John Conyers

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to my friend and colleague from Michigan, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, a distinguished member of the Appropriations Committee and an activist in her own right.

Mr. CONYERS. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. CONYERS. I am pleased now to yield 1 minute to my colleague, the gentlewoman from Wisconsin, Gwen Moore.

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, the distinguished gentlelady from Oakland, California, Barbara Lee.

Mr. CONYERS. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina, Judge Butterfield.

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands, Dr. Donna Christensen.

Mr. CONYERS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, the recitations of many of the Members in memory of Dorothy Height have been marked by the personal knowledge and their own intimate relationship with her. I am no different from the rest. I knew and worked with her on a regular basis. She was attending all of the functions. Up until recently, I could see her anywhere in Washington if there was a civil rights event or women's event, a national event, and so it was good to see her. Sure, she was slowing down, but most of us are anyway, so I appreciated that she was as stylish as has been referred to as always. She always had that spirit, and it is with great pleasure that I remember through the many occasions, starting from our first public meeting at the March on Washington in 1963. She, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks were very important figures as I participated in the struggle that would lead to the culmination of the great civil rights movement in American history. It is with fond memory that I remember her activity, her friendship, her helpfulness. I think that there may be some kind of national commemoration for her that might be appropriate now that we've reviewed all of the medals, commendations, and awards that she has received thus far. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS. I am pleased now to yield 1 minute to the majority leader of the House, the gentleman from Maryland, the great Steny Hoyer.

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I would like to close by thanking all the presenters, particularly singling out my dear friend on the Judiciary Committee, Judge Poe, who has done a very good job here. It occurred to me that Dorothy Height has already received so many awards, commendations, citations during her lifetime that if the distinguished President of the United States were to ask us what further could be done, I would recommend that there be some kind of event, bipartisan obviously, but one that draws in Americans who may not have participated in the struggles and the experiences that distinguished Dorothy Height's long career, and that might be a wonderful way for her to be remembered, as she no doubt will in the course of history as more and more historical books are written about her contribution going all the way back to the 1930s.

Mr. CONYERS. I want to thank Judge Poe for his generosity. At this time, I am going to yield 2 minutes to Donna Edwards of Maryland.

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I am delighted to recognize our former State senator, former ambassador, and now a Member of Congress, who has served here with such distinction, Diane Watson, Hollywood, California. I yield her 1 minute.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 1585, the ``Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act.'' This legislation will help combat the obesity epidemic facing our youth by promoting physical education for students by providing grants to schools, requiring State and local officials to report the progress on these initiatives, and improving teacher training. Let me be frank, we are facing a childhood obesity epidemic in our country. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control found that obesity rate for children ages 12 to 19 is 17.6 percent and we can not allow this to continue. Today's legislation is a first step in correcting this disturbing trend by acknowledging that the whole community must actively participate in promoting healthy lifestyles for children. First, it requires all schools, districts and States to report on quantity and quality of physical education. In addition, grants are provided to support school counseling and community learning centers in order to boost children's nutritional and physical education. It also revises the professional development program for teachers and principals to include training for physical and health education. Mr. Speaker, just a few weeks ago, this Congress passed historic health care reform legislation. The new law will change the lives of millions of Americans who could not get access to health care. While I believe this was a necessary law, we must also provide our children with the resources to live long and healthy lives. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1276, which commemorates the anniversary of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and calls on the American people to consider volunteering in their communities. The Serve America Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on April 21, 2009, created additional service and volunteer opportunities for Americans by expanding and strengthening existing federal grants and programs that provide community service. The Serve America Act provides 175,000 new service opportunities, which more than triples the number of nationwide volunteers involved in these programs. This legislation includes initiatives to increase energy conservation, improve the health status of economically disadvantaged individuals, and enhance economic opportunity for economically disadvantaged individuals. Additionally, the Serve America Act enhanced the existing learning programs of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, by providing year round opportunities to improve the education of children and youth. The volunteers involved in these programs should be applauded for working to address some of the grave problems that impact many of their fellow Americans. My friend, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, came from a family with a long legacy of serving our country. Today, we take time to honor his memory, his outstanding commitment to the public service, and this final legislative triumph. I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, on April 21, 2010, I regret that I was not present to vote on S. 1963, H. Res. 1104, and H. Res. 1216. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all votes.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, this resolution honors the life and achievements of my dear friend, the late Dr. Benjamin Lawson Hooks. With Dr. Hooks's passing last week, our nation lost a champion for justice and an iconic figure of the Civil Rights Movement. Personally, I will never forget the genuine spirit and talent Dr. Hooks had in inspiring every individual he encountered. This spirit of Dr. Hooks is what we celebrate today. In addition to being a dedicated civil rights advocate, Dr. Hooks was an accomplished attorney and judge, a government servant, and a respected Minister of the Gospel. He served as the Executive Director of the NAACP for fifteen years. He was also the first African-American appointed as Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, and the first African-American criminal court judge in Tennessee. Dr. Hooks was the founder of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change at the University of Memphis. He also founded the Children's Health Forum in 2002. And the list of his accomplishments goes on. Today, I would like to touch on three significant points. First, Dr. Hooks's leadership in the Civil Rights Movement was shaped by his firm belief that education and non-violent activism could lift the oppressed. He once said: ``There are a lot of ways an oppressed people can rise. One way to rise is to study, to be smarter than your oppressor. The concept of rising against oppression through physical contact is stupid and self-defeating . . . the most enduring contributions made to civilization have not been made by brawn, they have been made by brain.'' Dr. Hooks's own life was a testament to the power of education to overcome racism and oppression. He studied pre-law at Lemoyne-Owen College in Memphis, TN. While in college, Dr. Hooks was required to use segregated lunch counters, water fountains, and restrooms. But he was not deterred by these daily reminders of inequality--he finished his college education, and joined the U.S. Army in 1944. Even in the Army, Dr. Hooks was subjected to discrimination--he found that prisoners of war were often given better eating accommodations than African-American soldiers. Dr. Hooks's pursuit of a legal education was also full of obstacles, because no law school in his native State of Tennessee would admit him. However, he persevered, and obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from DePaul University College of Law in Illinois. And he pledged to use his hard-earned legal education to further the Civil Rights Movement. On my second point, Dr. Hooks's life's work resulted in the acceleration of significant changes towards equality in America. It has been written that ``Often in the past, Benjamin Hooks's words have been heeded by his fellow Americans and have been turned into national policies that have benefitted the whole society.'' The Civil Rights Movement is woven from the work of many people who have tirelessly campaigned to end discrimination and racism in all its forms. Dr. Hooks was a central thread in the patchwork of great civil rights leaders. His leadership in NAACP sit-ins and boycotts helped further the cause through non-violence. And he applied his hard-earned education in his work with Thurgood Marshall and members of the Regional Council of Negro Leadership to create strategies in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education. It is with great pride that I remember Dr. Hooks's fifteen years of leadership with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). I attribute the success and the turn-around of the NAACP to my friend, Dr. Hooks. His tailored focus on empowering black Americans, and his call to all Americans to continue pressing for equality, helped the NAACP combat racism, fight apartheid, and defend affirmative action. Finally, I would like to celebrate my dear friend's commitment to public service, and to lifting up people from all walks of life. Dr. Hooks never strayed from his focus on securing equality for all Americans. In 1972, he became the first African-American to be appointed to the Federal Communications Commission. He used his tenure in this distinguished government position to actively promote the employment of African-Americans and other minorities in the broadcast industry. Dr. Hooks saw his own success as an opportunity to help further the cause of equality and justice. He once said, ``Black men who have succeeded have an obligation to serve as role models for young men entrapped by a vicious cycle of poverty, despair, and hopelessness.'' I would like to commend my colleagues for their sponsorship of this resolution. In particular, I would like to thank my good friend from Memphis, Tennessee, Steve Cohen, for working with me on this important resolution. I would also like to commend the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, Lamar Smith, for joining me in co-sponsoring it. I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith and I would like to take this opportunity to thank one of the most dedicated and productive members of the Judiciary Committee staff for her service to the House, the Judiciary Committee's Chief Copyright Counsel, Stacey Dansky. For 8 years she has worked ably and diligently for the Judiciary Committee and we commend her for her achievements. After graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Vanderbilt University, Stacey earned her law degree with honors from the University of Texas School of Law, where she served as the Chief Notes Editor for the Texas Law Review. She clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Lee H. Rosenthal in Houston and later practiced law with the Washington firm of Williams & Connolly. With the Judiciary Committee, Stacey has worked on a host of issues of national significance--principally in intellectual property policy, antitrust law, civil liberties and women's rights. Stacey's efforts proved critical to the enactment of the Violence Against Women Act of 2005, and she was instrumental in the House's overwhelming passage of the Free Flow of Information Act in 2007. From 2002 through 2008, Stacey served as the Chief Antitrust Counsel to the Democratic Members of the Committee. She helped coordinate the Committee's consideration of corporate mergers like those of XM-Sirius and Delta and Northwest Airlines, drafted legislation and organized hearings on net neutrality and telecommunications issues, and led the Committee's oversight efforts involving particular industries, including the oil and the credit card industries. As the Committee's Chief Copyright Counsel, Stacey worked tirelessly on efforts to curb digital piracy, negotiate orphan works legislation, protect copyright in research publications and made invaluable contributions to the enactment of the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property (PRO-IP) Act of 2008. She has deftly and expertly led the Committee's negotiations to extend and to update the satellite and cable compulsory licenses; as she has efforts to establish a full public performance right for sound recordings, set forth in H.R. 848, the ``Performance Rights Act.'' On behalf of the Judiciary Committee, its staff, and this distinguished body, we would like to thank Stacey for her commitment to the Committee and her exemplary work. Her humility, generosity, sense of humor and professionalism will be sorely missed. She has served as a cherished advisor to the Committee's members and as a colleague, mentor and friend to many present and former Committee staff members. We wish her the best of luck and extend to her our deepest gratitude.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4851, the ``Continuing Extension Act of 2010.'' Earlier today, the Senate passed this critically important measure, which will provide short term extensions to several lapsed programs, including extended unemployment benefits and COBRA health insurance subsidies. The bill also ensures that physicians who care for Medicare patients will not suffer a debilitating cut in their reimbursement rates, which could potentially cause them to cease providing care. We pass these needed and humane extensions tonight to ease the pain being felt by our fellow citizens around the country. I sincerely hope this is the last time we are forced to cut off this social lifeline because of the dilatory tactics of Senate Republicans. Food, shelter, and health care are too important to be subjected to petty political battles. I encourage all my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. CONYERS

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 222) recognizing the leadership and historical contributions of Dr. Hector Garcia to the Hispanic community and his remarkable efforts to combat racial and ethnic discrimination in the United States of America.

Mr. CONYERS. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. CONYERS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, this resolution was brought to the Judiciary Committee's attention by our friend Solomon Ortiz of Texas, which recognizes the leadership and historical contributions of Dr. Hector Garcia to the Hispanic community and to the Nation in his remarkable efforts to combat racial and ethnic discrimination. Dr. Garcia was born in Mexico, and his family settled in Mercedes, Texas. So this concurrent resolution recognizes the leadership and historical contributions of this great American. It is singularly important to me that he graduated from a segregated high school in Texas. Segregated how? Well, it was segregated because Hispanics could not go to the schools that everybody else went to. Of course, African Americans couldn't either, so I guess they had two levels of segregation. Eventually, he got through the University of Texas, and then became a doctor. During World War II, he was a combat engineer, which is a field of the military that I, too, served in. The rest, as they say, is history. It is my intention to yield to our colleague Mr. Ortiz, who has more detail that we can add to this, though, Madam Speaker, at this moment, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas, Solomon Ortiz, whom we recognize as the dean of the Hispanic Caucus and whom I thank for bringing to our attention this great Texan and American.

Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to Mr. Chet Edwards of Texas, a real leader on improving relations not just in Texas but across the country.