John Conyers

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States that will enable all citizens of this country to be eligible to hold the Office of President. No citizen should be denied the opportunity to seek the nation's highest office. The proposal that I am introducing will allow foreign-born individuals who have been citizens of this country for at least 20 years to be eligible for this office. As you know, Article II of the Constitution of the United States provides that only natural-born citizens are entitled to hold the Office of President. I believe that this limitation contradicts the principles for which this country stands. This nation prides itself on its diversity of culture, experience, and opinion. This quality is achieved only by welcoming immigrants to this country, allowing them to become citizens, and enabling them to make full contributions to society. For the most part, the United States treats its citizens, those natural-born and foreign-born, the same. However, when determining who is eligible for the Office of President, this country unfairly distinguishes between the two. Allowing the United States to be a better country because of the contributions that foreign-born citizens make, and then not allowing them to fully participate in all aspects of society, is un-American. As you may also know, some of our country's foreign-born citizens are our country's greatest public servants. There are also 700 foreign-born citizens who have received the Medal of Honor. It is unjust to deny citizens that have risked their lives for this country the chance to become President of the United States as well. A 2002 Pentagon study reports that more than 30,000 foreign-born citizens are currently serving in the U.S. military. I realize that constitutional amendments are rare and that those proposed should be subject to great scrutiny. I truly respect one of the documents on which our country was founded, the Constitution of the United States. Therefore, it is after great consideration and with the utmost gravity, that I introduce this proposal today. I am hopeful that my fellow colleagues in Congress will properly consider the proposed amendment and realize that every citizen of the United States should be entitled to dream of becoming President.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the ``Federal Bureau of Investigation Reform Act of 2003,'' legislation that strengthens the accountability, enhances the security and improves the management of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). I am joined by Representatives Berman, Jackson-Lee, Delahunt, Blumenauer, Waxman, Farr, and Carson of Indiana. The report released today by the joint congressional committee investigating the September 11th attacks was quite disturbing. It provided ample evidence of key clues and signals that astute FBI agents should have picked up on. Line after line of the report reveals incidences of missed opportunities. Beginning with the FBI's neglect of the now infamous ``phoenix'' memo and ending with the mishandling of potentially valuable informants, the FBI engaged in a pattern and practice of activities that did very little, if anything, to protect this nation from the devastating attacks it experienced on 9-11. To address some of the obvious miscues and intelligence failures highlighted in the report, we are introducing the FBI Reform Act of 2003. There are five key elements of our bill. First, it strengthens whistleblower protection for FBI employees and protects them from retaliation for reporting wrongdoing. Second, it addresses the issue of a double standard for discipline of senior executives by eliminating the disparity in authorized punishments between Senior Executive Service members and other Federal employees. Third, it establishes an FBI Counterintelligence Polygraph Program for screening personnel in exceptionally sensitive positions with specific safeguards. Fourth, it establishes an FBI Career Security Program, which would bring the FBI into line with other U.S. intelligence agencies that have strong career security professional cadres whose skills and leadership are dedicated to the protection of agency information, personnel, and facilities. Finally, it requires a set of reports that would enable Congress to engage the Executive branch in a constructive dialogue building a more effective FBI for the future. The FBI Reform Act is designed to strengthen the FBI as an institution that has a unique role as both a law enforcement agency and a member of the intelligence community. As the Judiciary Committee continues its oversight work and more is learned about recent FBI performance, additional reforms may prove necessary. Especially important will be the lessons learned from the attacks of September 11th, the anthrax attacks, and implementation of the USA PATRIOT Act. I am hopeful that Congress can move quickly to enact this worthwhile and timely legislation.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the Chile and Singapore free trade agreements. We have lost three million jobs in this country over the last two and one half years. Unemployment is at a ten year high. Our trade deficit is $500 billion per year, and hits a new high every month. Our manufacturing base is in tatters, and our workers are crying out for help. Yet the bills we are voting on today only add insult to the injuries our workers have already suffered. It there any question that because of the lack of labor and environmental protections in these agreements, they will cost American jobs, increase poverty overseas, and pose grave harms to our environment? Does any one not realize that these agreements do nothing but foster a race to the bottom where American workers are forced to compete with what ever foreign workers will accept the lowest wage? If you read these bills closely you will see there is no language which will protect our jobs or our environment. There is nothing in the legislation which requires compliance with internationally recognized core workers' rights under the International Labor Organization. And there is nothing to insure that foreign manufacturers face the same environmental standards that our own companies and workers face. Even worse, the agreements allow thousands of workers to come into this country every year from Singapore and Chile who will take even more jobs from American workers. Unlike workers from almost every other country in the world, these foreign workers will be able to stay here indefinitely, and their employers will not be forced to comply with all of the temporary worker rules we have in place. We should never use our immigration laws as a bargaining chip to negotiate bade trade deals. We shouldn't have offered visas to Mexico and Canada as part of NAFTA, we shouldn't have given 6,000 visas to Chile and Singapore as part of these trade deals, and we shouldn't trade American jobs as part of the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Chairman Sensenbrenner and I were able to work together to make the best we could out of a bad situation. We made sure that the new visas, and any visas which extend beyond six years, counted against the overall temporary worker cap. And we made sure the employers paid $1000 fees for each temporary worker that would be used to pay for training Americans. These are useful and important improvements. But at the end of the day, we are still left with a bad trade deal that harms our workers and damages our communities. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Detroit Historical Museum on the occasion of the museum's 75th anniversary. The museum, along with Historic Fort Wayne, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum and the Detroit Historical Society, comprise the Detroit Historical Museums and Society, and I commend them on the wonderful job they have done chronicling Detroit's three-hundred year history. The idea of recording the city's history through museums developed in 1914, when historian Clarence M. Burton donated his extensive collection of historical papers to the Detroit Public Library. The donation of these papers inspired a meeting of Burton and 19 other local historians in 1921, resulting in the formation of the Detroit Historical Society. In 1927, the Society appointed J. Bell Moran to create the Detroit Historical Museum. In 1928, the museum opened in what is now the Cadillac Tower. In 1942, under the direction of former Detroit News columnist George Stark, the Detroit Historical Society began raising funds to acquire a building to house the museum. In 1945, the Society donated the money that it had raised and its collection of items to the city, leading to a city charter and the subsequent dedication of the museum in 1951, Detroit's 250th anniversary. The 1940's brought the acquisition and opening of Historic Fort Wayne, which the city procured from the Federal Government in 1949. The final component of the Detroit Historical Museums and Society, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, opened in 1961. The Detroit Historical Museum's collection of artifacts and exhibits is quite extensive. Visitors to the museum can walk Detroit's eighteenth century cobblestone streets and visit an authentic fur trading post part of ``The Streets of Old Detroit''. They can explore the industry that gave the ``Motor City'' its name, by walking an actual auto assembly line, part of the ``Motor City Exhibition'' which opened in 1995. The museum features an authentic pilot house from a Great Lakes freighter. The museum's exhibit, ``Frontiers to Factories: Detroiters at Work 1701-1901'' highlights the development of industry in Detroit's three hundred year history. Throughout its history, the museum has hosted thousands of students drawn from the entire Detroit region. The Historical Museum's most exciting new exhibit, ``Detroit Storyliving,'' gives students an interactive learning experience and helps excite them about local history through role-playing, music, and team based activities. The Detroit Historical Museum, depicts Detroit as it has changed from a frontier outpost to dominant industrial city. I thank current Museum Director Dennis Zembala for his dedication and leadership and thank all the staff and volunteers that have made the museum the educational masterpiece it is today. I look forward to its continued educational and historical success and congratulate the Detroit Historical Museum and the Detroit Historical Society on reaching this tremendous milestone and look forward to their continued success.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, hard work, persistence, and passion are all trademarks of a great musician. Noted as one of the most accomplished bassists of our time, Keter Betts stands among the rare musicians who exude a very special aura. A native of Port Chester, New York, Betts possessed the drive and passion for music at an early age. Betts credits a local parade event as a major spark in his love for jazz music. After that event, Keter was certain that the drum would be his lifelong musical companion. Although Keter worked hard and mastered drumming, after a while, Betts grew tired of carrying his drums up many flights of stairs and found that the bass would serve as a more comparable instrument. He did not know that this decision would many years later bring him to the forefront of jazz music. Keter Betts established himself in jazz music as an exemplar of excellence in musicianship. His extraordinary career spanning six decades, numerous recordings, and musical genius all stand as a monument to his contribution to jazz. Mr. Betts' professional career began in Washington DC, working with New York native and tenor saxophonist Carmen Leggio. Just fresh out of high school, Keter played his first gig with Leggio at the age of 19. This thirteen week gig in the heart of Washington, DC would set the stage for Betts to travel the world impressing listeners and musical scholars alike with his command of the acoustic bass. Keter has performed with Jazz icons including Duke Ellington, Dinah Washington, Earl Bostic, Woody Herman, Cannonball Adderly, Charlie Byrd, and an impressive twenty four year career with the legendary Ella Fitzgerald. Keter's melodic thumping bass lines can be heard on many of her recordings. In addition, Mr. Betts has time and time again enhanced the musical recordings of numerous Jazz artists and has been a performer on over one hundred recordings including those of Count Basie, Tommy Flanagan, Sam Jones, and Kenny Burrell, among several others. Moreover, Mr. Betts also recorded a solo CD on his own label entitled Bass, Buddies, and Blues (1998). He and his wife Mildred made Washington DC their home as newlyweds in 1953. Here they raised a family of five children. Throughout the years, Keter has committed himself to contributing to the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area. Within the academic community, Keter has worked with the Washington Performing Arts Society's Concerts in Schools Program, the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and the HeadStart program. In addition, Keter spends time imparting to future Jazz legends by serving as a music lecturer at Howard University. Keter Betts' numerous commendations for his excellence in jazz further demonstrate his positive relationship with the Washington, DC community. Keter has been inducted into the Washington Area Music Association Hall of Fame. Mr. Betts has also been honored with the Linowes Leadership Award from the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Living Legacy Jazz Award and most recently he was selected to receive the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation's 2003 Living Legacy Jazz Award. Keter has shared his musical gift with international audiences and has performed on stages in South America, Europe, the Middle East and numerous stages across the United States. Through his musical genius, has and continues to captivate, motivate, and inspire current and future generations. We are glad that his family and friends are sharing this special day with him and we pause to remember his loving wife who passed away in 2000. On this day of celebration, we commemorate the contributions of Keter Betts and wish him all of the best on his 75th birthday.