Elijah Cummings

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I urge the Members of the House to vote for this very, very important bill. This is one that our committee and subcommittee have worked on for a long time. It is overdue, and it's an outstanding bipartisan effort.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, ensuring that the Coast Guard can effectively manage its acquisition efforts and that it is fully accountable for its use of taxpayer hard-earned resources has been among my highest priorities. In his memorandum on Federal contracting management issued on March 4, President Barack Obama argued that ``it is essential that the Federal Government have the capacity to carry out robust and thorough management of its contracts in order to achieve programmatic goals, avoid significant overcharges, and curb wasteful spending.'' I authored the Coast Guard Acquisition Reform Act of 2009, H.R. 1665, in an effort to institutionalize within the Coast Guard the processes and procedures that will help the service meet this standard. I want to thank Congressman Oberstar, the chairman of the full Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for his diligent work on this bill and for his unwavering focus on effective oversight. He has tirelessly led the Transportation Committee's efforts to ensure that we fully account for the expenditure of every single taxpayer dollar in the transportation realm, and the United States public is the true beneficiary of his dedication. I also thank the ranking member of the full committee, Congressman Mica, and the ranking member of our subcommittee, Congressman LoBiondo, for working so closely and constructively with us on the drafting of this legislation. Since becoming the subcommittee chairman in January, 2007, I have convened four subcommittee hearings that have focused partially or entirely on Coast Guard acquisition efforts. The major focus of these hearings has been the multibillion-dollar Deepwater program that is intended to replace or rehabilitate the Coast Guard's air and surface assets. When the Coast Guard signed the initial Deepwater contract, the service lacked standardized acquisition processes. It lacked a proven process to guide the generation of asset requirements, designs, and acquisition strategies, and it had only limited acquisition management capability among its staff. Without the capacity to hold its contractors accountable for their performance, the consortium hired by the Coast Guard to implement the lead systems integration function for the Deepwater program essentially took the Coast Guard for a ride that wasted hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars. Thus, the Government Accountability Office has detailed that of the more than $6 billion that has been appropriated for Deepwater since fiscal year 2002, nearly $300 million has been spent on projects that were canceled or subsequently restructured, including $95 million wasted in the failed effort to lengthen 110-foot patrol boats to 123 feet, a contract failure that the full Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure examined during an 11-hour investigative hearing convened by Chairman Oberstar; $119 million wasted on the first effort to develop a vertical unmanned aerial vehicle; and $66 million wasted on the first designs for the Offshore Patrol Cutter and the Fast Response Cutter. Mr. Speaker, I say we can do better. The Coast Guard's need for the new assets to be produced under Deepwater is without question, but the Coast Guard will not obtain assets that fully meet its mission requirement if it cannot effectively manage its procurement Process. In response to the extensive criticisms leveled at the service's acquisition management capabilities, the Coast Guard's Commandant, Admiral Thad Allen, has created a new Acquisition Directorate. Under his leadership, the service issued and is continuing to revise a ``Blueprint for Acquisition Reform.'' The service is also developing the process and capabilities that will enable it to assume the lead systems integration function. During our subcommittee's most recent hearing on acquisition issues, the Coast Guard announced that under an agreement signed the morning of our hearing, all options for extending the Deepwater contract with the Lockheed Martin-Northrop Grumman team beyond the date of expiration of the current award, January 24, 2011, were eliminated. I, of course, applaud this move. That said, during the hearing we also learned that certain challenges remain. Since 2007, the course of the acquisitions contained within the Deepwater program as currently envisioned have grown by more than $2 billion and are now projected to approach $27 billion. Cost overruns in Coast Guard acquisition efforts remain a very serious concern. Further, this month the Government Accountability Office released a new report whose very title contains a serious warning. The title reads: ``As Deepwater Systems Integrator, Coast Guard is Reassessing Costs and Capabilities but Lags in Applying Its Disciplined Acquisition Approach.'' This report notes that the service has moved to procure the Fast Response Cutter, the first asset acquisition effort that the service is managing entirely in-house, without having in place all acquisition documentation required by its Major Systems Acquisition Manual. Even if the Coast Guard establishes the best possible management systems, they will be of no use if they are not followed. Further, while the service is requiring that its largest programs be managed by individuals with professional acquisition management qualifications, the service recently designated as the Program Executive Officer for the Coast Guard Acquisition Directorate an Admiral-select who lacked the highest available acquisition management qualifications, despite having a dozen captains