Jim Clyburn

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a good friend, who is being honored on May 12, 2012 by his church Rock Hill Baptist Church for his lifetime of service to the community. Mr. James Gibson, a youthful 89-year-old, is a stalwart of the community in Saluda, South Carolina, and is very deserving of this recognition. James Gibson was the third of six children born to Eddie and Mae Bell Dozier Gibson. He attended the historic Cane Brake school, which was one of the first Rosenwald schools in South Carolina. Upon graduation, Mr. Gibson joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served in World War II. When he left the military, he continued to serve his country by joining the Civil Service. After 30 years, he retired from Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina. In retirement, he has enjoyed watching the Bible Channel and reading his Bible. He gardens and enjoys walks as well. Mr. Gibson is a dedicated member of the community. He was a Shriner for more than 40 years, and a member of the C.C. Johnson Consistory for over four decades. He is Past Worshipful Master (PWM) of Peerless Lodge #214 and PWP of Peerless Chapter #335 OES. Mr. Gibson is a 33rd degree Mason and a member of the United Supreme Council. He is also extremely dedicated to Rock Hill Baptist Church. He has served as Adult Sunday School Teacher, Chairman of Trustees, and was Chairman of the Deacon Board for 25 years. He married Annie Barnes Gibson in 1947. The couple have three children and two granddaughters. Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in congratulating James Gibson on this great honor. He has served his country and Saluda County with distinction. It is fitting that his contributions are being recognized by his fellow citizens for all that he has done to give back to the community.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a community leader and a good friend who is being honored for his service by Rock Hill Baptist Church in Saluda, South Carolina on May 12, 2012. Mr. John Gibson, who will be 92 years old later this month, has been an active member of the Saluda County community for most of his life. He is very deserving of this recognition. John Gibson was born to the late Eddie and Mae Bell Dozier Gibson on May 26, 1920. He is the oldest of six children. He was educated in Florida public schools, and then graduated from one of the first Rosenwald Schools in South Carolina--Cane Brake in Saluda. Following graduation, Mr. Gibson joined the Army. After entering civilian life, he worked at Fairfield Tractor Company in Columbia until his retirement. In retirement he has enjoyed his hobbies of fishing and gardening. Throughout his life, Mr. Gibson has been dedicated to his community. He is life member of the NAACP. He has been a faithful member of the Friendship Union and the Ridge Hill Education Association. Mr. Gibson is a member of Peerless Lodge #214 and is a Master Mason. He is also very dedicated to his church, Rock Hill Baptist Church. He served as Vacation Bible School Director and Sunday School Superintendent. He is also very involved in the church's Bible study groups, and currently serves as Deacon Emeritus. In 1940, he married Lois Williams, and they were blessed with four children. He also has five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in congratulating John Gibson on a life well lived. He is an important unsung hero that has selflessly served his country and his community. I applaud the community for recognizing his many contributions and honoring him in this wonderful way.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ms. Terecia Wilson on the occasion of her retirement from the South Carolina Department of Transportation. Since 1984, Ms. Wilson has worked to improve highway safety in South Carolina, and as a result of her extraordinary service, all South Carolinians are safer on our state's roads. She has been an invaluable resource to me and my staff over the years, and we will miss working with her. Most recently, Ms. Wilson has served as Training, Safety and Security Program Manager for the Office of Public Transit in the Division of Intermodal and Freight Programs for the South Carolina Department of Transportation, SCDOT, managing the statewide Rural Transit Assistance Program. From 1999 to 2007, Ms. Wilson served as Director of Safety at SCDOT. In this capacity, she developed, implemented, and administered roadway and occupational safety programs to improve safety for highway workers and drivers alike, as well as administering management, claims, and toll operations for the agency. Before joining SCDOT, she served at the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, where she, among other responsibilities, coordinated the 402 State and Community Highway Safety Program, managed numerous successful highway safety public information and education programs, and sought and secured millions of dollars in needed funding. Ms. Wilson's many years of service have produced impressive results. South Carolina's mileage death rate plummeted from 3.7 per 100 million miles of travel in 1986 to its lowest recorded level of 1.65 in 2010. In 2005, Ms. Wilson worked closely with state legislators when they passed primary seat belt legislation; in 2008, South Carolina's safety belt usage rate climbed to 79 percent, the highest rate ever recorded. SCDOT's High Visibility Work Zone Safety Program had dramatic results during its