Corrine Brown

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2594, a bill that would protect U.S. airlines, their employees and their passengers from the European Union's plan to unfairly charge U.S. airlines for emissions in U.S. air space. President Obama has taken a strong stand against the EU emissions trading scheme scam on the grounds that it is inconsistent with international aviation law and practice. Additionally, airlines and labor groups oppose it because it would impose new and unjustifiable costs on the industry and destroy American jobs. Climate change is a global problem that requires a global solution. Working through the International Civil Aviation Organization, the United States has committed to find a global solution to address aviation emissions based on agreement and cooperation. However, the EU has decided to move forward with a go-it-alone approach that is contrary to international law and violates U.S. sovereignty by charging U.S. airlines for all emissions from flights between the United States and Europe, even the portion of flights over our own air space, and return the revenue to European countries without any specific assurances regarding how the revenue will be used. That is unacceptable. This bill will protect U.S. airlines from unjust liability under the EU's emissions trading system. It sends a strong message from Congress that we do not support what the EU is doing, for a variety of reasons. The United States is far from alone in expressing strong opposition to the EU's proposal. Last month, 25 other countries joined the United States in signing a joint declaration in India that calls upon the EU not to impose the emissions trading system on non-European airlines, and that urges EU member countries to instead address aviation emissions from ICAO, where progress already is being made. The United States and other international partners stand ready and willing to work to address this issue constructively through the proper international framework. We rightfully expect both governments and airlines to be good stewards of the environment and do everything possible to reduce harmful carbon emissions. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration and the airline industry have invested billions of dollars in NextGen air traffic upgrades, and the FAA plans to reduce emissions by 2 percent a year through these improvements. Further, U.S. airlines improved fuel efficiency by approximately 110 percent since 1978. From 2000 to 2009, U.S. carriers reduced fuel burn and carbon emissions by 15 percent, while carrying 7 percent more passengers and cargo. At meetings last week, I, along with Chairman Mica and several other members of the committee, met with European Union representatives to express our willingness to work with our friends to come to a more equitable solution to this problem, and I believe the meetings were very productive. But we also made it quite clear that the EU's my-way- or-the-highway approach was totally unacceptable, and we will take every action necessary to prevent the implementation of these unnecessary and dangerous taxes. And we made it clear that the Congress will stand up and defend the sovereignty of the United States. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to introduce legislation that makes significant improvements to the Railroad Rehabilitation & Improvement Financing Program (RRIF). The RRIF program can help railroads, shippers, and states meet their rail infrastructure investment needs. But we are not taking full advantage of the program. I meet with railroads and others that tell me--time and again--how difficult the application process is to navigate; how time consuming it is; how expensive and cumbersome it is, how they can't use studies from other DOT agencies; and, in the end, many of them tell me: It's just not worth it! Well we need to do better. The draft Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009 made significant changes to the RRIF program, which I proposed. The bill authorized the Secretary to: (1) reduce the interest to be paid on direct loans provided to railroads, State and local governments, and eligible entities for the sole purpose of installing positive train control (PTC) systems; (2) allow applicants to use private insurance, including bond insurance, in lieu of a credit risk premium; and (3) allow applicants to pay the credit risk premium over the life of the loan. The draft bill also authorized appropriations to assist the Secretary in reducing the interest rates for loans used for installing PTC.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2433, the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act of 2011. I commend Chairman Miller for introducing legislation to allow veterans to receive retraining assistance. However, with unemployment of veterans at an all time high, and those coming back from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan not having jobs, I don't understand the reasoning of limiting the age of eligibility to those between 35 and 60. I also don't understand the funding mechanism for the program. In this time of budget tightening, and a refusal to discuss tax increases for any issue, this bill taxes veterans with higher interest rates to pay for more government programs. This legislation doubles the interest rates veterans for housing loans. The new lower rates went into effect on October 1, and I am sure in these tough economic times our veterans can use the estimated $1.6 billion dollars this change in law will cost them. The Veterans Home Loan Program is one of the homeowner programs that works in this country. The foreclosure rate is much lower than anything in the private sector and I don't think changing this program will do anyone any good. I cannot agree with balancing the budget on the backs of our veterans. I cannot support this legislation as it is currently written.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, Frances Reeves Jollivette Chambers, warmly known as Fran, was born on November 13, 1921 in Overtown. She was the sixth of five surviving children born to The Miami Times Founder, the late Henry E.S. Reeves and Rachel Jane Cooper Reeves, who had emigrated in April 1919 from Nassau, Bahamas, to Miami. She wed Cyrus M. Jollivette, Sr., in December 1942. Widowed in January 1960, she wed James R. Chambers in July 1963; he died in June 2000. Her daughters are Miamians Regina Jollivette Frazier and Cleo Leontine Jollivette; her son, Cyrus M. Jollivette, resides in Mandarin, Florida. She is blessed with four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. After graduating from Booker T. Washington High in 1938, Chambers was awarded the Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude from Bennett College in 1942 and the Master of Arts degree from New York University in 1959. She later studied at the University of Miami and University of Florida and Florida A&M, Florida Atlantic, and Barry universities, amassing more post graduate credits than are required for the doctoral degree. She taught and guided generations of students at Dunbar Elementary, Miami Jackson Senior High, COPE Center North, and Holmes Elementary before retiring from the Dade County Public Schools in July 1979 after more than 37 years as a teacher, reading specialist, counselor, and principal. Hers has been a lifetime of involvement. In the 1950s she was a volunteer for the March of Dimes and the American Heart Association. In the 1960s she was JESCA board chair, a board member of Senior Centers of Dade County and a member of the American Association of University Women. In the 1970s and 1980s she was a member of the Florida State Board of Optometry and the League of Women Voters. As a retiree in the 1990s she continued her community volunteerism and also traveled the world visiting more than 50 countries and six continents. She is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and the NAACP, a platinum member of The Links, Inc., and