mrs. christensen: thank you, mr. speaker. and, mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of this special order. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mrs. christensen: thank you, mr. speaker. and i'd 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 to something that's always at the core of what we fight for and what we legislate for. 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. 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

mr. cleaver, ms. christensen, there is joy and pain today.ther for his work around the world.

mr. cleaver, ms. christensen, there is joy and pain today.pay their respects for my father for his work around the world. the pain is that he is not here for us to tell him how much we appreciated him. it's been a -- just an overwhelming month or so. at his passing, i was in a very good place and reflecting on what he had done for me and my family over the course of my life, but as time has gone on and i've had time to stop and think, it's become very hard not to be emotional any time i think of even calling his name, whether it be congressman, donald payne, daddy, whatever. it has been a very emotional time. but as it was stated and i stated, he never asked for anything. he did things. he told me and he used to refer to me. and i have a family nickname. he would say, "chop, i do the things i do because i can." people need help around the world. and wherever there is injustice, he felt it was important to step in. yes, africa was his passion, but people finding theirselves in situations where their civil and human rights were being violated b

mrs. christensen: take another five. ms. norton: the control board reached out to take control of the education and had control of every arm of the d.c. government. but john payton and knew that the law that set up the control board gained its authority to take over the board of education. it was an elected body. what to do? appleseed, very much opposed the board of education. yet the board of education had done illegal acts, except nobody knew it. but technical lawyers or people who paid attention to the fine letter of the law -- the appleseed board engaged in the appropriate debate. as to whether they should sue the control board for illegal -- for illegal action in taking over a terrible board of education. john payton cast the deciding vote against -- john cast the deciding vote for the lawsuit. and he did so because he said, he did not than want to be part of an organization that failed to stand for the rule of law. how did john payton handled this? he knew the board didn't stand for the children. what he did as a part

mrs. christensen, there is joy and pain today.mber of people in this hall to pay their respect to my father for his work around the world. the pain is that he is not here for us to tell him how much we appreciated him. there's been just an overwhelming month or so. at his passing, i was in a very good place and reflecting on what he had done for me and my family over the course of my life. but as time has gone on and i've had time to stop and think, it's become very hard not to be emotional anytime i think of even calling his name. whether it be congressman donald payne, daddy, whatever. it has been a very emotional time. but as it was stated and i stated, he never asked for anything. he did things. he told me and he referred to me -- i have a family nickname. he would say, i do the things i do because i can. people need help all around the world. and wherever there is injustice , he felt it was important to step in. yes, africa was his passion, but people find situations where their civil and human rights were being violated beca