John Conyers

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries).

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the leader of the Democratic Caucus, Ms. Pelosi.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased now to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlelady from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson).

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California, Mr. Eric Swalwell.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to close. I think the case has been made that the asbestos victims do not benefit from this bill, that there is no widespread fraud or abuse, that all of the victims and their organizations are, in fact, strongly opposed to H.R. 982, and so are we. It is for that reason that I urge Members of the House to soundly reject this measure. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, the Cohen amendment to limit the bill to asbestos trusts that do not have an internal fraud detection system is very appropriate. That is because, according to the Government Accountability Office, which has studied this and filed a report, they have found that in every trust that had an existing internal quality control to detect fraud, there was no evidence of systematic fraud found, and so I want to compliment the gentleman from Tennessee for bringing this to our attention. We think that it makes a better attempt at regulating and protecting victims of asbestos, and so I am very pleased to support it, and I hope that it becomes part of the bill.

Mr. CONYERS. Thank you, Mr. Nadler, for your very important amendment. As has been reported by the Fifth Circuit in the First Appellate opinion upholding the product liability against a manufacturer of asbestos-containing products, the Government Accountability Office reported: In the course of the first successful personal injury lawsuits against asbestos manufacturers, the plaintiffs' attorney introduced evidence that these manufacturers had known but concealed information about the dangers of asbestos exposure, or that such dangers were reasonably foreseeable. And in the nearly four decades since, litigation over personal injuries resulting from exposure to asbestos has resulted in hundreds of thousands of claims filed and billions of dollars of compensation paid. I urge support of the Nadler amendment.

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chairman, I wanted to commend the creative inquiry of the gentlelady from Texas in examining this measure to make it clear to us, through her amendment, that this places disclosure burdens on trusts and asbestos victims but not on the corporations, and that is what she seeks to deal with. So this bill helps this be accomplished. And what is so critical about it is that we now have a more balanced approach than is currently in the bill. So please support the Jackson Lee amendment. I thank the gentlelady for yielding.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank George Miller for the work he has done, along with the ranking member of the Financial Services Committee. The Miller-Conyers amendment simply encourages the Department of Labor to issue a rule that requires investment advisers to provide advice in a fiduciary capacity and protect access to investment education, ensure reasonable compensation to advisers, and ensure the availability of ESOP appraisals. This is what we are seeking so badly, and this is the comment that has been made about the inaccurate drafting of the bill. The Department of Labor should issue a proposed rule that seeks to protect workers, provide access to investment education, and ensure that advisers are reasonably paid. Under current rules, investment advisers may hold themselves out as acting in workers' best interests even though they are not. I repeat: under current rules, investment advisers may hold themselves out as acting in workers' best interests even though they are not. Workers in these types of plans often are required to choose between dozens of investment choices and need the advice on their investment options from people who do not have secret conflicts. Over 70 million workers and retirees depend upon 401(k) retirement plans and IRAs for their retirement savings. If there is any hope for this measure at all, H.R. 2374, it would have to have this amendment on it. I plead with those who enthusiastically support this measure to please support this amendment.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 3080, the ``Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013,'' better known as ``WRRDA.'' This legislation is long overdue, and although it is a good down-payment, this body needs to take far more drastic steps to repair and replace our nation's aging and increasingly uncompetitive water infrastructure--which will require more than $1 trillion in investment over the next couple of decades. Americans across the country will benefit commercially and economically from the improvements to infrastructure and the jobs provided by those projects. The competitive benefits and the economic jolt provided by WRRDA is an important investment in our future. It means that manufacturers can ship more cheaply and more quickly, and can more easily return jobs to our shores than if they had to struggle to bring their goods