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Honoree Congressman Charles Rangel, Senior Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee. |
On October 19, 2000, at ADA's annual Roosevelt-Humphrey Day Dinner, almost three hundred people gathered together to honor Congressmember Charles Rangel. Unfortunately, the Republicans called a vote for 8 PM, and Rangel and six other members of Congress could not attend the dinner, but Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields read a letter to the attendees on his behalf. He missed a stellar speech by dinner chair Gerald McEntee, president of AFSCME (the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees) and a former RHD honoree. McEntee spoke about the rich tradition of liberals and labor working together for all Americans: "Through the years, both good and not so good years, the ADA has always been there fighting the good fight. The ADA has been a consistent voice for those principles and ideals that matter most to this nation. I know from personal experience that the ADA has never been afraid to speak out for social justice, human rights, equal economic opportunity, or civil liberties." |
"The ADA shares all of these ideals with the American labor movement, and we all know these are not always popular issues, but we also know they are the right issues, and they are the issues that mean the most to the future well-being of our nation."
"Some of the most pressing issues of the day such as increasing the minimum wage, passing campaign finance reform, preserving Social Security, fighting for full civil rights for all Americans, putting an end to hate crimes that divide us, realigning federal budget priorities, ensuring quality health care for all, establishing fair international trade, preserving and expanding the right to organize and join a union, and supporting progressive candidates for office, are all issues which the ADA stands for."
The full text of McEntee's speech, as well as a statement from Hillary Rodham Clinton, will be available shortly on our website at www.nycada.com.
Editor's Note: Because the election season is still keeping us busy, I have been having trouble getting everything updated in a timely manner. I will put up the text as soon as I have an opportunity to retype it.
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