a charter member and past president of the MRS Club, a six-decades-old group of friends. At Incarnation Episcopal Church she is a member of Daughters of the King. In a far different world almost three decades ago she conceived, developed, and implemented the research plan to publish a book to record, preserve, and transmit the history of Miami's black pioneers. Her goal was to help assure that future generations could appreciate the long and difficult road so many Pioneer Miamians had traveled. Her vision has been realized. The 120-page hard bound coffee table book, Linkages & Legacies, is being published in March 2010 by The Links, Inc., Greater Miami Chapter, through the non-profit Linkages and Legacies, Inc. The publication--a gift to the community--was made possible because so many gave so much and demonstrated the resolve to complete the project even though Chambers could no longer lead nor participate in the effort. It is because of her concept for the book that the AT&T African-American History Calendar was created 17 years ago. In 2010 Fran Chambers is recognized for her vision to help preserve and transmit our history for generations to come. Since 2000, Fran Chambers has been afflicted with Alzheimer's disease and cared for at her home.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as a 30-year colleague of Congresswoman Carrie Meek of Miami, I submit this tribute to honor of my dear, dear friend. Ms. Meek's life and career began from the most humble of backgrounds in segregated Tallahassee during the 1930's. She was the granddaughter of slaves and daughter of former sharecroppers, yet graduated from Lincoln High School, and later stayed in north Florida and graduated from Florida A&M University in 1946. Unfortunately, this was still a time when African Americans could not attend graduate school in the state of Florida, yet because of her fearless spirit and tenacity, Ms. Meek did not give up studying; she enrolled in the University of Michigan and received her M.S. degree in 1948. After graduation, Carrie was hired as a teacher at Bethune- Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, and then at her alma mater, Florida A&M University. She then moved to Miami in 1961 to serve as special assistant to the vice president of Miami-Dade Community College, which was desegregated in 1963, largely due to Ms. Meek's integral role in the push for its integration. I distinctly recall the years we served together in the Florida State legislature in the 1980's. And although Ms. Meek became Florida's first African American female state Senator in 1983, the same year I began my career of public service in the Florida House, we worked jointly on numerous projects beneficial to minority communities across the state of Florida. And since she served on the Education Appropriations Subcommittee, we tag teamed on various projects, including critical funding for HBCU's, affordable housing for minorities and the poor, as well as funding for critical transportation and infrastructure projects in areas previously overlooked. And in 1992, after a long and bitter legal fight, Ms. Meek and I, along with Congressman Alcee Hastings, became the first African American Members elected to the U.S. House of Representatives since 1871! Together in Washington, Rep. Meek and I worked arduously together on issues such as economic development for underserved areas, both nationally and in the state of Florida, on decreasing disparities in health care treatment and in increasing access to health insurance, as well as on education and housing issues. And as Floridians passionate about improving the conditions on the island nation of Haiti, we also traveled to Haiti together, and worked to advocate for Haitian immigrants and for increased U.S. foreign aid and investment on the island nation of Haiti. I will always fondly remember the years of working together with Ms. Meek, and am pleased to see Members of the Florida delegation coming together on the House Floor this morning to recognize her many achievements during her time in Congress.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. First of all, I want to thank Chairman Mica and Ranking Member Rahall for bringing this clean FAA reauthorization extension bill to the floor. Our Nation needs and deserves a well-funded multimodal transportation system. Business leaders, construction companies, labor groups, and rider advocates all agree that transportation infrastructure is critical to putting people back to work and improving our crumbling transportation system. Transportation and infrastructure funding is absolutely critical to the Nation, and, if properly funded, serves as a tremendous economic boost and job creator. The fact is that the Department of Transportation's statistics show that for every billion dollars invested in transportation, we generate 44,000 jobs and $6.2 billion in economic activity. Indeed, our Nation's long-term prosperity requires that we invest in our infrastructure. For example, China is currently spending 9 percent of their GDP on infrastructure, about $300 billion, while we are spending less than 2 percent. Clearly this lack of investment has led to a crumbling infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers in the 2009 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, gave the United States a grade of D. It's time for this Congress and our committee to get serious about putting people back to work. There is no better way to do this than funding transportation at a level that is truly improving our system. We can no longer afford the status quo if we want to compete internationally with countries who understand the importance of infrastructure. Let's pass this bill now. Let's finish a long-term FAA and surface reauthorization bill. As the Governor of Florida says, let's get to work, let's put people to work. In an article that was in the Orlando Sentinel yesterday, Hank Fishkind said, ``This is the recovery, and it's going to take time,'' but he points out the importance of the infrastructure and putting people to work. Once again, I want to thank Mr. Mica, Mr. Rahall, the committee, and the staff. Let's get to work and let's put the American people back to work. [From the Orlando Sentinel, Sept. 11, 2011] Talking With . . . Hank Fishkind: This Is the Recovery--and It's Going to Take Time, Economist Says (By Jim Stratton) Hank Fishkind is a prominent Central Florida economist and former adviser to Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. He talked recently with Sentinel reporter Jim Stratton. CFB: How bad has Central Florida's economy been in the last two years, and what's surprised you the most? These are the worst economic conditions since the 1974-75 oil embargo. Not only has tourism turned down, but we had a boom and bust of unprecedented proportions in the real estate market. The thing that shocked me the most was the panic in the financial markets at the depths of the recession. We almost had a collapse of the banking system. CFB: Do you believe we've moved into a recovery? This is the recovery. It's not like we're going to get more recovery. This is it. From a national perspective, following the bursting of asset bubbles, national economies recover slowly. That's what history teaches us. We've had a tremendous asset bubble burst in the real estate market. It takes time to heal from that. CFB: What policies would you suggest? We need for the president to propose, and Congress to be accepting of, two major initiatives. We need, in the short run, to provide some stimulus, and we need in the longer run to restructure the entitlement programs and our tax system. If we choose to restrict spending significantly over next six to 12 months, we'll convert this slowdown into zero growth or a recession. We need to have some stimulative spending. Cutting now would be a dreadful error. CFB: How much of the slow growth is function of people's fears and how much is a function of lingering structural problems? There