to the market. It also means that well-trained and hard-working men and women will go back to work, which will provide needed inertia to an economy that has been heavily battered by the last few weeks of brinksmanship. I will be supporting this bill because I believe that our current infrastructure backlog is desperately in need of legislative action. However, I have a number of misgivings about this bill, which I hope my colleagues will address during a conference between the chambers. Though my concerns are many, I can sum them up simply: H.R. 3080 does not do enough to eliminate the infrastructure deficit or to ensure that we do so in the most responsible way. One problem I have is that H.R. 3080 makes across the board cuts to previously authorized projects--$12 billion out of a roughly $60 billion backlog. This ``Sequester'' style cut is a bad legislative approach. The solution to a problem often requires a more deft touch than simply lopping off whatever portion seems right. Americans are already fed up with this sort of austerity from the across the board cuts that went into effect at the beginning of 2013, which has wreaked havoc upon important programs and on the American economy. I urge my colleagues to make their decisions based on a more thorough review of the merits of individual projects, instead of just demanding $12 billion in cuts and turning the scissors over to the Army Corps of Engineers. Another problem I have lies with the ``streamlining approach'' found in this legislation which does little to actually eliminate the delays that keep important projects in limbo. I am especially concerned about the portions of H.R. 3080 which dramatically alter the environmental safeguards built into existing law. One of those changes, which would cut the time that communities have to review final agency approval of water infrastructure projects from six years to 150 days--a cut of nearly 95 percent--could undermine the rights of citizens to hold their government accountable for the impact that projects may have on their community. However, even after the environmental review process is completed, these projects still face potentially endless delays because of how the appropriations process leads to grossly inadequate funding levels. That is why I support and I urge my colleagues to support the DeFazio Amendment, which will require the tremendous backlog of projects to be reduced before the environmental safeguards are touched. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3080, because although its flaws are many, it will put the shovel in the ground to dig us out of the ditch we are in. Americans are passing trillions in debt--in the form of outdated roads and water resources--on to the next generation. This may not be everything we need, but it is a good start.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to rise and address my colleagues. On November 1, households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, popularly referred to as SNAP, will see their monthly benefits sharply reduced. The temporary benefit boost provided for in the 2009 American Reinvestment and Recovery Act is scheduled to expire next month, leaving many Americans unsure of how they will put food on the table. The November 1 cut will exacerbate the problem of hunger in our Nation and make it much harder for millions of Americans--fathers, mothers, children, veterans, and Active Duty military even--to provide for their loved ones. The benefit increase passed in the depths of the Great Recession has provided Americans, both directly and indirectly, with substantial benefits. Low-income families who face unemployment and underemployment are provided a critical way to bridge the financial barriers they face. Americans who are employed in adequate-paying jobs are able to remain so because of the boost to the economy; $9 is added to the GDP for every $5 in SNAP benefits that the program provides. These cuts will come at a moment when Americans are ill prepared to afford them. The loss of SNAP will not just mean empty tables for Thanksgiving for millions. It will mean, as well, a weaker economy, now even as the effects of our prolonged shutdown and debt ceiling brinksmanship are beginning to erode economic progress. This cut in benefits will simply push the American economy into a vicious cycle which we simply cannot afford at this time. So I am urging my colleagues to avoid exacerbating the effects of this government shutdown and the potential default of government debts, and I am calling on them to support my bill, H.R. 3108, the Extend Not Cut SNAP Benefits Act, which provides for a 1-year extension of the 13 percent benefits increase contained in the ARRA through the 2014 fiscal year. I am proud to proclaim 43 cosponsors so far. In 2011, SNAP lifted 4.7 million Americans above the poverty line, including 2.1 million children. Without an extension of the 2009 Recovery Act's temporary boost to SNAP, our economy will be the worse, and our children will face a hunger they do not deserve to confront alone. So I urge my colleagues to continue the support of H.R. 3108 and ensure that Americans are not cut off at the worst possible time. Rep. Bordallo, Madeleine Z. [GU]--9/18/2013 Rep. Brown, Corrine [FL-5]--9/18/2013 Rep. Capuano, Michael E. [MA-7]--9/27/2013 Rep. Cicilline, David N. [RI-1]--9/20/2013 Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [NY-9]--9/18/2013 Rep. Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1]--9/18/2013 Rep. Cohen, Steve [TN-9]--9/20/2013 Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [VA-11]--9/18/2013 Rep. Davis, Danny K. [IL-7]--10/3/2013 Rep. Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14]--9/20/2013 Rep. Ellison, Keith [MN-5]--9/18/2013 Rep. Fudge, Marcia L. [OH-11]--9/18/2013 Rep. Green, Al [TX-9]--10/8/2013 Rep. Green, Gene [TX-29]--9/18/2013 Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-3]--9/18/2013 Rep. Honda, Michael M. [CA-17]--9/20/2013 Rep. Huffman, Jared [CA-2]--9/20/2013 Rep. Jackson Lee, Sheila [TX-18]--9/18/2013 Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30]--9/18/2013 Rep. Langevin, James R. [RI-2]--9/20/2013 Rep. Lee, Barbara [CA-13]--9/17/2013 Rep. Lewis, John [GA-5]--9/18/2013 Rep. McGovern, James P. [MA-2]--9/18/2013 Rep. Moore, Gwen [WI-4]--9/18/2013 Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [NY-1]--9/18/2013 Rep. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC]--9/18/2013 Rep. Pingree, Chellie [ME-1]--9/18/2013 Rep. Pocan, Mark [WI-2]--10/8/2013 Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [NY-13]--9/18/2013 Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1]--9/18/2013 Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9]--9/27/2013 Rep. Serrano, Jose E. [NY-15]--9/18/2013 Rep. Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1]--10/3/2013 Rep. Slaughter, Louise McIntosh [NY-25]--9/27/2013 Rep. Smith, Adam [WA-9]--9/20/2013 Rep. Takano, Mark [CA-41]--10/8/2013 Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [MS-2]--10/8/2013 Rep. Titus, Dina [NV-1]--9/18/2013 Rep. Vargas, Juan [CA-51]--9/18/2013 Rep. Vela, Filemon [TX-34]--10/10/2013 Rep. Waters, Maxine [CA-43]--9/20/2013 Rep. Welch, Peter [VT]--10/4/2013 Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [FL-24]--10/8/2013

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, today, October 10, Taiwan celebrates their National Day. This is Taiwan's 102nd anniversary and it is known as Double Ten day because it occurs on the tenth day of the tenth month. Their national birthday, they celebrate it with the same passion and pride with which Americans mark the Fourth of July. Taiwan has many reasons to celebrate their nation's history. Our friends in Southeast Asia excel in a number of areas, one of the most important being their national healthcare system. Taiwan has an effective single payer system, the National Health Insurance Program (NHI), which provides healthcare for virtually all Taiwanese citizens. I have been fighting for a similar program in the United States of America for the last 10 years. In February, I reintroduced H.R. 676, ``The Expanded and Improved Medicare For All Act,'' which would create a similar program of high quality coverage for all Americans. Taiwan also has a leading education system, which reflects the important investments that the nation has made in their children's futures. I too hope that Americans can learn from their example, and begin to invest similarly in the talents and capacity of our next generation. I congratulate my friends across the Pacific, and I wish them a very happy 102nd Double Ten Day. May they have as much to celebrate next year as they have today.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, we rise to commemorate and celebrate the life and contributions of Herman Wallace, one of the bravest champions for justice and human rights whom we have ever met. Nicknamed, ``The Muhammad Ali of Justice'', Mr. Wallace was a member of Louisiana's ``Angola 3'' who spent 41 years in solitary confinement. Mr. Richmond and I had the opportunity to visit Mr. Wallace at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, justifiably called ``the Alcatraz of the South'' several years ago. I was impressed by his courage, determination, and dignity. We received word that Mr. Wallace passed away earlier this morning, only three days after he was freed pursuant to a federal judge's ruling that he had not received a fair trial in 1974. Mr. Wallace began his struggle for justice back in the 1970s, when he, along with Robert King and Albert Woodfox, organized a prison chapter of the Black Panther Party at the Angola prison. He worked to desegregate the prison, to end systematic rape and violence, and for better living conditions for the inmates. Mr. Wallace, Albert Woodfox, and Robert King spent decades in solitary confinement--confined in cells no bigger than a parking space for 23 hours a day--for murders they say they did not commit. No physical evidence links them to these crimes. Potentially exculpatory DNA evidence has been lost, and the testimony of the main eyewitness has been discredited. Mr. Wallace showed relentless courage and perseverance in fighting the injustice and inhumane treatment that he and his fellow Angola 3 inmates were subjected to. Even from the confines of solitary confinement, he filed lawsuit after lawsuit in an effort to bring attention to the difficult conditions under which he and the others were being held. The courts finally heard him this week, and some measure of justice was granted with his release. Mr. Wallace's conviction has