Corrine Brown

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the gentleman: Can he repeat how much we are proposing to spend this year on Amtrak?

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Bishop), also a leader on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, may I ask the gentleman one question before he leaves? I know that the gentleman comes from Baltimore, which is a big city, and many people look at the big city and know that we need Amtrak. But would the gentleman believe that 109 small cities do not have any other form of transportation? They do not have bus service, nor do they have air service.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, would you believe that 66 percent of the American people support Amtrak? Not 66 percent from the Red States or the Blue States, but 66 percent of the American people. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and a leader in this country on transportation and infrastructure.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, now I would bring up the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa). He is new to the Congress, but not new to the fight as far as passenger rail is concerned. He has a history that precedes him in the legislature in California.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, now the gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. Carson).

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Would you answer just one question for me before you leave. Can you let me know whether there is any form of transportation that pays for itself? You know, we have been raising this issue about aviation, and, you know, we put billions of dollars, I forget how many billions into aviation, and we talk about our transportation bill, we have it on the floor today, and we are putting it in. But is there any mode of transportation in the whole world that pays for itself?

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am pretty excited about the fact that we are going to spend an hour discussing Amtrak. I do not think anybody in this country knows more about transportation and transportation infrastructure and the needs of transportation than the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar). I have asked him to give us kind of a broad background, bringing us up to date as to how we arrived where we are as far as Amtrak is concerned in this country. And then we will go to the other speakers. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to be clear that there is no mode of transportation, including rail, that pays for itself, not only here in the United States but nowhere in the world. Public transportation is just that. We subsidize every forming of transportation. I really welcome this debate because I think we have been nickeling and diming Amtrak to death, and now we need to put up or shut up. And I think the American people, where 66 percent, not from the blue States and the red States, but 66 percent of the American people said that they want passenger rail in this country.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, if the gentlewoman will yield, it is truly hard to believe how an administration could state that it is their goal to put an industry out of business and put them in bankruptcy. To me, it is just a clear example that we have gotten our priorities wrong. I think that this debate should not be between Democrats and Republicans, House and Senate. I think this debate, I think it is very important for the American people to weigh in on why they think it is important. One of the things that I think has been a failure is that we have not been able to convey the importance of rail service in this country.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, let me be clear, the Florida Secretary of Transportation is in town today, along with Commissioner Lazaro, and they are both opposed to this amendment. The U.S. Department of Transportation has said that we need to invest $375 billion just to keep up with the needs of this Nation's transportation infrastructure. Yet we have a bill on the floor today at $284 billion. Obviously, this is not enough of an investment we need to keep up with our transportation system. This amendment will tie the hands of the State departments of transportation and would deny them the flexibility they need to fund important projects in their State. My home State of Florida is experiencing tremendous population growth, and we use tolls to cover many of the high costs related to maintaining an adequate transportation system. Without these additional revenues, there is no question that current improvement projects will not be funded. In other words, no tolls, no roads. The current tolling provisions in this bill were carefully worked out in a bipartisan manner and were developed to allow States the flexibility to build new roads, reduce congestion, and invest in transit. We authorize this major transportation bill every 6 years so we can make major investments in infrastructure and improve the national transportation system, but the Kennedy amendment does the opposite. It takes money from the States and limits their ability to creatively finance major projects. In closing, no tolls, no roads.