Corrine Brown

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, in closing, when I think of Doug, I think of Paul and his great work. He has done great work for the people of Florida, and we will truly miss him. Jamerson won a national humanitarian award for helping St. Petersburg recover from racial violence in 1996, when he walked the streets, helping cool emotions. It was a natural extension of his years as a school security guard in the early '70s when he spent hours counseling teens going through desegregation at a Pinellas high school. His parochial school education taught Jamerson the integrity of discipline and one of his first acts as education commissioner was to advocate the socially leveling effect of wearing uniforms in public schools. The idea sank, but Jamerson's reputation rose as a public servant not given to predictable solutions. He was against both paddling and prayer in schools but said both had a place in a loving home. He was a Democrat who oversaw reduction by 50 percent of the state's education bureaucracy. Jamerson will be remembered as a gifted man whose genial disposition made it hard for even staunch opponents of his causes to dislike him. He will be missed.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, and the winner is and the winner is. On November, the American people voted for investment in education for our children, health care for families, and prescription drugs for our seniors, but the Republicans keep coming with their tax cut for their rich friends. They have lost touch with the people and have no idea what their priorities are. As we debate the marriage penalty act today, vital programs that serve millions of Americans are being ignored. Tonight thousands of American war heroes will go to bed on the streets. Millions of American children will go to bed hungry, and millions of Americans will go to bed wondering how much longer their bodies can fight against AIDS, cancer, diabetes, Lupus, and hundreds of other incurable diseases. Unfortunately for the American people, today on the House floor we are once again debating a tax bill that helps only a few and ignoring the real problem that we face as a Nation. Support fair marriage tax relief. Vote yes on the substitute and let us get back to the work that the people sent us here to do.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, this budget is about making choices, and this Republican budget makes all the wrong choices for this country. Like monkey see, monkey do. We need to look at my home State of Florida to see the devastating effect that this budget will have on our country. When Jeb Bush took over as Governor of Florida, he inherited a surplus and a booming economy from a Democratic administration. Today, as he continues to push for more tax cuts for the wealthy Floridians, the surplus is gone. There is a $1 billion hole in Medicaid, and we cannot even afford books for our students. Also unfortunate for the citizens of Florida is that this budget does nothing to improve the voting system that kept thousands of our votes from counting. It is a choice. We can continue the prosperity we have worked so hard for; or we can go back to the huge debts, high interest rates, and skyrocketing unemployment that followed the Ronald Reagan tax cut. Remember, the deficit, the deficit, the deficit.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, here we go again, another round of voodoo economics and another huge tax cut for the rich. I encourage my colleagues to consider the terrible situation in my home State of Florida, where massive tax breaks for the rich have come at the expense of much needed services for the poor. Yesterday, Florida Governor Bush called for even more tax breaks for the rich while continuing to neglect some of the most pressing issues facing Florida residents. The Bush tax cuts are like the Reagan cuts that devastated our economy with huge debts, skyrocketing unemployment and high interest rates. We have been down that road before and it took us 20 years to crawl out of that mess. I would like to remind my Republican colleagues that the American people did not support the Bush plan. We would not be in this mess if the coup had not taken place in Florida. There is no mandate for the Bush plan. He did not win the election. And the majority of the people did not vote for this irresponsible action of this Congress.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the 21 brave men who died while serving their nation. Serving in the military is a tough and demanding job not only for those who choose to serve, but the families who are forced to live without them, who wave goodbye knowing they may never see them again. I met recently with General Harrison with the Florida National Guard, and we talked about the great work the Guard was doing, all while being called for more and more missions. We are particularly thankful for the Guard in my home state of Florida because of the great support they offer. Whether it's fighting our wildfires or preparing for our hurricanes, the Guard is always there for us in our time of need. I speak for my colleagues and all my constituents in thanking every man and woman who puts their life on the line for this country. Not just when tragedy strikes, but for every day that you protect us from harm.