now been overturned. Mr. King's conviction has been overturned. State and federal judges have overturned Mr. Woodfox's conviction three times, yet Mr. Woodfox remains in prison--in solitary confinement--because of the State's appeals. On behalf of all who believe in fundamental fairness and justice, we commend Mr. Wallace's courage and determination to keep fighting through 41 long years of solitary confinement. He is an inspiration to all of us. Mr. Wallace had recently been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. With his release from prison, it was hoped that he would be able to receive the medical care that his advanced liver cancer required. Prior to his passing, Mr. Wallace's legal team said, however, that his greatest hope was that his case would help ensure that others, especially his fellow Angola 3 member Albert Woodfox, would not continue to suffer the cruel and unusual confinement that he had suffered. Because of Mr. Wallace's work, those of us in Congress who have called for his freedom will dedicate our future efforts to ensuring that no one anywhere in the United States is subjected to the unjust and inhumane treatment that he has endured. Mr. Speaker, it was with great sadness that we learned of Mr. Wallace's passing earlier this morning, nine days shy of his 72nd birthday. Mr. Wallace's personal fight against injustice and the inhuman plight that is long term solitary confinement has ended for him. The larger fight against that injustice must go on, however, and his legacy will endure through a civil lawsuit that he filed jointly with his fellow Angola 3 members, Albert Woodfox and Robert King. That lawsuit seeks to define and abolish long term solitary confinement as cruel and unusual punishment. Mr. Speaker, we ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Wallace for his many-decades-long fight for the humane treatment of prisoners. We, and all of us, owe Mr. Wallace a debt of gratitude.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Manufacturing Day, and to encourage our young people to seriously think about what manufacturing entails. According to recent reports, 55 percent of manufacturers reported business growth in 2012 and 63 percent anticipate growth this year. Meanwhile, most of their employees are at least 45 years old, with retirement on the horizon. Within the next decade, three-quarters of the workforce in this sector will need to come from Generation Y if the industry is to keep growing and evolving at its current rate. With statistics like these, companies across the nation recognize the need to recruit younger generations. For this reason they are opening their doors and welcoming our young people to tour factories and consider a career in manufacturing. By opening their doors, they want to educate young people on the skills necessary to find manufacturing work, and advise them that this work still pays better than many jobs. Take Detroit's historic rise in automotive manufacturing and production as an example. Thousands of families found quality good- paying jobs, with benefits secured through collective bargaining at the auto plants. Although many of the manufacturing jobs that built our middle class over the 20th Century were shipped overseas, there is a new focus on bringing them back by recreating what manufacturing in American looks like today. Right now, manufacturers are adding jobs at the fastest pace it has seen in the last few years, ramping up production of ``Made in America'' products. But while the manufacturing community is currently in the midst of resurgence, they are struggling to find qualified employees to fill these job openings. Since much of the industry has modernized over the last few decades, these job positions are high tech, working with robots and cutting-edge technologies that require strong math and computer skills. Manufacturing is no longer dangerous, dirty, or backbreaking work--it is a modem, technologically advanced profession. In order to continue the current manufacturing resurgence, we need to focus on preparing our youth with STEM educations to help them garner the skills that will allow them to transition into modern plants that require smart, high- tech employees. I applaud American manufacturing companies pulling together to highlight the advances across the industry, and I strongly encourage these sorts of educational opportunities for our youth. Manufacturing has long been a source of good-paying jobs that provide economic security for American's middle class and I fully support efforts to ensure it holds this position into the future.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I regret I missed votes on September 27, 2013. Had I been present, my intention was to vote ``yes'' on Senate Amendment to H.R. 1412--Improving Job Opportunities for Veterans Act. Further, I would have also voted ``yes'' on H.R. 3096 to designate a Federal Bureau of Investigation building as the ``Michael D. Resnick Terrorist Screening Center.'' A meeting in Detroit to address the economic situation of the City with senior White House officials, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, and Attorney General Eric Holder and others in the Michigan Congressional Delegation was the reason for my absence. Additionally, Governor Rick Snyder, Mayor Dave Bing, and Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr were in attendance. I felt my participation vital to the interests of my constituents.