Elijah Cummings

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. First of all, Madam Speaker, I would like to associate myself with the words of Mr. Ryan of Ohio. He is absolutely right. And we can do better in this country with regard to the issues of making sure that we have a manufacturing base. Not only must we have a manufacturing base, but we must have an innovation base. And in order to have that, certainly we have to build up our educational systems throughout these United States. Madam Speaker, I come before the House today as chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation to pay a special tribute to a true American hero, Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Lavelas Luckey. Last week, a 33-year-old woman tragically lost her life when her car was struck from behind and pushed into the path of a garbage truck as she was preparing to drop her daughter off at a nursery school in Glen Burnie, Maryland. Petty Officer Lavelas Luckey, an electrical equipment specialist at the nearby Engineering Logistics Center's Equipment Management Division at the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, Maryland, happened to be in the area at the time. And he immediately sprung into action. According to authorities, after realizing people were still in the badly damaged vehicle, Petty Officer Luckey immediately pushed through a crowd of onlookers and pulled the 5-year-old girl from her car seat minutes before the car burst into flames. The little girl's mother was freed from the car by a police officer. Unfortunately, the girl's mother, Christine Schoppert, was pronounced dead at the scene. Thankfully, however, the child survived the crash and was immediately taken to the Johns Hopkins Hospital with life- threatening injuries. Recent reports indicate that she is improving. My prayers, and I know the prayers of this Congress, are with the family of Christine Schoppert and her daughter as she begins to make what we hope will be a speedy and complete recovery. I'm extremely grateful that I have a chance to thank Petty Officer First Class Lavelas Luckey for putting his own safety at great risk in saving this precious young life. After speaking to his commanding officers and fellow members of the Coast Guard, none of them were surprised by Petty Officer Luckey's actions. Petty Officer Luckey has been described as being an extremely dedicated member of the United States Coast Guard--and as a great human being. These are powerful words that should not be taken lightly. Far too often we look to the red carpets of Hollywood and our local football stadiums to find our heroes while overlooking the individuals who perform truly heroic actions in our own neighborhoods. I take my hat off to Petty Officer First Class Lavelas Luckey for his act of bravery and applaud the entire United States Coast Guard and the rest of our armed services for their efforts to protect this country from all harm. I also extend a special salute to all of the Nation's first responders who risk their lives every day to save others.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise and join all Americans of good will in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the NAACP. Others will recall that fate-filled day, February 12, 1909, when 60 prominent Americans, black and white alike, issued ``The Call'' for a national conference to renew ``the struggle for civil and political liberty.'' They also will reflect upon how, back in 1909, this country was unfair to people of color and, especially for African American men, a very dangerous place. The organization's founders, however, were people of deep integrity. They created an organization dedicated to achieving social justice, ending racial violence, abolishing forced segregation and promoting equal opportunity and other civil rights under the protection of law. My gratitude to the NAACP is personal, as well as philosophical. The NAACP--and the movement that its founders created 100 years ago today-- transformed my life. I shall never forget how Juanita Jackson Mitchell and the Baltimore Branch of the NAACP stood up for us as we marched to integrate South Baltimore's Riverside Swimming Pool. It was then that I realized, for the first time in my young life, that I had rights that other people had to respect. Nor shall I forget how a young Thurgood Marshall (who once lived just blocks from where I live today) convinced a Baltimore judge to integrate the University of Maryland School of Law. My law degree and all that I have been able to accomplish in my professional and public life are living testaments to the value of that achievement. Moreover, as long as I shall live and be privileged to serve the people of Maryland's 7th Congressional District, I shall remember that our community--that also gave America former Congressmen Parren J. Mitchell and Kweisi Mfume--now serves as the national home of the NAACP. So it is with deep appreciation and respect that I join millions of my countrymen and women in applauding the NAACP and pledging our continued support in the days and years ahead. I do so at a historic moment when we have come together to elect a gifted African American to the highest office in the land. Yet, even as we celebrate this victory of competence and conscience, America remains a dangerous and unfair place for far too many of our neighbors, whatever may be the color of their skin. Like W.E.B. DuBois and the other founders back in 1909, we, too, must answer the call. In our own time, we must continue the work of creating a better, more unified nation--an America that will truly assure liberty, justice and opportunity for all. We, too, have a legacy of justice and opportunity to create--for our children and for the generations of Americans yet to be born.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, Black History Month allows this nation to pay homage to pioneering African Americans who have enriched our lives through their leadership and courage. Citizens across the globe are familiar with the legacies of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and now President Barack Obama. However, today I rise to recognize some lesser known, but equally important figures in history: the 41 African American males that integrated the Baltimore City Fire Department in the early 1950's. On June 19, 1953, the Board of Fire Commissioners voted to hire ``Colored'' firemen. In July, 41 African American men were determined to be eligible to be employed by the fire department. These men were appointed in three classes: 10 were appointed on October 15, 1953; 10 were appointed December 20, 1953, and 21 were appointed February 8, 1954. Just a few days ago, we commemorated the 55th anniversary of the completed integration. These brave men faced very difficult times. They overcame insurmountable challenges and obstacles in order to become great assets to the Baltimore City Fire Department. All of these men have made exceptional contributions; I will take a moment to highlight a few accomplishments. From the 1954 Class, James Crockett re-wrote the department rules and regulations for the Fire Board, served as President of the Board of Fire Commissioners, and now serves as Commissioner of the Baltimore City Fire Department; Charles R. Thomas Sr. helped to start the first Baltimore City Fire Department, was active in starting the community outreach programs and led the charge to integrating the local labor union; and Herman Williams, Jr. became the first African American to be promoted to pump operator (driver), and is the first and only African American to become Chief of the Baltimore City Fire Department. Madam Speaker, as we champion the presidency of Barack Obama, we must also remember the trailblazers who opened the door of opportunity to many in significant ways. It is with great admiration that these men who have paved the way for diversity within the Baltimore City Fire Department are recognized. Class Appointed October 15, 1953 Lee D. Babb Cicero Baldwin Ernest H. Barnes Louis Harden Earl C. Jones George C.W. McKnight Charles T. Miller Roy Parker Charles L. Scott Lindsay Washington, Jr. Class Appointed December 20, 1953 Harvey Brown John Butler Thomas Chambers John Davis Randolph Handy John Johnson William Nesbit David Pipken Edgar Waddell Ben Wood Class Appointed February 8, 1954 Theodore Baker Albert L. Biggers Harold Borrows Alfred Boyd William Brown Edward R. Bunch Jr Alfred Clinkscales James Crockett Alfred Daniels James Edwards Celester A. Hall Wade Morgan El John T. Murray Yeubeart L. Poe Raymond Purnell Hilton Roberts William L. Spicer Charles R. Thomas Eugene P. Watson Herman Williams Jr. Littleton B. Wyatt