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, here we go again, another round of voodoo economics, and another huge tax cut for the rich. Passing this $2 trillion tax cut before voting on the budget is irresponsible and will jeopardize the future of Social Security, Medicare, and public education. This bill is like taking a vacation before you pay your rent and utility bills. I encourage my colleagues to consider the terrible situation in my home State of Florida where massive tax breaks for the rich have come at the expense of much-needed services for the poor, year after year after year. Yesterday, Florida Governor Jeb Bush called for even more tax breaks for the rich while continuing to overlook the most pressing issues facing Florida residents, for example, a $1 billion hole in the Medicaid program that funds health services for poor pregnant women, children, the elderly, and the disabled; a school crisis that includes teacher retention problems and budget cuts that eliminate some of the most innovative teaching programs; a senior population whose health care is at risk because they cannot afford to pay for their prescription drugs; and the Nation's oldest veterans' population with nowhere to bury them with the dignity they deserve. Mr. Speaker, mark my words. The rest of the country will face the same problems we have in Florida if President Bush's tax cut becomes a reality. The Bush tax cut is like the Reagan cuts that devastated our economy with huge debts, skyrocketing unemployment, and high interest rates. We have been down this road before, and it took us 20 years to get out of this mess that the Reagan tax cuts put us in. One of the immediate effects of his plan was the homeless problem. By cutting housing and community-based programs, Reagan eliminated the most critical programs for the people at the bottom of the economic ladder. As a result, this country witnessed record numbers of homeless people, and our deficit grew by leaps and bounds. We will see the same problem with health care and senior programs if these tax cuts are allowed. My constituents do not deserve to relive this nightmare again. I would like to remind my Republican colleagues that the American people did not vote for the Bush plan. We would not be in this mess if the coup had not taken place in Florida. There is no mandate for the Bush plan; I can tell my colleagues coming from Duvall County, where 27,000 votes were thrown out, 16,000 of them African Americans, 16,000 African Americans, 27,000 votes thrown out. The sad thing is that this election is not about a few hundred votes. It is about thousands of votes, thousands of votes that were thrown out in the State of Florida. We must commit ourselves that this will never happen again in this history of this country. The last time it happened was in 1877, and Florida was involved in that coup also. Mr. Speaker, a lot of people think it does not matter what party is in charge. Clearly, today it is an example of it does matter what party is in charge. The parties are not all the same. Some look out for the wealthy and the others look out for the working people and the poor people of this country. I am happy to be a party of that party, that cares about Medicaid and education and looks at it as investing in our future and not doing away with the surplus, that we take most of it out of health care, health care. I tell my colleagues it is not a free ride in this country, and the American people, we will fight this fight again and we will welcome President Bush Monday when he comes to Florida.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, first of all let me thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Hilliard) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) for their discussion tonight over the fight to get the right to vote. I want to take that a step forward to discuss the fight to make sure every vote counts. Before I begin, I want to talk a bit about the coup d'etat. I know those are strong words, Mr. Speaker, but that is what happened in Florida, on November 7, because, without a doubt, more people, not just in the United States, went to the polls and voted for Al Gore, more people in the State of Florida went to the polls and voted for Al Gore. In fact, I represent Duval County, the Third Congressional District of Florida, where 27,000 votes were thrown out, 16,000 of them African Americans, 22,000 overvotes, 6,000 undervotes, that have never been counted. I was particularly disturbed last week when the Miami Herald, and I have got to give credit, if you read the article, they did not say that Al Gore lost Florida, but the media went in and talked about the election and indicated that in four counties, four counties, if the recount was done, that Bush would have won. But I knew for a fact they were not talking about Duval, because we just started counting the votes, the undervotes in Duval Monday. We have been in court. And so we are still counting the undervotes in Florida, over 100,000 votes that were not counted, not one time. Let me discuss what an undervote is. An undervote is like if you come from Duval County and you have those old machines and the machines spit the vote out so they were not counted. I asked the leadership of this House, when were we going to have a hearing on the illegal activities that occurred in Florida, the illegal activities that occurred on November 7. The response was that next week we are going to have a hearing on profiling, racial profiling. Now, I really think that is very important, but that has nothing to do with the election in Florida and what happened in Duval County and in Seminole County, where people went in to the supervisor of elections and filled out forms, and in Martin County, where they went in to the supervisor of elections and took forms out and where the Secretary of State in the State of Florida took $4 million of taxpayers' money, subcontracted to a firm in Texas to identify felons, and many that were identified and kicked off of the roll had never been arrested. Yes, there were a lot of criminal activities that occurred in Florida on November 7. I cannot move forward because we are debating tomorrow a tax cut as if someone had a mandate on November 7. That is what is disturbing to me. The issue that we discussed today, turning back the clock for American workers, we would not be discussing those items if we did not have that coup to take place in Florida. Mr. Speaker, my people in Florida want to know, when in Congress are we going to have a hearing on the illegal activities that took place in Florida during the election and after the election?