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Ranking Member Oberstar) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) for their hard work in bringing this bill to the Floor. I do want to point out, it is 17 months late. America's transportation infrastructure is in need of significant additional funding, and we need to act fast, but knowing how much money we truly need to fund the Nation's transportation infrastructure, I hope that the other body will pass the original bill of $318 billion so that we can get the best bill possible in conference. I appreciate the hard work and compromise involved in drafting this bill, but the current funding formula is unfair to many of the States who need transportation dollars. Transportation funding is a win-win for everyone involved. States get to improve transportation infrastructure; that creates economic development, puts people back to work and, most important, enhances safety and improves local communities. Unfortunately, we are unable to add rail to this bill, but that does not mean that rail infrastructure is taken care of. We have dangerously underfunded rail security and are now scrambling to protect our transit passengers. We are also ignoring and underfunding high speed rail which is one of the best ways to move citizens and improve congestion on our highways. By far, the most important thing that this bill is missing is the funding for Amtrak. How do we write a comprehensive transportation bill that does not include passenger rail? Every civilized country in the world supports passenger rail but this country. Let me correct that, 66 percent of the American people support passenger rail. It is just this Bush administration, along with Secretary Mineta, that is ignoring the needs of transportation, our friend, Secretary Mineta. We are spending $1 billion a week in Iraq; that is $4 billion a month, but this administration is zeroing out funding for Amtrak. Our committee needs to take passenger rail seriously and fund Amtrak at the level it is needed to provide service to thousands of citizens every day. This bill is the first step in passing a real transportation funding bill that will meet the needs of the Nation's transportation and infrastructure and the citizens who need it, and I want to emphasize first step.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, my favorite hymn is ``Let the Work I Have Done Speak For Me.'' I think that more than anything explains our friend and former colleague, Tillie Fowler. My prayers and deepest regret goes out to her immediate family, Buck and their two girls, Tillie Ann and Elizabeth. Tillie and I shared a lot. We were in the great class of 1992. We said that was the class, the year of the woman. One distinguished objective to describe Tillie was she was a tremendous fighter. She struggled for what she believed in and for the betterment of the people in the region she served. Above all, Tillie loved her country, and she fought hard to protect it. She distinguished herself in the area of military and, in particular, fighting for women's rights in the military. I also served with Tillie on the Committee on Transportation and the Infrastructure, and we crossed party lines numerous times to work together to do what was best for the city of Jacksonville and North Florida. I almost said Georgia because I know that my colleague is here, and he is going to speak from Georgia, but her roots came from Georgia. She came from a political family. One could tell she was a lady, a southern lady. We all must pass this way, but, hopefully, when we do, we can look back on all of the things that Tillie Fowler has done, not just for the community but for the entire country, to make this place a better place because Tillie Fowler has passed here. When you are born, you get a birth certificate. And when you die, you get a death certificate. And the only thing that really matters is that dash on your tombstone in between. Tillie, let the work she has done speak for her because she has done a great job for our community. I was deeply saddened to hear of the sudden passing of my former colleague, Tillie Fowler. My prayers and deepest regrets go out to her and her immediate family, Buck, and her two girls, Tillie Ann and Elizabeth. Tillie and I shared a lot in common. In fact, in 1992, we came up to Washington together as members of the same class of elected representatives. This class was so dynamic, and filled with so many new and soon to be influential women members, that it was referred to as ``The Year of the Woman.'' One distinct adjective to describe Tillie is that she was a tremendous fighter. She struggled hard for what she believed in, and for the betterment of the people and the region she served. Above all, Tillie loved her country, and fought hard to protect the freedoms we enjoy--even the freedom to disagree. Tillie was a woman of great distinction, highly respected, and was always extremely active in her community. She served our country well, particularly in her strong support of the military, specializing in issues concerning women's roles and rights within the military. She was also a woman with strong leadership qualities and one who believed in the value of volunteerism and community service. I also served with Tillie on the Transportation Committee, and we crossed party lines numerous times to work together to do what was best for the city of Jacksonville and North Florida as a whole. In closing, my heart and prayers go out to Tillie's dear family during this difficult time.