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, legendary jazz artist Dr. Larry Ridley will be honored this year by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) at the Jazz Issue Forum and Concert that will take place during the 43rd Annual Legislative Conference (ALC). Dr. Ridley, an internationally renowned bassist/composer/bandleader/educator, will also perform at the concert, which will take place on Thursday, September 19, 2013, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, in Washington, D.C. Dr. Ridley will receive the 2013 CBCF ALC Jazz Legacy Award for his contributions to jazz and world culture. Hugh Wyatt of the New York Daily News described Dr. Ridley as a ``master bassist'' and a ``musician's musician.'' He has been one of the most in-demand bassists of the past six decades, performing with over 150 artists including Wes Montgomery, Carmen McRae, Freddie Hubbard, Thelonious Monk, David Baker, Dizzy Gillespie, Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell, and Alicia Keys. Ridley has also recorded over 50 sessions as a sideman. His recordings as a leader include Other Voices and Live at Rutgers University (with the Jazz Legacy Ensemble), and Sum of the Parts. Dr. Ridley served as Chairman, Music Department, Livingston College of Rutgers University, 1972-1980; Professor of Music, Rutgers University, 1972-1999, and has served as Professor Emeritus at Rutgers, beginning in 1999. He has served as Artist-in-Residence at a number of colleges, universities and institutions including Southern University, College of the Virgin Islands, University of Natal-Durban and the Schomburg Center/New York Public Library, where he has been in residence since 1993. Dr. Ridley's numerous honors and awards include the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation's Living Legacy Jazz Award (1997), Howard University's Benny Golson Award (2001) and the Don Redman Society's Don Redman Heritage Award (2011). He has also been inducted into The International Association of Jazz Educators Hall of Fame (1998); Down Beat Magazine's Jazz Education Hall of Fame (1999) and received the Rutgers University/ Livingston College Legacy Award (2011). Mr. Speaker, Dr. Larry Ridley is a living jazz treasure and I urge all members to join me in commending him for his magnificent contributions as an artist and educator.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, legendary jazz artist Bobby Watson will be honored this year by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) at the Jazz Issue Forum and Concert that will take place during the 43nd Annual Legislative Conference (ALC). Mr. Watson, an internationally renowned saxophonist/composer/arranger/bandleader/ educator, will also perform at the concert, which will take place on Thursday, September 19, 2013, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, in Washington, D.C. Mr. Watson will receive the 2013 CBCF ALC Jazz Legacy Award for his contributions to jazz and world culture. Blessed with sizzling and sinewy sound that Jazz: The Rough Guide described as ``a highly individual, extraordinarily fluid style imbued with powerful feeling,'' Watson was born in Lawrence, Kansas, and grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. He started playing piano at ten, the clarinet one year later, took up the saxophone in the eighth grade, played in various concert and R&B bands in high school. He graduated from the University of Miami in 1975, moved to New York City. Watson joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, serving as his Musical Director from 1977 to 1981. He has recorded over one hundred recordings as a sideman and has worked with an impressive array of artists including Max Roach, Joe Williams, Dianne Reeves, Betty Carter and Lou Rawls. He was also a co-founder of the 29th Street Saxophone Quartet. Watson formed the group, Horizon in 1980. Horizon's six recordings include No Question About It, Midwest Shuffle and Post-Motown Bop. Watson's nearly thirty CD's as a leader include Appointment in Milano, Round Trip, The Year of the Rabbit and his Kansas City opus, The Gates BBQ Suite. Watson's compositions, ``In Case You Missed It,'' ``Love Remains,'' and ``E.T.A,'' are considered modern jazz standards. Prof. Watson taught at William Patterson University in the mid-eighties, and at the Manhattan School of Music from 1986 to 1999. He returned to Kansas City in 2000, where he was selected as the recipient of the first William D. and Mary Grant Missouri Distinguished Professorship in Jazz Studies, the first endowed chair at the University of Missouri- Kansas City Conservatory of Music, where he continues to serve as the Conservatory's Director of Jazz Studies. Watson received Howard University's Benny Golson Award earlier this year. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Watson is a living jazz treasure and I urge all members to join me in commending him for his magnificent contributions as an artist and educator.