Ms. BROWN of Florida. This is round one, Mr. Speaker. We will continue this discussion.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this first attack from the Bush administration on the working people after the coup d'etat that took place in Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this resolution. Corporate America, President Bush and this Republican controlled Congress are abandoning the scientifically based worker safety protections that the Labor Department had finally put in place. I would also like to point out that without the coup that took place this past November in Florida, we would not be having this debate. This is another perfect example of how much it really does matter which party is in power and which party cares about our nation's workers. After years of struggle, the newly enacted worker protections are already under attack, and are about to be stamped out completely. Big business and their allies in Congress, through an undemocratic political maneuver, want to throw out 10 years of struggle and research to kill the standards that require employers to protect workers. Remember, working men and women are the backbone of this country, and I cannot believe that this Congress is simply ignoring their safety. OSHA was finally moving forward to develop a standard to prevent unnecessary injuries, and this bill would only cause those workers more pain. I urge my colleagues to stand up for the workers of America and vote against this resolution.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the 21 brave men who died while serving their nation. Serving in the military is a tough and demanding job not only for those who choose to serve, but the families who are forced to live without them, who wave goodbye knowing they may never see them again. I met recently with General Harrison with the Florida National Guard, and we talked about the great work the guard was doing, all the while being called for more and more missions. We are particularly thankful for the Guard in my home State of Florida because of the great support they offer. Whether it's fighting our wildfires or preparing for our hurricanes, the Guard is always there for us in our time of need. I speak for my colleagues and all my constituents in thanking every man and woman who puts their life on the line for this country. Not just when tragedy strikes, but for everyday that you protect us from harm.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, throughout her career, Dr. Dorothy I. Height has been a leader in the struggle for equality and human rights for all people. Her life serves as an example of one who is passionately committed for a just society and her vision of a better world. In 1965, she started the Center for Racial Justice which is still a major initiative of the National YWCA. She worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young, A. Philip Randolph as well as others. Dr. Height participated in virtually all major civil and human rights events in the 1950s and 1960s. For her tireless efforts on behalf of the less fortunate, President Ronald Reagan presented her the Citizens Medal Award for distinguished service to the country in 1989. Dr. Height is known for her extensive international and developmental education work. She initiated the sole African American private voluntary organization working in Africa in 1975, building on the success of NCNW's assignments in Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America. In three decades of national leadership, she has served on major policymaking bodies affecting women, social welfare, economic development, and civil and human rights, and has received numerous appointments and awards. The most recent recognitions include appointment to the Advisory Council of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities by President Bush and to the National Advisory Council on Aging by Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis Sullivan. As a self-help advocate, she has been instrumental in the initiation of NCNW sponsored food, child care, housing and career educational programs that embody the principles of self-reliance. As a promoter of Black family life she conceived and organized the Black Family Reunion Celebration in 1986 to reinforce the historic strengths and traditional values of the African American Family. Now in its ninth year, this multi-city cultural event has attracted some 11.5 million people. Dr. Dorothy I. Height's lifetime of achievement measures the liberation of Black America, the brilliant advance of women's rights, and the most determined effort to lift up the poor and the powerless. Dream giver and earth shaker, Dr. Dorothy Height has followed and expanded on the original purpose of the National Council of Negro Women, giving new meaning, new courage and pride to women, youth and families everywhere.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. President, I stand for the purpose of objecting to the counting of the vote from the State of Florida as read.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. President, it is in writing and signed by several House colleagues on behalf of, and myself, the 27,000 voters of Duval County, of which 16,000 of them are African Americans that were disenfranchised in this last election.