who have achieved a Level III program management certification. Again, I say, we can do better. Through a bipartisan effort, we have crafted detailed legislation that responds directly to the challenges in the Coast Guard acquisition management that we have so thoroughly examined in the subcommittee and full committee, and that builds on the acquisition management reforms the Coast Guard has already implemented. H.R. 1665, the Coast Guard Acquisition Reform Act of 2009, as amended, would strengthen specific acquisition processes and establish personnel-related standards and policies for individuals in the Coast Guard's acquisition workforce. The legislation would bar the Coast Guard from using a private-sector lead systems integrator beginning September 30th, 2011, the date on which the use of private-sector lead systems integrators will end at the Department of Defense. The legislation would require the appointment of a Chief Acquisition Officer who, at the Commandant's choice, can be either a member of the military or a civilian member of the Senior Executive Service, but who must be a Level III Program Manager and who must have 10 years of professional experience in acquisition management. Additionally, the legislation will require that the Coast Guard put in place systems to ensure that it effectively and efficiently defines operational requirements before initiating acquisition efforts, and that all acquired assets undergo thorough developmental and operational testing to ensure that they will meet mission needs and pose no safety risks or threats to Coast Guard personnel. The legislation would also ensure that the service develops and critically maintains within its workforce the expertise that it will need to effectively and efficiently oversee acquisition efforts in the future by requiring the service to establish career paths in acquisition management. H.R. 1665 would also provide expedited hiring authority so that the service can quickly fill vacancies in its acquisition workforce. I, again, thank Chairman Oberstar, Ranking Member Mica, Ranking Member LoBiondo for their work on this legislation, and for making this truly a bipartisan effort. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1665, as amended, and look forward to working with our Senate colleagues to enact a final version that can be presented to President Obama for his signature. House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Washington, DC, July 10, 2009. Hon. Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC Dear Chairman Thompson: I write to you regarding H.R. 1665, the ``Coast Guard Acquisition Reform Act of 2009''. I agree that provisions in H.R. 1665 are of jurisdictional interest to the Committee on Homeland Security. I acknowledge that by forgoing a sequential referral, your Committee is not relinquishing its jurisdiction and I will fully support your request to be represented in a House-Senate conference on those provisions over which the Committee on Homeland Security has jurisdiction in H.R. 1665. This exchange of letters will be inserted in the Committee Report on H.R. 1665 and in the Congressional Record as part of the consideration of this legislation in the House. I look forward to working with you as we prepare to pass this important legislation. Sincerely, James L. Oberstar, M.C. Chairman.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 1665.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1665) to structure Coast Guard acquisition processes and policies, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, we have no additional speakers, so I would reserve.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, I rise to recognize Rear Admiral Gary T. Blore for his distinguished service as the Assistant Commandant for Acquisition and Chief Acquisition Officer for the United States Coast Guard. Having completed his tour at Coast Guard Headquarters, he has now assumed command of the Coast Guard's 13th District, located in the Pacific Northwest. Admiral Blore took the helm of Coast Guard acquisition programs at a time when these programs were facing significant challenges. Early procurements in the Deepwater program--a multi-billion dollar program intended to repair or replace the Coast Guard's air and surface assets--had failed. Additionally, the decision made years earlier to manage the Deepwater procurements outside the service's existing acquisition management structure had created serious oversight and even morale challenges. The Coast Guard needed to completely revamp its acquisition management systems to create a structure equal to the size of its acquisition initiatives and capable of effectively overseeing its contractors and obtaining best value for the expenditure of taxpayer resources. Admiral Blore has ably led that change and, working closely with the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, has modernized the Coast Guard's acquisition management systems. His leadership guided the reorganization of several stalled projects that have now produced an unprecedented number of urgently needed capital assets for the Coast Guard, including modern helicopters, airplanes, boats, large cutters, and sophisticated shore, air and sea- based command and control systems. Responding to the extensive criticisms of the early Deepwater effort and the Rescue-21 program, Admiral Blore led the organization of a new Acquisition Directorate. He issued and updated a Blueprint for Acquisition Reform, which continues to guide the creation of acquisition management systems within the new Directorate. Further, he oversaw the successful extraction of the Deepwater procurements from the Integrated Coast Guard System team and brought the Lead Systems Integration functions back in-house. Additionally, Admiral Blore updated the Coast Guard's Major Systems Acquisition