NEW HAVEN -Today, US Representative Rosa DeLauro issued the following statement regarding the passing of civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson:

"Reverend Jesse Jackson was a giant in American politics and life-a tireless fighter for civil rights and equal opportunity who always pushed our country to live up to our founding principles. Through his early work with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to his history-making presidential campaigns, to his role in forming the Rainbow Coalition that brought together Americans from all backgrounds to fight for equality, he had a transformative impact on our government. From his advocacy for the expanded, monthly Child Tax Credit, to bringing healthcare coverage to millions through the Affordable Care Act, Rev. Jackson fought for racial and economic justice, never forgetting how both poverty and discrimination hold us back from equality.

"In his iconic speech to the 1988 Democratic National Convention, Rev. Jackson urged us to 'keep hope alive'. That is what we must do every day, in his memory. I send my condolences to his wife and children, including his Jesse Jr., and Jonathan Jackson, who I have had the honor of serving with in Congress. Now more than ever, we must keep our hope alive by fighting every day for justice."

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