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. It is not signed by a Member of the Senate. The Senate is missing.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 603, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, September 13-16, 2000 marked the 30th anniversary of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Legislative Conference, the most significant socio-political gathering in the country to discuss issues of importance to the African American community. On September 15, 2000 Representative Sanford Bishop, Jr. (D- GA) and I convened, in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration, another well attended, although highly emotional, 12th Annual Veterans Braintrust forum entitled: ``Remembering the Forgotten of the Forgotten War: African Americans in Korea.'' For the past several years my distinguished friend and colleague Sanford Bishop, Jr. and I have hosted the Annual Veterans Braintrust during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Legislative Conference because we both care a great deal about the well-being of America's veterans. Nevertheless, this year I was overwhelmed to be in the room with so many true heroes, and spoke for all my colleagues in thanking them for their service to this great nation. It makes me very proud that the Veterans Braintrust is one of the best attended forums during the Annual Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Conference. This year's event was particularly important because of the limited time we have to set the record straight on the sacrifices and service of African Americans during the Korean War. Because throughout the Korean War, African American soldiers were waging a war on two fronts. They fought gallantly beside their comrades in the most trying conditions, while battling the bigotry and racism that were still prevalent in the United States military. These same veterans continued their fight against racism at home by joining the grassroots of the Civil Rights Movement. Although Korea is known as the ``Forgotten War,'' we told them that we will never forget, and we won't let our colleagues in Congress forget about the brave men and women who made the freedom we enjoy today possible. Congressman Sanford Bishop, Jr., reaffirmed that the Veterans Braintrust is an event which has become one of the traditional highlights of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's annual legislative conference, adding that this is a family affair which brings veterans and their families together from throughout the country, and gives us an opportunity to discuss issues of critical concern to us all. To our distinguished panelist, he said, it is because of Korean War veterans, both men and women who have answered the call of duty that we have the strongest military in the world and praised their unselfishness in risking their lives to protect our freedom. Today is their day. African American Korean war veterans are finally receiving the recognition that they truly deserve. With that said, Bishop introduced our keynote speaker, The Honorable Louis Caldera, Secretary of the Army. Secretary Caldera began by stating, that this forum was aptly named. ``Remembering the Forgotten of the Forgotten War.'' For many African Americans and for many reasons, Korea truly was the Forgotten War. It came on the heels of an exhausting World War II in which our Army literally led the effort to save the world from tyranny. Americans had expected to enjoy the fruits of this exhausting effort for some time. They had enough of war. But less than five years after V-J Day, they found themselves being asked once again to sacrifice their sons and daughters to help defend freedom in a nation few had ever even heard of. But if Korea is the Forgotten War, then truly the African American soldiers who served in that conflict are the ``Forgotten of the Forgotten War,'' as the title of this forum suggests. They had been set apart and marginalized as a fighting force long before the beginning of the conflict. But by war's end they were integrated into units throughout the Army and involved in the thickest of the fighting. The tremendous contributions our soldiers made in that war have never been fully recognized. And particularly the contributions of our Korean veterans were not recognized in the way we hailed the return of our World War II veterans and certainly even less was made of the service and contributions of our African American veterans who were not fully recognized. Those who were overlooked included men like Congressman Charles Rangel and Congressman John Conyers, senior Members of the House, founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and decorated veterans of that war. Then Sergeant Rangel was awarded the Bronze Star with ``V'' while he served with the 503d Field Artillery Battalion. And 2d Of course there were tens of thousands of other African Americans who served bravely in the Korean War whose actions we must also commemorate and remember. I can tell you that I'm looking forward to next July 23, 2001, when we will lay a memorial wreath in a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery to pay tribute to the soldiers of the 24th Infantry Regiment and other African American soldiers who bravely fought and fell in that war. They gave their lives for freedom at Yechon, at the Han River, at Kunu-Ri and on many other battlefields where their blood now consecrates that land. Although there are many lessons that we have learned from our involvement in the Korean War. One of the most important lessons that Korea taught us was that segregation has no place in a modern military (or our society), but especially in the U.S. Armed Forces. We learned that the Army fights best when it is