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the manager's amendment offered today by Chairman Frank to H.R. 384, the TARP Reform and Accountability Act of 2009. I will also take this opportunity to commend his extraordinary leadership on this issue and to thank him and the Rules Committee for including language that I have proposed within the manager's amendment. The language I offer requires the Comptroller of the Currency and the Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision to issue mortgage modification data collection and reporting requirements for the banks they regulate and to report this information back to Congress. This amendment is necessary for one clear reason: In a December 8, 2008 report, the OCC announced that, within 3 months of an initial mortgage modification, nearly 36 percent of borrowers redefaulted by being more than 30 days past due. After 6 months, the rate was nearly 53 percent, and after 8 months, it was 58 percent. Unfortunately, no one really knows the reasons behind these redefault rates. This language will help us gather the information we need to understand what is occurring and to understand, hopefully, why it is occurring. Mr. Chairman, a RealtyTrac reported this morning that the foreclosure rate jumped to 81 percent in 2008 with one in every 54 households experiencing at least one foreclosure. This equates to nearly 2.3 million properties. Foreclosure rates are projected to rise in the coming months, and it is, therefore, imperative to us to understand the nature of the modifications being made by lenders and whether they address the real needs of borrowers by creating terms borrowers can realistically meet. It is our duty to protect homeowners and to ensure transparency, accountability and strict standards. H.R. 384 accomplishes these objectives. Again, I want to thank Mr. Frank for his efforts, and I want to urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying bill.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, I rise to express my support of H.R. 384, the TARP Reform and Accountability Act, a tough piece of legislation that brings overdue reforms to the management of the TARP program. I have consistently advocated for greater accountability from institutions receiving aid through TARP, while stressing that expanded relief for struggling homeowners be included in the legislation. This bill achieves both. When the Bush administration came to us last fall seeking our assistance to soften the blow of the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, we heeded their call. We actually passed the $700 billion financial rescue package to save Wall Street from itself, but we did so under the expectation that the Bush administration would make good faith efforts to adhere to and enforce the accountability measures Congress included in the bill. We further expected that the Bush administration would make good on its promise to steer TARP funds to troubled homeowners attempting to deal with foreclosure problems. In its use of the first $350 billion installment of the program, the Bush administration has failed on both fronts. As has been aptly reported by the Congressional Oversight Panel created to oversee TARP, the Treasury Department has systematically failed to ensure that taxpayer dollars spent through TARP are being used as effectively and efficiently as possible. In fact, we have no clear idea about how the funds are being used. We have seen the results of this lack of oversight with one example, and that is AIG, whose president I will be meeting with tomorrow morning. AIG has been the beneficiary of more than $150 billion in taxpayer dollars, including funding from TARP, and continues to hold luxury junkets for its top executives and award bonuses to ``retain its staff.'' As if this was not bad enough, the Bush administration has failed to meet its commitment to use TARP to stem the tide of foreclosures and has refused to impose any lending obligations on institutions. I have every reason to believe that President-elect Obama will better manage these funds, as he says he will. H.R. 384 gives him the roadmap to do that.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to commend Chairman Barney Frank, the House leadership, and the administration for working together to bring relief to the automobile industry and millions of workers. By passing the Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act, H.R. 7321, we took the monumental step of both saving jobs and setting the U.S. automotive industry on a path that will make it globally effective, efficient, and competitive. And equally important, we established a new standard of accountability that must be enforced for any institutions seeking government assistance. For months, the Federal Government has been blindly throwing money at nearly every financial institution that blinks with no written requirements on how that money is to be used and with no written standards of transparency or accountability. In response, these institutions have taken hundreds of billion of taxpayer dollars and continued to do business as usual: the business of partying at the spa, getting their facials and manicures, getting millions in retention payments and spending hundreds of millions of dollars on sports sponsorships. This type of mismanagement of taxpayer funds has left the American people suffering from bailout fatigue. I get that. I have been one of the most vocal critics of this distribution of top funds to date. However, today's legislation is completely different. The automakers have been forced to leap over 5 million hurdles to even be considered to receive a loan. And with every demand we have made of them, these companies have willingly obliged. We cannot have one standard for white collar employees and a different standard for blue collar employees. We need to have strict standards for every one. The legislation passed today includes very important oversight provisions to protect taxpayer dollars, such as prohibiting golden parachutes and capping executive bonuses. It also establishes a ``car czar'' position to hold these companies accountable for developing and implementing viable long-term restructuring plans and ensuring compliance on financing efforts. And yet despite these requirements, there are some who will still believe that assisting the Big Three is a continuation of throwing good money after bad. I strongly disagree. With one in ten American jobs tied to the auto industry, this should not be considered a waste of money. We're talking about 3 million jobs expecting to be lost within a year if the auto industry goes down. With men and women across America continuing to struggle to keep roofs over their heads, to make ends meet, we simply cannot afford to lose these jobs. Lastly, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report showing the loss of 533,000 jobs in November, the highest single month loss in 34 years, and one of the most dismal reports in the Bureau's 124-year existence. These figures were simply staggering, and we can and we must do better. And by passing this legislation today, we are taking a first step in doing so. For this reason, I urge my colleagues in the Senate to quickly consider H.R. 7321 and enact this much-needed legislation as soon as possible. I ask them, and I hope they will have more faith in our automobile industry, and I encourage all of my colleagues to continue the strict standards of accountability as we move forward. With that, I yield back.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Yes. I assume the gentleman, my minority ranking member, has no further speakers.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, we yield back the balance of our time.