are still some substantial structural imbalances that hold back growth. Certainly that's true in the housing markets. In addition, the uncertainly over the debt ceiling, the debilitating debate, the downgrade of U.S. debt, the volatility in financial markets . . . All those things combined, legitimately make business and individual decision making more conservative. CFB: Are tax increases needed to balance the budget? There has to be tax increases as part of the program. We can't just simply hope and plan to cut costs sufficiently to make that happen. The costs cuts would be so dramatic as to compromise economic growth so much in the short run, that the long run might not matter. CFB: How do you think Gov. Rick Scott has done from an economic policy standpoint? I like the vision. I think that's important. I would like to see that vision built upon with more real action and less rhetoric. For example, the plan to stimulate and accelerate a billion dollars worth of road projects: It's a great idea. I think now we need to see it executed. CFB: This area has talked a lot about the need to diversify the economy. How would you say local leaders have done? I think that they've done a great job so far. Burnham is here. We have a major medical city at Lake Nona, in part because of public-private partnership. We have a wonderful simulation industry on the east side, because of public- private partnerships that helped keep Lockheed here. So I think we've done much better than most places. Going forward, in an environment of slow growth, those places that are willing and able to continue to provide some public-private partnerships will greatly benefit. CFB: You've developed the reputation as the guy developers and businesses go to when they need an economist's support before elected officials. Do you think that reputation is fair? I would say I always tried to speak my mind as I really believed things to be. I've promoted projects when I believed that they add to the welfare and economy of the community.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the constituents of the Third Congressional District of Florida and myself, we rise now to offer our heartfelt condolences and pay tribute to the life of my friend, Dr. Zachary Tims, Jr., founder, Senior Pastor and CEO of the New Destiny Christian Center (NDCC) in Apopka, FL. Dr. Tims was a humanitarian, healer, life activist, community leader and friend. We are moved and encouraged when recalling the life achievements of this champion and steward in the ministry that was called according to his purposed life of service. The focus of this ministry was to exemplify the love of Christ with a passion for helping the community. His extraordinary gift to illustrate transformational life principles empowered a thriving membership of more than 8,000. Through his passion to touch lives and save souls, the church has been a blessing to countless individuals through its major outreach crusades and ministries. The legacy of Dr. Zachary Tim's ministry through the New Destiny Christian Center produced a life changing concept that brought a divine intervention in the lives of the members of his congregation that sought spiritual guidance and change in their lives. An anointed man of God and one committed to serving, Dr. Tims was loved and respected by his family, friends, church congregation and community. Dr. Tims was an internationally renowned pastor. His Christian broadcast advanced the Kingdom of God and reached more than 100 million households globally and heralded contributions to the community by providing community-based education, food, clothing, medical screenings, housing and foreclosure assistance and children's toys to the less fortunate. These and many other civic activities were distinctive. The accolades received for his superior endeavors in the ministry were unparalleled, prolific and countless. A man for whom education was important, Dr. Tims earned a bachelor degree in Accounting from Towson State University and obtained his degree in Theology from Maranantha Bible College in Baltimore, MD. He held two honorary doctoral degrees from Vision International University and St. Thomas Christian College for the tremendous work accomplished in his ministry. As a man of God and vision, Dr. Tims was intellectually charismatic. Where he saw pain, he sought to relieve it with spiritual acumen and personal interaction; where he saw potential in others, he gave them hope and encouragement; where he saw despair, he brought direction, purpose and promise; where he saw the need for love and caring, he unselfishly ensured there was a response and outcome for every knee bowed and every tongue that confessed. The life of Dr. Zachary Tims was one of accomplishment and service. As a community activist, he gave of himself and his talents to benefit both the individuals and the organizations he served. In his passing, we pay tribute to an exceptional religious leader whose love of his fellow colleagues and community left an indelible legacy for future generations. He will be remembered and respected because he had an awesome gift of teaching his congregation how to discover the wonderful plan that God has for each of us. We pray that by his example that each of us becomes the bearers of his humanitarian and spiritual legacy. We offer our prayers for his immediate family and host of loving relatives and friends whose lives have been forever changed by this phenomenal man of God. We thank our Heavenly Father for allowing us to be blessed with the time spent with Dr. Tims, our friend, brother and International Ambassador for Christ. Dr. Zachary Tims is survived by his mother, Madeline Y. Tims, his grandmother, Eleanor D. Grant, former wife Riva Tims, and children, Zoelle Tims, Zachary Tims III, Zion Tims, and Zahira Tims.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, although I have voted seven times in the past under President Bush to raise the debt ceiling, all of those votes in the past were clean debt ceiling bills, unlike the bill before the House today, which imposes $1 trillion in spending cuts on the working people and the poor, and decimates our social safety net. In this round of debt ceiling discussions, the Tea Party Republicans have tied the President's hands to couple a raise in the debt ceiling with billions of billions of dollars in cuts to our nation's safety net programs, bringing cuts across the board to WIC (Women, Infant and Children), programs to protect our nation's senior citizens, Pell Grants, education programs, community health care, and numerous other federal programs that assist middle and working class Americans. It is also important to take note of what isn't in this agreement: funding directed towards job creation. Indisputably, job production is essential to lifting our nation out of the economic downturn since consumer spending is the key driver of our economy. Just last December, the Republicans forced a vote on extending the Bush Tax Cuts for millionaires and billionaires, adding $70 billion to our nation's deficit. And this suicidal economic plan came right after eight years of horribly reckless spending and excessive tax cuts for the rich under President Bush and the Republican Congress, who left America trillions of dollars in debt. What was particularly troubling about this situation is that President Clinton had left the White House not only with a balanced budget but with a surplus! Yet the Republican Party has remained steadfast in implementing Reverse Robin Hood economic policies: cutting programs and services for the working and middle class, while maintaining tax cuts for the millionaires, billionaires and the Big Oil companies like EXXON Mobil, who just reported last week that their second quarter profits rose 41%! Indeed, the Republican Party has shown they will stop at nothing to pursue deficit reduction exclusively through deep spending cuts to critical social services, while taking our nation to the brink of economic