Leaders of the U.S. House & Senate held a ceremony this afternoon marking the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The event took place in National Statuary Hall, also known as the Old Hall of the House of Representatives. Following are House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-OH) remarks opening the ceremony, as prepared for delivery: “Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, my colleagues and fellow citizens: “Fifty years ago this month, a simple banner was hung from a third-story window in Harlem. It read: ‘March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom – August 28th.’ Organizers were ambitious. Plans were made for 100,000. “When the day came, more than two-and-a-half times that amount poured into Washington … stepping off buses and out of train doors, entering on foot from as far away as Alabama. Those swells of humanity converged on this great Mall singing, “Woke up this morning with my mind set on freedom.” “It was a day for the ages. “Today, you and I have the honor of paying tribute to this event. Let us start by acknowledging the debt we owe to all those men and women. Let us start by saying ‘thank you’ to John Lewis. [...]
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