unified. We learned that leadership and bravery and courage knows no color boundary. Until Korea, the Army had reflected America's long and tragic history of racial discrimination by maintaining segregated units. It was costly, irrational, and an inefficient way to do business. It cost us in terms of the combat effectiveness of those segregated units. There were places where soldiers and leaders did not trust each other, held each other in disregard, and were rotated quickly through units where they did not invest time in bringing out the best in their men. The result was an Army where certain units were maligned and their reputations impugned because of unfounded rumors, innuendo and the adverse impacts of a self-defeating policy. President Truman's historic integration order of 1948 said the Armed Forces were officially integrated. But at the start of the Korean War, they were still segregated. Once we were thrown into that war we had no choice, in the wake of early setbacks, exacerbated by readiness shortcomings, our military leadership was forced to send African American troops to fight side-by-side with white soldiers at the front lines. As Lt. Gen. Julius Becton, one of our Army's most senior leaders and a personal role model when I was a young officer recently recalled that as a young African American officer serving in the early days of the Korean War, the question was put to him, where should we send the replacements who had started to come over to fill the thinning ranks? The idea of sending black soldiers to black units and white soldiers to white units and not putting a white soldier under command of a black officer all of a sudden had no relevancy. They refused to accept that kind of thinking and said ``we're going to send these soldiers where they are needed.'' And so they sent the soldiers to the units where they were taking the highest casualties. As General Becton now puts it ``Korea was what broke the eggshell to make the omelet to make integration a reality.'' Because all of a sudden soldiers were fighting side by side for their well-being, depending on each other, drinking from the same cup, giving blood to one another to save each other's lives and it made all the difference. Today, at a time when diversity is increasing rapidly, the Army is taking full advantage of the trail of opportunity that was first blazed by these African American soldiers. African Americans still comprise 29% of the enlisted ranks and fully 11% of our officer corps. We could not be the world's best land power force without these soldiers and without their leadership. They are integral to all we do, and of the future of this great Army, from our peacekeeping operations in the Balkans to our deterrence Mission on the Korea Peninsula, to the Persian Gulf. In the coming years, when America will need to draw even more on the diversity of her communities to meet the new challenges of the 21st century, we will continue to count on young African American men and women to shoulder the heavy burden of our nation's security. Thank you very much. God bless you and God bless our Korean War veterans. In addition, the Secretary of Labor paid a very special tribute to Korean War veterans bravery and helped honor those African Americans who served in the Korean War. The Secretary of Labor reminded each of us that the Korean War occurred at a time when African-Americans served in segregated units, and many of those units were in heavy combat. However, the success of the integration of the military enabled African American veterans to return home and become key participants in the success of America's workplace. Lastly, the Secretary asked that all Americans remember the loyalty and valor of African American soldiers who fought bravely in the Korean War, brought change at home, and helped build a bridge to better, and more diverse workplaces. Next, a poem written and read by SFC Laurence Hogan, USAR, Ret., called ``Korea--The Dying Game,'' dedicated to the men of the 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry (Bayonet) Division, who fought on Pork Chop Hill, set the tone for hearing a lot about the trials and triumphs of African American Korean war military luminaries like Col. Daniel ``Chappie'' James, Jr. (and later the first U.S. Air Force African American four-star General) who flew many combat missions during the Korean War and flew missions in Vietnam, as well as combat members of the infantry, artillery, engineers and ranger airborne organizations. Dr. Edwin R. Parson, noted Psychologist and recent recipient of the NAACP's Jesse Brown Leadership Award moderated our distinguished Korean war panelists Sgt. Eddie Dixon, National Historian, 24th Infantry Regimental Combat Team (RCT) Association; Dr. William Hammond, Author and Historian, US Army Center of Military History; Sgt. Maj. Samuel Gilliam, USA, Ret., Member of the 503d Field Artillery Battalion; Mr. Theodore ``Ted'' Hudson, Sr., 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division; CSM Samuel Jenkins, USA, Ret., President, 24th Infantry Regiment Combat Team Association; Col. Charles E. McGee, USAF, Ret., President of the Tuskegee Airmen Association, Inc.; Mr. Curtis ``KoJo' Morrow, ``G'' Company, 1st Platoon, 1st Squad, 24th Infantry RCT; Maj. James ``Big Jim'' Queen, USA, Ret., Executive Officer, 2d Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne), and commentator Dr. William Ball, Professor of Political Science & University Scholar, from the University of Vermont. Dr. Parson opened by asking and attempting to answer the question, ``Why and how did America forget our Korean war veterans?'' In his professional experience as a psychologist he was not sure what America's historical lack of memory for the Korean War and its warriors