Im going to assume everyone has a program. When it gets a little too loud im going to stop. Because this is a very important occasion. We have waited a long time for this. All you have to do is look around the room at the portraits, and its going to be very interesting to have the congressman looking over at all these individuals and all these individuals looking over at the congress. Im bill madison with serious xm radio, the american view. I will get started right away, as we should start. That is, with the invitation. Our good friend, the right reverend dr. Wendell anthony who is not only president of the detroit naacp but also and most importantly the pastor of the great fellowship chapel, if he would come forward and give us indication invocation. Thank you, joe. Let me say, good afternoon to everybody. I do want to just say to congressman john conyers, the dean of the Congressional Black Caucus and the longestserving congressman in the history of the u. S. Congress [applause] for the historic occasion, to him and his family and those of us who live in detroit we are very proud of this International Individual who has led the way for so many. I just have to say this. When congressman conyers was chair of the House Judiciary Committee several years ago, 2007 to 2011 i remember sitting in this room for a congressional hearing, a Judiciary Committee hearing. I looked at all the portraits on the wall. I said to the chairman chairman i look forward to coming back to this house on the day in which your picture graces this wall along with these other gentlemen. Today is that day. Yall can do better than that. We want to thank god for this day. [applause] so we are here because we are pleased, and we want to thank god for the occasion. Let us have a word of prayer. Great god, we thank you for this occasion by which we are now gathered. We thank you for since 1813, there have been men who have graced these walls and this responsibility. Since ingersoll and now john conyers junior the first africanamerican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. One whose life emulates your word. You ask a simple question, what does the lord require me . To do justice, love mercy, and walk calmly with god. Today, john conyers has actualized the dream of martin king. He is standing because rosa sat down. He is marching because king did not stop. 50 years after the Voting Rights act, 50 years after we struggled on that bloody sunday we now have this glorious day by which we can come together and celebrate life and the ability of a nation to live up to its creed and honor those who is very lives honor the law and the lessons of liberty. John conyers has been a true servant for peace. He has been for women, he has been for minorities, he has been for labor, she has been for the majority he has been for law and order. He has been for all of those things that you have asked. If you have done it for him, you have done it for me. We honor john conyers, because his life has honored us. We pray that simply a modicum of what he has done over his career over his vocation over his mission as a congressman in these United States will serve as an example and a clarion call as he so demonstrated by his walk and his talk, that an injustice for anyone, anywhere is a threat to justice for everyone, everywhere. As we unveil this portrait, for it reflects not just a portrait of him, but a portrait of us by which we might go out and do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our god. We thank you for this day. We thank you for john conyers. We thank you for his work. And may we go out and do our own. In the name of the most high god do we pray. Let us all say amen. Many of you have been to occasions here on capitol hill at the rayburn building. As you know, members of congress , and go come and go. I have been instructed by lillian and others, i won out have the responsibility of introducing each of the members of congress will not have the responsibility of introducing each of the members of congress. You have your program. You know the order they will speak in. I have been asked to just simply discuss the occasion. But what i would like to do is something that just happened to fall in my lap this morning. Every morning i read on our show black history facts. One an hour. In the 9 00 hour the producers gave me the following factoid. Im going to read it. House resolution hr40 was brought before the first session of the 105th congress on this very day january 6th, 1989. House resolution 40 was the first formal attempt to obtain reparations to compensate africanamericans for slavery since reconstruction. Briefly, hr40 read as follows. To acknowledge the fundamental injustice, cruelty brutality and inhumanity of slavery in the United States and the 3 american colonies between 1619 and 1865, and to establish a commission to examine the institution of slavery subsequently the racial and economic discrimination against African Americans and the impact of these forces on living africanamericans, and to make recommendations to congress on appropriate remedies. Hr40, those words were written and introduced by congressman john conyers. [applause] 1989, on this very date. Ladies and gentlemen, now