three-year duration from 2002 to 2005, with a 39.2 percent reduction in work zone crashes, a 44.1 percent reduction in work zone injuries, and a 50 percent reduction in work zone fatalities. It is no exaggeration to say that Ms. Wilson's work has saved lives. Throughout her career, Ms. Wilson has garnered national recognition for her able service. In 1991, she received a Special Recognition Award from the National Traffic Safety Administration, NTSA, for promoting and implementing a statewide education and enforcement campaign. In 1992 and 1999, she received the NTSA's National Award for Public Service. She received the Award of Merit from the National Sheriffs' Association in 1993 for promoting and implementing the Rural Sheriffs' Traffic Safety Initiative. In 2004, she was named the winner of the President's Transportation Award by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Three years later, the ``Let'em Work, Let'em Live'' campaign, which Ms. Wilson directed, was awarded the National Roadway Safety Award by the Federal Highway Administration and National Roadway Safety Foundation. South Carolinians are proud to see one of our own. so well regarded by her colleagues around the country, and we are fortunate that her exemplary service has been to our benefit. Ms. Wilson is a proud wife and mother, and I know that she is looking forward to being able to spend more time with her family in retirement. Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House join me in congratulating Ms. Terecia Wilson on this well-deserved retirement. I wish her good health and godspeed.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend for yielding me this time. I rise in opposition to this misguided Republican budget because it fails the moral test. The Federal budget should reflect the values of the American people, and this Republican proposal does damage to those values because it is fundamentally unfair to the middle-income, to the hardworking people of America, and the most vulnerable among us. This Republican budget would end the Medicare guarantee that working people depend upon after a lifetime of hard work. The Republican budget creates new tax breaks of up to $394,000 for the wealthiest few. This Republican budget destroys 4.1 million jobs. The Republican budget breaks faith with the agreement their leaders made in last year's Budget Control Act to maintain funding for essential services. And this Republican budget protects all Pentagon funds while putting schools, roads, and job creation on the chopping block. The American people have spoken loud and clear in opposition to these misguided priorities. I urge the House to pass fair and balanced legislation to reduce our deficits in a responsible and surgical manner and invest in important priorities to build a strong middle class. Growing up in a church parsonage in South Carolina, I learned to put faith into action through firmly held values and high moral standards. This Republican budget fails the moral test, and I urge my colleagues to join me in defeating it.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a wonderful corporate and community leader upon his retirement. Robert Billingslea is retiring on March 31, 2012 as the Corporate Director of Urban Affairs for the Walt Disney Company. His professional efforts have enhanced the strength and diversity of the Disney Company, and his civic endeavors have made a tremendous impact on the city of Orlando. Robert Lee Billingslea was born on December 20, 1937, to Faye and Robert Billingslea. He was raised by his grandparents on the south side of Youngstown, Ohio. Growing up he attended local public schools, and found his passion in music. He began playing the drums at age 12, and at 16 he was playing professionally. In 1956 he graduated from South High School, and was voted ``most musical'' in his class. His love of music spurred him to move to California following graduation to pursue a career as a musician. He studied music at Vallejo Junior College, while performing with several West Coast bands. In 1958, he returned to his hometown and continued to tour the country playing drums for various musical groups. Two years later, he enrolled in Kent State University to study sociology. In his senior year, he worked in juvenile court, and upon graduation became a probation officer in Akron, Ohio's juvenile court system. Mr. Billingslea went on to serve as a community organizer for the Office of Economic Opportunity. In 1966, an opportunity to become a wage and salary compensation analyst at Martin Marietta Corporation (now Lockheed Martin) took his life on a new trajectory in Orlando, Florida. He joined the Walt Disney Company in 1969, and went to work at Disneyland in California as a senior personnel representative. But he quickly returned to Orlando where he was involved in the opening of the new Disney World facility in 1971. He has remained with Disney since that time, climbing the ladder to his current position as Corporate Director of Urban Affairs. In addition to his position at Disney, Mr. Billingslea has been just as active in his community. When he returned to Orlando, he became chair of the Orlando Human Relations Board. Four governors also appointed him to serve on the Florida State Commission on Human Relations. It was during this time that our paths crossed and we became fast friends. In 1985, his work at Disney brought him together with the NAACP, which was reviewing the company's