default. And again, while cutting this safety net, they have successfully fought to preserve tax breaks for Big Oil (even though the big five oil companies earned nearly $1 trillion in profits during the last decade), corporations that ship American jobs overseas, and tax breaks for the wealthiest .5% of Americans, while leaving what's left over in available resources to be divided among the rest of us. Beyond a doubt, job production is essential to lifting our nation out of the dire economic situation we're in, and one way to create jobs is through transportation and infrastructure investment: in fact, for every $1 billion in transportation funding, approximately 34,000 jobs are created. Yet the Republican leadership remains inflexible, unwilling to compromise on even reauthorizing the FAA. And what has this led to? Four thousand Americans throughout the nation who are paid out of the FAA trust fund that will not be paid, and nearly 90,000 others are affected by the cancellation of airport construction projects: and for my state of Florida, this includes over 3,000 airport construction jobs lost, and 27 FAA employee jobs, 19 of them at Orlando International Airport, 3 in Miami, 4 in Melbourne and 1 in Hilliard. Just like the Republican Party's lack of leadership over the debt ceiling debate, they absolutely refuse to compromise to extend funding for the FAA. So yes, this is yet another example of the Republican Party being entirely ill prepared and completely irresponsible in their attempt to act as House leaders.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the constituents of the Third Congressional District of Florida, and myself, we are deeply and profoundly saddened by the loss of our friend, Gertrude Hoffman Peele. Her motto was ``All we need to do is go for it'' and she always did. Gertrude grew up in Jacksonville when it was extremely segregated. As the only black family in her neighborhood, her parents never let her play outside and when some black families moved into the neighborhood, the Hoffman's playroom became the place where the black kids could gather safely. She recently told the story of how she had to run through certain neighborhoods just to get to school or attend a football game. She did not let these experiences break her spirit, however. She was inspired by her grandmother's words, `Brighten the corner where you are. If it's not bright enough for you, you make it bright. Take the light to the corner.' During the civil rights movement, she was raising her daughters and didn't have time to march. Instead, she spent her time making friends with people who could understand what the movement meant. Relationships meant so much to her that she said her greatest accomplishment was changing the way women in Jacksonville work together. In fact her accomplishments were many. The very essence of Gertrude Peele was service to, and for others. From her position as wife, mother, grandmother, to business and community leader, to officer of the National Council of Negro Women, to countless positions in national, state and community leadership positions and her tireless work on behalf of at-risk girls, Gertrude Peele meant service, dedication, leadership, and caring. Most recently, she was dedicated to The Reed Educational Campus, which provides a home-style environment for at-risk, tween girls to foster self-esteem, healthy lifestyle and academic success. All our lives and those of generations to come have been made the better by the love and commitment of our dear sister, Gertrude Hoffman Peele. May she find perpetual peace and glory now in the loving embrace of her Heavenly Father, and forever abide in a special place in our hearts.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize former Florida Chief Justice, Leander J. Shaw Jr. Shaw was born in Salem, Virginia, on September 6, 1930. His parents were Leander J. Shaw, retired Dean of the Florida A&M University Graduate School in Tallahassee, and Margaret Shaw, a retired teacher. He attended public schools in Virginia and received his bachelor's degree in 1952 from West Virginia State College. After serving in the Korean conflict as an artillery officer, he entered law school and earned his juris doctorate degree in 1957 from Howard University. Shaw came to Tallahassee in 1957 and followed in the footsteps of his father as an assistant professor of law at Florida A&M University. In 1960 he was admitted to the Florida Bar and went into private practice in Jacksonville, where he also served as assistant public defender. Shaw's hiring marked the beginning of an era that revamped the Florida judicial system. Prior to his hiring no African Americans were working for Duval County. Shaw later joined the State Attorney's staff in 1969, where he served as head of the Capital Crimes Division. In 1974 Governor Reubin Askew appointed him to the Florida Industrial Relations Commission, where he served until Governor Bob Graham appointed him to the First District Court of Appeals. He served there until January 1983 when Governor Graham appointed him to the Supreme Court. Justice Shaw served as Chief Justice from 1990 to 1992. Following a prestigious career serving the public of Florida, Shaw returned to private practice. Shaw serves on a number of advisory boards and is a member of various professional and community associations, including the American Bar Association, the National Center for State Courts, and Florida's Human Relations Council and Police Advisory Committee. He has been granted honorary degrees from West Virginia State, Florida International University, Nova University, Washington and Lee University and has been the recipient of such prestigious awards as the Florida Humanist of the Year and the Ben Franklin Award. Justice Shaw is the father of five children and lives on Lake Iamonia in Leon County. I submit an article by Tom Cornelison, entitled ``Profiles in Courage.'' [From Jacksonville Magazine, Nov. 2007] Profiles in Courage (By Tom Cornelison) Historians debate the merits of his presidency and it is certain his private life did not live up to his public image, but there is little argument that John F. Kennedy was an inspirational leader. When his life was cut short by an assassin in Dallas on November 22, 1963, Kennedy left behind the memories of history that he made and a slender volume of history that he wrote. It was called Profiles in Courage, a collection of stories about political rather than physical courage in which public officials risked their careers by bucking popular opinion. Just such an episode quietly took place in Jacksonville the week before Kennedy died. In those days of strict racial segregation throughout the South, Duval County Solicitor Edward M. Booth Sr. and Public Defender T. Edward Austin--a future Jacksonville mayor--each appointed an African-American to their staff. On November 15, 1963, Booth announced the hiring of Alfred R. Taylor while Austin did the same for Leander J. Shaw, who would later serve as chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court. The state's court system was revamped in 1967, but in 1963 the county solicitor functioned as a prosecuting district attorney for non-capital cases. The public defender's office was newly created and supplied legal representation for indigent defendants who could not afford attorneys. On the second floor of the Duval County Courthouse, near Courtroom No. 8, two men's rooms stand side-by-side. What looks like poor planning today also gives silent testimony to the era in which Taylor and Shaw were appointed. In 1963, one of the men's rooms was labeled ``white,'' the other ``colored.'' Taylor and Shaw could only use the latter because that was the way things were. If they couldn't go in the same men's room as the vilest of white defendants, well, those defendants couldn't use theirs either. It all seemed normal. ``Separate but equal'' seems comical when applied to bathrooms and water fountains, but it was grimly serious for