i will invite the various members of congress to come forth. Congressman sensenbrenner, thank you very much for being here. There they go. Then congressman clyburn comes in and says you dont have the order. [laughter] i have the order. Yes, leader. They will follow the order. Then we will move ahead. Wow. This is quite a turnout, and it is not at all difficult to understand. When you have the brand has a new, newly minted dean of the United States house of representatives. [applause] having quite a day. First he gets to swear in the speaker of the house, and then he gets a public hanging in the same day. But it is one that is welldeserved, and i have long looked forward to it as well. We have former chairman brooks hanging up there for a long time. I have been telling chairman conyers for a long time, that its about time that his portrait of year up above appear above the dais in the House Judiciary Committee, because of his long service, 50 years on the House Judiciary Committee. That is a remarkable achievement, but its also one that has informed members on both sides of the aisle. Because i look to chairman conyers in my work as someone who has led the committee dealing with some of the most contentious issues that we face in the congress, with the kind of respect and demeanor we would all hope to have. I want to say, john, i have learned much from you. I have learned that we can disagree without being disagreeable. Thats one of the things you like saying the most. But we also have found many many areas to Work Together on. And i look forward to continuing that and perhaps i think another 50 years might be a lot, but you might set the record for the Longest Service in the house of representatives. Another 10 years. Can you do that . I think you can do that. What do you think, folks . [applause] absolutely. I want to commend you. I went to commend your staff and all the other good people who have worked for you. [applause] i think in part this room is full because there are a lot of people here who used to work for you and have gone on to do other great things as well. So its an honor for me to be here. I look forward to seeing this new portrait. I look forward to hanging this new portrait and i look forward to working with you for many years to come. God bless you, and god bless your service on the House Judiciary Committee. General holder, its a pleasure to have you here as well. I understand we will be joined by the Vice President soon. Thats a sign of the respect you have for your lawn service long service. Thank you all for being here. [applause] thank you very much. Joe madison wanted to introduce me. I want to say a couple things that may not be known by a lot of you. I recently released my memoirs and i called it blessed experiences. i called is that because i view the experiences i have had over my life, irrespective of how unpleasant some of them may have been, as blessings. Among those blessings was way back in the late 1960s and early 1970s when i got to interact with john conyers. Now, there was a Significant Movement taking place across the country in those days. We were very interested in changing the paradigm, and one of the changes without needed to be made was in the chairmanship of the committee that runs washington. It just so happens that that committee was being shared by one of chaired by one of my predecessors here in the congress a gentleman from the sixth Congressional District of South Carolina who we felt needed to be replaced if we were going to get some modicum of justice for the people of the district of columbia. John conyers came to South Carolina and i met him through my childhood friend, who served on his staff. And we walked the streets of the sixth Congressional District and we were not successful the first time. But we believed in that old adage, if at first you dont succeed, try and try again. And we came back. On the second time, we were able to replace john mcmillan, who chaired the committee that kept the city of washington sort of as a plantation. I walked the streets with john. When that experience was over and i said to myself, i believe i could do this [laughter] and so, john, i cant tell you how proud i am to be here, to be a part of this program. I say thank you. It is interesting that every time i have been in any office in the caucus, the black caucus, the democratic caucus, the one person who when he heard the rumor that i might be running john always came to me and said, if the rumor is true and you are going to do this, i want to be part of your kitchen cabinet. I never had to ask him for help. I dont know what he saw in me but from that day when i could only dream about being a member of the congress way back in the 1970s, he saw something in me. I want you to know john, i always saw something in you something that i would like to be just as soon as i grow up. [laughter] thank you so much. [applause] well, when i was first asked to come and rejoice at the public hanging of john conyers, i wondered what kind of words republicans could add to these kinds of proceedings. Then i heard that joe biden was coming. You know that he goes to a lot of funerals. After thinking a little bit, i could say, thank heavens