Jim Clyburn

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, when President Lyndon Johnson declared a war on poverty in his 1964 State of the Union address, the poverty rate in this, the richest country on Earth, was 19 percent. His Great Society legislation, a continuation of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and President Harry Truman's Fair Deal, launch a plethora of programs and priorities to serve and protect the neediest and the most vulnerable among us. At the time, President Johnson cautioned that the war on poverty would be long and difficult. But by 1973, only 9 years later, the poverty rate had been brought down to 11 percent. We were definitely winning the war on poverty. Unfortunately, many politicians found success, creating myths about the poor and inventing phantoms like the so-called ``welfare queen.'' They popularized a narrative that the war on poverty was not worth fighting, but nothing could be further from the truth. For example, Medicare and Medicaid, both war on poverty initiatives, have made a tremendous difference in the health and security of older Americans and all Americans of modest means. These two very successful anti-poverty programs, when they were initiated, the poverty rate among seniors was over 30 percent. Today, the poverty rate among seniors is under 10 percent. By what measure can one conclude that these two programs are failures? In addition to Medicare and Medicaid, President Johnson signed into law the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. This law launched VISTA-- Volunteers in Service to America--Head Start, TRIO, and a slew of other very successful community-action programs. TRIO did not fail. In fact, many Members of this body on both sides of the aisle would not be here today were it not for Upward Bound, Talent Search, and the Special Students Concerns programs. Lest we forget, about 6 months after President Johnson launched the war on poverty, Congress responded to his call and passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and a year later the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. These two vital laws created educational and employment opportunities for women and minorities that allowed many of us to fulfill our dreams and aspirations. In the communities many of us grew up in, many Americans were able to vote for the first time in their lives. There is no better way to wage a war on poverty than their freedom to choose and unfettered access to the franchise. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose 85th birthday we celebrate today, once famously said: Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane. The record is pretty clear that, in recent years, the number one cause of bankruptcies to American families has been health care expenses. That is why I often call the Affordable Care Act, the civil rights act of the 21st century. This groundbreaking new law is already having a positive difference. It is giving all American families the security of quality, affordable health care. We still have much work to do. Persistent poverty continues to be a serious challenge, and we in the Congressional Black Caucus are serious about meeting that challenge. Our 10-20-30 initiative targets communities of need for effective economic development through infrastructure investments that create jobs and lay foundations for long-term economic growth. The 10-20-30 approach, which this body authorized in the rural development section of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, proved highly successful. This effective poverty-fighter should be expanded to other sections of the budget as we continue the long, and often torturous, search of a more perfect Union.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, in 1964, when President Johnson declared war on poverty, this, the richest Nation in the world, had a poverty rate of 19 percent. By 1973, 9 years later, that rate had been brought down to 11 percent. We were definitely winning the war on poverty. Unfortunately, too many politicians found success running down the achievements of the war on poverty. Scapegoating ``welfare queens'' furthered a narrative that the war on poverty was not worth fighting. But nothing could be further from the truth. For example, Medicare and Medicaid, two poverty programs, made a difference, a tremendous difference, in the health security of older Americans. These two antipoverty programs have reduced the poverty rate of our senior citizens from over 30 percent to less than 10 percent. The Congressional Black Caucus' 10-20-30 initiative targets communities of need with effective infrastructure investments. This proven approach was pioneered in the Recovery Act of 2009. Expanding this effective poverty fighter should be our next step in the long march of the war on poverty.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. I thank the gentlelady for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, when President Johnson stood in this Chamber 50 years ago and declared war on poverty, the richest country in the world had a poverty rate of 19 percent. President Johnson cautioned us on that evening that the war on poverty would be a long one and not an easy one. Yet, 9 years later, in 1973, the poverty rate in this country had dropped to 11 percent. We were most definitely winning the war on poverty. Unfortunately, after its initial success, many politicians found success running down the achievements the war on poverty had on many Americans. Politicians scapegoating so-calling ``welfare queens'' furthered a narrative that the war on poverty was not worth fighting. Yet, I can show you firsthand examples in my home State of South Carolina where the war on poverty did, in fact, succeed. For example, Medicare and Medicaid, both war on poverty initiatives, have made a tremendous difference in the health security of older Americans and those of modest means. In fact, at the time of the institution of Medicare, the poverty rate among seniors was over 30 percent. Today, the poverty rate among seniors has dropped to beneath 10 percent. It is important to remember that, a year after President Johnson made that speech, we passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. That, to me, was to empower poor people, to empower people of color to go to the polls, to get registered and to vote to make their own statements as to how to fight the war on poverty. Today, we in the Congressional Black Caucus have been calling for our government to do across the board what we did in our so-called ``stimulus bill,'' and that is to institute a 10-20-30 initiative to direct funds to targeted areas so that 10 percent of all of this money can go into those communities where 20 percent or more of the population have been locked beneath the poverty level for the last 30 years. If we were to begin to target these persistent poverty counties, we would, in fact, eliminate poverty, and we would see all of our people who are living in poverty get beneath the 10 percent that we think will be tolerable over the next 10 years.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. And I am hopeful when we get back here after the first of the year that we will move and do as we have done in the past, pass unemployment insurance, make it retroactive to January 1 so those people who find themselves unemployed through no fault of their own can find some relief going into the next holiday season. Hopefully, we will do something on the minimum wage. These are things that I think we need to do coming back after the first of the year. I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time.

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, let me thank my friend, Mr. Van Hollen, for yielding me this time. I want to thank him and Mrs. Nita Lowey for the tremendous work they did in keeping this effort moving forward in a very positive way. I also want to thank Chairman Ryan for the great work he has done on this and the manner in which he got his work done. We don't talk a lot on this side of the Capitol about the other side, but I also want to thank Senator Patty Murray for all of her work. I had the great privilege of working with her on the supercommittee and we didn't get much done. I was on the so-called ``Biden Group'' along with Mr. Van Hollen, and we didn't get anything done. But I am pleased at this time of year to say that the third time seems to be the charm. This is not the product that I would have written if I were writing it, and I am sure that it is not the product that any of my Democratic colleagues would write. I am always concerned by the ``meat ax'' approach to dealing with the budget. This effort takes that away and allows us to approach spending in a way that is much more conducive to running the government. We didn't get everything, and nobody gets everything they want in trying to reach common ground. It is important for me to note at this time some things that were taken off the table. There are no cuts to Social Security, there are no benefit cuts to those receiving Medicare or Medicaid, there is no targeting of Federal employees for additional cuts, and the relief from the sequester in both defense and essential services is very real and significant. It is also important to note what this bill does not do. I am very concerned about the fact that we were not able to make unemployment insurance a part of this effort.

Mr. CLYBURN. Thank you very much. You are very kind.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember and pay tribute to Mr. Andrew J. Lewis, a pillar of the Columbia, South Carolina community. As an elementary school teacher, assistant principal, and principal, Mr. Lewis touched the lives of countless students over many decades. Mr. Andrew Jackson Lewis was born on June 2, 1917 in Sumter County, South Carolina, the oldest of eleven children of Sam and Rosa Lewis, Sr. He married Margaret Pearson Lewis on Valentine's Day 1942; they remained married until her death this past April. He leaves behind a daughter, Andrea Lewis Jones, two grandchildren, and three great- grandchildren. Educated in Sumter County Public Schools, Mr. Lewis was valedictorian of his class at Lincoln High School. He graduated cum laude from Benedict College with a degree in mathematics. At Benedict, he was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, which means I am proud to call him a brother. He went on to receive a Master of Science degree from my alma mater, South Carolina State University. He also served honorably in the U.S. Army Air Forces, earning the rank of Technical Sergeant. Mr. Lewis's professional career began at Celia Saxon Elementary School in 1946. He later became Assistant Principal at W.A. Perry Middle School and then Principal at Greenview Elementary School, a position he held for 16 years until his retirement in 1982. My three daughters attended Greenview Elementary School, and I saw firsthand the positive impact he had on them and all of the students under his charge. He was held in such high regard at Greenview that after his retirement, the school was renamed the A.J. Lewis Greenview Elementary School. A devoted member of Chappelle Memorial AME Church, Mr. Lewis served on the Steward Board under three different pastors, worked diligently on the Budget and Finance Committee, and chaired the Men's Day programs for ten years. With this level of dedication, Mr. Lewis was given the well-deserved honor of ``Man of the Year'' by the church in 1985. Mr. Lewis was widely involved in the broader Columbia community as well. He was a member of the Capital City Lodge #47 (Price Hall F&A Masons), the Columbia Transportation and Advisory Committee, the Columbia Municipal Elections Committee, and the Richland County and South Carolina Retired Educators Associations. He served as chaplain of the Benedict Columbia Alumni #2 Club, president and vice president of the Columbia Luncheon Club, president of the United Martin Family of South Carolina, as vice president of the Shandon Neighborhood Council, and as a member of the committee that renamed Valley Park the Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. In recognition of this impressive record of service to the community, Mr. Lewis received the O.P. Taylor Humanitarian Award and the Living the Legacy Award as an outstanding educator from the National Council of Negro Women. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in remembering this distinguished educator and community leader. Mr. Lewis will be sorely missed, but his contributions will live on in perpetuity.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an innovative program taking place to incentivize students at a Jasper County, South Carolina middle school. Hardeeville-Ridgeland Middle School is in a rural, persistent poverty county where more than 20 percent of its population has lived below the poverty line for the last 30 years. Eighty-eight percent of the students who attend Hardeeville-Ridgeland Middle School qualify for free or reduced lunch. Yet the Jasper County School Superintendent Vashti Washington is working hard to encourage students in this school to focus on their academics raise their self esteem and dream of better of futures. I am pleased the James E. Clyburn Research and Scholarship Foundation is underwriting the cost of Dr. Washington's program to provide school letters and pins to students at Hardeeville-Ridgeland Middle who meet certain criteria established by the school. Students will be awarded letters and pins for certain levels of achievements in the classroom, on PASS tests, and several other extracurricular activities, just as many schools do for athletics. These letters and pins are intended to set up healthy competition among students and to recognize and incentivize their achievements and performances. I want to highlight four of the students who have demonstrated the drive and dedication needed to earn this recognition. All four of these students have received ``exemplary'' in at least four areas of PASS testing, which assesses the knowledge of students in the core academic areas of writing, English, math, science, and social studies. Amber Crosby is an eighth grader who scored exemplary in all five areas of the PASS test. She is an award-winning artist who attended a Visual Arts Summer Academy, and she is also working on her first novel. She is on the principal's honor roll and attributes much of her success to the values instilled in her by her parents who taught her the importance of her diverse heritage, which includes Polish, Russian, Irish, British and Native American descendants. Amber aspires to be an artist or work in veterinary medicine. Lorena Escobar is an eighth grader from Hardeeville who takes her academics very seriously. An honor roll student, she is currently enrolled in Algebra I Honors, English I Honors and Spanish I. She enjoys drawing and music, and spending time with her parents and her younger sister. Lorena is passionate about eliminating bullying. Kaleb Frazier is a seventh grade honors student. His favorite subjects are writing and math. He is also very athletic and plays linebacker for the school football team. In his spare time he writes rap music and spends time with his family. Kaleb hopes one day to be an attorney or a computer engineer. Cynthia Simental-Parra is a seventh grade student from Hardeeville. She loves math and history and describes herself as ``artsy.'' She enjoys singing, drawing and sewing, and is a member of band and chorus. She is also active in track and soccer. Cynthia would like to become a singer, but if that doesn't work out she would consider running for President of the United States. These are just four of the outstanding students that will be recognized with a school letter from Hardeeville-Ridgeland Middle. It is my sincere hope that they will continue to be wonderful examples to their classmates and that they encourage others to earn their letters as well. Mr. Speaker, I offer my great appreciation to Superintendent Washington for implementing this visionary program at Hardeeville- Ridgeland Middle School. It is my hope that through such positive reinforcement these and other students will work hard and attain their dreams.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a tremendous leader in South Carolina's capital city as he prepares to step down as president and CEO of the Greater Columbia Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Donald G. ``Ike'' McLeese has led the Columbia Chamber for 19 years, and has done a remarkable job encouraging cooperation among business, civic, and governmental leaders. His service is greatly appreciated and will be sorely missed. Ike McLeese is a native of Anderson, South Carolina and earned an associate's degree from Anderson University in 1964 and a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of South Carolina in 1967. He began his career in the political arena working on the staff of the venerable U.S. Senator Fritz Hollings. I got to know Ike when we were both young men working for South Carolina Governor John West in the early 1970s. He was the governor's Commissioner of Narcotics and Controlled Substances, and was one of the youngest commissioners in the State's history, and I was the first African American to serve as an aide to a sitting South Carolina governor. We were idealists hoping to make our mark on the world, and I am pleased to say that Ike did just that. As a government insider, his knowledge was in demand. After the West administration ended he served as vice president for Marketing and Government Relations for the architectural and engineering firm LBC&W. Ike then worked for two Columbia public relations firms: Cook & Ruef, Inc. and Newman Saylor & Gregory, and ran political campaigns locally and around the country. In September 1994, he was tapped to lead the Greater Columbia Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. At the time, the chamber was $3.2 million in debt. He turned the organization around and made it a vital part of the capital city's power structure. Ike played a key role in protecting Fort Jackson, McEntire Air National Guard Base and Shaw Air Force Base from the base realignment taking place in Congress, and instead helped those bases grow as other military installations were closing. He cites those successes as his proudest professional accomplishments. He has shared his expertise as a lecturer at the University of South Carolina's College of Journalism and Mass Communications and at the Strom Thurmond Institute of Government at Clemson University. He is also a recipient of the Order of the Palmetto, from two different governors, which is the highest civilian honor that can be awarded by the State of South Carolina. Ike is married to the lovely Sue Smith Curran. They have a blended family of five children and four grandchildren. Having spent his entire career in Columbia, he is also a diehard Southeastern Conference (SEC) sports fan. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in recognizing the extraordinary contributions of Ike McLeese. I, like so many others in the greater Columbia, South Carolina area, are proud to call him a friend. He has dedicated his career to serving this community and our state's capital is a much better place because of his service. I wish him well as he steps down from the chamber's helm, but know that his pride and passion of and for South Carolina and Columbia will allow him to continue being a powerful force in Columbia.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Then I saw some reference as to whether or not people who may have been convicted of a felony, what it would do to their qualifications, as well as their family qualifications. At one instance--I hope this is out of the bill--we talked about barring for life a person who may be convicted of a felony. That is not the kind of treatment our society ought to be visiting upon anybody who may or may not have made a mistake early on in their lives. So, Mr. Speaker, I do believe that there is much in this farm bill that ought to be supported, but I really believe these extraneous things ought to be taken out of this bill. We can't do it now, but I would hope when it gets to conference that those cooler heads will prevail, and we will have a compassionate piece of legislation that all of us can support. Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. CLYBURN. I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I want to speak on this bill because I have worked very hard over the years helping to put together various farm bills, and this is one that I felt very, very good about from the outset. I even felt okay when the bill came back from the Senate. Although I had some issues with the Senate version, I thought that what we were doing made some sense. But we have reached a point with this bill--$40 billion in cuts to the food stamp program--that will not only impact negatively those people who would receive those stamps in fighting off poverty or hunger, but it would do tremendous harm to various community outlets-- stores, family-owned markets--where so much of the income of small businesses depend upon this program and what it will do to help further the economy in various communities. I am also very concerned that in this legislation, we treat the recipients of food stamps as if they are responsible for what may or may not have taken place with respect to drug addiction to children or to siblings. I think there is something erroneous about drug testing in order to receive food stamps. I think that if you are going to have drug testing to get Federal assistance, then we ought to test all those people who get farm subsidies and see whether or not they are deserving of such assistance from the Federal Government.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, one of the great pleasures that I have had serving in this august body is the people with whom I have interacted over the years, and one such person is Representative Bill Young. Now, I know that we have a lot of issues to be discussing, and I will be discussing them, but I wanted to take time out today to say how much I appreciate serving with a gentleman whom I have gotten to know, love, and respect. He has been in this body for over 42 years, and I have spent my better than 20 years mostly serving on the Appropriations Committee. It was a great pleasure serving with Bill Young. Bill has said to reporters that he is a bit disappointed in the current state of affairs. He says this is a different Congress. He is right. It is going to be even more so without his great service.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to acquaint you and my colleagues with Mr. Butch Matthews, a 61-year-old former small businessman from Little Rock, Arkansas, who used to wake up every morning at 4 a.m. to deliver canned beverages to retailers before retiring in 2010. A lifelong Republican, he was heavily skeptical of the Affordable Care Act when it first passed. ``I did not think ObamaCare was going to be a good plan; I did not think it would help me at all'' is what he said. But after a little research, he has now found out that he can get a better plan than he already had and at the same time save $13,000 a year. When he was asked what would he say to people who are skeptical about the plan, Mr. Matthews says this: ``I would tell them to learn more about it before they start talking bad about it.'' Mr. Speaker, he is still a real strong Republican, but he says: I'm very happy this came along.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased my friend would yield me 30 seconds. I want to take a little time to say I have been hearing from the veterans in my congressional district. I represent counties that have two VA centers. We have two of the most, I believe, effective veterans service organizations in the country; and they tell me they do not wish to be pitted against their siblings and their spouses. They do not wish to be pitted against their children and their grandchildren. Let's not pick winners and losers. Let's fund the full bill.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, we all know that for a full day now we've been hearing all kinds of anecdotes about what may or may not have taken place on yesterday as people were signing up for the first time for the Affordable Care Act. Now, Mr. Speaker, I want to share with you a little bit of information that comes from Los Angeles, California: ``It took 3 hours, but Andrew Stryker managed to be among the first people to purchase health insurance through ObamaCare's new insurance markets. Stryker is 34 years old and lives in Los Angeles, where he now does freelance work.'' He pays premiums of $600 to keep his COBRA plan that he had on his job, which he left 4 years ago. He is diabetic and has been denied insurance because of a preexisting condition. Mr. Stryker says, although it took him 3 hours, this plan is now saving him over $6,000 a year. And in his words, ``For that, I would have waited all day.'' A lot of us would.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. I thank my friend for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, this bill we are about to vote on is as unnecessary as it is disingenuous. My congressional district is highly populated by veterans whose service and sacrifices are greatly appreciated. That is why I came to this floor on June 4 and enthusiastically joined with 420 other Members of this auspicious body to keep our obligations to them at higher levels than are included in this legislation. Last night, the Tea Party Republicans shut down the government because they refuse to accept the verdict of the American people in last year's election. They shut down our government over the implementation of settled law--a position that polling shows that 72 percent of the American people oppose. Now they are using our patriotic heroes as pawns in their petty, partisan, political game. Veterans should not have to choose between having their claims processed and their grandchildren educated. Their family members should be able to receive their medical treatments and enjoy our national treasures. This piecemeal approach is the Tea Party's plan. They want to pick and choose winners and losers and only fund the priorities that they like. That's not how our government works. As one of my favorite Republicans stated back in 1860, President Abraham Lincoln: Your purpose, plainly stated, is that you will destroy the government unless you be allowed to construe and enforce the Constitution as you please on all points in dispute. You will rule or ruin in all events. We should end this reckless stunt tonight. Let's reject this partisan gamesmanship and reopen our government like honorable men and women.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. I thank the gentlelady for yielding me the time. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 3102, the latest attempt by the Republican majority to add more insults to the injuries that have been inflicted upon many working families, making their lives much more difficult. It's become clear to me that some of my colleagues on the other side either don't believe or don't care that their preferred policies would make the poor poorer and the hungry hungrier. They seem unmoved by the arguments of many, including former Senate majority leader and Republican Presidential nominee Bob Dole, that this bill would make it more difficult for millions of Americans to feed themselves and their families. For the last half century, the farm bill has always included both agriculture subsidies and nutrition assistance. This combination makes a lot of sense. Every time the EBT card is swiped, farmers--large and small--grocers--national chains to local mom-and-pop stores, and banks--Wall Street and Main Street--all benefit. For American farmers and agribusiness industry to succeed, they need consumers to purchase the food that they produce. With the comprehensive nature of past farm bills, it is no surprise that 532 agriculture, conservation, rural development, finance, energy, and crop insurance groups oppose the Republican leadership's cynical ploy to separate nutrition assistance from the rest of the farm bill. We talk about how SNAP's benefits go to individuals, but if the truth be told, the real beneficiaries are local communities and enterprises. My Republican colleagues claim to be big supporters of small businesses. But you can't support small businesses if you don't support their customers. This ill-advised legislation would also hurt businesses that have nothing to do with food. In my district, the average household income among SNAP recipients is less than $25,000 a year. If these low-income people lose access to nutrition assistance, money they would otherwise spend on other needs would be spent instead on food, taking customers away from other businesses throughout our economy. Out-of-a-job supermarket workers will also have less money to spend. Less demand means fewer jobs. An analysis by the Department of Agriculture of similar SNAP cuts last year found that more than 50,000 jobs would be affected. SNAP funding is crucial to our economy because those dollars go directly into the local economy. My Republican colleagues and I might differ on how to grow the economy, but at the very least, we should be able to agree that we can't grow the economy by shrinking it. Madam Speaker, I recognize that there are legitimate philosophical differences between the two parties on the role of the federal government. But if you disagree with me about the moral consequences of this legislation, I hope you will pause to consider its harmful economic consequences and vote down this bill.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Myke Reid and commemorate his recent retirement from the American Postal Workers Union (APWU). Serving as Legislative Director of the APWU since 2004, Mr. Reid has been a tireless advocate for our Nation's postal workers and the postal service. He has worked tirelessly benefitting countless numbers of my constituents and many others across the country. While Mr. Reid has spent many years in the halls of Congress, his life and career began much more humbly. After growing up in a blue- collar family and receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from Norfolk State University, he began his postal career in 1976 as a clerk in Norfolk, Virginia. He became involved in the union right away, working his way up from newsletter editor, steward, local business agent, state legislative director and state president. In 1984, Mr. Reid came to Washington to work on a legislative campaign to protect Social Security. He never left. The next year, he was appointed as a Special Assistant to then-President Moe Biller, working on legislative matters. In 1992, he was selected to fill the newly created position of Assistant Legislative Director, which he held until being promoted to Legislative Director in 2004. Mr. Reid's career is replete with many legislative accomplishments. He played a major role in the enactment of the Family and Medical Leave Act; and reforms to the Hatch Act, the Federal Employees Retirement System Act, the Spouse Equity Act, the Postal Employees Safety Enhancement Act, and the Veterans Employment Opportunities Act. Postal workers have had no stronger advocate, and his successors have big shoes to fill. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mr. Reid has been active in the communities of Northern Virginia and Washington, DC. He has served on the Virginia Employment Commission Advisory Board, the Virginia Community College Board, the Alexandria Human Rights Commission, and the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board. He has also been active in advocacy; serving on the boards of the National Consumers League and Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington. Mr. Reid's impact has been felt beyond our shores as well. He served as an international observer during the historic election of Nelson Mandela as President of the Republic of South Africa. Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House join me in congratulating Mr. Myke Reid on this well-deserved retirement. I wish him good health and Godspeed.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in strong opposition to the farm bill rule and the underlying bill because it significantly increases poverty in America.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a Sixth Congressional District community that celebrating its centennial anniversary. The Waverly District in Columbia, South Carolina, is an historic African American neighborhood that has built a very proud history over its 100 years in existence, and it is my honor to represent it in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Waverly District was named a National Register of Historic Places District in 1989, and is the only African American residential neighborhood to hold that distinction in Columbia. There is good reason it qualified for this designation. By the early twentieth century, Waverly was a thriving community of African American artisans, professionals and social reformers, many of whom made significant contributions to the social and political advancement of African Americans in South Carolina and in the nation. Among the Waverly District historic properties and sites are: the Heidt-Russell House, home of Edwin Roberts Russell, one of the few African American scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project in during World War II; the Matthew J. Perry site, location of a former home of South Carolina's first African American Federal Judge and 1963 Edwards v. South Carolina lead attorney. The landmark breech of the peace case and its impact on civil rights was featured in May 2013 on C-SPAN's LCV Cities Tour; the Modjeska Simkins childhood home, former home of the ``Matriarch of the South Carolina Civil Rights Movement'' Modjeska Monteith Simkins, who hosted former Justice Thurgood Marshall during strategy meetings for Briggs v. Elliot, which became part of the historic Brown v. Board of Education desegregation case; and the Visanska Starks House, one of the few historic sites in America with residential histories of an antebellum white Southern woman, a Jewish immigrant from Poland, and an African American scholar who became president of three historically black colleges. The House and its carriage house were featured on a segment of HGTV's ``If Walls Could Talk'' and the site is a member of the International Sites of Conscience. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Waverly District and congratulate the Historic Waverly Improvement and Protection Association President, Doris Hildebrand, and Association Historian, Catherine Fleming Bruce, for their efforts to commemorate this great occasion. The current residents and members of the extended community have dedicated themselves to preserving the Waverly District and its history, and they deserve commendation for their extraordinary work. This is a model preservation effort that is dear to my heart and serves as an example of the significant impact such efforts can make for future generations.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a loyal South Carolina State University bulldog, who dedicated his entire career to his alma mater. Mr. William ``Bill'' Hamilton is retiring after forty years of service as the SC State Sports Information Director, and his presence and leadership will be sorely missed. Bill Hamilton was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but grew up in Chesterfield, South Carolina. There he attended public schools and graduated from the former Gary High School. As an African American growing up in the deep South just as integration was beginning to take hold, Bill chose to attend South Carolina's only publicly supported historically black college. He graduated from South Carolina State College (SCSU) in 1973 with a bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature. He went on to earn a Master of Education degree from SC State in 1979, and did further study at New York University. Just two months after his 1973 graduation, Bill joined SC State as its first full-time sports information director. He holds the distinction of being the only person to hold that position in the history of the college. Bill has earned numerous professional and civic awards during a long and distinguished career. Most recently he received the 2013 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also been the recipient of CoSIDA's Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award (1998), the CoSIDA 25-Year Service Award (1998), the CoSIDA Trailblazer Award (2005) and the CoSIDA Arch Ward Award (2009). Other awards include the All-American Football Foundation Scoop Hudgins Outstanding SID Award (2005), the BCSIDA Cal Jacox-Champ Clark Outstanding SID Award (1989), and the Herm Helms Media Excellence Award (2012). Hamilton was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 2009. He is also enshrined in the MEAC Hall of Fame (2009), the SCSU Physical Education Hall of Fame (2011) and the SCSU Athletic Hall of Fame (2002). In addition, he was named Staff Employee of the Year at SC State in 1999 and also inducted into the Quarter Century Club. He was selected as a NAFEO (National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education) Distinguished Alumnus (2006), and appeared as a Stellar Alumnus on the SC State National Alumni Association's 2010 calendar. He is a Life Member of the Greater Orangeburg Alumni Chapter of SCSU. A member of a number of professional and civic organizations, Hamilton is actively involved in the sports industry and his community. He is a longtime pollster for the Sheridan Broadcasting Network (SBN) and The Sports Network, and served on the NCAA Final Four Media Coordination Committee nine years (1999-2007). He is the former chairman of the Orangeburg Attention Homes, Inc., a former board member and local chapter president of the Alston Wilkes Society, and currently a board member of the SC State Employees Association and president of the Orangeburg Chapter of SCSEA. In addition, he is a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and was named the fraternity's ``Kappa Man of the Year'' in 2000. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating Bill Hamilton for his 40 years of distinguished service as South Carolina State University's Sports Information Director. His commitment to his alma mater and his profession are exemplary, and his contributions are incalculable. His retirement is well-deserved and I wish him all the best in this new phase of his life.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a tremendous educator and wonderful visionary on the occasion of his retirement. Dr. Charles W. Gould is retiring as president of Florence-Darlington Technical College after nearly 20 years of service. His leadership will certainly be missed, but his legacy will continue at the college and throughout the State of South Carolina. Dr. Gould knew from a young age that he was passionate about education. He earned a Master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with an emphasis on the philosophy of mathematics and a Ph.D. from Duke University with an emphasis on ethics and law. Early in his career, Dr. Gould taught at Duke University, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and he was an Associate Managing Editor of a national educational publishing company. He has been in the technical college system of South Carolina for over thirty years and has served in three of the system's sixteen technical colleges. His last and most significant position is serving as president of Florence-Darlington Technical College since November, 1993. During his tenure he has more than doubled the student body from less than 3,000 to more than 6,000 today. He has also grown the college by adding the health sciences campus in downtown Florence, the Lake City and Mullins satellite sites as well as expanding the Hartsville campus. My service in Congress has coincided with Dr. Gould's presidency at Florence-Darlington Tech. During those two decades it was an honor to work with him, especially to secure funding for his crowning achievement. In 2007, the Southern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SIMT) opened and fulfilled Dr. Gould's vision for the college to provide hands on technical training in advanced manufacturing for students and local industry professionals. He oversaw the completion of the second phase of SIMT earlier this year which serves as a manufacturing business incubator. In addition to his leadership at Florence-Darlington Tech, Dr. Gould serves on the board of the Commission on Colleges for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and frequently chairs accreditation teams and special projects for the Commission on Colleges. He also serves on the board of the National Council of Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Centers, Global Learning Systems and several other national organization boards of directors. In the community, he currently chairs the Florence County Economic Development Partnership; is past president and ex-officio board member of the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce; is an advisory board member for the Darlington County Economic Development Board, SCANA, Progress Energy, and BB&T Bank. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating Dr. Charles Gould for his visionary leadership and tremendous dedication to Florence-Darlington Technical College and the State of South Carolina. He deserves commendation for his many contributions as he embarks on a well-deserved retirement. I extend best wishes to him as he enters this new phase in his life, and thank him for his service and his friendship.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a hospital system that has served as a beacon for 75 years in Columbia, South Carolina. Providence Hospital in the Palmetto State's capital city has provided extraordinary care and healing for three quarters of a century, earning it the appreciation and admiration of a grateful community. Providence Hospital was founded in 1938 as an act of faith and charity. The vision behind the hospital came from Father Martin C. Murphy of St. Peter's Church, who wanted to bring the quality care that Catholic hospitals provide to the Columbia area. With a generous donation from local businessman James B. Younginer, he was able to put a downpayment on an 18-acre tract of land. The final piece of the puzzle fell into place when the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine in Ohio mortgaged their motherhouse in Cleveland in order to finance the new hospital. This was extraordinary considering the sisters had never been to Columbia. Today Providence Hospital operates under the auspices of the Sisters of Charity Health System. Over the last 75 years, the non-profit organization has grown to provide 304 beds in four hospitals: Providence Hospital, Providence Heart & Vascular Institute, Providence Hospital Northeast and Providence Orthopaedic & Neuro Spine Institute. Providence Hospital is a faith-based health care facility that employs more than 1,900 caring individuals. Providence Hospital is renowned as South Carolina's ``heart hospital.'' Since 1974, Providence Heart & Vascular Institute physicians and staff have performed more cardiovascular procedures than any medical team in the state. It is recognized statewide as a referral center for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. In 1985, Providence Hospital added a helicopter service to help bring critically ill patients to the facility to be treated. Today LifeNet South Carolina is a 24 hour a day airborne intensive care unit serving Providence and other facilities in the Carolinas and Georgia. In 1999, Providence Hospital established a 46-bed community hospital in the Northeast area of Columbia. This facility offers a range of medical services in surgery, emergency care, women's and children's services and rehabilitation. Also located on this campus is the Providence Orthopaedic & Neuro Spine Institute, which offers an integrated continuum of care for orthopaedic and neurosurgical patients throughout the region. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me in congratulating Providence Hospital for its 75 years of compassionate health care. As the facility continues to grow and expand, I commend Providence for its commitment to improving the delivery of quality health care to the people of South Carolina and maintaining its focus on faith. Providence Hospital has become synonymous with exceptional patient care and embodying the values of respect, compassion, collaboration, courage and justice. I look forward to its continued service to the community and the Creator.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a trailblazing educator who has been recognized as the 2014 South Carolina Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Rose Wilder is a remarkable leader and visionary who serves with distinction as the Superintendent of Clarendon School District 1, the historic school district that was the birthplace of the landmark desegregation case Brown v. Board of Education. She is very deserving of this tremendous honor. Dr. Wilder is a native South Carolinian; the daughter of Mr. Laco Davis and the late Mrs. Ruby Mae Davis. She was one of seven Davis children born and raised in the Orangeburg County town of Santee. From an early age she loved learning and appreciated the value of education. She did her undergraduate work at South Carolina State University and Columbia College. Her postgraduate work was at South Carolina State University, the Citadel and Cornell University. She earned an undergraduate degree in guidance and counseling, a master's in special education, and a PhD in education administration. In 1979, Dr. Wilder began her teaching career in her home county of Orangeburg as a reading teacher at Galliard Primary School in the Town of Eutawville. After eight years in the classroom, she became assistant principal at Manning Primary School in neighboring Clarendon County. She then went on to serve as the first principal of the new Manning Elementary School and later returned as principal of Manning Primary. In 1994, Dr. Wilder was appointed as assistant superintendent of instruction for Clarendon School District 2. Later that same year she was chosen to lead the school district and made history by becoming the first African American female superintendent in South Carolina since the Reconstruction era. She served in that capacity for seven years, and in 1999, she was named Outstanding Superintendent by the South Carolina School Board Association. She left Clarendon County to serve as superintendent for the Fairfield County School District for two years and as a curriculum facilitator for Richland County School District 1. In 2004, she returned to Clarendon County to serve as superintendent of school district 1 in the Summerton area. During her nine years leading the district, Dr. Wilder has challenged the notion that poor students cannot achieve high academic standards. Once a chronically underperforming district, Clarendon School District 1 is now the second highest academically performing high poverty district in the state of South Carolina, despite having a 95 percent poverty index rating. She has also brought the district out of a $1 million deficit into financial solvency. Her other achievements include earning the district accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, completing the new Summerton Early Childhood Center, and refurbishing the old middle school campus as a community resource center. Next school year, Scott's Branch High School will become a New Tech Network Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) school, one of only two schools in the state to institute this project-based curriculum. Dr. Wilder's motto is ``every child, every chance, every day,'' and that is clearly reflected in the school district's philosophy and achievements. Her other achievements include serving on the transition team for State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex in 2006. She is a 1994 graduate of Leadership South Carolina, and a 2009 graduate of the Riley Leadership Diversity Institute at Furman University. She holds a life membership in the NAACP and the United Council of Negro Women. She is an active member of several professional organization and serves as President elect of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Dr. Wilder is married to James C. Wilder. They share three children and two grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Dr. Rose Wilder for her selection as 2014 South Carolina Superintendent of the Year, and wish her well as she competes for the national honor. She has done an outstanding job during her tenure at Clarendon School District 1, and, as a former teacher, I applaud her dedication to her schools, her students and her community. I am proud to call her a friend and claim her as a constituent of the 6th Congressional district.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. I do, but I appreciate the time.