employment practices for African Americans. Mr. Billingslea served as Disney's liaison to the NAACP, and a lasting relationship formed. He began working with the NAACP's Youth initiative, Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT SO). Through this program, he helped African American youth enhance their academic, artistic and scientific abilities. He served on the ACT SO Industry Advisory Council, as a Special Contributions Fund Trustee, and on the NAACP Image Awards Committee. His experiences working with youth in the juvenile court system ignited a lifelong passion. He serves as an ambassador to the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida, as a trustee for Bethune-Cookman University, and as an advisor to the Central Florida Urban League. He is also a member of the board for the League of Black Women and the Florida Endowment Foundation for Vocational Rehabilitation. Bob has been honored with numerous awards include the National Service to Youth Award from the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for his 30 years of dedicated service and the Whitney M. Young Award from the Metropolitan Orlando Urban League in recognition of his help in founding and supporting the local Urban League chapter. Mr. Billingslea and his wife Deidre (DeeDee) live in Orlando, and are the parents of one son. They are also the proud grandparents of two grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me today in celebrating the extraordinary contributions of Robert Billingslea. This a man who came from humble beginnings who started out hoping to change the world with his music, but ended up beating a different drum. He has helped shape the Walt Disney Company into the beloved entertainment empire it is today and still found time to help build a better community in Central Florida. I wish him well in his retirement, and know that he will continue to share his time and talents with others.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a tremendous public servant, a passionate educator, and a dear friend and relative. Beverly Clyburn is being honored on March 23, 2012 for her service on Aiken City Council. She retired in November 2011 after 22 years of dedicated service to the City of Aiken. Beverly LaVerne Dozier was born in Georgetown, South Carolina to Maggie and William Dozier. She was the fifth of eight children and one of seven girls. From an early age, Beverly loved to learn and she graduated in 1961 as Salutatorian of Howard High School. She went on to attend Allen University in Columbia, South Carolina, and graduated with honors in 1965, with a degree in Chemistry and Mathematics. It was there that she met her husband, and my cousin, William ``Bill'' Clyburn. In 1978, Beverly earned a Masters Degree in Secondary Guidance from the University of South Carolina. Beverly's first love is education, and she spent 42 years as an educator in both Aiken and Allendale counties. She served as a guidance counselor at Midland Valley High School and guidance director at South Aiken High School, a position she retired from in 1999. Following retirement she was drawn back into education to help improve the Allendale County schools after a State take-over. Today she continues to work in education at the Aiken Performing Arts Academy as a part- time assistant director and guidance counselor. In 1988, Beverly was urged by members of the community to run for Aiken City Council. She took on the challenge, and won the District 1 seat. She is known for her thoroughness on council, diligently studying every issue and visiting the sites that would be impacted before she cast her vote. During her tenure on council, she has participated in numerous development projects including the 10-year renewal plan for Aiken's Northside, the Crosland Park redevelopment project, the Center for African American History, Art and Culture, and the Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum. She served as Mayor Pro Tem from 2002 2004, and has been honored for her work in chairing the first four NLC Diversity Breakfasts. She has also served as the chair of the Aiken County DSS Board. In 2001, the South Carolina General Assembly honored Beverly for her work in Aiken and Allendale counties and the State of South Carolina. The Greater Aiken Chamber of Commerce named her the 2009 Woman of the Year for her commitment to the Aiken area. She has also earned the honor of Woman of Distinction from her church, Cumberland African Methodist Episcopal. Beverly and Bill have been married for 47 years, and are the parents of three adult children--William, Jr., Wilson, and Courtney. They also served as foster parents to daughter, Carmen. Today they have three grandchildren, and spending more time with her beloved family was the impetus for her retirement from Aiken City Council. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in congratulating Beverly Dozier Clyburn on a job well done. She has spent her entire career in public service whether as an educator or an elected official. Her efforts have made Aiken County a better place, and she has been a positive influence on countless lives along the way. I wish her all the best in this new chapter in her life, and knowing Beverly as I do, look forward to her continued work on behalf of others.