was due to. But, to forget such noble and heroic exploits by these veterans so completely tells an astonishing story of not only national amnesia, but also societal insensitivity. Moreover, many people believe that when it comes to African American contributions for fighting our nation's wars at home and abroad America has always had a bad memory. It had a bad memory in forgetting the 33d US Colored Troops during the Civil War, and showed this same tendency in the forgetting of that war, as noted by Dr. Harvey Black, an African American surgeon in the Army of Northern Virginia. So, American amnesia for the sacrifices of Black Americans who served in the Armed Forces, beginning with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Indian Campaigns, Spanish- American War, through World War I and II to Korea and Vietnam is by now legendary. Forgetting Korea and its veterans may thus be said to be no exception. It's a tradition. But, despite our nation's historic forgetfulness, we are here today honoring all Korean War veterans. As we believe that this special tribute to our African American war veterans aims to make memory a friend, not foe. To turn off the fear and face our past with renewed courage, like the courage so powerfully and memorably demonstrated by our veterans in places like Inchon, Pusan, Bloody Peak, Old Baldy, Hill 200, Triangle Hill, Hill 440, Hill 666 (or Gung Ho Hill), the Chosin Reservoir, Yalu, Chorwan Valley, Munsan-ni, Kumpchon, Taejon, and other places where war's violence was met by them with the liberating force of sacrifice and valor. Later that evening, with the gracious assistance of the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee, and underwriting by Quality Support, Inc., an SBA 8(a) Vietnam Veteran Owned Firm, we honored those who made the freedom we enjoy today possible. Those brave men and women who laid their lives on the line for a country that too often treated them as second class citizens. The invocation was given by Rev. Nathaniel Nicholson, 24th Infantry Regiment Silver Star winner; opening remarks by Mr. Wayne Gatewood, Jr., President & CEO, Quality Support, Inc.; with my brief introductory remarks for our keynote speaker and awards presenter the champion of America's veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Acting Secretary Hershel Gober with Ron Armstead, Executive Director, CBC Veterans' Braintrust as announcer. Secretary Gober thanked everyone for their warm welcome and especially thanked the Veterans Braintrust of the Congressional Black Caucus for arranging this event to honor some of our nation's most distinguished veterans--our African American veterans of the Korean War. He applauded the Veterans Braintrust of the Congressional Black Caucus for having worked hand-in-hand with the Department of Veterans Affairs as an advocate for minority veterans. And our Department is proud of our long association with this important group. It is a true partnership, and our nation's veterans have seen real benefits from it. In addition, he stated, fifty years ago, in response to an invasion by foreign troops, the United States and fifteen other nations sent troops to fight for the Korean Republic. It was the first time in history an international organization sent an international army to preserve democracy, and to fight for the freedom of another nation. 6.8 million Americans served in our military on active duty during the Korean War era; 1.8 million of them in the theater of operations. Nearly 37,000 Americans died; more than 92,000 were wounded. The fates of as many as 8,000 more men have never been accounted for. But thanks to their service and their sacrifices, Korea stands today a free nation, with people proud of their freedom, and grateful to the men and women from the United States who came to stand and fight with them in their hour of crisis. Among the 1.8 million men and women who fought in the Korean War there were more than 100,000 African Americans. Black personnel made up 13% of the total military strength in Korea. Americans of African descent have always served our nation with distinction; from Crispus Attucks at Bunker Hill, to the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War, to the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II. But before 1948, they fought, when they were allowed to fight, in segregated units--denied the opportunity to show their abilities in an integrated setting. However, after President Truman's 1948 executive order and the armed forces compliance forced by the requirements of war African American soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines were quick to show they were every bit the equal of any soldier in combat, anywhere. Fifty years after the Korea was began, we know that America is best defended by an armed force that is truly representative of all of our nation's diversity. And it is also best defended by an armed force that is recruited, trained, and led in accordance with our nation's highest ideals--the ideals black veterans fought for in Korea. That knowledge may be the most important legacy that black Korean war veterans have given us. VA is proud to serve the heroes of the Korean war, and of all wars. The 50th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemorative Awards went to the following (partial list of) brave African American men and women LTC Mary Ellen Anderson, USA, Ret., Mr. Lonnie Ashe, Lt. Gen. Julius Becton, Jr., USA, Ret., Mr. Francis Brown, First Sergeant George Bussey, Sr., USA, Ret., Ens. Jesse L. Brown, USN (Posthumous), Mr. Nathaniel Brunson, Maj. David Carlisle, USA (Posthumous), Mr. Harold Cecil, Sgt. Cornelius Charlton, Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient (Posthumous), Col. Fred