that First Impressions are not lasting impressions. When i thought about what i was going to say here today i would just like to go back to when i became the chairman in january of 2001. The committee had a reputation of maybe 20 to 30 years of being the cesspool of partisan arguments, and not really a con pushing a heck of a lot in terms of legislation. I sat down with john and said, look, im going to treat you fairly, im going to give you more staff than at that time the democrats were entitled to, im not going to surprise you. And in return, i said, i want no filibustering by amendments. If i have to move the previous question, i would warn you two or three times. And i only had to do that twice in my six years as chairman. Furthermore, i never had to sign a subpoena either, unlike a lot of what has been going on here. That was because i found john conyers to be a person who keeps his word, a person of integrity a person who realizes that it is not partisan discourses that will set the type of history that is made in the Judiciary Committee. As a result, there were 115 Judiciary Committee bills in that six years that were passed and signed by the president. Now, that required a lot of cooperation in this room and between staff. But it also required a lot of cooperation between the two of us, and going over to the funeral parlor on the other side of the capital and saying, look, this is something that will be good for the country, that both of us believe Good Government is good politics, and good politics is Good Government. John, this is a muchdeserved hanging. Im honored you asked me to speak here. This is not something that we talk about, those who have come and gone from this place. Im glad you are here, and i hope you stay here for a while. God bless you. [applause] you change done me changed on me. [laughter] im so pleased to put joe madison in his place. [laughter] the leader is not here, and i have been asked as assistant leader to introduce our next speaker. You know, it is easy to introduce a person who needs no introduction. The fact of the matter is, all of us know eric holder. Im not too sure that all of us knew him the real eric holder before he became our attorney general. Eric holder has moved that office to a level many of us never thought we would see. He assumed the kind of compassion for the law that a lot of us, especially those of us growing up in the south looked for when we sought thought about the fulfillment of our dreams and aspirations. I have sat down with sensenbrenner, and john in his office looking at Court Decisions, working on trying to figure out ways to move a positive agenda. And i can tell you ab without any equivocation, eric holder is the the me of what Martin Luther king jr. Said when he said all of us can be great all of us conservan serve. He is the academy of a public servant, and im pleased it hitepitome a bit of a servant and im pleased to present him. [applause] good afternoon afternoon. Ive spent many an interesting day in this room. [laughter] ron, you can attest to that, right . Its a pleasure for me to be here today in this room, for this occasion. It is a tremendous privilege to join so many distinguished guests, colleagues, and members of congress as we recognize congressman john conyers, the dean of the house of representatives, for his lifetime of dedicated service as we celebrate his leadership and his many invaluable contributions, and as we unveil the portrait that will adorn the walls of the Great Institution he has so faithfully served for over four decades and that he will no doubt continue to serve with honor and integrity for years to come. From the moment john conyers began his Patriotic Service in the Michigan National guard United States army corps of engineers during the korean war. He was present in selma, alabama unfreedom day in 1963. From his election to the house of representatives in 1964 to his chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee, to his current status as dean of the house and longestserving member of the United States congress, this extraordinary leaders life has been defined by a singular drive to serve. His actions have been guided by deep and abiding love of country and community. His service has been animated by an unwavering commitment to the cause of justice. As one of 13 founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus, representative conyers helped to bring together other trailblazers and pioneers in order to in power give voice to people of color throughout our great nation. Years ago, he led the fight to secure appropriate recognition for the reverend dr. Martin luther king jr. By introducing legislation to establish a National Holiday in his honor. At every stage of his extremely distinguished career, in times of great trial and consequence, he dedicated himself to advancing universal human dignity, tolerance as well as respect. As a major proponent of the violence against women act of 1994 he joined with thensenator joe biden and other congressional leaders to bring help and hope to millions of americans who went to longsuffering and silence in silence. Rejecting the poisonous notion that violence in a persons home was a private affair. As a