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, I rise today in strong support of S. 2482. This legislation is very simple. It would repeal an antiquated law that requires vessels and the captains of vessels conducting salvage operations off the coast of Florida to obtain licenses from a United States District Court. The law, which applies only to Florida, was adopted in 1847. No license has been issued under this law since approximately 1921, in large measure, because it seems to have been a forgotten requirement until the recent codification of title 46. This law serves no purpose at this time. The measure before us would repeal this provision and would eliminate a needless burden on salvors working off the coast of Florida. I applaud Senator Martinez for his leadership on this measure, and I urge its adoption by the House. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2482) to repeal the provision of title 46, United States Code, requiring a license for employment in the business of salvaging on the coast of Florida.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on S. 2482.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I want to thank her for sponsoring this important bill, and I take a moment to honor my friend, Congressman Millender-McDonald. She and I had a special relationship because we sat beside each other on the committee, and she had come to Washington in a special election about a month before I came in a special election. So we had a certain kinship. But as I sat here and I was listening to Ms. Richardson and listening to the minority, it's clear that all of us had a tremendous respect for her. And I thought about all of the kind things that Ms. Richardson said about her. But one of the things that she said that stood out for me most was that she was a mentor. Around here, we come here, we do our work, we work hard, we give it everything we've got; and I know Mr. Duncan knows what I'm talking about. We give it everything we've got, and then we leave. And sometimes I guess we wonder how much impact we have had. But I think the greatest impact we can have is on other people. The fact that Congresswoman Millender-McDonald took Congresswoman Richardson under her wing as a young staff assistant and then worked with her and considered her a friend, and then the next thing you know we see this young lady that is Congresswoman Richardson now emerge as just an outstanding Member of Congress says a lot about the effectiveness not only about Ms. Millender-McDonald with regard to her legislative life, that is what she did here on the Hill, but it also says a lot about what she did in her district and how she affected people. The reason I mention that, Mr. Speaker, is because I think a lot of people get very confused about what we do here. Some people think that it's just the buildings that you have built and all of the things that you may bring back to your district. But the thing that is truly lasting is not all the buildings and all of the highways, but it's about building people because that's what truly lasts. I'm often reminded of a part of ``The Lion King,'' which I love so much. My kids tease me about it, but I love it. There's one portion of ``The Lion King'' where the young lion cub says to his father, ``You died, and I need you, and I need you to be here with me so that I can talk to you and ask for advice and so that you can help my through my difficult times.'' And he's saying, ``Where are you?'' And then a few songs later, it says, ``He lives in you.'' I think what we're doing here right now today is a perfect example of that. Congresswoman Millender-McDonald, just like all of us, had to move on and make a transition. But she was able to leave someone behind to carry on her work. And she has left an impact not only on the Democratic side, but our Republican brothers and sisters, so that we can carry on that work. I can never remember ever sitting down at a markup where Ms. Millender-McDonald did not have something to say about her district. Ever. I used to tease her. I used to say, ``You're getting all the money, girl.'' She'd say, ``That's my job.'' So I just wanted to take a moment to honor her, and I just hope that when we folks drive down Highway 91, somebody will ask the question, ``Who was she,'' some child who never got to know her, somebody who may have not been informed about who their Congresswoman was, but hopefully somebody would be there in their car to be able to tell them the story of a great lady, a great lady who not only built bridges, but one who also tore down walls, consistently tore down walls of separation, built bridges of unity bringing people together as head of our House Administration Committee, constantly reaching out. One of the last letters I got before she passed away was a letter about an issue that was very controversial, but she had resolved it, and it was just before she died. So to the very end--and that's what they told us at her funeral, by the way, they said she was working until the day she died. But then she did something very important. She passed on the baton to a young lady now who turns around and says, ``You know what? I am not going to let you be forgotten.'' And this Congress is not going to let her be forgotten because her life is a shining example of what all our lives should be. I want to thank again all sides for making this happen.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our chairman for yielding and for all of his hard work and help in making this happen, this legislation happen today. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, I rise today to urge the adoption of the Integrated Deepwater Program Reform Act of 2008, H.R. 6999, as amended. As Chairman Oberstar has stated, this legislation is based on Deepwater reform legislation, H.R. 2722, which passed the House by a vote of 426- 0 last year, and on S. 924, which passed the Senate by unanimous consent. The manager's amendment amends the underlying bill by making it a crime to operate a submersible vehicle that is not registered in any country. Such vessels are often used to smuggle illegal drugs into the United States. In fact, just this month the Coast Guard worked with the United States Navy to seize two such submersibles, carrying a combined total of 14 tons of cocaine. As a representative of the City of Baltimore, I know that every gram of illegal drugs we keep off our Nation's streets is a gram that cannot destroy a life or a community. Therefore, as smugglers develop new ways to bring drugs to our shores, our laws must be updated to enable law enforcement personnel to prosecute these new types of crimes, and this bill does precisely that. I recognize and I want to thank again Chairman Oberstar, chairman of our full committee, and also thank the vice chairman of our subcommittee, Mr. Bishop, and Mr. Taylor for their hard work; and I give special thanks, too, to Mr. Mica, to Mr. LaTourette, our ranking member of our subcommittee; Chairman Thompson, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, and certainly Representative King, who is the ranking member of Homeland Security; Senators Inouye and Hutchison and Senator Snow; and we want to give special thanks to Senator Cantwell, who has worked very, very hard on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, since my appointment in January 2007 as chairman of the Subcommittee on the Coast Guard, the subcommittee has exercised careful oversight over the Coast Guard's $24 billion, 25-year Deepwater procurements, through which the Coast Guard is replacing or rehabilitating its cutters and aircraft. Senator Cantwell has been leading a similar aggressive oversight effort on the Senate side. Unfortunately, many of the acquisitions conducted under Deepwater have miserably failed, including the nearly $100 million effort to lengthen the 110-foot patrol boats, which yielded eight unseaworthy vessels that have been removed from service. The early Deepwater procurements failed because the Coast Guard did not have the systems and personnel necessary to manage large acquisitions. They failed because the Coast Guard left private sector contractors to police themselves. And they failed because Congress did not require of the Coast