Manual, published an Acquisition Human Capital Strategic Plan, and developed 30-year air and surface asset recapitalization plans that will guide the service's ongoing effort to effectively plan future capital needs. I believe that under the leadership of Commandant Thad Allen and Admiral Blore, the Coast Guard has positioned itself to more effectively manage its acquisition efforts and to produce assets that will significantly enhance the Coast Guard's mission readiness. To ensure that these and other needed acquisition management reforms are solidly established, I introduced legislation during this Congress--the Coast Guard Acquisition Reform Act of 2009, H.R. 1665-- which builds on and institutionalizes the many reforms that Admiral Blore has introduced. This measure will strengthen the Coast Guard's ability to manage complex acquisition projects and I look forward to its full consideration and passage by the House. Admiral Blore has had a long and distinguished career in service to our Nation. He is an accomplished Coast Guard aviator; this fall, he will relieve Vice Admiral Vivien Crea as the Coast Guard's Ancient Albatross--the service's longest-serving active duty aviator. I know Admiral Blore to be a man of unyielding integrity who has forthrightly presented to me and to the Congress the full extent of the problems he has confronted. I also know him to be an effective and deliberate manager who has diligently addressed the problems he faced and who leaves a modern acquisition organization that reflects his dedication to excellence. I am honored to pay tribute to Admiral Blore in the United States Congress and on behalf of the Representatives and staff who have been fortunate enough to work with him. I wish him, his wife Vera, his son David, and his daughter Anna the very best.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Chairman, just before I yield to our chairman, I want to just say to the gentleman we are talking about only providing security to U.S. flagged vessels carrying United States Government cargoes operated by United States citizens. Surely we can provide that. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield to the chairman of the Armed Services Committee (Mr. Skelton).

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Chairman, I would urge the body to pass this amendment. I think it's a very important amendment. We have heard the testimony in our subcommittee and this is an appropriate way to address it. It's a reasonable way. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise in strong support of a great bill, the fiscal year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act. Additionally, Mr. Chairman, I'm proud that the language I offered to ensure that the National Guard and Reserve components are represented in the overall composition and scope of the Military Leadership Diversity Commission has been included in the en bloc. By including the National Guard and Reserves, we ensure that the DOD does not present Congress with incomplete recommendations regarding the representation of gender- and ethnic-specific groups within the armed services. My passion is to ensure that our armed services are representative of America and that the leadership pipeline reflects our Nation's diversity. And this amendment simply ensures that when the study and composition of this Commission is formulated, that the National Guard and Reserve components are included. No component should be left behind in the DOD's shift to increase diversity in the Armed Forces. We can and we must do better for the sake of future gender- and ethnic-specific groups that will join the ranks to ensure minority representation, leadership and promote equality.

Mr. CUMMINGS. I have an amendment at the desk that was made in order by the rule.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I also extend my deep thanks to Chairman Skelton for working so closely with me on this amendment, and I applaud his leadership of the House Armed Services Committee. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, I have convened two hearings to examine maritime piracy, including one in May after two U.S.-flagged vessels, the Maersk Alabama and the Liberty Sun, both of which were carrying U.S. food aid, were attacked by Somali pirates. The attack against the Maersk Alabama left American Captain Richard Phillips hostage to the pirates. He was freed only through the decisive intervention of U.S. military forces. Incidents of piracy in the Horn of Africa region are increasing. According to the International Maritime Bureau, in 2008 there were 111 actual and attempted Somali pirate attacks, resulting in the hijackings of 42 vessels. By mid May of this year, there had already been 114 actual and attempted Somali pirate attacks, resulting in 29 successful hijackings. Nonetheless, despite the obvious threat to United States mariners, the Department of Defense has been inexplicably reluctant to directly secure U.S.-flagged vessels transiting the Horn of Africa region, even when they are carrying government-owned cargoes. While I have no doubt that our military would respond immediately if another U.S.-flagged vessel was attacked, the timeliness of their response could be hindered if Navy assets are far from the scene. Further, it is truly preferable to prevent an incident from occurring rather than to respond to a hostage situation. However, the DOD has repeatedly argued, including in the testimony before my subcommittee, that the area in which Somali pirates operate is so vast the Navy simply cannot prevent every attack by conducting patrols and, therefore, essentially merchant vessels should protect themselves. This perspective assumes that the only way the military can protect merchant shipping from pirates is to stage vessels across the entire million- square-mile theater of operations. Frankly, there are other ways to protect our merchant fleet. The United States Maritime Administration estimates that approximately 54 U.S.