society, where services and opportunities were clearly unequal. No black people had served in public or appointive office in Duval County since the enforced integration of the post-Civil War Reconstruction era almost a century before. ``Until Nat Glover was elected sheriff in 1995, we didn't even have a black elected to countywide office after Reconstruction,'' says Edward Booth Jr., a Jacksonville lawyer and historian who is the son of the 1963 county solicitor. ``And the appointments by my father and Mr. Austin took place 32 years before. They were in an era of separate conditions, but it was really an era of separate exclusions. ``The thing is, they didn't have to do it. It was just the right thing to do.'' Few controversial decisions are implemented with an in- your-face contempt for the conventional. This was not a movie with inspirational background music. Booth Sr. and Austin presented sound, practical arguments for their action. These centered on the landmark 1963 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the Gideon vs. Wainwright case. Prior to this ruling, accused Florida lawbreakers in non-capital cases were not entitled to an attorney if they could not afford one. Clarence Earl Gideon. a convicted burglar from Panama City, argued this violated his Constitutional rights and won his case with the help of attorney Abe Fortas, later a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. The story was later dramatized in Gideon's Trumpet, a made-for-TV movie starring Henry Fonda and Jose Ferrer. ``It was an exciting time in the legal profession. Tremendous changes were taking place,'' recalls Austin, who is 81 and served as Jacksonville's mayor from 1991-95. ``It was also a very busy time. The Gideon decision made a public defender's office necessary because it immediately threw 580 convicted inmates from Jacksonville back into the court system to be retried. We had been sending people without lawyers to prison regularly for years. Very many of these were minorities. It was obvious minorities should be involved In the process. It was just true. There was a great mistrust of the legal system in the black community and we earned that mistrust because the system abused them for decades.'' In making his 1963 announcement--timed on a Friday, perhaps to give any resulting anger a weekend to simmer down--Booth Sr. also cited the number of cases involving racial minorities as a reason for the appointment, saying Taylor's experience as a lawyer and, earlier, as a school principal, would be ``of immeasurable value . . . in dealing with young Negro defendants.'' The term ``Negro'' was not considered a slur at the time. The Florida Times-Union and Jacksonville Journal both used it in headlines about the appointments. So did the Florida Star, an African-American newspaper that heralded the event as a ``Florida breakthrough'' and added ``Duval County set a statewide precedent.'' The Times-Union reported that ``Booth said the services of a qualified Negro attorney would greatly assist in the prosecution of cases involving Negro defendants, who represent the majority of persons coming before the court.'' Booth also favorably cited ``work done by Negro assistants employed by'' the Sheriff's Office and Juvenile Court. Besides the logic of black lawyers dealing with black criminal cases, the joint announcement meant Booth and Austin had each side covered--prosecution and defense. Austin insists this was a coincidence. ``Eddie and I were friendly but I don't remember that we ever discussed it at all,'' Austin says. ``Of course, you're talking about a half-century ago, but I don't think we ever talked. I'm just real glad he did it. Spread some of the risk around.'' That risk turned out to be non-existent. At Taylor's funeral in June 1988, Booth said the only criticism he received was from an angry woman who called him at home the next day. He said she called him back an hour later and apologized. Austin said his only opposition came before his decision to hire the young lawyer. ``A group of 20 or 25 public officials met with me who really didn't want me to make the appointment,'' he recalls. ``They were not the least bit enamored with my decision and tried to talk me out of it. I said it wouldn't hurt them and it wouldn't hurt me and if it did hurt me, then I'd just go on and do something else for a living.'' ``Maybe it's because Judge Shaw's credentials were so impressive, but there was never any negative feedback. You pick a winner, you'll be all right. Still, it surprised me, considering the reaction I had gotten before the announcement. It was not the deal-breaker in the community that they thought. Just a sense of calm. I can remember a few members of the Bar Association raised minor objections when Judge Shaw would cross-examine witnesses in rape cases, but that didn't amount to much.'' Booth's son believes Kennedy's assassination in Dallas one week later overshadowed the appointments. There is no doubt it ate up all the news space and air time, as anyone who can remember that day knows. ``I'm not sure I want to go there,'' Austin says. ``I think if there was going to be any serious criticism I'd have gotten it the first or second day.'' Perhaps the explanation is that racial tension in Jacksonville did not seriously heat up until later in the 1960s. The younger Booth recalls his house was put under police guard and a slur was spray-painted on the family car when his father successfully prosecuted four Ku Klux Klansmen for brutally attacking an elderly black minister. The September 1965 verdict was the second conviction the elder Booth obtained in a white-on-black crime case with an all-white jury. The defense attorney, incidentally, was J.B. Stoner, the flamboyant white supremacist who later ran for governor of Georgia. ``A lot of people have taken a lot of credit for a lot of things in the advancement of civil rights,'' says the junior Booth. ``There's nothing wrong with that. It's fine that they do. But my dad and Mr. Austin took it in stride.'' ``All in a day's work,'' says Austin, Taylor and Shaw took it in stride, too. An example is a meeting of Austin's staff in which one of the lawyers said, ``Look, we can do what we want. We're free, white and 21.'' All eyes turned to Shaw. Looking perplexed, he dead-panned, ``You want to run that by me again?'' Austin later switched to prosecution and, as state attorney, employed both Taylor and Shaw. Taylor retired in 1977 and died 11 years later. Shaw prosecuted 42 cases and lost only one. In 1979, Gov. Bob Graham appointed Shaw to the state supreme court where he was elevated to chief justice in 1990. He is now 77, retired, and lives in Leon County. Despite admitted political differences, Austin and Shaw remain close friends. It was Shaw who swore in Austin as Jacksonville's mayor in 1991. Booth Sr. died in 2006, like Taylor, at age 78. All but lost to history is a quiet act of political courage that occured in Northeast Florida some 45 years ago, but it lives on as the memory of a job well done by a man in his eighties and in the pride of a son for his father.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following information regarding loss of FAA Jobs:

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Saturday morning at midnight, following 20 previous clean extensions, funding for the Federal Aviation Administration was allowed to expire. Why did this happen? Simple. Just like the Republican Party's lack of leadership over the debt ceiling debate, they absolutely refuse to compromise to extend funding for the FAA. For them, this debate is theoretical. Yet for the 4,000 Americans throughout the Nation who are paid out of the FAA trust fund that will not be paid, and tens of thousands who are affected by the cancellation of the airport construction projects, this situation is real. For the State of Florida, that includes over 3,000 airport construction jobs lost and 27 FAA employee jobs, 19 of them in the Orlando International Airport. Let me just be clear. The reason that the FAA extension was not renewed is because the House Transportation Committee chair, Mr. Mica, inserted language into the FAA extension bill that would end the program that provides subsidies to rural airports. Shame, shame, shame on the Republican leadership in this House.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. I feel, I guess, like a lot of Americans in that I just can't act like it's business as usual. I am very upset that the FAA has shut down. Let me just tell everyone that H.R. 2644, by Representative Costello, was filed yesterday. It is a clean reauthorization of the FAA bill. Saturday morning at midnight, following 20 previous clean extensions, funding for the Federal Aviation Administration was allowed to expire. Why did this happen? Simply because the Republican Party's lack of leadership over the debt ceiling debate is the same as their position with the FAA. Over 4,000 people have been laid off and over 3,000 in Florida--good construction jobs. Just last night, I spoke with a single mother of two children, a woman from Kansas, who received an eviction notice at her apartment because she is not going to be able to pay her bills because of this impasse. These are real people. I repeat: The reason the FAA extension has not been renewed is because the House Transportation Committee chairman inserted language in the FAA extension bill that would end a program that provides subsidies to rural airports. So, yes, this is another example of the Republican Party's, ``if you don't do it my way, then we'll just shut it down, shut it down.'' Let me be clear. There are people here in the Capitol who flew up. They paid, let's say, $500 for their tickets. The aviation still charged the $500, but the money that goes to fix up the airport, that money is going now to the airline industry. In fact, they have raised the ticket price. This is an example that, if we don't do our job, the people get hurt, and that goes back to what everybody is so nervous about as far as what we should do about raising the debt ceiling. I spoke to the longshoremen on Monday. I asked them: Have you ever heard of it before? Not one person. Do you know I voted for it seven times under President Bush? They didn't know that. Four times under President Clinton and 19 times under Ronald Reagan? Yet, we've got people who will bring down the United States Government if they don't have their way: It's our way or not at all. I was here under President Bush when we had 8 years of what I call ``reverse Robin Hood''--robbing from the poor and working people to give tax breaks to the rich. We did the same thing in December. We gave $70 billion to the millionaires and billionaires, and now people are calling my office, wanting to know whether or not they're going to get their Social Security checks. There is something wrong with that. There is something wrong in the people's House that we are having senior citizens worrying about whether they're going to get their Social Security checks or whether they're going to get their veterans' checks. We can include the billionaires and millionaires, and we've got people over here from Louisiana to whom we've given billions of dollars; yet we want to close the opportunities to help other areas when we have disasters. That's what a budget is about. The budget determines your priorities. It's a sad day in the people's House when we have people in this House who do not care about the American people; they only care about the next election. I can truly say that you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. So the people who have lost their jobs at the FAA because of politics, wake up. The people who think that it's okay to rob Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare--education--wake up. You know, elections have consequences, and we are going to have another election. And the people in this country are going to wake up, and they're going to realize that we're going to move forward or move behind. And clearly we've got people in charge that are only interested in pushing us behind. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. I move to strike the last word.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. We should be hiring and training inspectors and putting construction workers to replace this aging pipeline infrastructure in the U.S. gas and oil industry. Let me rush to say that the Republicans in their deficit reduction plan are protecting the big oil companies that made over a trillion dollars in the last 10 years: $310 billion by Exxon; $552 billion by Chevron; $207 billion by Shell and BP. We are giving them a tax break of a--they made a trillion dollars, but yet we are trying to take senior citizens' retirement and Social Security. You know, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. And I will submit their profit record for the Record.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Madam Chair, let me just thank publicly the ranking member, Mr. Rahall, for his leadership. I am very upset that for the first time after 21 extensions, the FAA was shut down Friday night, jeopardizing $2.5 billion in construction projects, 87,000 American construction jobs, and furloughing at least 3,600 FAA aviation engineers. This is really a sad time for the Committee on Transportation. We have always worked together in a bipartisan way to make sure that we move America and keep people working. This is America, and I want to say I fully believe it's possible to build the Keystone pipeline in a way that improves our access to crude oil and put thousands of people to work while protecting citizens from hazardous spills. But we have to hold the industry's feet to the fire and make sure that they take every possible precaution to build this pipeline. The Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration must ensure full oversight in every step of the way in developing this pipeline and must ensure that it is completed safely. I want to ask Chairman Mica and the ranking member to ensure that the committee fulfills its oversight role by regularly reviewing the construction of the pipeline to ensure that it is capable of transporting these most damaging products. I want to take this time to express my disappointment that the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee waived its jurisdiction over the Keystone pipeline legislation that was developed by the Energy and Commerce Committee. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is the committee of primary jurisdiction over pipeline construction and safety legislation and is the primary committee to refer for the Keystone legislation. Just last week our subcommittee held a hearing on the spill in Montana and is continuing to monitor the progress on cleaning up this spill and compensation of those who were harmed. The legislation we are debating today should have been strongly vetted by our committee, and I join Ranking Member Rahall in urging the committee to hold hearings and markups up on any legislation within our jurisdiction. Our railroad and pipeline subcommittee held at least five hearings last session concerning pipeline safety and found significant problems with reporting and inspections, as well as an unhealthy relationship between the pipeline industry and the agency regulating them. Moreover, much like the sewer and water infrastructure in this country, much of the pipeline infrastructure is reaching the end of its useful life. And we are going to need to make significant investments improving this access if we are going to accomplish the goals of both delivering critical petroleum to the States and protecting citizens from the danger of hazardous pipelines and spills and deadly explosions. We need to develop new technology and strategies for improving safety in highly populated areas now located above the aging pipelines. With the high unemployment rate this country is currently facing, we should be hiring and training inspectors.