Guard full accountability for the billions, the billions of taxpayer dollars appropriated to support such acquisitions. I'm very pleased that our committee and our subcommittee wrote H.R. 6999 to ensure that all Coast Guard acquisitions meet three key requirements. One, in basic contract law, that we get what we bargain for as a Nation. That we get what we bargain for. That was number one. Number two, that the equipment that we buy would enable the Coast Guard to fulfill its many missions to protect our homeland and to do all the other things that they have to do. And number three, and very interestingly, we wanted to make sure that the equipment that we were purchasing with taxpayers dollars could not bring harm to our very personnel. Those were the three principles that we wrote this legislation on, and I was glad to see that our subcommittee and our committee pretty much adopted them as we went through this legislation. The Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Thad Allen, has moved to strengthen the service's ability to manage acquisitions, including creating a new acquisitions directorate, and I applaud his efforts. Under his leadership, the service has taken conditional delivery of the first National Security Cutter, the Bertholf. Having joined the Coast Guard in commissioning the Bertholf this summer, I know it is a fine ship, and it will greatly enhance the service's mission capabilities. However, the Bertholf experienced significant cost overruns, and the Coast Guard continues to face procurement challenges and not only within Deepwater. For example, the Rescue 21 program, which is intended to upgrade the systems the Coast Guard utilizes to locate those who are distressed at sea, is now hundreds of millions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule. American taxpayers, who are now being asked to rescue our financial system from the consequences of failed oversight, have already shouldered the burden for the Coast Guard's earlier failed procurements and for failed procurements throughout the Department of Homeland Security, which according to a tally compiled by the Homeland Security Committee have wasted approximately $15 billion. As a representative elected by the citizens of Maryland's Seventh Congressional District and as subcommittee chairman, I believe that one of our most critical duties at this time is to implement every available measure to ensure that Federal agencies are effective and efficient stewards of the taxpayers' dollars. The legislation before us today implements such measures with regard to the United States Coast Guard. Specifically, H.R. 6999 requires the Coast Guard to eliminate the use of all private-sector lead systems integrators by October 2011, the same date on which their use is phased out in the Department of Defense. This bill creates in statute the position of Chief Acquisitions Officer. It requires that it be filled with a fully qualified individual who can, at the Commandant's choosing, be a civilian member of the senior executive service or a uniformed member of the Coast Guard but who must have Level III Acquisitions qualification and 10 years of experience managing acquisition efforts. The bill requires independent, third-party certification of assets and requires that appropriate testing be performed on asset designs so that problems can be identified before construction of an asset begins. It also requires a regular submission of acquisition program reviews to Congress, including notification of cost overruns and schedule delays, so that Congress is aware of emerging issues before they become crises. In short, this bill brings commonsense oversight and management reform measures, many of them based on current practices within the DOD, to the Coast Guard. It also requires strict and appropriate accountability from the service and demands that it be an effective and efficient steward of our taxpayers' hard-earned dollars. All of these measures are critical to ensure that through the remaining Deepwater procurements, the nearly 42,000 men and women, who I call our thin blue line at sea, will be equipped with state-of-the- art assets equal to the missions they perform and the challenges they will face in the 21st century. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6999, and I thank the minority for their wonderful participation in making this happen. I thank all of those, our staffs, who have worked so hard to make this happen.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, I rise today to pay a special tribute to four members of the United States Coast Guard. Lieutenant Commander Andrew Wischmeier, Aviation Survival Technician First Class David Skimin, and Aviation Maintenance Technician Second Class Joshua Nichols, were all killed when the helicopter in which they were conducting training exercises crashed near Honolulu, Hawaii, on September 4. Commander Thomas Nelson, who was the Executive Officer of Air Station Barbers Point and was also flying as part of the training mission, remains missing. The active search for Commander Nelson, which encompassed an area of more than 3,000 square miles and involved not only Coast Guard personnel but officials from the City of Honolulu, the United States Navy, and the Air National Guard, has now been suspended. Commander Nelson, who is originally from Staten Island, had been stationed at Barbers Point since the summer of last year. During his 20-year career, he had served as Deputy Chief of the Office of Security and Defense Operations at Coast Guard Headquarters here in Washington, and at air stations in Louisiana, New York, and Washington state. Lieutenant Commander Wischmeier, the pilot of the helicopter at the time it crashed, was from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He graduated from Naval Flight School in 1991 and over his 19-year Coast Guard career, he served at air stations in Florida, Louisiana, and Alaska. Petty Officer Skimin was from San Bernardino, California. An experienced rescue swimmer, he had served at air stations in Texas, California, and Alaska over his 16-year career. Petty Officer Nichols was from Gloucester, Virginia, and had been in the Coast Guard for 8 years. He was a flight mechanic and had previously been stationed in Alabama and at several bases in California. Each of these men was married and had children. These men gave their lives in service to our nation. As members of the Coast Guard, their mission--the mission to which they chose to devote their professional careers--was saving lives. To those who are in peril at sea, the sight of a Coast Guard helicopter coming over the horizon means that help is at hand--and that the often desperate hopes of people whose lives are truly at stake are about to be realized. Throughout their careers, these four men, who combined more than 60 years of service, each contributed their strength, skills, and dedication to making such rescues possible. My prayers are with the families of those who have been lost to us, the men and women of Barbers Point, and the nearly 42,000 men and women of the Coast Guard who together comprise our thin blue line at sea. My prayers are also with all the members of the Coast Guard. Every day as they conduct search and rescue operations, interdict illegal drugs, respond to pollution and national security incidents, and man cutters and aircraft, each member of the Coast Guard faces the same risks that Commander Nelson, Commander Wischmeier, Petty Officer Skimin, and Petty Officer Nichols faced with the same dedication to duty that these four showed. Just this week, we have again seen the Coast Guard's dedication in action as they have worked to aid those who have been so terribly affected by Hurricane Ike, including rescuing more than 200 people. We thank the members of this service for their heroic efforts--and mourn with them the tragic loss of their comrades.