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, this morning's media lavishly covered Prime Minister Blair's speech to us last night. It was an important event and I will have more to say about that next week. But I want to call my colleagues attention to another news item that I found shocking. Unfortunately it was buried in the ``Reliable Source'' gossip column of the ``Style Section'' in today's Washington Post. It reported a White House effort to smear a journalist, an effort that I found desperate and pathetic but, most of all, outrageous. It seems the Bush Administration was so unnerved by a TV network news segment on rapidly rising GI frustration in Iraq--and one soldier's calling on camera for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld's resignation--that they decided to ``shoot the messenger.'' Reportedly, an anonymous White House operative tipped internet columnist Matt Drudge that the TV reporter on the news story was not only gay but also, far worse, ``a Canadian.'' Does the Watergate phrase ``dirty tricks'' ring a bell? Or has that been banished from the political lexicon like the ``L word?'' There's an old saying: ``If you're not outraged, you don't understand the situation.'' I want to know where the outrage is about this despicable tactic. Where are the outraged editorials and columns? Why wasn't this a front page story? Even if it was a scoop for the ``Reliable Source,'' why wasn't there a separate news story about it? Where were the interviews of outraged media pundits on this morning's TV news shows? Where is the outrage from ACLU? And I hope there will be further comments on this by other outraged Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle. The leak to Drudge may indicate how nervous the White House is about their unraveling post-war plan and its tragic consequences for our soldiers. Indeed, if this is the only way they can respond to reporting on the Administration's mess in Iraq, things must be pretty desperate. It also indicates the kind of supporters whom the White House thinks will judge its policy on the basis of the nationality and orientation of those reporting on Iraq for U.S. media. The fact that most Americans will regard both factors as silly and irrelevant is beside the point. The malicious intent is clear. This kind of dirty trick must be labelled for what it is, and stopped in its tracks, or we will see similar sleaze seeping out of this White House whenever it feels politically threatened. If the media brushes this off as just one more skirmish with critical press, then both they and the American people will surely be the losers.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to add the following remarks and article to the extension of remarks in today's Congressional Record: Mr. Speaker, for some time I have felt this administration has been leading our country down an unwise and potentially dangerous path. David S. Broder's Washington Post editorial, from Tuesday, July 15, 2003, underscores that a growing segment of our nation is likewise concerned with the direction which the Administration has taken this country. [From the Washington Post, July 15, 2003] Black Thursday for Bush (By David S. Broder) If President Bush is not reelected, we may look back on last Thursday, July 10, 2003, as the day the shadow of defeat first crossed his political horizon. To be sure, Bush looks strong. The CBS News poll released that evening had his approval rating at 60 percent, with solid support from his own party, a 26-point lead among independents and a near-even split among Democrats. Two-thirds of those surveyed could not name a single one of the nine Democrats vying for the right to oppose him. But ``The CBS Evening News'' that night was like Karl Rove's worst nightmare, and the other network newscasts-- still the main source of information for a large number of Americans--were not much better. The headlines announced by John Roberts, substituting for Dan Rather on CBS, were: ``President Bush's false claim about Iraqi weapons; he made it despite a CIA warning the intelligence was bad. More Americans say U.S. is losing control of Iraq. Also tonight, food lines in America; they're back and getting longer.'' Brian Williams, filling in for Tom Brokaw on NBC, began: ``War zone. Two more Americans dead in Iraq, and now the general who led the war says the troops could be there four more years.'' Peter Jennings on ABC gave the administration a break, opening the broadcast with this: ``The secretary of state says there was no attempt to deceive the American people about the case for war in Iraq.'' But then Jennings described Colin Powell's news conference as ``damage control,'' an effort to explain ``why the president used some false information in his State of the Union address to justify attacking Iraq.'' All of them--and cable news--cited the dissonant voices from within the administration blaming one another for Bush's use of a report, which the CIA had long since discredited, claiming that Iraq tried to buy uranium for a nuclear weapons program from the African country of Niger. Even after CIA Director George Tenet tried to take responsibility for the foul-up, the White House faces a credibility gap that reaches down into the non-discovery of the weapons of mass destruction Bush and his top associates said Saddam Hussein was amassing to threaten the United States. And the doubts don't stop there. Two and a half months after Bush proclaimed victory in Iraq--``mission accomplished''--CBS reported that only 45 percent of the public now believes the United States is in control of events there. On the question of credibility regarding weapons of mass destruction, 56 percent say Bush administration officials were hiding important elements of what