Cherry, USAF, Ret., Mr. Earnest Cornish, Mr. Arthur Code, Mr. Samuel Crawford (Posthumous), Sgt. Earl Danzler, Sr., Sgt. Edward Dixon, Mr. Gerald Eldridge, Sr., Mr. Daniel Faulk, Mr. Joseph Frederick, Mr. Willie Wren, Sr., Mr. Albert Gibson, Sgt. Maj. Samuel Gilliam, USA, Ret., SFC. Novel Harris, Mr. Oliver Holiday, SFC. Laurence Hogan, USA, Ret., Mr. Theodore Ted Hudson, Jr., CSM. Samuel Jenkins, USA, Ret., Dr. Edwin Nichols, Dr. Leonard Lockley, Mr. Wilfred Matthews, Col. Charles E. McGee, USAF, Ret., Mr. Jerome Milborne, Mr. Curtis `KoJo' Morrow, Rev. Nathaniel Nicholson, 1st Lt. Mamie Smith Pierce, USA, Mr. William Ponder, Sr., Gen. Roscoe Robinson, USA, Ret. (Posthumous), Lt. Col. Lyle Rishell, USA, Ret., Sgt. Maj. Lewis Roundtree, USMC, Ret., Lt. Gen. Frank E. Peterson, Jr., USMC, Ret., Mr. Joseph Williams; Dr. Freeman Pollard, Ms. Marcine Shaw, Mr. Halbert Swan (Posthumous), Mr. James Thompson, PFC William Thompson, Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient (Posthumous), Mr. LaVonne Willis, Mr. Robert Fletcher, Mr. Joseph Patterson, Dr. Jerome Long, Mr. Thomas Wynn, Sr., Dr. Charles Johnson, Jr., Mr. Leemon Smith (Posthumous), Mr. Jerry Carter, Mr. Joel Ward, and Sr. Master Sergeant Eddie Wright, USAF, Ret. With special unit awards going to the 503rd Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Ranger Infantry Company (Airborne), 77th Engineers Combat Company, 159th Field Artillery Battalion, 272nd Field Artillery Battalion (MNG), 24th Infantry Regiment Combat Team Association, Inc., 630th Ordinance Ammunition Company, 231st Transportation Truck Battalion (MNG), 376th Engineer Construction Battalion (MNG), 715th Transportation Truck Battalion, 65th Infantry Regiment, and 65th Infantry Honors Task Force. For the commemorative forms overwhelming success I would like to give special thanks to Ms. Constance Burns, Curator, US Army Center of Military History; First Sgt. George Bussey, Sr., USA, Ret., Member of the 24th Infantry Regimental Combat Team (RCT); Mr. Leroy Colston, President African American Naval Veterans Association; Mr. Harry A. Davis, Immediate Past President, 24th Infantry RCT Association; Col. William DeShields, USA, Ret., Founder & President, Black Military History Institute of America, Inc.; Dr. Deborah Newman Ham, Professor, Morgan State University, Department of History; Mr. Reginald Lawrence, Team Leader, Jacksonville Vet Center; Dr. Charles Johnson, Jr., Professor, Morgan State University, Department of History; Mr. Wayne Gatewood, Jr., President & CEO, Quality Support, Inc.; Mr. Nicholos Martinelli, Representative Corrine Brown'sSanford Bishop, Jr.'s Legislative Staff; Mr. Daniel Smith, Founder & President, Korean War Family Endowment; Mr. Wilson Smith, Founder & President of African American Medal of Honor Memorial Association; Mr. Gabriel Tenabe, Curator, Morgan State University Museum; Mr. Marvin Eason, White House Liaison, Department of Veterans Affairs; Mr. Clifton Toulson, Associate Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration; Ms. Marilyn Valliant, Catering Manager, Doubletree Park Terrace Hotel, and Mr. Ron E. Armstead, Executive Director, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Veterans Braintrust. Once more, we would like to pay a very special tribute to three distinguished current members of Congress and Korean War veterans. Honorable Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), Ranking Member on the House Ways and Means Committee, and Founder of the Congressional Black Caucus Veterans Braintrust; the Honorable John Conyers (D-MI), Ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee; and the Honorable William Clay (D-MO) Ranking Member on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. Three veterans who have also fought in the long hard battle for social, political and economic justice for all Americans. Finally, to the families of those killed, wounded, missing in action, or former prisoners of war, and particularly, Mr. Leemon Smith, Mr. Talmadge Foster, Past Director of Alabama's Veterans Leadership Program, Gen. Roscoe Robinson, USA, Ret. and Military Historians Col. David Carlisle and Col. John A. Cash, USA, Ret., speaking on behalf of the entire membership of the Congressional Black Caucus I would like to express our sincerest condolences and appreciation for their commitment, indomitable fortitude and dedicated service to country, community and family that characterized their lives. We owe you all.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have served with Congressman Julian Dixon for the past eight years. I was saddened by the news early Friday morning, December 8, 2000, that Julian Dixon is no longer with us. My heartfelt condolences go out to his beloved wife Bettye and son Cary. He will be missed by our colleagues of this United States Congress. When I thought of Julian, I thought of him as an officer and gentleman. Julian was an officer. As an officer, he was honorable, noble, trustworthy, and a quiet commander. As a gentleman, he was a man of chivalrous and genuine qualities. Service was the guiding principle of his life. He was the eminent expression of congenial relationships, and yes character and temperament changed with every activity he was involved with. Lives touched by Representative Dixon became engaged and thereafter empathetic, kindly and honorable. He worked hard for his constituents of California. He never tired of spreading princely qualities to everyone he met. Yes, he was a consensus builder. He will be missed. With Representative Dixon, it was never about winning, but it was truly about how you managed the hand you were dealt. He was an officer. He was a gentleman. He was my colleague.