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, this communication is forwarded with great love, respect and admiration on behalf of the constituents of the Third Congressional District of Florida and myself as we pay tribute to the life of Deacon Horace A. McKnight, II. We are all deeply saddened by the loss of this most loved and admired gentleman, who, by his sheer determination served his country, his community, his church and most proudly, his family, immediate and extended. Mr. McKnight, a World War II Veteran served valiantly for an ideal, a place in his heart that would be a testament to one's ability to rise above the mediocre and the perceived notions of others, in order to serve the common good for all. His was a selfless and true act of patriotism and love of country and he perhaps knew that with such service, the lives of his flintily and his felloe countrymen would be made better. He was right, and his act of service at that time in our history and his dedication, helped shape the social direction of an entire nation and paved the way for all he was to accomplish and did, for many to benefit from. Horace McKnight, husband to his beloved childhood sweetheart Delia of forty-seven years, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, great grandfather, friend, church and community leader and entrepreneur, was and shall always be our example of a leader and caring man, deserving of all the accolades and acknowledgements received and most deserved. This quiet, calm, confident gentleman and ``Chief Deacon'', was a giant among men who saw a job and just got it done, without fanfare or applause. It is this manner of applause, great respect and love we now bestow upon our dear Horace. And in so doing, we say thank you for all you have done, for all you stand for and most assuredly, for all that you have meant to so many of us. We are eternally grateful for having known, loved and respected Horace McKnight, and are blessed for, and by, his manner of life, living and giving. A true gentleman was he. God Bless each one, and may the memory of Deacon Horace A. McKnight remain with you always.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The best anti-poverty program is a job. The stimulus bill saved 3.3 million jobs just this year. After 8 years of reverse Robin Hood under Bush, we were losing 800,000 jobs a month. I repeat: We were losing 800,000 jobs a month. Eight hundred thousand people headed toward poverty. The stimulus bill reversed the slide toward poverty for this Nation. Earlier this week, I submitted data for the Congressional Record showing that the stimulus bill has funded 700,000 education jobs, more than all of the jobs lost due to Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill combined. Today, I submit for the record data on jobs saved or created by transportation funding in the stimulus bill. Since February 2009, 335,000 positions have been funded directly by the Department of Transportation. That figure does not include the jobs indirectly created by the stimulus bill as States and local governments leverage these funds for improvements that get goods and services moving throughout this country. So far, the DOT has paid out $30 billion in grants and has authority for another $18 billion. Over 15,000 projects have been made possible by the stimulus bill. Mr. Speaker, can anyone seriously argue that $48 billion for roads, rails and infrastructure will not put millions of people to work? Of course they can't. In my district, construction of a new Amtrak station in Sanford, Florida, employed 46 subcontractors. Forty-five of them are from Florida. Does anyone want to call that a disaster? The real disaster is that we didn't put enough money in the stimulus bill for transportation. This country gets a failing grade for the conditions of our roads and bridges, and we're going to have disaster after disaster like what occurred in Minnesota, the collapsing of the bridge that killed people. Mr. Speaker, the stimulus bill put us on the road to recovery, and I will continue to set the record straight. Let's not stop this recovery by reversing course. The pending transportation reauthorization bill will take us backwards a decade and will kill the millions of jobs. That is what I call a disaster. I am placing in the Record the transportation and how much each State received and how many jobs it created. For example, in Florida, 782 projects, over 16,000 people put to work. Let me just mention one other State--Pennsylvania, 384 projects, 13,000 jobs reported. Mr. Speaker, people come to this floor and they talk all the time, and I guess people on TV think that what they're saying is actual, or factual. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove my name as a cosponsor from H.R. 605.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. I now yield to the gentleman from Georgia, Congressman John Lewis, ``Mr. Civil Rights.''

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia, Bobby Scott.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, last week, during the debate on disaster relief funding, a Republican from Louisiana called the stimulus bill a ``disaster.'' I wonder if the victims of disasters such as the BP spill or Hurricane Katrina would agree. Let's compare. Katrina destroyed about 400,000 jobs and caused $100 billion in damages. The stimulus bill gave $237 billion in tax breaks to 95 percent of American workers. According to the CBO, the stimulus bill saved or created 3.3 million jobs this year alone. Does that sound like a disaster, Mr. Speaker? We are still counting the losses from the BP oil spill, but we know that companies like BP get $4 billion in tax subsidies every year. That's what I call a disaster. On the other hand, the stimulus bill saved over 400,000 jobs. Over 6,000 of those educational jobs are in Louisiana and 48,000 in Florida. Does that sound like a disaster to you? Today I will place in the Congressional Record the latest breakdown of the educational jobs saved by the stimulus.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following for the Record. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2011 Jobs State/Territory Total ARRA Awards 2009-2010 School Reported as of 3/ Year Avg. 31/11 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Alabama.......................................... $1,211,481,243 6,005 5,845 Alaska........................................... 286,386,725 288 445 American Samoa................................... 55,041,672 0 67 Arizona.......................................... 1,546,116,040 4,526 2,226 Arkansas......................................... 737,604,784 1,187 2,846 California....................................... 9,090,383,978 55,912 20,544 Colorado......................................... 1,161,981,982 6,861 2,652 Connecticut...................................... 793,482,267 5,527 5,461 Delaware......................................... 370,482,181 514 558 District of Columbia............................. 275,621,995 1,044 398 Florida.......................................... 4,996,853,160 25,095 48,473 Georgia.......................................... 2,793,622,033 20,423 4,914 Guam............................................. 121,588,935 -- 19 Hawaii........................................... 359,806,800 1,284 2,835 Idaho............................................ 362,672,280 3,590 6,108 Illinois......................................... 3,298,099,077 21,397 5,457 Indiana.......................................... 1,544,050,551 8,500 2,077 Iowa............................................. 693,421,051 6,088 2,797 Kansas........................................... 683,903,564 5,582 3,691 Kentucky......................................... 1,060,239,635 7,325 6,612 Louisiana........................................ 1,216,998,305 5,994 6,317 Maine............................................ 316,026,200 282 195 Maryland......................................... 