they knew or were outright lying. The next day a Washington Post-ABC News poll reported that while Bush's approval score was still at a healthy 59 percent, there had been a 9-point drop in less than three weeks both in his overall rating and on the question of confidence in his handling of Iraq. Ominously, the poll found a dramatic reversal in public tolerance of continuing casualties, with a majority saying for the first time that the losses are unacceptable when weighed against the goals of the war. Eight out of 10 in the Post-ABC poll said they were very or somewhat concerned that the United States ``will get bogged down in a long and costly peacekeeping mission.'' And this was before the networks showed Gen. Tommy Franks telling Congress the troops would be in Iraq for years. If Iraq looks increasingly worrisome on TV and in the polls, the economy is even worse. CBS found jobs and the economy dwarfing every other issue, cited by almost four times as many people as cited Iraq or the war on terrorism. On that black Thursday for the administration, first-time unemployment claims pushed the number of Americans on jobless relief to the highest level in 20 years. And the most troubling pictures on any of the three broadcasts were those of a line of cars, stretching out of sight down a flat two-lane road in Logan, Ohio--jobless and struggling families waiting for the twice-a-month distribution of free food by the local office of America's Second Harvest. The head of the agency said, ``We are seeing a new phenomenon: Last year's food bank donors are now this year's food bank clients.'' Said CBS reporter Cynthia Bowers, ``You could call it a line of the times, because in a growing number of American communities these days, making ends meet means waiting for a handout.'' Some may say, ``Well, it's one day's news,'' or dismiss it all as media bias. But that does not dissolve the shadow that now hangs over Bush's bright hopes for a second term.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce the introduction of the ``Author, Consumer, and Copyright Owner Protection and Security Act of 2003.'' I am introducing this bill with my colleagues Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA), Martin T. Meehan (D-MA), Robert Wexler (D-FL), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) to address the growing problem that has been created by the theft of digital content. As we all know, the copyright industries (music, movies, books, and software, just to name a few) are this country's crown jewel. They are the only sector of the American economy that has provided a positive trade balance; according to ``Copyright Industries in the U.S. Economy: The 2002 Report'' by the International Intellectual Property Alliance, these industries achieved foreign sales and exports of $88.97 billion. It goes without saying that our content is a valuable resource. Unfortunately, the same technologies that have enhanced our lives and globalized trade also have made it possible to obtain digital content for free. Those who invest so much into developing software, books, music, and movies and rely upon sales of that content are being deprived of their livelihoods because people are taking advantage of the Internet to obtain and share digital content for free. The same technology that enhanced the lives of so many is harming the lives of people whose work we value so much. While there are laws on the books that protect copyrighted content from theft, they do not go quite far enough. Despite court decisions ordering various file swapping sites to shut down, new file-swapping programs and new file-swapping sites appear every day on the Internet, each one better than its predecessor. These sites do not develop their own content; instead, they rely upon the success and popularity of content created by others and allow that content to be distributed to millions with the single click of a mouse. These sites also create security and privacy risks, in that they open up entire the hard drives average consumers for the world to see, financial and personal information included. That is why we have introduced this legislation. Modest in approach, the bill proposes several initiatives that would give consumers, law enforcement, and content creators control over how their computers and their content are being used. Below is a section-by-section analysis of the bill that explains its various provisions: Section-by-Section Analysis of the ``Author, Consumer, and Computer Owner Protection and Security Act of 2003'' title I: increased domestic enforcement efforts SEC. 101. AUTHORIZED APPROPRIATIONS. Authorizes the appropriation of not less than $15 million for criminal copyright enforcement for fiscal year 2004.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. The Chamber has been consistently working over the past century on a wide range of issues running the gamut from public transportation to maintaining a quality and competitive workforce. For more than three generations the Chamber has played an integral part in the astounding growth and change throughout Detroit and Southeast Michigan. I am confident in the 21st century, which faces many new challenges, that the Chamber and its members will continue to make Michigan an outstanding place for families and businesses alike. When less than a dozen businessmen got together February 3, 1903, to more effectively represent the merchants of Detroit, they were working in an environment drastically different from that of today. At the same time, the Ford Motor Company, then a small family business, had the nearly impossible dream nurtured by the young Henry Ford, that automobiles could be mass produced and made affordable to families in America. Much of the area was still rural and the automobile industry was only in its infancy. Michael J. Murphy, the president of the Murphy Chair Company was the first leader of the Detroit Regional Chamber and in 1911, realized that the manufacture of automobiles could have a far reaching impact on our economy and lifestyle the Chamber developed a campaign named ``Good Roads For Michigan'' campaign, and secured voter approval of a modest bond proposal the proceeds of which would then be used to improve Wayne County's then- woeful roads. Meanwhile, as its membership grew the Chamber found it necessary to expand, and build a modern three-story building as its headquarters. The Chamber's early success was a sign of things to come. In 1920, Detroit police officer William Potts determined to do something about the problem of automobile traffic, rising at the time in Michigan as elsewhere. With thirty-seven dollars, he created the world's first traffic light, at Woodward