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of the WRDA Conference Report. Let me begin by commending the Chairman of the full committee Chairman Shuster and ranking member Oberstar. Subcommittee Chairman Boehlert and ranking member Mr. Borski also deserve special commendation. This important piece of legislation is necessary to improve our ports, waterways and environment. I am especially pleased that the restoration of the Everglades is included in this WRDA package. Though this precious natural resource is located in my home state of Florida, let there be no mistake this is America's Everglades and the bipartisan nature of the restoration effort reflects this. In addition, it is widely known that I have serious concerns regarding the participation and inclusion of socially and economically disadvantaged businesses in the Everglades Restoration Plan, the largest environmental restoration project in the history of this nation. The Ranking Member, Mr. Oberstar and the administration has been extremely sensitive to this concern and I appreciate his efforts to address the issue. I have received numerous correspondences from residents of my district and across my state, urging that we pass this measure before we adjourn. I urge strong support for this Conference Report and again thank the Chairman and Ranking member for their usual fine work.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, first of all, once again I want to thank the chairman for his help in moving this bill forward with the amendment and his kind words about Mrs. Eddie Mae Steward. Eddie Mae Steward was my friend, a community leader, and single- handedly launched the effort that led to the court-ordered desegregation in Duval County's public schools. She was the first female president of the Jacksonville branch of the NAACP and served as the State NAACP president from 1973 to 1974. She also served as the secretary of the Duval County Democratic Executive Committee. Mrs. Steward was a graduate of Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, and she was truly a dedicated civil rights activist. It has been said that the face of the civil rights movement in Jacksonville belongs to Eddie Mae Steward. She single-handedly took on the fight for decent school accommodations for children attending Boylan Haven, which was a three-story building declared by the Florida Times-Union as ``unfit by any standards as a place to send children to school.'' Three weeks later, the school board backed down and the students were sent to another school. Much like those before her who struggled against the injustice of the status quo, she was referred to as a ``troublemaker.'' However, it was fundamental fairness, strong principles, and the strength of her convictions that led her to become a courageous leader. Eddie Mae Steward was born in Callahan, but resided in Duval County, Florida for more than 55 years. She was a graduate of Douglas Anderson High School and Edward Waters College. She passed away on March 5th of this year, succumbing to heart disease. She was 61. She is survived by her six children: Venetia Steward, Ervin Steward and Jerry Mims, Carla Purdyl, Alta and Angela, four grandchildren and two great- grandchildren. I am honored to recognize Eddie Mae Steward with this Post Office designation and I urge strong support for this measure, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank the chairman for his help in moving this bill to the floor and for his assistance with the amendment. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to introduce H.R. 4399, designating the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 440 South Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando, Florida, as the ``Arthur `Pappy' Kennedy Post Office.'' Arthur Pappy Kennedy was Orlando's first African American city commissioner. He was elected to the Orlando City Council in 1972 and reelected in 1976 and served until 1980. He was a native son born in River Junction, Florida, in 1913. His family moved to Orlando, where he attended Johnson Academy and Jones High School. Upon graduation, he attended Bethune-Cookman College. There was no stronger advocate of higher education. He was always involved in the community. He was the organizer of the Orlando Negro Chamber of Commerce, president of the Jones High Parent-Teacher Association, and instrumental in the organization of the Orange County Parent-Teacher Council. He worked with many organizations, including Meals on Wheels, the United Negro College Fund, and the NAACP. He has a distinguished record of serving in the community. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize one of our native sons with this post office designation, and I urge support of this measure, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3194. Mr. Speaker, S. 3194, which names a post office in Millersville, Pennsylvania, after ``Robert S. Walker'', was introduced by Senator Rick Santorum on October 12, 2000. This measure is identical to H.R. 5418, which was introduced by Representative Pitts (R-PA) on October 6, 2000. Robert Walker was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, in 1942 and educated in public schools in Millersville, Pennsylvania. He attended William and Mary, Millersville University, and the University of Delaware. Mr. Walker taught school for three years, then went on to serve in the Pennsylvania National Guard. He was elected as a Republican to the 95th Congress and served until 1997. In addition to serving as the Chairman of the Committee on Science, Congressman Walker will be forever known and remembered as a master of parliamentary procedure. Currently, he serves as a Professor at Millersville University and a political consultant. I urge the swift passage of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.