-flagged vessels transit the Horn of Africa region during the course of a year. Of these, about 40 will carry U.S. Government food aid cargoes, and 44 have the ability to carry U.S. military cargoes. Only a handful of these vessels, fewer than 10 in a 3-month period, are estimated to be at serious risk of attack by pirates due to their operating characteristics. Given these figures, my amendment would require the Department of Defense to embark military security personnel on U.S.-flagged vessels carrying United States Government cargoes when they transit pirate- infested waters if they are deemed to be at risk of being boarded by pirates. Mr. Chairman, U.S. maritime labor unions collectively testified before my subcommittee in support of the immediate provision to U.S.- flagged vessels by the government of ``the force protection necessary to prevent any further acts of piracy against them.'' In keeping with that position, the Transportation Trades Department of The AFL-CIO; the Masters, Mates and Pilots Union; the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association and others support this legislation. The maritime unions also wrote in their testimony, ``When a vessel flies the United States flag, it becomes an extension of the United States itself, regardless of where in the world the vessel is operating.'' With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson) for yielding, and I want to certainly thank Chairman Conyers, Chairman Scott, Mr. Issa, the entire Judiciary Committee, and the House leadership for recognizing the importance of this legislation by bringing it to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, while our soldiers fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, many citizens across our Nation are facing terrorism right here at home, right here in their own neighborhoods. People are being murdered in broad daylight, and their killers are walking free because we do not protect witnesses to crimes from threats against their safety if they cooperate with the police, if they testify in court, or even if they are listed as witnesses to testify in court. This epidemic of witness intimidation is a menace to our civil society, and it is a plague on our entire justice system. In fact, it was the deaths of Angela and Carnell Dawson and their five children, ages 9 to 14, that first motivated me to address this issue. I can remember very vividly sitting at a funeral with one adult casket and with the caskets of five children. Then, a day later, the husband died, and we went to his funeral. The entire Dawson family was killed in October 2002 when a gang member firebombed their home in the middle of the night in retaliation for Mrs. Dawson's repeated complaints to the police about the recurring drug trafficking in her east Baltimore neighborhood. I might add, Mr. Speaker, that Mrs. Dawson literally lived within about a 5-minute drive from my house. Angela Dawson and her family were not affiliated in any way with drugs or gangs. Rather, Mrs. Dawson was just a civic-minded parent, trying to clean up her neighborhood, and trying to make it a safe place for her children and for other families. While several State and local entities have established witness assistance programs, many of these programs have fallen victim to the tough economic times and have had to be discontinued. Conversely, the U.S. Marshals Service uses $65 million to operate its Federal Witness Security Program, and it has an excellent track record. In all of its years in existence, they have never been known to have lost a witness, and at the same time, the prosecutors in those cases have had an 89 percent success rate. It is because of this inequity that I call upon my colleagues to give law enforcement the ability to protect the sanctity of our justice system and pass H.R. 1741, the Witness Security and Protection Grant Program Act. H.R. 1741 would help local law enforcement officers strengthen witness assistance and protection units, sending a very loud and clear message to criminals that our citizens and we in the Congress of the United States of America will not be deterred by fear tactics like intimidation. Speaking of intimidation, throughout the City of Baltimore, we have a group that put out two trailers entitled ``Stop Snitching.'' In one of those trailers I, along with the State's attorney, were threatened because we were standing up for this legislation and because we were standing up for witnesses. I made it very clear to them that I have no fear because, if you can have a situation where a person can literally be standing on a corner and 20 people know the perpetrator and the perpetrator comes up and blows somebody's brains out and nobody testifies, what happens then is that we have given the criminal more power; we have taken power away from regular citizens. The next thing you know, the criminal feels that there are no consequences to his or her actions. You cannot have a criminal justice system that is effective and efficient unless you have the cooperation of witnesses. It is up to this Congress to make it very, very clear that we will not, under any circumstances, stand for witnesses to be intimidated, harmed, threatened, killed or in any way deterred from carrying out their duties to assist police and law enforcement. The bill would provide $150 million in competitive grants over 5 years to enable State and local governments to establish witness assistance programs with priority given to cities or to locales that have had an average of at least 100 homicides per year during the most recent 5-year period. H.R. 1741 would also allow these programs to receive technical assistance from the United States Marshals