and Michigan Avenues in Detroit. At about the same time, African American inventor Garrett Morgan invented the first electric automatic traffic light, providing the prototype on which today's four-way traffic lights are based, and which led the way for the creation of Davison Highway, the nation's very first expressway. The Chamber helped to install these first traffic lights, and through this magnificent technology, helped enhance the economic prospects of Michigan and indeed the world. The Chamber would go on to support the establishment of a train route between Detroit and Washington, D.C., providing a critical link between government and automotive innovation. The Chamber's leadership has gone far beyond just doing business. In 1965, the Chamber took a dramatic step in favor of the Civil Rights movement, when it published an appeal in support of the United Negro College fund, stating, ``We must open the doors of opportunity.'' The Chamber further distinguished itself in 1975, when it decided to begin offering health insurance plans to companies with under 25 employees. This program remains extremely successful and has provided Detroit small businesses with health insurance for nearly 35 years. Today, the Detroit Regional Chamber continues its astounding work. Under the leadership of Chairman of the Board Benjamin C. Maibach III, the Chamber strives to improve upon its past successes. It now has over 18,000 members, including the most diverse Board of Directors in its history. They include former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer, Attorney David Baker Lewis, Dr. Arthur Porter, Frank Fountain, Roderick Gillum, Dr. Irvin Reid, Linda Watters, the Rev. Jim Holley, Yousif Ghafari, John James, Elham Jabiru-Shayota, Dr. Fern Espino, and Dr. J. Carlos Borrego. I have great respect for the history surrounding the Chamber, and believe its efforts to improve the quality of life for all of Southeast Michigan's residents will continue. There is every reason to believe that the Detroit Chamber's next century will be even more successful than its first.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, today I had the pleasure of reading in FORTUNE magazine a report by Jonathan Hickman of the 50 best companies for minorities. This important study identifies the increase in minority representation in the higher levels of major national and international corporations in terms of management positions, annual income, ownership in corporations, and leadership as exemplified by membership on corporate boards. These figures represent an overall increase and upward mobility of African Americans, both male and female, in our economic system, which establishes that progress is being made. It corroborates the work of the Rainbow Push Wall Street Project which has annually brought together leaders from corporate America, the federal and state governments, and businessmen and women from the African American, Hispanic, and Asian American communities nationwide. Its founder Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., has had in the annual national proceedings of Rainbow Push, a President of the United States, the Chairman of the Wall Street Stock Exchange, Richard A. Grasso, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Michael Powell, the Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig, and a wide variety of chief executive officers among whom can be found some of our most notable industrialists, manufacturers, wholesalers, food processors, bankers, leaders from the sports industry, heads of civil rights and human rights organizations, church leaders, and others who have continued to break down the barriers and glass ceilings that have prevented the integration of the business and financial communities of America. There was particular focus in the article on the Reverend Charles H. Ellis III, Bishop of Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, who partnered with the PepsiCo Urban Development Program. This corporate outreach program provides a variety of services and transportation, facilitating seniors in their everyday living by providing local visits to the homes of their family and friends, the shopping center, the doctor's office, the bank, and other places of need or interest. There are many other corporations that deserve honorable mention and those of us who are members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and the Progressive Caucus salute those companies who realize their responsibility to continue to democratize the world's most powerful economy that has been developed by this great country. 50 Best Companies for Minorities You can slow down the economy, but you can't slow down progress. Anyone who believed that corporate America's devotion to diversity would wilt in the face of hard times should take a look at this year's Top 50. It has outdone the 2002 list across the board. How about some good news for a change? In this year's 50 Best Companies for Minorities list, we saw minority representation rising in nearly every category we evaluate. People of color make up 19% of boardrooms, vs. 18% last year and 11% in 2001; management grew more diverse--26% of officials and managers are minorities, an increase over last year's 24% (up more than 50% from the inaugural list in 1998). Those improvements are mirrored in other areas-- purchasing from minority-owned firms increased to 9% of the total purchasing budget, from 7% last year, while some areas, like diversity training and charitable contributions to minority organizations, held steady. As in the past, we compiled our list by contacting the FORTUNE 1,000, plus the 200 largest privately held U.S. companies; 141 responded to our survey. Our questionnaire delves into all aspects of diversity. We ask how well people of color are represented in the general workforce but, more important, how many are among the most senior officials and highest-paid employees. And we ask if they're being promoted into management at the same rates as white employees. Other questions relate to the company's culture. Are managers held financially accountable for meeting diversity goals? How successfully have people of color been integrated into succession plans? We look at the way companies interact with the wider community. How strong are their purchasing programs with minority-owned businesses? Have they used minority-owned underwriters or pension-management firms? What portion of corporate charity goes to programs benefiting people of color? The data undergo a statistical evaluation and are then synthesized to produce our list: Voila, the 50 Best for 2003.