May 2, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 72 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Page H3430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING JUDGE DAMON KEITH

  (Mrs. LAWRENCE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to give honor to a great 
public servant, Judge Damon Keith. Judge Damon Keith was a judge of the 
United States Court of Appeals.
  He was born on July 4, 1922, a fitting day for someone who so 
believed in American democracy.
  He attended Howard and was mentored by the future Supreme Court 
Justice, Thurgood Marshall.
  In 1967, he was nominated to a seat on the United States District 
Court for the Eastern District of Michigan by President Johnson. This 
nomination came at the suggestion of Michigan Senator Phil Hart, the 
remarkable namesake of the Hart Senate Office Building.
  Judge Keith's career was spent fighting for civil rights and civil 
liberties, particularly for communities within the 14th District. He 
stood for transparency in government.
  Judge Keith will be sorely missed, but his years of tireless service 
as a champion for civil rights will never be forgotten.
  In 2002, he issued an opinion on the secret hearings for alleged 
terrorists after the 9/11 attacks. He famously wrote: ``Democracies die 
behind closed doors.''

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