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I was deeply saddened to hear of the sudden passing of my former colleague, Tillie Fowler. My prayers and deepest regrets go out to her and her immediate family, Buck, and her two girls, Tillie Ann and Elizabeth. Tillie and I shared a lot in common. In fact, in 1992, we came up to Washington together as members of the same class of elected representatives. This class was so dynamic, and filled with so many new and soon to be influential women members, that it was referred to as ``The Year of the Woman.'' One distinct adjective to describe Tillie is that she was a tremendous fighter. She struggled hard for what she believed in, and for the betterment of the people and the region she served. Above all, Tillie loved her country, and fought hard to protect the freedoms we enjoy--even the freedom to disagree. Tillie was a woman of great distinction, highly respected, and was always extremely active in her community. She served our country well, particularly in her strong support of the military, specializing in issues concerning women's roles and rights within the military. She was also a woman with strong leadership qualities and one who believed in the value of volunteerism and community service. Even though Tillie worked on the opposite end of the political spectrum, I recognize tremendous contributions Tillie made, and influence she had within the Republican Party. In 1998 in fact, she was chosen by her colleagues within the Republican Party to be the Vice Chairman (or Chairwoman) of the Republican Conference. This honor made her the highest ranking woman in the U.S. Congress at the time she retired, in 2000. She also served for 6 years as Deputy Majority Whip in the Party, paving the way for future women to move up the political ranks here on Capitol Hill. Moreover, when she obtained a seat on the House Armed Services Committee, she was the only Republican woman at that time on the committee. Given the tremendous influence the military plays in the city of Jacksonville, her appointment to this committee was more than critical. Upon leaving Congress, Tillie worked hard to ensure a strong U.S. military was recognized by the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of Defense. She went on to receive the Navy's Distinguished Public Service Award and the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, both of which was the highest civilian awards given by the Navy and DOD. Additionally, I served with Tillie on the T & I committee, and crossed party lines numerous times to work together and do what was best for the city of Jacksonville and North Florida as a whole. My heart and prayers go out to Tillie's dear family during this difficult time. They will remain in my thoughts and prayers.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join Representative Lane Evans as an original cosponsor, with the Congressional Black Caucus, of this Resolution honoring the Montford Point Marines. In 1942, President Roosevelt established a presidential directive giving African Americans an opportunity to be recruited into the Marine Corps. These African Americans, from all states, were not sent to the traditional boot camps of Parris Island, South Carolina and San Diego, California. Instead, African-American Marines were segregated-- experiencing basic training at Montford Point--a facility at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Approximately 20,000 African-American Marines received basic training at Montford Point between 1942 and 1949. The initial intent was to discharge these African-American Marines after the war, returning them to civilian life. Attitudes changed as the war progressed. Once given the chance to prove themselves, it became impossible to deny the fact that African-American Marines were just as capable as all other Marines regardless of race, color, creed or national origin. In July of 1948 President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order #9981 negating segregation. In September 1949, Montford Marine Camp was deactivated--ending seven years of segregation. I am joining Congressman Evans in offering this resolution to recognize their service and sacrifice and to acknowledge today's United States Marine Corps as an excellent opportunity for advancement of persons of all races due to the service and example of the original Montford Point Marines.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the constituents of the Third Congressional District of Florida, I am honored to share my thoughts with you about this amazing lady. Upon her passing, let's pause to reflect upon her life and times, and how she has influenced our world today. During her hard fought rise to the halls of Congress and her permanent place in the history of our Nation; she was on time to fight for truth, justice, humanity, and the rights of the have-nots; she was where she needed to be to raise the consciousness of a nation, and shed light on the plight of others. She led a battle that was personal, one that was rooted deep in the soul of the oppressed, the forgotten and the disenfranchised. Hers was a fight to make this Nation live up to its promise--liberty and equality for all. This great battle was more than just politics--it was a fight to garner the hopes of the few and infuse them with the dreams of the many. This was the struggle for the humanity of human kind; the reminder that the prize was always in view, yet denied by those who sought to keep their dreams squandered. As a founding Member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Shirley Chisholm was a driving force behind the Caucus' mission to serve as the `Conscience of the Congress,' and the fight to include women, children, and people of color in the public policy debate that so deeply affects their own lives. It is from her example and spirit that we continue to fight for the ideals that she held so close. Shirley Chisholm joins the ranks of countless other civil rights leaders to whom we owe our strength. Today, we bless and honor her by keeping her struggle, and our struggle, alive. I will miss her dearly, and both she and her family will always remain in my thoughts and prayers.