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Perryne Thompson of Detroit for her 30 years of service to the Detroit Public School system. Mrs. Perryne Thompson began teaching in the Detroit Public School system over 30 years ago. For the last 20 years, she worked at Miller Middle School as the physical education and dance teacher. Additionally, for over five years, she served as a choreographer, administrator, and eventually director of the All City Middle School Dance Company. As a Detroit Public School Teacher and while working with the All City Dance Company, she trained over 5,000 students in the art of tap, modern, and African dance. Mrs. Thompson exposed them to the roots of African and African-American culture through the art of dance by utilizing techniques such as those developed by Katherine Dunham. She often spent long days and nights in preparation for both Miller Middle School and All City Dance concerts, which involved not only choreographing the events and teaching students how to become performers, but also selling candy to purchase fabric for costumes she made for her students. Her tireless dedication to transmitting her knowledge of the art of dance and emphasis on hard work, diligence, and excellence lead a number of her students to pursue majors in dance in college and to join professional dance companies. Mrs. Thompson is also the mother of Mischa Thompson, who is currently a congressional fellow in Representative Charles Rangel's office and recently completed her Doctorate degree at the University of Michigan. Detroit is privileged to have had such a dedicated member of the teaching profession for so many years. I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Mrs. Perryne Thompson for her selfless dedication and service to the youth of Detroit through her role as a Detroit Public School Teacher.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, the bi-partisan passage of the Ready to Teach Act, with crucial Democratic amendments, and the teacher Recruitment and Retention Act of 2003 is a step in the right direction towards improving the standards of public education across this country. My Democratic colleagues and I understand that we must go beyond the empty promises and rhetoric of our Republican counterparts and put Americas tax dollars where they are truly need. Unfortunately, today the House will vote on a Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations bill that will severely underfund education. This bill fails to deliver on a whopping $8 million dollars that was promised, but not delivered by the President's ``Leave No Child Behind Act.'' Mr. Chairman, unfortunately I am not surprised that my fellow Democrats and I are forced to stand here today to advocate for monies that are desperately needed to provide adequate education to our Nation's children. To make this lack of funding even more egregious, the Republicans promised America's children and parents last year, that no child would be left behind. I believe it is important that Americans know today that this Republican sponsored bill will: Cut Title I grants by $16.15 billion dollars as compared to the funding levels called for by No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The children of Michigan will lose Title I grants totaling $202,981,000 dollars below the amount called for by NCLB. Reduce IDEA grants, which are used by school districts to educate children with disabilities by $1.2 billion dollars as compared to that which was promised in the Republican IDEA Reauthorization Act. Michigan children with disabilities will lose $44,264,000 dollars in promised IDEA grants. Shortchange children in need of constructive after-school activities by cutting funding for After-School Programs to $750 million dollars below the level promised in NCLB. As a result, Michigan children will be shorted $23,384,000 dollars in After-School Program funding. Freeze funding for Teacher Quality Grants at $2.9 billion dollars. That is $350 million dollars less than the $3.3 billion promised in No Child Left Behind. Unfortunately, this translates into a loss of $10,172,000 dollars in promised Teacher Quality Grants for Michigan. Leaves Military dependents behind by cutting $583 million dollars in Impact Aid program funds--well below the previously authorized funding level. Michigan military families will lose $5,054,632 dollars in Impact Aid. Overall, abandons the promise Republicans set forth in their FY 2004 Budget Resolution wherein they committed to provide a $3 billion dollars increase over FY 2003 for the Department of Education. Instead, this bill provides only a $2.3 billion or 4.3 percent for this year. That is the lowest dollar increase in four years and the smallest percentage increase in eight years. The children of Michigan will lost a total of $311,052,632 dollars in education funds authorized in both the No Child Left Behind legislation and the IDEA Reauthorization Act. Our commitment to educating our children is being undermined today. I appeal to my colleagues to honor our commitment to America's greatest treasury--our children. Let's pass an appropriations bill today that will fully and adequately support the education of America's children.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take the time allocated to me now.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, this event is not the basis for which the Committee of Inquiry was created because even though there was so much harm and possible violation of the voter rights of Americans in Texas, that was not what the Committee of Inquiry was gathered to do. The committee of inquiry introduced by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green) was merely to inquire as to whether or not Federal funds, resources, or personnel had been used in trying to locate the missing members of the Texas legislature during June 11 through June 19, and that was all. It was claimed by the distinguished majority leader of the House, himself from Texas, that this was a Federal matter, and that there was a justification because redistricting was involved that the Congress had every right to inquire. Whether he is correct or not is not central to the question of whether we should determine whether Homeland Security resources, whether Federal U.S. marshals, whether members of the FBI, whether personnel in the Department of Justice in Washington were used in trying to identify the whereabouts of members of the State legislature. That is all we wanted to do. In an incredible debate, which fortunately has been reported to the American people and is preserved for all posterity, in a totally party vote, every Republican voted that they did not want to inquire, they did not want to know, they did not want to find out if