1,653,482,244 2,506 1,623 Massachusetts.................................... 1,850,860,731 5,647 4,919 Michigan......................................... 2,889,081,098 11,432 6,704 Minnesota........................................ 1,186,202,076 7,820 1,082 Mississippi...................................... 810,144,314 2,553 5,100 Missouri......................................... 1,413,344,466 11,881 9,048 Montana.......................................... 252,686,075 2,192 1,579 Nebraska......................................... 450,205,253 2,360 3,484 Nevada........................................... 640,833,521 4,256 586 New Hampshire.................................... 299,442,060 1,345 556 New Jersey....................................... 2,022,050,134 16,600 2,648 New Mexico....................................... 567,755,140 2,435 1,473 New York......................................... 5,968,744,969 29,282 22,631 North Carolina................................... 2,570,193,077 19,371 21,662 North Dakota..................................... 182,232,317 1,483 461 Northern Mariana Islands......................... 49,533,796 148 324 Ohio............................................. 3,383,219,434 12,512 15,981 Oklahoma......................................... 918,236,975 5,061 4,454 Oregon........................................... 869,631,848 5,407 4,114 Pennsylvania..................................... 3,015,209,631 8,515 7,780 Puerto Rico...................................... 1,328,494,866 11,834 10,606 Rhode Island..................................... 341,463,536 636 541 South Carolina................................... 1,132,320,821 4,530 4,336 South Dakota..................................... 248,797,745 1,049 461 Tennessee........................................ 1,998,304,080 7,177 11,088 Texas............................................ 6,423,533,663 21,883 31,625 U.S. Virgin Islands.............................. 91,768,429 4 910 Utah............................................. 696,668,924 3,064 1,070 Vermont.......................................... 164,868,039 559 309 Virginia......................................... 1,912,898,672 9,524 6,607 Washington....................................... 1,670,979,758 13,406 1,846 West Virginia.................................... 438,219,215 773 1,580 Wisconsin........................................ 1,347,822,608 7,981 1,374 Wyoming.......................................... 152,612,538 30 395

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. All across the country we are witnessing efforts to suppress minority voting rights. How is this being done? By deterring minority voters from registering to vote and from going to the polls in an organized effort to turn the clock back to the period prior to the 1965 Voting Rights Act. I am from Florida, and in my State, our current Governor, Rick Scott, is doing everything he can to follow in the steps of what has occurred across the country, striving to stamp out the gains we worked so hard for so many, many years to achieve. In Florida, earlier this year, Governor Scott signed the Omnibus Elections bill, which takes away many of Florida voters' basic rights. Its provisions include numerous hideous items much like those in bills passed in other State legislatures around the Nation to keep African Americans and Hispanics from going to the polls or refraining from participating in early voting in the upcoming 2012 elections. The new law passed in Florida would make voting more difficult for people who have recently changed residence as well as shorten early voting time, from 14 days to 6 days. It would provide a 100-foot buffer between voters standing in line to get information. And it goes on and on and on. In addition, it imposes a $50 fine on election supervisors who are late in filing routine reports to the State. After what happened in Florida in the 2000 coup d'etat, it is amazing to me that Florida would pass such hideous laws. I think it's very important that the Justice Department weigh in and that the people in Florida are not disenfranchised.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. First of all, I want to be clear that I support the funding to protect the citizens of the Midwest from flooding. And, in fact, Louisiana has gotten more money than probably anybody else. I come from Florida. We have disasters, natural disasters, all of the time. But the reason there is no funding for flood protection is because the Republican leadership cut the funding and the Republican Members supported it. Let me be clear. I support the funding for the disaster. As the ranking member of the Transportation Subcommittee on Rail, I find that these funding cuts which would block all of the remaining unobligated high-speed rail funding approved by the economic stimulus entirely unacceptable. And I am sick and tired of Members coming to the floor saying that the stimulus money was a disaster. It is not a disaster that we put people to work in Florida and throughout this country. And, in fact, if it wasn't for the stimulus dollars, teachers would have lost their jobs. In one area, we kept firefighters and police officers employed. And that is a job while this economy is turned around. And let's not forget how we got in this mess. Institutional memory is in order. When you have your head in the lion's mouth, you pull it out, you ease it out. What happened? How did we get here? When Bill Clinton left, we were operating with a surplus. But we had 8 years of Bush and two wars. And do you think this mess started 18 months ago? No, it did not. We have been practicing what I call reverse Robin Hood for 8 years. Nobody remembers that, when you kept giving tax breaks to the rich and billionaires. What happened here in December? Almost $800 billion that you gave to the not just millionaires, billionaires. And yet you come up saying in June and April, we can't send the pension checks. Yes, we're spending money up here, but it's the priorities you have. You don't have the priorities of taking care of the elderly people. You want to cut Medicaid and Medicare and Social Security while you give billionaires--billionaires--tax breaks, and millionaires. And now you want to cut money for high-speed rail. But we know for every billion dollars that we spend for high- speed rail, it generates 44,000 permanent jobs. But yes, we have some Governors that are shortsighted, like my Governor Rick Scott of Florida that sent back almost $3 billion. We have 11 percent unemployment. What was he thinking about? I guess he was thinking he didn't want to see those people going to work and making Barack Obama look good, even though we have the most congestion in that area, and that our competition is there. If you look at Spain, if you look at France, you look at Germany, 200 miles, 1 hour and 15 minutes. That is the future of our country. But we have some shortsighted people here, people who only want to see, you know, well, we need to balance the budget. Well, where were you when they were giving tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires? And you do it over and over again. That's the sad thing. If you put it on the board, put it on the board today, you would have the same vote. You would have the exact same vote. And every opportunity you have to vote, you vote to give millionaires and billionaires tax breaks. So, you know, we started the rail system, and we are now the caboose, and we don't even use cabooses any more. I am hoping that the American people will wake up. It is shameful that over and over again in the people's House, in the people's House, we attack the people who do not have lobbyists on Capitol Hill. And so I yield back the balance of my time, but I do know that elections have consequences. The American people are watching you. I have voted five times to raise the debt ceiling. Why did I do it under Bush? Because I knew it was in the best interest of this country and not the politics of the time. Announcement by the Acting Chair