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, today, as we in Congress consider spending on the order of $700 billion to bail out the Nation's financial system--and that figure could go up to $1.3 trillion--we have the opportunity to make what, by comparison, are very modest investments in the transportation and infrastructure that keep our economy moving. This is by supporting Amtrak and by implementing long overdue safety reforms throughout our rail system. These changes and the money will be spent effectively and efficiently. I applaud Chairman Oberstar, Chairwoman Brown, Ranking Member Mica, Ranking Member Shuster, and all of our colleagues in the Senate for their determined efforts to finalize this legislation. I also thank them for working with me to address several specific safety concerns in this legislation. Section 304 of division B of the bill supports the redevelopment of tunnel infrastructure around Baltimore, in my district, which is a linchpin on the Northeast Corridor and which is more than 130 years old in some instances. It has antiquated designs, and it lacks modern fire and life-saving systems. The replacement of it is critical to improving both the quality and the safety of Amtrak service. The legislation also responds directly to concerns raised by the National Transportation Safety Board in its investigation into the Howard Street tunnel fire in my district in Baltimore in 2001 by ensuring that first responders called to incidents in rail tunnels have all of the information they need to provide an effective response to emergency situations. Again, I deeply thank Chairman Oberstar and Chairwoman Brown for working with me to address these critical issues involving rail tunnels, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Might I finally say that I agree with Mr. Shuster, Ms. Brown and with our chairman. This is a bipartisan committee, and I think this product that we have produced today shows what bipartisanship can do and what it can achieve. So, again, I urge my colleagues to support this very, very important legislation.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise today to express strong support for H.R. 6842. I was proud to join Mr. Waxman and other members of our committee on Tuesday when we passed this bill out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Mr. Speaker, I find it odd that certain individuals in Congress feel the need to weigh in on this subject now when it is still in the process of being resolved. Specifically, H.R. 6691, legislation introduced by Representative Childers, entitled the Second Amendment Enforcement Act, which will be offered as an amendment in the nature of a substitute, goes far beyond the court's intent. This amendment flies in the face of the Heller decision by prohibiting the District of Columbia from enacting any future laws or regulations that discourage or eliminate the private ownership or use of firearms. Aside from my concerns about whether Congress ought to weigh in on what is essentially a local issue, I seriously question whether Representative Childers or any other Member of this body would appreciate Congress determining the gun laws in their congressional districts. The proposed legislation is simply bad policy. We can all agree that different communities, whether they are urban, rural or suburban, require different types of regulation. The District of Columbia in particular presents a unique case. No one in the Congress can tell me that they do not understand the specific homeland security issues that the National Capital region faces. We have allocated millions of Federal dollars to secure this city because we recognize that we are all still sitting in one big target. With the number of U.S. officials and foreign dignitaries who live, work and travel here every day, it's simply astounding that there are not more acts of violence than we currently have. This is a tribute to the fine work of the law enforcement officials who patrol these streets and I, for one, simply cannot understand why we would fail to give them all the tools they need to do their work effectively and efficiently. Let's be clear. They support this legislation. Allowing an individual to own an unregistered AK-47 in our Nation's Capital is pure insanity. And so I support the legislation, and I would ask our Members to vote against the substitute.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank the gentlelady for yielding. And I also associate myself with her words and the words of Mr. Poe. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my appreciation to the members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the leadership for bringing this resolution to the floor. Special acknowledgment and thanks also go to my friend and colleague, Representative Gregory Meek of New York, for acknowledging and appreciating the efforts and accomplishments of the Constellation's crew by joining me as a lead cosponsor. This resolution recognizes the USS Constellation for its role in ending the Transatlantic slave trade. The Constellation deserves to be recognized not only for the liberation of thousands of Africans, but also the liberation from oppression and ignorance. As a descendent of slaves, I understand the importance of the Constellation's role as a shining moment in one of the darkest points in our Nation's history. Its role in the progression of our society is only further amplified, given the political history that is currently being made today, and as Ms. Jackson-Lee alluded to. As the first Union Navy vessel to interdict major slave ships along the West African coast, the USS Constellation was a flagship for the United States Navy's African squadron from 1859 to 1861. During this time, the USS Constellation was used to capture 14 slave ships and liberate nearly 4,000 Africans headed towards a life deprived of freedom and unpaid labor. In fact, after a dramatic chase into the night on September 25, 1860, the USS Constellation was used to capture the Cora near the mouth of the Congo River. Crammed into the dark ``slave deck'' were 705 Africans. A detachment of the Constellation's crew took the surviving Africans to Monrovia, Liberia, a colony founded for the settlement of free African Americans that became the destination for all Africans freed on slave ships captured by the United States Navy. In 1894, the Constellation continued its historic service as a training vessel at the U.S. Naval Academy and ended its service as the flagship of the Atlantic Fleet during World War II. Decommissioned in 1955, the USS Constellation is berthed in my district and, of course, in my hometown of Baltimore at the Inner Harbor. This 153-year-old American warship was designated as a national historic landmark on May 23, 1963, and is the perfect location to commemorate the bicentennial of the abolition of the Transatlantic slave trade in the United States. On September 25, 2008, the USS Constellation Museum will hold a ceremony to commemorate the history of the ship and its crew. Additionally, there will be a special program to recognize the descendents of Constellation's crew who will be in attendance. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I thank those who supported H. Res. 1159 as cosponsors, and ask that my colleagues support the adoption of this resolution to ensure that this part of American history is never forgotten.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. I thank Chairman Oberstar for yielding. I also thank him for his leadership on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and for his unwavering commitment to the value of investing in our Nation's infrastructure. I also thank Congressman DeFazio for his leadership of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit and for his work on this legislation. As a senior member of the Transportation Committee, I rise today in strong support of the National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act and the amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Mr. Oberstar. One out of eight bridges in the richest land in the world is now structurally deficient. In my own State of Maryland, the State Highway Administration maintains 2,578 bridges and overpasses at an annual cost of $110 million. A total of 129 of these bridges are structurally deficient, while an additional 410 are functionally obsolete. The drivers in this Nation should not have to worry as they cross bridges that the bridge will give way beneath them. But they do now. To begin to meet our Nation's backlog on bridge maintenance needs, H.R. 3999 authorizes the appropriation from the general fund of $1 billion. Unfortunately, that is just a down payment. And as we work to bring our infrastructure into a state of good repair, the safety of the traveling public will rest on the effectiveness of our bridge inspection regime. To strengthen that regime, this bill requires the Secretary of Transportation to develop a reliable national bridge inventory, to develop a risk-based method for assigning repair and replacement priorities, and to develop uniform bridge inspection processes. These are commonsense measures that will enable us to manage the resolution of our bridge maintenance needs effectively and efficiently. Mr. Chairman, our Nation's highway infrastructure is a pillar of our economic success. And by passing this bill today, we can make a modest investment in the maintenance of that infrastructure to ensure that it can continue to carry our Nation's to new successes. With that, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the bill.