EC from DC
Thursday was one of the most memorable days in my life. Having the opportunity to see Pope Francis close up was a bulky blessing. I sat in the House Chamber thinking about the impactful style of leadership this pontiff brings to the world.
Yes, I am an ordained United Methodist preacher and that did not, in any way, inhibit my respect for this pope. I listened to his words and the commonalities in our faith traditions moved me more than the differences distress me.
Last week marked the 14th anniversary of the September 11th attacks on our nation. We will always remember the sacrifices of those who died innocently that day, as well as the valiant acts of heroism of rescue workers, intelligence professionals, and service members in the days, months, and years following.
Like everything else in contemporary Washington, discussion of the Iran nuclear agreement has not been a noteworthy debate about policy, but rather a worthless exercise in Lilliputian politics.
Last week I had the great opportunity to join President Barack Obama and twenty other Members of Congress, a bipartisan group of both the House and the Senate, on a five-day trip to Kenya and Ethiopia. We left from Washington, D.C. Thursday evening and spent two days in Kenya and two days in Ethiopia.
Each season a new class of interns arrives on Capitol Hill in my Congressional office full of nervousness and excitement for the job at hand: serving the people of Missouri's Fifth District. As we reach the midpoint of these summer internships, I wanted to share with you some of what they have been working on. It is my hope that more bright young people will be interested in public service and apply for Congressional internships.
This week was a big week for our efforts to bridge the digital divide in Missouri’s Fifth District. President Obama in coordination with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that they have chosen Kansas City to participate in their new digital inclusion program that they rolled out this week. The program is ConnectHome and it aims to increase broadband Internet access for children and families who live in HUD-assisted housing. Kansas City is one of 28 communities across the country that will have the opportunity to participate in this initiative.
Last week was a historic week for our nation, as the Supreme Court announced two key decisions that will forever mark a victorious few days in the fight for equal rights and basic healthcare.
Since the wedding at Cana, when Jesus turned water into wine, he taught us that the main thing and the plain thing was love. Today that is still true. Only a handful of the Bible’s one million verses relate to same-sex relationships. Neither the Jewish prophets nor Jesus Christ ever spoke of it. What Jesus did talk about was love.
Today, I am on my way to Charleston, South Carolina, to attend the funeral of the late Reverend Clementa C. Pinckney.
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Congressman Cleaver greets Ward Golston, a World War II Veteran |
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Congressman Cleaver speaks at Baker Hostetler's Annual Legislative Conference |