champion of legislative efforts like the help america vote act of 2002, he consistently worked to make sure every eligible american will have fair and free access to that most fundamental of rights, access to the ballot box the right to vote. No matter who they are what they look like, for where they live. He continued that work in the 113th congress, wherewith representative sensenbrenner he crafted legislation to address the void left by the Supreme Courts unfortunate decision to invalidate one of the key provisions of the Voting Rights act. Representative conyers has been a key leader and a partner on fairness and sentencing, from his work to reduce the unjust disparity for sentencing in crack and powder cocaine to his recent partnership with members in both parties realizing we must make commonsense changes to federal sentencing. Not just for fundamental fairness, but also for the sustainability of our budget. As a member and chairman of the House Committee on the judiciary, he has been a key National Leader and a vital partner in the justice departments ongoing efforts to secure our nation, protect the American People from crime and ensure the full rights and protections of our constitution for everyone in this country. Time and again and numerous other attorneys general have relied on congressman conyers sound justice judgment expertise, and honest counsel to strengthen the rule of law while advancing our most sacred principles and cherished freedoms. I always appreciated the unique insight, remarkable wisdom and devotion to service he has brought to every challenge that has come before him. On a very personal level over the years i have come to regard congressman conyers not only as an important partner and valued friend but also as a man who made it possible for me and barack obama to attain the positions we now hold. [applause] we stand on this mans broad shoulders. [applause] so congressman i want to thank you once again for your outstanding service, and for the innumerable contributions you made to the nation. Your unique place in the history of this Great Institution is much more than assured. Today with the formal dedication of this portrait, we pay a fitting tribute to a legacy and a shining example that will continue to guide and inspire generations of lawmakers in this new congress and long into the future conyers just as it has in the future, just as it has inspired countless leaders and attorney generals attorneys general in the last four decades, including me. Thank you very much. [applause] the Vice President is in the house. Will he please come forward . [applause] ill be honest with you i didnt even know he was here. Its the first time i have summoned the Vice President of the United States and he showed up. Thanks, jim. How are you . What an honor to be here. John you and i have been doing this a long time. I was thinking on the way over trying to calculate. I served in the Judiciary Committee an the senate on the senate side for a long time. But when we leave, we dont get portraits. John you and i have worked an awful lot. You long before me, but for over 25 years as counterparts on the committees. It is an honor to be in the presence of the dean. You served this nation for half a century now. If you are like me you probably dont like that to be mentioned that often. But its true. You have really served. But its not really about the years the chairman has served. Its about the service hes rendered during those years. Its not enough to say that you helped pass the original Voting Rights act because you have spent every day since that day, john every day defending and expanding the promise of that act. You fought to create a National Holiday honoring dr. King, but you still thought and are fighting the war for the principles dr. King stood for. Civil rights, Economic Justice opportunity, equal educational opportunity. You made rosa parks one of your first hires and you stood than, as you do now, long before it was fashionable you stood for protection and equal rights for women from the day you assumed office. Three decades later, you stood by me as we fought together in the house and senate to pass the violence against women act. You were a powerful voice here and nationally to get that done. At the dawn of an era that brought us both the Public Service, john kennedy, president kennedy said our success or failure will be measured by the answer to four questions. Were we truly men of courage . Where we truly men of judgment . Where we truly men of integrity . And where we truly man of dedication . John by president kennedys standards, you have been a great success. Everyone in this room for two generations has known and understood throughout this country. You have shown your courage and your convictions time and again. A lot of people have convictions, but not everyone has the courage of their convictions, to stand up for them and take the slings and arrows that come sometimes from being ahead of your time. It takes a lot to have the courage to stand by them, even when it is very hard. You have shown judgment through your leadership in congress, in this committee in particular you have shown judgment in the staff you hired and the people you