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is a contract. It is a contract. When those young men and women in their prime go and fight for us and serve for us, we owe them. They should not be fighting for the guarantee that we promised them, basic health care, and yet, these copayments and these fees, they cannot afford it. They live on a fixed income.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. In conclusion, our work is cut out for us. We know what we have to do to educate the American people, to turn this horrible proposal for these veterans around. I think one of the scriptures that I particularly like is, To whom God has given much, much is expected. God has been good to America. It is important that America is good to the people that have stood up for us throughout the years. This budget is unacceptable. I remember talking once to the veterans groups and I said, this administration, the Bush administration, talks a great talk, but they do not walk the walk. And this was the Paralyzed Veterans and they said, They do not roll the roll either. And that is truth. But the key is, we together, Democrats and Republicans, and particularly the veterans' organizations can turn this around. We really need a dedicated source of funding. We should not have to deal with this every single year. Mr. Speaker, the following is an article entitled ``Veterans Angered By Official's Comments.'' [From the Tribune-Herald, Feb. 7, 2005] Veterans Angered by Official's Comments (By Richard L. Smith) Let me see if I have this straight. We need to squeeze just a little more sacrifice out of our military veterans. Is that it? That seems to be the implicit message of David Chu. He is an economist who spent the better part of the past quarter- century as a federal bureaucrat. He now directs the Pentagon human resource shop as under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness. Chu managed to outrage some veterans with his comments in a Jan. 25, 2005, interview with the Wall Street Journal. If you believe Chu, money going for military retirement and veterans benefits would be better spent on weapons. He called the amounts of money expended on veterans ``hurtful'' to the national defense in the Journal article. I sent a list of questions I had about Chu's remarks by e- mail to the Pentagon. I was told my questions could not be answered by my deadline. So I extended my deadline. I am still waiting to hear from the Defense Department. Aggressive lobbying by veterans groups that brought about medical care for retired military helped bring about this great drain on fighting wars, Chu said in the article. He described it as ``painful'' to move money for new weapons programs to accounts that fund Tricare, the managed health care system for military personnel and retired service members over the age of 65. And, of course, the Pentagon official said proposals to reduce the reservist retirement age from 60 to 55 would also not be a good idea. Chu's remarks did not go over well with everyone, if you can imagine that. Bob Clements, a retired Air Force brigadier general from Carmichael, Calif., said he has a large e-mail network made up of hundreds of veterans. Clements sent out a message recently in which, in his words, he ``decided to cut loose'' on Chu. The retired fighter pilot and medic pointed out in an e-mail missive he launched that Chu knew that military retirees had until recently been slow to band together to protect their benefits. He urged veterans to continue to stand up and fight for their rights. Clements said he also has been around the block enough to know that such a high- level official ``is not spouting off'' on his own. ``I don't see how these remarks could be made by a subordinate without the secretary of defense's and the president's approval,'' Clements told me during a phone interview. U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, said he believes Chu was running an idea up the flagpole to see whether it gets saluted or picked off. Edwards prefers the latter. ``I hope that Secretary Chu doesn't reflect the administration's position,'' Edwards told me by phone from Washington. ``But if he does, that trial balloon should be shot down by howitzers.'' Edwards, who represented the Army's massive Fort Hood base until Texas Republicans redrew congressional districts in 2003, went to the House floor after the Journal article hit the streets and denounced Chu's remarks. ``The fact is that we are spending too little, not too much on our veterans and military retirees,'' the congressman told colleagues. ``The truth is that last year's budget for veterans health care did not even keep up with inflation. So, in effect, we had a real cut in veterans health care spending during a time of war. What happened to the principle of shared sacrifice during a time of war?'' Edwards said Chu's remarks were a slap in the face for veterans. ``I find Secretary Chu's statement to be offensive and outrageous,'' Edwards told me. ``It's offensive to every serviceman and woman who has ever put on the uniform and has been willing to risk their life for their country.'' Veterans organizations were also quick to condemn the statement made by Chu. A statement by the American Legion said that the government's care for its veterans was part of a moral contract that should not be broken. The Military Officers Association of America, which the Journal article called the main force behind retiree benefits, labeled Chu's assertions as ``baloney.'' If Chu is the Bush administration's canary in the coal mine of public opinion, then perhaps we are getting a glimpse of where veterans benefits are headed. Take retirement pay for example. Chu said in the article that the 19-year-old enlistee doesn't care about annuities. Young GI Joe or Jane would rather have the cash to buy a ``pickup truck,'' the Defense Department official told the Journal. Edwards calls such a contention insulting to the young men and women who risk their lives to serve. Benefits, he said, are part of what helps the military attract and keep the high-caliber service members in its employ. Of course, these benefits come from all of the taxpayers out there and not just veterans. But there does seem to be a high level of public support for those who are fighting our wars. Do you think those with ribbons magnets on their cars will begrudge health care to those troops who return home? It would seem hard to imagine. Why, some people probably wouldn't mind throwing in a pickup truck in as part of the package.