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank the gentlewoman for her statement. Mr. Speaker, I will just take a moment to also salute the members of the Armed Services Committee from the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Kendrick Meek, who has worked very hard on these issues; and certainly Congressman Hank Johnson out of Georgia; and yours truly. So in closing, Mr. Speaker, as all Americans are painfully aware, our history as a Nation has been a collage of contradictions, a struggle between discrimination and social justice, which has been repeatedly overcome by the power of patriotism and love for our Nation. Jim Clyburn loves to tell the story, and many of us have heard these stories, where African American men and women have served many, many years in the military, and then when it came time for them to be promoted, they did not make the list. So after they had given much of their lives to their country, because they were not selected to move up as far as rank was concerned, then they had to leave. And that has happened to so many over and over and over again. But no matter what, they still kept coming. On the one hand, many of them felt that they had not been treated fairly. But on the other hand, they still saluted the flag. They put up the flag every day. They did everything they knew how to be good patriots. Sometimes while they were being wonderful, wonderful patriots, they also found themselves in pain. So it was a dual situation for them, standing up for their country in some instances where they did not feel that their country always stood up for them. And you can hear those stories no matter where you go in any African American neighborhood throughout our country. So going back to President Truman's executive order 9981, requiring the integration of the armed services prior to the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown versus Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act, and the Voting Rights Act is a testament to this shared struggle. President Truman's executive order was essential to America's history and to his quest to truly offer justice for all. And that's what these soldiers were asking for, simply justice for all. They did not want anybody to do them any big favors. They simply wanted to have what was due them, an opportunity to lead. And so, just as we eventually came together as a Nation to ensure the full implementation of the Executive Order 9981, I thank my colleagues for joining me and coming together as Members of Congress and celebrating the 60th anniversary of this momentous occasion. And I would be more than remiss if I did not give credit to our staff who worked so hard on this special order, Miss Leah Perry, a very distinguished lawyer in her own right, and Miss Ca-Asia Shields, a young lady who is one of our fellows from the military services. And we're very, very pleased with the great work that they did for us.

Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank the gentlewoman for her strong comments. And I also would note, Mr. Speaker, that throughout these presentations, I think you will hear a common theme, and that is that while minorities are enlisted in the military in the rank and file, there is a concerted effort on our part to make sure that they enter the ranks of officers. It's not enough to give your blood, your sweat, your tears. We want to see more of them in the officer ranks. And with that, Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield to the distinguished gentlewoman from Maryland, one of the newest Members of Congress. And she didn't hit the ground running, she hit the ground flying. From the Fourth Congressional District, Congresswoman Donna Edwards.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, this evening I rise, along with my distinguished colleagues, for the next hour, which shall be ours, to salute and to mark the 60th anniversary of the integration of the United States Armed Forces. I rise today to celebrate this historic occasion as a step toward greater social justice for minorities and women alike, which shaped the road to equality within the United States and strengthened the very foundation and moral character of our great Nation. On July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman signed executive order 9981, requiring the integration of the Armed Forces regardless of one's race, religion, or national origin. President's Truman's brazen action back there in 1948 set the stage for later victories, including the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act, and the Voting Rights Act. We are aware, Mr. Speaker, as our history attests, that the shared sacrifice of African Americans in the defense of our great Nation did not begin in 1948. Individuals such as William Williams, a Maryland fugitive slave, overcame the odds by enlisting as a private in the United States Army and defending Fort McHenry of Baltimore, Maryland in 1812. Countless others also served prior to the issuance of executive order 9981, including the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments, members of the Navy and Marine Corps' Stewards Branch, and the highly distinguished and honored Tuskegee Airmen. These brave servicemembers paved the way for minority men and women who proudly wear the uniform today. Sadly, back then, Mr. Speaker, they were often unseen, unnoticed, unappreciated, unapplauded and unsung, but today we pause to celebrate their lives and their contributions to our great Nation. It is because of their sacrifices that I, along with the 42 other members of the Congressional Black Caucus, serve in the Congress of the United States today. It is through their sacrifices that I serve on the Board of Visitors at the Naval Academy, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Chair of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee of the House Transportation Committee. As such, minorities have played a pivotal role in shaping this Nation's armed services, and I'm proud to say that this role continues today. With the benefit of historical hindsight, we know that the sacrifice of brave Americans on the battlefield had to become a shared experience for America to truly move toward becoming ``one Nation, indivisible.'' Therefore, a segregated Armed Force could not be a foundation for an integrated society, nor could it truly offer ``justice for all.'' However, just as President George Washington initially refused to recruit African Americans in the American Revolutionary War despite the British welcoming the enlistment of minorities in 1775, President Truman's executive order was also met with much opposition by the Marine Corps and the Army. Consequently, this significant change and transition in racial policy took nearly 15 years before the executive order was fully implemented by all of the Armed Forces. Because of President Truman's unyielding vigilance in ensuring the complete integration of the Armed Forces, all Americans today are more secure and remain free. As we remember and honor the brave men and women of every race who have served our Nation, we should also remember those visionary leaders who gave to our Nation, including our colleagues, Representative Charles Rangel of New