mentor over these years. Some fine, fine people have come out of your tutelage and gone on to do great things. John you have always shown integrity. The one highest coin of the realm in the congress is, do you keep your word . Do you do what you say . Do you not conveniently say when i made that commitment circumstances were different . I hope you understand now. You never once said that john. At least never to me. You have shown dedication, john. You never wavered from a goal to the goal that brought you to Public Service in the first place. When i got elected as a young man, at 30 years old i was 29 when i got elected in the Senate Everyone in delaware from that point on would come and say, whats the secret . They thought hell, if i won anybody there must be a secret. Not just able to run and campaign. Theres got to be a secret. I tell them all the same thing. Whoever asks advice. I say you have to know what you are willing to lose over. You have to know what you would rather lose then have to change. John you have never not known what you are about. You have always had that north star. You have never, ever walked away from it. John there are portraits and there are portraits. This portrait of a son of a uaw worker who over half a century helped define an era in literal terms you have defined an era john this is a portrait that symbolizes that distinctly american commitment to service and dedication to a cause greater than himself. It a portrait, john, that sets a standard, kennedys standard of courage, judgment, integrity and dedication. John, 20, 30 years from now young members and their staff will walk in and say, i heard of that guy. They will say i heard of that guy. That was a time of profound change. A time of profound alteration in how we defined ourselves and who we were. John, you helped that definition. This country will be well served if everyone who sits on this committee and the counterpart committee in the other body which i served, were to strive to meet the measure of the portrait. A portrait of a man who, i might add, continues to serve, thank goodness. Ladies and gentlemen, its a great honor to be here. John, its a great honor to be with you and be presumptuous enough to call you a friend. And i think im your friend. [applause] im going to now press my luck. I summoned the Vice President of the United States and he showed up. I looked around and said, is the democratic leader of the house here . I had not seen her. So i guess i can summon her now. Im in talk show heaven. [laughter] i tell you you get to stand here next to all the people, and you look out. Theres so many of you. Ladies and gentlemen ive got a 14monthold granddaughter and i just cant wait until she gets of age so that i can tell her when someone says, wears a womans place supposed to be . I can tell her, anyplace she wants. Including the house of representatives. Ladies and gentlemen the honorable nancy pelosi House Democratic leader. [applause] thank you, mr. Madison. By the time your little granddaughter is of age, it will for a long time be also in the white house, not just the house of representatives. [applause] my friends since i am i believe the last speaker i am standing between you and the portrait. So i will be brief. But i will say that it is an honor to be here with all of you. The reason i arrived late is that i was wishing don edwards happy birthday on his 100th birthday. John conyers he sends you his congratulations and best regard. For some of us, thats a lot of history in the room. The Vice President has spoken so eloquently about john conyers association with rosa parks. She convinced, it didnt take much, im sure, the reverend Martin Luther king junior to endorse john conyers for public office. The only person Martin Luther king ever endorsed for public office. What more do you need to know . [applause] that the Vice President and john conyers are here together with their shared values, the violence against women act issues relating to hate crimes gun safety, all the things that have been a struggle of security and civil rights and the rest they have championed, to protect us and protect our rights at the same time. I will tell you this one story. You tell me if it is appropriate or not. I just cant resist. So ron dellums we californians feel very proprietary about john conyers. Property right, intellectual property whatever it is. He led prayers at the Catholic Church this morning. He began the prayer service. Went on to the black caucus meeting, where people were cheering because it was announced he would be swearing in all the members of congress as the dean of the house. He went to the floor and did just that. The dean of the house, where all of us took the oath at the direction of john conyers. So theres so much to be said about him. We will have this beautiful picture unveiled in his honor. I have to tell you this story. Ron dellums tells me that when he was coming to congress, he worshiped at the shrine of john conyers. But everybody saw that ron dellums was way out there. He was determined to come to congress and look very regular not too menacing to some people who might think he was too leftwing, if thats the word. He comes to congress, he has his suit all