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an everyday hero, whose abiding faith led her to a remarkable life of Christian service. Deaconess Elizabeth McCants Ravenell passed from this life on February 12, 2012, but her legacy lives on in everyone she touched. Elizabeth McCants Ravenell was born on November 25, 1922 in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. She attended the public schools of Charleston County, but her calling was a Christian education. She earned certificates from the House of God Academy and Bible College and a degree from the Moody Bible Institute. Mrs. Ravenell was a devout Christian, and devoted her life to her family and her faith. She first joined the Mt. Olive Baptist Church in North Charleston in 1943. Two years later, she and her husband joined the House of God--Keith Dominion, when their oldest child, Mary Elizabeth was just one year old. As a member of the House of God, Mrs. Ravenell served in many capacities. She was a part of the National Complex committee, Deacons Union, Chief Overseer's Anniversary Committee, and the International Missionary Outreach Society. She sailed the Mediterranean Sea, ministering in Madrid, Spain as a guest of a community church her daughter, Margaret Catherine, organized. She represented the Piedmont Diocese of South Carolina in Mississippi. Mrs. Ravenell also took many visitors to the church's General Assembly in Nashville,. Tennessee, and provided food, clothes and shelter for many of them. She met her husband, James L. Ravenell in Charleston, South Carolina. The couple had six children, and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. Mrs. Ravenell was also ``mother'' to all of the children of the church. Children gave her the greatest joy in life, and she doted on all of them. I met Ms. Ravenell soon after marrying into the McCants family over 50 years ago. We became fast friends and remained so until her death. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in celebrating an abundant life well lived. Elizabeth Ravenell was a dear friend of the family and light to all who knew her. She radiated her Christian faith and spent her life doing good works. While her presence will be missed, she has left the world a better place because of her devotion and service to others.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. I thank the gentlelady for yielding me the time. Madam Speaker, I often quote the poet Robert Frost, who once admonished us that two roads diverged in the wood, and I picked the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. I would not quarrel with Mr. Frost, but I would believe that it's the people that you meet as you travel the roads of life that really makes the difference with all of us. Several years before I came to this body I met Donald Payne. I was a bit in awe of him because he struck out to attain a seat here, and in that race, right after I met him, things did not go as he had hoped--as many of us had hoped. But Don did not lose faith. He gathered himself, and he tried again. And of course, upon his success, all of us know what a successful Congressman he made. I traveled with Don often. We went to Africa together. Traveling with him on the continent of Africa, going in and out of country after country, sitting with him as he called heads of state by their names, and to see the respect that all of them had for him was just a joy to behold. I learned a lot from Donald Payne. And I always, whenever I could, wanted to be around him. Just this past December, in my congressional district, Donald came to Charleston to help me participate in a congressional panel, talking about sustaining good, healthy communities. Don, that particular day, was sort of the star, as he usually was. I had no idea at that time that we would be in this place today. I think I can say without any threat of contradiction that if anybody has left his or her mark of service in this body, it was Donald Payne. His record will never, in my estimation, be equaled. To know two continents as well as he did is something few people in this body will ever get to attain. I want to join with my colleagues in wishing his family--his brother, Bill, who I got to know so well; his son, Donald, Jr.; and other family members--as much sympathy as I can muster. I hope that they will achieve real solace in the fact that their brother, their dad, their uncle gave so much and demanded so little in return.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable man who has distinguished himself as a great South Carolinian and an outstanding scholar and advocate of the Gullah/Geechee culture. He has dedicated his life to preserving the culture and the community he loves, and has just ended his tenure as the first Chairman of the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission. I commend him for his outstanding work and thank him for his long-time friendship. We could not have had a better person to get this Commission off on the right foot. Emory Shaw Campbell was born on October 11, 1941, on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, which was at the time was an isolated Sea Island inhabited by the descendents of former slaves, not the high-end resort it has become today. He was the sixth of 12 children born to Sarah and Reginald Campbell. While he attended elementary school on Hilton Head Island, he had to travel by boat to attend high school at Michael C. Riley High School in the mainland town of Bluffton. He graduated as valedictorian of his class in 1960. He went on to earn his bachelor's degree in biology from Savannah State College, and a master's in environmental