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, this bill, introduced on September 9, 2013, would establish two public safety grant programs. Section 2 establishes Shield Police Hiring Grants, to be implemented by the Attorney General, to provide grants to law enforcement agencies that operate in Elevated Need Localities. An ``Elevated Need Locality'' is a county (or unit of local government which is not part of a county) which (1) has a crime rate above the national average, and (2) has had budget reductions during the most recent 5-year period. These law enforcement agencies could apply to the Attorney General to receive funds to hire law enforcement officers, or to rehire officers who have been laid off due to budget reductions. Grants would last for three years and may be extended by two years at the discretion of the Attorney General. One hundred million dollars for each fiscal year 2014 through 2019 are authorized to be appropriated for this program. Section 3 establishes Shield Public Safety Enhancement Grants, to be implemented by the Attorney General, to provide grants to units of local government that has jurisdiction over all or part of an Elevated Need Locality. Local governments could apply to the Attorney General to receive funds to enhance public safety in a number of ways, such as purchasing public safety equipment, funding public safety programs, making infrastructure improvements for the purpose of enhancing public safety, purchasing and installing street lights to deter crime, funding activities related to crime labs, and funding public defender programs. Non-profit organizations operating in Elevated Need Localities may also apply for grants under this program to fund initiatives designed to reduce crime in these jurisdictions. Grants would be for one year but may be extended at the discretion of the Attorney General. One hundred million dollars for each fiscal year 2014 through 2019 are authorized to be appropriated for this program.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the working people of this great Nation. My fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus and I are here tonight to honor the Labor Movement. We do so one week after our Nation celebrated its 119th Labor Day, and two weeks after we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Justice. It is only appropriate that we pay homage to both tonight, as the Labor Movement and the Civil Rights Movement are sisters in the fight for dignity, freedom, and justice. Over the years, Labor Day like many holidays has lost much of its meaning. Today, most Americans simply think of it as the end of summer, or the beginning of school. One last moment to enjoy the beach or the backyard with friends and family. However, Labor Day is also a day during which we should honor those who paid the ultimate price to secure their children a more perfect union. At Bay View in 1885, at Haymarket in 1886, at Pullman in 1894, and in Memphis in 1968, members of the Labor Movement laid down their lives so that others might earn a living. My own support for collective bargaining rights started early on with my father, John Conyers Sr., who worked with the United Auto Workers to integrate factories in Detroit, before the Civil Rights Movement took that battle to the buses of Alabama and the lunch counters of North Carolina. His battle--Labor's battle--was one which Dr. Martin Luther King would later recognize as the final frontier for the Civil Rights Movement. Specifically, the availability of jobs that paid a fair wage--wage upon which one could raise a family, plan for old age, and live a life beyond mere survival. Dr. King once spoke of the Labor Movement as the ``first and pioneer anti-poverty program.'' In his last battle, Dr. King went to Memphis, TN, the city that would claim his life, to stand with the sanitation workers of that city who sought what so many of us take for granted and so many of us only dream of: a fair day's pay, for a fair day's work. Speaking to the sanitation workers of Memphis, he acknowledged the threats he had received, but he told them that he stood before them unafraid of any man, for he had been to the mountain top, and even if he didn't reach the Promised Land, he knew that others would one day. Today, we are still on that mountaintop, waiting for the Promised Land. Through the sacrifices of labor and civil rights leaders, we were led out of bondage, but we still have not reached the land promised in the American dream. It is my hope that in the 21st Century, we will see the same progress we saw through the middle part of the 20th Century. I hope to see the middle class prosper, I hope to see management work with labor to produce wonders that we could not hope to achieve without cooperation, and I hope to finally see poverty conquered through the power of fair wages and honest toil. Together, workers can seize the dream that will slip out of any one person's grasp. Together, workers have the power to ford any river, cross any valley, and come down from the mountain where we have been for too long.