Service. By improving the protection for State and local witnesses, we come one step closer to alleviating the fears and the threats of prospective witnesses and to safeguarding our communities from violence. Again, I want to thank Mr. Conyers. I want to thank Mr. Johnson, Mr. Scott, and the ranking member for their support. I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, on June 8, 1967, the USS Liberty was patrolling the waters of the Mediterranean when Israeli planes and torpedo boats attacked the ship. I rise today to pay a special tribute to those who lost their lives and the survivors of this attack on the 42nd Anniversary. Shortly before the Six-Day War began, the USS Liberty was ordered to proceed to the eastern Mediterranean to perform an electronic intelligence collection mission. On June 8th, air and naval forces of Israel attacked the ship without warning. Of a crew of 294 officers and men the ship suffered 34 killed in action and 173 wounded in action. The ship itself, a $40 million state- of-the-art signals intelligence platform, was so badly damaged that it never sailed on an operational mission again and was sold in 1970 as scrap for a mere $100,000. No ship in our history has ever received such damage and casualties by accident. After 34 years, the voices of Liberty's dead and wounded seamen must finally be heard. Despite the continuing efforts to uncover the real truths about the attack, Martin Luther King Jr., said it best-- ``History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.'' Although no amount of time can ever erase the memories of that tragic event or bring back those who perished, it is my hope that the wounds of their loved ones have begun to heal.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, over the last decade, small businesses have created 70 percent of our new jobs, and they are responsible for half of all the jobs in our nation's workforce. In fact, in my home State of Maryland, more than 500,000 small businesses provide our State with more jobs than any other source--except the federal government. This job creating potential is even more important during economic downswings like the current one. It is interesting to note that, despite declines in corporate America, the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well. Every month, 400,000 new businesses start up across the country. For these reasons, providing small businesses with the tools they need to grow and thrive again will be critical to the nation's overall economic recovery. It is with this knowledge and appreciation that I proudly express my support for President Obama's declaration of May 17-May 23 as National Small Business Week. As a former small business owner for nearly 20 years, I know first- hand that one of the most pressing challenges facing small businesses is access to affordable credit and capital. I know how hard it can be to meet one's payroll, day after day and week after week. I also know what it is like to be turned down for the business loan that you desperately need (and deserve)--even while other less qualified competitors somehow receive that essential capital support. In my thirteen years in the U.S. House of Representatives, I have supported efforts that have uplifted the small business community--and 2009 has been another marquee year. During National Small Business Week, the House passed a number of bills aimed at providing business owners with the requisite tools. H.R. 2352, the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act of 2009 would provide critical resources to help businesses grow and adapt. Specifically, it creates a grant program designed to assist small firms in securing capital, supplementing the new small business lending generated by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in February 2009. These entrepreneurial development programs are a wise investment in our economy. It is estimated that for every $1 spent on these programs, there is a $2.87 return to the Treasury--and these programs have helped to create 73,000 jobs in 2008 alone. As I close, I will also take this opportunity to align myself with the vision expressed by President Obama, who recently stated that ``it is imperative that we do all we can to celebrate the achievements of small business owners and encourage the creation of new businesses.'' Americans are exploring new ways to conduct business, and small business owners are an invaluable resource in this national effort. They are the real heroes of American industry--and May 17-May 23 is deservedly theirs.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of Captain Brian Kelley, who has served as the Commander of Coast Guard Sector Baltimore since June 2006. He is transferring out of this assignment on May 29. As Captain of the Port of Baltimore, Captain Kelley oversaw all Coast Guard operations at this major port, currently ranked 12th in value of foreign cargo handled and 14th in foreign tonnage handled. During his tenure, Captain Kelley conducted Major Control actions or detentions of 23 foreign vessels for safety violations--ensuring the safety of vessel operations in the Port of Baltimore. He also managed more than 1,100 search and rescue cases that saved the lives of more than 250 mariners in distress. Captain Kelley oversaw a major effort to improve environmental conditions at Sector Baltimore and directed the clean-up of the abandoned vessel Sea Witch, preventing the release of more than half a million gallons of oil into the environment. Captain Kelley's next assignment will be as the Deputy Commander of the Coast Guard's Personnel Services Command. As such, he will assist in managing all personnel services for all of the Coast Guard's nearly 42,000 active duty military members and in supervising the Coast Guard's recruiting efforts. Since graduating from the Coast Guard