York, John Conyers of Michigan, Representative Bobby Rush of Illinois, Edolphus Towns of New York, Bobby Scott of Virginia, and so many others, the opportunity to share in that sacrifice which has preserved the America we all love so much. We know that the transformation of our military has not been easily accomplished, and we honor those soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardsmen and women, and marines who, over the years, have challenged the status quo to do what is simply right. All too often in our past, minorities in our Armed Forces have been forced to endure injustice and discrimination. All too often, promotions, choice assignments, and desired occupational fields have not been open to all on the basis of merit alone. Yet, the patriotism of our countrymen and women has kept the transformation and vision by President Truman alive. Today, minorities continue to serve with distinction throughout our Armed Forces. Of the more than 1.8 million servicemembers who have participated in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, more than 20 percent have been minorities. Mr. Speaker, it was just today that we congratulated Ensign DeCarol Davis for her selection as being the first African American and the first African American woman to serve as valedictorian of a graduating class of the Coast Guard Academy. However, despite these advancements, minorities and women continue to be overlooked in being promoted fairly to Flag Officer rank or other leadership positions within the armed services. In fact, minorities remain over-represented in the enlisted ranks of our armed services, but clearly under-represented in the officer ranks. African Americans constitute less than 6 percent of the general officers serving on active duty, amounting to merely 53 officers. And today, 60 years after executive order 9981, the Department of Defense still lacks a comprehensive plan and definition of diversity that can be applied Defense-wide. Moreover, while the number of minorities and women admitted into the service academy has increased, reaching 24.1 percent of minorities for the graduating class of 2007 to 2011 at West Point and 22.7 percent of the United States Naval Academy, reports of the hate-inspired display of nooses at the United States Coast Guard Academy certainly demonstrate how much further we have to go as a Nation. Mr. Speaker, we can do better. Not only can we do better, but we must do better. There is no excuse today for having one Four Star minority general officer, just as there was no excuse 60 years ago for the failure of the Army and the Marine Corps to immediately implement President Truman's noble orders of integration within the services. That is why, together with Representatives Kendrick Meek, Hank Johnson and Kathy Castor, I successfully sponsored the ``Senior Military Leadership Diversity Commission'' amendment to the 2009 National Defense Authorization Act. And I would be more than remiss if I did not say that our whip, Mr. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, has made this entire cause of promotions within the ranks one of his major, major themes and something that he has worked on very, very hard, and I want to thank him for all of his efforts. The commission that I spoke about a minute ago will study diversity within the senior leadership of the Armed Forces with the goal of enhancing the role of minorities and women. As I previously observed, Mr. Speaker, shared sacrifice and service to our Nation must be balanced by a fair and equitable sharing of responsibilities, opportunities and promotions. For this reason, the commission's mission will be to evaluate and assess the opportunities for the advancement of minority and female members within the military branches as well as the challenge of retaining our Nation's best and brightest. The Armed Forces continue to be a great career opportunity for the young men and women today. As a Nation, we have a compelling need to further increase the retention and recruitment of minority officers; yet as the co-chair of a task force on minority recruitment in the academies, and as a member of the Board of Visitors of the Naval Academy, I remain deeply concerned. Mr. Speaker, this Nation's long march toward shared opportunity as well as shared sacrifice in the defense of America will continue, as it must. The security and the honor of America are at stake. And with that, Mr. Speaker, I yield to my distinguished colleague, Ms. Watson of California.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for Members to have 5 legislative business days to submit their statements for the Record.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1241, as amended, which congratulates Ensign DeCarol Davis for her selection as the first African American--and the first African American woman--to serve as valedictorian of a graduating class at the Coast Guard Academy. I also commend Congressman Bennie Thompson, Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, for his work on this resolution and for his tireless efforts to increase diversity not only within the Coast Guard but throughout the Department of Homeland Security. Further, I commend Congressman Tom Davis, who represents Virginia's 11th District--the district in which Ensign Davis graduated from Forest Park High School as class valedictorian--for his work on this resolution and for his service on the Homeland Security Committee. I recently had the privilege of meeting Ensign Davis, who spent her month of post-graduation leave volunteering with a non-profit in Washington, D.C. called D.C. Voices in a program that trains volunteers from the community to perform audits to catalog the needs of D.C. public schools. Ensign Davis is a remarkable--and remarkably poised--young officer. She has been selected as a Truman Scholar--a testament to her intellect and to her outstanding academic accomplishments. Ensign Davis has also won numerous distinctions for her athletic accomplishments--including selection as a 2006 Arthur Ashe Jr. First Team Sports Scholar for basketball and selection to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District I college women's basketball first team. She combines excellence in the classroom and on the basketball court with a remarkable drive to give back to the community and to help create opportunities for others. In fact, it is her drive to serve others that led her to apply to the Coast Guard Academy. By virtue of her accomplishments at the Academy, she could have chosen any assignment in the Coast Guard. She chose the service's marine safety program. She told me that she made this choice because she wanted to spend her career working to ensure the safety of the maritime transportation system and preserving our Nation's marine resources. Mr. Speaker, the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation has been greatly concerned that as the Coast Guard expands to take on its critical new homeland security missions, the service's competence in its traditional missions--particularly the marine safety missions--is declining. I am confident, however, that with officers of the caliber and dedication of Ensign Davis joining the marine safety field, the future of this critical mission is bright indeed. Ensign Davis is truly an inspiring example of the best that the Coast Guard and our Nation have to offer. I look forward to watching the progress of Ensign Davis's career in the coming years--and I know that we will see remarkable things from this young officer. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 1241, as amended, also encourages the Coast Guard to seek and enroll diverse candidates in the Academy's cadet corps. I--and many of my colleagues in the House--are deeply concerned that the Coast Guard Academy's student body does not reflect the diversity of our Nation. Only about 10 percent of the class of 2009, for example, is comprised of minorities. Our Nation's diversity is a strength--but when a school such as the Coast Guard Academy does not have a cadet corps that reflects that diversity, it does not benefit from that strength. In April, the House of Representatives passed the Coast Guard Authorization Act, H.R. 2830, by a vote of 395 to 7. This legislation included provisions that I authored that would alter the admissions process at the Academy to require that students be nominated by a Member of Congress. While I strongly support the actions that the Coast Guard is taking to expand the recruitment of diverse applicants, I also believe that enactment of H.R. 2830--with the provisions requiring nominations to the Academy--offers the best opportunity to expand diversity at the Academy. I urge the Senate to quickly act on this measure.