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I regretfully rise to express my opposition to H.R. 850, the most recent legislative effort by this body to further increase sanctions on Iran. Although I believe the intentions of the authors of this legislation are good, I believe our shared goal of preventing Iran from achieving a nuclear weapon will actually be harmed by bringing this legislation forward at this critical moment. In three days, Iran will inaugurate a new president--Hasan Rowhani-- who was elected after he ran on a platform of engaging with the United States and rejecting the extremist policies of his predecessor. Despite the fact that Mr. Rowhani was not the preferred candidate of Supreme Leader Khamenei, he was elected by an overwhelming majority of the Iranian people this past June. In short, the Iranian people rejected an extremist government and voted for the candidate who represented the best opportunity to break with the human rights violations and belligerent policies of the past. Yet, instead of taking this moment to re-engage with Iran and pursue diplomacy--which is the only way to ultimately prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon--we are instead moving forward with new, crippling sanctions before we have the opportunity to see whether President-elect Rowhani's campaign promises will lead to new, positive action. Even worse, this legislation sends a message to the Iranian people that their bravery and massive turnout this past June in the face of violent repression and intimidation from the government, was a futile and irrelevant action in the eyes of the United States. In addition to this legislation's unfortunate timing, this bill also contains several troubling provisions which diverge significantly from previous Iran sanctions legislation. The bill contains policy language that changes the red line for war with Iran from the clear position laid out by the Obama Administration to a nebulous position that Iran should not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapons ``capability.'' The term ``capability'' is not defined in the bill. When dealing with questions of war and peace, it is incumbent that Congress and the Administration speak with one voice and avoid putting forward policy positions are open to interpretation and could pave the way for war. Additionally, the bill places significant restrictions on the President's ability to waive sanctions in exchange for positive action by Iran on the nuclear issue. In doing so, the bill threatens to fracture the unprecedented international coalition working to prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear weapon. For all of these reasons, both procedural and substantive, I oppose the bill.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, on July 31, 2013, I inadvertently cast a ``nay'' vote on agreeing to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1911. I intended to vote ``yea.'' On July 31, 2013, I was not present to vote on passage of H.R. 850. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the 48 years of Medicare's existence. The benefits Medicare has brought to older Americans are almost boundless. Millions of Americans have lived longer, more productive, healthier lives because of the medical care they received under this program. Many would have incurred financial ruin, suffered needlessly and died prematurely otherwise. I voted for Medicare during my first summer as a congressman, back in 1965, during a time that was very different from the America of today. For several years, President Lyndon Johnson had been calling for Congressional action to address the overwhelming need to extend medical care to all seniors, as only half of older adults had any health insurance during that era. Responding to President Johnson's call for a Medicare bill, and following my own convictions, I joined with Rep. Cecil King of California and introduced in January of 1965, as my very first piece of legislation, a bill that would have provided hospital care under Social Security and an increase of benefits. I said, at the time, ``Our senior citizens have far too long been neglected in this the most prosperous of societies on earth. Many of them, after leading productive lives prior to their twilight years, have been so overburdened with medical costs that they have been denied the rewards that should come with retirement.'' We have five decades of evidence that indicates the solution to our nation's healthcare crisis isn't cutting Medicare. It's strengthening Medicare and expanding it to cover everyone. However the Affordable Care Act ultimately plays out, we know two things for certain: Millions of Americans will remain uncovered and the for-profit insurance industry will remain in charge of prices and life- and-death treatment decisions. The only way to ensure everyone is covered is with Medicare-for-All, single payer system. The richest country in the history of humanity has a moral obligation to cover all of its inhabitants with health care coverage. We believe health care is a right, and should not be treated as a benefit reserved for the privileged. Mr. Speaker, today, as we celebrate Medicare's birthday, I urge Congress to fulfill Medicare's promise and enact H.R. 676, single-payer legislation and enshrine health care as a fundamental right recognized by our great nation.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon, I attended a meeting at the White House with the President of the United States. As such, I was unfortunately not able to be present for the following vote: On final passage of H.R. 2879, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.'' Personal Explanation