engineering from Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. Following his academic training, Dr. Campbell returned home to his beloved Sea Islands. He served for ten years as the Director of Community Service Education at the Beaufort-Jasper Comprehensive Health Services in Ridgeland, South Carolina. This community health center provided quality, affordable health care to the underserved populations of the Sea Islands in the southernmost corner of the State. He also worked to protect Gullah communities that were threatened by the encroachment of resort development in the area. In 1980, he became the Director of the Penn Community Center on St. Helena Island. This historic facility began as a school in the 1800s to educate freed slaves. It became a meeting place during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. As a student organizer at South Carolina State College, I attended meetings at Penn Center and subsequently served as a member of its Board of Trustees. Dr. Martin Luther King retreated there to plan protest strategies. Today, the center serves to protect and preserve the heritage of the island and its Gullah culture. Dr. Campbell was synonymous with these efforts, and he became a sought after expert on all things Gullah. Most notably during his 22 years at the helm of Penn Center, Dr. Campbell led an effort to reconnect the Gullah community to its family roots in Sierra Leone, West Africa. This initiative resulted in Sierra Leone's President Joseph Momoh visiting Penn Center in 1988, and the following year Dr. Campbell was given the title of Honorary Paramount Chief when he took a group from the Gullah community to Sierra Leone for a reunion with their ancestral families. In 1990, South Carolina Educational Television produced a documentary Family Across the Sea, which chronicles these events. Dr. Campbell has sought to preserve the heritage of his native culture through his book Gullah Cultural Legacies that includes Gullah traditions, beliefs, art and language. He also helped in the effort to translate the New Testament of the Bible into Gullah, which I used when I was sworn in as House Majority Whip in 2007. When Dr. Campbell retired from Penn Center in 2002, he began Gullah Heritage Consulting Services to continue his lifelong work and he manages the Gullah Heritage Trail Tours on Hilton Head Island. In 2005, Dr. Campbell received the Carter F. Woodson Memorial Award from the National Education Association for his efforts to preserve the Gullah heritage and communities and to improve the quality of life for the Gullah people. In 2008, I succeeded in getting the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor enacted into law. The legislation included the established of a Commission to manage the corridor, and Dr. Campbell was fittingly chosen to Chair the inaugural Commission. Dr. Campbell lives on Hilton Head Island with his wife, Emma. They have two adult children. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in thanking Dr. Emory Campbell for his dedication to preserving, protecting and promoting the Gullah culture that is unique to the Sea Islands of the American South. He has made remarkable contributions throughout his career to bring recognition and support to Gullah communities, and he is one of their most distinguished members. His work has helped to save an entire culture that was rapidly disappearing due to encroachment and assimilation, and that is a tremendous legacy for any one individual.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I support this compromise because it ensures that we will be able to continue tax cuts for millions of American workers, and it preserves vital benefits for unemployed Americans that are essential for the overall economy and safeguards seniors' access to their doctors. While I will vote ``yes,'' this agreement is not perfect. I have serious objections to the continuing demonization of public servants in the Federal Government. We should not keep cutting their pay and benefits while refusing to ask the top 1 percent to pay one penny more. Federal employees have sacrificed now, and they should be given time to share in the sacrifices. All of us should. I'm also disappointed that this bill cuts money for prevention which is so important to the health of all Americans. Mr. Speaker, I believe that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cheer.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a constituent who was a faithful supporter, and tremendous neighbor, and a fantastic elementary school teacher to two of my three daughters. Mrs. Jorie Daniels Steadman passed away on December 4, 2011, but her remarkable spirit lives on in all those whose lives she touched including my own. Jorie Daniels Steadman was a South Carolina native; the daughter of the late Joe and Louckrisher Daniels. She graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Columbia, South Carolina and attended Benedict College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education, with a minor in Music. She completed a Master's degree in Education from Indiana University. She was awarded a cosmetology teaching certificate from Florida A&M University. Additional studies were conducted at the University of South Carolina and Columbia College. She began her 40-year teaching career at Crossroads Elementary. She also taught at Florence C. Benson, Hand Middle School, and W.G. Sanders Middle School in Columbia, South