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank Chairman Oberstar for yielding and for his tremendous leadership of our Transportation Committee and getting this bill to the floor and his cosponsorship. I also want to thank Mr. LaTourette for his leadership, and certainly our ranking member of our overall committee, Mr. Mica. At the beginning of the 110th Congress, Mr. Speaker, Chairman Oberstar laid out an agenda for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee focusing on three critical objectives: Ensuring the safety and security of transportation and infrastructure; supporting expanded investment; and combating global warming. The measure before us today, the Maritime Pollution Prevention Act of 2008, H.R. 802, represents yet another step towards the achievement of this agenda, and I applaud Chairman Oberstar for his focused leadership on one of the most urgent transportation issues confronting our Nation. As the chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, I rise in strong support of H.R. 802, which would institute the legal changes needed to bring the United States into compliance with Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, known as MARPOL. This legislation passed the House of Representatives on March 26, 2007, by a vote of 359-48. The bill finally passed the Senate with a minor amendment at the end of last month, and that amended bill now returns to the House for our consideration. MARPOL is a treaty negotiated by the members of the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations body responsible for developing the treaties that are essentially the sole international regulations for ocean shipping. The MARPOL convention currently has six annexes limiting various forms of pollution from ships. Annex VI was negotiated to control air pollution and has been in force internationally since 2005. With the enactment of H.R. 802, the United States would finally align our Nation's laws to comply with this annex. Among other measures, Annex VI imposes limits on the sulfur content of the fuel utilized by ships, limits the emission of nitrogen oxides from ships' engines, and prohibits the deliberate release of substances that deplete atmospheric ozone. In the United States, ships are essentially the last major non- regulated source of ozone depleting emissions and they are a growing threat to the world's air quality. In fact, some estimates suggest that the emissions of sulfur oxide from ships may now exceed the combined output from all the cars, trucks and buses in the world. Unfortunately, the missions standards imposed by Annex VI are still very moderate. As a result, the United States has been actively working with our international partners to strengthen the annex's emissions controls through the development of new amendments. Among other changes, these proposed amendments which are now under consideration by the IMO would reduce allowable sulfur content in fuel from the current 4.5 percent to 3.5 percent in 2012, and require subsequent reductions through 2020. A vote is scheduled on these new amendments by the current parties to Annex VI in October of this year. Critically, if the United States has not deposited with IMO its instrument of ratification of Annex VI at least 3 months prior to that vote, the United States will not be allowed to vote for the strengthened emission controls that we have worked to craft. Mr. Speaker, implementation of the United States MARPOL Annex VI offers us the first opportunity to limit emissions from ships. Further, by joining this treaty now, we ensure that the United States can continue to lead the effort to achieve additional reductions in polluting emissions from oceangoing vessels. I urge my colleagues to adopt H.R. 802 today, and I urge the President to sign this measure as quickly as possible.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Johns Hopkins University located in the Seventh Congressional District in the great State of Maryland for its continued commitment to excellence and its monumental contributions to the advancement of our society and to the health and wellbeing of people throughout the world. Johns Hopkins is a stalwart not only in my hometown of Baltimore City but the entire State of Maryland and this Nation. The university currently supports more than 85,000 Maryland jobs. More than 3 percent of the people receiving paychecks in Maryland either work for Johns Hopkins or have a job because of the money. Additionally, the institution adds at least $7 billion a year of income to the Maryland economy. However, the University's groundbreaking research and contributions that can be felt throughout the entire world. The advancements that have been made in research and technology since the University's establishment in 1876 have been critical in keeping our Nation on the cutting edge. The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine is one of the best in the world, receiving more research grants from the National Institutes of Health than any other medical school. The Bloomberg School of Public Health, renowned for contributions worldwide to preventative medicine and the health of large populations, ranks first among public health schools in Federal research support. Madam Speaker, the medical breakthroughs made possible through Johns Hopkins research are saving lives every single day, and the University continues to make great strides in helping men, women, and children who suffer from illness. Just the other day in the Baltimore Sun, for instance, there was an article reporting new, unprecedented success by Johns Hopkins researchers in the treatment of multiple sclerosis. MS is a chronic and often disabling, degenerative condition in which the body's immune system attacks the central nervous system. Symptoms of this disease range from numbness in the limbs to paralysis or blindness, and the programs and severity of this disease is unpredictable. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, approximately 40,000 Americans are currently suffering from MS and an additional 200 people are being diagnosed each week. Although there are apparently a variety of treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration that can lessen the frequency and severity of MS attacks, there is not yet a cure for this debilitating disease. However, this new research from Johns Hopkins offers a giant leap forward in the search for a cure. In a small college study, nine people were chosen to receive a single infusion of cyclophosphamide over 4 days and were followed for 4 years. Madam Speaker, these nine patients have experienced the most severe symptoms of MS, and most of them had failed to respond to other treatments. At the completion of the 2-year period, researchers found that the treatment not only slowed the progression of MS, but it also restored neurological function that had previously been lost to the disease. Seven of the nine patients showed a decrease in the number of brain lesions in MRIs, and some even began walking, controlling bladder function, and returning to work for the first time in many years. One of the patients in the treatment program, 30-year-old Richard Bauer, summed up succinctly what this research has the potential to offer those who are suffering from MS. And he said, ``I was falling apart . . . trapped in my own body,'' and he continued, ``I'm a regular person again. I've gotten my life back.'' Madam Speaker, there are countless other patients who have benefited tremendously from Johns Hopkins research and who credit this great university for giving them back their lives. I am proud to applaud the work of this great institution and to recognize its contributions to the State of Maryland, to our Nation, and indeed the world.