Federal resources were used. They did not have any interest in knowing if there were any Federal statutes that were broken, whether there were any possible violations of the law. This is the Committee on the Judiciary of the United States whose responsibility it is to protect the Constitution and its amendments and preserve democracy for the people of the United States of America, a rather striking position, but one that is not over because we did not prevail in the great Committee on the Judiciary in the House of Representatives. This is a matter, as the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) has admonished us, is not going away. We are not packing up our tents and forgetting about this. We have got to show to people that the Department of Justice is accountable, that the FBI is accountable, that the United States marshals are accountable and that indeed the Members of Congress have a responsibility to know if Homeland Security has now been turned into a partisan operation for any purpose that anybody in charge happens to think it is. This is very important because with this kind of attitude there is going to be a great difficulty for the American people to have any confidence in Homeland Security whatsoever.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). Mr. Speaker, the judiciary considered a resolution of inquiry into a matter involving the Texas legislature when many of the members removed themselves in an attempt to prevent a redistricting scheme that would have been obviously very detrimental to African American and Hispanic Americans.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing the ``Equal Treatment of Pensions and Bankruptcy Act of 2003'' to eliminate an unfair and abusive practice that has allowed corporate insiders to protect their exorbitant pensions even as their employees jobs and retirement savings are obliterated in bankruptcy. Recently, some in top corporate management have attempted to insulate their pension benefits by placing them in a trust that would be beyond the reach of the bankruptcy court. As a result, while employees lose their jobs, pensions, and other benefits, these insiders are able to walk away from the bankrupt company with a substantial windfall. This immoral tactic does not benefit the rehabilitation of the business. To the contrary, it loots the company of assets that could be used to pay creditors, employees, and help the company successfully emerge from bankruptcy. It is bad for business, it is bad for unpaid creditors, it is bad for the families who are shattered by the failure of a company. This is an ongoing problem. In April, American Airlines enraged employees by threatening to shut down the company if they didn't accept billions in steep pay and benefit cuts, while secretly setting aside millions in pension guarantees for top executives. Although CEO Donald Carty resigned in April, American has kept its executive pension plan. The legislation provides that if the company places any supplemental retirement benefits or deferred compensation in a trust for the benefit of management or another insider, the court will have the authority to reclaim those funds for the benefit of the creditors, including the employees. It also clarifies that a party with an interest in the case or a committee of creditors may bring a motion to reclaim these funds if the trustee or the debtor in possession consents for fails to bring such a motion. While these parties are now permitted to bring such motions, as recently reaffirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in the Cybergenics case, this bill reaffirms that right under the Code. This is pattern of abuse is becoming ever more widespread. We must protect the livelihood of the average American worker and their families and ensure that top executives are not allowed to pillage a firm and enjoy protection in bankruptcy that would be denied to the people who are least to blame for the bankruptcy.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak today to introduce legislation recognizing President Kennedy's founding of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law by supporting the designation of June 21, 2003 as ``Equal Justice Day'' in honor of the Committee's tireless efforts over the past 40 years to secure justice and equal opportunity for all. On June 21, 1963, I was summoned to White House along with 250 other members of the bar by President Kennedy to help resolve the civil rights crises which gripped the nation. Without President Kennedy's vision for racial justice, the bar would have remained silent in the face of vocal resistance by southern state legislatures against desegregation. For more than four decades, the Lawyers' Committee has worked to advance the civil rights of African Americans and other racial and ethnic minority communities in the areas of environmental protection, employment, affirmative action, fair housing, and voting. The Committee protects fundamental civil rights by representing African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities and women in the courts, advocating strong enforcement of civil rights laws before administrative bodies, working in coalition with other organizations, and by educating the public about important civil rights issues. Among many other achievements over the years, the Lawyers' Committee was successful in: fighting for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, securing a landmark, unanimous U.S. Supreme Court Decision that strengthened First Amendment protections for peaceful political boycotts in Claiborne Hardware Co. v. NAACP, and coordinating a Church Burning Project in the 1990s to provide free legal services to churches that were destroyed during the bitter rampage of racially motivated church burnings. By supporting the designation of June 21, 2003 as ``Equal Justice Day'', we will recognize the achievements of the Lawyers' Committee, as its staff and pro-bono attorneys, clients and friends commemorate and celebrate its 40th anniversary. I urge you to support this legislation that will honor President Kennedy's commitment to implementing justice reflected in the accomplishments of the Lawyers' Committee and the many hours of pro-bono service offered by lawyers and law firms throughout this country.