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SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE NANCY PELOSI AND CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE LEAD CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO GHANA AND U.S. ARMY HEADQUARTERS IN ITALY

July 26, 2019

For Immediate Release Contact: Robin Chand

July 26, 2019 (202) 225–3816

Press Statement

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Lead Congressional Delegation to Ghana and U.S. Army Headquarters in Italy

Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a Senior Member of the House Committees on Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget released this statement on the occasion of a trip to Italy, to visit the U.S. Army Africa Headquarters, and to Ghana, to mark the 400th Anniversary of the first enslaved Africans landing in America:

"Earlier today, accompanied by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and on invitation by the government of Ghana, I traveled from the United States to attend a series of bilateral meetings with representatives from Ghana. While outside the United States, members of this group will also travel to the U.S. Army Africa headquarters in Italy. As a senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee since its inception, I believe this series of meetings will be an apt occasion to discuss areas of mutual interest, cooperation and concern. I am also pleased to note that this trip will feature an address by the Speaker of the House to the Ghanaian Parliament.

"This year also marks the quadra-centennial of the first enslaved African slaves landing in America. To mark this occasion, we will also travel to and pay our respects at Cape Coast and Elmina Castles and the "Door of No Return," the site from which the lives of millions of Africans were irreparably changed, when they set sail for the New World, and would face a life of slavery and bondage. It is perhaps then poignant that African American members of the House of Representatives—in total, there are 13 on this trip—return to this solemn place to mark the occasion, reflect on where we have been and assess where we must go, and the work needed to be done in order to get there."

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Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat representing the 18th Congressional District of Texas, is a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary, Homeland Security and the Budget.