Academy in 1982, Captain Kelley's assignments have included service as the Commander of cutters ATTU and POINT FRANKLIN. He also served as Chief of the Strategic and Business Planning Division at Coast Guard headquarters and was a Federal Executive Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. On a personal note, I have known Captain Kelley to be an extraordinarily conscientious leader--and have appreciated his personal hospitality during numerous events at Sector Baltimore. I have also appreciated his diligence in keeping me and my staff fully informed of developments at Sector Baltimore, including the Sector's evaluation of the proposed LNG terminal at Sparrow's Point in the Port of Baltimore. Captain Kelley is an outstanding officer who embodies the highest ideals of the Coast Guard and I commend him for his dedication to excellence in the service of our nation.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Recently, Mr. Speaker, I met with a distinguished group of Pakistani Americans whom I proudly represent in the Seventh Congressional District of Maryland. I listened to their perspectives regarding the current situation in Pakistan. Ladies and gentlemen, I rise today to share their concerns, and I urge each of you to recognize the complex emergency that is taking place in Pakistan. The situation requires our immediate attention and assistance. As you should be aware, more than 3 million people have been displaced from the Swat Valley area of Pakistan since early April 2009. At a rate of approximately 85,000 people fleeing per day, the unfolding internal displacement crisis in Pakistan is the fastest movement of people in such massive numbers since the Rwandan genocide of 1994. The United Nations has warned of a long-term humanitarian crisis, and it has called for massive aid for the refugees. President Obama's administration took a proactive role in providing humanitarian aid to the internally displaced people. The administration's recent announcement to provide $110 million in additional humanitarian aid was the beginning of a new era of friendship and trust between the governments and the people of Pakistan and the United States. Although this funding was a significant first step, it is only a fraction of what is required to repatriate the internally displaced people to their homes and to reestablish some degree of normalcy in their lives. All efforts must be made for the safe and early return of the internally displaced Pakistanis to their homes. The United States, along with the international community, must come together and provide the needed assistance. Recently, I sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to ask that she immediately increase her appeal of help to the international community from the current $500 million to $1 billion in humanitarian aid to provide immediate assistance to the internally displaced people from Swat. Lending support of this magnitude equates to a small pledge of approximately $400 per IDP. The second concern is the impression the Pakistani people have about the United States' interest. We must work to dispel the image the Pakistanis have about our country. The time has come to establish a long-term, consistent policy to close the trust deficit in our relationship by making investments in Pakistan's future. I believe that the United States needs to take immediate action which translates into goodwill in the eyes of the Pakistanis. Effective ways to accomplish this goal by directly impacting people's lives include providing more humanitarian aid, investing in infrastructure development projects such as electrical power plants, road construction and railway improvements, and contributing to bilateral trade. It is imperative that we focus on projects with a tangible outcome that improve the well-being of Pakistanis. Pakistanis are putting faith into democratic movements. Now we must learn how to relate to them and how to build their confidence in our ability to deliver on our promises. My discussion with the Pakistani Americans in my district was an eye opener that allowed me to gain their perspectives on the current situation in Pakistan. I encouraged Ambassador Holbrooke to and he has agreed to sit down with a small group on June 12, 2009, so that he, too, can get a better understanding of the complex issues that the people of Pakistan now face. I also encourage each of you to reach out to the Pakistani Americans and to their affiliated organizations within your districts. I encourage you to really listen to what they have to say. You will be amazed by what they will tell you. Let us seize the moment by delivering President Obama's promise of hope to the people of the great nation of Pakistan.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, on May 12 2009, due to an illness, I missed the following recorded votes: Roll No. 243, on a Motion to Table a Resolution Raising a Question of the Privileges of the House; had I been present, I would have voted ``aye''; Roll No. 244, on H. Res. 413--Supporting the goals and ideals of ``IEEE Engineering the Future'' Day on May 13, 2009; had I been present, I would have voted ``aye''; and, Roll No. 245, on H. Res. 378--Recognizing the 30th anniversary of the election of Margaret Thatcher as the first female Prime Minister of Great Britain; had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, on June 28, 2000, the Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD)--and indeed, the entire Baltimore community-- lost a dedicated and passionate advocate and brother, Mr. James Thomas. He had retired from BCFD in 1992 after nearly 37 years of dedicated service. Mr. Thomas started his career in 1956 with Engine No, 6, three years after African Americans were allowed to be employed by the fire department. In 1962, as member of Engine No. 8, Jim