ready for the next day. Hes going to go on the floor and everyone will say, i can identify with him, shes a regular guy. He gets a call the night before from john conyers. I dont know if this is even true, but this is my story. [laughter] he says he is all set you know how precise he was. He said, john conyers called me and asked me if i would nominate him for speaker against carl albert the next morning. [laughter] what do you say, man . Regular order. What john conyers says, ron dellums does. This man has been a disruptor from the start. And thank out he has been a disruptor from the start. , now, as the Vice President said so beautifully what an honor to have the Vice President , members of the cabinet, former members of congress, the leadership of the house of representatives here for john conyers for the unveiling of his portrait. As the Vice President said so beautifully, when people come here to this capital to this campus of the capital they will see this painting and they will now that this was a person who has made a difference in their lives. In so many different ways. Not just because he was the first africanamerican ever to lead or chair a committee the first, bringing that intellect that progression of progressive set of values to it that different perspective that was disruptive that made a difference in all of our lives for generations to come. Thats why it is so appropriate that this evening we unveil a portrait of a great man, a great statesman, a disruptive, transformative force in our country. A person that when they unveil his portrait the Vice President states to hear somebody elses speech so he could see exactly what was in that portrait. [laughter] and that is a tremendous complement to john conyers compliment to john conyers. Thank you, john. [applause] who is going to pull the string . Im going to bring up your family now. This is monica conyers. Come up, please. John conyers the third. Also carl conyers. Give them a round of applause. [applause] im sorry, what did you want . Oh ok. Is this how they do it . Alsol set . Here we go. Here we go. [applause] [inaudible conversation[ ] [inaudible conversation] does conyers get to speak . He showed. Should. If you dont mind, i have been asked if i could just get everyones attention for one moment. Because it is appropriate that we started with invocation, it is appropriate we end with benediction. As you know, the benediction is not the end, its really the beginning. It is when you turn out and do the work we are here to do. Ladies and gentlemen, let me bring forth the bishop and Senior Pastor of Greater Grace Temple of detroit, michigan Bishop Charles ellis the third for the benediction. As we bring this portion of this event and this most sacred unveiling to this portrait together, i would ask that you would touch each other just connect one with the other. Where there is unity, there is strength. Lord we thank you for this special ceremony, and we thank you for this time of honoring this great warrior and statesman who has served in excellence. A man of integrity, a man of impeccable honor. We thank you for his life. We thank you for his health, and for his strength. As we say in the church, the years have been mighty good to him. We ask you to keep him in the hollow of your hands. Continue to keep his mind strong , his body healthy, that he might continue to be a champion for all of us, your people. We pray that you will grant him continued strength bless his family. As we leave this place today let us know that it is in you that we can do all things, that without you we can do nothing. Amen. [applause] [inaudible conversation] [inaudible conversation] [inaudible conversation] thanks for keeping the craft down. Im sure the people on tv appreciate it. [inaudible conversation] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2015] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] next, entrepreneurs from the Washington Ideas Forum including biochemist craig venter and paypal cofounder peter thiel. On the next washington journal, former ohio congressman Stephen Latourette discusses the role moderate republicans will play in the new congress. A guest from the Human Rights Campaign talks about recent Court Decisions on samesex marriage, and whether the Supreme Court should hear oral arguments on it. And an American University professor looks back at the 1965 selma to montgomery march and dr. Martin luther king junior. As always, we will take your calls, and we will continue the conversation on facebook and twitter. Washington journal live on cspan. This sunday on q a, the Ground Breaking film the birth of a nation and the efforts by an africanamerican news there publisher to prevent the film is release. Part two of the movie, reconstruction, is the heart of the protest. This is where the blacks are appalled by the portrayal of freed slaves. This is a scene showing what happens when you get former slaves the right to vote, the right to be elected, the right to govern, a scene in the South Carolina legislature where the first and primary order of business is passing a bill allowing for interracial marriage. In griffiths hands, black men are solely interested in pursuing a having white women