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would say that if we did a poll, one of those CNN polls or one of those polls that we do every day, and ask, Do you want the 1 percent tax cut done away with to completely fund the veterans program, I bet we would get 75 or 80 percent saying, Let us fund the veteran program. Without a doubt, the American people want to pay their debt, and we owe these veterans. It is not welfare. It is paying for people that have stood up for you in their prime, and now they need us. And what are we doing? We are giving tax breaks to people that contribute to our campaign. And that really bothers me because when you talk to the veterans, you know that they are vulnerable, they are sick, and they need the assistance. Many of the people that you pass right here in D.C. on the street, homeless, are veterans that the system has failed. One-third of the homeless people are veterans.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank the gentleman again for having this special order tonight and pointing out what the veterans can do to turn this around. We in this House cannot do it. We can point it out. We can have town hall meetings in the districts. We will do that. We can talk to the groups and organizations. But I do know that the veterans have the power to influence this body and the other body and the White House. If nothing else, they can put a circle around that White House and let them know that Humpty Dumpty must fall.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. But, sir, if the gentleman will yield, how many have been wounded? How many have been disabled? They are going to come back, and then they are not in the military system, they are in the VA system. How will the VA system handle them when they are proposing to cut out thousands of nurses? Now, I know the gentleman has the same problem that I have when they come to us about how long they have to wait in order to get assistance, and we have to intervene. For basic assistance, they are put on a waiting list, and they wait for weeks and months. Yet we are going to have all of these veterans, thousands coming back. The gentleman mentioned the number that have been killed, but what about those who have been wounded, coming into a system that we are cutting to the bone. It is a failure. There is a Constitution and there is a separation of power. We have a duty as Members of the Congress, of the people's House, to deal with this budget.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. No.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I think this is bigger than Chris Smith in that it is the House of Representatives that we can change in 2 years; we can change the direction of this country. And it goes back to elections, I have to say it. I mean, what happens in an election controls everything we do, from the time you are born to the time you die and everything in-between. This veterans budget, I have to say if it had been Senator Kerry, we never would have received a budget like this, or if it had been any of the Democratic candidates and, really, if it had been any of the other Republican candidates. This administration is totally insensitive to the needs of the veterans and the people. They talk a great talk, but they do not walk the walk. They only care about the 1 percent of the people that contribute to their campaign, and if you are not writing checks to the Republican campaign, then just forget it. But the veterans can turn this around. I know that they can mobilize. I know what they can do; I have seen it happen in Florida. Once before they cut major health care assistance in Florida, and the veterans and organizations and groups got together. They called their Congress people and, let me tell my colleague, not only did they put the money back; they do not even know how it got out. So I know they can do it.

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, the sad thing is that the gentleman is talking about the people's House; and the people's House, under this administration, more so than even when the Republicans took over, but under this administration has been run like a dictatorship. It is very, very sad, and I am glad that the gentleman from Ohio pointed out what it is that veterans can do. I know the organizations are talking to their members because they are talking to me. But they need to contact their Member of Congress and let them know, as Senator and former Governor Chiles used to say, ``This dog won't hunt.''

Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida. If the gentleman will yield further, for the last 4 years, every year we have had to go through this dance, and predominantly the Democrats have had to fight to increase these budgets. But this year, I guess after the election and after the President and his party have flim-flammed the American people, the gloves are off. They do not care.