was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, which made him the first African American Officer within the BCFD. Jim took on many responsibilities and leadership positions within the BCFD, serving as a fire and safety inspector. However, as it is widely known firefighters do not ever retire. They just stop going to the fire house everyday and this was also the case for Mr. Thomas. After his retirement, firefighter cadets and those with years of experience often sought out Jim for his advice, guidance, and instruction or simply to listen to his experiences within the BCFD. Madam Speaker, in addition to being a dedicated firefighter, Jim above all else was a devoted husband to his wife Maureen and a man of faith. Although he passed away nearly nine years ago, his life remains an inspiration to us all, speaking volumes for what can be accomplished when a person's faith and determination are synchronized with his conduct. It is my hope that the family and friends of Mr. James Thomas continue to hold on to the fond memories they shared with him.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 320, a resolution that honors the life and accomplishments of one of the most prolific and well-respected chroniclers of America's torturous racial odyssey, John Hope Franklin who passed away on March 25, 2009, at the age of 94. Born in 1915, in Rentiesville, Oklahoma, Dr. Franklin came from a humble and equally tragic background. His grandfather had been a slave, and his family lost everything in the Tulsa race riot of 1921. However, it was his background of having faced racial horrors firsthand that brought his academic work to the forefront and cemented his reputation among academics, politicians and civil rights figures as an inestimable historian. John Hope Franklin attended Fisk University and received his master's and doctoral degrees in history from Harvard University. Shortly after graduating from Harvard, Dr. Franklin became widely known as a pioneer in the field of African American history. He published his first book in 1943 entitled, The Free Negro in North Carolina, 1790-1860. Dr. Franklin enjoyed an academic career full of highlights, fellowships, research publications, and honorary degrees. In fact, Dr. Franklin would publish another 20 books in his lifetime and his research helped future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall win the landmark ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education. It is these accomplishments that helped pave the way both for other Blacks and for the field of African American studies, which began to blossom on American campuses in the 1960s. I join President Barack Obama in his insightful observation about the impact of Dr. Franklin's life: ``Because of the life John Hope Franklin lived, the public service he rendered, and the scholarship that was the mark of his distinguished career, we all have a richer understanding of who we are as Americans and our journey as a people.'' In closing, we are reminded that, in addition to his commitment to academics, Dr. Franklin was a dedicated family man. He was married to Aurelia Whittington, his college sweetheart for nearly 60 years before she passed away in 1999. To their son, John Whittington Franklin, may the special memories that you created together and the many words of wisdom Dr. Franklin gave you be sources of comfort and strength, now and in the days to come.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that we in the Maryland delegation join our colleagues in paying tribute to the late Mrs. Christine Sarbanes who passed away this week. She was indeed a ray of sunshine in the lives of many. She is already dearly missed. John, her son, our colleague, said to me just a few days ago that he did not realize that he could miss someone so much in such a short period of time. If there was only one word that could be used to describe Christine Sarbanes, it would be ``enthusiastic.'' But there are so many other words, ``kind,'' ``gentle,'' and ``concerned.'' For over 20 years, she was an outstanding educator and showed a genuine interest in her students. She encouraged them to set positive goals for themselves and encouraged and challenged them to do their best. In fact, she was instrumental in helping students develop an appreciation for Latin, which had proved quite useful for those seeking admission to college. With her dedication to teaching also came a love of community involvement with books. Mrs. Sarbanes often talked about her love of the Enoch Pratt Free Library and of libraries in general. She would often say that the library was her place to escape when she was a child to be able to basically move all around the world by sitting in one room. Christine Sarbanes was able to combine both passions as a board member of the Enoch Pratt Free Library which is located in Baltimore, in my home city, and her dedication to the libraries in the community recently led to the opening of the first two libraries in Baltimore in over 30 years. Mrs. Sarbanes served at one point as the vice chairman of our board of the independent library. But the thing that she prized the most was being the head of the community outreach committee of Enoch Pratt. She was one who consistently said that the library was the great equalizer. As a matter of fact, I think she met her husband in a library. Over and over again, she did everything she could to make sure that there was outreach into the community. She also would say that the libraries in the various communities were the neighborhood community centers. And she really meant that. The other thing she consistently did was reach out to those who were coming here from foreign countries and coming in as immigrants. She would constantly get the library to take the materials and put them in various languages so that when people came here, they could take full advantage of the services and those resources that the library had. Despite these successes, nothing could match the devotion that Christine Sarbanes had for her family as a wife, mother and grandmother. She was active in the campaigns of her husband, former Senator Paul Sarbanes, and she proudly watched her son and our colleague, John, become a Member of the United States House of Representatives. It is through her family that the legacy of this kind, intelligent and dignified woman will continue. To everyone in the Sarbanes family, Michael, John and Janet and all of the grandchildren, please know that our prayers are with you. This world is a better place due to the contributions of Christine Sarbanes.