now working on my fourth 25th birthday, but there is a God that rules above and a fortuitous circumstance has made a difference.

Mr. Speaker, may God bless this House, and may God bless the United States of America.

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