Carolina, where she taught my two youngest daughters, Jennifer and Angela. She also inspired students at Lemon Elementary School, in Marietta, Georgia; Washington High School, Atlanta, GA; and Butler School, Barnwell, South Carolina. After retirement, she guided young minds at V.V. Reid School. Ms. Steadman became a licensed cosmetologist in 1952. She perfected her craft in several salons before opening Jorie's Beauty Salon in 1959. Jorie had hundreds of clients from professional women to pre- school children. Her appointment book was always full and she never turned customers away. Jorie also shared her talents in the cosmetology industry by writing a weekly column, Beauty Tips, in the Palmetto Times to inspire and motivate young women to be beautiful on the inside and the outside. She was a political activist in the Greenview neighborhood we shared. She served on the House District 73 Development Council, the Farrow Terrace-Farrow Hills Community Organization, and the Greenview Senior Citizens Club. She also was a precinct worker at my home precinct at Greenview Park. Her other memberships included the North Columbia Civic Club, the Eau Claire Community Council, the Booker T. Washington Alumni Club, the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus Associate, the American Association of University Women, the National Education Association, the South Carolina Education Association, the Richland County Education Association, and the Richland County Education Association-Retired. After retirement, Jorie devoted time to her alma mater. She was a member of the Benedict College Alumni Club #2, the Benedict College National Alumni Club, the Benedict College Booster Club, and served as the past president of the Benedict College Parent Advisory Council. She could often be found at Benedict College football games encouraging alumni to support her beloved school ``where the golden sunshine falls.'' She was a lifelong member of Bethlehem Baptist Church and was actively involved in the Gethsemane Baptist Association Women's Auxiliary and Young People's Christian Assembly. Jorie served as the past president of the Trustee Wives Ministry, past president of Senior Missionary Society, and past president and secretary of the Jubilee Choir. As an accomplished musician, Jorie also served as organist and choir director in churches throughout the Midlands. She offered faithful service at Zion Benevolent Baptist, Veighle Chapel Baptist Church, Greater St. Luke Baptist Church, Second Nazareth Baptist Church, and Antioch Baptist Church. In 1969, she married to Lee Vince Steadman, with whom she shared 42 years of marriage. The couple had three children: LaVerne Steadman, Melita Steadman Williams, and Lee Vince Steadman, Jr. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in celebrating the life of Jorie Daniels Steadman. This ordinary citizen did extraordinary things that impacted so many people in her community. She was an extraordinary example of how one person can make a tremendous difference through their service to others. Jorie will be sorely missed, but her legacy lives on in each of those whose lives she affected in a positive way.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great public servant, author and dear friend. Philip Gibbs Grose lost his three year battle with leukemia on February 3, 2012. This South Carolina native contributed to his beloved State's history through his work in public policy and helped to preserve its history through his writings about the people who influenced the times in which he lived. Phil was born in Greenville, SC to Philip G. Grose, Sr., and Helen Layne Thompson Grose on April 5, 1938. He was raised in Charlotte and was a 1960 graduate of Washington and Lee University. He did graduate work at the University of South Carolina and received an honorary doctorate of letters from Francis Marion University. Phil began reporting sports results to the Charlotte Observer in junior high school and went on to write for the Observer during high school and college. He joined the staff fulltime after graduating from Washington and Lee, covering sports and general news. In 1963, after a year in New York as a writer for Broadcasting Magazine, Phil came to Columbia joining the sports staff of The State. He went on to become business editor and governmental affairs editor before leaving his newspaper career to enter the political arena. In 1968, Phil became a speechwriter for Governor Robert McNair. It was a tumultuous time in South Carolina at the height of the civil rights movement. Phil was greatly affected by the times, and, from his role behind the scenes, began pushing for South Carolina to break the bonds of its Jim Crow past. He continued those efforts when he joined the staff of Governor McNair's successor, John Carl West, as executive assistant for communications and race relations. One of the first actions he persuaded Governor West to take was to hire a young man named James Clyburn to serve as the first African American advisor to a sitting South Carolina governor. The year was 1971, and since that time Phil and I were fast friends. Phil went on to hold other positions in state government as deputy director of the Department of Social Services and executive director of the State Reorganization Commission. He was founder and executive director of the Executive Institute that provided leadership training for state government administrators, and I was one of his first recruits