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank the gentleman and I want to thank you and the Progressive Caucus, of which I am a member, for taking up this cause. I also want to thank Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. I don't care where she goes, she has made it clear that the people of the District of Columbia deserve a vote. As a matter of fact, if it were up to me, they would have two senators and representatives. You know, I have often said that we have one life to live. This is no dress rehearsal and this is that life. But we have people here in the District, as my good friend from Missouri just said, who do it right. They get up every morning, you can see them at the bus stops. They go to work, they raise their children, they do the same things that people do in your district and in mine. They pay their taxes and they are part of the society, building a society and making it the best that it can be. But then when it comes time for them to have a vote in this body, then suddenly we say ``no.'' It just seems to me that that just smacks democracy in the face. When we think about our representative government, we think about going to a town hall meeting, for example, as I did just 2 weeks ago, listening to my constituents, and then was able to come to this floor and vote their wishes. That's what representative government is all about. That's the essence of a democracy. The other piece of that democracy that is so significant is that individuals's right to vote, and the ability to take that vote and transform it into power. They all cannot come here and be a part of this process so, therefore, it becomes very significant that they have representation. As a matter of fact, when you think about it, it's very unfair to the people of the District of Columbia when everybody else has a vote. But then suddenly when it comes to them, they have no votes, and they can express their will, they can express their frustration, but at the same time, when it comes to their representative coming to this floor, no vote.

Mr. CUMMINGS. If you really think about democracy, I think it goes hand in hand with diversity. We know that I would hate to even think of having this Congress and not having the views of my friends from California or the views from the folks in Utah or the views from the folks in South Carolina. Although I am from Maryland, I need to understand, I need to have their views, and I have to have their input. Because I have often said that if we are going to make laws for a diverse society, that we must, indeed, be diverse, and we must be representative of that entire society. Because I think that when you are not totally representative, it really--I don't care how you look at it--taints the process.

Mr. CUMMINGS. That's right.

Mr. CUMMINGS. That's my view, and I think about the little kids that every day do what we did when we were little kids. They stand up to a flag and they say, ``I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God.'' I guess they have to ask the question, when they found out that they don't have a vote and everybody else has one well, is this really, am I really a full citizen? If they find out their mother and father can go out there to the town hall meeting, can go and vote in the election, what have you, but yet, and still, when they ask Mom and Dad, ``How did our representative vote, Mommy and Daddy,'' their mother or dad says, ``I am sorry, son, we don't have a vote.'' There is absolutely something wrong with that picture. And so all of this is important, and I think it goes to the integrity of the process, the Democratic process, the one, this process that we participate in all the time. But let me just say one other thing. One of the interesting things that Ms. Norton will tell you is that when anything comes up controversial like needle exchange or anything of that nature, we have over and over again, folks from all over the country come and try to tell the District of Columbia, by the way, what to do. Now, they will not dare having us come to their districts, and they wouldn't even think of it and tell them what to do. But yet still they will come and tell this District of Columbia what to do, and then, to add insult to injury, then not give them an opportunity to have a vote in this body. This there is absolutely unequivocally something wrong with that picture.

Mr. CUMMINGS. I can tell you my district in Baltimore, which is only an hour drive away from here, folks feel that the residents of the District of Columbia are being cheated, period. They are being cheated and not treated fairly, and they are overwhelmingly for the District of Columbia having their vote. And so I just wanted to come on the floor for a moment to be supportive. And I think that, again, we cannot give up this fight. I get a lot of my energy, to be frank with you, from Congresswoman Holmes Norton, because she has never, ever, given up the fight. I also applaud our Progressive Caucus. By the way, this should not just be about the Progressive Caucus, this should be about all of us wanting to make sure that we have a democracy that is truly a democracy.