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, with great sorrow, I call to the attention of the House, the passing of one of Michigan's great educators, Eugene A. Gilmer. His family has lost a loving, devoted husband, and father; I have lost a dear friend and constant inspiration; Detroit has lost a giant. Eugene Gilmer left us on June 13, 2003, at the age of 79. He had compiled an outstanding career as an educator and community activist. After serving with great distinction overseas in the Army during World War II, he graduated from Wayne State University. Determined to overcome racial bias in hiring educators, Eugene drove a bus until he won a teaching position. After that, there was no holding back his talent, his dedication and his spirited drive. In addition to his commitment to educating Detroit's youth, Eugene was equally dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of African American history. While serving as principal at the Sampson Elementary and Fitzgerald Elementary Schools, he played a key role in the founding and funding of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and then served on its Board of Directors. Over the years, the Wright Museum became one of the Nation's leading institutions preserving an appreciation of the tribulations, as well as the contributions of African Americans. It is now commonplace for public officials to pledge allegiance to slogans like ``quality education for all'' and ``no child left behind.'' Decades before these principles became popular sound bites, however, they were the cornerstones of Eugene's educational philosophy and his professional goals. Eugene never lowered his standards of excellence, nor accepted excuses for students who failed to achieve their potential. At the same time, he knew better than most that education was the essential ladder of higher aspirations. He firmly held that ladder and showed generations of students how to climb it. His wisdom, guidance and leadership enriched the lives not only of thousands of students, but also of countless Michigan teachers and educational administrators. While Eugene would not compromise the principles that informed his career, he applied them with compassion and gentleness, in equal measure. Eugene's total commitment to the improvement of education in Metropolitan Detroit flourished against the larger landscape of his social activism, and participation in the political process. He regarded both as the higher calling of a citizen and thought of neither as a nuisance or as simply an avenue for self-promotion. Detroit residents from all walks of life knew this about Eugene, and loved him for it. Our thoughts are with his family: with Margaret Gilmer, his beloved wife of 56 years; his daughter, Crystal; his son, Eugene; his eight grandchildren, and his three great-grandchildren. Eugene Gilmer contributed immeasurably to his fellow human beings. He will be sorely missed. I salute his memory.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the extraordinary life of former Congresswoman, and my dear friend, Martha Griffiths. Martha was the matriarch of Michigan politics and one of the nation's greatest advocates for women's rights. She grew up as the daughter of a rural mail carrier in Pierce City, Missouri, where she excelled in the art of debate. Her intelligence and strong spirit carried her all the way from Missouri to the steps of the University of Michigan Law School where she and her husband became the first couple to graduate together in 1940. After graduating from the University of Michigan Law School, she and her husband founded the law firm Griffiths & Griffiths in 1946. With a top notch law school education and the creation of a successful law firm under her belt, Martha decided to run for a seat in the Michigan State House, and like everything else she did, she succeeded. Martha Griffiths was one of two women who held a seat in the Michigan House from 1949-1952. In 1954, Martha Griffiths was the first woman elected to serve the great state of Michigan in Congress, where she held the seat for 20 years. While in Congress, she became the first woman to sit on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, she served on the Joint Economic Committee and she was Chairwoman of the House Subcommittee on Fiscal Policy. During her tenure in Congress, Martha built her career fighting for equal rights for women. She fought to ensure the protections for women in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlaws discrimination in voting, public education, employment, public accommodations, and federally assisted programs. In 1970, she stalked the halls of Congress to obtain 218 signatures needed to file a discharge petition to demand that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which had languished in a House committee for 47 years, be heard by the full Congress. Congress overwhelmingly approved the ERA in 1972. Unfortunately, it was ratified by only 35 states, three short of the number needed to add it to the U.S. Constitution. She continued spearheading women's rights as Michigan's first female lieutenant governor in 1982. She also served on five corporate boards, two that had been all male and she was the only woman to serve in all three branches of government in Michigan. In addition to her great accomplishments for women's rights, Martha was also the driving force in helping me obtain my seat on the prestigious House Judiciary Committee. Being an advocate for civil rights herself, she saw the great importance of having an African American on the very Committee that handles many important issues, including civil rights. As a freshman in the House, having Martha Griffiths as a mentor and a friend was invaluable. Without the leadership, strength and courage of Martha Griffiths, women would not be where they are today and neither would I. Mr. Speaker, I would like to give special thanks to Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton for bringing this tribute to the floor. A tribute to a woman of such stature is long overdue.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, the problem that is presented in the bill that the Jackson-Lee amendment attempt to correct is the incredible ability of corporations doing business in this country to move offshore, Bermuda as an example, to do business and then escape coming into State court on class action by claiming they are a foreign corporation. These are the same companies that are eager to put ``Made in the U.S.A.'' on their products, while they at the same time avoid United States taxes and attempt to minimize their legal liability by merely shuffling corporate documents. Support the Jackson-Lee amendment.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of the time to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sandlin).

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to my good friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm). (Mr. STENHOLM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dooley). (Mr. DOOLEY of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I do.