and graduated from the Executive Institute when I was serving as South Carolina Human Affairs Commissioner. After retiring from state government, Phil became a senior fellow at the University of South Carolina's Institute for Southern Studies, where he wrote about subjects he knew well and about which was very passionate--the governorships of Robert McNair and John West. ``South Carolina at the Brink: Robert McNair and the Politics of Civil Rights'' and ``Looking for Utopia: The Life and Times of John C. West'' offered great insights into these complicated men and the their contributions to South Carolina's rich history. He had recently begun work on a history of Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina. Phil and I had also been collaborating on my memoir for several years. He was a member of my inner circle who knew my experiences almost as well as I did myself. His personal insights and his talent for writing were invaluable in helping me with this project. He was also very active in the community. Phil served on advisory boards of the USC School of Arts and Science, the Journalism School and School of Nursing, and on the board of visitors of Columbia College. He was a president of Workshop Theater and worked in numerous Midlands United Way campaigns. He served four years as the South Carolina representative on the Southern Growth Policies Board and the Council on State Governments. He was a member of the Kosmos Club, a former board member of the Caesar's Head Community Center, a member of Shandon Presbyterian Church and a devotee of the humor of Robert Benchley. Phil was married for 47 years to Virginia ``Ginny'' Maxwell Grose. They had one daughter, Patricia, a son-in-law, John Williams, and two grandsons, Harrison and David Williams. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me in celebrating the life of Phil G. Grose. He was an individual who helped shape history and preserve it for future generations. In addition, he was a great friend, not only to me, but to all who knew him. He will be sorely missed, but his contributions will remain forever.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a public servant, a civil rights activist and a dear friend. Milton Bernard Greene passed away on February 4, 2012 at the age of 71. His larger than life personality and dedication to his community will be sorely missed. ``Duke,'' as he was affectionately known, was born in Columbia, South Carolina to William Bennett and Bernice Raiford Greene. He was a graduate of C.A. Johnson High School and Benedict College. While a student at the historically Black Benedict College, he became part of a core group of students who organized protests in Columbia during the civil rights movement of the early 1960s. During that time he became a cohort of Reverend I. DeQuincey Newman, who was the charismatic leader of the South Carolina NAACP. Milton was a fixture in the civil rights movement, but he preferred to remain behind the scenes. Yet he was thrust into the spotlight when he was arrested along with four other Benedict College students in 1960 during a sit-in at the Taylor Street Pharmacy. They were accused of breaching the peace, but the U.S. Supreme Court later overturned the charge. Milton went on to serve as a field representative for former U.S. Senator Ernest ``Fritz'' Hollings of South Carolina. His organizing skills served him well in this capacity. He then took on a position with the South Carolina Department of Social Services from which he ultimately retired. He was always very politically active, helping in my campaigns for Secretary of State and for Congress. He also served as the poll manager for the Keels precinct in the Dentsville area of Columbia for 20 years. Milton was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, and was married to his high school sweetheart, Doris Glymph Greene, for 47 years. They had two daughters, Col. Kimberly Greene (U.S. Air Force) of San Antonio, TX, and Professor Wendy Greene of Birmingham AL; and a son, Milton Bernard Franklin Greene of Charleston, SC. And they were also the proud grandparents of four grandchildren, Julian and Morgan Parker; Lauren-Taylor and Joelle Greene. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me in celebrating the life of Milton Greene. This extraordinary man was an unsung hero of his generation, who didn't seek recognition but always sought justice. He was a big man, with a big personality, and he will leave a big hole in the hearts of all who knew him.

Mr. CLYBURN

Mr. CLYBURN. I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Maryland (Ms. Edwards).

Mr. CLYBURN. I have two speakers left.

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi).

Mr. CLYBURN. I yield myself an additional 30 seconds. Now, the only way for us to really instill certainty in the unemployed and in those 160,000 million Americans who would like to continue to have their tax cut is for us to pass the Senate compromise and for us to really say to those people that we want you to have a pleasant holiday season and we'll all come back here the first of the year and give you an additional 10 months. How much time do I now have remaining, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, how much time is now remaining?

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Alabama (Ms. Sewell).

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Mr. Cleaver.

Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman).